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 

Black Friday and the Packaging Woes

I hope all of you bargain shoppers found terrific deals to make this holiday season go down in savings history.  I know many people on this savings day are shopping for great deals on toys.  Thinking of children opening up the toys they have been hoping for brings on a different memory for me.  For the past few years, Christmas morning has required an industrial pair of scissors and a few Band-Aids.  Having two boys, ages 10 and 6, we have had to cut open so many packages that are secured stronger than Fort Knox!  The plastic has been as sharp as a knife and typically cuts at least one of us.  If the plastic packages are hard enough to open, the twist ties that keep they toys in place are wound so tight you have no idea where to begin untangling them. 

This crazy packaging in not just for toys, though.  You can have fun opening this type of packaging in everything from electronic toothbrushes to bulk batteries.  I have found that Costco and other bulk suppliers are the biggest culprits for this packaging.  There is hope though for a change in packaging.  Amazon has introduced Frustration-Free Packaging.  This is from the Amazon website:

The Frustration-Free Package (on the left) is recyclable and comes without excess packaging materials such as hard plastic clamshell casings, plastic bindings, and wire ties. It’s designed to be opened without the use of a box cutter or knife and will protect your product just as well as traditional packaging (on the right). Products with Frustration-Free Packaging can frequently be shipped in their own boxes, without an additional shipping box.

Here is a link to additional information regarding their new packaging.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html

I am all for an easier means to anything.  Yes, the package on the right you can see into, but once upon a time, a picture on the box was suffice.  I hope you will all look into shopping with Amazon this holiday season.  The more we purchase this type of packaging, the more other retailers will catch on.  My kitchen scissors and my hands will thank you!

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 

Giving Thanks for a Stress Free Turkey Day

The countdown to food, family, football and fun is here!  Make sure you are able to enjoy Thanksgiving and not spend the day in the kitchen by being organized and prepared in advance.  Last post I focused on things you can do for preparing the home and the meal for a fabulous day. Today I will focus on things to do on Thanksgiving to keep everything running smoothly.

1.  Get enough sleep the days prior to your feast and make sure to exercise Thanksgiving morning.  You will have enough energy to get you through your busy day.  You will be less stressed and more relaxed for your special company.

2.  Plan for a fun day with games and activities for all ages.  Keeping children occupied during the preparation of the feast will help avoid meltdowns.  Following are activities you can put together with little effort and even less expense:

• Print off coloring pages for young children.  Visit www.crayola.com for coloring pages and other activities.
• Print off word searches and crossword puzzles for school age children.  Check out http://crafts.kaboose.com/holidays/thanksgiving/
• Coordinate a family football game.  Assign teams ahead of time to avoid hurt feelings.  Adjust the rules for small children to participate.    Getting out for some fresh air and activity will help keep the family from having cabin fever.
• Play a card game or board game that everyone can play together.  Spending time together as a family can be so limited these days with our busy schedules that this is the perfect opportunity to get together and have some “old fashion” fun! 

3.  Have plenty of snacks on hand.  Start the day with a healthy breakfast and plan for a light lunch as well.  Hungry children, and adults, can make for miserable company.  Have fruits and veggies and/or crackers and cheese available before the big dinner.  Don ‘t go too heavy on the snacks, or your guests won’t have room for dinner!

4.  During your dinner, have everyone go around the table and say something they are thankful for and something they wish for in the upcoming year.  Make it a rule that no-one can repeat something that has already been said.  It may seem corny at first, but it is such a positive experience, especially for the children.  Even with the down economy and the stress of the nation, you can still find something to be thankful for and something to hope for!

5.  Get everyone involved in the cleanup process.  Let the family know ahead of time what their assigned chore is.  I know you want your guests to enjoy and you feel like a bad host for asking for help, but what fun is it if you are alone cleaning up while everyone is relaxing.  The more help you get, the faster the clean up is and the sooner you can get on to enjoying each others company.  If you have played any games, you can have the loosing team of the game has to do the dishes.  Make it fun.  Turn on music or make half time cleanup breaks to keep the clean up from being a “chore”!

