Thank you so much for watching! I hope you had a great Christmas! Find the details for the Take Your House Back Course here: cli.re/Take-Your-House-Back-Dawn (just $94 right now!) Have a great day! - Dawn
I'm curious, after looking at the modules, I don't see anything live? Is it all prerecorded from 2022 - Is that why the vastly reduced price? Are there live q&a? The all day you said for Jan 7th appears to be a prerecording we watch? I'm confused. I want to do this but I want to know what I am signing up for so I'm not disappointed - tho you never disappoint. Thanks so much. Tho I've made many changes from your videos. Dawn, I still need help! How can this merge with disability needs - pain makes it harder to commit and stay committed. Is there support for disabled folx on your fb group? Thanks.
@@AmethystWoman good question! The all day declutter takes place live in a private Facebook group so participants can watch it in Facebook or we post it to the course directly following each hour. So it is all new content on January 7 and you can decide if you watch it in Facebook or in the course. And yes, we specifically address those with physical limitations, as well as time, energy, and lack of support from those around them. It is truly designed to work for everyone :-)
@@TheMinimalMom fast response! I tell people about you all the time. I explained the idea of inventory to my sisters. One who said "I know where every paperclip is in my house." As a thrower outer an organized listmaker I'm sure she does. The sister who talks about clutter in others, has, well, no room to talk. 😁 but I have very little support or real.encouragement. It's like being committed to quit smoking when all you hear is you'll never be able to do it, right? I'm all in! Decluttering is my entire goal for this year. Tho as a single senior, there is a sadness of feeling like I'm preparing to die so people aren't angry at me when I do.
“Everyday life is a special occasion”- love this! We actually donated our cheap IKEA everyday dishes and now use our wedding china as our everyday dishes and it makes me so happy at every meal! (and now only one set of dishes to manage!)
Me and my family had a gift-free Christmas. We still gave some presents to children (much less than usual). And it was fantastic! So much less stress and anxiety! We still gathered, had nice food, played games, baked cookies and we were not exhausted after Xmas shopping and we have no regrets 😀
Oh my goodness Dawn, that’s going to be my 2023 mantra! “Everyday life IS a special occasion”. That is such a true statement and it becomes more true every year I’m alive and with every loved one lost. I want to stop and appreciate the “everyday” bc it is a gift.
“EVERY DAY LIFE IS IMPORTANT!” To let yourself keep Christmas in your heart every day of the year - and be grateful for what you are given - love and peace in your heart and home. Thanks Dawn for getting us started in 2023! ❤
When I give a gift, I now attach a gift receipt, and tell them right away, if they dont like it, if it doesnt suit or fit them, "Please return or exchange it for something else that works for them". I now give them permission and release any guilt for them.
I wish people would do this! I have kids so we especially get so much stuff. One grandparent used my Amazon wish list and got over $300 worth of stuff! It was insane. So I want those things but I didn't want them all at once ya kn? Gift receipts would have been nice. I could return things that are for later on in development and kept the things I really wanted right now. Same with another side of the family. They got my kids clothing and stuffies. I get most of the clothing on buy nothing so I don't really need any clothes. Pro top though, you can exchange at Carter's without gift receipts for same day in store value. I was able to get my daughter some nightgowns for potty training as well as character shirts for motivating her as prizes. That's my issue. When people do that it's like they don't listen or hear me out they just pick out random things THEY like and hope you will too. Or things that don't hold much value for anyone. And it's sad because I look around their home and they have all these things. Scads and scads of stuff they don't need. I'm also a little sad about the $300 grandparent because at Thanksgiving we had a convo about experience gifts and keeping things cheaper. Next year I'm gonna put a cap on it at 4 things max. It's just too much stuff at once to manage even though I want it all technically.
Those fluffy socks! We just don't use them, and get SO MANY! But...we keep them because they fit the Swiffer perfectly and we don't have to buy those throw-away Swiffer cloths. :)
I have to try that! I use my fluffy socks as a neck protector from the seatbelt strap when I’m driving 🤷♀️. I can’t stand the strap near my neck, and those fluffy socks feel sooo good! 😂
It is too soon to put all of Christmas away. I don't put up Holiday decorations up extra early. Mine comes down after Epiphany (January 6). There doesn't seem to be such a let down when I do it that way. Plus my daughter's and mother's birthdays are the 26th, my dad's birthday is the 27th and there are still Holiday get-togethers into the New Year.
Here in Italy it is the custom to put everything away after jan6th... it sounds so strange when people talk about removing their decorations on dec28th! 🤪
Yes, 1 in & 1 out..is what I do. I immediately decide if I like the gift or I bless someone else with it. I donate immediately. I only use or wear things I like otherwise they go out. Being a senior I decided I didn't want my children to have to go through my things. I didn't want to burden them with this. I donated 8 truck loads of things to 4 different donation sites. I love the feeling of being company ready at a moments notice. I can honestly say I'm not attached to any THING I OWN.
Watching so many of my clients dealing with their parent’s property, which often included their grandparent’s stuff too, and the emotional toll it took on them, I decided not to burden my children with our decades-long accumulation of possessions. It’s been a long running project which is not finished yet but the peacefulness which comes from downsizing has been so rewarding.
Oh man. I want to reread your post. I'm a newbie senior but have never.been able to make a house into a home, that's what this is about for me. A home rather than a cluttered building. Living far away from me, my sister told me Christmas day when I die, they will hire someone to go in and throw out all my stuff. Definitely hurt but that is the reality. They don't want any of my stuff. They don't have room for their own stuff. I reacted badly inside. I felt hurt and angry that they didnt care about me, but that's reality. I also need to do it for me. Not attached to anything? Hmm.
We now do consumable gifts with our family & friends. Things like Restaurant cards, grocery store gift cards, Food items. ( Jelly, jams, think Hickory Farms, Harry & David, Godiva) or with the kids. CASH. As A teacher I received lots of goodies and I shared with family or in the faculty lounge. The fact students/parents thought of me was the best gift.
Better for the environment too. I aim to get experiences. For the first year I bought my children tickets for their gifts, I was shocked how grateful and excited my daughter was... It's her favourite gift, I wish we'd done this before!
I'm just starting! My 12 Days of Christmas starts on Christmas Eve and goes on till Epiphany on Jan 6th! My tree, my decorations, my Christmas dishes stay out until then. Those 12 days give me time to "rest into Christmas", to enjoy peacefulness and gratefulness. I'll probably put these tips into practice on Jan 6th. Of course, wrappings and boxes are already taken care of. Happy Nativity and Happy New Year!
YES!! EXACTLY what I do. I want to sit back & enjoy the Christmas season. But I don't decorate in October/November for Christmas lol I do go through holiday items to give away before the holidays & afterwards, too. I feel to each their own with holiday decor. These Ladies are fabulous with helping us let things go.
Yes! 🙌🏼🎄 Christmas started on the 25th and ends after the Epiphany. Before the 25th is Advent time, last for four Sundays before Christmas day (25th) and ends on the 24th. (On Christmas Eve) But these are good tips for after Christmas is over. ☺️
Dawn inspired me about a year ago to start decluttering and my house has not been the same! My husband is less stressed and my kids are happier. They love having a clean room that they can maintain! Can’t wait to start decluttering again with all the new items in our home after Christmas!
Thank you, Dawn. This was perfect and exactly what I needed today! I found your videos last December as I sat in the hospital room with my baby who was sick with RSV; I sat in the rocking chair watching your videos for HOURS over 9 days and it felt like an answer to prayer after a full and busy season with a newborn, homeschooling my other 4 and a house that was bursting at the seams. We came home two days before Christmas and I tell you what, after the holiday our house was a disaster. I was so thankful that I had a week of break between Christmas and New Years to work on it- and I had all that motivation your videos had just given me. I didn’t become minimalist that week, but I did get about 1000 items out of our house and knew I wanted to keep going when we had time (I challenged my friends on IG to declutter too, and I was blown away at how many joined me!). Here I am again this year, still feeling like we have way too much stuff, but your videos (and your smaller course which I purchased) are helping and inspiring me to use this week of break once again to make a big change. I nearly cry every time you say “I love you and I hope that you have a great day” at the end of your videos because I feel like I know you now and you’ve been such a help and answer to prayer for me this year. Thank you!!!
The most amazing thing that happened with my family on my in-laws side is we draw names (for adults only), put a 50$ limit and give gift ideas in a google doc everyone has access to. I LOVE it because you know what you are getting for that person they actually want it and everyone is happy with their present. I wish we had done it earlier.
The first year I started that on both sides with a $20 tag people griped. The next year people felt challenged to get a gift within budget because it was easy to make it happen at $50. Then we had a couple kids who were 16 want to join instead of waiting until 18, it became a rite of passage instead of who had turned 16 announcing the gifts. By year three the kids also wanted to exchange gifts and we also decided to bring a container of cookies to exchange. Best thing I did for my family.
We do this as well- there’s a great app called Elfster, where you can draw names and each person makes a wishlist with links to those items. It works really great!
@@jenniferdamiano7447 Give it a try and let us know. Grandparents were the most stubborn in our family but we also set up accounts for kids so that if they wanted to give otherwise it went into that account.
This year I wrapped mainly consumables . I made meals in a box with all ingredients along with a recipe, also toiletries that I know my family members use.
I decided many years ago to get rid of the traditional Christmas decorations and use more natural all winter decorations. Natural looking garlands w/berries, wooden carved deer, bear, etc, trees w/lights, but decorated w/berries and twist pine cones in branches, snowmen, nice full looking fake poinsettias, etc. I’ll even swap framed pictures for winter themed. Then I leave everything up til Spring, til the end of February or early March. I love the cozy warmth that decor yields all winter. It’s just way too much work to drag it all out for such a short time. My now grown daughters actually do the same thing n their homes. We also initially decorate 2-3 weeks before Thanksgiving. Wow! For us it brings a calm soothing joy to the holidays and winter, cutting the mad dash tremendously. We also try to complete gifts/wrapped & everything a week before Thanksgiving. We LOVE this routine. Makes baking and and other preps calm and entirely enjoyable. I feel it allows me to focus on Christ’s birth and not the dash of worldly material setups and chores, feeling overwhelmed, rushed and exhausted. This was also our 1st yr not buying gifts. We organized activities to make stronger memories instead. All loved it and we’ll do again next year. I’m all for minimizing stuff, but my husband and I have worked far too hard to end up living w/scraps. Material items can be a great blessing if u have bought wisely & they make you truly happy.
