Preparing and organising for the festive period can be exciting and fun, but sometimes it can feel overwhelming and stressful. Carrie Ottolini – Professional Organiser shares her knowledge on how to keep you on track, your house organised and ensure you actually enjoy the holiday.
Firstly, break down the one giant job into manageable small ones, you will enjoy the satisfaction of ticking these jobs off along the way!
Compose the gift list for your family and friends; allocate a budget per person to ensure you don’t over spend. Try not to buy for the sake of buying and be conscious of adding to other people’s clutter. Ideal ways to avoid this are to purchase experiences, plants, consumables and drinks. Think about a day you can put aside to shop locally for these items, it’s great to support your local high street and you often find handmade or unusual items you just wouldn’t see online.
Make a guest list for the festive meals you will be hosting, enjoy spending some time perusing those gorgeous food magazines! Pre plan your meals and make a list of all ingredients. Purchase non-perishable items early and book your online shop so that you get a collection/delivery date and time that suits you, by doing this in advance you will avoid the busy supermarkets.
Compose your card list and purchase your cards and gift wrap early, write a few cards each evening, it’s one less thing to do nearer the time. If you have to send any cards or presents overseas you will avoid the long post office queues too!
Go through your decorations, purging any that have seen better days and purchase new ones if necessary.
If you have guests staying over the festive period, now is an ideal time to declutter the spare room. Whilst you are in this mind-set you can declutter your home in preparation for the gifts you may receive. Finally clear out the fridge, check use-by dates on condiments that often take up a lot of space.
Finally, be conscious of your diary during this holiday. If you accept every invitation you may feel overwhelmed. Rather than enjoying yourself over the festive period you will just end up rushing from one place to the next.
It’s about taking time to enjoy the company of family and friends.
