How do I keep up with my declutter progress AND enjoy Valentine’s Day?
Can I enjoy the holiday without bringing alll of the ‘stuff’ into my home?
Is it even possible to enjoy Valentine’s Day without loosing my peace and progress in my home?
Hang in there mama.
There IS a way to enjoy the holiday, spoil the babies AND still be minimal-ish.
It seems to be these ‘tiny’ or ‘insignificant’ holidays that often bring in the most stuff into our homes.
Why?
Well, it’s almost like we don’t even realize how much stuff actually enters our home on these ‘tiny’ holidays.
You know..the toys that gets broken in less than 5 minutes, the candies that get stashed away, the paper clutter: or I mean cards and crafts.
Here are 5 tricks to enjoying a minimal-ish valentines day AND keeping your peace this Valentine’s Day:
1-Pre-decide : What are you going to do with the STUFF?
With holidays like this, there is often an influx of THINGS entering our home. Pre-deciding WHAT you’ll be doing with the stuff BEFORE you even see it is so helpful in staying present while enjoying making the core memories with your kids around the holidays.
There’s two simple ways of doing this:
#1-Just be mindful every time something comes into your home —one thing in, one thing out.
-Do you need the toy, gift, movie, decor, etc?
-What purpose does the new item serve in your home or to your family?
-What item can be gotten rid of to make place for the new item?
-Is the new item just temporary and has an expiration date? (Example, a valentine’s day bear that will be donated on 2/15.)
#2-Having a plan for what comes into your home.
You can do this through asking your self questions: (in addition to the questions above)
-Will you be letting your kids enjoy their new treasures until get time or until they break?
-Are you keeping cards or trashing them?
-What are you doing with the Valentine’s Day crafts after Valentine’s Day?
-What are you going to do with the new decorations bought for this year’s Valentine’s Day? Store them or donate them?
This is also helpful for any parties you’re attending and gifts that come into your home your weren’t expecting. When you already have a plan for what is happening with what enters your home, you’re a
2- Think: CONSUMABLE
-What can you GIVE that can be consumed instead of collect dust?
-What can you MAKE that can be consumed?
Ideas for consumable gifts are honey, tea, coffee beans, hand soap, a snack basket, and gift cards (coffee, pedicures or massages) something that they enjoy buying for themselves but would be blessed by having a gift card to.
Cookies and cupcakes are another fun gift for Valentine’s Day. This can also double as a fun Valentines’ Day activity or party. Hosting a party where the activity is decorating cookies or cupcakes is fun because no one has to go home with extra stuff or decide what to do with their new project…because it’s pre-decided, you eat it!
Consumable is more than just stuff eaten, it’s anything that is used. You can even go very practical and do gas gift cards, toothpaste to toilet paper.
In a world that says we need more dust-able trinkets it can be hard to stay in the lane of consumable gifts. However I’d encourage you to find fun and consumable ways to make your gifts Valentine’s Day festive.
3-Decorating Minimally on a Budget
Holiday decorations can quickly become a sore spot in the budget and the storage closet.
Valentines decorations are so CUTE!! Walking into a store right now they are out…everywhere!! It’s so easy to just want to purchase everything within site.
It’s a simple thought to go to the store each holiday and purchase what’s needed and then get donate it..yet this can quickly become hard for the budget. The flip side is also true, storing the stuff from year to year to ‘save’ money on the budget (because let’s be real, the fun is in the NEW decor lol) yet when you purchase you now have to store it!!
However, pause and ask yourself a question:
-Is this what you truly want?
-Do you want to store this item?
-Are you okay to spend the money today on this decor to throw it away in 2 weeks?
-Is there a way I could use what I already have and rearrange it to be more valentine’s day ready?
So what if you could get creative and decorate for pennies? This way you don’t feel bad for throwing the decor away.
My go-to for decorating for pennies: Cut hearts out of construction paper and tap them to the wall, mirrors and doors.
It’s a simple way to decorate but also gives the kids and you a fun project to do that’s festive!
No matter where you land with these questions, just don’t let it be a problem. Pre-decide how you’re handling THIS valentine’s day decor and follow through with the decision.
4- Permission slip to NOT get your kids stuff.
Or anyone else for that matter.
Often, the kids do not want the new toys or games (no matter how much they are requesting it in the stores lol) so why not flip-the-script this year and make a memory together instead of exchanging unwanted stuff that will be tossed away.
Now, this may sound harsh..so let me clarify:
I am talking about the small trinkets that break within 5 minutes and I’m talking about the stuff that will sit on a shelf, the stuff that is going to break the bank or the candy that ends up making behavior harder for the kids and parents.
I am ALLLL for consumable gifts. Consumable gifts also fit with the minimal-ish and practical guidelines that our family likes to follow.
And I’ll shoot you straight…since giving consumable gifts to my friends and family I get much better responses. It’s like they appreciate I am not giving them something to return or get rid of…instead I am helping them by being a budget relief by giving gift cards or things they are already using in their home like hand soap, wine or honey.
At the end of the day, just take the pressure off to get the gift.
People often enjoy a sweet text, quality time together, a bottle of their favorite wine or thoughtful note over a cute sign or trinket that will just collect dust or have to be stored.
If it’s in the budget, get a gift…if It’s not: DON’T sweat it. People love YOU, and their love is not based on the stuff you give.
5-Ask yourself questions.
This one may seem insignificant.
However I would argue that it is actually the most important.
You may have made an agreement with yourself a few years ago and it may no longer apply to your current season of life. Example, maybe you said you would always give valentines and the budget doesn’t allow for that OR you said you never wanted to celebrate valentines day but now you have kids and want to celebrate with them OR that you would always go out on a date for valentine’s day but this year you cannot find a sitter.
Seasons come and go and so it’s good to honor where you are TODAY verses where you want to be or where you were.
Questions to ask:
-What season of life are you in today?
-How do you want valentine’s day to look this year?
-Do you want to celebrate Valentine’s Day? Do you want to create a new tradition? Keep the old ones?
-Is giving gifts in your budget this year? If so, what are you willing to spend and who would you like buy for?
-What do you want to do with gifts that you and your family receive?
-What do you want to do with the decor you collect this year?
…………..
For Valentine’s Day this year, let’s bring back the JOY of the holiday instead of stressing about the stuff coming and going from our home.
Over the years of decluttering and maintaining the progress in our home these are the 5 best tricks I’ve found to help me keep my peace, enjoy any holiday while also staying minimal-ish.
No matter how you choose to do your Valentine’s Day this year, I hope it’s filled with many memories and laughs.
XO,
Kayla
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