Preparing for Christmas

Simplify your Christmas meal prep: Store your seasonal china and crystal in a cabinet separate from everyday dishes. You will always know where to find the entire set and also minimize the risk of your special sets getting damaged by day to day preparations. Do you have seasonal bakeware and servers? Store them all together but away from your regular cooking ware, too. Be creative, like a shelf in the basement. Why take up room in your cabinet with the turkey roaster you use once a year? Good product: China storage sets and cases available at ContainterStore.com. "Trim" decorating time: Create a "decorations zone" where you can conveniently store seasonal trappings. Sort by season (i.e. autumn, winter) or by holiday (July 4th, Thanksgiving). Each category can be kept in clear, labeled tubs with color-coded covers. Group trimmings that have similar functions or that are used in a particular part of your home, and utilize varying sized tubs. Good product: Light winders and ornament boxes at ContainerStore.com. Wrapping: Keep your wrapping supplies corralled in easy to transport paper towers. Some have compartments on top for scissors and tape. Bows and ribbons can be packed into small plastic storage boxes with handles. See through is best, or you can create an all in one caddy with a plastic tote to keep accessories together and roll out friendly.  Good product: Gift wrap organizer at ContainerStore.com. Card and gift giving: Assign a small space gift nook duty. A consistent home for gifts you purchase throughout the year will eliminate extra time spent trying to find a gift when it is time to give it. This will work great for people outside your home, but you'll need to be creative to stump the amateur sleuths in your home! Keep mailing lists and gift lifts in Word or Excel. They can be alphabetized easily, updated and transferred to mailing labels. Be sure to back it up regularly, and you can dedicate separate sheets to family and friends.