PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) — While the holidays can be a joyous time, they can also be one of the most stressful times of the year, especially between shopping for gifts, and hosting or attending gatherings. However, you can ease stress and eliminate some chaos by organizing ahead of time.
In this week’s Mom Hacks, Christina Giaquinto, professional organizer, life coach, and brand ambassador for modular closets shares some tips for organizing your home this holiday season.
Getting your home ready
Giaquinto said when getting your home ready for the holidays, the first thing to do is to declutter your mind and create a massive to-do list.
Preparing for guests
If you’re hosting a gathering at your home, Giaquinto said to focus on organizing the entryway, the pantry, and of course the guest room.
“The entryway is the first thing that somebody is going to see most often when they walk into the house, and you want them to feel welcome. You don’t want them to feel stress, that’s for sure. So I would simplify and organize your entryway. Of course declutter and organize your pantry because there’s going to be so much cooking and that’s going to help you, and then a guest room if anybody is staying, so your guests feel welcomed and ready to stay over.”
Organizing decorations
When it comes to decorating your home, Giaquinto said to have some grace with yourself and put up as many decorations as you want, that won’t stress you out. She offers three ways for organizing decor:
- Get a bin that’s the color of the holiday that you’re celebrating
- Get a clear bin and put a color sticker over it
- Get a bin and write bullet notes under each post-it or tag on the bin describing what specifically is in it
Organizing gift lists
- Have a purpose with your list
- Stick to your budget
“The holidays are about love and thought to each gift– that’s what really matters. So write a list, create a budget, stick to that budget, and when you go into the store, really go in with a purpose saying this is what I need to buy, and don’t buy endless clutter on top of that,” Giaquinto said.