What Can You Do Today to be More Organized Tomorrow? Week 5

Written by Clearissa Coward

Weekly Organization Tip Week 5

What Can You Do Today to be More Organized Tomorrow?

I thought it would be a good idea to begin a “Quick Tip of the Week” focused on organization from Divinely Organized. I hope you are enjoying the weekly organization tips so far. I have enjoyed your positive responses. Keep them coming. I really appreciate how supportive you guys are. If you missed the previous articles, you can find them here, here, here or here. These are not long articles. They are quick reminders of small things you can add to your daily routine that will make a major difference in how you live.

They will be quick tips and to some, they may seem quite obvious, but you would be surprised how just a nudge or reminder can help someone get and stay on the organizational track. Because the holiday season is upon us, I am deviating a bit this week. We are in the holiday season and entertaining is high on most everyone’s list,so I thought it would be helpful to make this week about organizing your kitchen for the upcoming holiday season of entertaining. Although, the holidays are seasonal, I will try to give organizational tips that can carry you throughout the year.

The first step, repeat after me – make a list. Be sure to be in the kitchen when you make this list because you will need to check cabinets and/or the pantry as your list is developed. Below I will provide a list of what should be on your list. 🙂

• Make a list for each social event you will host at your home and the events that you will be responsible for supplying food or drinks.
• Once you know what and how many functions you will be either hosting or supplying food or drinks for, you can break each function down into what you have in the house and the items you will need to shop for.
• The List – Include a timeline in your list as well – including a timeline will help you stay ahead of the game. Create the timeline and do your best to stick to it.
  • if you need to order food items, be sure to order within enough time to have the item(s) prepared and delivered/picked up at least a day in advance
  • put together the menu for the event(s) you will host at home (one event at a time because we do not want to feel overwhelmed)
  • pull all recipes that will be used to prepare (you do not want to have to stop to look for a recipe) your food
  • make a shopping list of the items that are not in the house but required to make the dish(s) for the event
  • if the kitchen is unorganized, set a day, prior to the event, to organize spices, dishes, silverware, cooking utensils
  • if you organize ahead of time, you can cut prep and cooking time down by 1/3
  • you will save time by knowing where everything is located in your kitchen all year long
  • be sure you begin with a clean kitchen because there is nothing worse than trying to prepare for a party and the kitchen is a mess
  • make sure all dishes are washed and put away prior to beginning your party prep

• do not plan to shop and prepare on the same day – give yourself the entire day to cook and prepare for the event without being distracted by shopping, you do not want to feel rushed and disorganized
• shop ahead of time and when you can, prep ahead of time as well
• set tables, and bars a day or so ahead of time. This will provide time to tweak the look before the party.
• if you need to cut up onions, peppers, etc., do that the day before if you can
• wash dishes as you go – after each dish/recipe is prepared, wash and put away the dishes. Do not leave all of your dishes until you are completely done cooking – keep the kitchen tidy and you will move along much faster

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• I keep my lists in a binder and I carry the binder with me wherever I go prior to the event. I do this because if I think of something or run into a bargain on something I need for the party, I can pick it up and check off items as they are completed and/or purchased. This will give you a sense of accomplishment, which will feel good while you’re slaving in the kitchen. It also provides the opportunity for you to use coupons and save a little money, which is always a good things. Especially this time of year.

You can use these tips throughout the year for any party you are hosting. And keeping your kitchen organized will afford you the opportunity to skip several of the steps which will save you time in the long run.

I could go more in-depth on this subject, but I promised these weekly tips would be short and easy to follow. I hope the article and suggestions are easy to follow and I promise you that if you follow these tips it will help you have a less stressful holiday party season. Champagne anyone?

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