I wish you and you loved ones a very special and memorable Thanksgiving.  For the first time this year we are hosting two Marines!  We are so honored to share our day with the brave soldiers who help keep our country free.  This will be a Thanksgiving we will never forget.  They may be grateful for a home cooked meal, but we can never thank them enough for all they do for us!  God bless!

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 

It’s Turkey Time!

It amazes me how fast time flies.  With Christmas around the corner, and all of the stores reminding us of this, we almost forget about Thanksgiving.  This is such an important holiday for the family to get together and truly think about all that is good in our lives.  With the economy in an upheaval and everyone worried about how unstable everything is, it is easy to forget all that we have to be thankful for.  Thanksgiving starts the “busy” season, and this year can be even more stressful then ever before.  To help ease the stress of Thanksgiving preparation,  I will be giving you a tips this week and next week to get yourself out of the kitchen earlier on turkey day so you will be able to enjoy your family and friends. 

1.  Guest List:  Decide who will come.  Send an E-Vite or phone those who will be coming for faster RSVP’s. Think of those who may be traveling from out of town.  Check to see if they will need anything in advance.  Plan a fun activity to do with them while they visit.  Will they need a hotel room?  See how you can help make their stay a fun and memorable one.  Have magazines or a book for them to read.  Check to see what they like for breakfast or lunch, so you will make them feel at home.

2.  Food:  Make a menu, check your ingredients, and create a grocery list.  Think of every meal you will need to prepare.  Make sure you have plenty of disposable food containers for leftovers.  Also, check to see if you have the appropriate cookware to make all your fabulous food.    If you plan to order some or all of your meal, do so early.  The markets need to plan and prepare just as we do!

3.  Cleaning:  Break down what cleaning you will need to do.  Plan on having the family pitch in to help.  For general cleaning, start a week ahead of time, so on the big day you will have minimal touch up to do.  Don’t forget to clean out the refrigerator to make room for all the additional food you will be storing.  Also, don’t forget to look at your serving pieces ahead of time.  They tend to get dusty, cloudy or tarnished when unused for long periods of time.  If you plan to use a cleaning services, remember to book early as this is a busy time for them.

4.  Table Setting:  Figure how you will seat everyone.  Do you have enough table settings for everyone?  Do you have a table cloth free of stains?  Think from appetizers all the way to dessert.  Will you have enough utensils and plates?  You can find beautiful paper plates and nice plastic silverware if you would like to avoid a mountain of dishes.  You can even plan to use them for dessert to help reduce the dishes a bit. 

5.  Potlucks:  Everyone offers when they are invited to Thanksgiving dinner, “what can I bring?”.  Don’t feel you have to do it all.  Take those offers and mark items off your to do list.  For those traveling from a distance you can ask them to bring their favorite bottle of wine to contribute.  Every little bit helps!

My next post will continue on how to have a stress free Thanksgiving.  The more you can do now will allow you to sit and actually relax on this fun day!

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 

We Wish You A Merry Christmas

Holiday greetings have become a fun tradition.  As I was working on my Christmas card this weekend, I was interested in who started the whole card exchange craze.   According to Wikipedia:

The first commercial Christmas cards were commissioned by Sir Henry Cole in London, 1843, and featured an illustration by John Callcott Horsley. The picture, of a family with a small child drinking wine together, proved controversial, but the idea was shrewd: Cole had helped introduce the Penny Post three years earlier. Two batches totaling 2050 cards were printed and sold that year for a shilling each

“Official” Christmas cards began with Queen Victoria in the 1840s. The British royal family’s cards are generally portraits reflecting significant personal events of the year. In 1953, U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower issued the first official White House card. The cards usually depict White House scenes as rendered by prominent American artists. The number of recipients has snowballed over the decades, from just 2000 in 1961 to 1.4 million in 2005.

