I know most people have holiday routines they have to juggle and can't work just one more thing in, but I actively try to tie up all the loose ends from the year, so that when Jan 1st comes, I won't have so much undone baggage to carry over. I usually start doing these about the time the weather gets cold in November, when I put away the yard furniture and clean off the screen porch. It's basically normal targets for uncluttering, but its a sudden boost instead of the everyday a little at a time method.
Fix the small jobs around the house - so far this year I put the 'new' faucet in the bathroom sink..which i bought a year ago, installed child safe lock on the linen closet to keep out the cats, and add more coat hooks to the backs of closet doors.
Deal with the 'broken' items - today I mailed off my broken Fuji camera to the repair center, I also treated myself to new brushes on my Hoky carpet sweeper (don't forget to order the CORNER brushes, they aren't online you have to do it over the phone), sent the truck to the shop for a tune-up.
Clean out 'junk' drawers/piles - Years ago I gave in instead of fighting it, I allow JUNK 'drawers' and then once a year I clean it out and start all over. This year I started with the center drawer in the desk and the cabinet under the sink is next on my list.
Clean. - The closer I get to the end of the year the more finicky I get. I repeat things that I do during the year anyway - Wash floors. Clean fridge...etc. - this is my mother haunting me. I'd do it if I had company coming, but the hard part is doing it WITHOUT having company coming. I even take a cat hair rake and a bottle of Febreze to the Cat tree. It is terribly satisfying.
this is just what i have done so far...i still have another 2 weeks to get more 'stuff' done... and on Jan 1st I REST..and sit in my nice clean house with all the loose ends snipped off and feel quite smug.
