Some people deck the halls with gusto year after year, only to eventually find they need a professional organizer to undeck all their piles of accumulated decor.
By now, many folks have already hauled out their boxes of seasonal decorations. So now is the perfect time to weed out decorations that are dated or have fallen out of favour, rather then continuing to store unused items for years on end.
In fact, organization is the key to doing things well over the holidays, whether that means decorating, entertaining, wrapping presents or trying to pull together a fabulous outfit for a party.
Certainly the biggest mistake people make when entertaining is insufficient planning. In order to enjoy your own party without running around in chaos mode, try the following techniques.
•Plan your menu by incorporating tried-and-true favourites.
•Don’t be overly ambitious with new recipes.
•Properly delegate food dishes for a potluck.
•Lay out several tablecloths on the table, for quick and fresh looks between courses.
•Label platters and serving utensils for corresponding food.
•Never let them see you sweat.
When it comes to presents, creating a wrapping and gift zone in your home is a big time and money saver. You can use some assorted sized jars and shoe boxes for storing and sorting your supplies.
•Group together your wrapping tools, consisting of a pair of sheers, a ruler, tape, a pencil and a metallic or coloured marker for writing. Box your stationery and cards, separating the cards with a divider to mark the different occasions.
•Open a wire hanger and feed through rolls of ribbon, then hang on the wall with a hook. Use a very large jar or an open box to store bows. Group together gift bags by size, and store them in the largest gift bags. Martha, watch out!
Look your best this holiday season by shopping in your own closet first. Arrange your clothes by colour, and you’ll be inspired to get more out of your wardrobe. Then you can add pizzazz to any outfit by varying up the accessories.
Happy Holidays!
Brenda Borenstein is your professional organizing guru. Look for her column every second Thursday. For more tips and ideas, visit www.organizedzone.comor call 416-665-2165. Brenda has organized hundreds of homes and says, “There is nothing I haven’t seen and nothing that can’t be overcome.”
