Christmas. Now that’s not a word I expected to be saying in August, but honestly, the speed this year has gone so far, I’ve realised I need to get organised and fast! One thing I do each year, in preparation for the influx of toys, is to have a huge clear out before December. This year, due to the upheaval of recent home renovations, the task feels even more mammoth than usual, so I am getting prepared well in advance, armed with a list of ways to prepare our house for the festive season.

Be mindful of home renovations.

We have recently been renovating both of our bathrooms (upstairs and downstairs) and started this in the Spring to be certain that it wouldn’t run into the Autumn. There is nothing worse than trying to declutter around the upheaval of DIY projects, so be sure to be mindful of completion dates when tackling any renovations and start them early or leave them until the new year.

Be ruthless.

When it comes to decluttering there is only one way to be – ruthless! We tend to split everything in our home into three categories – giving to friends, giving to the charity shop, and throwing away. I also use a man and van service to take away everything else which is so easy and takes the stress out of it all.

Treat your house to a deep clean

It’s a great time of year to really treat your house to a deep clean, and there are lots of cleaning companies out there who do a one off deep clean for a really affordable fee. We did it last Christmas and it lifted a huge weight off my shoulders knowing that everywhere was lovely and clean before the Christmas tree and decorations went up.

Clear out the toy boxes

One thing which we do every year is to clear out the children’s toy boxes of all broken toys, things they no longer play with, and anything they have grown out of. I try to leave at least one of the toy boxes in the play room empty so that new toys can instantly have a place and be neatly stored away.

Those are my top tips, what are yours?

** This is a collaborative post **