It's the most wonderful time of the year..

The Holidays seem to demand organization. With too much to do and so little time. Thought I'd share a few time savers this year that are paying off:
1- As much as I did NOT want to go, as it's just a BIT hectic. I went the day after Christmas last year and bought Cards, Gift Bags, Tags and Wrapping paper on sale, and even a few gifts. Man, did that make this year's card sending and wrapping a breeze, and of course I love paying 50-75% off! Cheapskate is THY middle name!

2- I keep a running log on Excel of gifts I had been accumlating thoughout the year to avoid the last minute shopping crunch, over-buying, and to TRY to keep on budget. The pay off: I had a total of 6 gifts left to buy and I have a true account of what I spent.. which would be.. TOO much. Another tip if you are the type that buys gifts throughout the year; Wrap them immediately to a) avoid sneaky peekers, and b) avoid the all-night wrapping frenzy, or the rush to the bedroom to wrap a present unexpectely early!

3- I kept a small zippered, mesh pouch in my purse and used it to collect reciepts, gift cards, and my christmas gift list in. I have to say my purse and wallet were in much better shape this year, with me not having to dig through all the papers and reciepts! (there is a great one at Container store- it's around $3-4)

Hope you find some of these ideas as useful as I do.