Now that Thanksgiving is over and you’ve recovered from the overcrowded Black Friday sales, it’s time to get ready for the party you’ve been planning to have this holiday season. Don’t wait until the last minute to plan your menu and decorate your home for the holidays. However, before you decorate, you may need to declutter! Now is the perfect time to take a good look at your home and decide on how you would like things arranged and organized on the big day. Unless you’re fortunate to have abundant space, you may need to move some things around and even remove some items to accommodate all of your guests. Here are a few tips to get organized as you approach the day of your holiday party:

1.       Mail your invitations 2-4 weeks before the party

2.       Plan your menu at least 2 weeks before the party

3.       Begin decluttering your entertaining areas, one space at a time

4.       Make sure you have enough serving platters and an area to serve beverages

5.       If families are invited, clear an area for children, so that they feel comfortable

6.       Decide on furniture arrangement before the day of the party

7.       Decorate your home for the holidays for a festive touch

8.       Follow-up with guests who have not responded at least 4 days before the party

9.      Begin preparing menu items that can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator or freezer.    You’ll be so glad you did!

On the day of the party, if you were able to get most of these tasks done, you’ll feel far more organized and ready for your guests.  Click here to see some kitchen and bar organizers for entertaining.

Jacquie Ross is a Maryland based Professional Organizer, writer and owner of CastAway the Clutter! Jacquie has been writing for Home Storage USA since 2007. A member of the National Association of Professional Organizers and Maryland Association of Professional Organizers, she teaches homeowners how to reclaim their time and space, and offers Time Management workshops to businesses to maximize productivity.  Jacquie can be reached at jacquie@castawaytheclutter.com. Visit CastAway the Clutter to sign up for her free organizing tips at www.castawaytheclutter.com.

Getting children and teens organized can be a challenge!  We can help them, but they have to want to be organized, in order to stay organized.  Sometimes, if they have cool or pretty organizers to store their toys and belongings, they may feel more motivated to keep their rooms tidy.

I recommend that you purchase a favorite toy or item they want and present it in an organizing product.  For example, pick up a colorful storage cube and place the actual gift inside. An idea for an older teen girl, is to place a toiletry (bubble bath, lotion etc.) or make-up gift inside a cosmetic or bath organizer.

For my children, after they have opened and played with their gifts for a while, I discuss with them ways to keep them organized. Their items should have a place, just like anything else in the house and it teaches them that they can’t just leave their things lying around.  If you don’t have containers, this is the time to figure out what you need and make a note to purchase them in the following few weeks, if possible.  Happy organizing!

Click here to shop for kid’s gifts at HomeStorageWarehouse.com.

For Gift Certificates click here.

Jacquie Ross is a Maryland based Professional Organizer, writer and owner of CastAway the Clutter! Jacquie has been writing for Home Storage USA since 2007. A member of the National Association of Professional Organizers and Maryland Association of Professional Organizers, she teaches homeowners how to reclaim their time and space, and offers Time Management workshops to businesses to maximize productivity.  Jacquie can be reached at jacquie@castawaytheclutter.com. Visit CastAway the Clutter to sign up for her free organizing tips at www.castawaytheclutter.com.

Gift shopping can be quite stressful for acquaintances you respect, but maybe don’t know that well.  For instance, teachers certainly deserve to receive a gift of thanks during the holidays, but what do you buy?  One thing I’m sure of is that teachers do like to be organized and would appreciate anything that will help them to get organized.

For friends and co-workers, think about conversations you may have had regarding their home, car or other personal items.  You can learn a lot about their likes and dislikes, helping you to think of gifts they may appreciate.

Here are a few ideas, all different, that can help you to brainstorm ideas for your teachers, friends or co-workers.  This is an area I would recommend that you buy early, so that you don’t have to rush out at the last minute and spend more than you had originally intended.

Click here to shop for great gifts at HomeStorageWarehouse.com.

For Gift Certificates click here.

