How to Get Organized for the Holidays

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Step 1

Use lists

Create comprehensive lists that can be used from year to year. This includes all Christmas recipes and a comprehensive shopping list of recipe ingredients. Your list of tasks including due dates for when they should be completed such as who will need Christmas gifts mailed and the date when they will need to be mailed. Christmas decorations that you use for each room and outside the house.
Step 2

Automate your work

Move your mailing list for Christmas cards into the computer. Go to the office supply store and purchase labels then use the formatting that comes in the box to create an automated mailing list. Even if you want the look of hand written envelopes you should automate anyway. Print on regular paper (not labels) and use the list as a place to check off who you received cards from. Use the list as a place to jot down any address changes and then make the changes in your document after the season is over. Also, you never know what will be going on in your life next year. Having an automated back-up may mean the difference between slapping on labels or having to skip Christmas cards all together if you are dealing with a health or other type of crisis.

Make a comprehensive shopping list of individuals for whom you will be buying Christmas Gifts and all year long add preferences.

Make a comprehensive grocery shopping list. Split the list into two sections, perishables that will need to be purchased the week before Thanksgiving, Christmas or New Years and non-perishables that you can start buying in early November when all of the holiday baking supplies go on sale, the shelves are well stocked and the lines are still short at the check out.
Always remember to back up.
Step 3

Store Christmas Decorations in organized boxes.

When putting away your Christmas supplies after the Holidays this year, extra attention will make things smoother and cleaner next year.

Group your Christmas supplies based on when you will need them. For example, you will need Christmas cards, christmas music CD's and the Advent Calendar at the end of November. Put these in a box together, mark the box as "Use this one 1st" of "1st Box - End of November". About a week later you will want candles and table runners and lights for window sills, box these together and mark the box as "2nd Box - First week of December". Put all of your tree supplies and christmas tree ornaments in another box and mark that based on when you usually put up your tree. Put all of your baking supplies in another box and mark that accordingly.

When organized in this manner you are able to pull out a box, use the content then put it back away. No more open boxes with half their contents spilling out as part of your Christmas decor.

When you store your boxes, store then in reverse order so that they one needed last is at the bottom of the stack and the one needed first is easiest to get to.
Step 4

Calendar meetings

Coordinate a master calendar with weekly calendar meetings with the family to make sure things are getting down on time, all holiday party invitations have received an RSVP and everyone is coordinated for transportation, hostess gifts and clothes to wear to parties.
Step 5

Try to do as much as you can early.

Shop for non perishable items as soon as they go on sale. Use back to school sales in September to buy Christmas gifts of cool bedroom decor and cool stocking stuffers of pencils and pens. Bake extra of anything that can be frozen at Thanksgiving, it will only be in the freezer for a month. That includes pumpkin pies that freeze nicely!
Step 6

Schedule time to do the extra work.

If you can afford it, take a vacation day early in December. Go to the malls when everyone else is at work. Bake all day when you have the house free. Get all of your Christmas cards done in one day. Investing a little time up front can cut the stress later.