Organizing for the Holidays

By: Esther Simon, M.S.W., Traditional Home Organizer

Shifra Weltman, M.S., SLP

As the holidays near, the 'to do' lists seem to grow longer and longer, with endless tasks to accomplish, gifts to buy, and events to plan and attend. New Years is just around the corner, but with a little bit of thought and planning, organizing your life even before the time to make new resolutions can make this year and this holiday season run more smoothly than ever before.

Gifts:

Buying gifts for your loved ones can be an overwhelming experience. Often, people wait until last minute to go shopping, and end up spending more time and money than they had planned originally. This can be avoided by taking a few simple steps.

Firstly, make a list delineating whom you plan to give gifts to, with several possible options next to their names. Think about how much money you want to spend, and how much your loved one wants or needs the intended gift. Has he or she recently bought a new home, had a child, or started a new job? Keeping these types of things in mind will direct you to buying a gift that will truly be appreciated, whether it is a beautiful new mailbox, a gift certificate for two for dinner and a show (for the new parents who need some alone time), or desk organizing trays and the perfect scarf to wear to business meetings. When buying for children, keep their parents and friends in mind. Will the child be able to play/wear this at school? Will his parents approve of the gift? By contemplating gift options and personal needs, you avoid buying something that your friend or family member will not really appreciate.

           Go through your own house with a pen and paper and jot down a list of things you and your family need or want. That way, when friends or family ask you if there is anything specific they can get you, you can mention some thought out options. People want to get you something you will enjoy, and by putting some time and thought into your own needs, you will save yourself the hassle of returning gifts after the holidays.

Finally, save valuable time by ordering gifts online. So many hours are spent driving, parking and wandering through stores looking for appropriate gifts. Market research analysts advise retail chains to place certain items in the high trafficked parts of the store, and place toys and clothes they desperately want to sell at eye level, while other (possibly cheaper) items are stored in harder to find spots. Online, however, a savvy shopper can compare prices on websites such as www.shopping.com <http://www.shopping.com/> , and on most websites, can organize the gift possibilities they are viewing by price or choose toys based on a specific price bracket (i.e.: $50-70).  Many stores offer free shipping this time of year, so a shopper does not loose out monetarily by shopping online rather than traveling to the store. Another bonus is that you can check your shopping cart every few minutes to make sure you are staying on budget. This is much harder to do at an actual store, where you may feel embarrassed to put things back once you have already reached the cash register.

Your house:

           Before you start entertaining your family or friends and before the loads of new packages and gifts arrive, you may want to de-clutter your home.  Spring cleaning is just around the corner, and there is so much to do around the holiday season as it is, so don't set such high expectations for yourself. However, there are a few simple things you can do so that you can enter the New Year feeling like your life is in order.

           Remember that the focus is on de-cluttering instead of deep cleaning. Right now, there is no need to wash all the curtains and carpets in your house. They will probably just get dirty again from all of the entertaining that will be going on! Rather, go through your closets as well as those of your children. What can be better than donating like-new clothes that are never used or don't fit to those who really need them this holiday season? Prepare three bags or cardboard boxes marked: 'Trash', 'Store' or 'Donate.' Instead of throwing everything that needs to be out of your closet on the floor (to be divided into piles later), immediately put the item into the appropriate box. If you or your child hasn't worn something in the past 6 months, it probably has no place in your closet. Similarly, if a toy has not been used frequently in the past 3 months, or there are multiples of the same item, it does not need to be taking up valuable room.

           Another area which can be organized is your kitchen. We tend to cook and bake more during this time of year than any other. Don't you deserve for it to be an enjoyable experience? Invest in buying matching plastic, glass or aluminum containers for all of your baking ingredients. When you open the pantry, your flower, sugars, chocolate chips, and assorted powders will be neatly and beautifully arranged. Go through your pots and pans and see which ones need replacing. Are some pots missing their lids? Are some too scratched to be effectively used? Use this opportunity to figure out what you really need in your kitchen to make cooking and baking a pleasure.

