5 Organizational Tips To Make This Holiday Season More Sane

Because of my mom’s great love of the season, this also has always entailed big family gatherings, open houses, traveling across the city to partake in various cookie exchanges… As the family grows (with marriages and kids) so does the need to become even more organized. And my mom is the queen of holiday organization.

My mom would listen to holiday music starting in July if we would let her.  Her favorite albums have been pretty constant through the years, and Perry Como and Nat King Cole’s voices are a part of my childhood memories.  My dad actually had to instate a “no holiday music until Thanksgiving” rule.  (But you’d better believe that the first thing she does on Thanksgiving morning is turn on the music.) Let the season begin. 

Because of my mom’s great love of the season, this also has always entailed big family gatherings, open houses, traveling across the city to partake in various cookie exchanges…  As the family grows (with marriages and kids) so does the need to become even more organized.  And my mom is the queen of holiday organization. 

Here are my mom’s top 5 tips to help make your season more sane.

1. If you make the same dishes every year during the holiday season (i.e. you are in charge of the broccoli casserole and mashed potatoes year after year), and if your favorite go-to recipes come from multiple different sources, make a copy of the needed recipes and keep them grouped together.  My mom actually stores them in a plastic pouch to be pulled out at this time of year.  This will make your life much, much easier.

2. Take it to the next level.  My mom will actually then take those beloved recipes and has created an electronic grocery list that she adds to every year.  She knows which dishes are the staples at this time of year (see above) and because of that, she already has a grocery list that is standing and ready.  Then, if she is trying something new, she will simply add to the grocery list. Just print and head out to face the crowds.

3. Keep a Gift Book.  Every year, my mom uses the same book to make a list of gifts that she will purchase – for absolutely everyone for whom she shops.  If you keep this all in one spot year after year, it helps to be sure you are not scrambling at the last minute (having forgotten someone) and to better budget throughout the year.  This, not to mention that it helps to divide and conquer – she can send my dad out to buy a few gifts, with the use of the Gift Book.  It makes it much easier on him to be able to reference back to what they have bought, (let’s say for yours truly) last year. 

4. Invite friends and family over to help.  This is actually a new tradition we are instating this year.  There are a few people who will gather around the dinner table this Thanksgiving who were looking to start the festivities early (including me). So, we are all gathering at my parent’s house in the morning to help stuff the turkey and make the mashed potatoes, set the table etc. This will help to take a little pressure off the hostess (with the mostess) and give us all a reason to be together. 

5. Keep your address list up-to-date throughout the year.  Spend a few hours of time in September or October to make sure that you have all of the information ready to be printed off onto labels to get the holiday cards out on time – and without stress. Don’t wait until the last minute!

Thus concludes some of my mom’s best “how to stay organized through the holidays” ideas.  I sure think that she is one smart cookie and hope this has been helpful.