Have a Smooth Flowing Christmas Day

For as long as I can remember, there have been stories of parents staying up all night finishing up last minute details for Christmas Day.   In our home we typically attend our Christmas Eve church service, have a nice family dinner, and read Twas the Night Before Christmas to the kids.   Then we get the cookies, milk and reindeer food laid out by the fire place.  Needless to say, we are busy.  The kids are up later than we want (have you tried to put your kids to bed early on Christmas Eve?) which means the last details for You Know Whoto have come need to wait until it is truly a Silent Night!   Trying to wrap all your gifts, build toys and bikes, get things ready for breakfast the next morning, and all the other details you put into your day can really make a to-do list as long as Santa’s.

A few ways to make your Christmas filled with special memories of peace and calm instead of exhaustion and stress is to prepare as early as you can. 

1. Wrap gifts and have them labeled in advance.  I will say that I don’t do this for all the gifts because I like to use gift bags.  If I make the gifts bags in advance they don’t work into my hiding spots and will get crushed.  I will wrap the gifts from the North Pole in special paper and hide those.  The gift bags are easy to throw together at the last minute.  You will be able to put these gifts under the tree in record time.
2. Outsource when you can.  Do you have grandparent who can put the bike together ahead of time?  Do you have a neighbor who can help you store your gifts?  Do you have a babysitter looking for extra money who can wrap gifts for you?  Are others coming to breakfast or dinner?  You can ask others to help contribute to your feast with a potluck format.
3. Check to see what gifts need batteries and have the stock of batteries there when you open the gifts.  You never know what toy or electronic will need a fresh set. 
4. Have your camera and video camera ready for action.  If you still you a 35 mm camera, have plenty of film available.  If you are digital, make sure that your memory card is empty and available to fill up with fun Christmas memories.  Also, make sure your batteries are charged or that you have spare batteries available.  There is nothing worse than getting the camera out at the last minute and it won’t work.
5. Have a scissors, screw drivers (both flat and Phillip’s), and a box cutter to open packages and install the batteries.  I have found a new gadget that is so helpful in opening the plastic packages that are a struggle to open.  You know the ones that are formed around the package and are impossible to open?  The gadget is called the iSlice.  I found mine at the check out of Michael’s craft store.  You can find it at www.islice.com. 
6. Have trash bags on hand.  This will keep the mess down and have room for playing with all the new gifts.  Also, have a container to put gift bags, bows, or any other reusable wrapping for another time. 
7. Have paper and pen available to take notes on who gave you what gifts.  You will have a much easier time writing thank yous when you have the list available.  The kids can power through gifts faster than the speed of light and it is very hard to keep track of who gave what gifts. 
8. Prepare your breakfast items the day before.  Sausage and egg souffle casseroles, coffee cake, donuts and other yummy favorites are easy to make ahead and heat in the morning.  Trying to make pancakes and waffles may be more of a mess than you want amongst the other activities.  But if this is a must for your family, make the batter in advance (store it in the refrigerator) and have the pans or waffle iron laid out and ready to go.  Have the serving pieces laid out and the table set the day before to make coming to the table to eat a breeze.
9. If you are having a Christmas dinner, do the same as above and try and get as much done in advance as you can.  Rethink what you serve on Christmas.  I know many who have lasagna instead of turkey.  Just because your family did the same meal every year doesn’t mean you need to do the same.   You can create a fabulous meal in advance and not spend the day in the kitchen after the gifts are open. 

The whole point of Christmas is to spend time together.  It is not about the gifts, it is not about the elaborate display, and it is not about spending the day in the kitchen.  Plan ahead so you will be able to enjoy this special day with your family.  If you are up late the night before, you will be exhausted and cranky.  If you are running around during the day unorganized and unprepared, everyone will feel the tension which makes for a stressed out family day. 

I wish everyone a very Merry Christmas.  For those who celebrate other religious celebrations at this time of year, I wish you a wonderful holiday season.  Next week I will be writing on New Year’s resolutions.  I look forward to hearing comments on any thing you and your family do to help keep your Christmas and holiday season Merry and Bright!!!

For more tips on organizing, visit my website at:  www.afreshstartorganizing.net/tips.  Also, you can subscribe to my monthly e-newsletter “Fresh Ideas for A Fresh Start” . Subscribe Now 

Don’t Forget the Milk…

The more we are cramming into our schedules it seems like the more we forget.  It is a vicious cycle that we can’t seem to break.  When we forget to do something we have to go back and do it or we disappoint someone in the process.  I was talking to a group of women last week about this very problem.  We were supposed to make food for our women’s group and bring an ornament for a gift exchange.  This was two more items on the Wednesday to-do list than normal.  Not only did most of these women have these two additional tasks, but their children also had a project due at school that morning.  With the craziness of the additional items, almost every woman forgot something.  One woman even had to leave the group and go home, get her daughters project and then go to her school.  They all had the consensus they needed to have a note stapled to their forehead so they wouldn’t forget things. 

I know when things are more crazy and more is expected of or from me, the more I have on my mind.  My mind does not magically grow when there is more on my mind, so things become forgotten.  I tried so many ways to not forget things, from calendars to post it notes, but still from time to time there were things that were forgotten.  Through trial and error, I have found some tried and true ways to insure I have my act together. 

