If you get organized now for a stress free Christmas, you’ll have more time to enjoy the season! Surviving the holidays through organization is how I stay on track and more at ease during the holidays. The holidays are always a busy, sometimes stressful, time of year. But there are five easy ways to manage the chaos!
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Welcome to the 5th annual 12 Days of Holiday Ideas event, hosted by Shirley of Intelligent Domestications and Erlene of My Pinterventures Between Nov. 11th and December 6th there will be hundreds of new ideas shared by over 55 Co-host bloggers!
I hope you saw our kick off post and have already entered for your chance to win some fabulous prizes. You can find lots of holiday ideas as well as all of this years talented participating DIY and Foodie Blogs. Download this years November and December calendars with all of the topics and dates so you can make plans to watch for ideas!
We are hosting a BIG GIVEAWAY from our Sponsors this year! Be sure to scroll all the way down for more information and to enter to win!
Today, you’ll find lots of fabulous ideas for survival guides for the holidays. Getting organized early is the key for me and I’m sharing 5 Ways To Get Organized Now for a Stress Free Christmas.
If you missed our first post of the event, I hope you’ll check it out by clicking below.
Get Organized Now for a Stress Free Christmas
Decide on your holiday decor
Will you be using the same decor as last season? Do you want to add some new pieces? Do you want to switch up the look entirely? Make a list of any new decor pieces that you plan on purchasing. Compare prices online for those items. Remember to use sites like Wikibuy or Shop Savvy to find discounts. You can also find wonderful holiday decor at Oriental Trading. Check your Christmas decor bins to determine what you’ll be using for this year’s decor. Sort them into boxes, bags, or bins for each room’s decor.
Make a Gift Shopping List
You know “the list” that we type in our notes on our phone or even jot down on paper? I’ve got a better way to keep your list up to date. Download the app called Santa’s Bag on your smart phone. It’s a game changer. It prompts you to set your budget, add recipients, gifts, and status of gifts. It keeps a running tally of your spending as you enter information. While you’re out shopping, just take a moment to enter the information and it becomes a handy reference and a big help as you continue your gift shopping.
Make a Grocery List and Start Stocking Up Early
Sort your list into pantry items, frozen, and refrigerated items. Begin buying nonperishable items as soon as possible. If you have room for storage in your garage or a room that’s not often used, store them there until closer to the time you’ll be needing them. Buy frozen items early if you have extra room in a freezer. The refrigerated items can be purchased closer to day you’ll need them.
Set up a Gift Wrapping Station
Purchase wrapping paper, ribbons, and cards and set up a wrapping station if you have room in your home to do so. One of our guest bedrooms becomes Christmas central during November. I use a large basket to hold wrapping paper, ribbon, and gift tags. Another basket holds tape, scissors, and a marker for writing the gift tags. Spend a few minutes each day wrapping presents. That way, you won’t feel overwhelmed as Christmas approaches. I love having as many presents as possible wrapped and ready to be placed under the tree as soon as we put it up right after Thanksgiving.
Check your tableware and guest bedrooms
If you’re going to be hosting guests for a meal or overnight stays, check your tableware and serving dishes, or purchase disposable tableware early. Amazon has great deals for disposable holiday tableware. For house guests, the bedrooms and guest baths can be thoroughly cleaned and decorated in early December to be ready for your guests. If you need new sheets for your guests beds, these are great and are very reasonably priced. All you’ll need to do is a little spot cleaning as it gets closer to time for their arrival.
I’ve been following these ideas for years and while there is never a way to be fully prepped for unexpected holiday happenings, all of these holiday organization tips help to give me lots more time to enjoy the season.
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Surviving the Holidays Through Organization
MEET OUR SPONSORS who have generously donated fabulous prizes for the Big Christmas Giveaway!
DecoArt winner will receive a prize package valued at $100!
Dixie Crystals/Imperial Sugar winner will receive a Keurig Coffee Maker valued at $100!
Oriental Trading winner will receive an OrientalTrading.com gift card valued at $200!
Cabot Cheese winner will receive a gift basket of Cabot products valued at $75!
Burlap Fabric winner will receive a prize pack of products valued at $50!
Zulay Kitchens winner will receive one Milk Frother and a Lemon Squeezer valued at $21
It’s Home To You winner will receive one wooden Santa sign valued at $65
Giveaway begins Nov. 8, 2019 and ends Dec. 6, 2019. Winners will be notified by December 13, 2019. Sponsors will ship each prize to the winner. There will be a total of seven winners, one for each prize. Drawing is by random selection using the Rafflecopter widget.
Must be 18 to win. Open to U.S. residents only.
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Alli Smith says
These are wonderful tips! Being organized during the holidays helps tremendously and I love the idea of a wrapping station.
Beverly says
I couldn’t manage without the wrapping station! It’s such an easy way to keep things all in one place. Thanks, Alli!
Jenny says
These tips are a must. My wrapping station is a mess and I need to start cleaning that space in my basement. A wrapping station makes life so easy. I live by these 5 tips this time of the year.
Beverly says
It’s time to get organized for me, too. I haven’t set mine up yet, but it’s on my list of things to do this weekend.
Cherryl Ehlenburg says
These tips are great! I love being organized for the holidays. it takes so much of the stress away!
Beverly says
Thanks, Cherryl. I enjoy the holidays so much more when I stay on track with being organized.
Marilyn Lesniak says
Thank you for sharing at #OverTheMoon. Pinned and shared. Have a lovely week. I hope to see you at next week’s party too! Happy Holiday!