Christmas is specific to a miraculous day, The birth of Jesus Christ. With His birth, death and resurrection there would be no entry into heaven for any of us. I’ve only changed my celebration Christmas decorations so I can extend my tolerance of decorations and the efforts through the cold season. I leave my large nativity up all winter as well. Anyone who reads this needs to know your only way into heaven is Trusting and Believing Jesus Christ as your personal Savior & that Jesus is The only way. Salvation is a FREE GIFT Romans 6:23, but the cost was God’s Son. Ask God NOW for forgiveness of your sin, turn ur life over to His Will and accept Jesus as your Savior. If you have never read The Bible, perhaps you will do so this 2023 - a bit each day, beginning to end. Christmas is far more than about decorations.
Amen. What great ideas... I Love it! The idea of Society and the Calendar dictating our lives is really getting to me. Along with, all those expectations in such a small time frame. Amen
I do this but I do have Christmas specific decor. For me I switch out pillows and door signs but I don't decorate the whole house. I also leave up till after epiphany and celebrate the 12 days of Christmas loosely. And I never decorate before Thanksgiving lol. I put my fall stuff up in fall. Sometimes we leave the tree and lights too because we like to look at it at night.
Love that "the act of receiving the gift is what matters" from Cas. Yes. Show gratitude, and if it doesn't serve you, pass it on to someone who might benefit. Also LOVE that "it has to be just as easy to put away as it is to leave it out" alongside also making it easy to get out and use in the first place, otherwise you won't use it and it's just junk. And "5 minutes matters" is a great reminder.
I hate what Christmas has turned into. We all waste money on gifts, that other people don't even want. I get the whole concept of the act of giving. But really, we just wasted that person's money. I wish we could change Christmas back to Christ and not about a glutinous spirit.
You guys know we are ACTUALLY in the Christmas season right now, don't you? Until January 6th. Why I don't put stuff up day after Thanksgiving. No wonder everybody is over it on the 25th. My kid is loving everything. I'm fine with some clutter and chaos for a bit longer.
Yes! From a Christian perspective, the joyous peaceful 12 days of Christmas is just starting. It's not time to "put away" and "move on" from this holy season yet. Relax and reflect 🙏
Dana's "take it there now" has been extremely helpful, and morphed into"do it as you go along, not waiting for later". Many of us think we are honoring our children by keeping every little thing they make or do, and that they will like having the things in the future. They do not, they are not interested and are stressed out watching bins fill up and stack up with "their" things. Hindsight: involve child and pick one or two favorite items from each year, year end educational summaries only, use the container concept. Representative items, not entire collections or time spans. Then you don't end up with 40 bins they have no interest in. And that is just documents and artwork lol.
Yep my mom kept some of our stuff but not hoards of it and I wasn’t terribly interested in any of it. When I did my whole house declutter most of it went out the door. ❤
Yep. My mum kept a few of my first dresses. I did put them on my daughter to take photos out of pure guilt and obligation. Because they've been kept to long, I put them in my daughters keepsake box. But I've let her wear my 37yo shoes until they fell apart and they went in the bin. My mum also kept my baby cards. I threw out all but 2, one hand made by my sister and one that had my birth time on it. She kept a dusty old newspaper from the day I was born. It made my eyes itch and I sneezed and threw out straight in the recycle. A lot of the things I was keeping as my children's own Keepsakes, I'm now giving to expectant mums, who've looked after my children at day care. That's been such a beautiful experience to see things used and re loved rather than sitting in a box forever.
My youngest kid's favorite 'gift' this Christmas wasn't even under the tree. He found it in the garage two days later, which I had bought for an older sibling last Christmas and was planning to donate.
I can't imagine not having Christmas decor up through New Year's Day at least, or through Epiphany on Jan. 6th is even better, but everyone should do what's best for them. Some love Christmas so much it's a three month celebration (Nov, Dec, Jan)! Especially if they need the extra cheer to get through some of Winter. That's ok, too. 🙂 Thank you for sharing great ideas for managing it all at any time we choose. 🎄
We decorate for Christmas the week before, so all of my holiday decor still feels fresh & will be up for quite a while! Tackling the holiday dishes, inside of the fridge, & toys is my struggle this week!
I do not remove the tree until Epiphany. There is importance for me attached to the religious part of Christmas. I do not feel that the retail calendar works in my personal life. My tree does not go up when a Dept store says so. Organization can still happen within this framework.
Those warm fluffy socks are great to put in a little bin or basket to offer your friends to wear when they visit your house in the winter. Most of us have cold feet when we come inside and it’s so nice to have extra slipper socks to offer my guests. 😊
Yes, a great use for extra socks! I have actually taken my house slippers with me to a friend's house before! And even awesomer if your guest takes the socks home afterward!
Na, keeping them is just clutter. As often as most of us have friends, they can keep their shoes or boots on to keep their feet warm. If regular visitors, they should know to wear socks or bring slippers to wear at your house.
@@texasmimi5566 If I lived in Texas, I probably would agree with you. I live in North Dakota. It’s cold here for months on end. Lots of my friends and I bring slippers or socks to one another’s homes, but sometimes we forget. I have plenty of room on a shelf in my coat closet for a shoe sized bin for extras, and there are many times they are gratefully worn. They aren’t clutter at my house, simply a thoughtful item to have on hand for my guests. 😊 As far as wearing their shoes in my house, that’s not going to happen when we have snow! Wet boots and shoes are taken off at the door of every house in the north. No one would dream of doing otherwise!
It’s only the 4th day of Christmas. Eight more to go. Our world has the Christmas season so backward. The 12 days of Christmas starts on Christmas; it doesn’t end on Christmas 😉.
My hubby was a cowboy in his youth ( yes, a real one on a cattle ranch). He is now a warehouseman but still a cowboy at heart. I got him a subscription to a magazine that is for cowboy stuff. I don't think I could have found him a better gift!
Omg Dawn I paid my four year old twins each a dollar to fill a box of toy donations. Totally worked!! 🎉🎉🎉 My jaw dropped at how quickly they each filled a box 😮
I think a lot of us don’t realize why Christmas feels so rushed and that’s because we’re trying to fit everything into Advent and not actually the Christmas season. I’m trying to be more mindful that Christmas is actually 12 days longs. We don’t have to exchange all the gifts, bake all the cookies, and have all the parties before Christmas Day. So we leave our tree and decorations up for the whole 12 days. Edited to add that I forgot to say that I don’t put up Christmas decorations right after Thanksgiving anymore either. We are trying to celebrate the true season and not rush it like the commercialization of the holidays does. That being said I still think it’s completely fine to start decluttering Christmas gifts during Christmas ha ha
Yep the 12 days is the celebration part and advent is the solemn preparation BEFORE. I'm trying to learn and become more intentional about my traditions. Also as an adult we have many sides of the family to celebrate with so we do "second Christmas" visiting others. That's how my kids get a million gifts though 😬 I need to respectfully set some limits with people. The other thing though that does help is reminding myself my grands didn't live long so it's a blessing and we may not always have these doting folks with us forever :'(. Even still though I need to set more firm boundaries. Someone followed my wish list this season which had a lot of suggestions and things that I don't necessarily want all at once. They got me 3/4 of my wish list and spent well over $300. In addition to paying for Christmas dinner even though we offered to help (prime rib and scallops). And we stayed at their house for a few days so it wasn't just Christmas Eve and Christmas day dinner. Ironically I spoke to the same culprit at Thanksgiving about experience gifts and keeping things minimal. Yeah...
Call me party pooper but I don’t get it. I was born and raised outside of US and crazy gift giving is too much for me. I don’t want all that gifts it’s overwhelming. Sorry but I’m not into it. We buy one gift for each family member. This year I asked not to be gifted because I don’t need anything
The true Christmas season just began! We leave out tree until the epiphany (Jan 6) and the nativity scene until Feb 2 aka the presentation of Jesus at the temple. Keeps a little more of that joy and removes the immediate pressure of removal of decor for legitimate reasons. Although I think the most chaos is just the back up of chores. Laundry that’s not done for days because you’ve beeen out at several family homes instead. That takes forever to get back on track. For me at least. And is overwhelming.
Your pot holder example is exactly my biggest problem. I always have trouble getting rid of the old ones because so often the new ones don’t work as well for some reason. But sometimes it works out better. Tricky for me.
In regards to Christmas decorations, I love that you all three have different perspectives. It’s validating for each of us since there is no one-size-fits-all with how we do the holidays. My personal take is I like the extra comfort and light to bring the new year in, so I’ll wait until at least the first week of January to take everything down. I cleared all the trash, and placed new items in their place, but I’m not ready for the lights and greenery to come down yet ❤
I leave my (most of) my Christmas decor up until my tree dies...one year it was up until end of March. I redecorated it for my birthday! Lol. I love greenery so I have a lot of plants, too. I usually put away my nativity and other things slowly over January. My pine boughs are fake, so they stay up until the tree goes, usually. This year I only have 2 Rubbermaids of decorations, as I decluttered so much, so putting them away doesn't feel too overwhelming:) I just love to sit at night with the house lights off and tree lit, and be thankful for my cozy house and what Jesus has done for me.
We had a pleasantly scaled down gift-giving that everyone enjoyed. For us it's a fun tradition to open presents, and this year it didn't have that uncomfortable overstuffed feeling of "what am I going to do with all this when I get home." Yeay for the win! We are all loving getting freed of stuff and your channel is so encouraging and helpful.
