12/12/12 – Great date!
Here are 12 tips to get you through the holiday season and beyond
1. Make a list of the people for whom you have to buy gifts. Maybe you’ve already bought them something but forgot.
2. Have any special charities? This might be the time to give to them. Perhaps that could be used as a gift for someone on your list.
3. Don’t buy gift bags, wrapping paper, bows, or scotch tape until you see what you already have. No sense in buying more than you need or have room to store.
4. Make a list of those to whom you are sending holiday cards. Don’t rely on your memory.
5. See if you have holiday cards from previous years. You may have enough leftover that you don’t need to buy more this year.
6. As you go through your holiday decorations, discard/recycle what is broken or no longer works. These are just taking up valuable space in your home.
7. As you empty the boxes of decorations, label them with what the contents are, if they are not already labeled. This way it’ll be easier when you have to put the items away.
8. If you are planning on using paper goods to entertain, take an inventory of what you already own. In years past, you may collected enough and don’t have to spend money buying more.
9. Lots of new things will be coming into your house within the month. Use the in-out rule. When something comes in, something goes out (think donations to those who are less fortunate).
10. Need to polish silver? Use baking soda as silver polish. Wash items, then place on aluminum foil in the bottom of a pot. Add a baking-soda solution (¼ cup soda, a few teaspoons salt, 1 quart boiling water) and cover for a few seconds. The result? A chemical reaction that gets the black off of the item (courtesy of Real Simple).
11. If you are cooking, plan to make extras so you can freeze for a later time.
12. Finally and most importantly, set aside time during the days to enjoy this season (and throughout the year). Give yourself that special gift.
Here’s to a Peaceful, Joyous, and Healthy 2013!
Please feel free to forward
Barbara Berman
856-912-0077
BB’s Clutter Solutions is located in Cherry Hill, NJ and serves New Jersey (north and south), Philadelphia and its Pennsylvania suburbs, and New York City.
