Just Planting Daisies

Every year about this time, my anxiety starts to rise, because I know what’s coming…A Christmas gift explosion in the living room! With multiple children, it can seem like a daunting task the day after Christmas, trying to get everything back in its place and creating new space for all the new things. 

For years I would experience a complete mental break down around this time of year. It was almost debilitating. I hated to decorate because it just created more clutter amongst the other clutter and I hated to shop, because bringing more bags in sent my anxiety through the roof. Christmas just seemed more like a burden rather than a joy. For this reason, I knew I had to get a handle on my home or at the very least my kids rooms before Christmas …

So several years back, when my girls were 9, 7, & 4, I started having, what I call “The Great Pre-Christmas Declutter Party” 

The first couple of years were grueling, because my children had difficulty letting go of stuff, But upon the explanation that their things would be going to less fortunate children, they eventually got on board, and now look forward to “The Great Pre-Christmas Declutter Party” 

Just a few days ago, my middle daughter, who likes to keep her things organized, and sometimes spends all day trying to get her room so so, threw her hands up as if it were no use. She had too many things and not enough space in her room. She was completely overwhelmed, and could no longer manage it all. This is when I knew it was time! Right on cue for “The Great Pre-Christmas Declutter Party 2025”

Here is what we do…

✅ Stuffed animals – we get two large boxes. One is labeled GIVEAWAY, the other is labeled KEEP. Everyone puts all their stuffed animals in a big pile (NO STUFFED ANIMAL IS EXEMPT-we’ve had some try to hide in the dirty clothes hamper and under the beds) We sit around the pile like it’s a campfire. Each child chooses one stuffed animal to put in the giveaway box (if another child objects, they have to choose a different stuffed animal) Then each child gets to choose a stuffed animal to keep. We keep going until all the stuffed animals are in a box. The idea is for them to choose the stuffed animals they really love first! WARNING! If there is a stuffed animal that ends up in the giveaway box that they just can stand to part with, I allow them to rescue it. It just isn’t worth the heartache and headache. After all we just reduced the number if stuffed animal by half, so it’s a win!!!! When we are finished, the box labeled “GIVEAWAY” is immediately removed, so that no stuffed animals can sneak out of the box back into their rooms. Then everyone takes their “KEEP” stuffed animals back to their rooms where they find a good spot to keep them, whether it be on their bed, in a corner, or in a stuffed animal net or bean bag. 

Then I take a day or evening for each child to go through each of these areas of their rooms.

✅Cubbies: We go through each cubby one by one, throwing away trash & broken toys, removing unwanted or no longer played with toys to donate or sell. We then put like toys back in cubbies (you can label them if you like, but we typically don’t) barbies in one, horses in another, fidgets in another, and so on.

✅Drawers: We get 3 totes or boxes. One labeled “PASS DOWN” with the next child’s name and size. One labeled “SELL” and one labeled “DONATE”. We go through each drawer one by one, getting rid of clothes with holes, rips, or stains and putting the clothes that are still good but too small, in the labeled totes. Then we sort the clothes back into specific drawers. One for pants, one for shirts, one for socks and panties, one for sports, or you can sort by season.

✅Closets: We remove all clothes that are too small or they no longer wear and put in their respective totes labeled as above. We then organize the closet based on season. 

This is the important part!!! 

After the clothes cleaned out, I turn all the hangers around so they face the wrong direction (after they wear the clothes, they hang them back up with the hanger facing the right way) That way when we do this the next time, we know which clothes they didn’t wear and so that helps the process go quicker the next time.

✅Shoes: We go through the shoes and toss the ones that are too worn and put the ones that are too small in their respective totes from above. 

✅ Flat Surfaces: We declutter all flat surfaces in their rooms using the same method as above. Trash, Pass Down, Donate, Sell. 

✅Large toys/furniture: We look around the room and decide how we can make it less cluttered. Sometimes we move furniture around (It made my middle daughter’s heart happy to move her bed last night) Let’s face it, we all need a change sometimes. Sometimes we decide to get rid of larger items or toys that they no longer use or play with, or have grown out of.

During this process, I have always tried to teach my girls the organizational skills it takes to keep a neat and tidy room. These are skills that I am still learning myself and we work through them together. I purposely do not clean their rooms myself nor do this process on my own. I think it is important to involve them in the process, as it teaches them the skill. I also teach them “If it doesn’t have a place in your room it doesn’t have a place in your heart” ♥️ 

✅Lastly, Each child always gets some sort of organizational tool for their rooms for Christmas. Here are links for some we have gotten in the past, some I’ve mentioned above, and some they are getting this year

lego table https://amzn.to/4pTXZVl

over the door stuffed animal storage https://amzn.to/4rNWnyb

beanbag stuffed animal storage  https://amzn.to/4pYfLHa

Vanity organizer  https://amzn.to/4iJ5cVQ

jewelry organizer  https://amzn.to/4q2FjTG

Earring organizer  https://amzn.to/4oFF8wb

hair bow organizer https://amzn.to/4oIW8lc

***Stay tuned for “THE GREAT DECLUTTER CHALLENGE 2026”