How To Stay Organized During The Holidays

If you want to have a less stressful holiday season you really need to stay organized during the holidays. It will make things a lot easier and you will be able to get the most important tasks done and ready for the big day.

There are so many different things to do you need a plan on the different ways to get organized at home. With the different tasks that need doing, having a plan for everyone to help will make the time you have together as a family a lot easier.

We are going to go over the key points that will help to get everything done with a plan and with the help of others, you are even going to plan some self-care time in this as you are important too.

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Create A Holiday Planning Checklist

Have a list of all the things that need to be done before Christmas. Write everything down and get it out of your head. You want to have all those tasks that need doing written down so you can go through them and cross them off as they get completed.

However, we are going to have to go through this list with a realistic frame of mind and cross off those tasks that just aren’t going to get done.

You have a set amount of hours in the day, you can’t do everything, there are limits and you have to consider what you are keeping on your list and what needs to go.

Setting Realistic Goals And Priorities

You have to think about the time you have and work out what are actual priorities and what tasks could be done after the holidays.

Some ideas that could be done later:

1. Cleaning the oven
2. Any decorating, it’s really not the time to re-do a room
3. Yard work, you could leave this until after the holidays

If you are short on time then crossing off tasks that don’t need to be done is OK. You don’t need to clean your oven before the holidays as you are going to be using it to cook meals. It will get dirty, plan the cleaning of your oven for a time when you have fewer tasks to do.

Master Your Holiday Calendar

Writing things down and getting everything straight that you need to do is going to make it a lot easier. Having a command center where you keep all the information for all the parties and activities that you need to attend in one place so you don’t forget something.

Think about the time you need to travel to an event, who is available to pick up children from their different parties, and what activities they need to do.

It doesn’t matter if you choose a paper or electronic planner; it has to meet your family’s needs so you all know what is happening and when.

Check out this article for more tips on holiday planning: 10 Simple And Easy Steps That Will Organize Your Holiday Planning!

Declutter Before The Festivities Begin

If you can, include a decluttering session before the festivities begin. Getting rid of toys before Father Christmas visits is a great incentive for children to let go of things they no longer play with or need.

Not only does it free up space but you have the opportunity to sell or give away these toys to someone who might not be able to afford to buy new.

Check out this article with 15 different things to declutter before the holidays start.

Streamline Gift Shopping And Wrapping

Shopping is a lot easier with the ability to order and have it delivered. Going through the process of shopping is a lot less stressful this way.

It means you don’t even need to go anywhere, saving you money and the stress of shopping when there are loads of people getting in the way.

Don’t leave your gift wrapping to the last minute and try to do it all in one sitting. This is a disaster waiting to happen. The first few gifts will look pretty and lovely and then you will start to become bored and the gift wrapping will suffer.

Try to do it in batches of about 5 to 10. This will reduce the time you have to spend wrapping in one go and it makes it so much easier on your back and your boredom levels.

Plan Your Holiday Meals And Baking

Making sure you have enough food for everyone is key to a happy family. Creating a meal plan of the food you plan on having is a great start. Unsure about meal planning, I have the perfect meal-planning tips article for you.

You then have to turn this plan into a working document that outlines all the steps required to make sure everything is done. Using a meal planner can help with working it all out.

So first you need your menu, planning all the food that you intend to have available.

Next, you need to create a shopping list of all the food that you are going to need to buy.

The final step is creating a plan on when and how you are going to cook and serve the food.

Organize Holiday Travel In Advance

If you are planning on traveling this holiday season you really need to ensure that you have the map planned out and accommodation booked if you are staying overnight.

It’s better if you book this in advance, it makes it easier to get rooms as closer to the holiday season most places are fully booked.

Delegate Tasks And Share Responsibilities

This whole process of getting ready for the holiday season isn’t the responsibility of just one person. It should be something everyone helps with and it’s important to delegate tasks if eager volunteers don’t offer their services.

This makes it so much less stressful for the one person who normally does all the tasks.

Read how to introduce home management to young adults, it will give you tips to delegate tasks in your home.

Use Technology To Stay On Track

To keep everything under control, you might need to use technology to keep everyone on the same page. It can be as simple as an image of the chores someone needs to do.

Have you tried a digital home management binder?

It can help to keep everyone working towards the same goal of having an amazing holiday season.

You can use my home management binder in many apps as it’s a PDF.

Take Time For Self-Care Amid The Hustle

What you mustn’t forget is to set some time for yourself. You have to take care of yourself if you want to feel good this holiday season. You can’t look after a single other person if you aren’t taking care of yourself first.

So, How To Stay Organized During The Holidays

You need to have a plan, one that is realistic and you as a family can follow. Don’t try and schedule too much in and make sure you have fun along the way too.

More Resources For Staying Organized

There are so many things we need to do don’t let them get you down. Check out these other resources to see if there is something else I can help you with.

• How To Stay Organized At Home When You Feel Overwhelmed
• How To Use A Planner To Stay Organized And On Time
• 5 Tips To Help You Stay Organized
• Simple Tips And Ideas On How To Get Organized At Home