Staying Organized During the Holidays

This is a crazy time of year for most people. I have a relatively small family but every time slot of December is consumed with events. Between work parties, family gatherings, Christmas eve/day events and New Years plans, if you don’t stay organized it will be easy to get stressed out! I learned years ago that starting early with my organizing is what helps keep me calm.

Get a Calendar

I have a large central calendar on my fridge where I write out everything. No detail is too small. It is in a visible spot where I frequently look at it. I used to hide it in the cupboard but it wasn’t working for me. I got over the fact that it looked messy on the fridge and put it up! As soon as an event is planned write it out, even if it conflicts with something else, still write it down so you don’t forget. This is where you’ll have decisions to make. If you child’s Christmas concert is the same night as your staff party, something will have to give but this way you’re reminded what you have to RSVP to.

Write reminders on the calendar too since you’re likely to forget. We’re responsible for making the dinner rolls for our family dinner. I have a note written on the 23rd to remember the rolls giving me two days to find time to buy or make them.

Declutter

This is something I start in October/November. Around the same time I take out/put away the Halloween decorations is when I casually declutter certain areas of the home that accumulate over the year.  Our crawl space, where most of our storage is, has a tendency to have stuff shoved in it throughout the year. One evening in November I reorganize it so everything is accessible and I can easily get the Christmas stuff in and out without making a huge mess. In the month of November I also make a point of organizing the closets and ”junk drawer” in our house. Christmas is so busy for us that I need to make sure I know where everything is so no time is wasted. My friend couldn’t find her (fake) Christmas tree this year so went and bought a new one. How do you lose a seven-foot tree? She found it when putting the new one away, imagine.

I also anticipate certain things like needing space to make room for gifts I know the little one will receive. Just today I cleaned out her closet and cleaned her room, getting rid of toys and clothes she doesn’t play with or fit into. Decluttering is also a great way to give back by donating unused things to charitable organizations or to sell unwanted items and fund your Holiday budget!

Clean!

The weeks leading up to Christmas I make sure the house has at least one good deep clean. Spending one day to make sure the house is nice and clean is much easier to maintain with frequent tidying than constantly trying to get one room done. If you have little kids I know this is hard. Get a babysitter for a day, or at least a few hours to dedicate to getting things cleaned and put away. Someone told me trying to put laundry away with a toddler running around is like blowing a fan onto a desk full of papers, and I could not agree more.Cleaning with kids is one step forward and at least four steps back. Send young kids away for the day when you clean and if they’re older have them help out.

The holidays are fun, family filled time. Stay organized so you can enjoy it all!

What do you do to stay organized?

Catherine

Catherine is a first time momma to a rambunctious toddler. When she isn’t soaking up all that motherhood has to offer, you can find her blogging over at Plunged in Debt where she chronicles her and her husbands journey out of debt. You can also follow her on Twitter.