Getting Organized for the Holidays

The holiday season, which can be fun and festive, inevitably brings a lot of stress and confusion to many people. There is so much to coordinate, organize and prepare. Pair these challenges with the desire to have everything perfect, and you've got a recipe for an emotional disaster. This year take some of the stress away from the season by using the Project Organizer to hold all of your holiday lists and information. Keeping all these pieces of information in one place will help you transform any holiday season from chaos to calm.

Check out the myOrganized.life Gift Guide

Divide your organizer into the following sections:

Keep calendars near the front of your binder because you will refer to them all of the time. Be sure to transfer every scheduled event onto the calendar so that you don't double book your family.

Holiday Card Lists

Keep a printed list of the people you send cards to from year to year. You can also keep return address labels and stamps in this pocket.

Travel
Use this section for travel arrangements, maps, directions and packing lists. Keep information on visits from previous years to help you be more prepared for traveling issues.

Parties and Entertaining
Include information on any entertaining you will do during the holiday season. Guest lists, menus and activities can be organized in this section of the notebook.

Menus and Recipes
Food is such an important part of the holiday season that menus should have their own section. Make copies of recipes and keep them here. You can also keep recipes for gift jars and mixes in this section.

Receipts
It's a good idea to keep all of your receipts during the holiday season. Having the receipts ready to go prevents money wasted.

Gift Ideas and Gift Lists
Write down gift ideas for friends, family, and acquaintances. Keep all those special offer and discounts here to help you find the best deal!

Cleaning Schedules
Use this section to organize the work that needs to be done on the house during the holiday season. Also keep a list of small repairs and fix ups your home may need.

Shopping Lists
Keep all of your non-gift shopping lists here. Try separate shopping lists for:

Home Improvement
Entertaining
Decorations
Groceries
Budgets

While this may be the least favorite section of the holiday planning notebook, it's probably one of the most necessary. Start by sketching out a reasonable budget based on your gift lists and ideas. Keeping track of how much you plan to spend can help you know where to make cuts or add a few frills to your holiday spending.

With a little planning and a Project Organizer, you'll be ready to take on the holiday season with a smile. Happy Holidays!

Download our free Holiday Events calendar: