Janice

Simplify Your Holidays – Tip #2

/

The holiday greeting cards are starting to arrive in the mail. If you haven’t addressed yours yet, it’s time to get started.

Here is a list of things to do to help make sure you have current addresses.

1. Check the return addresses on all the cards you receive before throwing out the envelopes. Update your address book and your greeting card list with any changes.

2. If you receive a card from someone new be sure to add their name and address to your list. Don’t feel obligated to send a card back to them this year if it gets to late. You will have the name and address for next year.

3. Keep a few extra greeting cards and stamps around so you can send a card to the new person on your list if you want to.

If you haven’t even started your list yet you might want to check out my article “Holiday Greeting Card System“.

Please share any tips you have on simplifying the holidays by leaving a comment.

Thanks

Janice

https://cutclutterwithscissors.com

http://twitter.com/jlscissors

Simplify Your Holidays – Tip #2 Read More »

Simplify Your Holidays – Tip 1

/

One of the basic rules to control clutter is the in-and-out inventory rule. When something new comes in, something old must go out. This is the time of year where lots of new things come into the home. How about getting rid of some old things?

imageNow is the time to make room for all those new things, especially if you have young children who will be receiving gifts from grandparents, aunts and uncles, and you. Have your children go through all their old toys, with your help if necessary, and pull out the ones they don’t want anymore.

Throw away any broken ones. Any toys that are in good shape can be taken to a local charity collection center (Goodwill, etc.). This will help teach your children to get rid of the toys they no longer use and learn to bless others by donating them to a charity.

Their anticipation and appreciation for the new toys/gifts will be even greater without the old unused toys cluttering up their rooms and lives.

I will be posting many more tips on how to “Simplify Your Holidays” so be sure to check back often during the next few weeks. If you like, you can sign up to receive new blog posts by email. Just fill in your first name and email address in the top box on the right sidebar. (the one above the blue box)

Janice

https://cutclutterwithscissors.com

http://twitter.com/jlscissors

Simplify Your Holidays – Tip 1 Read More »

How to Simplify the Holiday Season

/

The holiday season is suppose to bring joy, peace, and gratitude for our family, our homes, and our friends. This is the ideal situation.

But for most people the reality is far from the ideal. With the economy the way it is many are struggling just to keep a roof over their head. Others are living in a chaotic mess both figuratively and literally.

So how do we find joy, peace, and gratitude in our lives? One way is to step back and take a good look at our surroundings and learn to simplify. There are areas of your life you can’t change at the moment but there are plenty that you can change. Many are small changes you can do that will help you move closer to the true meaning of this holiday season.

Here are some suggestions.

Holiday Decorations:

Do you look forward to unpacking boxes and boxes and boxes of decorations or are you feeling overwhelmed and dreading it? If you love it, then go for it! But if you are dreading all the work and time then take a few moments to think about why you do something you don’t enjoy.

Maybe this is the year to only take out a few favorite decorations and leave the rest packed up. Would the lack of massive decorations kill the spirit of the holiday for you? Probably not. Fewer decorations (and work) just may help your home look and feel more peaceful.

Presents: clip_image001

When it comes to the economy some are feeling it worse than others. However, we all want the most for our money. But this time of year we sometimes forget that it is the thought that counts and not how much we spend or how many gifts we give or receive.

You can reduce the stress (and clutter) by cutting back on your gift giving to family and friends. At the same time you may want to give more to those less fortunate.

Many local charities have a list of items that some of the neediest families in your home town need. Some charities have you pick a family (anonymously) and purchase some or all the things on their list. This could be the groceries needed for a holiday dinner or clothes such as a robe or slippers or even a winter coat. Get your children involved in the shopping and help them realize how important it is to help others. This helps you and your family put gratitude back into the season.

Holiday Meals:

We all have special foods we expect each year. It’s also fun to try new recipes. If you do all the planning, preparing, and cooking for the big family celebrations it may be time to let others help out.