To all the people in the comments: 1. It’s ok to put away Christmas stuff the day after or a month or more after Christmas! There’s no need to be upset at anyone who prefers to do it in a way that differs from your way. 2. It’s ok to toss an old gingerbread house. They get stale, the royal frosting is so hard it could break teeth, and it’s been collecting dust for a week or two sometimes. Not everyone has a way to compost or a city green waste bin. And wild animals should not be given candy and frosting covered crackers! 3. Remember that everything they talk about here is a suggestion. You don’t have to like it or agree with it! You do you. Why waste time watching this if it annoys you, you find the content unhelpful, or feel they are just wanting your money for the course they advertise? It’s ok to go minimalist on what you watch on RUclips and skip videos, or tell RUclips you don’t want to see more of this content if you don’t like it. Thanks ladies for all your tips and tricks! It helps me verbalize to others how to manage their clutter as I’m not great with words despite being great at organizing and minimizing.
I have so little desire for new stuff now, I often ask for a ticket to a show that I really want to see. Failing that, gift cards for supermarkets or big box stores, or donations to the giver's favorite charity.
Merry Christmas Dawn! You and the family have been such a breath of fresh air these last few years, thank you! You're doing great! Your hard work is apparent!
The gift is the “experience”. When my kids were small I would put half the gifts in a bin and bring them back out in a couple of months. If you have space it really helps w the overwhelm. Also once the kids are bored of the other toys then pull those and pull out the other toys. This also helps w getting rid of toys. You can see what the kids don’t really play w.
I have such a difficult time getting rid of home decorations. I live in a 1 bedroom apartment with my husband, our baby, and our dog. I hold onto things thinking it will be used when I have a bigger place. Two things I tell myself to help are 1) Pioneers used to live in a 1 room home, and they had TONS of kids! Me having to share a bedroom with my baby is EASY when I think of that! And 2) If I keep things now to use for “that day” (whatever it will be), then I’m not allowing my future self to have the gift of buying something for my wants/needs in that moment!
Ooh yes, many times I have limited the joy for my 'Future Self' by buying and keeping things and then feeling like I have to use them when 'Future Self would prefer something different.
I dont get this. Why would you immediately get rid of gifts someone spent time & money to bless you? To me it seems ungrateful. Maybe tell people to not get you gifts next year.
I started decluttering this year... (took off 2 trailer loads) I donated a truck bed of Christmas stuff as I decorated. I'm usually super ready to put Christmas away the next day, but I'm not feeling that anxiety this year. It's pretty amazing. I have more work to do for sure but I'm definitely making progress 😀
Proud of you. I'm thinking taking down the decorations may be another chance to think things through again. I may not want to keep it all even after enjoying this year.
@@EmilyChandlerj thanks! I agree... some things I couldn't get rid of when I decorated but I also didn't use them... I was having some decision fatigue. Lol
We wait to take the tree down on the first, but I put everything else away. Before I put them in the boxes I looked at what had been left in the box. It was so easy to declutter the items I had not decorated with.
Time to fill up landfills and destroy the environment with all the excess, unwanted, stupid stuff; that Consumer-mas was given and received, over the holiday.
People have been complaining about the consumerism of Christmas for many, many years. It's exponentially worse now because of an ultra abundance of cheap goods. in the 70s, when most goods were manufactured in our own country, everything was so much more expensive, especially when you convert for inflation, that most people's homes were Spartan compared to today. I was a young wife in the 1970s, and I didn't know anyone whose house was cluttered.
Seeing you toss the gingerbread houses, donate nice gifts you received but don’t need, and permission to take the decor down right away was so helpful! Thank you!
Just a thought. What's the rush? Yes, tidy up. Get rid of the boxes and bows and put away the gifts. I have two trees. The artificial one stays up until at least February. I decorate mostly with greens. They are faux but look real. I put them on chandeliers , the fireplace, atop pictures etc. It's all seasonal to me. And there's no rush to get it down. Enjoy it for awhile.
Many denominations leave up Christmas items for several weeks. Christmas actually begins on Christmas day. I leave up everything for several more weeks.
@@christined2495 yes it makes all the difference in the world and of course there wasn't as much packaging when we were children but just the torn papers and the ribbon got disposed of quickly and as we got older one of us would bring the garbage bag! Mom's training!
My mom would do exactly the same. To me it’s the complete opposite of calm and relaxed Christmas. I really just wanna let go, if only for an hour or two and not create a stressful environment where the focus is on things instead of happy children. Have some play time , chill time, over all relaxed time and then it can all go into a bag still.
@@SaraBlu my memory of unboxing gifts was still a happy one.... It's just that Mom would say just put the papers there and then show us all of your gift. It didn't seem to take away any of the fun that we had a trash bag waiting and filling. Our living room was a very small 10x12 ft. size with several pieces of furniture and a Christmas tree etc so I guess it helped keep the area open while we were opening gifts.
This mainly a sales pitch but I think it’s a valuable course and I need all the help I can get! It was kinda funny to me when I took out the Christmas decorations I could find in my messy crawl space that I was able to recognize that most of the decorations I’ve had for YEARS no longer bring me joy! So out they go! I also started sorted through several years of old DVD’s I’ve owned and haven’t watched in decades! So I decided it was time to let them go too! The other big thing I did was go through my spice cabinets. Guess what? I emptied out at least HALF of them because I never used them or they were expired - or both! Thanks ladies for all of your de cluttering videos! They’re a big help! Happy New Year!
Great video, Dawn (Cas & Dana). I've been down in my back for over 2 months & can only lay in the bed. My Hubby has been doing everything, working, cleaning, cooking & taking care of me. He's done it all without complaint. However, this house is a wreck because if he doesn't know where it goes back, he just puts it wherever he finds a spot. It should be fun when I'm able to get back doing things to find everything. 🤣 Hopefully, I can finish decluttering & he'll know where everything goes. We'll, maybe not, but at least it will very less stuff I have to find. 😅
last Christmas I told my granddaughter about the minimal mom. Last week she said she checked out your youtube, followed your advice. She went through every drawer, shelf and closet in one room and then proceeded through every room and now has a completely decluttered home. WoW.. talk about tenacity. I am so proud of her and she has you, Dawn, to thank.
About the gifts we don’t want, this is why I try so hard to tell people before the holidays that I would love to spend time together but I don’t need gifts or ask for very specific items!
I'm sorta new to this channel. Sorry if you've already addressed this topic. Q:: with how our world is today, the rising costs, shortages, rations, etc ... I find myself afraid of letting go of things because I may not be able to have it when I need it. What advice do you have for processing these feelings? I feel like a "depression era person"
I struggle with this too. I've been part of the prepper community in yt for years and grew up poor. I have that depression time mentally. I could possibly use this item. But, I have too much. Even after many rounds of decluttering. I think it comes down to faith. I have to have faith that I will have enough. Faith that it will be okay. Faith that I'll have the resources when I need them. I still have emergency water and food stored which makes me feel secure for natural disasters. I've been able to let go of sentimental items and extra "just in case" and unfinished projects stuff. Be blessed in the new year 🤗
I undecorate my tree in phases: I take off the ornaments on or around New Year's Day but keep the lights up 1-2 weeks longer because I like them so much. I smile every day, seeing the lit tree in my living room on dark, cold nights.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all! 🎉 Thank you, thank you, thank you for this timely video!! I started to feel the anxiety come on when I started seeing all the gifts coming into our little home from people who love our kiddos.❤️ Thank you for providing some great guides/tips for us and for also releasing us from being obliged to keep it all. God bless you!🙏🏼💖
My Christmas decorations stay up until the first week of February. Both my husband and I love the lights, the sparkle and going through the motions every day of turning all of the lights on. I'd like to pretend that it is because we do not give gifts so there is none of that clutter but, even when we did, we kept our decorations up. We do have two white lighted trees up all year long....every day. We are in our 70's and I am convinced that the lights truly do brighten our days.
Same here! I put away all the Christmas decorations but the lighted garland and tree with white lights stays up through the dark days of January. We love the extra cozy lights too
After Christmas, driving along country roads at night between client visits and while on my way home from work, I really appreciated those houses that still had their Christmas lights on, so brightened my drive.
Love Cas’ comment about decluttering BEFORE the holidays. This has been our tried and true method for the last few years. Our family rule is that Santa can’t bring new presents until we let go of the old presents. Every year we use Thanksgiving weekend to go through our closets, toy boxes, drawers, etc. and make a big donation box. We take a moment to be thankful for what we have, and for the fact that we are blessed enough to pass on what is no longer serving us. This helps teach the kids (and a good reminder for us too) to be grateful for what they have and to be charitable to others.
Seems so early to get rid of Christmas. We don't take the decor down until Epiphany (Jan 6th). But I am going to go through my bookshelves and check which books I know I don't want to read again. Good place to start. I'm doing the Nourishing Minimalism 2023 (items) in 2023. I know I don't have that many unless I count every piece of recycling(!), but am going to challenge myself to get as many as possible.
Gift cards for stores you know they shop at works too, and it's fine to do the research in advance. Surprises are way overrated, especially when you're decluttering!
I truly wish the 3 of you were around 30-40 years ago. I would read every book on organizing. And at that time it wasn't about decluttering. I would have benefited so much with my 2 boys. I learn so much from all of your videos. Thank you. 😊
I don't usually take down our decorations until at least January 6th. There are a couple of reasons for this. First, my sister's birthday is January 2nd. Growing up, we couldn't put our decorations up until after Thanksgiving, but then had to have them down before the 1st of January so that she wouldn't reminded of how close her birthday is to Christmas. So I guess my first reason is really rebellion to how I grew up? LOL!! My other reason is the whole "12 days of Christmas" tradition that leads up to Epiphany (January 6th) or the celebration of the Magi. Anytime after that date is good for me. And since I compromise on when to put them up (my husband is a big believer in not putting anything up until after Thanksgiving), he compromises on when to take them down.
