GOLDEN VALLEY, Minn. — Tis the season for family gatherings and holiday parties, which means more presents to buy, more events to attend, rooms to decorate and food to prepare.
It's easy to get overwhelmed if you aren't organized. Twin Cities organizing expert and author Michele Vig is here to help us take on the four biggest holiday organizational struggles.
- Declutter toys before new ones arrive: The best way to slow down post holiday toy clutter is to declutter your toy room before you open any presents at all. And parents, unless your kids are babies, resist the urge to declutter without them. You want them to make their own decisions on their toys because it helps them learn the skills of managing their stuff from start to finish.
- Organizing lights and ornaments is easier than you think: The challenge with these two types of holiday decor is that both require specific organizing tools to get them organized and they both require patience when you put them away. For holiday lights, all you need to organize them is a piece of cardboard. Simply cut four slits in a piece or cardboard and then wrap your lights around the cardboard and tuck the ends in the slits. For ornaments, investing in a bin that has been created for holding ornaments will simplify this process immensely.
- Say goodbye to holiday decor in season: It's important to edit your holiday decor in season because often it's the only time you can actually donate those items to places like Goodwill.
- Declutter your calendar, too: A lot of time our holiday stress comes from us saying yes to too many events and invitations. by taking the time to declutter our own calendars and giving ourselves enough margin, we will decrease the holiday stress significantly.