The holiday season is meant to be a fun and joyous occasion; a time to slow down and celebrate with loved ones. However, before the fun begins, it may require you to get your space in order.
If you’re expecting to host a few guests then you may want to clean up and organize prior to their arrival, if you’re cooking then you want to take inventory of what you have on-hand so that you can purchase exactly what’s needed, and my favorite task is to purge your space while cleaning up because you may encounter items that no longer are ideal for your lifestyle.
Create a Designated Storage Space for Recipes
I always remember my Mom-Mom prepping for the holidays for many days in advance. And once the day arrived, we would walk into her home and be greeted by the amazing aroma of all the food that she had prepared. I was always fascinated by how she could effortlessly prepare an extensive amount of food in such a seamless manner. Since the holidays are centered around food, be sure to create a designated space for cookbooks and recipes for you to easily reference. My Mom-Mom passed down many of her recipes to me which I typed up, printed out, and now store inside of a binder – labeled, ‘Recipes.’ I recommend grouping together printed recipes and recipes that are taken from a magazine and store them inside of a binder or folder to keep them organized. When you’re cooking, you want to prepare the food with ease and not have to search through the kitchen for the recipes/cookbooks. Be sure to thrift binders and storage baskets from Goodwill to store your recipes so that they can be passed down.
Take inventory of Food
In addition, to prepping for the holidays many days in advance, my Mom-Mom would be sure to take inventory of food items that she had at home before grocery shopping. This allowed her to make a list of what she needed to purchase so that she could stay on task and within her budget. I encourage you to take a tour of your kitchen and document what you have in-stock. If you notice that you have an abundance of butter and eggs then that’s a clear indicator to not purchase those items when at the grocery store. After you take inventory, then create a list of all the items that you need so that you too may stay within budget and focused when grocery shopping. These organized steps are meant to help you stay on track and minimize the stress that is often associated with the holiday season.
Purge Your Space
I like to be mindful that the holiday season may not be joyous for some individuals for various reasons. And because of that, I always like to use the holiday season, as an important time to go through my space and determine what no longer suits me but is in great condition which could be beneficial for someone else. I like that Goodwill accepts a variety of items such as household and decor items, clothes, jewelry, and more. I recommend carving out a section within your space and creating piles that state: donate, sell, or keep. This organized system allows you to easily make a determination as to where items should be placed. I believe that purging your unwanted items creates a better space for yourself but it also helps out someone who may be in need.
The holidays don’t have to be stressful which is why being organized and getting your space organized is important. Be sure to take some time to prepare in a timely manner so that whichever holiday you celebrate, it can be a joyous and stress-free one.
