Tag: christmas

Organize Your Holiday Gift-Giving

Posted on by Jordank

With less than two weeks left until Christmas, many people are starting to feel the stress of the holidays — especially if they still have gifts to buy. It was relatively easy to shop until this point in the season, but the pressure is now on to find, buy, wrap and give those special gifts for everyone on your list.

If you like to shop online (and who doesn’t?), you must allow time for whatever it is to travel from the warehouse to your door in time for you to get it under the tree. This year, Free Shipping Day — the day many retailers offer to ship purchases free of charge with the guarantee they will arrive in time for the holiday — is Friday, Dec. 15. After that date, shoppers will need to pay expedited shipping fees or brave the crowds in stores to get their gifts in time.

The organized giver, however, has a list of people for whom they will be buying. If you make such a list ahead of time and stick to it, says Step-by-Step Declutter, you can avoid overspending and slash the stress of shopping. Use a spreadsheet to track recipients, gift ideas, spending and progress, but don’t feel you have to buy for everyone. Sometimes, a thoughtful card will show you care without adding to the clutter.

Several apps can help you manage your holiday shopping. Santa’s Bag can track your shopping list and spending on the iPhone, while Christmas Gift List can do the same on the Android OS. Stuck for ideas? Invite the giftees on your list — especially the kids — to make their wants known with an Amazon Wish List, which functions like a bridal gift registry for any occasion throughout the year.

If you go shopping during the last two weeks of the season, get creative by going beyond the strip mall. Thrift stores — many supplied by generous donations to ClothingDonations.org — are a great place to find unique, vintage items at low prices. Or you can give a home-cooked meal, baked goods, fruit or flowers instead of something that just adds to the clutter, Cambria Mortgage’s gift guide suggests.

You can share your knack for decluttering and still score a gifting “win” by giving the people on your list an experience instead of a thing, says the Our Streamlined Life blog. Give an Airbnb gift card to inspire adventures for those who like to travel frequently, or sponsor an evening class to encourage someone on your list to build a skill that will last a lifetime.

Some people will want things, of course, and once you buy them, you can keep the household clutter in check by establishing a gift-wrapping station. Better still, keep those rolls of paper, tape and ribbons in a single storage bin that you can pull out and put away quickly for every wrapping session.

An organized gift-giver is a confident, successful and stress-free gift-giver. And who knows? Maybe your penchant for organization will spread, and the gifts you get will be great, too. Happy Holidays!

Start Prepping for the Holidays Now

Posted on by Jordank

There’s no time like the present to begin preparations for the holidays. With incredibly busy schedules and so many things to make and do before Thanksgiving and Christmas, things can get hectic fast. So, take a cue from the advertisers and start the season now! Not only will you ensure a happy holiday season, you’ll do it with less stress.

Preparation is key. Make lists of the people you plan to buy for, and any ideas you might have for gifts. Unpack those holiday decorations and replace the burnt-out bulbs and dog-eared decorations. If you want to do any DIY decoration projects, bake cookies or make homemade gifts, now’s the time to start.

If money is an issue (and when isn’t it?), make a budget for the holidays to avoid cost overruns and credit-card debt. You don’t want to be paying for holiday 2017 well into the 2020s! Start price-shopping for major gifts, staple food items that keep well in the freezer or pantry, greeting cards and more. If you see a great deal, snap it up — and check that item off your list.

It’s still early enough in the season to get great deals on decorations, candles, sweaters and other festive holiday essentials at the local thrift store — many of which are supplied by generous donations to ClothingDonations.org. When you donate your secondhand goods or shop, the proceeds help fund veterans’ programs nationwide.

Popular Mechanics advises to check appliances that will see heavy use during the holidays, such as the refrigerator, vacuum cleaner and dishwasher. Also be sure to sharpen your knives before carving the turkey, stock up on firewood and take safety precautions to make your home warm and inviting, the story says.

If you plan on hosting a party, get the invitations out early, says The Family Room. Make a list of the things you want to serve and assign tasks to the fellow hosts under your roof. Also, be clear about what kind of party it is and what’s expected of guests: Is it a potluck? Gift exchange? Cocktail or dinner party? Are plus-ones, kids and pets invited?