Ok ladies! I just signed up! I'm ready to do this!!!!! I'm a newbie to this at 62 but I find you all so inspiring!. I have gotten rid of a few things in fact I'm in that season of my life that I recently discovered that I have been unconsciously Swedish Death Cleaning!. I have given quite a few heirloom items to my children that they have always admired (Greatgrandma's china and Silverware,her leded cut glass punch bowls complete with matching cut glass cups etc ....) so they can enjoy them and not have to deal with it after I'm gone. I have no plans to go anywhere for a long time hopefully 🤞🙏 but I will be much happier with more room in my house as I realize that my home has become a storage facility for handed down family treasures. I'm really looking forward to working with you all and getting the help I need to Take My House Back!!!! Much love from Utah. ❤️
This is a good time to sit down and think how to make next year more calm and clutter free. Maybe write a note to your future self with some suggestions. Read it mid-year and set expectations with extended family. Then read it mid-October to remind yourself how to make things easier in December 2023!
😂 Here in Spain we haven’t exchanged gifts yet 😅 we do it on 3 Kings Day (6th January) Decorations will probably come down a few days after. I guess I’ll revisit this video after that 🎁 Hope everyone is having a happy holidays ✨🐫
Same here! We're Traditional Catholic, so we celebrate Christmas till the Epiphany and then Christmas SEASON ends officially on February 2nd, the feast of Candlemas ! ^_^
@@judgmentaltoast Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you 🎄 it is so interesting to learn Christmas is celebrated so differently. We only started our gift shopping last night lol 😂
I am mexican and we leave the ornaments usually untill February, I think that's to long, but I like to leave them at least until día de reyes. I wish you happy holidays with your family
I took all my indoor stuff down yesterday! Christmas was so stressful for me this year and it was such a relief to get the house back to normal. Love watching you guys and thanks for always making us feel not alone. ❤️
I really don’t understand American culture. I’m Portuguese, so European and Christmas is not stressful. Is the most wonderful time of the year. We put the decorations up in the beginning of December and down in the beginning of January, not immediately after Christmas. In my house, everything has his place so is very easy and I don’t go minimal with decorations. I have a big tree in every floor and a little one in every bedroom. In the end of the dinner we put the dishes in the washing machine and the left overs in the fridge and it’s all done. The preparation is simple with somethings done the days before but is fun doing it in family. When we open the presents we separate the wrapping paper and that type of things in the recicle bins and it’s done. The most interesting toys stay out to play in the days before and the rest go to its places. I buy gifts with meaning and prepare a month before. Some members get stressed because only think of it in the days before… I know that this comment is not kind but with minimalism you shouldn’t have all that work to reset.
My family didn’t do gifts and we were all ok with it. The holiday is about spending it with friends and family not buying a bunch of stuff no one needs.Not getting caught up with all the materialism. Also, no hurry to put away decorations as I just put them up 2 weeks ago. Christmas ends January 6th. Happy 2023
I got to work through my backlog of laundry while listening and now im ready to tackle holiday items bite by bite!!! My mindest since joining the course is so different after 2 years! Thank you ladies!
I give a lot of gifts but very seldom receive gifts. I am happy about that now since we discovered minimalism . 2023 is the final step of decluttering. 50 years of photos will now be organized and cleared out.
So do we have to be with you all the entire day on January or am I able to watch when I am able? Also, Dawn can you explain why with a family of 6 there are 4 chairs at your kitchen table.
Hey, I’m not Dawn but I can answer. You can watch the entire day on January in facebook but it is then posted to the Take Your House Back site an hour after it goes live and you can watch whenever you would like. You can even watch previous all day declutters. As for the chairs - they also use the kitchen bench for meals. 😉
Right from the beginning…it is nice to know someone thought of you and bought that item and the act of giving but when you’ve explained over and over that those items aren’t even allowed in the home and they still give it, it’s not love. It’s ‘I don’t care and you’re getting it anyway.’ I have to have a hard conversation with that person. We don’t allow scented lotions due to health issues and yet they’re still given. It’s not an act of love or giving, it’s disrespectful to the person getting the gift.
Exactly! My mother stopped talking to her mother because she sent woolen, un alterable outfit's with booties sewn in for my brother, who's short statured. Amazingly, after my mother not talking to her for 20 years with that being the final straw, she's been in contact with me, I've specifically requested "no woolens" because we have pets. She doesn't knit them. She buys them. Not just woolen clothes, but woolen dolls. I've got severe arthritis, I can't do loads of heavy woolens even if I want too. Her and another aunty I've realised shop for the love of shopping and the dopamine hit they get. Nothing thoughtful about it
I pack all things Christmas away on Dec 31. I love the experiencing in thanking the year and experiences gone by, and waking up on Jan 1 to a brand new shiny year.
I was ready to do the “Take Your House Back”course but it is definitely not $94. I just watched this video and the price has gone up already? Definitely won’t be paying $600, but $100 I would have. Super sad. 😢
if I gave something to someone and 2 seconds later they got rid of it, honestly I would be a little offended. I mean I would rather they asked me for the receipt to return it, I'm better with that but geeze at least try to pretend you like it. My aunt was like that no matter what you gave her it was going to be returned. Once my uncle gave her a dress like 3 sizes too big. She said it's too big he said what difference does it make you're going to return it anyway.
I get it maybe the gifts are offensive and the gift givers are at times the culprit as they get gifts that are tacky or cheap or don't take the time to know the person and get anything as they need to get a gift so better given away than hoarding in your house and honesty is best not pretending to like it for this to repeat.
@@me4011 In the example she was holding up a 3 pack of what looked like nice socks. It came across as, She opened it, sneered at it, and said "ok it's going" After one or 2 gift giving exchanges like that, I would be like forget it, I'm not going to bother getting her anything from now on. it came across as eyes rolling to the top of her head and an "OMG can you believe someone actually gave this to me?" TOSS. Hopefully the person who gave her the socks doesn't see this
Gift certificates to a dinner out at restaurant are the simplest and non returnable gift you can give. If you don't know what get me.....get me a gift certificate to a restaurant.
This was great! I cleaned out a couple of my dresser drawers during this video! Took down all Christmas decor yesterday and organized bathroom cabinets! 2023 is going to be a great year!
I didn't put up a Christmas tree this year or decorate only outside . I just wasent in the mood, so I gave myself grace and still cooked turkey dinner listened to Christmas music spend time with family did gift cards this year as every year for the past 35 yrs, I was up all night wrapping which made me to tired to enjoy xmas. I was too exhausted. From being sick . And it went better this year then the rest . I had a small 3 foot metallic tree 🌲 but that was it . Took all of 10 mins for cleanup told Everyone I didn't want clutter . So I received coffee gift certificates which I love and some cookies which I ate . All in all it was great 👍❤️🇨🇦
Thank you so much for watching! I hope you had a great Christmas! Find the details for the Take Your House Back Course here: cli.re/Take-Your-House-Back-Dawn (just $94 right now!) Have a great day! - Dawn
Are the all day declutters available for replay or only Live?
@@eliserelf5432 good question! Available for replay 👍
I'm curious, after looking at the modules, I don't see anything live? Is it all prerecorded from 2022 - Is that why the vastly reduced price? Are there live q&a? The all day you said for Jan 7th appears to be a prerecording we watch? I'm confused. I want to do this but I want to know what I am signing up for so I'm not disappointed - tho you never disappoint. Thanks so much. Tho I've made many changes from your videos. Dawn, I still need help!
How can this merge with disability needs - pain makes it harder to commit and stay committed. Is there support for disabled folx on your fb group? Thanks.
@@AmethystWoman good question! The all day declutter takes place live in a private Facebook group so participants can watch it in Facebook or we post it to the course directly following each hour. So it is all new content on January 7 and you can decide if you watch it in Facebook or in the course. And yes, we specifically address those with physical limitations, as well as time, energy, and lack of support from those around them. It is truly designed to work for everyone :-)
@@TheMinimalMom fast response! I tell people about you all the time. I explained the idea of inventory to my sisters. One who said "I know where every paperclip is in my house." As a thrower outer an organized listmaker I'm sure she does. The sister who talks about clutter in others, has, well, no room to talk. 😁 but I have very little support or real.encouragement. It's like being committed to quit smoking when all you hear is you'll never be able to do it, right? I'm all in! Decluttering is my entire goal for this year. Tho as a single senior, there is a sadness of feeling like I'm preparing to die so people aren't angry at me when I do.
“Everyday life is a special occasion”- love this! We actually donated our cheap IKEA everyday dishes and now use our wedding china as our everyday dishes and it makes me so happy at every meal! (and now only one set of dishes to manage!)
Me and my family had a gift-free Christmas. We still gave some presents to children (much less than usual). And it was fantastic! So much less stress and anxiety! We still gathered, had nice food, played games, baked cookies and we were not exhausted after Xmas shopping and we have no regrets 😀
This is the best way to do it!
Oh my goodness Dawn, that’s going to be my 2023 mantra! “Everyday life IS a special occasion”. That is such a true statement and it becomes more true every year I’m alive and with every loved one lost. I want to stop and appreciate the “everyday” bc it is a gift.
“EVERY DAY LIFE IS IMPORTANT!”
To let yourself keep Christmas in your heart every day of the year - and be grateful for what you are given - love and peace in your heart and home. Thanks Dawn for getting us started in 2023! ❤
Yes! I started doing this last year, bc otherwise things go unused in my house and that’s sad and takes up more space! 🤦🏼♀️
“Everyday life is a special occasion.” YES! Burn the candles, wear your favorite perfume, and use your stylish potholders!!! 💖
When I give a gift, I now attach a gift receipt, and tell them right away, if they dont like it, if it doesnt suit or fit them, "Please return or exchange it for something else that works for them". I now give them permission and release any guilt for them.
Me, too.
Me too! Give 'em an out!
I wish people would do this! I have kids so we especially get so much stuff. One grandparent used my Amazon wish list and got over $300 worth of stuff! It was insane. So I want those things but I didn't want them all at once ya kn? Gift receipts would have been nice. I could return things that are for later on in development and kept the things I really wanted right now.
