The holiday season can bring joy, celebration, and memory-making—but it often brings clutter, stress, and an overwhelming amount of “stuff” too. In this episode, we share simple, compassionate strategies to help prepare your home and mindset before the holiday rush sets in.
By picking nonprofits ahead of time, setting up sorting bins that actually work, and letting go of the dreaded “junk in the trunk” habit, we can approach this season with more ease, more intention, and more space for connection.
This is not about perfection or overhauling everything before January—it’s about small, practical steps that help us organize with care and enjoy the season more fully.
In This Episode We Talk About:
- Why the holiday season is also an “organizing season” and how to use it as a reset
- How to pick nonprofits in advance so donation decisions become effortless
- The power of labeled bins to keep clutter moving instead of piling up
- Why “junk in the trunk” delays progress—and how to stop it for good
Mentioned in This Episode:
- The importance of choosing nonprofits ahead of time for holiday donations
- Creative naming ideas for sorting bins (freebie available in the show notes)
- Setting a 7-day rule for donation drop-offs to avoid clutter in the car
Review full show notes and resources at https://theorganizedflamingo.com/podcast
Review Transcript:
Hey friends. Welcome back to Organizing Cherish. I'm so glad that you're here with me today. This week we're heading into the stretch of the year that we can sometimes feel like it's a lot. So today we are focusing on how to get ready for the holidays and end of the year season and organizing with intention.
So, you know what I mean? Like the November, December and into early January months can be really hectic and. It's a time full of traditions and gatherings and gift giving and meals and events and decorations, and often there's a little bit of chaos, which I know I appreciate. I like, I thrive, I like it. It, it's gives me all the warms and fuzzies.
What I don't love is the end where I am. Sometimes. Some years I'm left with a big mess and pile of stuff that now I have to deal with and it takes me forever. So as long as it comes with joy. Awesome. Wonderful if you love that, but nobody really likes to have to pick up the pieces at the end of the season when maybe you could have been doing just small exercises that could have helped you along the way so you didn't have to deal with all of it at once, at the beginning of the year, later on.
Okay. So. That's what we're talking about today. Let's get right into it.
Welcome to the Organized and Cherish podcast with the organized Flamingo. I am your host Stephanie, your compassionate and deficient professional organizer. Whether you are part of the sandwich generation helping a loved one declutter, or just trying to simplify life, this is the place for you. Together we will tackle those overwhelming piles of stuff, uncover purpose in what we keep, and let go with dignity and care, because it's not just about throwing everything away, it's about respecting memories and simplifying life.
Sound like a plan? Let's jump in and get organized. Okay, so all the stuff that's. Coming in that stuff, being shuffled around stuff you meant to give away in months ago, but somehow is still in the trunk of your car. That's a whole lot of stuff that we have to deal with in addition to everyday life. Let's focus on some of the thoughts and practical tips that I have for you on how to get ready, not just for the holidays themselves, but for everything that comes with the season so that you don't have to get burned under clutter or stress.
This is not about doing things perfectly either, so if you know us or if you're new here, just know that that is not what we are about. This is about setting yourself up with the compassionate, realistic approach so you can enjoy the season more and feel less weighted down by this stuff side of it all.
First, let's talk about the holiday season as an organizing season. We actually have an entire episode devoted to this concept. It's basically the thought process that you declutter as you go through the seasons. When you unpack, you go through it, you decide what you wanna sell, throw away or give away.
This is really handy for any of you that are going through life transitions. Maybe you used to be a really big holiday person, now you're not. Uh, like in our case, we moved to a place that was not great to put outdoor decorations where that we used to have, like, we used to have a more like a, a a city type of place and now we're more in a rural place and it was very windy.
So the stuff we had no longer worked in here, so. When the first season that we lived in our house, we brought this stuff out and I started to make decisions based on my new chapter in life. Like, I'm not living in a, a home that these decorations worked well. Like, it just, they would get ruined, right? So I started to sell 'em and donating them and giving them away.
So it's the whole process that, or like maybe you're becoming a, an empty nester, and so you start opening boxes during this ne this usual holiday season. And start making decisions based on what your life looks like now. Versus doing it, you know, when it's spring cleaning, I mean, most likely you're not opening all of the boxes everywhere in your house, right?
So that would not really work for your holiday items because you, those are probably now either tucked in or they're all over the place. You haven't even put them away, but you're not in the right frame. Might it frame of mind to be making decisions about the holidays when it's springtime in the summer.
So it's the concept that you might be better suited for decluttering, organizing. Your stuff when it comes to that specific season and, and, and treat it as season at a time. So we'll start there. Most people think that the holiday season is a time, you know, of giving and celebrating. Yes. But because I like to think of it as that hidden organizing season.
