What is your vision for this holiday season? Here at Tidy Closet, we are betting your vision includes words like joyful, warm, family and generosity. One thing we bet is not on the list is clutter! Nope, no one is writing to Santa, asking for clutter for Christmas. Unfortunately, clutter can be one of those things that seem to come with the holiday territory. From busy schedules to gift-giving to Christmas cards, clutter can easily creep in. We’ve got five tips to help you keep it at bay this holiday season.

1. Declutter first. Before everything happens, take the time to declutter! The holiday season coincides with an upcoming new year, weather change and more. That makes it a great time to go through what you’ve got and discard anything that is worn out, not used, unneeded and certainly anything that is not sparking joy any longer. This will be a particularly helpful tool if you target the categories that you’re most likely to receive items like toys, clothes or your pantry.

> > > You can also apply this step to your holiday decor. Declutter the decor when you go to put it up. Choose to keep only what’s cherished, meaningful and truly adding to the spirit of the season. Don’t put decor up just because you have it. Instead, declutter and save yourself time so you can enjoy time with your family afterward. Oh, and it’ll make putting decor away much easier too! Likewise, be very selective about buying any new decor. The average American spends about $269 on Christmas decor each year. Can you imagine how much stuff that can add up to in your garage or attic?

> > > You can also apply this step to gift giving. Declutter your gift giving routine by choosing to give experiences or consumables over just things and choosing quality over quantity.

2. Budget your time. One of the biggest reasons holiday clutter creeps in is because we lose our daily discipline of tidying up. Add to that the sheer volume of things, mail, invitations, presents, food and everything else coming in your home and you’ve got a cluttered mess in the making! Your schedule can also seem cluttered with all of the parties, family events, baking and other activities that happen over the holiday season. So, decide now to see your time as a limited resource and be discerning about giving it all away. Choose to say yes only to things that are the most meaningful to you and your loved ones. If you can reserve time to spend at home and enjoy your home, you’ll be much more able to keep up with putting things away, clearing counters and keeping it organized!

3. Assign homes. Holiday clutter can spread throughout the house if you don’t assign homes to different functions and items. For example, you might designate a very specific holiday wrapping station. You might also decide exactly where all holiday cards or Christmas cookies go when they come in the home. All the gifts you buy to wrap might have a specific location as well as the holiday serving platters and dishes.

> > > You can also apply this step to your decor. Replace your normal decor with your holiday decor and put it in the storage area it came from so there is less stuff out. Likewise, assign a home for holiday decor such as a few plastic totes. Then, limit your decor to that amount of space and be sure to put everything holiday in it when the season is over!

4. Get one give one. You’ve probably heard of this one. If you get a new book, perhaps you can give away one you no longer feel attached to. If your child gets a new video game or dress, perhaps there’s one that can be given away. If you get new hand towels, can you let go of the raggedy ones you’ve got? Apply this tip to everything that comes into your home over the holiday season and you’ll prevent clutter.

5. Regift. Regifting might be frowned upon but if you truly consider that an item someone gave you is going to sit on a shelf until you throw it away, regifting sounds like the nicer option. In fact, one etiquette expert tells us it’s rising in acceptability.

“Regifting is perfectly acceptable, especially with the rising popularity of second-hand and sustainable goods,” Lisa Gache of Beverly Hills Manners told Good Housekeeping.

If things come into your home that you know aren’t going to be used, loved or cherished, think about who might find a better use for it and regift it immediately. Sometimes regifting may even come in the form of food (maybe your niece and nephew would like that poundcake?) and drinks (someone hosting a party might find that champagne useful).

“Regifting is perfectly acceptable, especially with the rising popularity of second-hand and sustainable goods”

— Lisa Gache

> > > Apply this tip as soon as you receive something before you bring it into your home. Be very selective about what makes it through the threshold into your home.

Remember how you want to feel this holiday season and let that be the motivation to tackle these tips in order to keep clutter at bay!

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5 Tips to Keep Holiday Clutter at Bay