Olioboard Inspiration: Getting Organized for the Holidays

Entry #3050, November 26, 2013

Today we continue Stagetecture’s feature ‘Olioboard Inspiration‘. Before you were inspired by – ‘Decorating for a Hanukkah Celebration’ from Cari Murphy. Today, I feature Ashlee (Heather Lee) who is a member of the Facebook Olioboard Fan Room group and she helps you get ready for the busy holiday with simple organization ideas. The holidays can be stressful! Use her ideas to enjoy the season and your family.

If you’re interested in being featured see details here: How to be featured on Stagetecture’s Olioboard Inspiration‘ series.

To see all the past Stagetecture’s Olioboard Inspiration members on Pinterest click here.

Olioboard Inspiration #54

‘Getting Organized for the Holidays’ – Ashlee (Heather Lee)

The Holidays can be a very stressful time of year. Halloween is just behind us Thanksgiving will soon be upon us. Then, after Thanksgiving is Christmas.

So now is the time to get organized, plan ahead and think about sending out cards to  your family and friends. Time to organize recipes and dinnerware. Do you have enough for the holiday? Have you already bought cards and stamps, gift wrap and decorations? If this sounds overwhelming, then it is time to sit down in a quiet spot and think about everything that needs to be done. Remember, you don’t have to do it all yourself, don’t be afraid to ask for help or delegate some tasks to members of your household!

Ensure you are organized for the holidays

Use a notebook or computer to put everything down in a special holiday list. Be sure to include “to do by” dates for added incentive.

Decide how you are going to do your cards this season. Will you hand sign all your cards or send a standard letter with the card? Or do you feel emailing cards will be the best for you?

Organizing your decorations

It is also time to organize the decor for the holiday. Do you need to put some of the daily accessories away so there is enough space to bring out your festive decorations? Do you need to buy new accessories to complete the atmosphere you would like to create? When you start decorating, don’t forget to check all the string lights to make sure they are working, and get that tree and its bulbs dusted off.

Do you have enough wrapping paper and holiday bags leftover from last year or do you need more? Don’t forget the ribbon for the gifts. You can use old Christmas cards and cut the front scenes from them and write on the back of them to use as gift tags. It gives lots of room to write those personal messages. It is also a great time of year to get storage  bins and bags to safely hold your wrapping paper and all your other holiday items and  it keeps your gift closet nice and tidy. Label your bins so you can easily find what you need for next year.

Holiday craft ideas

Do you enjoy Christmas Crackers/Poppers during the festivities? Decide if you wish to just buy them or make them yourself. They are very easy to make. Use a toilet paper roll and purchase your own personalized trinkets to put in the cracker. You can use tissue or wrapping paper and even fabric in the colors associated with this time of year to decorate your crackers. You can purchase the actual snap from any craft store. There are also guides on the internet for those who would like to have a special holiday craft and it is fun to work on them with family or friends.

It is good to plan ahead and, if possible, get most of the gift shopping finished early, leaving plenty of time for baking and wrapping. Battling waves of holiday shoppers can be very tiring and time consuming. By writing a list, making plans and giving yourself time for all that is needed to be done, you can possibly have a little time to relax and feel confident that you made the right decisions concerning gifts, decor and holiday cards. Knowing all these things help make the holiday run more smoothly. We wish you a very Merry Holiday Season!

My name is Heather Lee but I go by Ashlee on Facebook. I am the daughter of a Canadian Army Veteran. I spent much of my life traveling with my family all over Canada and the North and South of Germany. I was very lucky to be able to travel so much and learn other languages. I lived a mile from the border of France and the family traveled there often. I think I have seen every castle in Europe. I now live on my own in Toronto, Ontario. I am a huge animal lover and I volunteer with the Annex Cat Rescue that helps feral cats. I also foster cats. I enjoy creating different rooms on Olioboard and talking with other members of the Olioboard community.

How will you be getting organized for the holidays?