Planning Christmas
An Organisers Guide by Marika Vrieling
Planning for a relaxing festive season
Christmas can be an overwhelming time of year, what with the pressures of more social events, more spending and more indulging generally. Thinking about what type of Christmas you want to have now, and planning to make that happen, is a good start to dealing with the overwhelm of Christmas planning.
Set a budget that doesn’t make you cringe
Christmas planning and spending can cause a lot of stress if you haven’t decided on a budget that you can stick to that still allows you to do everything you want. If Christmas is a family affair for you, work out if you’re splitting up the catering and how you plan to buy presents. Will it be gifts for everyone, a Secret Santa approach or just for the kids? Being clear about this beforehand may stop arguments down the track!
Gifts
If you’re not the kind of person who has bought all their Christmas presents by October (I’m not!), there is still plenty of time to get your gift shopping done without stressing out. I reckon that Christmas should be about giving, not giving up, so start with a plan.
Food shopping
After Christmas
There are a few things you can do after Christmas to set yourself up for next year.
Making and sticking to a plan for Christmas, can help us remember that the purpose of the festive season is to enjoy being with the special people in our lives.
Marika Vrieling is the Founder and Chief Organiser at Space To Be, a Canberra based decluttering and organising service. Marika is passionate about helping people reclaim space in their homes so they have room for new adventures and experiences. She also works with local charity partners to find new homes for her clients’ pre-loved homewares and furniture.
Marika is also a member of Institute of Professional Organisers (IOPO)