Learn

Clearing the Holiday Clutter

image By Professional Organizer Lea Schneider

ALSO- Check out my advice published at This Old House in 12 Smart Ways to Store Holiday Decorations - This Old House

 Did you spend from Thanksgiving to Christmas scurrying around and muttering to yourself things like: How many Christmas cards did I send last year? Why are these lights so tangled? Where did I put Mom’s recipes? Can I give my mother-in-law a nightgown or did I do that last year?

It is possible to be more organized and still enjoy the holidays. You just have to think ahead! This year, you can make a big step toward future Christmas calm and organization. Start a Christmas file, box, notebook or drawer. Start a something- anything! Pick a spot and begin to accumulate your Christmas goodies.

Food: Gather up the family recipes you make only at Christmas the cheese ball, peppermint fudge, Chex Mix, decorated cookies, sage dressing and favorite Jell-O mold put them all together. A zippered plastic bag is an easy solution. Drop that bag into your Christmas file or box- or even with your decorations. You won’t need it before you decorate again. Did you do a menu and grocery list for all of those days relatives visit, for a company Christmas party, for the Christmas morning breakfast? Add that list to your file. It will be so much easier next year when you see your notes and remember what went over well and what did not. (And what was easy and what was too much trouble!)

Cards: How many cards did you send? Jot that number down and add it to your book. Next year you will know how many cards to buy. If you have any leftover cards from this year, add them to the box. If you get a chance, you might even buy some at an after-Christmas sale and add them to the box too. Never found time to send cards but wish you did? Buy some now at the after-Christmas discount. Put them in your desk. Add a note to your October calendar that says Christmas Cards. When you see that note next fall, grab the cards and put them in a tote bag in your car. Every time you have to wait for something, you will have them with you to write one or two. You’ll be done before you know it.

Gifts: Do you make a list of people you need to shop for? Note on that list what you got them. Drop it in the Christmas file or box. Make a list of anyone you give something to, such as cookies to the mailman or the neighbor. This will give you a good check list for the next year. Plus, it eliminates your niece whining about you giving her bubble bath every year? You can’t remember what you gave but they remember what they got.

Outdoor lights: This year, now that the lights are untangled, take a moment to label them. Add a piece of masking tape to the end of the light strand. Use a water-proof permanent marker and write on it directions such as Front porch. Start at left side of house. As you put the lights away, add a note to them about electrical connection. For example, make notes such as, the lights for this tree take a 16-foot cord. When storing away lights, do not put all lights in the same box. Put all the lights for one area together- say for the front porch, or the tree in the yard. If you have a big box, add a layer of newspaper between the areas in the box. There are lots of inexpensive cord holders to be found at dollar-type stores. Some of those gift shirt boxes you are about to pitch away also work well. Flatten the box lid and wrap the lights around it.

Storing Away Decor: This year, when the tree comes down, put everything for the tree in one box. The lights, the tree skirt, the garland and so on. This way you can put up a tree without dumping every box and creating a stressful mess. Place all of your food related Christmas decorations in the same box. If you have Christmas tea towels, cookies cutters, serving platters and so on, decorating and entertaining is easier if they are in boxes of just kitchen gear. That box gets carried to the kitchen and unpacked and doesn’t get mixed with everything else. Continue with this theme in putting things away in groups. Put all of your village pieces together. Put all the things you use in the living room together and so on. Gather all you bags, bows, tags and wrapping gear into one spot.

On Your Calendar: Want to be more organized for next year’s holidays? Take your calendar and make some appointments with yourself. Spread out the Christmas tasks on your calendar. Perhaps there are people you can buy gifts for earlier in the year? This is also good for the budget! Assign a gift or two for each month. By October, that is 20 gifts off your list and spaced out in your budget. Make notes on your calendar for earlier in the fall to write the Christmas letter, address envelopes, write cards, make menus, shopping lists and decide a time for indoor decorating and outdoor decorating. Next year, you will just grin when the holidays arrive and part of the stress has been removed.