Like it or not, Christmas often seems to be mostly about stuff, and more stuff! Even when we haven’t asked for much, or anything at all, people love to give us stuff. Stuff for the kitchen, stuff for the bedroom, stuff for the kids, stuff for the lawn. Some of this stuff is nice to have, and some of it we probably need. But this time of year, all that stuff turns to clutter, and clutter can quickly get overwhelming when we’re busy with other things. Pretty soon, the holidays and their aftermath feel like just one more chore to be tackled.
We’ve got a few ideas to help you keep your Christmas clutter-free. 
Go through closets in advance
Spring cleaning may be the traditional time we throw open the windows and go through the house with a fine-toothed comb to see what we can still use and what can be recycled, re-gifted, donated, or thrown away. But we think the space between Thanksgiving and Christmas is the perfect time for purging, big and small, because we tend to more readily part with old things when we’re anticipating the new things that will soon be taking their place. Bonus: Less to clean for Christmas company!
Get kids on board with cleaning by with an “If you want it, make room for it” rule
If an extra 25 pounds of toys and trinkets to trip over, look for, or otherwise wrangle in the kids’ rooms doesn’t sound like fun, get the kids sweeping through their rooms for things to sacrifice to the donation pile by instituting the rule that no new stuff comes in until an equal or greater number of old stuff goes out.
Get a temporary self-storage unit
Mini self-storage units can be the perfect way to get a “stuff” situation under control until you have a chance to devote some time and thinking to what’s going where, and when. Sometimes, the holidays just get too busy before we’ve had a chance to sit down and sort everything from mismatched chairs to overrun toolboxes to overflowing bookshelves. But there are relatives to make room for, and potentially more incoming furniture, tools, books, and other things. A self-storage unit like the roomy, secure, and affordable storage units at Ample Storage in south Reno can keep your in-flux stuff organized, safe, and out of your way until after you’ve enjoyed (and recovered from) the festivities.
Ask for intangibles this year
Don’t want any more stuff? Consider letting friends and family know you want to do Christmas differently this year. Instead of more stuff, point to experiences you’d like to have, places you’d like to go, charities you’d like a donation sent to in your name. Better yet, suggest pooling all your money and going somewhere amazing or having a great experience together as a family. No stuff required!
