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Will your holidays be filled with friends and family, home-cooked meals, twinkling lights and festive gifts? Or will it be like last year, with you scrambling to get presents bought and wrapped, throwing together a meal just before the guests arrive and barely mailing cards before New Year's Eve?
Unfortunately, joyful holidays can become stressful ones in the blink of Rudolph's red nose. I've discovered how to help you put the jolly back into your holiday season with these 12 practical holiday organizing and planning hints.
1. Making your list and checking it twice
Creating a holiday binder is the perfect way to keep all your notes, plans and paperwork in one place. Grab a three-ring binder (you probably have one already) and fill it with lined paper, clear plastic sheet protectors, tabbed dividers and a pencil pouch. Label the binder and put pens and a calculator in the pouch, and you've got a home for all your gift ideas, receipts, menus, guest lists, recipes and more. Store the binder with your fall decorations so it's unpacked in time for the next holiday season.
2. Sending greetings before the new year
Determine how many cards you'll need, then buy them and stamps aplenty. (Check out USPS.com.) Divide the number of cards by the days you have left to mail them, and that's how many you'll need to write each day. Keep the cards with you so you can write them during the time you spend waiting around: in a doctor's office, at school pickup, on hold with the cable company...
3. Shopping for that special something
Online and mail-order shopping can be done at your convenience, and many stores have free shipping at this time of year. If you prefer browsing in person, go in the morning or early afternoon to beat the crowds, and leave the little ones at home. Have a detailed list of gift recipients, ideas and price limits. If you're going for something specific, call ahead and ask that it be set aside for you.
4. Wrapping it up in style
Create a gift-wrapping caddy for paper, scissors, tape, gift tags, ribbons, bows, gift bags and boxes. Wrap as you shop.
5. Planning for a road trip
Make a master packing list and set up a staging area for everything that's going. Don't bother wrapping gifts, because they'll get unwrapped at security. Even better, mail presents so they're at your destination when you arrive. Pack your master list so you don't forget anything on the way home, then store it in your luggage for the next trip.
6. Scheduling without stress
Pull out your calendar now and pencil in all nonholiday events. Block off shopping and preparation days, then fill in the fun stuff you want to do. Leave a few evenings or weekend days open so you can relax. Accept invitations as they suit your schedule.
7. Clearing clutter before guests arrive
Prepare in advance, but only worry about areas that guests will see. For example, clear just enough space in the front hall closet for company's coats. Scoop up anything left around and place it on your bed. If you put it in a bag in a closet, you'll forget about it; if you put it on your bed, you'll have to deal with it (or sleep somewhere else) that night. Don't underestimate the power of clever disguises—a floor-length tablecloth or bottomless gift-wrapped box can hide a myriad of clutter sins.
8. Timing meals to perfection
It's all in the planning. Create a timeline based on when you want the meal served, then work backward. If the meal is to be ready at 2pm and bread takes 10 minutes to warm, then write "1:50, bread in oven." Spare no detail. Right now you remember the gravy, but in the flurry of last-minute activity that once-obvious item might slip your mind. Better to have it all in writing and hanging on your fridge, cabinet or range hood.
9. Storing incoming cards and photos
Use yarn or garland as a greeting card clothesline, with cards attached by paper clip. Family portraits can go in a magnetic photo album that gets stored with decorations. This "holiday scrapbook" isn't for treasured pictures, but for shots of your real estate agent's family, it's just fine.
10. Capturing special moments on film
Leave your camera readily accessible, and be sure it's fully charged or contains fresh batteries. Put extra batteries, film and memory cards, plus charger and accessories, in your camera bag so you can grab it on your way out the door. Without thinking of already backlogged photos, start a new system for this season's pictures. If you've gone digital, pick software to organize and upload the photos so family and friends can get their own prints. If you have a traditional camera, drop off film right away and pick up pictures the next day so they don't pile up. Store photos in a box in chronological order for now. You can always perfect the sorting later. Visit the Real Organizing for Real People message board for ideas on what to do with all those pictures, paper and digital alike.
11. Undecorating with ease
The holiday's over, so it's time to store decorations, clothing and gift wrap in clearly marked containers that you can easily find next year. Store like items together so you can pull out boxes as you need them.
12. Preparing for overnight guests
Make visitors feel welcome by gathering all your sample-size toiletries and placing them in a decorative basket with a sign for guests to help themselves. Leave magazines and books on the nightstand with a note inviting guests to take them if they're not finished by the time they leave.
This holiday season, remember that the things you make time for are the things that will get done. So make a list now of things you wish you'd done last holiday season, and make sure they're among the first things you make time for this year. Here's to a holiday season filled with joy, laughter and many new memories!
