Organize + Energize: Plan & Prepare This Holiday Season
Kristin MacRae, GoLocalProv Organizing Expert
Organize + Energize: Plan & Prepare This Holiday Season
Think about everything you have to do and how you may be able to streamline the process, whether it’s making to-do lists, planning and preparing, or just getting organized.
Here are 6 ways you can alleviate some stress.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTIt’s ok to say no. Are too many invites, holiday parties or gatherings stressing you out? Do you feel like you’ll offend somebody if you don’t attend? Choose the ones that take priority, respond and go and have a great time. Don’t feel that you have to go to every event. This also applies to shopping trips, lunch dates, etc.
Pick up gifts cards now. Do you wait last minute to pick up gift cards because it’s an easy gift to purchase? Don’t wait for the last minute to fight with traffic. If you know which gift cards you need to purchase, make a list and pick them up now. It’s one less errand you will have to run as it gets closer to the holiday.
Simplify yearly rituals. Do you host a party, cookie swap or decorate the same every year? There can always be a simpler way to do something. Make your life easier and streamline the process.
Address holiday cards now. You may have to save this one process for next year. People laugh at me when I tell them my cards were signed and addressed in October. Sign, address and put an elastic around them with a sticky note dated when you need to send.
Don’t save anything until the last minute. If you know you have a ton of things to do around the holidays, why are you waiting until the last minute? Sit down one evening, make your list and then tackle it.
Keep track of purchases to stay on budget. Trying to think of everything you have purchased and how much you have spent? Write it all down. Remember, mental clutter causes stress. Release the mental clutter.
It seems as the holidays get closer, the busier and crazier people get! Do you make things more complicated than they need to be? Make a plan to simplify and streamline your process. If you feel you just can’t do that this year, make a plan to get on track next year!
10 Minute Organizing Projects
Spices
As you take all of the spices out of the cabinet, check for expiration dates and smell for potency. Categorize and itemize your spices to how you utilize them. Contain them in a spice rack that fits the space where they are kept. Don’t purchase a spice rack until you are finished organizing. You want to measure the space and make sure the rack fits and holds all of your spices. There are a variety of spice racks out there. Choose the one that best suits what you need it to hold.
Makeup
How many items do you touch in the morning to find what you need? You want to be as efficient as possible in the morning and having your makeup organized will be a big time saver. Do you have difficulty deciding what to keep or toss? When is it time to throw away makeup? Aline Sarkis, a Providence, RI-based makeup artist, states lipstick can be used for 2 years or until it starts to smell like a crayon. Mascara is good for 2-3 months. Eye shadow is good for 2 years and foundation is good for 1-2 years. Aline also states that some makeup and skincare will be marked with an expiration date of 6-12 months. Begin counting once you start using the product
Women: Purse
Depending on the size of your purse, and what you keep in your purse, this may take you a little longer than 10 minutes. Empty the entire contents of the purse on a table. Declutter, categorize, and itemize the contents. Break this process down and take it one category at a time. Develop a system going forward so the inside of your purse doesn’t look like a cyclone hit it. Contain receipts, gift cards, money, and makeup.
Men: Wallet
It’s time to empty all of the receipts out of your wallet. Do you also store receipts and random items in your car? While you are tackling this project, head over to your vehicle and declutter the center console and glove compartment.
Underwear drawer
If you aren’t using drawer organizers, you should start now. They are very inexpensive and will maximize the space in the drawer. How many of you wear the same item over and over again? With drawer organizers in place, you will be able to see everything you own and can categorize and itemize. Nothing will ever get pushed to the bottom of the drawer again.
Under the bathroom sink
If you haven’t taken everything out of this area in awhile, you may find some scary items under the sink. Empty the contents, itemize, and categorize. Throw away anything that you can’t recognize. Contain items in containers that fit the space like a puzzle. Once again, utilizing containers will maximize the space and allow you to store more items. Develop a simple system where you can locate items and locate them quickly.
Pets
Ninety percent of my clients have a pet. It’s time to organize their belongings. Medicine, leashes, bandanas, clothes, dishes, food, etc. Take this time to also organize any paper work related to your pet. Set up a filing system for your pet. Keep their medical records, rabies and vaccination information categorized in these files.
Junk drawer
Nobody says you can’t have a junk drawer. Junk drawers can be organized. You just have to think about if you need everything in this drawer and if there is a better place to store the items. Remember, store like items together. If you have tools in the junk drawer, maybe you should keep them with the tools in the basement.
Office supply drawer
So many people have office supply drawers that are out of control. Money is wasted on purchasing duplicate office supplies. It’s very difficult to figure out what you need to purchase if items are scattered all over the office and are disorganized.
Top of your office desk
If you can’t see the top of your desk, take this time to focus on this area and categorize and itemize what is there. Do you have a working filing system in place? If so, once your desk is cleared, make a habit of filing once a day or a couple of times a week. If your system isn’t working for you, it may be time for you to re-evaluate your system and make it work for the way you function.
