I am so thrilled to share these amazing tips from one of my personal favs Kendra Hennessy from Mother Like a Boss! I have had this post for a couple of weeks and I have had a chance to implement a couple of these strategies. If you think the holidays are stressful and can’t imagine getting ahead this holiday season, these tips are definitely for you!
December is upon us and we all know what that means. It’s beginning to look at a lot like…oh crap, I’m not ready for the holidays. I’m always behind, and what am I going to do with these piles of junk laying here. Ah, and then there’s the parties to attend and cards to send. That’s it. I’m throwing in the towel. The holidays are officially cancelled this year.
Sound familiar?
While the holiday season is full of magic, love and family, it can also be the cause of stress, overwhelm and disorganization. There is so much to do, so much to see and so many people to remember that it can feel like too much. Staying organized is essential to staying sane. But where should you even begin? Let’s take a look.
- Keep a dedicated holiday calendar. During this nutty time of year, it is more important than ever to be fastidious with your planning and scheduling. The last thing you want to do is forget about that important family holiday party that you were supposed to make your famous meatballs for just hours before it goes down. The best way to keep it all straight is to schedule everything. If you are still and pen and paper sorta gal (I certainly am), then I suggest buying or printing out a dedicated calendar for the next 2 months where you can write each and every event, obligation or task. Concerts, half days, days off from school, school parties, work parties, family parties, trips, guest arrivals, etc. etc. etc. (The holidays warrant 3 “etcetera”) I will even get nuts and write in when you will shop for gifts, wrap gifts, shop for holiday food, and cook the food. Seem like overkill? Not when you stop to think of how many things you need to do and how many days you have to do them. The more you plan ahead of time, the more organized your time will be and the less likely you are to forget or become stressed over everything.
- Become best friends with your label maker. The holiday season brings about beautiful décor and sentimental nostalgia. It also brings about gifts, new decorations, and new sentimental nostalgic items each year. The best way to keep your NEXT holiday season organized is to label everything now. Invest in large plastic totes (they are far better than boxes which can be eaten through my critters or succumb to moisture throughout the year.) Label the totes with EXACTLY what they hold. Decorations for the living room, lights for the tree, handprint Santa Clauses from the kids, Christmas dinner plates, etc. The more detailed your labels, the easier it will be to decorate in the years to come and also put things away. Nothing says stress like digging out the holiday décor each year and thinking “Why the heck didn’t I organize this better last year?” Be the hero to next year’s you.
- Get over your fear and loathing of spreadsheets. Okay, is there anything less sexy than a spreadsheet? Probably not. I’m an organizer by nature and profession and I know how uncool they are. But here’s the thing, they work. The more you can keep in a spreadsheet, the more organized your season will be. So what should you use them for? Budgets, card addresses, parties, gift recipients, holiday food for your own parties, just about anything. Spreadsheets work so well because everything is laid out in a neat and orderly fashion. You don’t have to go looking for the information because it is right there. Creating a spreadsheet for your Christmas card recipients for instance will last you years and years. Someone move? Just update the sheet. Can’t remember if you bought your brother a gift? Look at the spreadsheet. You don’t have to spend hours creating or updating them, but even a few minutes here and there can save you hours in the long run.
- Have a gift wrapping station. Where do you wrap gifts? On the floor next to the TV on Christmas Eve? On your bed while you curse how difficult it is to fold wrapping paper on a down comforter? Or on a fold out table that is easy to access with everything you need to wrap the perfect gift? The first two used to be me many years ago until I invested in setting up a wrapping station and by station I mean nothing more than a small table and a basket full of scissors, tape, ribbons and tags. That’s it. Nothing fancy or expensive. You can invest in a small fold-out table from Walmart or Target and use a carrying basket or container to hold your items. This makes wrapping gifts easier and a whole lot more fun. I set aside time to do wrapping and know that everything I need is in one place. I am a mom of 2, so anything that saves me time is a big win in my book. Am I right?
- Plan for some downtime. Is your holiday schedule easy breezy or is your calendar filled to the brim with activities? Plan for some downtime, mama. There is a lot to do this time of year and a lot you’ll want to do, but remember to leave blanks in the calendar to fill as the moment hits you. Maybe you feel like taking the kids ice skating, or on an impromptu trip to NYC, or have a cozy Christmas movie day snuggled up in your pajamas. You and your family will be thankful to have a bit of wiggle room this holiday season. A packed schedule is a stressed schedule.
- Give yourself a break. You are one person and as much as we mothers would like to think we can do it all, we can’t. Remember to give yourself some grace. Your kids will be better for having a mother than enjoyed the season, rather than cursing it for being too stressful. Take a deep breath, remember what it is all about and give in to what you cannot control. So the first batch of sugar cookies were burned to a crisp. So the huge blizzard put a damper on your holiday party plans. Let it go, and give yourself a break. This is a season of giving, grace and love. You’re doing great, mama. Happy holidays.
Kendra Hennessy is coach and strategist and the owner of Mother like a Boss, a business helping modern moms gain home management and homemaking strategies through implementable tips, tricks and tools. She lives in upstate NY with her husband Adam and their two spunky offspring, Ava and Everett. Kendra is a Girl Scout co-leader, a podcast and audiobook junkie and a coffee lover. She loves helping moms gain confidence in their homes so they can spend less time stressing and more time enjoying their awesome lives. You can find more of her work at Mother Like a Boss.
Connect with Kendra at www.kendrahennessy.com and on Facebook