The cooler weather always spurs me into action, and so I am getting prepared for the holidays. One thing I do is remove everything from the pantry, clean the shelves and trays, and go through every item. I toss expired items, set aside what hasn't been used and most likely won't be used, for donation, and organize the rest. Having the food items sorted and organized helps me prepare for holiday shopping and meals. I also clean and re-organize all of my food storage containers, and toss out the stray tops. I'll occasionally keep the bottoms for various purposes such as feeding stray animals, holding wet sponges, etc. I started working on the pantry yesterday, and will finish the process today. After that, I'll do the same with the freezer. I'm fairly up to date on what's in my refrigerator, and that is cleaned and organized pretty regularly. Once I'm finished with those projects, I'll make my shopping list for Thanksgiving, based on what I'm lacking, and then do my actual shopping. I haven't decided yet if I'm buying a fresh or frozen turkey, or just a turkey breast, but I'll do the shopping this week, so I get the best selection. What is your strategy for getting organized and prepared for the holidays?
I'm horrible at organization and I always forget to buy or do something in these kinds of holidays. I usually do everything on the last minute so the only thing I can say is that you are doing amazingly well
I like to organize what I have in the house and the time I plan to cook the food so that I know I have given myself enough time, that the food will be ready on time and I will enjoy the day without being to tried from all the work I have done for the last two days. I will start to clean the house Tuesday, start cooking Wednesday and have a good Thanksgiving with my family on Thursday.
I try to get as organized as possible at the end of the year because I like having a clearer picture on my own inventory such as the things I own and the things I am about to give as gifts so that I can make better decisions when buying missing items either for myself or for others. Also, I like to use this time to organize my wardrobe so that I'll be able to throw out clothes I'm not using anymore which I usually just donate to charity. It also helps that around this season it's not so hot anymore so I'm not as grumpy when I'm forced to move a lot in heat.
@DrRipley Oh no kidding. I hear you on the moving around in the heat issue. Most of my clothes are upstairs, and it stays hot up here most of the year, so this is the time I start going through the closets and gathering what I'll be donating, too. I'm actually planning to donate more than usual this year. I think I'm going to downsize some of the items in my Christmas closet, since I don't decorate as much, nor do I buy as many gifts, and I have a huge stash of Christmas wrapping paper and ribbons/bows.
Than you for posting your holiday organization tips! I really like your idea to go through yout Tupperware and get rid of containers without lids and lids without containers. This is a great idea to eliminate clutter in the cupboards. Plus, many Pyrex and Tupperware sets go on sale around the holidays, so you will know if you need to replace any at the best time to purchase new ones. I plan to do the same and donate the containers that I do not need to the local thrift store. I recently went through my pantry and threw out expired groceries, and packed up other nonperishables that I know we will not use to be donated this holiday season. Some grocery items will be moved from the cupboard to the closet of Christmas gifts, such as candy and hot cocoa mixes that I have purchased on sale. In order to save money on Thanksgiving dinner, I usually purchase the groceries needed a couple weeks before Thanksgiving. I have found that in my area, waiting until the week of Thanksgiving usually results in higher grocery prices. Before the Black Friday sales, I usually do an inventory of what gift bags, tissue paper, wrapping paper, scotch tape, gift tags, and Christmas cards I have left to use this year. I try to use what I have before buying more in order to cut down on waste.
@prose Yes, it's definitely time to hit our Christmas stashes and decide what we need. I am considering donating some, if not all, of my Christmas wrapping paper. I have quite a bit of ribbon and bows, as well. I use some of the ribbon for gifts and handmade projects, but the majority is just sitting there taking up space that I could be using for other things. Another thing about the containers that go on sale around Christmas is that some have cute decorative patterns/designs. I don't mind snowmen, snowflakes, etc., and so I'll buy the ones geared toward Christmas/Winter, even after the fact, especially if they're on sale. Sometimes the makers of cling wrap and zipper bags will make special batches for the holidays with similar designs, as well. I used to try to find them specifically for food gifts, but now I just like having them because they're cheery, and if they cost less, all the better.
