Category: holiday organizing | Organized To Perfection

Check Before You Purchase Advice

October 5, 2021 By Beth Fuchs Leave a Comment

How did summer go by so quickly!? Around here in Chicago, if you blink, you will miss the fall season also! As we make the change to another season, I would like to give you some organizing advice as we go into the new season.

Halloween: I know your family has grown and your Halloween decorating ideas have changed so much from cute skeletons to nice outdoor decorations. Check the decorations that you currently have in your home BEFORE you go out and purchase new decorations. If you know last year you donated or disposed of old decorations and you know what you need this year, that is fine to purchase new items. I always tell my clients to see what you have first before you purchase new things because you may have already purchased the items or have too much of something. So have fun this year and enjoy all of the fun/cute costumes from the kids coming to your home!

Thanksgiving: This year you may decide or have the opportunity to host or go to a family members home or friends home for Thanksgiving. If you are hosting at your home this year, check out your kitchen items and see if you have what you need to prepare the meal and have enough space in your home to have guests. But in this case, be cautious before you decide to donate/dispose of some kitchen items or furniture because some stores may not have it in stock before the holiday due to the shortage around the country from retailers.

Christmas: This is a big holiday and I know you have MANY decorations from many years of decorating and you don’t want to part with any of it! That is completely fine with me but maybe this is the year to sort/purge/organize your Christmas decorations before going out and purchasing new ones. Again, this is a holiday where your decorating styles have changed as your family has grown and your decorating styles have changed. I know or hope you would “have fun” going through your decorations and I believe you will keep more memory items than just regular decorations. If you want to purchase new decorations, that is wonderful but if you can, check out what you have first before ordering the same item that you did last year and now you have two! If that is the case, you now have a holiday gift to give to family or friends!

My advice for this year: Shop in your OWN HOME before shopping in other stores. You will be amazed what you already have or have forgotten about it and now you will fall back in love with them again!

Have a wonderful fall season and if you have any questions or would like addition help with organizing, please contact me at beth@organizedtoperfection.com.

Fun Organizing Projects

December 8, 2020 By Beth Fuchs Leave a Comment

I hope you are all staying healthy and safe during the winter months during the pandemic and we will ALL get through this together! I know many of your lives have changed and your schedules have been all over the board. Now that we are in December, some of your work and home schedules have either slowed down or are very busy. During these crazy times, I would like to give you some fun/interesting and productive organizing projects for you to do!

If there is a room in your home that you love but it needs some organizing, turn on some fun music and work on how to make it better! Are there items that go in another part of the home? Or too much paperwork in your space that you need to file, recycle or take action on? Or add some type of decor items that makes you feel good and have a good vibe to it!
If you love to cook and/or bake, check out the condition of your cooking items and see if you need to replace them. Now is a great time to take stock of what you would like to be replaced, and add it to your holiday wish list for your family and friends. There are many great deals at stores and online for new kitchen items and it would be fun to have new items in your kitchen when you cook during the holidays!
We are going into a new year and now is the time to get rid of your bad habits so take a new fresh look on your personal life and your work life! That may be working on getting rid of clothes that don’t match your age, or go through your linen closet and get rid of torn, stained towels and sheets, or donate/throw away toys that your kids don’t play with anymore or have outgrown. There are items here that I mentioned that may not need to be replaced but it will make room in that space for the items that do work for you and it will stay organized!
If you want your donations to go to a specific charity, there are several locations where they need your items directly. There are local PADS facilities that are always looking for coats, winter gear, socks etc. If you have new/left over construction materials, Habitat for Humanity facilities will take several items. And if have food in your pantry that you no longer want/can’t eat anymore etc. food pantries in your area are always looking for help to feed families.

These are just some ideas that may be easier for you to work on and could be fun to do with your family during the holidays if you are looking for things to do if you have extra time during this month. I always tell people organizing and making a space functional so you love your area should be fun to do and something you would want to work on right away! If you have any questions or would like additional help on how to achieve these tasks, please let me know and I would be happy to help you! Thank you and I wish you all a safe and healthy holiday season with your family and friends!

