For some, New Year is a welcomed and refreshing season – for others, the January blues might be setting in. Whether there are still remnants of Christmas left behind in your home or you’ve boxed everything up, it’s important for your wellbeing to welcome the New Year into your home and say goodbye to the festivities. Here are some top tips to help you make the transition.
Hoover and sweep
If you’ve ever had a real Christmas tree, you might notice that pine needles have a way of clinging to spots in your home even long after the season has passed. If not pine needles, then tinsel tassels, glitter, and wrapping paper remnants could still be hiding in nooks and crannies. The only way to banish Christmas debris for good is by deep-hoovering. Move the furniture around, roll up your sleeves and get stuck in. Your living room will feel like brand new afterwards.
Take the cards off the mantle
The festive cards on your mantle have reached the final stage of their lifecycle and it’s time to put them away. This will free up some room for some fresh and clean scented candles, blooming flowers and framed pictures of memories from last year.
Repaint scuffed walls
Festive garlands and “Happy New Year” banners may have left their mark on your walls, so consider touching up scuffs and smudges with a lick of paint. If the damage is minor (which it probably is) you won’t need to buy a full can of paint and redecorate the entire wall. Instead, you could pick up a cheap or free sample in the same shade from your local DIY store and spruce up the areas that need it.
Take down the outdoor lights
The sooner you get this nagging task out the way – the better! Although they’re switched off and you might’ve taken on an ‘out-of-sight-out-of-mind’ attitude for the time being, your festive lights could still be running up your energy bill! Energy can still be wasted through devices that are plugged in and switched off, and this is known as ‘phantom energy’. Do yourself a favour and get those lights boxed up neatly and out of the way until next December.
Find places for the gifts you received
Whether your gifts are still in a pile at the bottom of stairs or a box in your bedroom, it’s time to start filtering them into your home. Clear out old items in your drawers or start filling a box for items that could be donated. Keep gift sets in their boxes unless you’re going to make use of them right away, otherwise you’ll have another mess to tackle, and you might get overwhelmed.
Hang up a calendar
Start the year off with a plan. Marking off and displaying all the dates you’re anticipating for the year ahead is as handy as it is therapeutic. It’s nice to look back on happy memories from last year, but it’s essential to look forward! So, make sure you hang up that lovely calendar you got for Christmas and start counting down 2023!
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