It’s the most wonderful time of the year… but it can also be the most stressful. This holiday season, take the stress off by taking a few moments to organize, plan, and prepare, so that you can spend more time enjoying time with your loved ones this Christmas season. Here are 5 easy ways you can stay organized this Christmas.
1) Create Your Lists The most effective way to stay organized this holiday season is by creating separate lists for things like your holiday budget for friends, family, co-workers, etc., shopping list for gifts and groceries, recipe ideas, and mailing list for your Christmas cards. You can even disperse these lists amongst your family to get the tasks done quicker. For example, someone can oversee the grocery list for holiday meals, while someone else can make sure the Christmas cards are mailed on time.
TIP: When making your shopping list, think of the most efficient route to the locations you need to stop at, so you don’t have to drive back and forth between stores. Save time and money because gas is pricey!
RELATED POST: 6 Reasons Why You Need to Use a To-Do List
2) Inventory Check Before you finalize your lists, take a look around the house and see what items you already have and what you can reuse. Double check the pantry to prevent buying extra items you don’t need for your holiday recipes or go through your crafts and see if there are any Christmas cards, ribbons, or gift bags you can reuse this year. The last thing anyone needs during the holidays is to bring in extra clutter. Doing an inventory check not only saves money but encourages us to reuse what we can.
3) Practical Last-Minute Gifts The holidays can be unpredictable, which is why it’s a great idea to have a few practical last-minute gifts handy. This can be as simple as picking up a few extra boxes of chocolates/cookies at the grocery store, or a $5 gift card from a local coffee shop so your guest can enjoy a cup of hot chocolate or coffee. Having these extra gifts around ensures you won’t have to do any last-minute shopping during the holidays.
TIP: Rather than buying gift bags this year, consider using reusable grocery or tote bags. It’s an eco-friendly choice that the recipient can use for many years to come!
RELATED POST: 4 Sustainable Gift Wrap Alternatives for the Holidays
4) Clean as You Go The clutter that accumulates during the holidays and afterwards can be overwhelming, which is why it’s a great idea to clean as you go. Simple steps such as putting wrapping paper, greeting cards, and craft supplies back in storage when you’re done with them makes a huge difference. In the event you need them again, you know exactly where to find them. For extra clutter sitting around, consider creating piles for trash, recycling, and donation. This makes clean up a breeze by the time the holidays are over.
RELATED POST: 10 Quick and Easy Ways to Declutter
5) Storage System I highly recommend having a storage system in place for your Christmas supplies and decorations. Not only is it helpful during the holidays, but your future self will thank you! By this time next year, you won’t have to worry about untangling Christmas lights, going through mismatched ornaments, and spending your time looking for a specific piece of décor because it was poorly stored the year before. It’s amazing what a few storage bins and labels will do!
TIP: Keep your holiday cards, envelopes, pens, stamps, and similar accessories together. Come next year, you’ll be able to easily locate everything you need to write and send out your greeting cards!
I hope these tips will help you stay organized this holiday season, so you can spend more time with your loved ones. Do you have any tips you’d like to share? I’d love to hear your suggestions in the comments! For more holiday posts, visit my tag here.
Great list! I love the idea of a storage system.
It makes packing and unpacking holiday decor so much easier! Thank you for reading Isabelle!
Thanks for this. I feel seriously behind with Christmas this year!
I’m glad this was helpful Nikki! Good luck with your holiday tasks. Thank you for reading!
these are really great reminders to stay organized this holiday season! i love the concept of cleaning as you go because i swear i’ll be wrapping gifts & next thing i know – there’s supplies & paper everywhere! LOL
Hahaha it’s so easy to get carried away and I’ve been there too! Thank you for reading!
These are some great suggestions. I am such a list person and I have the list of lists I need to make for December ready for the new year. Clean as you go is definitely one I have been practising this week, it makes things so much easier. My tip would be to try and avoid emotional buying as that causes unnecessary expenses. Thank you for sharing.
Lauren
Great advice Lauren! That’s such an important reminder for saving money and minimizing clutter. Thank you for reading!
These are great tips! I have learned the clean as you go tip after many years of having a big mess at the end of the day.
Thank you Wendy! It’s such a great habit to practice daily. Thank you for reading!
These are really helpful tips! It’s so easy to get stressed at this time of the year but staying organized is one way to diminish it. Thanks for sharing.
Staying organized and on top of things truly makes the holidays much more enjoyable! Thank you for reading Jodie!
These are great ideas to avoid being overwhelmed during the holiday season.
I’m glad you agree! Thank you for reading!
Love these ideas, I have just a few friends left on my Christmas present list! I love to keep spare gifts too 🙂
That’s great to hear! I’m almost finished too. Thank you for reading Caroline!
I love this post! I like to stay organised for Christmas, making lists really helps me to stay organised when it comes to buying presents! x
Lucy | http://www.lucymary.co.uk
Same! Lists are so helpful, especially around the holidays. Thank you for reading Lucy!
Great ideas, I always like to check the inventory to make sure that we don’t buy the same thing twice. Thank you for these lovely tips!
My pleasure! Thank you for reading Fransic!
These are all great ideas. We’ve started our Christmas list and shopping and staying organized helps us feel less stressed.
That’s great you’ve already started your list and shopping! Staying organized makes a huge difference. Thank you for reading!
Ooh I love this post! I think it’s so important to stay organised at Christmas time- it can get super busy. I am going to order all my presents this week I think so that I’m ready for them to arrive. I’m lucky that my parents make my Christmas dinner for me, but there’s always something to do at this time of year. Thanks for sharing your tips xx
That’s a great idea. It’s always nice when we don’t have to worry about making Christmas dinner! Thank you for reading Eleanor!
Love this post! All such fab ideas – I think it’s SO important to try and stay as organized as possible this time of year as it’ll cut out so much stress!
Absolutely! Time flies and it’s always a good idea to stay on top of things. Thank you for reading Jenny!