TradingCradles.com Blog

I love the holidays, but with all of the joy, music and great food, comes stress and chaos.  The busy malls, spending too much money, and the lack of time in getting everything done.

 

One of the best ways to eliminate this holiday stress is to Simplify!

 

Keeping the holidays simple means you get to focus on what’s most important to you and really take the time to celebrate!

 

Here are some top strategies in simplifying your holidays and making happy memories with the ones you love the most!

 

Simplify Gift Giving- Eliminate buyer’s remorse and feeling guilty because you just went into debt.  Set a budget and stick to it.  Be creative and start thinking of gifts that do not break the bank.  Consider giving your time; make a gift certificate to babysit for 4 hours or 4 free hours of yard service.  Ask your family if you could draw names, it’s much easier to only have to buy for one adult.  Set a rule for the amount.  Or maybe you bypass the gift exchange all together for the adults and only buy for the children of the family.   Another option is to buy one gift per family rather than 4-5 individual gifts.  Some great ideas for family gifts could include; board games; gift certificates to restaurants, tickets to the zoo or local museums.

 

Simplify Holiday Dinners- If you are hosting a holiday dinner, it is highly recommended you delegate some of the responsibility to other friends and family.  Have each guest be responsible for a dish or appetizer.  Decide what your favorite dishes are to prepare and focus only on those.  Not everything has to be homemade, figure out what you could buy premade.  Prepare as much as you can the day before, set the table, get the serving dishes out, and make what you can.  The more you prepare the day before, the less stress you will have the day of.

 

Simplify Your Calendar- One of the biggest stresses during the holiday season is doing too much and getting overbooked.  Look at your calendar and schedule for those most important family traditions.  If driving around the neighborhood to look at lights is a tradition, put it on the calendar and don’t let other things take over.  It’s important to know your priorities and to set boundaries.   Before you say yes to an event, look at your calendar and make the best choice for you and your family.  If slowing down this season means saying no to a party you really don’t care about anyway… then say no!

 

Most important strategy in simplifying your holidays is to enjoy each moment, be in the present and build long lasting memories with the people you cherish the most!

 

Post written by Nikki Kinzer

For over a decade, Nikki Kinzer has been helping individuals and businesses reach success through better organization. As a Professional Organizer and ADD/ADHD Coach, Nikki’s passion is to partner and coach individuals and families on how to build positive life habits, reduce stress, and take back control in their lives.  Through Take Control Organizing, Nikki brings to her clients and readers a view of organized living that offers control rather than cleanliness, enrichment rather than austerity, and time to focus on the things that matter in life rather than the stress that comes from disorganization. For more info visit Nikki at Take Control Organizing. For more organizing tips and strategies, please visit TCO’s blog, Twitter, or Facebook page.

 

 

There are many benefits to getting organized.  You save time, create extra space, increase your productivity, and it eliminates the unnecessary stress and chaos in our lives.

 

Getting organized can actually save you money, too!  Have you ever bought an item again just because you couldn’t find it?   Or lost a gift certificate?  And let’s not forget the late fees because you misplaced the bill.

 

These are very valid reasons to get organized.  You save money by getting organized and you can actually make money by getting organized too!

 

This gives you a great incentive to take time to sort through your belongings and start to organize what you can sell online.

 

Trading Cradles is an excellent website for the buying and selling of baby/toddler items.  All of these items cost a lot of money when purchased new and many of these products we only need for a short period of time!

 

Where to start:

The best place to start is by looking at the items you have stuck in closets and storage spaces.   Items your children have outgrown or are no longer using.  Of course, if you are expecting to have more children, you have to decide what you want to keep as hand-me downs and what items you could sell.

Sometimes making these decisions is not always easy and you may feel stuck on what to do.

 

Here are some questions to ask that may help you along with the decision:

1.) When was the last time I used this? If it hasn’t been in the last year, it’s a pretty good bet you no longer need it.

 

2.) Do I still need it? You may answer yes to this question if you are planning on having more children.  In that case, keep it.  But if you didn’t need it with your first child, is it necessary to keep it now?

 

3.) Does it have sentimental value? I know as a mom myself, some things are just hard to let go.  There are memories attached to these items.  If you find something means a lot to you, consider taking a picture of it and then sell the item.  This keeps the memory without having to keep the actual item.

 

4.) If I decide to let it go, is it easy to replace? Many people get stuck making a decision because they fear the need to use it “someday”.  If an item is replaceable, it can take off some of the pressure of letting go.  If by the slim chance you need again, it could either be borrowed or replaced.

 

5.) Could someone else use this more than me? Is it necessary to have two or three of the same thing?  If someone else could benefit or use this more than you, it may be a good idea to let it go.

 

When selling items online, make sure to follow the policies and procedures of Trading Cradles.  Also, make sure the items are in good working order and well taken care of.

Now you get to enjoy all of the benefits of getting organized and have a few extra dollars in your pocket!

 

Happy Organizing!

 

Post written by Nikki Kinzer

For over a decade, Nikki Kinzer has been helping individuals and businesses reach success through better organization. As a Professional Organizer and ADD/ADHD Coach, Nikki’s passion is to partner and coach individuals and families on how to build positive life habits, reduce stress, and take back control in their lives.  Through Take Control Organizing, Nikki brings to her clients and readers a view of organized living that offers control rather than cleanliness, enrichment rather than austerity, and time to focus on the things that matter in life rather than the stress that comes from disorganization. For more info visit Nikki at Take Control Organizing. For more organizing tips and strategies, please visit TCO’s blog, Twitter, or Facebook page.