I love getting Holiday cards each year.  I love that those who do not celebrate Christmas will send cards.  For those friends far and near, the picture card is a great way to see how children have grown.  To see how creative people were in their choice is exciting for me.

The down side to sending cards is the time and money it takes to send them.  If you are sending a photo card, deciding what picture to use can be a challenge in itself.  Also, getting the children to cooperate for a picture can sometimes be downright miserable.  If you are using a professional photographer for family shots, coordinating schedules can be frustrating.  Early planning is the best way to go.   You can even pick a fun photo from a family vacation or event and save the frustration.

This year in looking for photo cards, I have found that there are beautiful choices available at reasonable prices.  Four sites I like are:

www.kodakgallery.com

www.shutterfly.com

www.snapfish.com

and www.americangreetings.com/photogifts

Once you have chosen your favorite picture, you can upload your picture, create a card and place your order in a snap.  I took my kids picture, created a card, personalized the greeting, and ordered the cards in less than an hour.  Photo cards have come a long way and the selection is incredible.  The prices are affordable and currently most are offering great coupons for savings on shipping and larger orders.  The ease, efficiency and savings will allow you to send a fabulous card with out losing time with your family or breaking the bank.

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 

Welcoming Guests

The holidays are quickly approaching and that means gatherings of friends and family and house guests.  Now is the time to get your home in order so you can enjoy your guests throughout the holidays.  If you start now, your home will be a warm and inviting home-away-from-home for your guests.  Here are some areas to think about:

1.  Guest Rooms – Stop making your guest room a catch all room.  Clear it out now and find homes for all the items you  have dumped in there, even if the items are donated or trashed.  Make sure the linens are in good shape and that the room is warm and inviting.  Make sure there is room in the closet for your guests to hang item, or have a hook on the back of the door so their clothes will not be wrinkled.  Most people expand their personal closet into the unused guest closet.  If you leave a quarter of the closet empty, your guests will have plenty of room to hang what they need.

To make your guests feel wanted, leave a current magazine you think they would enjoy, water and a few snacks.  I love the idea of having a glass water carafe set for your guests.  This allows them to have water at their bedside without using plastic water bottles.  Here is one I found on Amazon.  Crate and Barrel and William Sonoma are other places to look as well.  They are around $25, and some can be monogrammed.  Use a tray to hold the magazines, water and snacks.  Your guests can even use the tray to keep their small items (like jewelry, keys, and money) from getting misplaced.

 

glass carafe set

glass carafe set

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2.  Bathrooms – Clear off the counters so your guest will have space to put their items out.  What does it say to your guests if they feel they are in the way?  Give them a welcoming feeling of having a space of their own.  You can store extra toothbrushes, toothpaste, razors, shave cream, soap, shampoo and conditioner in a basket under the sink or in the linen closet in case your guests forgot anything. 

3.  Family Room- Clear out the clutter.  Find homes for toys, books and video games.  Your home should be lived in but not a walking hazard.  Clutter will leave your guests feeling uncomfortable and unwanted since you didn’t take the time to clean up for them.  Make sure if you have animals you have cleaned off the upholstery, not everyone is comfortable with pet hair!

4.  Kitchen – Clear off counters and make sure your cabinets and drawers are easy to navigate.  What if your guest opens a cabinet and 20 plastic containers come crashing out?  What if they want to have a late night snack after everyone has gone to bed?  Will they be digging for a knife to make a quick sandwich?  Do they feel in the way instead of helpful when you are making meals?  Having a functional kitchen not only will help in food preparation for additional people, but will allow your guests to feel helpful and a part of the family instead of an intruder.

We love to have people come to visit and stay with us.  We try to make them feel wanted and welcome.  We don’t have to spend a lot of money to do so!  Cleaning up is something we all know we should do, but look at your home from the eyes of a guest and see what you need to do before your company arrives.  Just don’t make it too good or they may not want to leave!

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