Spring Cleaning & Making Room for Christmas Magic
It’s Week 2 of September, and by now I’ve hopefully got you thinking about all the Christmas fun ahead!
But it’s not just Christmas on my mind right now…
Spring Has Sprung!
Here in Australia, spring is starting to show up—and I’m slowly waking from my winter hibernation. Along with dreams of gingerbread and Christmas carols, I’m also thinking about the garden, food preservation season, and… all the dust that’s been hiding in plain sight during winter.
Because let’s be honest—I don’t want to spend my summer days indoors cleaning. So now’s the time to get a head start on a few key jobs.
Plus, my boys both have winter birthdays, so by September our toy collection seems to multiply. And with Santa making his list and checking it twice, it’s time to start making some room!
First Stop: The Kitchen Clean-Out
I always start with the kitchen. I know it's about to become the busiest room in the house—baking, entertaining, decorating cookies, the lot. And future me is always grateful for a good clean-out before the silly season hits.
You know that moment when you're trying to decorate biscuits but you can't turn your sprinkle carousel (yes, that is 100% a real thing in my house!) because everything’s been shoved onto the bottom shelf all winter?
Yep. Guilty. Sometimes this tired mumma bear takes shortcuts... and then regrets them later.
So here’s the tip: clean out your kitchen now.
Don’t overthink it. Just start putting things back where they belong. If your kitchen needs a little reorganisation, now is the perfect time to do it.
Next Stop: Pantry & Appliances
Once the kitchen’s tidied, I move on to the pantry.
- Are there things about to expire?
- Can I use up some older ingredients now?
- Are there staples I’ll need to start stocking for Christmas?
Using up what you already have now can free up space and stretch your grocery budget in the weeks to come.
Then there’s the appliances—especially the oven.
Yes, I know it’s a bit of a mission… but baking in a clean oven is just better. It smells nicer, things cook more evenly, and I always feel more motivated to get into the festive baking spirit.
Making Room: Time to Tackle the Toys
This is the time I start talking to my boys about their toys.
We chat about how Santa might be bringing some new things, and how we need to think about the toys we no longer play with. I ask questions like:
- "Do we really need six monster trucks?"
- "Can we donate the play tools we’ve outgrown?"
- "How did we end up with an entire box of tiny cars?!"
In reality, my bears are still a bit young and definitely think they need to keep everything. So—like a stealthy ninja—I quietly go through and sort out the toys I know they’re not playing with.
If I’m not sure, I’ll hide a toy away for a while. If no one asks for it… I take that as my green light to move it on.
Final Thoughts
This week isn’t about making everything perfect—it’s about starting now to make life easier later.
By cleaning, decluttering, and prepping early, I free up mental space to enjoy the fun parts of the holidays (and avoid the December chaos).
I promise, you’ll thank yourself later.
This Week’s To-Do List:
- Clean and organise the kitchen
- Check pantry for expiring or forgotten ingredients
- Start stocking long-life Christmas staples
- Deep clean the oven
- Sort out toys—donate, store, or rotate out
Check out my Christmas planner I made for you last week. (Download here)
Next week, we’ll talk about gift planning and shopping (without the overwhelm!). But for now, happy spring cleaning—and remember, a sprinkle carousel should always spin freely. 😉