House & Home

Tips for reducing holiday stress
Take inventory of holiday supplies
Make a to-do list and check it twice

Deck – and Declutter – the Halls

A Little Organization Goes a Long Way in Reducing Holiday Stress

Photo by Brian McCord

As the holiday season approaches, the words of a well-loved carol come to mind: “It’s the most wonderful time of the year.”

But for many, it’s also the most stressful time of year. If the holiday scene at your house looks more like a three-ring circus than a well-planned gathering of family and friends, take heart.

Now’s the time to get organized so when the holidays arrive you can spend more time enjoying and less time scrambling.

Here are some ways to get started:

• Write down things you wish you had done last year – they may include getting the tree up earlier, having a holiday open house, baking goodies for friends or spending less money on gifts.

• Make a to-do list and check it twice. In fact, you may want to make several lists – gift ideas, meal planning, holiday cards, events you plan to attend – and keep them all in a three-ring binder. You can also use the
binder to keep track of recipes and receipts.

• Make a budget. Decide how much you want to spend on gifts, food and holiday entertainment, and stick to it. If you tend to overspend, put cash in envelopes labeled for each purpose. When the cash runs out, you’ll know you’ve reached your limit.

• Take inventory of your holiday supplies. Dig into closets and reach into the backs of your highest kitchen
cabinets. Don’t buy new holiday dishes, tablecloths and decorations until you know what you already have.

• Save space and money by making items do double duty. A red tablecloth, for example, can be used for Christmas and again at Valentine’s Day. Similarly, you don’t need to buy a turkey-themed tablecloth for Thanksgiving when you already have an orange one from Halloween.

• Get the kitchen under control. Since that’s the place people tend to gather, make it clutter-free and easy for everyone to navigate.

• Avoid the shopping rush. Buy gifts early and consider shopping online to save time. Create a gift area in your home in a closet or on a shelf. Put sticky notes on presents so you will remember who they’re for.

• Keep wrapping paper, bows, gift bags, ribbons, gift boxes, scissors and tape in a gift-wrapping caddy or plastic bin. Wrap as you shop so you don’t have to do it all at the same time.

• Set timetables for things you want to get done. Set a date for mailing out holiday cards.

• After the holidays, place decorations, gift-wrap and other items in clearly marked boxes or containers so you can find them easily next year. Give away holiday stuff you didn’t use to save space and to avoid having to sort through all the clutter next year.

Story By Jessica Mozo

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