Same with another side of the family. They got my kids clothing and stuffies. I get most of the clothing on buy nothing so I don't really need any clothes. Pro top though, you can exchange at Carter's without gift receipts for same day in store value. I was able to get my daughter some nightgowns for potty training as well as character shirts for motivating her as prizes. That's my issue. When people do that it's like they don't listen or hear me out they just pick out random things THEY like and hope you will too. Or things that don't hold much value for anyone. And it's sad because I look around their home and they have all these things. Scads and scads of stuff they don't need.
I'm also a little sad about the $300 grandparent because at Thanksgiving we had a convo about experience gifts and keeping things cheaper. Next year I'm gonna put a cap on it at 4 things max. It's just too much stuff at once to manage even though I want it all technically.
“We don’t have to keep the item, to still feel that we are loved” ……that is the quote I am going to remember….!!
I found that family memorabilia was better kept as a picture in an icon called memorabilia.... oh yeah...
Those fluffy socks! We just don't use them, and get SO MANY! But...we keep them because they fit the Swiffer perfectly and we don't have to buy those throw-away Swiffer cloths. :)
oh my gosh! what a great idea.
😂😂😂
You can give the fluffy socks to me. I don't like to wear my regular socks around the house because they get holes in them so easily.
I have to try that! I use my fluffy socks as a neck protector from the seatbelt strap when I’m driving 🤷♀️.
I can’t stand the strap near my neck, and those fluffy socks feel sooo good! 😂
I always have cold feet so I love fluffy socks. I also go through slippers and fluffy socks like crazy.
It is too soon to put all of Christmas away. I don't put up Holiday decorations up extra early. Mine comes down after Epiphany (January 6). There doesn't seem to be such a let down when I do it that way. Plus my daughter's and mother's birthdays are the 26th, my dad's birthday is the 27th and there are still Holiday get-togethers into the New Year.
Agreed
Here in Italy it is the custom to put everything away after jan6th... it sounds so strange when people talk about removing their decorations on dec28th! 🤪
Yes,
1 in & 1 out..is what I do.
I immediately decide if I like the gift or I bless someone else with it. I donate immediately.
I only use or wear things I like otherwise they go out.
Being a senior I decided I didn't want my children to have to go through my things.
I didn't want to burden them with this.
I donated 8 truck loads of things to 4 different donation sites.
I love the feeling of being company ready at a moments notice.
I can honestly say I'm not attached to any THING I OWN.
As a child of a senior citizen parent, I applaud your forethought to declutter now. Keep up the great work!!! 🙂
That is so awesome!
Watching so many of my clients dealing with their parent’s property, which often included their grandparent’s stuff too, and the emotional toll it took on them, I decided not to burden my children with our decades-long accumulation of possessions. It’s been a long running project which is not finished yet but the peacefulness which comes from downsizing has been so rewarding.
Oh man. I want to reread your post. I'm a newbie senior but have never.been able to make a house into a home, that's what this is about for me. A home rather than a cluttered building. Living far away from me, my sister told me Christmas day when I die, they will hire someone to go in and throw out all my stuff.
Definitely hurt but that is the reality. They don't want any of my stuff. They don't have room for their own stuff. I reacted badly inside. I felt hurt and angry that they didnt care about me, but that's reality. I also need to do it for me. Not attached to anything? Hmm.
I've been doing one in and two out. I'm a senior also and don't need more to leave behind.
I no longer buy everyone gifts for the simple fact people flat don't appreciate it. And that's fine. Saves me money.
No celebration and no gifts here either. Not totally by choice, but much less stress.
We now do consumable gifts with our family & friends. Things like Restaurant cards, grocery store gift cards, Food items. ( Jelly, jams, think Hickory Farms, Harry & David, Godiva) or with the kids. CASH. As A teacher I received lots of goodies and I shared with family or in the faculty lounge. The fact students/parents thought of me was the best gift.
Same here. I buy for my kids and my dad. It would be a good idea to use the money we would have spent on all these gifts for the needy.
@@darloonie9465 Or reduce your debt.
Better for the environment too. I aim to get experiences. For the first year I bought my children tickets for their gifts, I was shocked how grateful and excited my daughter was... It's her favourite gift, I wish we'd done this before!
I'm just starting! My 12 Days of Christmas starts on Christmas Eve and goes on till Epiphany on Jan 6th! My tree, my decorations, my Christmas dishes stay out until then. Those 12 days give me time to "rest into Christmas", to enjoy peacefulness and gratefulness. I'll probably put these tips into practice on Jan 6th. Of course, wrappings and boxes are already taken care of. Happy Nativity and Happy New Year!
Love the 12 Days of Christmas 🎄
YES!! EXACTLY what I do. I want to sit back & enjoy the Christmas season. But I don't decorate in October/November for Christmas lol I do go through holiday items to give away before the holidays & afterwards, too. I feel to each their own with holiday decor. These Ladies are fabulous with helping us let things go.
I keep my until three kings!
Yes! 🙌🏼🎄 Christmas started on the 25th and ends after the Epiphany. Before the 25th is Advent time, last for four Sundays before Christmas day (25th) and ends on the 24th. (On Christmas Eve)
But these are good tips for after Christmas is over. ☺️
We do the same!
I don't put up our Christmas until the 2nd week of December. So, we follow the 12 days of Christmas so into January for us! Christmas has only begun!
Dawn inspired me about a year ago to start decluttering and my house has not been the same! My husband is less stressed and my kids are happier. They love having a clean room that they can maintain! Can’t wait to start decluttering again with all the new items in our home after Christmas!
Thank you, Dawn. This was perfect and exactly what I needed today! I found your videos last December as I sat in the hospital room with my baby who was sick with RSV; I sat in the rocking chair watching your videos for HOURS over 9 days and it felt like an answer to prayer after a full and busy season with a newborn, homeschooling my other 4 and a house that was bursting at the seams. We came home two days before Christmas and I tell you what, after the holiday our house was a disaster. I was so thankful that I had a week of break between Christmas and New Years to work on it- and I had all that motivation your videos had just given me. I didn’t become minimalist that week, but I did get about 1000 items out of our house and knew I wanted to keep going when we had time (I challenged my friends on IG to declutter too, and I was blown away at how many joined me!). Here I am again this year, still feeling like we have way too much stuff, but your videos (and your smaller course which I purchased) are helping and inspiring me to use this week of break once again to make a big change.
I nearly cry every time you say “I love you and I hope that you have a great day” at the end of your videos because I feel like I know you now and you’ve been such a help and answer to prayer for me this year. Thank you!!!
Hey there 👋
Merry Christmas and a happy new year 🎄🎄🎊🎉🎁
Can I ask you a question.. 💭❓
The most amazing thing that happened with my family on my in-laws side is we draw names (for adults only), put a 50$ limit and give gift ideas in a google doc everyone has access to. I LOVE it because you know what you are getting for that person they actually want it and everyone is happy with their present. I wish we had done it earlier.
The first year I started that on both sides with a $20 tag people griped. The next year people felt challenged to get a gift within budget because it was easy to make it happen at $50. Then we had a couple kids who were 16 want to join instead of waiting until 18, it became a rite of passage instead of who had turned 16 announcing the gifts. By year three the kids also wanted to exchange gifts and we also decided to bring a container of cookies to exchange. Best thing I did for my family.
We do this as well- there’s a great app called Elfster, where you can draw names and each person makes a wishlist with links to those items. It works really great!
I LOVE this idea!! I wish my family would adopt that!
@@denisealee Thank you for that information, great idea.
@@jenniferdamiano7447 Give it a try and let us know. Grandparents were the most stubborn in our family but we also set up accounts for kids so that if they wanted to give otherwise it went into that account.
This year I wrapped mainly consumables . I made meals in a box with all ingredients along with a recipe, also toiletries that I know my family members use.
I decided many years ago to get rid of the traditional Christmas decorations and use more natural all winter decorations. Natural looking garlands w/berries, wooden carved deer, bear, etc, trees w/lights, but decorated w/berries and twist pine cones in branches, snowmen, nice full looking fake poinsettias, etc. I’ll even swap framed pictures for winter themed. Then I leave everything up til Spring, til the end of February or early March. I love the cozy warmth that decor yields all winter. It’s just way too much work to drag it all out for such a short time. My now grown daughters actually do the same thing n their homes. We also initially decorate 2-3 weeks before Thanksgiving. Wow! For us it brings a calm soothing joy to the holidays and winter, cutting the mad dash tremendously. We also try to complete gifts/wrapped & everything a week before Thanksgiving. We LOVE this routine. Makes baking and and other preps calm and entirely enjoyable. I feel it allows me to focus on Christ’s birth and not the dash of worldly material setups and chores, feeling overwhelmed, rushed and exhausted.
This was also our 1st yr not buying gifts. We organized activities to make stronger memories instead. All loved it and we’ll do again next year.
I’m all for minimizing stuff, but my husband and I have worked far too hard to end up living w/scraps. Material items can be a great blessing if u have bought wisely & they make you truly happy.
I love this winter decoration idea!
I've started doing this! It's so nice not to feel like it's not specific to a day and more of a seasonal decor idea.
Christmas is specific to a miraculous day, The birth of Jesus Christ. With His birth, death and resurrection there would be no entry into heaven for any of us. I’ve only changed my celebration Christmas decorations so I can extend my tolerance of decorations and the efforts through the cold season. I leave my large nativity up all winter as well. Anyone who reads this needs to know your only way into heaven is Trusting and Believing Jesus Christ as your personal Savior & that Jesus is The only way. Salvation is a FREE GIFT Romans 6:23, but the cost was God’s Son. Ask God NOW for forgiveness of your sin, turn ur life over to His Will and accept Jesus as your Savior. If you have never read The Bible, perhaps you will do so this 2023 - a bit each day, beginning to end. Christmas is far more than about decorations.
Amen. What great ideas... I Love it! The idea of Society and the Calendar dictating our lives is really getting to me. Along with, all those expectations in such a small time frame. Amen
I do this but I do have Christmas specific decor. For me I switch out pillows and door signs but I don't decorate the whole house. I also leave up till after epiphany and celebrate the 12 days of Christmas loosely. And I never decorate before Thanksgiving lol. I put my fall stuff up in fall. Sometimes we leave the tree and lights too because we like to look at it at night.
