Last Minute Holiday Organizing

We're counting down the hours until Santa fills our stockings with care. But, it feels like there's so much left to do! Here are five things to do right now that will make the next 48 hours go much more smoothly!

1) Set the table. Even if you're not hosting a large crowd, or even a small one, set the table for whatever meal you'll have at home on the holiday - assuming you don't need to use the table until then. This works in homes with both kitchen and dining tables. If you'll need the table, but not the buffet or sideboard, set out what you can. Assign dishes to platters and lay them out to figure out how much room you'll need.

2) Pack your bags. For the week, night or a day trip. If you're still doing laundry and can't fill the bags yet, then make a packing list for items you can stash last minute. Otherwise, make sure you have whatever gifts you'll want to take with you, food items that are ready to go and other sundries (phone charger, camera, etc.).

3) Superficial light cleaning. Now is probably not the time for a deep clean. Start by simply putting things away like backpacks, shoes and toys. Wipe off counter tops, sweep the floor, change hand towels. Light a candle to help dissipate the scent of any cleaners. These are easy, quick things kids can even help with. It will make a great difference.

4) Make any food that you can ahead of time. Desserts and appetizers are your best bet. Certainly, some side dishes can be made a day or two early, as well. Rolls, soups and sauces are great made ahead of time, too. In fact, many recipes will say if it will keep in the fridge or theater.

5) If all else fails, stick a bow on it! No time to wrap presents? That's fine! Stick a bow on it and call it a day. Even though ripping paper off a box may be more fun, at least you won't be wasting your time and the paper when you've got bigger fish to fry.

How I Stay Organized

I recently read this great article in the Huffington Post about the habits of organized people. A colleague from Pennsylvania discussed the actions organized people take on a regular basis to keep from sliding into chaos. I thought it might be interesting to see how I measure up.

1) Goal-oriented: Every year I attend a national conference for organizers I come home with pages of notes and ideas. I take the following week to sift through those papers to make a master to-do list. This list becomes my task sheet for the entirety of the next year.

2) Optimistic: Someone else is probably a better judge of my optimism than myself. But, I'd like to think I am. I will say that I've yet to enter a project that I didn't think was doable or manageable. That seems pretty optimistic!

3) Conscientious: Absolutely! I'm entering other's spaces and their comfort is paramount. Outside of work, I think this characteristic carries through. I plan outings with friends regularly and do my best to stay in touch with those closest to me.

4) Not always open to new ideas: A hard thing to admit, but it's true. The article states, "that working in a messier office environment sparks more creative ideas than working in a more orderly space." Maybe that's why when I'm making a craft or wrapping presents or anything slightly creative I do so on the floor!

5) Decision makers: Unless it's which restaurant to eat at, yes. I can make decisions. If something is working, it's working. We can move on to what's next. There's no reason to keep assessing it.

6) Let go of perfectionism: See above. Many people think organizers are perfect - at least in keeping their space. What's perfect is subjective. When I was younger, I went so far as to keep my socks lined in a particular order in my sock drawer. Now, my socks are all tossed in a basket in the closet. It's perfect for what I need.

7) Capture, calendar, contain: So much! Invitations and events immediately go on my calendar. Notes of who to follow up with and when go on my calendar. Files are orderly and properly labeled.

8) Check in with lists: There is a perpetual list on my desk. Even though my office is digital, for whatever reason I prefer a paper to-do list. There's more satisfaction in scratching something off than deleting a line.

9) Have a do-it-now attitude: At times a fault, I have a hard time relaxing if I know there's still something left to do. It can't get much more do-it-now than that.

10) Prepare: I don't forget deadlines (see #7) or events. I plan out menus a week or so ahead of time. If I have an important event coming up, I prep my outfit the evening before. I put out my lunch bag the night before I need to pack a meal and items leaving out the door with me are set by the door the night before.