Whether we notice or notice it or not, we're already doing some form of sorting and shifting in making space, and so that's why I think it's a really, really good time to do organizing and decluttering and making intention, intentional decisions about your stuff. So we bring out the decorations, which means bins get open.
We buy or receive gifts, which means new items are coming in. We're often hosting. Traveling or having guests, which means certain spaces of the home need more attention, or you are no longer doing those things as you used to. So you might not be needing the three crockpots anymore. You're not hosting big parties anymore.
So instead of waiting until January to deal with the fallout, this is a great time to use your natural rhythm as an opportunity to declutter. Be mindful about what you're keeping. So think of it as a seasonal reset. Where a little intention now saves you a lot of stress later, and as opposed to like those big spring cleaning, big garage decluttering, organizing clear outs, this is more in sections and smaller bits and bites that you don't have to take everything out of the closet all at once.
So that actually works really well for any of you who get really overwhelmed with big projects. This is just a little bit at a time with big intention and big results. So one of the biggest tips I have for you is to pick a nonprofit ahead of time. So here's what I would do. I, I, I can't emphasize this enough.
If you pick a nonprofit or two, or you know, your, your favorite, um, places to give and or volunteer ahead of time, it will save you so much more time. Here's why, because during the holidays, most of us stumble on items we no longer want or need. And maybe it's while putting out decorations and realizing that you don't love that garland anymore.
Maybe it's when you're making space in the closet for a new sweater and realizing that you don't really wear the others. Maybe it's just seeing the overflow and thinking, I've been meaning to don't eat this. The problem is though, is that you don't already know where the stuff is going, so it just piles up.
You don't have your heart set on anything, and it just sits in a bag by the door. If you took it out of the closet or that space, or worse, it goes into the trunk of your car and it lives there until like Valentine's Day. So before the holiday rush begins, take a few minutes to choose where donations will go, or some of your favorite places you like to give.
Same thing with the selling places like consignment. So if you like to treat them the same, sure you know, maybe it's a local women's shelter, a school drive, a community thrift store that supports causes that you care about. Um, or even in like an animal shelter for towels, blankets, write those names down and save their hours of operation.
So go on their website, call them, put their addresses on your phone, and that way when you come across something. It's not a question of if you'll donate it, it's already a question of when you're going to drop it off. So think of it as setting the GPS on your map or your map quest before you even start the car.
It makes the whole journey a lot more smooth. Hi, cherish friends. Life can get overwhelming, especially when you're juggling caregiving, clutter and everything in between. That's why I created the organizing Cherish Weekly. That goes out every Wednesday straight to your inbox to help you keep the momentum inspiration going with tips and reminders of our upcoming events.
All you have to do is head on over to organize and cherish.com and sign up for the email newsletter. It's free and you can sub subscribe whenever you'd like. It's my way of helping you simplify your life and respecting memories along the way. Now back to our show. Okay. Now onto one of my most favorite strategies, and that is navigating and or, or just having like a designated bin.
So navigating where and how it's going to be transported to the ultimate place because I think that part. People kind of miss. They just put it anywhere on a corner or somewhere, and then there is no LA clear label and then you forget and stuff. So this is one of my most favorite, like easy to do, but with a big impact.
It's a simple thing. It's a total game changer. So instead of just saying I'll deal with it later, you know, you will give yourself some clear, visible spots where things can land as you go. So here are some of the categories that I would recommend donate. So items that are ready to go to your chosen nonprofit.
Sell items that you actually plan to list online or take to consignment? I would separate the two. Some of you though, put it, you know, you treat them the same because you're not sure. If you try to sell it and then it doesn't sell, then you will donate it. So you know if you'd like to go that route. Um, sure.
I still think. It's better to separate them, but you know yourself best. And then you know, let's be real. Because if it sits there for more than a month, then it will belong in that donate pile. So I always just, you know, like to make sure that you can see the transition physically, you move it from one place to another, giving you the practice that you need so that later you can make those decisions much faster.
Throw away, recycle. Because yes, sometimes things are truly done. And another one is maybe like ask a friend or family. So things that you want to offer, someone specific, um, you, someone you have in mind. And so here's the fun part. You can even give these bins some names. So instead of just donate, maybe it's the give it forward bin.
Instead of sell, maybe it's turn into coffee money. It sounds silly, but having a little fun with the names and intention of what you plan on doing with the aftermath can make it easier to use them and it adds a little bit more personality. Um, I have a client currently that all of her stuff is going, uh, she's not sure what she wants to do with it, so we have the tag is on the way out, so we know it's going out.
