The following is a guest post with four holiday preparation tasks to do now for an organized season from regular contributor, Kristin at The Gold Project.
Christmas time is right around the corner, which means it’s time to start doing some holiday preparation tasks now to get ready! Since I have two little ones (11 years old and 7 years old), one of the things I am starting to prepare our home for is the gift giving and receiving. I know gifts are not the reason for the season, but it is definitely something that I take into account. We try not to go overboard on gifts and I like to make sure they get things they need more than they want.
In addition to that, there is baking and all of the fun activities that come along with this time of the year.
For me, there are a few things that I like to do in order to have a fun and stress-free holiday season. Planning and organizing during this time of the year are vital for me.
1. Go Through Closets
Every Christmas, we receive new clothing items. My husband and I love to give necessities like socks and underwear to our kids. These are things they always need and we like them to start out the new year with new ones. This means that we need to go through their closets and drawers to make room for their new pieces. I know in our home, socks always grow feet and walk off. So, getting rid of those socks without a match is important.
I even like to go through my closet as well. Even though I do not get a lot of clothing items as gifts, it feels good to run through my closet before the holiday season. My closet remains the same throughout the year. I do not have seasonal clothing that I switch out. So, giving my closet a good run-through allows me to get rid of anything that I have not worn that year. Plus, I love to donate during the holiday season too.
2. Check Bakeware
This has definitely been important this year. Somehow, I misplaced several of my glass baking dishes. I have zero idea where they went. I have asked family members and no one has them. If I would have waited until baking time, I would have been in trouble. But, I checked, made a note, and searched around for new ones that were in my price range.
For holiday get-togethers, I usually make the same things every year. And, I use those dishes that mysteriously disappeared. So, I highly recommend checking your bakeware inventory to make sure you haven’t misplaced a dish or two like I did.
3. Get Rid of Unwanted Toys
Every year, my kids transition out of certain toys. Sometimes, it is because of their age. But, other times it is because their interests and favorite things change. So, going through toys before the holiday season is important. Plus, how many of those kids meal toys do you have lying around? Those toys are always floating around, not getting used.
One trick I have learned if my kids are hesitant about donating a toy is to have a holding station. I will put the uncertain toys in a garbage bag and place it in the garage. If they go a certain period of time without asking for anything in the bag, then I donate it. I do not open up the bag before donating it. We will have zero temptation with keeping it closed.
4. Clean Out the Refrigerator and Pantry
The year goes a lot faster than we ever anticipate. Which means you may have food items in your refrigerator and/or pantry that have expired. It may feel like you just purchased that bottle of mayonnaise last week, but in reality it was last year. So, always go through your food, condiments, and spices before the holidays. If you are doing some holiday baking, you do not want to realize in the middle of a recipe that you only have expired ingredients.
I don’t know about y’all, but I always have a pesky bottle or two of something that I overlook when going through my kitchen. So, this is a perfect time to recheck yourself.
What are some of the tasks you complete before the holidays?
For more holiday organizing posts please visit Laura’s gallery HERE.
My name is Kristin and I am a middle school career education teacher by day and a mommy/wife/blogger by night. I am married to my high school sweetheart and we have two loving children. We recently made a life-changing move to Arkansas, so our new house is always under construction. I get excitement out of finding new creative, functional, and cute ways to organize things! I also enjoy writing and documenting life as it happens. So, I put these loves together and created The Gold Project. With the help of my husband, I am attempting to turn our house into a home. So, check out this special place of mine and take this journey with me!
