Getting Your Home in Order After Christmas
Christmas is a whirlwind of family get togethers, office parties, events, and cherished traditions. The shopping, baking, wrapping, hosting, and decorating is time consuming and mind consuming.
By the time January rolls around you are quite possibly burnt out and scratching your head wondering how to even get back to some semblance of normal.
I know the feeling friend. Take a breath, grab a coffee and let’s sit down to come with a plan to Get Your Home in Order After Christmas.

Christmas was Amazing but Now My Home is a Wreck
Core memories were created in front of the tree or by a crackling fire. Beloved recipes passed down generation to generation were enjoyed till you couldn’t take another bite. Your home was decorated with the perfect mix of old and new trinkets creating your perfect cozy space.
But now it’s January 1st and you are ready for a new year & a fresh start. The tree gets packed up, the stockings come down, and the inflatable snowman out front gets folded up to hibernate till next year.
You breathe a sign of relief as you walk back inside only to realize there’s presents everywhere that need a place to live, leftovers cluttering up your fridge, and glitter or tinsel littering the floor. Where do you even begin? I will tell you where. You begin at the beginning, one step at a time. Don’t let the mess overwhelm you. Start simple.
First Step: Do a Walk Through
Okay, start by grabbing a notebook or a clip board and a pen. I want you to walk into each room and take a visual inventory of what needs done.
Break your list down into sections: Clean, Organize, Pack Away, Trash. This is not the time to try to overhaul your pantry or Marie Kondo your junk drawer.
We want this to be a quick process so that we don’t allow ourselves the time to spiral into overthinking which brings productivity to a screeching halt.
Make sure to complete this process in each room. If you have smaller sections of your home like an entryway or hallways, feel free to group these spaces together for simplicity. If we allow this aspect of the process to get too into the weeds, its likely to be overwhelming.
Don’t put too much thought into how you are going to accomplish all of this just yet. Right now we just want an understanding of what tasks need to be address to return our home to normal. That’s where the cozy is.
Second Step: Gather Your Tools
Now that you have a clear idea of what you need to accomplish in each room, let’s think about what you need to complete these tasks.
What cleaning supplies do you need to gather? Do you need items to help organize things such as, bins or containers? What about decor that needs packed away, do you have boxes or dedicated bins for these items?
Gather these items, crank up your motivational playlist or a podcast you love to listen to, and let’s get to work.
Helpful Homemaker Hint
Create a bin or caddy for cleaning products and tools by room or zone. Some items will overlap. Some products will only be used in a specific place. Having your cleaning tools & products ready to go in one spot will help streamline your cleaning process.
Third Step: Break Rooms Down Into Zones
We have an idea of what needs to be done. All of the necessary tools and cleaning items have been gathered. Now we need to decide where to start. Do not overthink this process. I am telling myself this as well.
I have found that breaking rooms down into zones helps to answer the burning question: where do I begin? Smaller areas can be grouped together, but make sure you have a realistic view of how big of a task each room will be. You do not want to group your kitchen and living room together, unless you plan on accomplishing nothing more than crying into a bag of potato chips on the couch.
For example, my zones are as follows: Zone 1 Kitchen, Zone 2 Living Room, Zone 3 Guest Bathroom(s), Zone 4 Kids’ Bedrooms, Zone 5 Master Bedroom & Bath, Zone 6 Front Porch and Entryway, Zone 7 Hallway & Laundry Room. This is just an example of what I do. You have to adjust this to what makes the most sense for your home.
Fourth Step: Do the Stuff
Now it’s time to do the do. My motto this year is “forget the fluff and do the stuff” so that’s what we are going to do.
Take your notes from the First Step and go to your Zone 1. I like to use the sweep method, which is either moving top to bottom or right to left. This can also be accomplished by starting at the far end of the room and moving to the doorway.
Avoid burn out and overwhelm by taking breaks and finding ways to make this process more enjoyable. Earlier I mentioned listening to a podcast or an upbeat playlist.
Maybe you need to finish that audiobook you started or you want to listen to the videos in your watch later list. Just make sure that whatever you choose isn’t so distracting that you find yourself stopping often to listen or watch the screen.
Mark each task off your list of notes for that zone and celebrate being one step closer to a cozy home that feels put back in order.
Bonus Step: Celebrate Your Wins
Let’s be real, housework can feel overwhelming and redundant. If you have small children or pets you may feel like you can never get ahead. Be sure to celebrate each “win” no matter how small.
Remember to feel encouraged by what you have accomplished rather than discouraged by what is left on the to-do list. One way I think to ensure this is to have a master “to-do list”, but then break it down into a few priority tasks per day.
You already have a list of daily requirements: dishes, laundry, meals, etc. If you list every single thing that needs to be done on your today list, it could cause you to feel like you can never get it all done so why even try. Tiny bites to finish the buffet, friend.
I will let you in on a little secret…sometimes I even reward myself for productivity. I know this idea can be controversial. I have found personally, that if I reward myself for completing a project or task, not only am I more likely to finish it in a timely manner but the promise of a “treat” helps me to associate something positive with a task I may not enjoy otherwise. This TikTok below is always what I think of and it makes me giggle. Enjoy!
Helpful Homemaker Hint
Quick tip for the hard days: try to complete at least one task that is not easily undone. Something that you can feel that sense of accomplishment for more than 5 minutes. Examples: Organize a junk drawer, clean out a cabinet, clean a light fixture or ceiling fan
one last thing…
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Great advice, and beautiful images. The TikTok at the end was hilarious! 🙂
Thank you so much Eileen! I just love that you took the time to write this encouragement. That TikTok gets me every time 😂