3 Ways to Organize Christmas Lights

Did you know that the day after Thanksgiving, Black Friday, is also National Buy Nothing Day? Which will you be doing? If you decide to not go out shopping, but still want to prepare for the holidays this weekend, it's a great time to organize your Christmas Lights!

Got a bunch of Christmas lights to untangle?

Organizing Tip: Keep Christmas Lights untangled by wrapping them around a clothes hanger. Here's a picture I pinned on my Holiday Pinterest Board:

Got strands of lights that don't work?

Christmas Light Recycling Resource: Find locations in Minnesota. Click Here

Got a Christmas Lights remote?

How to keep it organized and handy so you can always find it: 
Watch our short video.

Secondhand Dress-up Costume Bins

Now's a great time to start planning what you are going to do for all those kids on your Christmas list. It's also a great time to shop for costumes both before and after Halloween.

Last year I decided to do something different for Christmas gifts. I gave my nephew and two nieces dress up bins full of costume pieces. The idea came to me when a neighbor offered me a half dozen, plastic, hanging file totes that she had gotten from work that were no longer wanted. I knew with just a touch of soap and water I could put these bins to work and contain something in them, so I accepted. As I washed them out one at a time in my bath tub, my wheels started to turn as the water rushed down the drain. With Christmas still a couple of months away at the time, the idea to make dress up bins came to mind. I knew I had plenty of time to look around for just the right items to include.

I wanted to keep the project around $20/bin and keep the contents fairly even between the kids. I decided to head to my local dollar and thrift stores to shop. I found great deals and had a lot of fun picking out imaginative play clothing and accessories.

Some things I included:

• Cowgirl and Cowboy hats, bandannas
• Plastic Sword and Shield
• Pom poms and cheer girl outfit
• Princess skirts, high heels, tiaras, necklaces, and wands
• Doctor's tools and a white dress shirt
• An assortment of masks
• Fireman's hats, 2 yellow, 1 red
• 2 Purses and Mailman's hat

  
Other tips: Make sure to wash and dry all items you purchase before you give them as a gift. Use a black sharpie to label the items for each child on the tag or inside to keep them straight. When kids open their bins they'll tend to not know who's things belong to who as they begin to share and try things on.

 


What you'll need to make a Dress Up Costume Bin:

•  Costumes & Accessories like I mentioned above.  No need to spend a lot.

Fire Hat and Ax

• 1 Plastic Hanging File Tote with Lid

 

Other tips: If and when your child outgrows dress up, this file tote bin can transform into a place to keep favorite school projects, mementos and artwork. Just add more hanging file folders.




 

• 1 Hanging File Folder with Plastic Tab labeled with child's name (Great for keeping smaller accessories like Pirate eye patches, Gold Coins, Rings, Pearl Necklaces, Bracelets and Tattoo stickers)

Other tips: Show your child where the smaller items can be put back in the hanging file folder so they are easier to find and not misplace. Teach them how to fit the lid on top of the bin and that all costume pieces go inside the tote when playtime is over.

• 2 Super Sticky Post-It Labels for Sides of Tote (The super sticky post-it labels are great because unlike traditional post-its that are only sticky on one end, this one is sticky the entire length of the paper)

Other tips:
Choose a bright color label that will contrast the outside of your tote and will stand out. If you have more than one child you are making a bin for, use a different color for each. I like a good ol' black sharpie to write.

 

The Cheerleader outfit

Have fun with it. Try on a few things yourself at the next tea party you're invited to!










Stores to shop inexpensively or second hand: 

Costumes: Your own House, Dollar Tree,  Savers, Goodwill, Salvation Army,
Arcs Value Village, Thrift Store and Donation Center

File Tote, Hanging File Folders and Labels: Your own House or office, Office Max, Target

Simplify Your Life Week: Color Code

Day #3- FRIDAY

Save time and use color coding.
Who wouldn't like to find things quicker when we need something? Color coding can help because when we associate a color with something we are able to remember it and oftentimes access it quicker.

Places to try color coding and make smiling spaces in your home:

• Calendars (assign people, activities, events, or appointments each a different color)
• Closets (hang clothing by like colors, or give each family member a different hanger color)
• Files (separate personal and business, adult and children papers with different file folder colors)
• Storage (keep holiday decorations in different colored bins: Orange for Halloween, Red for Valentines Day and Green for Christmas)

How's your simplifying going? Leave a comment or question below.