11) Ask for help: I'm working on this one! Like many of us, I have a hard time asking for assistance sometimes simply because I want to be able to do something myself. But, the busier I get or the more outside my expertise a project becomes, the easier it is for me to reach out to others.

12) Unitask: Hmmm... I'm not terrific at this! I watch a lot of TV while I work at my desk because I like the background noise. But, it does become distracting at times. Every now and then I'll also have a couple tasks going simultaneously on my desk - one of the surface and one on the screen.

13) Know their best work: Sure do! Those are sometimes the projects I post pictures of on social media or this blog. The article says this also includes knowing when you do your best work - the time of day. I know if I don't work out first thing in the morning, chances are I won't exercise that day. My energy just isn't there.

14) De-stress: Of course - I hope we all do! As I just mentioned, I try to exercise regularly. I love yoga and baking, which relax and energize me respectively. Spending time with friends and family can also be relaxing, just as vegging out on the couch can be - all of which I do frequently!

On Giving

It's the time of year when there's suddenly an influx of just about everything into your home and office. Cookies, candy, trinkets, decorations, clothes, toys, the list goes on. For many of us, it's added on top of the piles of stuff that we already don't know what to do with or don't have a place to store.

The best way I can suggest to tackle this space issue is to give. Give away and gift all that you no longer want or use. I'll go back to the essential three questions I always ask:
- Do you need it?
- Do you use it?
- Do you love it?/Does it enhance your life?

If an item hasn't passed all three of these questions, it's time to let it go.

During the holidays, we are also reminded of those who have less than we do. It's the perfect time to give what we no longer want to those who are in need. Here are some great resources to get you started on your way to a more organized home and knowing your items are now being used by someone who loves them!

- La Casa Norte: Serving youth and families confronting homelessness

- Cornerstone Community Outreach: Finding shelter and homes for those at the most risk of being excluded from necessary services

- The Epilepsy Foundation: Offering counsel, advocacy and education for those with epilepsy and their families

- Howard Brown: Eliminating the disparities in health services for the LGBTQ community

- Open Books: Providing literacy experiences for thousands of readers

To find a resource near you, you can also visit Donation Town.

Gift Wrap Galore

It's right about this time of year that many people start to wrap a large amount of gifts. Wrapping gifts seems like an easy enough task, but really there's a lot of things that can come along with it: paper, tissue, bags, bows, ribbons, scissors, tape, tags, pens. And, that's just the supplies that most of us use. I don't even know what else is involved in making gifts look like they were in a Martha Stewart catalog. A lot more, I'm guessing.

There are just as many options on how to store gift wrap. It depends on how much you have and what kind of space you're storing it in. Studio apartment or 5 bedroom mansion or anything in between? The storage space you have available will be much different. Here are my most preferred three ways to store gift wrap:

1) Upright: This comes in a variety of solutions, but usually the most doable for most people and spaces. This can be a container specifically made for storing wrapping paper tubes, tissues and bows. It can be a couple unused trash cans, tall and narrow enough to hold a variety of tubes. Or, it can be a handful of those large 5 gallon popcorn tubs that you emptied out after Thanksgiving this year. These narrow, taller options are great for wrapping paper to stand upright in, as well as stashing tissue and bows. For bags, I tend to line them up like papers in a file in another bin or box, or even all inside the largest bag.

2) Hanging: There are a variety of hanging bag solutions to store just about anything these days. Some are specifically made for gift wrap. I like the kind that has specific pockets for tubes, flat tissue, bags and tools like scissors. It makes it that much easier to figure out where to keep everything. For both good and bad, it also limits the amount you can keep at any given time. 

3) In a Flat Bin: These are great for under beds, stacked in closets or under stairs. Really, anywhere that's longer than it is tall. Flat under-bed style bins come in variety of lengths now, some with trays inside for bows and the like. I prefer the hard plastic, opposed to soft plastic bags for storage, simply because they're easier to slide and stack.

Site design by Ryan G. Wilson Amy Trager, © 2006-2015