Jacquie Ross is a Maryland based Professional Organizer, writer and owner of CastAway the Clutter! Jacquie has been writing for Home Storage USA since 2007. A member of the National Association of Professional Organizers and Maryland Association of Professional Organizers, she teaches homeowners how to reclaim their time and space, and offers Time Management workshops to businesses to maximize productivity.  Jacquie can be reached at jacquie@castawaytheclutter.com. Visit CastAway the Clutter to sign up for her free organizing tips at www.castawaytheclutter.com.

Do you struggle with what to get dad this holiday season? Another year of socks and ties is going to get old. Although they might not want to admit it, dads do like to be organized too.

Let’s take a look at some cool gift ideas that dad will appreciate.

Click here to shop for these and other great gifts for the men in your life.

If dad doesn’t mind doing the shopping himself, you could also get him a gift certificate.  Select the amount that fits your budget.

Most moms are so busy juggling career, family and other responsibilities that they find themselves in a constant struggle to stay organized. This holiday season, why not treat mom to a holiday gift that she will appreciate and is practical too?  There are many gift ideas that are attractive and will help to control the chaos of everyday life.  With a gift that helps mom stay organized, she can also reclaim a little more time for herself.

Here are a few gift ideas to help mom get organized.

Click here to shop for these and more organizing gifts for mom.   

If you entertain regularly and use special china for your guests, you may have a few pieces on display with the remainder put away, due to limited space.  It’s important that you store your china with care, especially if you have heirloom pieces or the china is expensive to replace.  This is particularly important if you have inquisitive children who may decide to play pretend with your fine china! 

Stacking the china in a location that may get bumped or moved around is risky.  China Storage Boxes are the answer to this problem, since they are especially made for fine china and will protect it from bumps, resulting in unsightly chips or scratches. 

China Storage Boxes come in all sizes, for dinner plates, salad plates, saucers and more, and can be stashed away quickly and easily until you need them for your next occasion.    

For more information on these China Storage Boxes, click here.

Jacquie Ross is a Maryland based Professional Organizer, writer and owner of CastAway the Clutter! Jacquie has been writing for Home Storage USA since 2007. A member of the National Association of Professional Organizers, she teaches homeowners and businesses how to reclaim their time and space. Jacquie can be reached at jacquie@castawaytheclutter.com. Visit CastAway the Clutter to sign up for her free organizing tips at www.castawaytheclutter.com.

While entertaining are you embarrassed to open your kitchen cabinet doors for fear your guests will see how cluttered they are? 

Even though the holidays are coming up, it’s still not too late to have organized kitchen cabinets.  If you have deep or tall cabinets with very little shelves, or limited space, you can purchase practical and attractive sliding cabinet drawers, which you can install yourself, without the need of a handyman.  Store your dish washing supplies, cleaning products, pots and pans and more.   

Sliding cabinet drawers can also be used in deep pantries to store non-perishable food items.  There are several sizes and designs available at various price points, so measure your cabinets and pick the ones that work for you.

Also, don’t forget your drawers.  If you have  some chaotic junk drawers, spend an  hour or so cleaning them out and purge and  reorganize your supplies using a drawer  organizer. 

Get Organized today and shop for these and more kitchen organizers at HomeStorageWarehouse.com. 

Jacquie Ross is a Maryland based Professional Organizer, writer and owner of CastAway the Clutter! Jacquie has been writing for Home Storage USA since 2007. A member of the National Association of Professional Organizers, she teaches homeowners and businesses how to reclaim their time and space. Jacquie can be reached at jacquie@castawaytheclutter.com. Visit CastAway the Clutter to sign up for her free organizing tips at www.castawaytheclutter.com.

If you regularly serve wine to your guests, it’s nice to have an organized system in place that you can enjoy time and time again.

If you’re short on counter space, set up a specific area for serving. There’s no need to run out and hire someone to build a custom bar, a simple baker’s rack will do just as well.  Many racks even come equipped with storage for several wine bottles. Plus there is usually at least one shelf that you can use for serving.