Love that "the act of receiving the gift is what matters" from Cas. Yes. Show gratitude, and if it doesn't serve you, pass it on to someone who might benefit. Also LOVE that "it has to be just as easy to put away as it is to leave it out" alongside also making it easy to get out and use in the first place, otherwise you won't use it and it's just junk. And "5 minutes matters" is a great reminder.
I hate what Christmas has turned into. We all waste money on gifts, that other people don't even want. I get the whole concept of the act of giving. But really, we just wasted that person's money. I wish we could change Christmas back to Christ and not about a glutinous spirit.
You guys know we are ACTUALLY in the Christmas season right now, don't you? Until January 6th. Why I don't put stuff up day after Thanksgiving. No wonder everybody is over it on the 25th. My kid is loving everything. I'm fine with some clutter and chaos for a bit longer.
My Christmas decor goes up the Saturday following Thanksgiving and stays up until the Saturday following Jan 1, so I'll take everything down on Jan 7.
nope
I love to keep everything up as long as possible but not everyone celebrates through the Epiphany.
Yes! From a Christian perspective, the joyous peaceful 12 days of Christmas is just starting. It's not time to "put away" and "move on" from this holy season yet. Relax and reflect 🙏
Exactly. The 12 days of Christmas are from 25.December til 5. January
Dana's "take it there now" has been extremely helpful, and morphed into"do it as you go along, not waiting for later". Many of us think we are honoring our children by keeping every little thing they make or do, and that they will like having the things in the future. They do not, they are not interested and are stressed out watching bins fill up and stack up with "their" things. Hindsight: involve child and pick one or two favorite items from each year, year end educational summaries only, use the container concept. Representative items, not entire collections or time spans. Then you don't end up with 40 bins they have no interest in. And that is just documents and artwork lol.
I heard this somewhere…….”Don’t put down. Put it away.” That has helped me a lot. 🌺
Yep my mom kept some of our stuff but not hoards of it and I wasn’t terribly interested in any of it. When I did my whole house declutter most of it went out the door. ❤
Yep. My mum kept a few of my first dresses. I did put them on my daughter to take photos out of pure guilt and obligation. Because they've been kept to long, I put them in my daughters keepsake box. But I've let her wear my 37yo shoes until they fell apart and they went in the bin. My mum also kept my baby cards. I threw out all but 2, one hand made by my sister and one that had my birth time on it. She kept a dusty old newspaper from the day I was born. It made my eyes itch and I sneezed and threw out straight in the recycle. A lot of the things I was keeping as my children's own Keepsakes, I'm now giving to expectant mums, who've looked after my children at day care. That's been such a beautiful experience to see things used and re loved rather than sitting in a box forever.
My youngest kid's favorite 'gift' this Christmas wasn't even under the tree. He found it in the garage two days later, which I had bought for an older sibling last Christmas and was planning to donate.
I can't imagine not having Christmas decor up through New Year's Day at least, or through Epiphany on Jan. 6th is even better, but everyone should do what's best for them. Some love Christmas so much it's a three month celebration (Nov, Dec, Jan)! Especially if they need the extra cheer to get through some of Winter. That's ok, too. 🙂 Thank you for sharing great ideas for managing it all at any time we choose. 🎄
With you. After all twelve days of Christmas ends on the 6th!!!
Same! I was a little surprised to see the decor coming down already. It’s only the third day of Christmas!
Same here. I am in the UK and generally folk keep decorations up until 6th Jan.
We decorate for Christmas the week before, so all of my holiday decor still feels fresh & will be up for quite a while! Tackling the holiday dishes, inside of the fridge, & toys is my struggle this week!
Are you one of those Superbowl Sunday undecorators? I am a day after Thanksgiving to day after Christmas. Enjoy your festive house!
Post Christmas was crazy, even as a minimalist! Next year I am giving 50% of the family money 💰 rather than a gift 🎁
I do not remove the tree until Epiphany. There is importance for me attached to the religious part of Christmas. I do not feel that the retail calendar works in my personal life. My tree does not go up when a Dept store says so. Organization can still happen within this framework.
Those warm fluffy socks are great to put in a little bin or basket to offer your friends to wear when they visit your house in the winter. Most of us have cold feet when we come inside and it’s so nice to have extra slipper socks to offer my guests. 😊
Love this idea!
Yes, a great use for extra socks! I have actually taken my house slippers with me to a friend's house before! And even awesomer if your guest takes the socks home afterward!
Na, keeping them is just clutter. As often as most of us have friends, they can keep their shoes or boots on to keep their feet warm. If regular visitors, they should know to wear socks or bring slippers to wear at your house.
@@texasmimi5566 If I lived in Texas, I probably would agree with you. I live in North Dakota. It’s cold here for months on end. Lots of my friends and I bring slippers or socks to one another’s homes, but sometimes we forget. I have plenty of room on a shelf in my coat closet for a shoe sized bin for extras, and there are many times they are gratefully worn. They aren’t clutter at my house, simply a thoughtful item to have on hand for my guests. 😊
As far as wearing their shoes in my house, that’s not going to happen when we have snow! Wet boots and shoes are taken off at the door of every house in the north. No one would dream of doing otherwise!
It’s only the 4th day of Christmas. Eight more to go. Our world has the Christmas season so backward. The 12 days of Christmas starts on Christmas; it doesn’t end on Christmas 😉.
Tree doesn't come down till epiphany!!! Us catholics are just getting started! Lol 12 days of christmas 🎄 just started!!
Exactly!
Yesss. 12 days till the 6th when the Kings come.
My hubby was a cowboy in his youth ( yes, a real one on a cattle ranch). He is now a warehouseman but still a cowboy at heart. I got him a subscription to a magazine that is for cowboy stuff. I don't think I could have found him a better gift!
Omg Dawn I paid my four year old twins each a dollar to fill a box of toy donations. Totally worked!! 🎉🎉🎉 My jaw dropped at how quickly they each filled a box 😮
I think a lot of us don’t realize why Christmas feels so rushed and that’s because we’re trying to fit everything into Advent and not actually the Christmas season. I’m trying to be more mindful that Christmas is actually 12 days longs. We don’t have to exchange all the gifts, bake all the cookies, and have all the parties before Christmas Day. So we leave our tree and decorations up for the whole 12 days.
Edited to add that I forgot to say that I don’t put up Christmas decorations right after Thanksgiving anymore either. We are trying to celebrate the true season and not rush it like the commercialization of the holidays does. That being said I still think it’s completely fine to start decluttering Christmas gifts during Christmas ha ha
Yep the 12 days is the celebration part and advent is the solemn preparation BEFORE. I'm trying to learn and become more intentional about my traditions.
Also as an adult we have many sides of the family to celebrate with so we do "second Christmas" visiting others. That's how my kids get a million gifts though 😬 I need to respectfully set some limits with people. The other thing though that does help is reminding myself my grands didn't live long so it's a blessing and we may not always have these doting folks with us forever :'(. Even still though I need to set more firm boundaries. Someone followed my wish list this season which had a lot of suggestions and things that I don't necessarily want all at once. They got me 3/4 of my wish list and spent well over $300. In addition to paying for Christmas dinner even though we offered to help (prime rib and scallops). And we stayed at their house for a few days so it wasn't just Christmas Eve and Christmas day dinner. Ironically I spoke to the same culprit at Thanksgiving about experience gifts and keeping things minimal. Yeah...
maybe just me but wow makes me not want to ever gift anyone anything - save a lot of time and money for everyone
Call me party pooper but I don’t get it. I was born and raised outside of US and crazy gift giving is too much for me. I don’t want all that gifts it’s overwhelming. Sorry but I’m not into it. We buy one gift for each family member. This year I asked not to be gifted because I don’t need anything
The true Christmas season just began! We leave out tree until the epiphany (Jan 6) and the nativity scene until Feb 2 aka the presentation of Jesus at the temple. Keeps a little more of that joy and removes the immediate pressure of removal of decor for legitimate reasons.
Although I think the most chaos is just the back up of chores. Laundry that’s not done for days because you’ve beeen out at several family homes instead. That takes forever to get back on track. For me at least. And is overwhelming.
Your pot holder example is exactly my biggest problem. I always have trouble getting rid of the old ones because so often the new ones don’t work as well for some reason. But sometimes it works out better. Tricky for me.
“Everyday life is a special occasion “ love this motto .
In regards to Christmas decorations, I love that you all three have different perspectives. It’s validating for each of us since there is no one-size-fits-all with how we do the holidays. My personal take is I like the extra comfort and light to bring the new year in, so I’ll wait until at least the first week of January to take everything down. I cleared all the trash, and placed new items in their place, but I’m not ready for the lights and greenery to come down yet ❤
Christmas only just began, it's not over yet. Christmas, liturgically speaking lasts for several weeks. Keep up and enjoy your decorations 😉
I leave my (most of) my Christmas decor up until my tree dies...one year it was up until end of March. I redecorated it for my birthday! Lol. I love greenery so I have a lot of plants, too. I usually put away my nativity and other things slowly over January. My pine boughs are fake, so they stay up until the tree goes, usually. This year I only have 2 Rubbermaids of decorations, as I decluttered so much, so putting them away doesn't feel too overwhelming:) I just love to sit at night with the house lights off and tree lit, and be thankful for my cozy house and what Jesus has done for me.
We had a pleasantly scaled down gift-giving that everyone enjoyed. For us it's a fun tradition to open presents, and this year it didn't have that uncomfortable overstuffed feeling of "what am I going to do with all this when I get home." Yeay for the win! We are all loving getting freed of stuff and your channel is so encouraging and helpful.
To all the people in the comments:
1. It’s ok to put away Christmas stuff the day after or a month or more after Christmas! There’s no need to be upset at anyone who prefers to do it in a way that differs from your way.
2. It’s ok to toss an old gingerbread house. They get stale, the royal frosting is so hard it could break teeth, and it’s been collecting dust for a week or two sometimes. Not everyone has a way to compost or a city green waste bin. And wild animals should not be given candy and frosting covered crackers!
