December is not a time to be planning more activities, but this idea may be the exception! As a matter of fact, this is an exceptional idea for a get-together to lift your spirits and clear your clutter. S.O.S. -- stands for ‘Seasonal Ornament SWAP”.

Think about all the holiday ornaments and decorations hiding at the back of the cupboard, or in the bottom of the “ornament box”. Wouldn’t you rather use this valuable space to store stuff you use rather than wasting space storing things that are too good to throw out, but not used anymore? Surely someone else could use this stuff. The question is...who?

Here’s the exceptional idea. Select an evening and invite family and friends to your Seasonal Ornament SWAP. Ask them to bring along their un-loved, un-used and un-suitable ornaments to swap!

Of course, when people gather, there is usually food involved, so ask your guests to bring along a plate of their holiday baking too! Since the most popular New Year’s Resolution is to diet, you and your friends will be able to consume all those calories before January diets begin!

Just before the SWAP, all you’ll have to do is make tea and coffee (or open some wine!) and clear some space. The SWAP will take on a life of its own!

If your New Year’s Resolution is to get organized, this is a great way to begin. You’ll be surrounded by friends and the task will be fun because there’ll be lots of talking and laughing as you clear clutter.

The best part will be taking your new decorations home and enjoying them right away. You don’t run the risk of putting them away until next year and... forgetting where you put them.

Remember... “one person’s trash is another person’s treasure”, so only select a few treasures to remind you of a wonderful evening spent with family and friends.

As for any leftover ornaments and decorations – donate them to your favorite charity or children’s group and share the joy of the season with them too!

Happy Holidays!