Home Organization Services & Homeschool Coaching
The holidays are almost here! There’s so much to enjoy this time of year, yet for many reasons, the season can also feel like a burden. There’s a lot of work involved in getting holiday-ready, especially if you’re hosting people in your home. But it doesn’t have to be as difficult as we anticipate.
The following practical steps will help you alleviate the stress of holiday home preparations.
Preparing your home for the holidays can be overwhelming; all the “to-do’s” take up precious head space. To avoid that anxiety, make a list of what you want to accomplish. Write down everything from decluttering, cleaning, and guest-room repairs, to the decorations you want to put up.
When you’ve finished the list, pick 3-5 goals that are most important, and set a reasonable time in your planner to tackle each project. Hold onto the rest of your list. Once you’ve accomplished the important tasks, pick 3-5 more goals and repeat the process.
It’s never too early to start getting your home ready for the holidays. Preparations always take more time and energy than expected, so starting as early and giving yourself plenty of wiggle room will prevent a lot of stress down the road.
Chances are, you are bombarded daily with great ideas from friends, social media, and marketing about what you *could do* during the holidays. But it’s impossible to do it all, so it’s vital to identify what’s important to you, individually.
What do you get most excited about when it comes to the holidays? Write down your thoughts, then condense them into something you can write on a 3×5 card or a sticky note. Put your note somewhere you’ll regularly see it, and it will help you stay focused and motivated to accomplish what you’ve planned.
Here’s an example of what I wrote on my note: “Tidy and clean spaces help make my home inviting, which makes my family feel loved. Simple decorations, music, and holiday foods help get me in the mood for celebrating.”
When you’re tackling your projects, it helps to keep things simple. Below are a few tips for decorating with less effort, and decluttering without creating piles you’ll need to pick up later.
Decluttering Projects:
If decluttering is one of your goals, consider using a method that doesn’t create more mess than when you started. The best method I’ve found so far is by Dana K. White. You can find her method in the book “Decluttering at the Speed of Life,” or watch her video on “progress only decluttering” HERE.
Decorating Projects:
When you’re decorating for Christmas, the temptation can arise to “go all out.” But if you’re pressed for time, here are a few tips on how to decorate beautifully without over-burdening yourself:
Pick 3-4 centralized places to decorate and leave the rest of your home as is. The quicker assembly and disassembly will leave you time to do more things on your list. Consolidating your decor will give your eyes a place to land, allowing you and your guests to enjoy it more.
Central spaces are areas such as your front porch, entryway, the main banister, the mantlepiece, a hutch, or the dining room table. A little goes a long way, so pick your favorite decorations and make your home beautiful!
I hope these tips help you prepare for a wonderful holiday season! If you need additional help, you can book a free consultation with me below.
Hannah is the founder and consultant of Tidy Home and School Room. She specializes in helping families organize their homes and educational materials in ways that create natural flow and reflect their goals. Her unique method blends traditional organization services with personal coaching so clients are empowered to live organized long after their projects are completed.
Hannah is the founder and consultant of Tidy Home and School Room. She specializes in helping families organize their homes and educational materials in ways that create natural flow and reflect their goals. Her unique method blends traditional organization services with personal coaching so clients are empowered to live organized long after their projects are completed.