There are several ways my family prepares for Christmas; we do our Advent daily, shop for gifts, mail out Christmas cards, try to get involved in some type of charity - helping others, homeschool Christmas parties, make a birthday cake for Jesus, organize my children's toys not always getting rid of them because the gaps in the ages of my children and once one child as outgrown the toy my smaller children play with it so on and so on.
This year I had enough. When I walked in my boys bedroom and found this (see the baby in the middle of the mess)
I had enough! They were playing up in their room and decided to dump both of their toy bucket bins over to try to find that ONE toy! Every year they get alot of toys especially from grandparents so I decided it was time to make room for the new.
Time for a clean out! No more holding onto things! After hours of cleaning with garbage bags close by I got rid of 1 garbage bag of just broken toys, 1 garbage bag and a box full of toys that I thought they no longer needed or played with. It felt freeing so I decided to do my daughter's room next getting rid of a garbage bag of toys and a box of books! All I dropped off at Salvation Army today. I am a pack rat, I like to hold onto things for that what if mentality. Here are the final results
Bin with labels on them work wonderfully instead of loose toys everywhere! This will be something I am adding to our list every year at this time!
What about you, how do you prepare?
If we hadn't just moved (and so done this big time a few months ago) we would be doing that now too! I love organizing and de-cluttering!
ReplyDeleteYou certainly do some wonderful things with your family at Christmas time. I always try to get rid of some unnecessary stuff. I am amazed how much I have gotten rid of and still need to get rid of!:)It certainly provides more space and make the place look so much better.
ReplyDeleteI agree we always clean out the month of November to make room and clean out.
ReplyDeleteThis is something we keep planning to do, but never get around to. My kids are constantly dumping out the toy boxes and some days I just feel like throwing the ALL away. Maybe now is the time for me to finally go through all those toys!
ReplyDeleteCan you please, please come here? lol. I have the hardest time convincing grandparents that less is more and our 4 children have more toys and "junk" than they will ever use or need. I am going to do some serious purging, as well. You have inspired me!
ReplyDeleteMany blessings,
Lisa
Oh my goodness--if you hadn't pointed out the baby, I would have thought he was a toy! Great job cleaning and organizing. Some of that is definitely in order at our place too!
ReplyDeleteWow, great job on the cleanup! We do that every year too, give away old toys. My daughter knows that giving her old toys to Goodwill means a kid who might not get a toy for Christmas otherwise will get one, and she likes that.
ReplyDeleteWow! Looks great! I have been telling everyone-- grandparents, aunts/uncles...everyone that our kids need nothing for the holidays...if they feel that they need to get them something they can buy them a membership to the zoo, museum, and other kid friendly things...since all of our renewals happen in January...and this can really add up...so far only 1 person has listened to my request and the toys keep flooding in through the mail...so after Christmas I will purge and clean (when my kids aren't watching). We still have a baby too...but how many cars does one child need...how many baby dolls do we need...or musical instruments that are essentially the same...but look a bit different?
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