HOLIDAYS

By Rachel Weaver | Photos by David Pinchot

Organization expert Patty Kreamer gets ready to decorate.

“The holidays add an additional layer or two to our normally busy lives. It’s a whole new thing to worry about,” says organizer Patty Kreamer, president of Kreamer Connect.

To help people stay on top of those to-do lists while still enjoying the weeks leading up to the special days, organizers offer the following helpful holidays hints.

Decking the Halls
When it comes to creating an ode to the season, organizers agree: planning is the best policy. Jill Revitsky of Discover Organizing advises people to pull out their calendars as early as late September and schedule a day when the whole family will be home so they can attack decorating projects together.

“You don’t want it to be 10 degrees below zero while you’re decorating outside,” says Kreamer. “When you make a plan, it gets done. And it doesn’t have to be a chore.”

Simplifying decorations inside the home starts with the first step. Revitsky tells her clients to avoid dragging out every box labeled “Christmas.”

“If you have six decoration bins, only pull out two,” she says.

Rotating decorations from year to year helps make the task more easy and interesting. Mementos take on a more special meaning when they’re only brought out every few years. Nancy Scott, president of Your Personal Organizer, also urges clients to avoid putting holiday decorations in the same spot each year.

“Don’t think, ‘I put the Christmas tree in the same place for the past 20 years,’” she says. “It makes decorating more fun and you’re not looking at the same stuff every year. There are a lot of different ways to decorate without spending an exorbitant amount of money.”

Storing decorations is all about finding festive containers in reasonable sizes. Kreamer suggests to avoid buying big boxes or too many containers. Otherwise, people tend to buy more decorations to fill them or hang onto old things they no longer want. Each year, it helps to weed out the stock and keep only the truly special items.

Scott’s clients learn to pack away all their non-holiday decorations in the Christmas containers as they pull them out. That way, it’s easy to make the switch once the season has passed.

“Once you set up a system, it’s so much less stressful to keep it going,” she says.

The most important thing to remember is to avoid that urge to outdo everything from the previous year.

“Remember, it’s your home,” says Revitsky. “The decorations are for you. Only put up things that make you feel good. If decorating isn’t your bag, don’t do it.”

Rocking around the Christmas tree
Just like decorating, it helps to rotate holiday parties from year to year. Organizers encourage families to decide ahead of time which annual events they will attend and understand that missing one event isn’t the end of the world.

“People will miss you but they won’t hate you,” says Kreamer. “And you should go because you want to, not out of obligation.”

It’s also important to avoid spending so much time at social events that family time gets pushed aside.

“Don’t fill your schedule up every weekend,” Scott says. “If you have to, schedule time to spend with your family. People get so caught up in the moment, they forget the people who love them more than anything are at home.”

For those who host their own get-togethers, Scott suggests hiring a concierge service to help clean the house, prepare the party and serve the guests.

“That way you can actually enjoy it and almost be a guest at your own party,” she says.

Another option is to follow Revitsky’s advice and ask each guest brings an entree, side dish or dessert. Then the host only has to provide drinks.

“Everyone needs help,” Scott says. “That’s okay. One person can’t do everything.”

Giving great gifts
To prevent buyer’s guilt and avoid giving things that will end up in the recipient’s re-gifting pile, it helps to really think about what people want rather than heading to the stores without any ideas.

“People try to out-do the year before. They keep setting the bar higher and higher and they want to spend more and more. But this results in more debt and giving a lot of things people don’t want,” Kreamer says.

For a great way to give gifts that are sure to please, organizers endorse giving gift certificates, tickets and the ever-popular gas card. Instead of sending mom a sweater, how about a gift card for a manicure? Instead of buying your brother those CDs, why not send him some movie passes? Most people would rather have something they can use than something that will take up more space in their home. “As a person with kids, I hope I don’t get any more toys,” Revitsky says.

To further evade clutter, Kreamer suggests sending holiday e-cards or making a phone call. “It’s more personal and doesn’t take up any space,” she says.

For presents that do require packaging, organizers suggest setting up a wrapping station in an easily accessible area. Then, when the shopper comes home, she can wrap her purchases right away and avoid the dreaded Christmas Eve wrapping frenzy. Another popular option is to use gift bags. “You can go to the Dollar Store now and start stocking up on gold and silver,” says Revitsky.

While all their tips for holiday happiness can make any season smoother, organizers agree on the most important advice they can give clients. I’ll encourage people to avoid getting overwhelmed so they can enjoy the holidays for what they are meant to be: a joyous, relaxing time to spend with family and friends.

“Do not let the holidays overwhelm you to the degree you don’t enjoy it,” Scott says. “Pick your favorite things and do them. You don’t have to write 300 cards and bake 800 cookies. Pick your favorite part of the holiday and elaborate on it.” •