Gear up for the Holiday Season!

It may only be October, but that doesn’t mean it's too early to start getting ready for one of the busiest seasons of the year! 

Make sure you are organized this year and eliminate some of your holiday planning stress by getting as much as you can completed and decided before November. Too often, people leave all their running around, planning, shopping, and hosting to the last minute, and the holidays become a stressful and chaotic time that people don’t enjoy. To avoid that, there are a few key activities you can complete this month to make your life more organized and less stressful in the months ahead: 

Make your gift list 

You will probably already know ahead of time who you need to buy or make gifts for. So why not get a head start on your shopping and avoid the busy malls and delayed shipping? Start formulating a list of everyone you need to buy for, including family, friends, co-workers and neighbours. Contributing to a gift to charity or a gift exchange? Include those on the list as well. 

Instead of giving “things,” consider giving experiences or items that appeal to their interests without adding clutter to their lives. For examples, a gift certificate to their favourite spa for a massage, or a homemade seasoning mix.  Think about what would make them smile, instead of leaving your gifting to the last minute. Don’t be the person that buys chocolates for someone who is on a diet! 

Plan your hosting needs 

Hosting a meal (or multiple meals) takes a lot of advance planning and preparation. Start thinking about who will be hosting family and friends this year. If you are the one hosting, now is a good time to decide on what you will serve. Are you hosting a sit-down meal or buffet? Will your guests need to bring anything, and if so, what? 

You’ll also need to think beyond the food to the items and space you have. Will everyone fit at one gathering, or do you need to host separate parties? What about tables and chairs, place settings and serving dishes? If this is going to be an issue, consider hosting separate events, like one just for family, and one for friends. They don’t have to be the exact same either – one could be a potluck, the other could just be a cocktail party. Regardless of what you decide to do, it’s important to start planning early.

Prepare your wardrobe

Whether you’re hosting or attending parties and gatherings over the holidays, chances are you want to look your best. Now that you have some time, start shopping for any new wardrobe items you need. For example, if you need an outfit for the company holiday party, start by going through your current items to see if anything will work. If you need to get something new, start looking online and in store now so you find something you actually like, instead of settling on something because you left your outfit to the last minute.

Don’t forget about your accessories and shoes – make sure everything is cleaned and fixed up now before you get busy with other holiday activities. If anything needs major fixing or cleaning, take them into a repair shop now before the holiday rush.

Get everyone on board

Holiday planning is a team effort, not an individual task. Start connecting with your family and friends to share the responsibilities of the holiday season. It can be stressful to try and accomplish everything on your own, so don’t be afraid to pass on some of the tasks to others. The holidays are supposed to be enjoyed by everyone!

Avoid holiday clutter! Black Friday is HERE!

With holiday products now available in most stores, and a major sales weekend coming up, it can be hard to refuse the allure of buying and accumulating more. This is especially true when many of us have the excuse of buying gifts, hosting parties, and feeling stressed. However, there is a way for people to prevent themselves from overbuying and adding more clutter into their lives over the holidays.

Take stock of what you already have

Before you even step into the grocery store or shopping centre, make sure you take a look around your home to see what you already have. This can save you from buying duplicates of anything or buying unnecessary items. For example, if you are doing holiday baking, check your pantry or the back of your cupboards for any leftover ingredients from the year before, or anything else that you can still use. This will keep you from buying another bag of sprinkles or more icing when you don’t need it.

In terms of holiday gifts, this is also a good idea, especially if you have been buying for people throughout the year. Sometimes it can be easy to forget a small item you may have purchased for someone back in March, so check all your usual storage areas and take a look at what you have already purchased for the people on your list.

Stick to the list

Now that you know what you have, make a list of what you need. This will help you stay on track while doing any shopping and curb any temptations to buy impulsively. Start by making a separate list of what food and drink items you  need for entertaining. Go through each dish you have on your menu, and what ingredients, condiments, serving dishes, and utensils you might need. To stay even more organized, group your ingredients into different categories based on the aisles and sections of your grocery store. This way, you can go through the store and get exactly what you need and prevent you from doing any unnecessary browsing through aisles where you don’t need anything.