Have different family members or friends who come to your home also bring a part of the meal. Don’t be afraid to ask. Most people would be honored if asked to bring a special dish. When everyone contributes to the meal they each get a chance to be complimented on their dish. They are no longer just a guest but part of the inner circle.

When everyone helps out it takes a lot of work and stress off of the main hostess. This helps put joy back in the season for everyone, not just the guests.

Small changes can add up. Don’t try to do it all, buy it all, or cook it all. This is the time where less really can be more – more joy, more peace, more gratitude.

Please share any ideas you may have in the comment section. Thanks.

Janice

https://cutclutterwithscissors.com

http://twitter.com/jlscissors

How to Simplify the Holiday Season Read More »

Holiday Planning “To-Do List”

/ / 2 Comments

Are you having Thanksgiving dinner at your house? What about Christmas or Hanukkah? Are you traveling out of town to visit relatives or are they coming to visit you?

If you answered “yes” to any of the above questions now is the time to start planning your “to-do list” so everything runs smooth and on time.

Turkey Rolls

Holiday Meal Planner

Gather up a pad of paper or spiral notebook, a calendar, and a pen. If you are planning a holiday meal decide what the whole menu will be and write it down on one piece of paper. Do this at least several weeks before the date.

If guests and/or family members bring different dishes, write their name next to it on the menu. Make sure they know what they are expected to bring and how many guests will be at the table.

Once you know what dishes your will be making then write down all the ingredients needed. Make a shopping list and take advantage of the sales on the non-perishables ahead of time.

 

Holiday Home Cleaning Planner

Creating a planner to prepare your home for the holiday meal is similar the plan for the meal. It can be set up in the same notebook. Make a list of everything that needs to be done starting with the day of the party and work your way backwards. If you work outside the home and don’t have a full couple of days ahead to clean, then list a few tasks for each day starting 3 or 4 days to a week ahead of time.

List the day and date and then fill in what you want to get done on those days. If you don’t complete the task on the designated day then transfer it to the next day. It will make more work for you the next day but also give you a greater sense of urgency if you keep procrastinating. Enlist help from family members. Write their name next to the task and let them mark it off when they have completed it. This will help them know what is expected from them each day.

 

Travel Planner

If you’re traveling to visit relatives, make a Travel Planner to keep you organized.

 

Please let me know how you plan your holiday meals or trips by leaving a comment.

Thanks,

Janice

https://www.facebook.com/CutClutterWithScissors/

http://twitter.com/jlscissors

Holiday Planning “To-Do List” Read More »

Home Office Desk Paper Clutter

/ / 1 Comment

It seems like the home office desk is the dumping ground for papers of every kind. We know if we put it on the desk we will eventually take care of it, plus there is less chance of losing the paper or bill. The problem comes in with trying to keep it organized with the constant influx of papers.

IMGP1524

When the desk is piled high it is hard to work efficiently there. It is easy to miss paying a bill because it’s lost in the mountain of paper on the desk. Permission slips for your children’s school don’t get turned in on time. You lose out on refunds because they expire before you get them filed.

With the holiday’s coming up you want to make sure your finances are in order before you set your budget for holiday shopping. Take some time now to declutter your desk so you can take care of your bills and other important papers. If you send out holiday greeting cards and you use your desk to make your list, gather your addresses, and write out your cards, then you will want to get it cleaned off. It will be hard to get them out in time otherwise.

My weekly newsletter is currently giving a 6 step plan to simplify the writing and sending out holiday greeting cards. You can sign up here to start receiving these free weekly newsletters.

I wrote any article on eHow about how to “Divide and Conquer” paper clutter. Check it out for a step by step process to helping you get control of you home office desk.

Halloween is just over a week away. If you haven’t bought my eBook yet, it’s not to late to benefit from all the tips on safety, decorating, and storage of your Halloween decorations and costumes. Get it here: How To Have A Fun, Safe, And Decluttered Halloween.

Janice

https://cutclutterwithscissors.com

http://twitter.com/jlscissors

Home Office Desk Paper Clutter Read More »