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!

Get Organized this Holiday Season!

This week is a busy time for many people. Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, Boxing Day (or Week), New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day are all happening within days of each other, and these holidays usually involve parties, family meals, gift giving, family visits, and a whole host of seasonal activities. We’re here to offer some advice on how to stay organized during this busy time!

Keep a calendar

With all of the events and activities going on, it’s important to make sure you have everything written down, either on a physical calendar or in your phone. You can set reminders a couple days before the event so you know what is coming up, like Christmas dinner, and what you need to be doing before that event. If you’re having family over, this is also important so you can make sure the house is clean and the guest bedrooms are ready. This way, you can enjoy time with your family and not have to run around the day of.

Don’t try to do it all

Many people feel pressured to squeeze in every holiday-themed event or activity that they hear about or get invited to. This should not happen! The holidays are supposed to be a time to relax with friends and family, the keyword being relax. The holidays don’t have to be stressful unless you make them stressful. Sometimes, it’s best to say no to some people and arrange to meet them before or after the holidays in a time that works best for your schedule. December, especially the week before Christmas, should not be the time that everyone tries to get together. It’s okay to say no – it may be that your friends and family are going through the same thing!

Leave some time to relax

The holiday season is notorious for being stressful (see points one and two!) but it doesn’t have to be. Take some time for you to relax – whether it’s at home or with friends and family, as long as it doesn’t involve you feeling stressed or disorganized. Taking this time can help you get back on your feet and assess what needs to be done. It can be easy to forget what’s happening or what needs to be done during this week when you’re constantly moving from one event to the other. Once the week is over and the holidays are done, you’ll be left dealing with all of the other things you may have pushed aside to make room for these activities. Take the time for yourself to re-organize your coming days, relax, and give yourself a break!

Pack ahead of time

For people who are travelling over the holidays or visiting relatives, it’s a good idea to pack as much as you can before you have to travel. This seems like common sense, but it’s easy to put packing off during this time, especially if you’re travelling after Christmas. However, it will make your life easier and more organized if you get as much as you can packed before you have to leave, so that you can enjoy your other holiday events without having to leave early to pack or be rushed to pack the day of. Clothes, shoes, accessories, books, and other items that you don’t use day to day can be packed in your suitcase ahead of time. Toiletry items like toothbrushes and hair accessories can be packed in your travelling bag but left out for you to use. This way, it’s ready to go but still available for you to use before you leave. If you’re travelling by air, it might be a good idea to check-in to your flights online 24 hours in advance, and either print out your boarding tickets or save them on your hand-held device ahead of time.

Once you’re ready to return from your travelling, our Unpack to Organize after Summer Vacation post can help you stay organized before you even get home.

Enjoy the holiday season by staying organized and keeping track of what is happening. Cut down on your to-do list if necessary, and make sure you take time for yourself. If you’re travelling, get as much as you can done as early as you can. This week doesn’t have to be stressful if you don’t want it to be!

Avoid stress: Get ready for Christmas ahead of time!

There are many elements that make up the holiday season, but one of the most important events during Christmas is the dinner itself, whenever you may be celebrating it. For those that are hosting, this event is even more important – and stressful! With many activities on the go, the holidays may seem like one massive headache, but it doesn’t have to be if you plan ahead.

While most of the food can’t actually be cooked until the day before or the day of, that doesn’t mean there isn’t anything you can do ahead of time. On the contrary, planning out the meal and making a list will make the day of go a lot smoother!

First things first: plan out the dinner menu. You will have to make note of who is coming, and what, if any, dietary concerns there are and if you will need to make changes to your menu. For example, will you need to make your menu gluten free? If so, you will also need to be aware of any cross-contaminations between non-gluten and gluten dishes. 

Consider what dishes can be made ahead. Many desserts, casserole dishes, and sides are easy to make up or prepare a couple of days before, so all you have to do is place them in the oven before the meal. We recommend making a mashed potato bake recipe.On Christmas day they get popped in the oven and there is no mashing and no mess.

The oven is a popular place and time should be organized beforehand depending on what needs to be cooked, when, and for how long. To save time and space, consider cooking vegetables the day before so you can just heat them up in the oven or microwave right before the meal. Instead of completely cooking vegetables like carrots, take them out early and run them under cold water to help keep their texture and colour. On the day of, they’ll only need a couple of minutes to warm up.

Also important to consider is the look of your food. Aim for colour! Meat and potatoes are all bland colours, so add some bright and vibrant vegetables like Brussel sprouts, carrots, beets, and salad to make your dinner plates pop.

You can even add garnishes to colourless dishes to add colour and texture. For example, green beans with almonds, mixed seasonal vegetables, roasted peppers – a mix of complimentary colours!

Karen recommends a “favourite” salad of hers that includes pomegranate, candied pecans, feta cheese, and maple dressing. This salad is a “colourful and beautiful taste combination” that can be made ahead of time by prepping the ingredients and washing and drying the salad greens the day before.

Simple is always best. Cook dishes that you are comfortable with and have made before. If you are trying something new, do a test run and try the recipe ahead of time so you have a better idea of what to expect the day of.

Beverages can easily be prepared ahead of time. Make sure the fridge is stocked with wine, water, and any other beverages so they’re ready to enjoy at dinnertime.

Last but not least, make sure that your table is ready for the food. You can put on the table cloth (after it’s been washed, cleaned, and ironed, of course) and set out clean dishes the night before if you have a separate table. If not, these items can still be taken out and set aside until the day of, and can be set out when you have time while the dishes are cooking.

A plan of action will help ensure you are prepared and not stressed the day of. Getting steps done ahead of time creates a clean and uncluttered space in your kitchen so you can worry about what’s important on Christmas day: spending time with friends and family, and cooking a perfect turkey!