Have you taken down all of your Christmas decor? Are you the type who takes it down the day after the festivities or do you enjoy leaving it up for awhile after Christmas so that you can enjoy it just a little more.

I took my Christmas decorations down right after the first of the year. I love the twinkly lights and all the color, but I must admit, I really feel more “at peace” when everything is a little more neutral around here.

January always puts me in a cleaning mood. I don’t know if it is just because it is the beginning of a new year and I’ve set new goals for myself. Or it’s too cold to be outside working in the yard so I might as well get my house organized.

Today, I’m going to give you 3 tips for giving your living room a more uncluttered look.

1. Take everything off the shelves and deep clean.

I have some bookcases in my living room and when I remove the Christmas decor, I love to take everything off the shelves, dust it all, and then reorganize. This year, I decided to add fewer items back on the shelves and focus on keeping everything fairly neutral. I love the clean look that it gives my decor.

2. Organize, organize and organize

As I put away Christmas for another year, I decided to take a little extra time to organize. Throw away items that you are no longer using. Sort things so that they are easily found. Have a place for everything and put everything in it’s place. There’s nothing that says “unorganized” more than when you have piles of stuff all over the place. If you aren’t using it, get rid of it! More than likely, you won’t miss it!

3. End each day by tidying up

Before you go to bed each night, do a 3 minute scan and pickup of the living room. Fold the blankets, put the glass in the dishwasher, straighten the books on the lamp table. If you get in the habit of putting everything in it’s place, you will be amazed at how good you feel when you wake up in the morning!

I’m planning to spend the next few months deep cleaning and organizing my entire house. I will be happy to share tips and tricks along the way. I know that when my house is clutter-free, it makes my whole life function better and I bet yours would, too.

Be blessed,

Vickie