‘Tis the Season to Celebrate and Be Organized!While it’s still time to talk turkey, it’s also time to think about the upcoming holiday season and shopping. During an uncertain economy, we will all be spending carefully. Here are a few tips to help get your holiday shopping under way. Set your budget. Don’t exceed that limit! Prepare your gift list. Remember, it’s the thought that counts. Shop early. If you wait until the last minute, you will spend more just to ‘get it done’! Organize a list. Using a gift list book makes this an easy task and helps keep your sanity. Add a dollar amount and include your gift ideas. Homemade gifts are definitely from the heart. Whatever your specialty, family and friends will enjoy. Creative packaging makes any gift more fun. Remember it’s all in the presentation! Personalized Gifts. These are my favorite and everyone loves their name in lights. The best part is, you don’t have to spend a fortune and you make the recipient feel so special. Look for coupons. Most retailers have coupons and catalogs coming to you daily. Check the latest for upcoming sales. Clip the coupons and organize them in a coupon organizer that can be kept handy in your purse or car. Shop Online! This saves you time, gas and money. Look for Free Shipping offers. Give back. Even small toys and books make for great donations. Get your kids involved, teach them to think about others and make giving an annual family tradition. My Favorite Thing: As you’re making your list and checking it twice, don’t forget to add some fun with Holiday Henry. This lovable talking gnome is perfect for stocking stuffers, holiday decor and is the life of the party at festive gatherings. - Mrs. O
Tips For the Week of ThanksgivingWe are coming down to the home stretch and I’m excited! Here are some of my tips to keep you organized on the final days to Thanksgiving. Two days before: - Defrost your turkey and get all the fresh and perishable ingredients you need at your local market. If you are organized, this should be your last trip to the store If you are having out of town guests, be sure the guest room and bathroom is in order. I include a luggage rack, extra hangers, a blow dryer, iron and ironing board and for a final touch, I always place a bottled water on the nightstands One Day Before: -Bake pies and desserts This is also a good time to set out butter, salt and pepper and the water pitcher. Be sure that champagne, white wine, bottled water and soda is in the refrigerator or on ice The Morning of Thanksgiving: -If you are serving breakfast, make it an easy one in preparation and cleaning The final touches: -Turn on the music I hope these tips help make for one of your easiest Thanksgiving Day’s. Happy Organizing! - Mrs. O
Thanksgiving DecorOnce you get the invitations out and the menu confirmed, the next step to a stress free holiday is getting your decor in order. Whether you stick to tradition and rescue the same decorations from storage every year, or change things up a bit and go with the latest fall trends, it is always a good idea to start early and get organized. Think about every room, table and doorstep that you want to adorn with Thanksgiving cheer. After you take note of what you would like to go where, you can decide if there is anything missing. Don’t forget the heartfelt feeling that comes with hand-made decorations. As one of my much loved hobbies, I would like to share some great do-it-yourself crafts that will put you in the giving spirit. Two of my favorite websites, iVillage.com and Parents.com, have put together some easy and simple projects that will bring a seasonal feel to your home this year. If you plan to indulge in one of the great craft ideas provided by iVillage or Parents.com, make sure to have the necessary organization and storage items for before and after the project. You are bound to need craft organizers to keep your paper, pens, scissors, wire, glue, etc. in one convenient place. If you feel inspired to give one of the homemade wreaths a shot, a wreath holder and storage bag will come in handy. Or if you plan on personalizing your dinner table by making your own centerpiece using a vase or glass hurricane, be sure to try and find matching accents for the napkins and place cards. Happy Organizing! - Mrs. O
Thanksgiving Check List TipsOk…as I mentioned, Thanksgiving is almost here and it is time to get busy. Start making your lists and check them twice. Thanksgiving dinner is one feast that can’t wait until the last minute. We’ve put together some simple steps for you to enjoy this holiday and to spend quality time with your guests. Here is your master check list to get you started. Two Weeks Before:
If you are having a large number of guests, think about a garment rack for coats and a boot tray to keep those wet shoes and boots where they belong. One Week Before:
I hope this checklist is helpful for you. Please check back often for the next set of tips and pointers for a stress free Thanksgiving. Happy Organizing! - Mrs. O
Tips and Pointers for An Organized ThanksgivingIt’s just 3 weeks away from one of the most delicious and treasured holidays and to help get you prepared, we have put together some very helpful pointers and tricks to get you organized for Thanksgiving. I will be giving several tips to get you through this holiday stress free. I’ll start with two weeks out and as Turkey Day draws closer, I’ll give tips for two and three days before. So whether the flour is flying or the wine is flowing, I hope everyone can get a few great ideas that will ease them into the giving spirit. Tip of the Day The first thing you should do to get ready is make a checklist. Begin with two weeks before and narrow down to two days before. Getting the turkey, the side dishes and all the guests to the dinner table at the same time will take some planning. Make a “to-do” list of what needs to be done and what you want to be done in order to get organized. Make sure your duties are prioritized. Everything from getting extra stuffing to cleaning the bathroom to putting out the smelly candles should be written down. A good rule of thumb is to start broad and revise your “to-do” list as you are able to check things off. Your duties will get more specific as the days go by. My Favorite Thing: One of the best “to do” pads for a multi-task project like preparing for Thanksgiving is the 3 Way Notepad from Knock Knock. It gives you 3 different notepads for tasks to complete, errands to run and people or places to contact. And the best part… they are all connected and lay right next to each other so you don’t have little pieces of paper flying around everywhere.
Happy Organizing! - Mrs. O
|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Shopping ServicesProduct InformationNeed Help?Sign Up for Email | ||||