A baker’s rack is also ideal for storing any additional bar tools that you like to have handy while entertaining. A baker’s rack can be located in the kitchen, living room or dining room.

If you don’t have the space for a baker’s rack, a wine cart is a perfect addition to any home and works well in small spaces.  Each wine cart holds wine bottles, several wine glasses and can be moved from room to room as needed.  Wine carts are also perfect for outdoor rooms, patios and recreation rooms.

Have some fun with your wine related storage.  Getting organized doesn’t have to be boring.  Here are a few fun and unique items to consider before the rush of holiday entertaining.

Click here to see these and other wine storage racks.

Jacquie Ross is a Maryland based Professional Organizer, writer and owner of CastAway the Clutter! Jacquie has been writing for Home Storage USA since 2007. A member of the National Association of Professional Organizers, she teaches homeowners and businesses how to reclaim their time and space. Jacquie can be reached at jacquie@castawaytheclutter.com. Visit CastAway the Clutter to sign up for her free organizing tips at www.castawaytheclutter.com.

You’re planning a party shortly and have created a menu. Next, you will have to figure out what ingredients you need, how much you need and when to buy.  However, one of the most challenging aspects of entertaining is preparing all the recipes to be ready at the same time!  This requires time, a lot of preparation and occasionally a little help.  Don’t feel compelled to do it all.  Help can come in a couple of different ways:

§ Already prepared meals from your local store

§ A family member or friend helping you in the kitchen, or

§ A guest bringing a dish to share. 

Whichever combination works for you is great, but all still require some planning. If you will be preparing most of the food yourself, many recipes can be prepared the day before, a week before or even sometimes weeks before, and stored in the freezer. Check your recipes to see which ones can be prepared in advance. Then be sure you have some good quality plastic containers to store your meals in the refrigerator or freezer.  Try storage containers like the ones here from Freshvac. They come with an air tight seal that also lets air out and prevents freezer burn.   

Click here to learn more about these wonderful containers. By using the right containers, you will save time, money and stress!

Jacquie Ross is a Maryland based Professional Organizer, writer and owner of CastAway the Clutter! Jacquie has been writing for Home Storage USA since 2007. A member of the National Association of Professional Organizers, she teaches homeowners and businesses how to reclaim their time and space. Jacquie can be reached at jacquie@castawaytheclutter.com. Visit CastAway the Clutter to sign up for her free organizing tips at www.castawaytheclutter.com.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful to never break a sweat when planning a party?  If you would love to host more parties, but find the whole process to be overwhelming; realize that with proper preparation and systems, it doesn’t have to be that way.  You don’t have to be Martha Stewart to host a great party!

The holidays are just around the corner, so if you begin planning now you can eliminate the stress of holiday entertaining. Begin by reviewing all of your recipes.  Try to be open to new possibilities by looking at a variety of recipes and even trying something new.  It doesn’t have to be a “holiday recipe” to be served at a holiday party.  Here are some tips to organizing your favorite recipes as you prepare for the upcoming holiday season:

- Begin by reviewing the recipes you already have.  If you don’t have a vast cookbook selection with classic recipes, try searching on the web to find recipes that you can print at no charge.

- Purchase a 3-hole ring binder and divide your recipes by category, e.g. chicken, vegetarian, desserts etc.

- After entertaining, determine the recipes that the guests loved and transfer them to a special recipe collection book or album, like the ones pictured here.  These albums are perfect for storing special recipes, especially those that have been passed down from generations.  They also make great gifts!   

Find these and other memory related books here at HomeStorageWarehouse.com  
 

Jacquie Ross is a Maryland based Professional Organizer, writer and owner of CastAway the Clutter! Jacquie has been writing for Home Storage USA since 2007. A member of the National Association of Professional Organizers, she teaches homeowners and businesses how to reclaim their time and space. Jacquie can be reached at jacquie@castawaytheclutter.com. Visit CastAway the Clutter to sign up for her free organizing tips at www.castawaytheclutter.com.