Have yourself an organized Christmas
The holidays can be stressful, but with some organization and systems, it can help reduce the stress and have some fun! I have a couple systems I use that help me feel better about the process from shopping to bringing the gifts home from the party. I hope this helps you have yourself an organized Christmas!
Lists
I start my holiday shopping and organization with my list. The list allows me to plan all the events, all the people, and all the gifts in a view that allows me to make sure the kids are somewhat similar as well as I don’t over buy. Next to the events, I also list my dish to pass and spending limits if they are a part of the event. Having the date I need it by helps as well. I find this list essential to my gifting.
Important Notes:
- Updated in 2022
- These lists hold ALL your gift ideas. Keep away from prying eyes!! –maybe even have 1 page for no kids eyes and one (or more) for the rest
- Do in pencil, you may need to move things around, return if you find out they are getting something from someone else, etc.
Need gift ideas? I have a couple gift guides available.
Santa Vs. Parent Gifts
- Sensory Gifts 2020
- Infant (not first born) (2020)
- Preschooler (2020)
- 2021 Gifts (by box)
- Want Do Need, Wear Learn Read (updated 2022)
Piles/Boxes/Shelves
I take the boxes from the deliveries, write down/cross off the list, put them with their notecard/post it note category, and put that in the right pile/box/shelf. Using STRATEGIC stacking, I make sure Santa & St. Nick are on the bottom, tags on tops not sides so I can get access but wandering eyes don’t have access. Every party/house has a pile/box/shelf.
Coded Wrapping
I pick a paper for each kid and wrap each kid’s gift in the same paper. (no more “is this mine?”) I also use these tags to indicate the type (but not need a name since they will know their paper). She custom made me Do and Learn as well. 🙂
For the rest of the gifts, I pick 2-3 types of paper and I wrap for that party by paper. Maybe friendsgiving, Party 2 & family 1 in one paper, family 2 and Party 1 in another. It just helps keep parties/events sorted by bunches.
Santa does not wrap our presents. We leave a Santa bag out for him, he comes down, fills the bag, and they open in the morning. Then they put the bag downstairs until next year when they leave it out (if we have santa coming to a party we bring the bags (they can see that) and he fills them before coming inside. This helps cut down on hiding paper, handwriting, etc and helps us keep a little more magic a little longer.
Bags & Dishes
When it is time to going to the event, I pack a tote ( Target laundry bags that are the same shape and structure as 31 totes, Laundry Baskets also work great. (and under $5!)). I put the food, pjs, cups or other items we need and the gifts for that party in the bag. When it comes to leaving, I tell my husband to grab the “color of the bag” and it contains everything we need. It also works great to make sure things come back home and it allows us bring the gifts home.
We wish you an organized Christmas
These ideas have made gifting and party going so much easier. We stay in the right categories, we have the right stuff on the right day. These tasks may seem silly or too simple, but I can guarantee the process is so much easier.