Organizing Holiday Cards Video

An organizing tip from Smiling Spaces, presented in a "Silent Film" style and starring Charlotte Chaplin. See how to organize your holiday cards, keep track of addresses, and display them in a fun, seasonal way.

Happy Holidays!

An Organizer's Winter Wonderland Carol

*Sing these new 2011 words to the classic "Winter Wonderland" tune.
(by Felix Bernard & Richard B. Smith, 1934)

An Organizer's "Winter Wonderland"

Clients cling as we’re listening,
In their eyes, tears are glistening
Though clutter is deep
They still want to keep
The objects that created such a mess.

Gone away is their neat home
As disorder is full-blown.
We’ll guide them along
To make them feel strong
While concerns and issues are addressed.

In the session we will empty piles
Installing systems they can understand.

We’ll be sure the process
fits their style,
And they can carry out
What we have planned.

Later on, we'll enable
Them to clear, sort, and label.
To face with our aid
The plans that we've made
To organize the items they possess.


By Susi McCune • Specialized Organization Services LLC • www.MessDistress.com

Recycle Holiday Lights at Ace Hardware

Have burned out Christmas lights that you want to trash?



Recycle lights at Ace Hardware stores for free.

Click Here for 300 Ace Hardware Minnesota Locations.

Scotch Pre-cut tape- to make wrapping quicker

Wrap your wrist with one of these! Save time gift wrapping this holiday season with this handy pre-cut tape dispenser.

"Scotch® Pop-Up Tape Handband dispenser is the ultimate in tape delivery, style, and convenience. With one-handed dispensing, this attractive and sleek styled dispenser slips comfortably onto your hand. Precut lengths of tape .75 in x 2 in, in a refillable Pop-up Tape dispenser. 75 tape strips/pad. The tape disappears on most gift wrap papers."
(from: Scotch website)

•Pre-cut tape strips •One-handed dispensing convenience •Great for wrapping gifts

Gift Wrap on a Budget

Isn't it crazy how much buying a new gift bag, bow to match, and greeting card can cost? Sometimes it's almost as much as the gift you're buying itself. In an effort to help stay on budget, yet make sure my gifts look great, I've gathered a few ideas to help wrap gifts for less cost.

1) Get creative! Look around your house for items you can reuse as a way to wrap your item.

Use: Classic Comics, Turn a Brown Paper Bag inside out, Sheet Music, Old Map, Fabric, Scarf, Metal Cookie Tin, Jar, Beach Bucket, Book Jacket, Wall Poster, Wall Paper Sample, Calendar Pages, Disguise that Fancy Shopping Bag you just couldn't throw out

2) Dress it up with what you've got on hand. Like an outfit, accessorize your gift to give it that finishing touch it deserves.

Use: Bow Tie, Artificial Flower, A few larger Christmas Light Bulbs, Pine Cone, Fabric Ribbon, Sparkly Garland, Elastic Head Bands, Old Cassette Tape, Ornament

Some ideas from Star Tribune, 12-16-2009 article "Re-Wrap" by Kim Yeager

Recyled Card Program

Instead of tossing your holiday cards this year, mail them off to be recycled into new cards at the St. Jude's Ranch for Children. Only the front is used, so cut off the side with any writing on it. They accept all types of holiday cards but do not accept Hallmark, Disney or American Greeting cards.


For more information visit www.stjudesranch.org/store.
1-877-977-SJRC (7572)


Send your donation to:
St. Jude’s Ranch for Children
ATTN: Donor Office
P.O. Box 60100
Boulder City, NV 89006-0100

It's a wrap!

Remember how we used to watch our older relatives carefully unwrap their gifts and comment on how beautifully it was wrapped? Remember how they would gently pull off the bows and fold the paper to save it for the next year? Remember how their face would light up when they would finally see the contents and go on about how nice it was? It sometimes seems like they were more into that process of unwrapping the gift and preparing for the surprise of what was inside than the gift itself. It made us slow down with anticipation, which made seeing them get the gift that much more enjoyable. Although it might have seemed torturous as a kid, I think we could all slow down a bit more this holiday season when we unwrap our gifts to really enjoy the whole experience of receiving a gift and the thought behind it.

