By Beverly Coggins
Cleaning
I love having people in over the holidays! But that means my house must be clean and, of course, I’ll want to decorate. If I wait until the last minute, though, I’m stressed! Here are a few thoughts to help you avoid that stress:
- Determine cleaning chores that need to be done for the holidays. Parcel out chores over the weeks remaining before Christmas, starting with the ones that are long-lasting: cleaning the silver or the carpet, decluttering, etc. Save the surface cleaning until closer to your events. Or, if you haven’t cleaned for a while, just get caught up on your surface cleaning and do it every week.
- If your list of chores seems too overwhelming, work on them in 15-minute segments and do them 2-4 times a day. If they are still too overwhelming, eliminate some! Enlist family/house members to help with the cleaning chores.
- This is not a time for purchasing new furniture, major home repair, sewing projects or painting!
Decorating
- If you have a lot of decorating to do, prioritize your list and schedule the individual items on your list.
- As you decorate, remove your regular decorating accessories and put them in the boxes from which you took your Christmas decorating items. That way, you won’t have to remember where you put them. I have a friend who couldn’t find her regular decorating items for a couple of months after the holidays one year!
- Take this opportunity to purge any decorating items or holiday items you no longer need or want. A great time to declutter! By doing this, the number of boxes you must get out every year decreases.
- Make holiday decorating a family affair, using items that have sentimental value to family members. Warm up some apple cider and put on some music!
- When you put your Christmas items away, make a list of what you have – decorating items, wrapping supplies, paper products, cards, extra gift items, dishes, etc., so you don’t duplicate them. Also make a list of items you need to purchase for next year and pick them up during the sales, if possible. This is a great time of year to get holiday storage boxes at a reduced price.
What a festive time of year! If you can parcel out your cleaning chores and get a jump on your decorating, you’ll have time to enjoy your clean and beautiful home for several weeks!
For more help on organizing your home, office, or time, visit http://www.1-2-3GetOrganized.com – Beverly Coggins’ website.
Beverly Coggins is a professional organizer, speaker and author of the 1-2-3…Get Organized series. Her passions: to help people make home a refuge instead of a crisis center; and to help people live in peace rather than chaos, both at home and at work. Each of her books addresses only one subject of organizing one’s home, office or time and is dedicated to those who are overwhelmed with the thought of organizing.
Her blog containing organizing tips lives at http://www.1-2-3GetOrganized.blogspot.com
Contact info: bev@1-2-3GetOrganized.com.
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