Holidays should be a happy time. So why do folks feel so stressed?
We tend to cram in all of our visiting, socializing and shopping into one small time frame. Everyone else around us seems to be in the same heightened state, so we feel like there’s no place to turn for calm – we just need to keep racing along with everyone else. That’s why folks need holiday organizing tips at this time of year.
How can we prevent some of this holiday stress?
Instead of going stir crazy, go list crazy! Get your different holiday organizing project task lists going:
Home Repair
Schedule your handyman now for repairs.
Schedule checkups for your appliances and HVAC system.
Create your house-prep task list.
Create your invite/RSVP list.
Create your menu and grocery lists.
Create your gift list and budget.
Create your card/address list.
For ready-made lists you can print out, visit my friends at List Plan It.
How can we get organized with holiday decorations?
Discard any decorations that are broken, melted, or so faded that you can’t tell what color it used to be.
Donate to Goodwill decorations that you haven’t used in the past few years.
Keep a running list of any replacement supplies for which to keep an eye out during the post-holiday sales.
Pack up your holiday decorations in clear containers with labels – by room or by type of ornament.
How do we manage all of the holiday gift wrap madness?
Designate a specific spot in your house for gift storage and wrapping supplies.
Keep the supplies at hand: table, scissors, tape, bags, tags, cards, ribbon, bows, mailing, pens.
If your gift station is not located near a table or counter that can provide workspace, consider having a gift-wrapping session and bring in a card table, chair and refreshing beverage.
If any of the holiday gifts need to be shipped, have the shipping supplies on standby so you can take care of that at the same time. Be sure to check www.usps.com for mailing deadlines.
For additional holiday organizing tips, you can search my blog.