Make space for some Christmas magic. 5 key spaces to declutter before the festive season.

We're fully into the countdown to Christmas now. As I write, there are just over seven weeks to go to the big day, and if you want to get ahead, now is the perfect time for a pre-holiday declutter. Not only will it bring a sense of calm to your home as things get busier, but it will also help your festive celebrations go more smoothly. I've identified five key areas of the house that are key to Christmas. Let's welcome the season with less stress and more joy!

1. The Kitchen

My kitchen is the center of our Christmas celebrations. From the main meal with all its trimmings to festive baking and sweet treats, I like to be well prepared for the flurry of activity that's coming in December, with space to move and ingredients to hand.

This all starts with a thorough declutter of the area, working through the cupboards, fridge, and freezer, checking through ingredients and expiry dates. November is a great month to meal plan using up some of the food that's close to expiry, saving a bit of money and creating space as you go. The declutter is also a great opportunity to think about what's missing and what you will need to buy in for December - often popular ingredients sell out early and are difficult to source, so it's an opportunity to make a detailed list and get prepared.

Christmas is a busy time for baking, so consider creating a baking box with all of your favorite festive ingredients, icing, sprinkles, cutters, and spices that can be easily grabbed when you need it. This is also a great time to streamline your baking equipment and let go of anything that's not being used.

2. The Spare Room

Most spare rooms are far from guest ready, and if that's the case with your home and you're hosting this year, now is the ideal time to get prepared.

Spare rooms often become a magnet for all of the things that haven't got a proper home, that just get put down quickly to deal with later and then left. So the first task in this area is to work through anything that doesn't actually belong in the room. Setting a timer can really help with focus. Consider how long the items have been in the room, whether you actually need them or not, and if you do, where their proper home is. It's also a great opportunity to go through the wardrobe or drawers in the room to identify any unwanted items and create some space for your guests. For anything that you've identified that you don't need, consider donation or recycling and make a firm date to get them on their way.

If you have guests coming to stay, it's a great time to check and freshen up bedding and towels and gather them together ready for December.

Once your spare room is clear, consider also using it as your gift-wrapping HQ, gathering together all of your wrap and supplies in a storage box or basket and tucking it away under the bed or in a cupboard until it's needed. Keeping everything neatly contained together allows for easy removal when your guests arrive.

3. Kids' Rooms and Toys

Christmas is coming, and that likely means that new toys, books, and clothes are coming too. Children's spaces, especially the areas with toys, can become overwhelming very quickly, so get ahead of the new arrivals by decluttering now.

A calm and tidy space helps kids to play more creatively. Try focusing on some of these areas to help you declutter:

• Clothes that are too small or out of season

• Broken toys

• Incomplete games or puzzles

• Books and toys that have been outgrown

• Outgrown dressing-up costumes

For more inspiration for toy decluttering, take a look at Toys and Playrooms: Five categories to declutter as the summer holidays come to an end

4. Your bedroom

I love Christmas, but there's absolutely no doubt that in amongst all the sparkle and joy, it can also be a pressured and stressful time. It's important to have a space to retreat to, a place to take a breath and relax, so now is a good time to create yourself a quiet sanctuary, an island of calm amidst the festive whirl.

A clear space, promotes a clear mind, so declutter your bedroom with a mind to space and peace. Concentrate on removing any items that don't belong in the bedroom. If you're pressed for time, a great starting point is to focus on the areas that you can see - the floor, surfaces and shelves. Remove everything, vacuum the floor and clean the surfaces and then only replace items that you actively want to keep and have around you. Pay special attention to your bedside table, making sure that it's a calm, uncluttered area.

Once you've decluttered, gather a just a few specially chosen cozy, calming items around you for extra comfort. When the December rush starts, having a peaceful, comforting bedroom that you can retreat to can make all the difference.

5. The living room

The Christmas tree twinkling in the corner, beautifully wrapped gifts underneath, Christmas movies playing in the background. The living room is where everyone gathers and Christmas happens, but its also a room that tends to gather a lot of 'stuff', everyday clutter that just gradually builds up.

Now is the time for a good declutter. Simplify before you decorate. Instead of adding to the clutter that's gathered, create some space and calm and a blank canvas for your festive decorations.

Start by looking at the surfaces, coffee tables and shelves and ask yourself what truly belongs in the living room and what has just been left here by chance. Remove anything that shouldn't be here and return it to its proper home. Sort through papers, old magazines and mail to either file, organise, donate or recycle. Return toys and games to their homes. remove any unecessary cables or remotes. Clearing the surfces you can see will immediately make the room feel calmer.

Consider checking through your decorations in advance of putting them up. Do you still love and use all of them? Have some of them seen better days? Do some stay in the box year after year? Now is the time to let go of unwanted decorations and a great time to donate in time for Christmas.

A decluttered living room isn't about creating perfection. It's about creating a space that feels peaceful and relaxed. A space where your decorations can shine and you can all feel comfortable and relaxed. A space for Christmas memories.

If you're in Essex or East Hertfordshire and you're interested in help with decluttering before Christmas you can find out more  here.

Happy Decluttering!

Nikki

Dunmow Decluttering Herts & Essex Professional Organiser

Dunmow Decluttering Herts & Essex Professional organiser offers home organising services, home decluttering services & house move preparation & unpacking for the areas surrounding Great Dunmow - Saffron Walden - Stansted - Bishop's Stortford - Sawbridgeworth - Ongar - Epping - Chigwell - Loughton - Colchester - Chelmsford - Brentwood - Shenfield - Braintree - Coggeshall - Tiptree - Witham - Maldon - Halstead - Sudbury - Haverhill