Simple Ways to Get Organized for the Holidays: A Stress-Free Guide
The holiday season is officially underway! Every year I look forward to cozy evenings, quality time with family, and festive events. What also happens every year is all of the things that come along with the holidays sneak up on me and suddenly, we’re thrown into a tailspin of planning, prepping, and stressing! Most of the stress can be avoided, or at least managed. Here are a few simple ways to get organized for the holidays.
Quick Pre-Holiday Decluttering
Decluttering is essential to keeping your home running smoothly during the holidays. But keep your decluttering session to a minimum time-wise. You’ll need to save energy and time for all of the other things you need to do!
Here’s what I recommend:
Grab a trash bag for garbage and a box for donations.
Go from room to room and grab anything you know can go.
Remind yourself that in order to make space for new items, it’s time to let go of some old ones.
It’s also important to remember to declutter as you begin getting out your holiday decorations. When you can see everything in one place, it’s easier to realize that you may have more than you need. Plus, this is the time of year donation centers will accept holiday themed items. It’s a win-win!
Organizing Holiday Decor
When it comes to organizing holiday decor, start by categorizing items into groups like lights, ornaments, wreaths, and garlands. Store each category in clear, labeled bins for easy identification, and consider using divided containers or padding for fragile items.
Take an extra few minutes to untangle and neatly wrap lights and garlands before storing them, which will save time and reduce frustration next year. To make next year’s setup a breeze, label each box by location (living room tree ornaments, outdoor lights, etc) or category (table scape, tree accessories, etc.) . Well-organized holiday decor not only simplifies your decorating, but also preserves your items so they last for seasons to come. Check out my video from last year of me organizing my holiday decor at the end of the season!
Organized Gift Giving
A major contributor to holiday stress is trying to keep everything regarding gifting in your head. Create a spreadsheet to note who’s receiving what, costs, and if the gift needs to be purchased, wrapped, or mailed (or all three!). This helps you avoid forgetting anyone or accidentally double-gifting.
It’s also helpful to set up a dedicated gift-wrapping area. Stock it with essentials like festive wrapping paper and ribbon, tape, scissors and gift tags. Keeping everything together saves time and avoids the inevitable search for missing tape or scissors right when needed. I love the Elfa Gift Wrap Cart or the Over the Door Gift Wrapping Station.
With thoughtful planning and organized systems, the holidays are joyful and less stressful. From decorating to creating a gift wrap station, these organizational strategies can help you tackle the holiday season with ease!
We were named as an expert on ApartmentGuide. Read the full article here How to Store Holiday Decorations Efficiently: Tips for Organized Storage
ApartmentGuide is a subsidiary of Redfin.com