If you’re racking your brain for ways to stay stress-free for the holidays this season, you should really consider getting your ducks in a row early in the game. Getting organized before sh*t hits the fan will help keep holiday stress at an ultimate low. Checkout these tips on how organized people get ahead of the game and stay stress-free all the way into the new year.
1. They make to-do lists.
Organizing 101… Figure out what you have to do and put it into a checklist. When you’re having to juggle a lot at once, it’s really easy to let something slip. That something will inevitably be your undoing. To avoid this, just write it down. Here are a few things you may want to include on your holiday to-do list (though of course this will vary for everyone) and always feel free to use bullet points with sub-bullet points to help get to the nitty gritty details of what needs to be done.
- Take family holiday photo
- Send holiday cards: P.S… Complete this task in minutes by choosing one of Postable’s delightful Christmas cards and Postable will mail them for you.
- Get Christmas gifts: list out each person to avoid forgetting anyone important.
- Clean the house: if you’re hosting any holiday guests, you may want to get specific with what items/rooms you want to make sure to get cleaned.
- Bake something cozy
- Decorate the house
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2. They give themselves deadlines.
A to-do list is useless without deadlines or some parameters for time. Get an idea of when each task needs to be completed by and then create a little timeline so you know what needs to be prioritized. Here’s an example of how to use dates to transform your Christmas to-do list.
November 20-28th: Buy Christmas Gifts
- John (Nike’s Black Friday Sale)
- Christine (Children’s engineering play-set from Uncommon Goods)
- Maggie’s teacher, Ms. Joanna (Gift card to Nana’s Bakery downtown)
December 1st: Mail Christmas Cards
- Use Postable to start and finish in one sitting 🙂
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3. They hold-off on big projects.
As awesome as it may sound to have new kitchen tiles in time for the holidays to show off to all your guests, starting big projects right before the holiday season isn’t the best idea. Your world is about to turn into a whirlwind of eggnog, holiday parties, and shopping; you don’t want to host people while your kitchen is in the midst of a remodel. Just wait.
4. They take inventory.
Don’t spend money on a lawn Rudolph figurine when you already have one similar stashed away in the depths of your storage closet. Take the time before the holiday rush to take note of the things you already have. You’ll also want to take note of what needs to be replaced and updated. Check those Christmas lights to make sure they work before stringing them up all over the place.
5. They make sure to do another [toy] inventory.
Go through your kids’ toys and get rid of anything they’ve outgrown in order to make room for the new gifts they’ll be receiving this year. There will be plenty of gift drives in your community so if there are any toys in good condition that your kids are no longer playing with, there will undoubtedly be children in need who would love to have them.
6. They de-clutter.
Take a gander through your home and see what items you just don’t need anymore. End the year off with extra space and room to breathe. Donate what you don’t need.
7. They’re not shy.
The holidays can be a tough time to get everything done in time, even while staying organized. So ask for help. If you’re hosting the big meal, ask your family members to contribute with certain side dishes and appetizers while you concentrate on the main event.
8. They take photos.
When you start pulling out all of your Holiday decorations, take a photo of how they’ve been assembled in their boxes so that when time comes to put them back you won’t have trouble figuring that part out.
9. They use a calendar.
Keeping a calendar of all your scheduled events well ahead of time will keep you on track. Be sure to avoid over-stuffing your events list. You’re less likely to enjoy events if you’re running around like a mad person all season long.
10. They plan to have personal time.
Be sure to schedule in some well deserved down time. Try to book something specific for these blocks in your calendar so you’re less likely to back out for something that seems more pressing at the time. Book a spa session or buy advanced afternoon movie tickets. It’s super important to keep your sanity while the holiday rush is in motion.
11. They meal prep.
You’re unlikely to have the time to whip up cookies from scratch once the holiday rush kicks in. If you pre-make your cookie dough now and freeze it, you’ll always be just a quick bake away from homemade cookies! Those unexpected holiday get togethers will be the perfect time to use these.
12. They’re prepared for on-the-go gifts.
Make a giant batch of homemade granola, buy some mason jars and the next time you find yourself needing a last minute little holiday gift you’ll be prepared.
13. They update their address book.
In the 12 months (or more) since you’ve last updated your address book, chances of there being some outdated addresses are pretty high. There’s also likely to be people missing from it that you’d like to have a mailing address. Don’t wait until things get crazy to start getting your address book up to date. This way, when you’re ready to send your holiday cards you won’t feel rushed. (pro tip: Postable’s free address book lets you collect mailing addresses and will mail your holiday cards for you.)
Collect mailing addresses for your holiday cards and easily update existing contacts’ addresses in minutes. Postable’s FREE address book does it all for you.
Uber organized folks do these things so that come time to relax and enjoy the holidays, they do just that. Relax.