Events:

           This season is the time when family and friends get together to celebrate and to enjoy each others company. You can avoid being overwhelmed by planning your events in advance. Think about which other events you will have to attend, the family and friends who will want to host at your home, and do not overbook yourself.

           Here is where making a list is once again so valuable. Who do you want to see or spend time with this season? Jotting down the names of family and friends you want to spend time with will help you avoid forgetting to invite someone to a party and hurting their feelings. Don't overlook getting together with friends if that is what is important. So, if you are having family for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or New Years, make sure that you also plan a small get together for your close friends. Schedule some alone time with your immediate family, and enough 'free nights' where you can go to bed early, or relax without having to attend a function.

           Buy things that can be used multiple times or later on in the year in bulk. For example, clear plastic plates are essentials at almost all parties or events and are much cheaper when buying a few hundred of them at a time. If using nice paper and/or plastic is acceptable for your functions and will save you time and energy, take this option into consideration. Treat yourself to some pretty household items (new picture, plant, candles, vase) for around the house. After all, there is no better time to invest in beautifying your home than right before an opportunity to get complements from your family and friends! People tend to take more pictures inside than outside during this time of year, so the elegant touches vases, plants, or pictures will give to your background will really make a difference.

           Finally, it is important to make a list before you set out to the supermarket to buy food and goods for your events. This is a good rule all year round, but is especially important now. Think about where you can take shortcuts in your cooking, and where homemade items will really be noticed. For example, rice pilaf from the box or ready made icing for a cake will save you a lot of time and will allow you to focus on preparing a delectable roast or Grandma's special chocolate fudge cake from scratch. Be cognizant of how much you can handle and do not overwork yourself in the kitchen and when entertaining.

           The holidays are an exciting time. We all enjoy being with our loved ones, sharing meals, exchanging presents, and spending quality time with people we don't get to see all year. Utilizing some of the tips mentioned above can help you avoid the rush and stress that often comes along with the gift giving and entertaining in the next few months. When your home is de-cluttered, and your events planned and well organized, you will be able to truly enjoy this holiday season!

Published in Mishpacha Magazine

 A Midnight Adventure with Elva the Organizing Elf

      By: Esther Simon, M.S.W, Traditional Home Organizer

      And Shifra Weltman 

      It was almost Pesach, and my Imma and Abba had have been working so hard to clean the house and prepare for the Yom Tov. Last week, my Imma vacuumed the whole upstairs as well as the couches in the family room. We had to make sure there were no crumbs anywhere, and that the whole house was chametz free. As my mother was organizing the family room and checking for forgotten food in the containers of toys, I asked her if there was anything I could do to help her for Pesach. "Shifra," she told me, "I really appreciate your asking. I am working so hard to make sure everything is ready in time for Pesach, and if you could be in charge of cleaning and organizing your room, I know that that would help me a great deal!"

      Now I had my task laid out for me. The only problem was that I didn't even know where to begin! I kept everything in my room from my school supplies, toys and books to hair accessories and photo albums. Because of all of the valuable paraphernalia mixed with outdated items and junk that I had never made time to dispose of cluttering up my room, cleaning my room seemed like a daunting and impossible task.

      That night I simply could not fall asleep. Whenever my eyes began to close I started to imagine the piles of outgrown shirts, skirts and tights that still filled my closets. My desk was pilled high with current homework as well as old assignments and projects I had gotten back from my teachers last year. Other treasures found on my desk included notes from my "big sister" at school last year along with developed pictures from summer camp, and much, much more. I really needed help!

      I finally drifted off to sleep. Before long, however, I was awakened by a whispering in my ear. "Psst, psst, get up," a soft voice encouraged. With a start, I opened my eyes only to see a tiny pink elf standing next to my bed. She was wearing a purple apron and seemed to be holding a miniature duster in her hand. "We have so much to do," she continued, "there is no time to waste. We have to clean and organize your room for Pesach!" I couldn't believe my eyes. Never in my life had I ever seen such a creature and I knew that this had to be a dream. After all, magical elves just don't exist.

      Before my eyes, the elf began to scamper and skip around my room, evaluating the disordered situation. Although I knew this had to be a dream, I wasn't about to let this opportunity go to waste. If the elf could help me manage this mess, I knew that I would really be indebted to her.

