GET ORGANIZED FOR THE HOLIDAYS
It’s that time of year again – the holidays are right around the corner! Halloween has already come and gone, Thanksgiving decorations are going up and the chaos of Christmas season has already begun. Do you feel an overwhelming sense of panic just thinking about the holidays…We are having the whole family over this year for Thanksgiving, my guest room is a mess! Where did I put my nativity set again? I haven’t even started my Christmas shopping! How am I going to get it all done in less than two months? My suggestion – get organized!
Simple organization tips to help get your holiday season in order:
Make those lists and check it twice.
I am the list making and Post It queen. I make lists for everything on a weekly basis – errands, grocery, online ordering, personal and work priorities, etc. My Christmas list is a work in progress all year round. Some of my family members are tough to buy for and I absolutely love giving my family and friends thoughtful gifts (and yes, one family member does get a painting). If you haven’t started your Christmas list already, time to get busy! Make your list now and organize them by category. For example, my Christmas list is organized by family members and loved ones. Under each person, I list gift ideas and add to it all year. I recently went to the Angola Rodeo and found the most incredible hand made gifts for the men in my family. I added the gift to each person’s list and also the cost for budgeting purposes. Because my list is always a yearly work in progress, as I add gifts to the list I can see the grand total of gifts and their prices and usually accomplish them way before the Christmas rush! It saves me time and money by purchasing gifts all year round – my gift expenses are spread out through the whole year instead of just in December and I don’t have to wait in those dreaded store lines!
Organize That Very Busy Holiday Calendar.
Doesn’t it seem like the holidays are a tornado of festivities? Family obligations, the office, neighborhood and friends’ Christmas parties, Dirty Santa, tennis Christmas luncheon, holiday dinners with clients, etc. It overwhelms me just thinking about it! A great way to tackle the holiday get-together season is to get your planner out and organize your holiday experiences. Start by adding the family events into your calendar – these are usually annual and already determined. Then as the holiday cards and invitations roll in, add them to your calendar. Tip: also add the time and place and set a reminder so that you aren’t looking for that invitation last minute! As your holiday calendar builds, you will be prepared. You will know in advance if you need to buy a gift for your children’s teacher at their holiday party or determine if you can’t attend a certain event because of a scheduling conflict, etc. I recently coached one of my clients on how to organize her planner and make it work for her. I taught her how to schedule events, organize her to do lists, schedule the kids activities, add everything into her iCal, etc. She said that her new planner and keeping it organized has been a life saver! I love my job and hearing that my services truly help my clients!
Organize Your Gift Wrapping Essentials.
If you haven’t designated a space for your wrapping essentials, then tackle that now! Once you have assigned a space for all of your wrapping essentials, start gathering 'everything wrap' you have stored in different areas in your home. Then organize by category – birthday, Christmas, baby, gift bags, ribbons and bows, etc. Add other tools needed for wrapping: tape, pens, scissors, etc. Then you will know where to go and have an inventory of wrapping essentials when you need to wrap anything! I am currently working with a client and noticed as we were purging all of the upstairs rooms and closets that there was wrapping paper everywhere. So I suggested that we create a craft room out of one of the closets that had turned into a junk area. She thought it was the best idea since sliced bread! As we are purging her house, I added all of the Christmas, birthday, baby and wedding wrapping paper, boxes, gift bags, ribbon, etc. to the closet. Once we finish the purge, I will organize the closet with my favorite wrapping essentials organizing products and she will be ready to wrap! Bonus – we have found so much Christmas wrap that she doesn’t even need to buy any for the holidays!
As always, thanks for stopping by! If you need any help organizing your holiday season, please don't hesitate to contact me and schedule an appointment! Happy holiday organizing!
