This post is sponsored by Decluttered Spaces
Once again, the holiday season is here. That means it’s time for fun-filled family events and tons of delicious food.
However, sometimes hosting these holiday gatherings at your home can feel more stressful than joyful. Along with preparing meals and buying gifts, you have to worry about making sure that your home is presentable for guests.
Instead of running around in a panic, stuffing all of your clutter in closets and drawers, check out these holiday tips from professional organizer Nicole Lynn of Decluttered Spaces to get your home in tip-top shape just in time for Thanksgiving and Christmas.
No idea where to start? Nicole reminds clients that the kitchen is often the center of attention at holiday gatherings. If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the idea of reorganizing your entire home, start by focusing on the kitchen area first.
It’s essential to think about how you need to use the space you have. If your kitchen is compact, you may need to consider the best way to maximize counter space. An island or bar can be a great place to set up a self-serve buffet for guests.
But, regardless of your space, here are a few tried-and-true rules to remember as you begin to organize your kitchen:
- Keep utensils near the stove. This can mean designating a nearby drawer for spatulas and mixing tools, or even a utensil holder on the countertop.
- Spices should be kept near the stove as well. Depending on your counter space, you can set up a spice rack or fill a cabinet above the stove with all of your spices so you don’t end up running across the kitchen for that extra sprinkle of salt.
- Don’t forget to think about the cook(s) in the house. If your chef is short, keep kitchen essentials on lower shelves. Make sure not to put items that are regularly used in hard to reach places.
- Designate a separate space for your young sous chefs. If the little ones want to help with dinner, giving them their own work area will keep them out of harm’s way and ensure that any messes stay centralized in one area of the kitchen.
The most important thing to remember about your possessions, or anyone else’s for that matter, is that they all hold some sort of emotional value. Emotional connections can make it hard to throw things away, even if you may not have any practical reason for keeping them.
When it comes to sorting through clutter, Nicole understands that personal belongings often hold a lot of significance.
We’re all attached to our ‘stuff.’ It’s important to listen to what the client is saying when they talk about items. I also make sure to read their facial expressions and body language to better understand their attachments to certain things.”
If you’re trying to sort through things on your own, make sure to cut yourself some slack and don’t try to rush the process. Trying to bag everything up and throw it away in a single afternoon is nearly impossible, and you may end up regretting what you chose to throw away.
Instead, tackle the process in steps. Go through your home room by room and decide which areas holiday guests will have access to. Next, work through the mess in each room and divide things into categories based on what you need to keep, what you want to keep, and what you wouldn’t mind letting go of.
Home organization can seem like a daunting task, especially if you’re planning to tackle the clutter alone. Sometimes, it’s best to call in outside reinforcements that will bring a new perspective to the layout of your space or the functionality of your belongings.
Adding all of this extra work to the already hectic holiday season may seem way too challenging. But don’t give up! Nicole is here to help you organize your home and harmonize your world… one space at a time!
