How to Make Space for Christmas - Starting Now — Suzy Kell

Does the sound of having people over right now scare the beans out of you? Maybe you haven't properly had guests (real life people) in your living room since last Christmas - it's a lot to think about! This pandemic has done a number on us mentally and socially, and if I'm being real with you, I've been challenging myself to go on solo trips outside of the house to work on my 'outside anxiety'. Last weekend I went to the Botanic Gardens to feed the squirrels and it was a real win for me.

So, with that in mind, here are some ways you can prepare for guests in the next few weeks - which I talked all about yesterday with Donal Lynch on the Spirit Radio Morning Show.

1. Focus on the Main Entertaining Areas

If your energy levels are low, it's a good idea to leave the attic and the shed for now and focus on the living room, kitchen and maybe the dining room. Clear a space for the tree by putting everything that belongs in another room in your laundry basket and take 30 mins to re-home them.

2. If You Can't Decide, Sort

It's amazing how much more in control you feel just by making piles of things so you know what you are dealing with. Choosing an easy starting point can really get the bal. rolling. These could be - 'toys the kids haven't played with all summer', 'purchases to return' or even 'stuff I should get rid of but I'm scared to'. For that last one, put them in a 'maybe' box with a date for 6months time and see then if you've even opened it. You don't have to make all the big decisions today.

Photo by **RODNAE Productions** from **Pexels**

3. Getting Kids and Teens Involved

Decluttering and tidying shouldn't be just down to you, so get your kiddos involved by making it easier to put things away. Take lids off boxes (BTW this is a great way to use up boxes sitting around the house) and add clear labels (even a post-it will do) so they can easily dunk and go and clean up on 10 mins flat. Empower your teens to clean up by handing them a cloth and letting them see how much easier it is to dust when the stuff is off their shelves!

4. Start Tidy Up Routines Now

Daily tidy up systems seem like the kind of thing you might work on when all the stuff if gone, but you can stop it building up even more by having a simple to-do list each day.

Set up temporary drop zones for important things like your work stuff, handbag essentials, breakfast stuff and cleaning things (a box or shopping bag will do for each) and at the end of each day put those things back in their temporary home. Do one sink of dishes each evening and vow to keep your work desk clear (don't worry about the rest of the space. These habits will create an anchor for you while you sort the rest out and get ready for Christmas.