3 Foolproof Hacks to Prevent Drowning in Boxes This Holiday

I’m slightly late with this post as the annual March of the Holiday Deliveries is well underway. This ‘one-less-week-between-Thanksgiving-and-Christmas’ thing is really messing with me! In the next 10 days the march will come to its crescendo and so I still have time to share my best tips to avoid drowning in boxes (even if you already have a big pile!)

Of all the extras that add clutter to our holiday season (decorations, food, crowds, marketing emails) boxes are by far the most cluttery. Over the course of the past 2 decades, as online shopping has grown close to 70% of holiday sales, the amount of cardboard and plastic we are left to unpack, break down and recycle has exploded. The visual impact in our homes is striking, and completely overwhelming.

So what to do? I have 3 great tips to help you tame holiday gifting madness in your home this year. So if you’re currently downing in boxes this should help you claw your way to the surface!

Hack #1: Create a System

All this means is assigning specific stations for the boxes as they move through their lifecycle. This will keep your entryway from drowning in boxes. You’ll need to designate 3 stations in total and (this is important) communicate your station plan to all members of your household:

Intake: This is the place where all packages go when they enter the house.I do not recommend using the entry itself as the station but rather an area in close proximity (Mudroom? Laundry room? Dining room?)You want a spot that won’t visually assault you every time to enter the house.

Unpack: This area to be the same as your intake station but the key is to have a large, flat, open surface where you have space to unpack the deliveries. Also, keep a garbage bag handy to toss the packing materials in.

Deconstruct: This is where you dump the empty cardboard before it’s deconstructed & moved to your recycle bin. The garage is the ideal spot for this but if you don’t have a garage a utility or laundry room works as well. The important point is this spot should be out of the sightline of the main living areas. One additional tip: don’t deconstruct all of the boxes, keep some to use for Hack #2!

Hack #2: Sign a Package Pact

I love gamifying hard things and then competing against myself for the win! This hack will not only ensure you aren’t drowning in boxes but also help clear the way for the influx of gifts!The Package Pact is merely a commitment you make (to yourself) that before you open any of the new packages that have arrived, you find 2 things to declutter. It should only take a few minutes tops to find 2 things you no longer need. You can use the boxes you just unpacked to collect your decluttered items. Boom! You are really going to feel the positive effects of this hack after Christmas. It’s going to be so much easier to put all that new stuff away!

Hack #3: Formulate a Donation Plan (now)

If you are drowning in boxes right now you may be wondering why this is an important focus. Before you roll your eyes, hear me out! Completing the last mile of decluttering (i.e.removal) is often the hardest step. People blow it off and have piles of clutter intended for donation in their homes that sits there for months. So when you are finished reading this blog take 5 minutes and decide where you are going to donate (I recommend somewhere with a drive-thru that takes multiple categories) and when.

If you are really busy right now because of All Things Holiday I get it. However, if you can swing it’s best to donate NOW because donation spots are in need AND they aren’t busy. You can certainly wait until January. But, that’s when everyone else has suddenly realized they have too much stuff and made decluttering New Year’s Resolutions! So there will be a long line at the donation station. Because you are ahead of the game, having already implemented Hack numbers 1 and 2, you can triple down and make your donations before Christmas. This will ultimately save you time and give you a head start on a New Year of decluttering!

So in review: we are setting up designated stations for the processing of many, many boxes and communicating them to family members. We are finding 2 things to declutter before unpacking each package that arrives. AND we are formulating a donation plan and executing it before Christmas instead of after.  Congratulations! Instead of drowning in boxes, you are sitting by the fire sipping hot chocolate!