Declutter After the Holidays & Donate to Others

During the holidays, we collect more and more items that we simply have no business keeping. However, many of us don’t even know where to start decluttering! Often, getting rid of our excess is a bit overwhelming. If keeping a clean home is one of your New Year’s resolutions, doing a bit of cleaning now can make all the difference for the remainder of the year. Here are a few things to toss or donate to start your New Year off right.

 

  1. Unworn Winter Coats
    You most likely have at least one winter coat in your closet that you haven’t worn for several years. Rather than letting those collect dust in the closet, give them to those in need. If you’re in the Houston area, consider donating them to Dress for Success. Homeless shelters and women’s shelters also collect adult and children’s coats year-round.
  2. Unused Pantry Items
    For some reason, you have a dozen boxes of stuffing left over from Thanksgiving. Rather than letting it expire over the next year, take the time to go through your pantry and gather everything that you know you won’t eat. If it’s not expired, use Feeding America’s website to find a food bank near you to donate your unwanted, nonperishable goods.
  3. Aging Leftovers
    We all go to holiday parties and seem to come home with unwanted leftovers. If it’s been more than a few days, it’s time to let go of all those leftovers! Now is the perfect time to clean out your fridge and give it a good scrub down.
  4. Unnecessary Boxes
    You don’t need to save the box from every gift you received this year—plain and simple. Make sure you save the ones you do need and check the rest for any important papers. Then, it’s off to the recycling bin.
  5. Old Catalogs and Magazines
    We receive countless catalogs and magazines during the holiday season. It’s time to gather them all up and recycle them, rather than letting them clutter your office space.
  6. Unwanted Decorations
    While taking down your Christmas tree and other decorations, take a look into your storage. You may find that many of your old decorations haven’t seen the light of day for years. Take the time to go through all of them and donate the ones you know you’re not going to use again. Dispose of any decorations that are broken or don’t light correctly.  If you are no longer going to put your childhood tree decorations, go ahead and share them with a local children’s charity or pitch the ones that are no in good shape.
  7. Old Children’s Toys
    If you have kids, then they most likely received a mountain of new toys this year. Rather than letting last year’s toys go unused in the toy box, go through your child’s old toys with them. This will give your children the opportunity to share their input on what they want to keep and really play with as well as show them the importance of giving to those in need when you donate unwanted toys together. Also consider talking about toys that your children may have outgrown as a nice gift for those less fortunate. That also opens up room for new toys that are on level.

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