3. Remember that everything they talk about here is a suggestion. You don’t have to like it or agree with it! You do you. Why waste time watching this if it annoys you, you find the content unhelpful, or feel they are just wanting your money for the course they advertise? It’s ok to go minimalist on what you watch on RUclips and skip videos, or tell RUclips you don’t want to see more of this content if you don’t like it.
Thanks ladies for all your tips and tricks! It helps me verbalize to others how to manage their clutter as I’m not great with words despite being great at organizing and minimizing.
Do people feel intimidated to give you any gifts now? Because they know you’re 95% likely to just donate it or regift it?
I have so little desire for new stuff now, I often ask for a ticket to a show that I really want to see. Failing that, gift cards for supermarkets or big box stores, or donations to the giver's favorite charity.
We always wait to Ephipany (January 6th) to take down Christmas decor. (artificial tree these days)
My Christmas decor goes up the Saturday following Thanksgiving and stays up until the Saturday following Jan 1, so I'll take everything down on Jan 7.
Merry Christmas Dawn! You and the family have been such a breath of fresh air these last few years, thank you! You're doing great! Your hard work is apparent!
The gift is the “experience”. When my kids were small I would put half the gifts in a bin and bring them back out in a couple of months. If you have space it really helps w the overwhelm. Also once the kids are bored of the other toys then pull those and pull out the other toys. This also helps w getting rid of toys. You can see what the kids don’t really play w.
I have such a difficult time getting rid of home decorations. I live in a 1 bedroom apartment with my husband, our baby, and our dog. I hold onto things thinking it will be used when I have a bigger place. Two things I tell myself to help are 1) Pioneers used to live in a 1 room home, and they had TONS of kids! Me having to share a bedroom with my baby is EASY when I think of that! And 2) If I keep things now to use for “that day” (whatever it will be), then I’m not allowing my future self to have the gift of buying something for my wants/needs in that moment!
That's true. People made do with what they had.
Ooh yes, many times I have limited the joy for my 'Future Self' by buying and keeping things and then feeling like I have to use them when 'Future Self would prefer something different.
I dont get this. Why would you immediately get rid of gifts someone spent time & money to bless you? To me it seems ungrateful.
Maybe tell people to not get you gifts next year.
I started decluttering this year... (took off 2 trailer loads) I donated a truck bed of Christmas stuff as I decorated. I'm usually super ready to put Christmas away the next day, but I'm not feeling that anxiety this year. It's pretty amazing. I have more work to do for sure but I'm definitely making progress 😀
Proud of you. I'm thinking taking down the decorations may be another chance to think things through again. I may not want to keep it all even after enjoying this year.
@@EmilyChandlerj thanks!
I agree... some things I couldn't get rid of when I decorated but I also didn't use them... I was having some decision fatigue. Lol
In Italy, the Christmas tree is disassembled after January 6, the feast day of the Epiphany (Befana) , we take time :D
We wait to take the tree down on the first, but I put everything else away. Before I put them in the boxes I looked at what had been left in the box. It was so easy to declutter the items I had not decorated with.
So happy you were able to easily declutter the things not decorated with, I did the same today! Feeling accomplished. 🤗
Time to fill up landfills and destroy the environment with all the excess, unwanted, stupid stuff; that Consumer-mas was given and received, over the holiday.
People have been complaining about the consumerism of Christmas for many, many years. It's exponentially worse now because of an ultra abundance of cheap goods. in the 70s, when most goods were manufactured in our own country, everything was so much more expensive, especially when you convert for inflation, that most people's homes were Spartan compared to today. I was a young wife in the 1970s, and I didn't know anyone whose house was cluttered.
Seeing you toss the gingerbread houses, donate nice gifts you received but don’t need, and permission to take the decor down right away was so helpful! Thank you!
I dont get it... You are already cleaning? What about NewYears? We always wait until at least 2.1. or later...
Now is the 12 days of Christmas.
I want my house back in order the day after Christmas.
Cleaning is fine! Trash is fine...but taking down all the decor? And tre? That makes me sad
Just a thought. What's the rush? Yes, tidy up. Get rid of the boxes and bows and put away the gifts. I have two trees. The artificial one stays up until at least February. I decorate mostly with greens. They are faux but look real. I put them on chandeliers , the fireplace, atop pictures etc. It's all seasonal to me. And there's no rush to get it down. Enjoy it for awhile.
Many denominations leave up Christmas items for several weeks. Christmas actually begins on Christmas day. I leave up everything for several more weeks.
My mother would insist on having a garbage bag near the gifts to put all the wrappings in . I never thought of the efficiency aspect!
My husband always has a big garbage bag ready for wrapping, it really makes cleaning up after gift giving so easy
@@christined2495 yes it makes all the difference in the world and of course there wasn't as much packaging when we were children but just the torn papers and the ribbon got disposed of quickly and as we got older one of us would bring the garbage bag! Mom's training!
@@cookshackcuisinista your mom thought you well
My mom would do exactly the same. To me it’s the complete opposite of calm and relaxed Christmas. I really just wanna let go, if only for an hour or two and not create a stressful environment where the focus is on things instead of happy children. Have some play time , chill time, over all relaxed time and then it can all go into a bag still.
@@SaraBlu my memory of unboxing gifts was still a happy one.... It's just that Mom would say just put the papers there and then show us all of your gift. It didn't seem to take away any of the fun that we had a trash bag waiting and filling. Our living room was a very small 10x12 ft. size with several pieces of furniture and a Christmas tree etc so I guess it helped keep the area open while we were opening gifts.
This mainly a sales pitch but I think it’s a valuable course and I need all the help I can get! It was kinda funny to me when I took out the Christmas decorations I could find in my messy crawl space that I was able to recognize that most of the decorations I’ve had for YEARS no longer bring me joy! So out they go! I also started sorted through several years of old DVD’s I’ve owned and haven’t watched in decades! So I decided it was time to let them go too! The other big thing I did was go through my spice cabinets. Guess what? I emptied out at least HALF of them because I never used them or they were expired - or both! Thanks ladies for all of your de cluttering videos! They’re a big help! Happy New Year!
Great video, Dawn (Cas & Dana). I've been down in my back for over 2 months & can only lay in the bed. My Hubby has been doing everything, working, cleaning, cooking & taking care of me. He's done it all without complaint. However, this house is a wreck because if he doesn't know where it goes back, he just puts it wherever he finds a spot. It should be fun when I'm able to get back doing things to find everything. 🤣 Hopefully, I can finish decluttering & he'll know where everything goes. We'll, maybe not, but at least it will very less stuff I have to find. 😅
🙏😢🙏
Oh, my. Recovery Prayers 🙏🙏🙏
last Christmas I told my granddaughter about the minimal mom. Last week she said she checked out your youtube, followed your advice. She went through every drawer, shelf and closet in one room and then proceeded through every room and now has a completely decluttered home. WoW.. talk about tenacity. I am so proud of her and she has you, Dawn, to thank.
Dawn - I shocked that you don’t follow the Christian Christmas tradition of leaving decorations up until Epiphany.
About the gifts we don’t want, this is why I try so hard to tell people before the holidays that I would love to spend time together but I don’t need gifts or ask for very specific items!
Thanks for sharing this great encouragement with all of us! Happy New Year everyone!💛☕🎉
I'm sorta new to this channel. Sorry if you've already addressed this topic. Q:: with how our world is today, the rising costs, shortages, rations, etc ... I find myself afraid of letting go of things because I may not be able to have it when I need it. What advice do you have for processing these feelings? I feel like a "depression era person"
I struggle with this too. I've been part of the prepper community in yt for years and grew up poor. I have that depression time mentally. I could possibly use this item. But, I have too much. Even after many rounds of decluttering. I think it comes down to faith. I have to have faith that I will have enough. Faith that it will be okay. Faith that I'll have the resources when I need them. I still have emergency water and food stored which makes me feel secure for natural disasters. I've been able to let go of sentimental items and extra "just in case" and unfinished projects stuff. Be blessed in the new year 🤗
@@KlingonPrincess thank you for those encouraging words ..and helping me focus back on my faith in Christ.
The holidays aren't over, we still have New Year's to celebrate!!
Thx to Dawn all my decor is down and put away! PLUS all the decor that didn’t make the cut this year LEFT MY HOUSE!!
Booyah!! SO pumped!🎉😊
"We don't have to keep the item to still have that feeling of love"
I love that!
I undecorate my tree in phases: I take off the ornaments on or around New Year's Day but keep the lights up 1-2 weeks longer because I like them so much. I smile every day, seeing the lit tree in my living room on dark, cold nights.
Yikes! Cas..."Badonkadonk" means to have nice buttocks. Maybe it's a "bonkers" time of year?
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all! 🎉 Thank you, thank you, thank you for this timely video!! I started to feel the anxiety come on when I started seeing all the gifts coming into our little home from people who love our kiddos.❤️ Thank you for providing some great guides/tips for us and for also releasing us from being obliged to keep it all. God bless you!🙏🏼💖
My Christmas decorations stay up until the first week of February. Both my husband and I love the lights, the sparkle and going through the motions every day of turning all of the lights on. I'd like to pretend that it is because we do not give gifts so there is none of that clutter but, even when we did, we kept our decorations up. We do have two white lighted trees up all year long....every day. We are in our 70's and I am convinced that the lights truly do brighten our days.
My grandparents did the same..mid February the tree came down. They loved the lights and decorations. People should do what makes them happy.🌲
Same here! I put away all the Christmas decorations but the lighted garland and tree with white lights stays up through the dark days of January. We love the extra cozy lights too
After Christmas, driving along country roads at night between client visits and while on my way home from work, I really appreciated those houses that still had their Christmas lights on, so brightened my drive.
Great advice. I would probably put the old pot holders into our camping box unless they are just too far gone.
They look like they still work!
