Download your FREE 2023 December Decluttering Calendar (plus two bonus pages!) to ensure this holiday season is organized, decluttered, and stress-free!
How to Use the Calendar:
As the holiday season approaches, it’s the perfect time to embark on a journey of decluttering and preparing for Christmas festivities. With my December Decluttering Calendar, we’ll tackle the Christmas chaos in bite-sized chunks with 15-minute daily challenges. Get ready to embrace the joy of decluttering as we countdown to a tidier and more delightful holiday season!
Our family celebrates Christmas, so I created this calendar with Christmas preparations in mind. However, I realize that not everyone celebrates Christmas, so if you do not, I suggest downloading my 30-day Declutter Challenge Checklist for this month.
- Week 1: Monthly Reset- Get ready for the new month!
- Week 2: Focus on Christmas Cards and creating a digital address list
- Week 3: All about the gifts- shopping, wrapping, and shipping
- Week 4: Helping kids declutter toys, electronics, pajamas, and books
- Week 5: Enjoying the season, reflecting on the past year, and setting goals for 2024
***Note*** I follow my Sunday planning routine each weekend to help organize and make the most of my time each week.
Here are a few reminders for the December Decluttering Calendar:
- Remember, each daily task is designed to take just 15-20 minutes.
- You can always dive deeper if you like, but the goal is to keep it manageable.
- Decluttering and organizing are personal journeys, so make it work for you.
- I recommend reading my article, “Choose Your 15 Minutes a Day,” before you begin to create the right mindset.
Grab your Free December Decluttering Calendar here:
1st-Week Focus: Monthly Reset
The first month of December is a short one! So the “theme” for this week is to focus on you. Take the time to do a little self-care, or catch up on the little things that always pile up this time of year.
- Day 1: Today, knock out anything you want to take care of every month. The holidays will come fast and furious, so check some to-do items off your list today before the holiday preparations take over!
- Days 2 & 3: Enjoy the Weekend and Plan your upcoming week!
2nd-Week Focus: Christmas Cards
Last year, I organized all my addresses into a convenient spreadsheet for two reasons: 1) easy computer reference and 2) streamlined Christmas card sending. Instead of hand-addressing envelopes as before, I’m using my digital address book to print labels, saving time. Even if you’re not sending cards this year, creating a digital address book is a valuable time-saver, proven helpful in various situations throughout the past year!
- Day 4: Take 15 minutes today to decide whether to download an app or a simple spreadsheet. (I keep a simple spreadsheet, but I am curious about this Postable app.)
- Day 5: Collect all your addresses into one place, and confirm with family and friends if addresses have changed.
- Day 7: Create labels for your Christmas cards.
- Day 8: Print and mail your cards!
- Day 9 & 10: Enjoy the Weekend and Plan your upcoming week!
3rd-Week Focus: Christmas Gifts
I constantly find myself playing catch-up when it comes to getting gifts! Being far away from family by distance means orchestrating timely deliveries for Christmas day. Even when we’ve had family come to visit, I’ve had to stealthily slip away to wrap the presents and handle those last-minute stocking stuffers. This year, I’m determined to have everything wrapped up, and I’m hoping with the December Decluttering Calendar, you will too!
- Day 11: If you haven’t already, create a list and a budget for your Christmas gifts.
- Day 12: Order any gifts and needed wrapping supplies after taking stock of what you have. If you are looking for the perfect gift wrap organizer, might I suggest this one!
- Day 13: Start wrapping any gifts you have already purchased.
- Day 14: Hopefully, those Amazon Deals have been delivered! Now you can finish your wrapping. Check out my post: Stocking Stuffers for the Whole Family for those last-minute gifts!
- Day 15: Mail off packages to far-away family and friends
- Day 16 & 17: Enjoy the Weekend and Plan your upcoming week!
4th-Week Focus: Kiddos!
In my opinion, Christmas and birthdays are fantastic times to declutter with your kids. It’s helpful for them to think of giving their things to others, and it helps to know that they may receive more gifts on a special day. This week, take the time to go through some of these categories with your kids (and yourself!) to help create space for the gifts they may receive on Christmas Day.
- Day 18: Toys- (easy toys to declutter: broken, missing pieces, and duplicates).
- Day 19: Electronics- Look for easily declutterable electronics. If they are broken or outdated, it’s time to go. Old cords that don’t work, watches that don’t turn on, or things that they simply have not touched. Research a place that will recycle old and broken electronics. Plan to take them on Friday with the rest of your donations.
- Day 20: In our family, I always do Christmas Eve Pajamas. Sometimes, I’ve done matching ones like the ones here, but as the kids have gotten older, I try to do pajamas they will wear all year. Today, go through all their old ones that are worn out or too small in anticipation of their cozy new pajamas on Christmas Eve!
- Day 21: Have your kids pick two or three books to give away. You don’t have to do a full-on declutter, but I recommend removing any broken or ripped books or ones they have outgrown.
- Day 22: Take the donations to the center of your choice. Get all that stuff out of your house before Christmas to make space!
- Day 23 & 24: Enjoy this time with your family and friends. Check out Christmas lights, sing songs, watch Christmas movies, and make cookies. I love Christmas, don’t you?
5th-week Focus: New Years Resolutions
Take this week to celebrate, rest, and remember 2023. As you reflect, take a minute to think about your decluttering and organization goals specifically. What went well this year? Were there any habits that you started for which you are really proud? Is there a particular habit or pattern that you have noticed that you would like to work on? What are some goals that you have for yourself for next year? If you need help setting goals, check out my article on SMART and DUMB goals here.
- Day 25: Merry Christmas!
- Day 26: Journal Prompt: Reflect on the last year. What systems worked well this year? What are some systems that you would like to update or change for a more efficient home, time management system, etc.?
- Day 27: Journal Prompt: What are your organization goals for next year?
- Day 28: Journal Prompt: What habit would you like to stop?
- Day 29: Journal Prompt: What habit would you like to start?
- Day 30: Enjoy the Weekend and Plan your upcoming week!
- Day 31: Rest, spend time with family, and celebrate 2024!
Free bonus calendars:
Ok, so I need to know how this goes for you! I’ll be jumping onto my Instagram stories to share my progress, but if you have any questions or want to share your success, please head over to my private Facebook group Organization Tips and Tricks.
3 Responses
It would feel so good to enter the new year knowing I have spent December decluttering and getting organized. Nice to have a little focus for each day!
First, that Postable app cracked me up, because all of the names are characters from Friends.
Second, this is an incredibly robust and helpful post, and (like many posts of this kind) makes me relieved that I’m Jewish and don’t participate in almost all of these activities, because it seems EXHAUSTING. (When I was young, I was envious, as all of the flurry seemed exciting. It’s a true sign of my age that this has been replaced by relief that I don’t have so many (albeit delightful) obligations.)
And I particularly like that you focused on self-awareness and planning in that final week. Great job! This will help a lot of people.
This is a wonderful calendar of decluttering, thanks for all the details.