We can all agree that the holidays are a time to give. And what better way to give than to find items in your home that are no longer useful to you and give them to others who could use them? Please join me as I start my 12 Days To Less Minimalism Challenge. This is a twist on the 12 Days of Giveaways we often see in stores this time of year. Read on for details!

How does it work? TODAY, December 1st, give away one thing, on December 2nd, two things, December 3rd, three things, and so on and so forth, until you reach December 12th and give away 12 things. If you follow the challenge each day, you will have given away 78 items by the end of it!

Who do I give this stuff to? That’s up to you. The easiest thing to do is to make a donation box or bag for all your giveaways and take them to your favorite charity or donation center at the end of the challenge. However, if you have specific folks in mind for some of your giveaways, by all means, use this challenge as an excuse to give them those items!

What counts as an “item”? Again, up to you. Although, since this is a challenge, I encourage you to push yourself a bit. Instead of considering a t-shirt one item, you could bundle together an entire pile of t-shirts you don’t wear and call the entire set one item. Your call here. But if you are looking for a reason to get rid of some excess stuff, go wild with your donations!

But I love all my stuff! How do I part with it? I hear you. Some good questions to ask yourself to help decide if these items are good giveaways are:

• Does this item bring me joy?
• Have I used this in the last year? 
• If I lost this item, would I replace it?
• Would I take this with me if I moved? 
• Would I buy this again? Or, if the item was given to you as a gift: Would I buy this for myself? 
• Do I have a similar item that works/I like better? 
• What’s the absolute worst thing that would happen if I let this go? 
• If I needed this in the future, how hard would it be to replace? (I like to follow the 20/20 Rule here. If I could replace it within 20 miles for less than $20 dollars, I can probably let it go.)

It is the season of giving, so think about giveaways that could really make a difference to your community’s neediest citizens. Did you stock up on toothpaste the last time it went on sale? Homeless shelters are always in need of toiletries. Does your stack of bathroom towels rarely dwindle? Towels and linens are another excellent homeless shelter donation, as are hats, gloves, and coats. Most homeless shelters only house residents at night, so they must be outside during the day–even in freezing conditions. Do you really need all those gloves, hats, and blankets for your family? If not, consider how much a warm hat would mean to a person who must be outside all day… and give with joy!

I’ll be posting pictures of my giveaways throughout the challenge to inspire and challenge you. I encourage you to post pics on my Facebook page to share the giving spirit! You can also join the conversations using #12DaysToLess on Instagram or Twitter. So excited to see what you all can give away this holiday season!

Here’s a pic of my Day 1 item: a hand mixer.

A few years ago my husband received a stand mixer for Christmas. While I was initially skeptical about the necessity of the stand mixer, it quickly proved it’s awesomeness and superiority in all areas of mixing. Thus, we no longer use this little guy. Time to let him go to someone who can put him to use!

So the challenge is on! Look through your closet and cupboards today to find just ONE item that you no longer need. Start that donation box  and you will be on your way to helping others and freeing up space in your home. Cheers to that!

Rose Lounsbury is the Dayton, Ohio area’s up-and-coming professional organizer. After blogging about her own journey toward a minimalist lifestyle, Rose was inspired to start Less, a minimalist-minded professional organizing company. If you’d like Rose’s help with an organizing project at your home or office, please call her at 937-626-9030, email her at [email protected], or visit her online at OrganizeWithLess.com.