Most importantly, don’t overschedule, says the HuffPost blog. You’ll only wear yourself out and risk getting sick in the critical pre-holiday moments, or look back to discover that the holidays brought you more hassles than happiness.

“Schedule ‘You’ days to relax and regain energy,” the blog says. “Make appointments with yourself for personal time, workouts or going for a walk; napping, reading, [a] bubble bath or a pedicure. Because you, too, want to be at your best during the holidays and enjoy the festivities, instead of sitting exhausted and grumpy at the dinner table.”

Get Organized Before Santa Arrives

Posted on by Jordank

Christmas is now only a few days away, and whether you’re responsible for cooking, giving, hosting, entertaining or all of the above, you probably still have a lot of chores to do. You want your holiday to go off without a hitch, and there’s not much time left to make sure everything is “just so.”

You’ve cleaned and decluttered the house, and maybe even donated some of your unused clothing and other stuff to ClothingDonations.org. You’ve decorated the tree and lit the lights. You’ve sent the holiday cards and party invites. You’ve even decided what you’ll serve at the holiday feast, but you still may feel a little bit frazzled by the final countdown.

Get Packing

The final week of the holiday season has any number of deadlines to observe. Dec. 21 is the last day to drop Priority Mail packages off at the post office so that they might arrive by Christmas; Amazon Prime subscribers have an extra day to shop and take advantage of free two-day shipping. Wait, and you’ll pay a premium to get your packages in time for the weekend.

Three days ahead, Real Simple advises in its comprehensive holiday checklist, those hosting a holiday dinner can buy any fresh ingredients needed and set the holiday table. Two days out, you can start cooking. Many dishes actually improve in the refrigerator overnight, and making them ahead of time will cut the stress on the crucial day-of.

On the final day before the holiday, charge up any camcorders or cameras you’ll use to record the good cheer, and buy extra batteries for all the little gadgets people are going to unwrap. Polish off your cooking preparations, and create a timeline for whatever has to go in the oven on the feast day itself.

Do any last-minute gift-wrapping that needs to be done, and give the house a quick once-over for the weekend ahead. And finally, take the time to do whatever it is you like to do to relax before the big day.

You may not be able to do everything on your list, but you can do enough to make the holiday a success if you start now. As Clean & Scentsible blogger Jenn Lifford says, “Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good.” Things can (and will) go wrong, but you can leave less to chance by getting organized.

Have a Happy & Healthy Holiday!

‘Tis the Season to Decorate Your Home!

Posted on by Jordank

We know it seems a bit early to think about Christmas decorations—it’s still October, after all—but many department stores already have their Christmas displays set up. Still, this post applies to all holiday decorations, from Jack-o-Lanterns, to decorative turkeys, to other winter holiday decorations. Often times, while we’re decorating, we realize we don’t always like the decorations we have. Maybe you really liked them when you bought the decorations a few years ago, but now your decorating taste and style has changed.

You’re left with boxes full of old pieces, so you decide to put them up anyway. The more the merrier, right? That phrase might work for some things, but the more decorations you have in your home (especially if they clash!) the more cluttered your house starts to feel. Before you know it, you’re swimming in little snowmen and Santa figurines or decorative pumpkins and witches for Halloween.

Having these excess holiday decorations lying around can make it difficult to move through your home or find things that you’re looking for. Instead of putting all decorations out, consider rotating decorations every year. This way, certain pieces aren’t left collecting dust year after year, and you also won’t overwhelm yourself, your family, and your guests with every single decoration you own.

Some decorations are too sentimental for us to not put out, such as children’s holiday art. Have a designated bulletin board in your kitchen where you can proudly display them. Keeping the art in one spot will feel more organized, and less cluttered. Some decorations, though, just no longer meet your needs. When this realization comes to you, don’t stress out. Simply put these items in a box marked with the word “donation.” Then, visit our website and schedule a donation pickup time. We’ll swing by and pick up your decorations so that someone else can make their home festive for the holidays!