5 Organizational Tips for Being Holiday-Ready
Make a list… and check it twice.
Whether you’re a list maker or someone who flies by the seat of their pants, having a way to keep track of your to-dos is helpful and an easy way to keep things from falling through the cracks. There are a lot of moving parts to keep track of and it can easily become stressful rather than joyful, which is what the holidays are all about! If you’re cooking for the holidays, getting gifts for friends and loved ones, or simply getting ready for the New Year, enlist in a piece of paper, the notes app or whatever works best for you and create a list of things you want to get done.
A few ideas:
Ingredients needed for what you’re cooking
Gifts you’re getting friends and loved ones
Seating charts
Holiday to-do list
Create a game plan.
As an extension of the above, it’s time to put it all into action. Nothing is worse than returning from the grocery store only to realize you forgot a key ingredient to your recipe. By having your ducks in a row, you save time, frustration, money etc. From now until the Holidays, work backwards and figure out when would be the best time to hit the grocery store or have dinner with that friend. This way, you can free up that mental space for other things!
Make time for self care.
The other things you’ll have time for? Self care. This should be pretty high on your to-do list, and if it’s not, it’s time for us to have a sit down chat. If you’re pouring from the proverbial empty cup, the chances of making it out of the holiday season with your sanity is low. Gone are the days where it’s okay to burn the candle at both ends. Your mental and physical health comes FIRST - no matter what. Schedule it into your calendar, write it on your to-do list, and send it to all your friends and family in an e-mail if necessary. Tell them Life in Jeneral sent you.
Create a gift wrapping station.
Speaking of sanity, no amount of coffee can negate that 2AM gift wrapping session before the kids wake up. However, a wrapping station can either inspire action or ease the process. We love this ELFA cart from The Container Store because there are many different accessories that you can add depending on your style of gift wrap. Bags and bows or wrapping and tape, there’s a drawer and an accessory for you.
Do a seasonal purge.
The holidays are a great time to do a purge for many reasons. Friends and family are coming to the house and it’s time to make space, as the holiday sales and gifts add more inventory to your home. As we’re heading into the New Year, a good rule of thumb: if it’s broken or worn out, if you have duplicates, if it doesn’t spark joy… it’s time for it to go. Who knows, you may even find a gift for your sister in the process!
Remember, the most important thing during the holiday is to spend time with your loved ones and be grateful for another year of learning and living. Happy holidays from the Life In Jeneral family to yours!