The Organized Life: Holiday Organizing Tips

Stephanie Denton, author of The Organized Life, shared these Holiday Organizing Tips:

1. Before heading out to do holiday shopping, organizing your gift list by store (not person). You’ll be less likely to forget anything at a particular outlet and have to backtrack.

2. Begin your shopping at the store farthest from your house. That way, if you don’t finish, what’s left is close by.

3. Create a wallet-size card that lists the clothing sizes of each family member.

4. To save time writing gift tags, designate a different colored wrapping paper for each child’s gifts.

5. Prepare a list of non-perishable food items you need for your holiday feast and make an early visit to the grocery store. At least some of your shopping can be done in advance of the most crowded days.

6. For fast decorating, “wrap” some of the artwork that normally hangs on your walls by covering it with festive holiday paper.

7. Address all of your holiday card envelopes in one sitting. That way, you won’t forget anyone, even if you spread the job out over a month.