For your gifts, make a list of everyone you need to buy for, and what they all need. For example, is it a small Secret Santa gift with a specific price limit? Is it a stocking stuffer, or a major gift? Is it for a co-worker, or a close relative? When you’re putting together their list, keep in mind what your relationship is and what kind of gift you want to give them. This will help you formulate gift ideas or know what to choose when you’re doing your shopping.

Know your limits

Holiday shopping can be expensive, so make sure you know what your budget is! Having your budget in mind can help keep you from overspending. Knowing what money you have to spend on gifts can also help when formulating your gift-giving list, and keep you from overbuying your gifts. When you’re shopping, keep in mind that you also want to reduce the clutter in other peoples’ lives, not just your own. So try and think of gift ideas that are not only cost-effective for you and within your budget, but also something useful and practical that your friends and family can actually appreciate.

The holiday season can be a big shopping holiday – but this year, try to avoid the temptation to add clutter to your home and spend more than you have. Consider your shopping needs carefully before you head to the store, know what you actually need and what you already have, and make sure you follow your budget. This way, you can enjoy the holidays without any shopping or financial regrets when the season ends.

Avoid holiday clutter! Black Friday is Coming!

With holiday products now available in most stores, and a major sales weekend coming up, it can be hard to refuse the allure of buying and accumulating more. This is especially true when many of us have the excuse of buying gifts, hosting parties, and feeling stressed. However, there is a way for people to prevent themselves from overbuying and adding more clutter into their lives over the holidays.

Take stock of what you already have

Before you even step into the grocery store or shopping centre, make sure you take a look around your home to see what you already have. This can save you from buying duplicates of anything or buying unnecessary items. For example, if you are doing holiday baking, check your pantry or the back of your cupboards for any leftover ingredients from the year before, or anything else that you can still use. This will keep you from buying another bag of sprinkles or more icing when you don’t need it.

In terms of holiday gifts, this is also a good idea, especially if you have been buying for people throughout the year. Sometimes it can be easy to forget a small item you may have purchased for someone back in March, so check all your usual storage areas and take a look at what you have already purchased for the people on your list.

Stick to the list

Now that you know what you have, make a list of what you need. This will help you stay on track while doing any shopping and curb any temptations to buy impulsively. Start by making a separate list of what food and drink items you  need for entertaining. Go through each dish you have on your menu, and what ingredients, condiments, serving dishes, and utensils you might need. To stay even more organized, group your ingredients into different categories based on the aisles and sections of your grocery store. This way, you can go through the store and get exactly what you need and prevent you from doing any unnecessary browsing through aisles where you don’t need anything.

For your gifts, make a list of everyone you need to buy for, and what they all need. For example, is it a small Secret Santa gift with a specific price limit? Is it a stocking stuffer, or a major gift? Is it for a co-worker, or a close relative? When you’re putting together their list, keep in mind what your relationship is and what kind of gift you want to give them. This will help you formulate gift ideas or know what to choose when you’re doing your shopping.

Know your limits

Holiday shopping can be expensive, so make sure you know what your budget is! Having your budget in mind can help keep you from overspending. Knowing what money you have to spend on gifts can also help when formulating your gift-giving list, and keep you from overbuying your gifts. When you’re shopping, keep in mind that you also want to reduce the clutter in other peoples’ lives, not just your own. So try and think of gift ideas that are not only cost-effective for you and within your budget, but also something useful and practical that your friends and family can actually appreciate.

The holiday season can be a big shopping holiday – but this year, try to avoid the temptation to add clutter to your home and spend more than you have. Consider your shopping needs carefully before you head to the store, know what you actually need and what you already have, and make sure you follow your budget. This way, you can enjoy the holidays without any shopping or financial regrets when the season ends.