It is possible to have a calm life even during and after the holidays. We don’t have to be scared to open a drawer or enter the garage anymore. We can’t let our stuff bog us down like a creepy Halloween stew.
Not all families celebrate the same way nor do we collect the same way. After helping a client downsize a home, I noticed he had collected over a dozen tubs of Halloween decorations and he was being forced to sell his home of 25 years. The downsizing exercises were extra painful and challenging for him since he had kept every costume and candy collection bucket he had personally created and crafted for his children. They were clever and awesome but there just will not be room in his new smaller home.
My top tip is to decide now just how much stuff, decorations, you need to keep.
Be ruthless with yourself and decide how many pieces you need to convey the holiday to friends and neighbors. It might be
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Something on your front door
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A piece for the mantle
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Another piece for the dining room table
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Or add a piece to the kitchen countertop
That will get the message across to family and visitors that you are acknowledging the holiday but you are not controlled by it. You may have one tub of decorations to unpack each year which makes repacking a cinch.
Be aware of how advertising and marketing drives you to think you have to have MORE and MORE decorations. So you spend money than more money.
A few or couple of tasteful, artistic pieces strategically placed in the home will convey the holiday theme without much chaos in your life.
By only buying what you love, you won’t be overwhelmed with decor each holiday season.
