Who doesn’t love the holidays? Well, the holidays is all about pure fun, happiness, love and sharing. But who loves the mayhem of preparations and the stress that we deal with every time we go through the holidays.
On my post below I will give you simple tips to stay organized and stress-free for the holidays
- Set aside a budget – The first thing you need to consider is your budget. You have to know what you need to prepare, the gifts you need to buy and the food you have to cook for the holidays. Your budget dictates the things you need to do for the holidays and to be stress-free and out of debt, you have to know what are the things that are really important.
- Prepare your menu ahead of time – You will have to go through Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and New Year. So to experience stress-free holidays and hassle free prep you need to create a menu. Have a list of food you want to prepare and set aside a weekend to stock on the ingredients you need for your menu.
- Make a list of who you need to shop for or what charity you want to donate – Giving gifts is just awesome and it’s a joyful feeling when you give gifts. And I bet, you don’t want to miss anyone. So to save you from embarrassment you need to have a list. Having a list of people you need to give gifts will save you time and money. Make a list of gift ideas for them, and keep it handy so you have it with you when you shop. You can also list out the charities you want to donate your time or money so you can go there and work on the stuff you need prepare for that charity.
- Set your schedule – Yes this is as much as important like your budget. Your time is important. You need to set aside a schedule to work on your shopping list, your food prep and the social commitments that you have during the holiday season. This schedule will help you prioritize the things you need to do before the festivities. Also, it saves you from over-committing yourself with parties and gatherings that may stress you out.
- Downsize cleaning and dishwashing – Washing utensils is just a drag and its not a good idea of fun. So to save you time and effort, use environmentally friendly paper plates and plastic wares. It’s efficient and easy to clean.
The holidays are a lot of fun when you get to prepare everything ahead of time. Being organized and stress-free for the holidays can be attainable as long as you work on your lists in advance and make time to prepare for the holidays.
Have fun and have a Happy Thanksgiving!
Elaine Fernando is a Professional Organizer, a member of the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO) and a member of APPO (Association of Personal Photo Organizers). Elaine may be reached at 908-630-8995 or [email protected]