1.  Organize my home.  The whole point of organizing is not to have your home look sterile and unlived in.  The point is to be able to find what we are looking for quickly and efficiently.  If you have clutter (unnecessary items) it gets in the way of what you need.  It becomes obstacles in the way of efficiency. 

2.  Plan ahead.  I look to the week ahead to remind me of what is going on.  If I have to bring food for an event, I plan something that I can purchase in advance and quickly make.  I add this to my grocery list the week before.  My family knows what is off limits and will not eat or open the food.  I also think ahead for days that will be a little more chaotic than normal.  I may try and get up a few minutes early that day in order to keep ahead of myself.  I don’t recommend cutting back on sleep, so I try and make sure I go to bed that night a little early too. 

3.  Calendar.  I put everything in my calendar.  From my dogs’ flea medicine schedule, to making a blog entry, to grocery shopping and working out.  I schedule my day and keep a schedule of my “chores” for the week.  Keeping a routine of  activities helps me to know when I am supposed to do something without having to think about it.  This helps keep my head clear and allows me to focus on other things.

4.  Reminders.  If something is not routine, I will forget it.  If it is not written down, I will forget it.  If it is not in front of me, I will forget it.  I have learned to add reminders to my Outlook calendar that will sync to my phone.  This sends me a reminder in advance to the time I have set.  For the most part have it set to 15 minutes prior, if  it is something I am somewhat accustomed to.  If  it is something I have set so far in advance (like a dentist appointment I set 6 months prior) I will set the reminder for 1 day prior.  If you do not have Microsoft Outlook, most e-mail accounts (gmail, hotmail, yahoo) have a calendar.  The best part is that you can access it from any location.  You can print off the calendar and have a paper version if you prefer that format.  You will be able to schedule reminders in these calendars too.  If you don’t want to stray from your paper calendar you can use an on-line service that will send you reminders.  One service I have found to be easy and convenient is Jott.com.  Jott.com will send you e-mail reminders, as well as text messages and voice mails.  You will have no excuse to forget anything! 

Check out www.jott.com for more information.

5.  Lay things out.  Set out items that you need for the next day.  If you are taking in your drycleaning, put the drycleaning in your car.  If you have mail to bring to the post office, put it in the car.  I know so many people who forget something even though it is by the door to go out.  If you are in a hurry, you can’t focus on the bag by the door and there it is left at home and you are on your way without it! 

I know how angry I can be when I forget something.  I know I disappoint myself or someone else.  There are times when it is not a big deal, but I know how precious my time is and the time of those who are counting on me.   I hope these tricks that work for me will help you out and keep you from stapling notes to your forehead!

If you would like more tips on organizing, visit my website at:  www.afreshstartorganizing.net/tips.  Also, you can subscribe to my newsletter “Fresh Ideas for A Fresh Start” . Subscribe Now 

Create your own Shopping Boutique

Do you look in your closet, and even though it is full, you feel you have nothing to wear?  Instead of asking for a whole new wardrobe this holiday season, try shopping in your own closet.  Think of setting up your closet like a beautiful boutique, with groups of similar clothes.  When you try to imagine how your closet will ultimately look, think of how your favorite store is laid out.  Clothing is grouped by color, style, and type of clothing.  When you can find outfits to put together in your own closet,you won’t feel the need to  shop and in turn you will be able to save money.  SELF Magazine reported in the December 2008 issue “people who arrange their clothes in categories (e.g., pants, skirts, dresses) may be more satisfied with their choices even if their options haven’t changed.” – Researchers at Stanford University in California.   Not only will this save you money by wearing what you already own, but it will save you time and stress when getting ready for your busy day.

One thing I really like when shopping in a beautiful clothing store is the way the clothes are hung.  Matching hangers, space to look through the items, and the ease of finding similar items makes my shopping experience relaxing.  Whether I have money in my budget to spend on clothing is one thing, but if I am on a mission to find a new item, I want it to be easy!  Here are a two types of hangers that will make your closet feel more like a boutique and fun to shop in!

 

• Huggable Hangers are fabulous if you have a tight space.  They are narrow and are covered in a velvet to help keep your shirts from slipping off.   Also, they won’t leave marks in the shoulders of your shirts!  There are matching pant hangers available, too.  They are available on-line and at Target. 
• Wooden Hangers are my favorite look.  You can find them for great deals at Target, Bed Bath and Beyond and at IKEA.  There are pant hangers to match a well.  The clean lines in your closet from the uniform hangers help you focus on the clothes and not the mismatch of hangers!

Two other choices of hangers out there are Crystal Clear plastic hangers and basic plastic hangers.  My reasons for not loving these are that the Crystal Clear hangers don’t sit uniform.  They tend to get stuck on each other and make it hard to pull out your clothes.  The basic plastic hangers are usually a fabulous price, but they will leave a mark in the shoulders of your clothes.  One of the reasons I am a fanatic about matching hangers is that it helps you to focus on the clothes.  There is no distraction from closet chaos.  Also, investing in hangers will help maintain the life of your clothes.

I hope you have a fun time shopping in your closet.  With a tough economy, if we can save money and feel good about the clothes we are wearing, we will be energized. 

For more tips on organizing, visit my website at:  www.afreshstartorganizing.net/tips.  Also, you can subscribe to my monthly e-newsletter “Fresh Ideas for A Fresh Start” . Subscribe Now