How to Maximize Organization During the Holiday Season
By Kimberly Greenwell, My Southern Home TV
The holiday season is known to most as joyful but chaotic time. Between Thanksgiving and New Year’s, you can count on a large number of guests moving through your home, frequent nights where you’re dashing out the door to various parties and events, and new gifts filling your home. During this whirlwind of celebration, it’s more important than ever to stay organized.
Your first step to getting organized during the holiday season is to make sure your kitchen and pantry are organized as efficiently as possible. Between preparing Thanksgiving dinner and organizing your annual cocktail party, you’ll want to be sure you’re well stocked and have everything you need at hand to cut down on prep time.
To organize your pantry, follow these steps:
- Start by clearing everything out
- Be brutal about what you do and don’t need
- Invest in a lazy Susan, baskets, and clear jars to keep similar food and items together
- Label everything- It helps others find what they need and helps you maintain your system.
While getting organized is relatively easy, staying organized will be a challenge—don’t forget to enlist your spouse and kids in keeping your pantry’s layout intact for the whole season.
Need some tips to translate this organizational energy to the kitchen? Try these tips:
- Keep your counters and island free of clutter at all times to avoid stress when it times to buckling down and cooking that much-anticipated holiday meal.
- Plan your menu ahead of time- Not only does it allow you to make sure you have all the ingredients, but you can also make sure you have all the right tools. You don’t want to wait until Thanksgiving morning to learn that you don’t have a basting brush or that you’re dangerously low on olive oil.
- Having a designated “trash bowl” to put away butter wrappers, potato peels, and other discarded items can make cleanup a lot more efficient.
- Wash dishes as you go and try not to let your counters get too dirty; this will save you a big, daunting cleanup at the end of the night.
There’s one element of holiday organization that cannot be overlooked: Decorations. You and your kids are probably excited to “deck the halls” and accentuate your home with bright lights, jolly Santas, and garland. But don’t get carried away—those boxes of decorations can easily pile up in your living room and hallways if you’re not careful. Moreover, having a clearly defined organizational system will make the process of setting up your decorations all fun and stress free.
When it’s time to take down your decorations, do your future self a favor and don’t just shove everything into the nearest box. Clearly label every container and put similar items together (for instance your wreaths, Santa decorations, and candles). Use clear, color-tinted bins so that you can quickly identify what’s in each box. Use extra-large bins for lightweight items (like tablecloths and wrapping paper and smaller ones for heavier items. And remember to store your holiday decoration-related boxes in the same part of your storage area.
The holidays are often regarded as the most fun and lively part of the year, despite the hustle and bustle they bring. By doing the grunt work of developing an organizational system now, you’ll be positioning yourself for a merry, bright, and stress-free December!
Kimberly Greenwell is the host of My Southern Home with Kimberly Greenwell, the only television show in Louisville, Kentucky, and Nashville, Tennessee, that educates consumers about home-related topics and introduces them to trusted professionals that can help. From choosing the right cabinet company to picking trusted builders, Greenwell is passionate about educating consumers on the home industry and helping them build or create their dream home. Visit mysouthernhometv.com for additional information.