Are you feeling frazzled this holiday season.? Here are some great tips for the home, head and heart.
HOME
If your home is a mess your mind will be too. Decluttering expert, Amy Revell shared some ideas of how to give our homes a quick calming make-over before school breaks up.
1. Declutter toys
2. Clear out hard rubbish
Go around the main living and entertaining areas in your home and declutter the obvious un-wanted, un-needed and broken items in your house. Anything that cannot be donated can be discarded. Tip: do it right away; don’t leave bags of rubbish at your front door or clogging up your car.
1. Create a gift list
Amy advises that before you buy any more gifts this year, take a moment to write down who you intend to buy for and if you’ve already bought items, write these down too. “It’s easy to overspend at Christmas when you forget you bought something and buy another gift for the same person. Keeping a list will keep you on budget and help you feel organised”, explains Amy.
3. Buy experiences
Amy says this year get creative in your gift giving and think about moving away from physical gifts to giving experiences. We often do this for adults, but it’s fantastic for kids too. Think movie tickets, play centre passes, local theatre group ticket, theme park voucher, lessons for a hobby (craft, music, theatre, sport), there are so many great experiences for kids that will get them active, creative and learning new things.
4. Make a gift stash
Why not cook up a batch of marmalade, lemon butter, jam or apple sauce with your kids? Or maybe a fruitcake, shortbread or a gingerbread house? This won’t do for “big” presents, but for smaller gifts, a little hamper of homemade deliciousness is perfect.
– Amy Revell, is a mum of 2, a Professional Organiser and owner of The Art of Decluttering course and podcasts: www.artofdecluttering.com.au