We're not sure where, but it's on its way out. And what I'm going to do is put together a freebie for you. Or a list, like whatever you wanna call it, but with the list of ideas for what to call your bin so that you can make it your own. If you are using AI like a chat, GPT, Gemini, all of those, um, feel free to put that as a prompt.
So in that, um, freebie that I have for you, there are some prompt ideas so that you can get some original, fun personality titles to your bins. If you're not comfortable or not ready to be using ai, don't trust it. For whatever reasons you may have. Totally understanding. And um, so I will give you ideas that we have personally used in that freebie so that you don't have to use AI or anything like that.
But I do of course, will always give you options for both. Think of it as giving these bins their own identity, right? It makes it more likely that you'll actually use them. And the key in this is that the bins give you a place to act into the moment. You don't have to debate, you don't have to carry it around.
You see them, you put it there where it belongs, and you move on. There's less friction between you and letting something go that is not serving you, so there's no more junk in the trunk. Let's talk about that trunk in your car. Can we just agree that there's no more occurring that junk in the trunk anymore?
Yes. I cannot tell you how many people confess this one to me. They'll say, oh yes, I've decluttered, you know, I have, I have two clients that are going through that right now. But then when I ask them where the donation bags are. They admit that it's been in the backseat or, or trunk for weeks. I get it. But here's why I was saying, have a place that you want to donate in mind ahead of time.
It gives you a, a path of less resistance. And here's the problem as well. When donations just sit there, they aren't actually helping anyone. They're just another layer of clutter you're lugging around with you. Adding to your gas bill because the more weight that you're lugging around, if you have a gas vehicle, and honestly it just weighs you down mentally too.
It's like unfinished business following you around every time you drive. When you're trying to go to the grocery store, pick up something that you do need, you're trying to put up that third, that third row in the car. You can't because you have stuff back there and you're taking it in and out, in and out.
It's heavy mentally, physically. So here's the challenge for you. Set a personal rule that once something goes in your car, it has a deadline, like a seven day deadline or something. If it's not dropped off within a week, bring it back inside and re-evaluate. Have someone pick it up, call them to pick it up, if that is something that they offer, the nonprofit or whoever.
And if dropping things off feels like one step too many, see if they can pick it up or hire a professional to do this for you. Maybe ask a friend or plan it alongside Aaron that you're doing. But the point is, is that don't let the car become a holding pen. It doesn't erase the, it, it, it doesn't remove the fact that you're carrying this weight around.
It's just in a different place. And so why does this matter in, in the kind of like the bigger picture really? So I'm really passionate about these little systems because they're not just about stuff, they're about how we want to feel during this, this season. We want to feel more present and less overwhelmed.
We want to actually enjoy the gatherings without stressing about where the coat score or whether we'll trip over boxes. You know, we wanna have space for new memories and not just more clutter. So by doing these small, intentional steps. Picking a nonprofit, setting up your bins, refusing to let the trunk be your storage unit.
You're creating flow. You're moving yourself towards something. In a goal of having a simpler, clear mind and space. You're creating a system that supports you instead of draining you. So remember that this isn't about perfection. We do not advocate for that here at the organized swimming Go. You don't have to declutter your entire home before the holidays.
You just need to give yourself a framework so when the inevitable flow of the stuff comes in and out, you're ready. So as we close today though, I want you to imagine the version of yourself on January 1st or the first week or two. That version of you that is usually tired, maybe a little worn out from the celebrations, but also ready for a fresh start.
What can you do now to make that version of you feel relieved, supported, and lighter? Like not everything is having to be done at once because sometimes it's the small unglamorous things like a clearly labeled bin or a quick drop off that makes the biggest difference later. So this holiday season, give yourself that gift.
Set up your systems, choose your nonprofits, drop things off sooner, not later. And most of all. Organize with compassion for yourself and for the people that you love. The holidays are really about connection, right, and memory making. And the less clutter you're carrying physically and emotionally, the more room we have for that joy.
So thanks for joining me this week. And for the next, um, you know, the end of the year season, we have some great episodes coming up, including our favorite items of the year, and some ways to start getting ready for the new year, what to do with the stuff that you have been given and you don't really like how to support your loved ones during the holiday season.
And they're declaring an organizing journey. So we have an exciting season up ahead of us. And until next week, happy organizing. Thank you for listening to the Organized and Cherish podcast with the Organized Flamingo. If you enjoy today's episode, I'd be so grateful if you left a rating and review on your favorite podcast player.
It helps others discover our show. For full show notes, resources, and more organizing inspiration, visit www.theorganizedflamingo.com/podcast. Until next time, happy organizing.