Organize Your Holidays

An Organized COVID Holiday Season – When Less is More

By Hazel Thornton | November 1, 2020 |

This year has been like no other in our lifetime. What an opportunity to re-think the holidays! Whatever we do this COVID holiday season may — by default, or by design — also affect our future. What’s important to YOU during the holidays? Peace and quiet? (Or, have you had way too much of that…

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Organizing to De-Stress Your Holidays (all of them)

By Hazel Thornton | November 18, 2019 |

What are “holidays” and why are they so stressful? A holiday is any special occasion, all year round, which involves extra preparations; extra time, money and energy; and extra people, families in particular. Examples include birthdays, weddings, religious holidays, and secular holidays. Holiday stress comes from having unrealistic expectations of yourself and others. Sometimes it’s the…

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Org4life Holiday Roundup

By Hazel Thornton | December 13, 2016 |

My website has a great search feature, but I thought I’d make things a little easier for you by gathering all my holiday tips and tricks in one handy place! The links below are all Org4life posts. Check out my Holiday Resource Roundup page for even more tips, videos, checklists, infographics, flow charts, and free…

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Clutter-Free Gift Ideas

By Hazel Thornton | December 8, 2016 |

One way to de-stress the holidays is to give clutter-free gifts. Can we all agree that the best gifts are fun to give, fun to get, and fit within our budgets? And the worst gifts just add clutter, guilt, and work to the recipient’s life in the form of having to store, clean, and maintain…

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Do you follow proper wish list etiquette?

By Hazel Thornton | December 8, 2016 |

Are you reluctant to create a wish list because you think (or have been told) that it’s materialistic? Selfish? Rude? Miss Manners may frown on wish lists, but Miss Hazel thinks they can be very handy communication tools, and a great relief to gift givers and recipients alike. In How (and Why) to Organize Your…

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How (and Why) to Organize Your Wish List

By Hazel Thornton | December 8, 2016 |

  Do you have a wish list? No? Why not? Because you are no longer a child writing letters to Santa? That’s no excuse! Wish lists are a great way to de-stress the holidays and make gift-giving occasions easier all year long. I just updated my Amazon.com wish list and asked my family to do…

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To send, or not to send? No more holiday card guilt!

By Hazel Thornton | December 8, 2016 |

  I love to send and receive holiday cards! My Thanksgiving weekend ritual is to take inventory — while relaxing in front of the fire, with a glass of wine, snacks, and some Christmas music — of my friends, family, clients, colleagues, and those who have been helpful to me throughout the year. It’s a…

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Is Your Guest Room Guest Worthy?

By Hazel Thornton | October 17, 2015 |

For some folks Thanksgiving kicks off the holiday house guest season, but around here it’s October’s Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. People come from all over the world to participate, to experience, and to visit us in our homes. Of course it’s nice to have a spare room devoted to only guests, but not everyone has…

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The Gift of Organizing…? (Q&A)

By Hazel Thornton | December 12, 2013 |

The gift of organizing is just like any other gift: It could be just what the recipient wanted…or, well, not so much! ORGANIZING GADGETS Q: Should I give my loved one a new organizing gadget or container as a gift?

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