How to Stay Organized for the Holidays
Between shopping, cooking, preparing for guests and wrapping gifts, the holidays can be a chaotic and stressful time. A little planning and organizing will go a long way in helping you relieve some of that stress. Having the right home storage in place will help prevent the clutter from building up so you have more time to spend on more important tasks and make your holiday season more enjoyable.
Here are some ideas for keeping organized during the holiday season
Storage compartments
Creative and customized solutions ensures there is a place for everything, your task is to make sure everything is in its place. Holiday items can often be bulky or large. Wrapping paper, ornaments and keepsakes need creative solutions for safe storage during the off-season. A storage compartments under a bench or tilt-out baskets are perfect for longer tubes or rolls of paper. Drawer inserts and dividers will keep the finising touches for gifts, like bows, ribbons and tags organized. A foldable counter space with a slatwall system above provides a workspace to work on special projects and keeps your tools and accessories within reach.
Be ready for last minute guests – Murphy beds and linen closets
If you are having visitors for the holidays or the kids are home from college, you want to provide them with a comfortable place during their stay. A Murphy bed is a perfect option and turns any room into a multi-use space. Wall beds can be incorporated into almost any furniture piece including entertainment centers, bookcases, desk units and more. The best part is set-up and stowing away is simple and quick. When guest leave, your room transforms quickly back into the configuration you had prior.
Murphy beds utilize standard sized mattresses between 8-12” thick, which makes them much more comfortable than other temporary bed arrangements such as cots and sleeper sofas. Additional storage can also be customized to be added to the unit for storing bedding, pillows, blankets or whatever your needs dictate.
Avoid the embarrassment of guests searching for additional towels or toiletries by preparing your linen closet in advance with freshly cleaned and folded towels and sheets – even those tricky fitted sheets. Ensure items are easy to find by removing sheets that are no longer a full set and older towels that have stains or tattered edges. Baskets are great for storing additional soaps, shampoos, conditioners, etc. HGTV.com recommends “to keep your linens smelling fresh, place a box of baking soda or a lavender sachet on the shelf.”
Set priorities
The holidays should be an enjoyable and stress-free time for everyone, including yourself. Make sure you leave time to enjoy the season. Clean and Scentsible suggests, “Sit down with your family and get everyone’s top activities that they like to do and write them down. Schedule them into your calendar and then evaluate how your time is looking. If things are looking too busy, see what activities could be cut. Remember that you will be able to enjoy those activities that you do choose much more if you are not run down and tired.”
Creating a holiday organization checklist will keep you on task and give you a sense of accomplishment as your “to do” list gets smaller. The technology is even available on your phone or computer to send reminders and prioritize tasks with apps like Trello and Google docs. Be sure to plan out your time and leave enough room in the schedule to do the things you like to do which include spending quality time with family and friends.
Reach out to our Designers for a free consultation and explore the many options and home storage solutions we have available. Let’s create an organized and efficient space together that will impress your family and friends this holiday season.