Love Cas’ comment about decluttering BEFORE the holidays. This has been our tried and true method for the last few years. Our family rule is that Santa can’t bring new presents until we let go of the old presents. Every year we use Thanksgiving weekend to go through our closets, toy boxes, drawers, etc. and make a big donation box. We take a moment to be thankful for what we have, and for the fact that we are blessed enough to pass on what is no longer serving us. This helps teach the kids (and a good reminder for us too) to be grateful for what they have and to be charitable to others.
Exactly what we do too!
Seems so early to get rid of Christmas. We don't take the decor down until Epiphany (Jan 6th). But I am going to go through my bookshelves and check which books I know I don't want to read again. Good place to start. I'm doing the Nourishing Minimalism 2023 (items) in 2023. I know I don't have that many unless I count every piece of recycling(!), but am going to challenge myself to get as many as possible.
I use a combo of all 3 of you to declutter and keep it going. But now I’m inspired to do some more! Thanks.
Hey there 👋
Merry Christmas and a happy new year 🎄🎄🎊🎉🎁
Can I ask you a question.. 💭❓
Giving/ receiving/returning gifts proves how little we really know people. I just give money.
Gift cards for stores you know they shop at works too, and it's fine to do the research in advance. Surprises are way overrated, especially when you're decluttering!
I truly wish the 3 of you were around 30-40 years ago. I would read every book on organizing. And at that time it wasn't about decluttering. I would have benefited so much with my 2 boys. I learn so much from all of your videos. Thank you. 😊
I don't usually take down our decorations until at least January 6th. There are a couple of reasons for this. First, my sister's birthday is January 2nd. Growing up, we couldn't put our decorations up until after Thanksgiving, but then had to have them down before the 1st of January so that she wouldn't reminded of how close her birthday is to Christmas. So I guess my first reason is really rebellion to how I grew up? LOL!! My other reason is the whole "12 days of Christmas" tradition that leads up to Epiphany (January 6th) or the celebration of the Magi. Anytime after that date is good for me. And since I compromise on when to put them up (my husband is a big believer in not putting anything up until after Thanksgiving), he compromises on when to take them down.
In Germany Most Christmastrees are kept until January 6th. After that day community is gonna pick up the trees
Ok ladies! I just signed up! I'm ready to do this!!!!! I'm a newbie to this at 62 but I find you all so inspiring!. I have gotten rid of a few things in fact I'm in that season of my life that I recently discovered that I have been unconsciously Swedish Death Cleaning!. I have given quite a few heirloom items to my children that they have always admired (Greatgrandma's china and Silverware,her leded cut glass punch bowls complete with matching cut glass cups etc ....) so they can enjoy them and not have to deal with it after I'm gone. I have no plans to go anywhere for a long time hopefully 🤞🙏 but I will be much happier with more room in my house as I realize that my home has become a storage facility for handed down family treasures. I'm really looking forward to working with you all and getting the help I need to Take My House Back!!!! Much love from Utah. ❤️
This is a good time to sit down and think how to make next year more calm and clutter free. Maybe write a note to your future self with some suggestions. Read it mid-year and set expectations with extended family. Then read it mid-October to remind yourself how to make things easier in December 2023!
"You don't have to keep the item to still have that feeling of love." That helps me so much! Thank you!
Small things done completely and little beautiful everyday moments 👍🏻 Clutter free in '23 🥳
😂 Here in Spain we haven’t exchanged gifts yet 😅 we do it on 3 Kings Day (6th January) Decorations will probably come down a few days after. I guess I’ll revisit this video after that 🎁 Hope everyone is having a happy holidays ✨🐫
Same here! We're Traditional Catholic, so we celebrate Christmas till the Epiphany and then Christmas SEASON ends officially on February 2nd, the feast of Candlemas ! ^_^
That's exactly what I was thinking! Christmas ist nos over yet ☺
@@cristinam.1764 right? 😅 we literally just started shopping for gifts last night 🎄
@@judgmentaltoast Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you 🎄 it is so interesting to learn Christmas is celebrated so differently. We only started our gift shopping last night lol 😂
I am mexican and we leave the ornaments usually untill February, I think that's to long, but I like to leave them at least until día de reyes. I wish you happy holidays with your family
Happy 2nd Day of Christmas!
Love your videos, Dawn! Adding in Cas and Dana, is a beautiful bonus!
Put the name of the giver on the re-gifting items so you don't accidentally give it back to them--smile
I was thinking the same thing
I took all my indoor stuff down yesterday! Christmas was so stressful for me this year and it was such a relief to get the house back to normal. Love watching you guys and thanks for always making us feel not alone. ❤️
I really don’t understand American culture. I’m Portuguese, so European and Christmas is not stressful. Is the most wonderful time of the year.
We put the decorations up in the beginning of December and down in the beginning of January, not immediately after Christmas. In my house, everything has his place so is very easy and I don’t go minimal with decorations. I have a big tree in every floor and a little one in every bedroom.
In the end of the dinner we put the dishes in the washing machine and the left overs in the fridge and it’s all done. The preparation is simple with somethings done the days before but is fun doing it in family.
When we open the presents we separate the wrapping paper and that type of things in the recicle bins and it’s done. The most interesting toys stay out to play in the days before and the rest go to its places. I buy gifts with meaning and prepare a month before. Some members get stressed because only think of it in the days before…
I know that this comment is not kind but with minimalism you shouldn’t have all that work to reset.
Many Americans celebrate Christmas the same way you do. I really enjoy it and am not taking my Christmas decorations down until Epiphany.
My family didn’t do gifts and we were all ok with it. The holiday is about spending it with friends and family not buying a bunch of stuff no one needs.Not getting caught up with all the materialism. Also, no hurry to put away decorations as I just put them up 2 weeks ago. Christmas ends January 6th. Happy 2023
I got to work through my backlog of laundry while listening and now im ready to tackle holiday items bite by bite!!! My mindest since joining the course is so different after 2 years! Thank you ladies!
I give a lot of gifts but very seldom receive gifts. I am happy about that now since we discovered minimalism . 2023 is the final step of decluttering. 50 years of photos will now be organized and cleared out.
My “simple living” has left me plenty of time to help others this season; like a neighbor with this being her first Christmas without her husband 😔❣️
So do we have to be with you all the entire day on January or am I able to watch when I am able? Also, Dawn can you explain why with a family of 6 there are 4 chairs at your kitchen table.
Hey, I’m not Dawn but I can answer. You can watch the entire day on January in facebook but it is then posted to the Take Your House Back site an hour after it goes live and you can watch whenever you would like. You can even watch previous all day declutters. As for the chairs - they also use the kitchen bench for meals. 😉
Having 4 chairs for a family of 6 is rather odd, well spotted
I wondered about the chairs too.
Right from the beginning…it is nice to know someone thought of you and bought that item and the act of giving but when you’ve explained over and over that those items aren’t even allowed in the home and they still give it, it’s not love. It’s ‘I don’t care and you’re getting it anyway.’ I have to have a hard conversation with that person. We don’t allow scented lotions due to health issues and yet they’re still given. It’s not an act of love or giving, it’s disrespectful to the person getting the gift.
Exactly! My mother stopped talking to her mother because she sent woolen, un alterable outfit's with booties sewn in for my brother, who's short statured. Amazingly, after my mother not talking to her for 20 years with that being the final straw, she's been in contact with me, I've specifically requested "no woolens" because we have pets. She doesn't knit them. She buys them. Not just woolen clothes, but woolen dolls. I've got severe arthritis, I can't do loads of heavy woolens even if I want too. Her and another aunty I've realised shop for the love of shopping and the dopamine hit they get. Nothing thoughtful about it
I pack all things Christmas away on Dec 31. I love the experiencing in thanking the year and experiences gone by, and waking up on Jan 1 to a brand new shiny year.
What a lovely ritual. I love the idea of thanking the year! 😊
I was ready to do the “Take Your House Back”course but it is definitely not $94. I just watched this video and the price has gone up already? Definitely won’t be paying $600, but $100 I would have. Super sad. 😢
if I gave something to someone and 2 seconds later they got rid of it, honestly I would be a little offended. I mean I would rather they asked me for the receipt to return it, I'm better with that but geeze at least try to pretend you like it. My aunt was like that no matter what you gave her it was going to be returned. Once my uncle gave her a dress like 3 sizes too big. She said it's too big he said what difference does it make you're going to return it anyway.
I get it maybe the gifts are offensive and the gift givers are at times the culprit as they get gifts that are tacky or cheap or don't take the time to know the person and get anything as they need to get a gift so better given away than hoarding in your house and honesty is best not pretending to like it for this to repeat.
@@me4011 In the example she was holding up a 3 pack of what looked like nice socks. It came across as, She opened it, sneered at it, and said "ok it's going" After one or 2 gift giving exchanges like that, I would be like forget it, I'm not going to bother getting her anything from now on. it came across as eyes rolling to the top of her head and an "OMG can you believe someone actually gave this to me?" TOSS. Hopefully the person who gave her the socks doesn't see this
Gift certificates to a dinner out at restaurant are the simplest and non returnable gift you can give. If you don't know what get me.....get me a gift certificate to a restaurant.
Perfect timing! I'm just about to take down Christmas and go through gifts for donations. Your videos are always a great companion for the task!
This was great! I cleaned out a couple of my dresser drawers during this video! Took down all Christmas decor yesterday and organized bathroom cabinets! 2023 is going to be a great year!
When you said your Slogan for the year, I thought you said Butter free in '23 and I thought, there's no way I can do that 😂
🤣🤣🤣🤣me neither x
I laughed so hard at this… I’d be failing that challenge for sure 🤣😂
I didn't put up a Christmas tree this year or decorate only outside . I just wasent in the mood, so I gave myself grace and still cooked turkey dinner listened to Christmas music spend time with family did gift cards this year as every year for the past 35 yrs, I was up all night wrapping which made me to tired to enjoy xmas. I was too exhausted. From being sick . And it went better this year then the rest . I had a small 3 foot metallic tree 🌲 but that was it . Took all of 10 mins for cleanup told Everyone I didn't want clutter . So I received coffee gift certificates which I love and some cookies which I ate . All in all it was great 👍❤️🇨🇦