3 Simple Holiday Organizing Tips

Organization is not my strong suit. My office is a mess. I don’t keep good records and if you happen to be on my Christmas card list then you are accustomed to my yearly text message requesting your address, because I failed to save it the year before. And around the holidays I really need to be organized in order to get all of the things done. No matter how many times I say I’m going to be more organized next year, I’m never as organized as I hope to be.

And while every year I somehow manage to get everything done, I would love to find a few ways to get them done in a less frazzled manner. So in hopes that I may actually do better next year, here are a few tips I’ve picked up or ideas I’ve had that made me think, “why didn’t I do that sooner”.

Decorations

We store all of our holiday decorations in on one section of the basement. Every year John brings up the boxes and every year there are a few boxes that come up that don’t need to like the boxes filled with my Christmas wrapping supplies. And because Jack helps open the boxes he see’s the box filled with the wrapping paper I brought on clearance last year and then I can’t use that paper for Santa gifts. Next year I’m labeling that box, “wrapping paper, do not bring up”.

Christmas Cards

While doing my cards I texted a friend for an address and she told me that she keeps all of her addresses in an excel spreadsheet and updates it each year. Then her husband prints out the labels and she sticks them on the envelopes, brilliant right? Why haven’t I been doing this for years? So before next year I’m going to get on this project.

But one thing I do get right with Christmas cards is return address labels I use them to save me from having to write our address on every envelope and I use them seal the envelopes. This year I used Mabel’s Labels holiday return address labels, which not only came with cute designs but were the right size for sealing the envelopes. I keep my address labels and a list of who I sent cards to last year in with my gift wrap so it’s easy to find each year.

Gift Wrap

Like I said I keep my Christmas gift wrap in with our holiday decorations. I organize all the bags, tissue paper and gift tags into two bins. I reuse gift bags, bows and tissue paper. I put bows in a bag and make sure they are at the top of the box so they don’t get crushed. I try to buy my gift wrap when it goes 75% off at CVS the week after Christmas.

Santa wraps the kids gifts in special paper. Mom and Santa do not have the same paper. This year “Santa” picked up matching red and blue Mickey Mouse paper. Truthfully, Santa thought one was pink with Minnie but, when Santa got back to the workshop realized it was red and identical to the blue Mickey paper. Which meant that the little boy who is not used to someone else having gifts under the tree, might think they are all his. And while the baby won’t be able to open the gifts, Santa wants to avoid any disappointment that might happen if the six year-old was to open a rattle, so Santa is using Mabel’s Labels personalized name stickers to help tell the difference between the kids gifts without having to write the names on gift tags. Santa does not have time for gift tags, and little eyes might recognize the handwriting.

The personalized labels come in a stocking stuffer combo featuring festive designs, 5 personalized stickers and 1 personalized bag tag. These tags make labeling gifts easy and festive looking and make a great gift or party favor. I ordered some in holiday prints and in the everyday designs. Now I can use the every day designs to label Jack’s school supplies or Grace’s baby bottles.

Lists

At the holidays I live by my lists. I make a to-do list every day and while everything rarely gets done, these lists keep me organized and on top of what needs to be done. It’s easy to forget things this time of year, but if I write it down I’m much more likely to remember.

Regardless of my lack of organizing skills, the holidays come and by Christmas morning all the stress and disorganization is a distant memory. Every holiday season I get a little more organized and I try to learn from my mistakes. And next year I’m sure I’ll find more ways that I can try to keep myself organized at the holidays.

Mabel’s labels provided me with product to review, all thoughts and opinions are my own.