How To Stay Organized During The Holiday Season

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Fellowes Brands for IZEA. All opinions are 100% mine.

The holiday season will be upon us very soon. Every year I look forward to the festivities, family gatherings and food. But as much as I love the holiday season, it can also be a stressful time of year if I’m not careful. Today I want to share some of my favorite tips on how to stay organized during the holiday season. I find that staying organized helps me be more productive and maintain my sanity during the busiest time of year.

How To Stay Organized During The Holiday Season

Start early

There are certain tasks that remain the same every year. So instead of waiting until you’re schedule is full, get ahead and start working on them now. For example, I start Christmas shopping well before the holiday season. I shop sales and clearance items throughout the entire year. Not only do I save time, I also save money with this simple step. I also like to create a schedule of the activities and gatherings we plan to attend. This allows me to keep a balance, so my family is not overbooked and we can actually enjoy the holiday season.

Create a meal plan

It’s easy to forget about meal planning when there are so many festivities centered around food. But the holiday season is probably the best time to stay on top of meal planning. You’ll probably be very busy which might tempt you to order out more often. You certainly don’t want to bust your budget because you failed to plan. Create a simple meal plan of some of your family’s favorite meals. Even 7 meals that you double, will cover a two-week period. Also, try include some of your family’s favorite holiday treats. You have to enjoy yourself a little. 🙂

Get your home guest ready

You’re probably going to be hosting holiday parties or expecting visitors. Start prepping your home now by getting rid of clutter, deep cleaning rooms your guests will be in, and adding festive touches to your home decor. The holiday season is the busiest time of year for me, personally and in my business. So I have to start getting my home ready early on in order to avoid getting overwhelmed later. Are you following my Get Your Home Ready For The Holidays Challenge? It’s a great way to kick start the holiday season and get your home in shape.

Eliminate paper clutter

I’ve shared with you in the past how much I loathe paper clutter. Even when I try to keep it at a minimum, I manage to create paper piles quickly. Part of the reason is receipts I need to keep for my home business, and the other is my fear of tossing out documents with personal information on it. I recently got this stylish Fellowes 79Ci shredder which is great for people like me that are balancing busy schedules and seeking time-saving solutions.

It has heavy-duty cross-cut blades that can handle up to 16 sheets of paper per pass in addition to staples, paper clips, credit cards, junk mail and CDs. The credit card shredder is one of my favorite features. I also love that it has a patented 100% Jam Proof System that eliminates paper jams and powers through tough jobs. No more having to stop what you’re doing to yank out paper jams. It also has an extended 20 minute run time, so you can continue focusing on work and being productive.

The 79Ci has a patented SafeSense® Technology which automatically stops shredding when hands touch the paper opening. I have a little one that manages to get into everything, so this is super important to me. It also has an Energy Savings System that maximizes shredder energy efficiency 100% of the time – both in use and out of use. You can purchase the 79Ci on Amazon and Office Superstores with a suggested retail price of $239.99.

I’ve shared my favorite holiday organization and productivity tips, but remember that you have to choose what’s important to you and your family. The holiday season is a great time to connect with family and create new memories. With a little planning and early start, you can enjoy the season even more.

Are you looking forward to the holiday season? How do you stay organized and productive? I’d love to hear your tips and tricks!