Organizing tips for a stress-free Thanksgiving holiday

October 14, 2019 By Beth Fuchs Leave a Comment

Every year it seems like the holidays sneak up on us earlier and earlier, and it’s not uncommon to feel like you are never prepared! Maybe you have your family over every year for Thanksgiving and are looking for ways to be more efficient in your preparations. Or maybe this year you are hosting the family for the very first time! I am here to help you sort out your plans and get organized for Thanksgiving and other celebrations so you will enjoy the holidays!

Following are some organizing and planning tips to help you prepare for Thanksgiving and eliminate stress so you can focus on having fun with your family and friends.

Make a list of the people you are inviting to your home for the holiday. Most people invite family and friends who live in the area, but if you are inviting out-of-town guests, it would be best to send out the invitation a few weeks in advance so they can make travel plans.
Inventory your table linens and napkins to see if you need to send them to the dry cleaners and to make sure you have enough for the number of guests that you are expecting. And if you need to purchase new linen sets, check out the stores for great deals now.
Check your serving flatware, glassware and dishes to make sure you have enough. Did any of the dish pieces break last year and need to be replaced? Or are some worn out and need replacement? If you need to order them online, make that a priority on your to-do-list.
Think about what table decorations you would like, or change out your pillows or throw blankets for the party. Some people change out their paintings to holiday or winter scenes during this time of year, so decide if you want to do that, and purchase new ones now if you don’t already have some.
Check out the condition of your guest room if you are having family or friends stay at your home. Do you need to put away items that ended up in that room? Do you need to clean and/or purchase new linens for the bed? This is a great time to decide if you need to keep any items that are being stored in the guest room for safe keeping. Now is the time to donate or throw away items that are no longer needed.
Review your recipes and cookbooks and find your favorite dishes for the holidays, or consider special dishes that your family members request every year! If you want to experiment on some new dishes, try them out a few weeks ahead of time to see if they might become a new favorite for family and friends.
If children are coming to your party, put out toys or movies for them if they need to be entertained. This is a great way to have all of your guests comfortable in your home. If you and your guests like to play board games, make sure you have all of the pieces to the games before the party.
To plan for leftovers from the Thanksgiving meal, try to make some space in your refrigerator and freezer, and eat or throw out any leftover food so you have extra room.

These are just a few tips and ideas so you are as prepared as possible to make the most of your Thanksgiving with your family and friends! This is a great list to use for Thanksgiving or other celebrations that you may have in your home.

If you need help getting your home organized and prepared for the holidays, please contact me and I would be happy to help out! I hope you all have a blessed holiday season!

Holiday Organizing Projects

November 29, 2017 By Beth Fuchs Leave a Comment

We are upon another holiday season and I am looking forward to the gathering of family and friends and the joy of this time of year! As I was going through my holiday decorations this year, I was deciding if I still love the decorations or if I was ready to let it go. Here are 3 ideas and suggestions that I would like for you to consider this holiday season.

Number One: As you get your holiday decorations out this year to decorate your home see if you still love the decorations and if you want to use them or is it time to donate them or throw them away if they are damaged. I know that every year there is a different “feel” to the holidays depending on what has been going on in your life. So as you take out your decorations this year, keep and put up the ones you love and if there are some decorations that you keep passing up every year to put up, is it time to let them go? If the decorations are a memory item, instead of keeping them tucked away in a box maybe put them out for everyone to enjoy!

Number Two: Take inventory NOW of your wrapping paper, gift bags, name tags and bows before you go out and buy items that you don’t need. I always tell my clients before a holiday or a special event, find out how many supplies you have and if you even have to go out to buy things when you already have an abundance of supplies. Especially use up the large gift wrap rolls that are too long and do not fit in a stand up gift wrapping storage bin. Or donate or recycle gift wrapping supplies that are for a special age of kids that you don’t have anymore or the wrappings are in bad condition and you can not use them.

Number Three: Simplify your decorations, party planning and events this year! This time of year should be fun, relaxed and not a stressful time of year. There are so many events that are scheduled now and what is asked of you, it is ok to say no at times. Make time to get together with friends and family and maybe consider meeting at a restaurant instead of their home where they may feel the pressure to make things perfect. When you are putting together your shopping list of gifts for family and friends, think about what they love to do or really care about and get a gift that represents that. It should be about the thought of the gift instead of the number of gifts.

Please keep these ideas and suggestions in mind this holiday season and I am sure you will find peace and relaxation! I hope you all have a great holiday season and I wish you all the best in 2018!

PROUD & ACTIVE MEMBER