Organize Your Home This Holiday Season

Binder's Are a Gal's Best Freind

by Carolyn Moir

Do you love boxes, drawers, shelves, binders, and plastic protective sleeves? Does good organization make your heart leap into your throat? It does for me. That's not to say that I'm always successful at maintaining good organization in my home. I do my best, but the holiday season often sweeps me away.

This year I'm going to try something new: a holiday binder. First I'll need to get the binder itself. Then some paper, and those tabs for separating sections...and maybe some plastic protective sleeves, since I love them so much!

Section One: Events and Calendar Here I will write down all the things I've said we will go to, and all the events that the other people in my family want to go to. So, since I celebrate Christmas, I'll put down the church services we're going to. I'll also put down the dinner at Granny's, and the date that Christmas trees go on sale. If work or school is having a party, I'll put that down too. Am I scheduling a family portrait? This would be a good place to put the date and time for that.

Section Two: Cards Here I'll brainstorm all the people I want to send cards to, and maybe divide them into categories of work, family, and friends. Then I can leave a space to fill in the address when I find it, and I will know how many cards to buy at the store. I'll leave a spot to check off when I've mailed each one. Do I have pictures to go out with the cards? Perfect place for a plastic protective sleeve: I can put the pictures in there as I find them, and I can put envelopes and cards in there too.

Section Three: Gifts This is always the thing I have the most trouble keeping track of. What am I getting everybody and have I already gotten it? You know how sometimes you see something in April that would be a great Christmas present for someone you know? Note in your binder that you bought the gift and where you stored it, rather than having to dig around your house looking for those gifts you've squirreled away. Or if you have things you bought because you thought they'd be a good gift for somebody, you will have a record of that and can easily figure out whom the gifts should go to.

Section Four: Recipes Here I'll gather any recipes I promised to make for a party, and the list of food for my own family dinner. I can also make a list of all the ingredients I'll need to buy.

Section Five: Promises Did I tell Bill's mother that I would bake her a pumpkin pie? Did I tell Elizabeth that I would teach her how to knit Christmas stockings? Did I tell the minister that I would serve at the soup kitchen this month? This is the section to write down all those promises and check them off when they're done.

Think about your own holiday and how you celebrate it. What sections will you need? Maybe one for craft instructions, or one for a holiday cleaning schedule. Simply write down everything you need to remember, and check the binder often!