With the holidays being the busiest time of the year, your time may be more  condensed while juggling things. For example, shopping, gift wrapping, baking,  and planning time with family and friends. So, organization is important for you  with saving time and being organized.  

Here are some useful ways you can stay organized to keep things running  smoothly during this holiday season.  

Start by having a family meeting where you all can view a calendar.  Everyone takes a turn to share what is most meaningful to them this holiday season and includes everyone mentioning events. The holidays can stretch over the whole month, so having times early for those events can be beneficial. Once you have a good idea of what’s happening in the month, organize it into three areas. First, organize the budget, then time management, and lastly any changes to your routines you may need to make in order to fit in all the events. 

“Make a list and check it twice!” That’s a classic and there’s a reason for it.  Get organized by having a holiday to-do list and have categories: 

1. Home  preparation-tasks that are related to cleaning, decorating, and prepping the  kitchen. 
2. Gift giving-making a list of who you’re shopping for, what you’re  purchasing, what needs wrapping, and if you are making homemade gifts. 

If you’re hosting an open house or family dinner, write down everything  that is related to the menu, grocery shopping, cooking, and baking. Family holiday traditions could include things like a family portrait, watching the favorite seasonal movie, visiting relatives, and tree decorating. Making a space for holiday cards. Choosing a space where you can organize  cards and envelopes and family photos. Update the address book and even create a station for mailing. Maybe having a place to showcase the cards you  receive from friends and family would be fun too! 

Creating a space for wrapping gifts will keep supplies (paper, gift bags, tape,  and scissors) organized, so you are not scrambling to find items when you  are ready to wrap gifts.

Focus on the areas that you will be using the most for the holidays. Is there a place to hang coats? Are the holiday dishes and cookware ready to use and easily accessible? Have you removed items that are unnecessary from the  kitchen, living room and other areas to make more room for food prep and  guests to gather? 

With these useful holiday tips in place, you will have less stress and more time for  your favorite traditions with family and friends. Your holiday season will be  enjoyed by all!