3.Use craft supply organizers and gift wrapping organizers to keep everything you need for each activity all together, all in one place. These typically can be stored throughout the year in a hall closet, attic or craft room. Don’t leave your supplies on the kitchen table from November first to January first; decide which room you’ll perform this task in, and find a stowage area in that room, like the closet or under the bed, or a shelving unit. Here’s a free standing gift wrap station as another option.
4.Don’t leave the clean-up for last. Whatever your activity is, there will be an order of operations. As you finish each step in your process, clean up what you are through using. Wash out the batter bowl and beaters as soon as the cake pan goes into the oven; put the scraps of gift wrap and empty ribbon and tape rolls into the trash can. Take the full bag out to the trash bin as soon as it reaches capacity and wipe the surfaces as they need it.
5.Wash the dishes. When you finish a meal, get those dishes rinsed into the dishwasher and run it as soon as it’s full; or assign a family member as the dishwasher and get the dishes washed and out of the sink before they creep onto the counters. It might seem like a hassle to wash after every meal, but dishes and glasses multiply faster than rabbits if you leave them alone in the sink! It’s faster to wash two or three items three or four times a day than to stand at the sink and wash a whole day (or two) of stinky, sticky dishes. (Wanna know a secret? I use these and these as often as possible to cut down on my time at the sink.)
6.Have a trash bin handy. When you receive a gift, or are opening Christmas gifts en masse, have an empty trash can nearby, but out of photo shot, and put the paper in the trash can (or recycling) immediately.
7.Decide where stuff should live. Once opened, decide where the gift will take up residence in your home (Clothes: drawer or hanger? Appliances: counter top or cabinet? Keepsake: mantle or china hutch?) and put it there. If it doesn’t fit, you may have to purge some old things to make room for the new, or find a suitable alternate location.
8.A Place for everything. Similarly, when you’re making purchases for your home, or items that you need for a project, be sure to put those items away in their rightful places as soon as you take them out of the bag, or they’ll end up living on the kitchen counter for weeks. This includes non-perishable grocery items. Hello, bags of flour and sugar, I’m talking to you. Not so nice as kitchen decorations, and kind of hard to work around, just sitting there. Into the pantry you go!
9.Give those gifts away. In terms of gift giving, get them out of your house as soon as possible.
10.Don’t waste a trip. Every time you walk out of a room, take something with you that needs to be returned to the room you’re entering or a room you’re passing. When you get there, put it away in its place, not just on another surface in that room. You’ll thank me later.
11.Bathroom duty. Don’t forget to check the state of your guest bathroom at least once a day. Take the time to replace toilet paper, hand towels, soap and the like, as well as wiping the surfaces, especially if there are kids using that bathroom, and emptying the trash. Keep a box of small trash bags under the sink or in the cabinet with disinfecting wipes, paper towels and toilet paper rolls to make this room a two-minute tidy.
12.Clean out the car. Take a plastic grocery bag with you when you get into your car. Pick up any trash you see in your car. If you drive through and get a fancy coffee or grab fast food lunch, put the wrappers in that grocery bag. Take it with you when you get out of the car, tie it closed and put it in the trash when you enter the house.
13.Keep your purse and your finances tidy. Put a plastic envelope in your purse. For every purchase you make, put the receipt in that envelope. When you get home, take out the
envelope and review/record your spending with your budget. (Find budget tools at www.daveramsey.com Shred receipts you no longer need, keep receipts you do need in a file folder or scan them into a file on your computer, depending what you need them for. (Charitable gifts: scan; possible returns: file)
14.Graciously accept help. When the party is over, and a few guests remain, do not turn down your friends’ offer to help pick up before they go home. You would stay to help them, so let them help you. Many hands make light work, so you’ll be done in no time, and it will be more fun to clean up with a friend tonight than by yourself tomorrow. Make a cup of tea or coffee and keep the music on till you’re done.
15.Give yourself Grace. If you wake up and find that a mess snuck into the house while you were sleeping, just give yourself grace and start with the first thing. Make your bed, get dressed, and eat your breakfast. Then tackle those dishes.
RH