Are you already wondering what the holidays will bring- how you will get it all done? If you are super organized and started your lists and shopping in July, then these tips aren’t for you! But, if you’re like most of us, the holidays bring out stress with intensity to do too much! So, take a deep breath and check out some of our tips that we have found help us during the hectic holiday season!

GPL’s Holiday Organization Tips

Labels
Labels are an absolute sanity saver for us in the holiday season. It’s just so easy to find exactly what you’re looking for when the supplies are clearly labeled and organized.

Clear storage containers
We love storage containers. Especially, clear, neatly labeled storage containers. Who else loves those pictures of those perfectly organized pantries and holiday supplies on Pinterest? Now, we’re not as organized as those Pinterest perfect photos. However, using labels and clear bins to organize our holiday decorations, pantry, and more is a great help. We love to use clear bins wherever possible, since they make finding what’s inside so easy and fast, and they’re easy to keep organized with labels.

Inventory what you have
Dig out all of your holiday items, and do an inventory, either on paper or the computer, or just in your head. Inventory everything from gifts you may have bought earlier in the year, Christmas cards and wrapping paper, gift bags, and decorations.

Declutter
Decluttering is one of our favorite ways to reduce. Extra stuff in holiday supplies just takes up space in our homes, and increases our mental workload. Try and get rid of anything that’s damaged, or that you’ll realistically never use. So much better!

Organize your time and deadlines
Create a master list of deadlines for gift purchases, gift wrapping, baking and so on. Write it all down, and set alarms, or calendar reminders to keep everyone on track.

Prioritize
There are a million and one things to do every holiday season, so once you’ve created a list of deadlines, prioritize the most important. Letting some deadlines slip is OK, but forgetting to buy the grandkids’ Christmas present could be a big disaster.

Delegate tasks
Delegating tasks is one of the most effective ways to trim your holiday to-do list. It becomes obvious pretty quickly that one person can’t do everything all alone and stay happy and stress free. Hate gift wrapping? Have grandpa clock in (!) for a little extra help, or simply use gift bags and tissue paper for wrapping. Forgot something on your grocery list? Don’t worry – don’t forget about handy delivery services such as #Instacart to help you save time.

Keep track of what you and your family loved this holiday season
Get a pretty notebook at the dollar store, and get everyone to jot down the things they loved this holiday season. It makes a wonderful keepsake, and it’ll help you remember everyone’s favorite foods, gifts, and activities next year. Store it with your holiday decorations for safekeeping.

Create a gift-wrapping station
A gift-wrapping station can make holiday gift giving so much easier. Your wrapping station can be an entire desk in a spare room or basement, or just a collection of paper, gift bags, cards, tape, and scissors in a place where you like to wrap.

Plan your menus ahead of time for holiday meals
Menu planning can save a lot of time. It’s an especially powerful technique for saving time, and reducing hassle, over the holiday period. Shop ahead and make dishes in advance whenever you can. Designate one person in your family to be the official runner to pick up anything you may have forgotten on the day of your festivities.