Organize Your Home For the Holidays

How long has it been since you have seen the back of your closets or cabinets? Clean out those cabinets, drawers and closets. You will be amazed at what you find.

• Don't overwhelm yourself and do it all at once. Schedule one room per week. Start early enough to give yourself time to finish your entire home by the beginning of your holiday functions.
  
  
• When cleaning rooms, especially bedrooms, look inside your closets. How long has it been since you wore that pair of slacks? More than a year? What about those 30 pairs of shoes?
  
  
• Unless your clothing is holiday-based, get a plastic bag, load it up with those misfit clothes and take them to your local

  Create extra storage space using wire shelving.

  Plastic storage containers help protect items from moisture.

  consignment store or donation center.
  
  
• Often times, closet rods simply will not accommodate the storage needs of most closets. Organize your closet with easy-to-install wire shelving and turn a crammed nightmare into a neat and tidy area.
  
  
• Use plastic storage containers and stack them in the corner of the closet, attic or basement. If you are storing items in the attic or basement, make sure the items will not deteriorate from excess moisture or heat.
  
  
• Maximize your storage area by combining wire or wood shelving with plastic storage containers for shoes and sweaters.
  

An organized kitchen will help you prepare for the holiday food rush.

Cooking is always a major focus during the holidays. Organize your pantry, cabinets and kitchen to get ready for the food rush.

• Take everything out of the cabinets.
  
  
• Sort it all into groups according to where it is used. While you are sorting, ask yourself, "Have I used this in the past 2 years?" If you answer "no," then move it out of your way. You do not have to toss unused items in the trash. Give them to someone or store them in a less accessible area or a different room.

Specialty storage boxes are perfect for ornaments, lights and wrapping paper.

Are you tired of pulling out your stored ornaments and lights only to find broken ornaments and tangled lights?

• Purchase storage boxes that are specially made for ornaments and lights. These boxes organize items and keep them safe until next season.
  
  
• Be sure to clearly mark the contents on the sides and top of each box.
  
  
• Storage bags are available for storing artificial Christmas trees.

Wrapping supplies can be some of the hardest items to store. Most wrapping supplies are precariously shoved in drawers or stacked on shelves. Don't abuse your investment:

• Purchase a plastic storage box that is long enough to accommodate rolls of wrapping paper.
  
  
• Purchase a small plastic container for spools of ribbon, tape and name tags.
  
  
• Store pre-made bows in a sturdy box. There's nothing worse than having mashed bows.
  
  
• Place everything in one container and clearly mark its contents.