      First Elva (that is what the elf told me to call her) placed a towel on my bed. She told me that by doing this, when I emptied the contents of my desk onto my covers, crumbs and dirt would not soil my freshly washed linen. Elva showed me how to sort all the items that were on my desk into separate piles. I threw away items that were obviously junk, such as candy wrappers and unimportant papers. I kept all of my “personal treasures” and things I couldn’t bear to part with such as my box of baby teeth and the acorns from my trip to Yosemite national park. I put these things together in one drawer of my desk. I sharpened all of my pencils and lay them in a plastic container along with the working pens. All of my paperclips and pins went in a plastic Ziploc baggie and were placed alongside the pencils and pens.  I divided my old projects from school into things I wanted to keep and things that could be thrown away. By deciding that I would only hold onto five projects or assignments from each year, I was able to set limits for myself and toss the rest.

      When my desk was in tip-top shape, I tackled the bookshelves. I took out the books, one shelf at a time, and Elva showed me how to wipe down the cover and book sleeve with a slightly damp rag before placing the book back on the shelf. Since I had all the books out already, I sorted them by type and size when I returned them to their place. This way my bookcases would not only look orderly, but would be functional too! When I needed a halacha book, I would know exactly where to look.

      When I was organizing my bookshelves, I realized how many toys and games I kept there too. Elva and I resolved to keep only the activities I still played with at least once a week. Other board games were neatly put in the family game closet in the basement.

      My closet was probably the most daunting task for Elva and me. I honestly didn’t even know where to begin. Elva suggested we start with the floor of the closet. We matched up all my shoes (boy, finding all the matches sure was difficult!) and put the shoes I didn’t wear anymore in a bag to offer to my younger sisters or to give away to someone who needed them. I had tons of hangers in my closet, and so I kept only the ones that matched. I neatly hung up all of my skirts, dresses and blouses and sorted like items together. I tried to also arrange the items by color so that when I would look for a black skirt, I would only have to search in one place. Of course, as my real purpose was to clean for Pesach, I checked all of the pockets in my clothing for forgotten food, candy or crumbs.

      While cleaning my drawers, Elva the elf made sure that my pajamas were in their own drawer, and that my sweaters, t-shirts, socks and underwear all had separate compartments in the dresser. She used shoe boxes to sort my socks and slips. How smart! When we were organizing these items, we found so many hair accessories, such as clips, rubber bands and headbands.  We decided to put all of these things into a plastic box in the bathroom, which was where I normally brushed my hair in the morning anyways.

      Next Elva and I tackled my nightstand. Boy, did I have a lot of papers, lotions, food, and random things such as batteries and band-aids cluttering up the glass top. I decided to only keep things I used before bed on the nightstand, such as my alarm clock, my siddur, and a small glass box for jewelry I took off at night. Everything else was placed into the appropriate drawer in my desk.

      Finally, my room seemed orderly and neat! Everything was in its place. I can’t even tell you what a difference this made. Now, all that was left to do was to vacuum and sweep to rid the room of unwanted chametz, crumbs, dirt and dust. Elva reminded me to sweep under the bed and to wipe down the spaces under the nightstand and dresser.

      With one last look around the room, Elva gave me her nod of approval. The bedroom was neat and organized, but most importantly, it was chametz free!! Elva the elf took off her purple apron with a satisfied smile. “I hope this room can stay this way for some time,” she quipped. I think with all of the tips and ideas she had given me, I would now be able to maintain the order and cleanliness I had just worked so hard to achieve.

      Elva gave one last wave and disappeared into thin air. I was so sleepy and my eyes began to close. I quickly climbed back into my bed to sleep away whatever part of the night was left. I was so proud of my hard work, and knew that in the morning when I showed my mother the job I had done, she would be too. I only had one question: Should I tell my mother that I had been assisted by an organizing elf, or would she even believe me? 

Cleaning and Organizing Tips by Esther Simon, The Traditional Home Organizer. Esther can be contacted at tradhomorg@aol.com or 310-396-5656.