How To Pre-Plan For The Holidays And Keep Your Sanity Through The New Year

I’m going to do something completely out of the box and out of order this year. I’m going to dedicate December to organizing and taking back my life and my space. Right now I feel like I’m working for my home and not the other way around and it leaves me stressed out every day. I don’t consider myself a messy person but it’s just common sense that if more things come in than go out it’s going to start overflowing. Or if you are running around with your head chopped off and always put cleaning on the back burner that’s a recipe for disaster.

I’ve also been thinking a lot about the word perfection lately. I know it’s kind of a bad word these days but I’m thinking about it in the context of being organized and having a home that runs smoothly. My ultimate goal is perfection. I feel like if my house was perfectly organized and clutter free I would be a happier person and a better mom. Period. So, I’m going to try and finally get my sh*t together. (Pardon my language)

This is probably not going to be a popular blog topic because no one wants to talk organization in December, right? We leave that for January. Well, I’m going to give it a shot and see what happens. I want to enjoy the holidays as much as possible and I also don’t want to spend the first quarter of 2016 trying to recuperate. I’ll leave that time for taxes because just like my house you know that’s a mess too :)

Here are my tips and what I plan to do to get started organizing now and make it through the holidays without losing my mind :)

• Pre-plan menus, buy ingredients and pre-make anything that can be frozen
• Finalize gift shopping list (and schedule a time to shop in stores or online all in one or two days)
• Get a jump start on New Year resolutions – write them down and start thinking about how you will accomplish them
• Finish up loose projects around the house & prepare for guests
• Start practicing healthy routines now – try to eat well now so you have less holiday eating guilt, take walks everyday, etc

I know these are easier said than done – especially the healthy routines one – but I know we can do it! Wouldn’t it feel amazing to start the new year off prepared instead of behind the eight ball?

I’m so excited to have my friend and fellow entrepreneur, Jennifer of Pure and Simple Organizing, helping me out! We are scheduled to meet on 12/4 for a major organizing sesh and I can’t wait!! I’m sure she will have lots of great tips to share too.

Here is Jennifer’s advice for surviving the holidays:
Sometimes the “holiday cheer” turns into “holiday stressful”!  Between the gift budget, holiday traffic, and parties to attend, the spirit of the season can get the best of you making you want to high-tail it to the nearest vacation spot.  

“The calendar of activities and get-togethers can be one of the most overwhelming aspects of the season.  I highly encourage you to write down (or put it in your phone calendar) any important activities to remember.  Cocktail parties, family gatherings, cookie exchanges at school, beauty appointments.  Once you have your calendar filled in, then you can schedule things like taking a trip to see the Christmas lights or a special movie night with your kids.  You can also say “no” to engagements that come up.  It’s okay to be selective on what you participate in. 

If your calendar is full but organized, then you can breathe easier knowing you haven’t forgotten an event.  Time management in it’s most simple form – write it ALL down, be selective on what you WANT to do, and plan the weeks accordingly so you don’t miss any fun traditions. “

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As some of you know I started the book, One Year To An Organized Life, earlier in the year and I’m still slowly working through it. It offers a lot of practical advice and a way to stay on track if you like schedules!

I’ve heard lots of hype about the Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up too so I finally dove into it and I can’t put it down. The concept behind this book is to discard and figure out where to put your stuff all in one fail swoop which I’m loving!. The whole idea of “bring something in take something out” seems like common sense but it doesn’t work for me. I need to get more out all at once and find a place for the remaining stuff. My dream is to have a place for everything and if I don’t it needs to go!

So will you join me? Want to take back your home? Follow along and I’ll be sharing what Jennifer teaches me and lots of helpful tips!

Cheers!