Looking for a new, fun way to get clutter-free in ’23?
Inn-tro-du-cingg…(drumroll, please)…the long-awaited release of my latest project:
Go With the Flow! The Clutter Flow Chart Workbook
Looking for a new, fun way to get clutter-free in ’23?
Inn-tro-du-cingg…(drumroll, please)…the long-awaited release of my latest project:
Go With the Flow! The Clutter Flow Chart Workbook
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 family getting together that contributes to the stress, and sometimes it’s the fact that you’re not getting together, or can’t, whatever the reason may be.
If you can relate to this definition, keep reading for some tips that will help you reduce holiday stress in four major areas of your life.
I don’t normally make New Year’s resolutions, per se, much less advertise them. This one came from being hard on myself right out of the 2018 gate for goals I already felt behind on in the new year.
One of the several things I had not done yet, that I had planned to do, was to send New Year’s cards. It’s not too late to do it, but meanwhile I’ve realized a few things:
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 printables from lots of sources!
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 the gift? Sometimes the very best gifts are not even things. They are gift cards, memberships, subscriptions, experiences, services, and consumables.
Here are some of my favorite clutter-free gift ideas.
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 Wish List I focused on the mechanics of an on-line (Amazon) wish list, and provided tips such as to keep it updated, and to add a variety of items in different price ranges. This post about wish list etiquette applies to any and all forms of a wish list, including dog-eared catalog pages. Keep reading for a list of suggested DOs and DON’Ts for gift givers, gift recipients, and parents.
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 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 natural extension of counting my blessings. I use the cards I receive as decorations. In my Albuquerque home, my office is open to my kitchen, dining room and living room, so I tape them to my filing cabinet!
But the very last thing I want to do is to make anyone feel inadequate in the card-sending department! Who needs that kind of stress? Two friends posted on Facebook one year about receiving their first holiday card of the season. One wrote: “I love, love, love going to my mailbox this time of year! Doin’ a little dance!” The other wrote: “I think it is too early for sending Christmas cards. Maybe it bugs me because I haven’t even made my list yet.”
Here are my suggestions for alleviating holiday card stress and guilt:
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 that luxury. The guest room often doubles as an office, a den, a laundry-folding station, or even a child’s room, with the kids doubling up when company comes. But no matter where you put your guests, there are ways to make them feel more comfortable and make things easier for YOU, too:
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