What should you give a declutterer this Christmas
Christmas is universally acknowledged to be the most wonderful time of year, unless, that is, you're a devotee of world-renowned decluttering guru Marie Kondo .
"It can be so overwhelming because there's just so much to do and so much to buy and never enough space for all the stuff," agrees London lawyer Shrina Shah. Having implemented Kondo's tidying technique a few months ago, however, she has approached Christmas differently this year, both in terms of gift-giving and entertaining. "I'm trying to be a lot more mindful about what I want to get," she explains.
Actress Emma Thompson has declared she's doing "no gifts" this year, while MoneySavingExpert founder Martin Lewis has long encouraged families to sign up to his Christmas "Pre-NUPP" . "Many people feel obliged to buy gifts for others they know they won't use, with money they don't have, and cause themselves stress they don't need," Lewis has said of the initiative.
"So in the run-up to Christmas, and even before, you need to be talking to people and setting expectations. Pam Liu, who lives in London with her tech-obsessed husband, says she often feels conflicted over how to deal with unwanted gifts, particularly when it comes to items for the couple's three-year-old daughter.
Some families now even start before December 25 - organising a pre-Christmas clear-out in anticipation of the inevitable influx of new toys. One increasingly popular concept is the "reverse" Advent calendar, in which one item is donated for each day of Advent. "It's an inventive and inspiring way to engage children in decluttering before the holiday season," says professional organiser Juliet Landau-Pope, who recommends it to her clients.
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