This blog today is written in honor of my Great Aunt Marge who passed away last week. She used to be the best gift giver, but also the best gift wrapper I've ever known. All of her gifts were crisply wrapped with beautifully tied ribbons and bows that I'm pretty certain she made herself- a real skill I feel is sort of lost these days as we are so rushed and busy to take the time.

Gift wrapping. Some dread it, some love it. I tend to really appreciate a nicely wrapped gift. I think it shows that you care about someone when you take the time to put some thought and effort into the way you present a gift before it is revealed. Now, do I always have time to be super elaborate and fancy? Nope. But, I do try to take into account how my gift looks before I give it to someone. Perhaps it will slow them down and make them realize how much I appreciate them and put thought into their gift.

Here are a few quick tips to slow down the unwrapping of your next gift:

1) Present your gift with confidence and a smile. No matter who it's for, if you feel proud of your gift whoever is receiving it will be so thankful to have it too.

2) Get creative. No one says you have to spend a lot of money on wrapping. Using the comic section of the newspaper is still a cute alternative for a fun Birthday or Child gift. Try reusing a paper shopping bag and covering the logo with a leftover scrap of a favorite past wrapping paper. Add a couple different colors of fresh tissue paper to the inside of the bag and accent the gift with a bright colored ribbon.

3) Put a bow or other decorative accent on the gift. Going one step further than a gift bag with tissue, or a wrapped gift in a box, tie a ribbon around it or add a swig of some leftover artificial flowers to it. Have a spot to keep random little accents you collect throughout the year and have fun picking just the right one out for the gift when you need it. Around the holidays, a small ornament looks really cute tied onto a gift next to the name tag. Take a look at the customer service wall of wrapped gifts at any department store and copy an idea you see.

4)Go easy on the tape. Try to limit your tape use and secure the wrapping only where it really needs it.

5) Curl ribbon with scissors. Seems simple, but taking an extra minute to curl the ends of ribbon with a good pair of scissors adds a great touch that shows you put a little bit more time in wrapping your gift. Make sure you go with the curl of the ribbon or you'll be trying to get it to curl for half an hour.

6) Don't forget to take off price tags. Don't just take a marker and scribble over the numbers, most of the time you can see right through it anyway. If you don't want to remove the tag, clip off the part with the price.

Have fun, put some thought into it, and be done.

Avoiding Wish List Woes

About this time every year when I was a child my mom used to hand my sisters and I each a piece of paper and ask us to write our wishlist for Christmas. It was an exciting time to dream big, cover all avenues of clothes, toys, accessories, and such. She told us that we had a deadline of Thanksgiving to give it to her and after that we she couldn't guarantee that we would get something we really wanted. The other rule was that we couldn't buy anything off our list for ourselves, of course.

We'd look through magazines and turn down corners for her to see the picture of items we thought were cool. One year I remember giving her such a detailed list that not only included the thing I wanted, but what store to get it at and how much it cost. She later commented how much that made shopping for me a sinch. I was, and am to this day, so fortunate to have such a wonderful and loving Mom and Dad. We were so lucky to get many things we wanted each Christmas.

Unfortunately, it seems as we get older this wishlist thing gets a little more daunting as we become the gift buyer and have to think what to get everyone on our list. It may be hard to know what someone might like or need and we may have a budget we are trying to follow. Here are a few quick tips to ease the stress related to gift buying this holiday season:

* Make a list. Write down who you want or need to buy for and any ideas you have for what you might get them. If you don't have any ideas, leave a space to fill one in later. This way you will see who you need to ask specifically or do some research on.

* Set a budget. After you make a list, write down next to each person how much you ideally would like to spend on them. This will help you when you are out and about shopping and may get tempted to buy more than you were hoping to spend.

* Put a store name next to each gift idea. This way you can save time and gas money by picking up more than one gift at any given store instead of running around looking for one person at a time.

* Set a timeline for gift buying completion. Maybe it's the 1st of December, or the weekend before a holiday party. Whatever it is, factor in gift wrapping time and other holiday preparations you may have such as baking cookies or seeing someone's holiday show.

* Make your own wish list! Remember to let yourself dream a bit too. Post a list on the fridge or on your bathroom mirror and write down ideas as you think of them day to day. That way you'll be ready to give an idea to someone when they ask: "So, what do you want for Christmas?" Just don't tell everyone the same thing, or you may get five pairs of pink fluffy slippers!

HAPPY SHOPPING!