Simplify the Season: Practical Organizing Tips for the Holidays
Gift Selection with Smart Storage
The act of gift buying is joyful but often accompanied by the challenge of finding a proper home for the acquired items, especially for kids’ toys. What better way to navigate the post-holiday “gift aftermath” than with a plan that avoids missing tiny toys and broken cardboard boxes?
As a professional organizer and mom of 2 kids, I advise planning to contain. Consider investing in toy sets with containers or storage solutions when shopping for kids' toys. Not an option? Consider low-cost additional storage containers to corral multiple toy pieces and sets. Small clear latch bins are a great option to contain kids’ toys by set or category. They can be stacked, optimizing vertical storage on a shelf or cube organizer, and easily accessible for quick play. Plan to contain at the point of purchase to ensure you have the organizing solution ready for clean-up time.
Experience over Excess
Memories made are spent with the people we love, not the stuff we accumulate. Encourage loved ones to gift experiences rather than physical items, creating lasting memories and significantly reducing the accumulation of stuff. Special and dedicated time with family members also gives parents a little break and reduces the accumulation of items coming into our homes during the holidays. Some great ideas for experiences with kids include:
special sleepover with treats and a movie
tickets to a live show
trip to the zoo, aquarium, etc.
mini spa day
These thoughtful gifts promote a lifestyle centered around the value of the time spent together rather than accumulating objects.
The Return Bin
Just because it is a gift doesn’t mean you need to keep it, normalize returning items you don’t love, use, or need, and exchange it for a gift card for something you will honor and enjoy. A simple yet highly effective organizational hack is introducing a ‘return basket’ with a zip pouch to store receipts. Once you have determined the item is not a good fit or you don’t want it, place it in the return bin. Commit to moving the items out of your house and back to the store after the holidays. Store your return basket close to the front door or even in the trunk of your car if that helps.
The Christmas Caddy Hack
Who loves springing off the couch or not even getting to the couch Christmas morning because you are up and down getting all the things- Scissors, check! Garbage bag for wrapping paper, check! Batteries for the toys, check! Try collecting all these common Christmas asks and organizing them in a simple carry caddy to have on demand when needed on Christmas morning. Some items to consider for your caddy:
scissors (for those hard-to-unwrap ribbons/toy packaging)
batteries (for toys or other gifts)
screwdriver or small tool case to open up battery backs
garbage bags, recycling bags for Christmas wrap
sandwich baggies to temporarily store small bits
envelopes to store gift cards for family members
lighters for candles
essential oils
utility knife for boxes
Being organized during the holidays doesn’t demand perfection; it does, however, require some planning to avoid the post-holiday chaos. Let’s get intentionally organized and mindfully calm together!
May your holiday be filled with good health, happiness, and gratitude!
Andrea