The Gift of Organization

It seems like every year the holiday season arrives earlier than before. The day after Halloween, my mother reported that the local pharmacy was all decked out in red and green. One of my favorite radio stations has already begun playing Christmas music all day. It seems every business or organization suddenly is decked in red and green. The grocery stores are stocked with seasonal favorites. The local mall is decorated and ready to welcome Santa.

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And while not everyone might love how quickly the ever-expanding holiday season has become, there is one big benefit to its early arrival: more time to get started on my holiday shopping. When it comes to gift-giving, I appreciate all the time I can get. I am always on the search for the perfect present for my family and friends. In my family, we have many birthdays that also come this time of year. Adding my wedding anniversary to the mix means that I am doing a lot of shopping! Unfortunately, some members of my family are quite difficult to shop for. Some tell me that they do not want anything. Others go out and purchase their wants throughout the year, leaving me to get creative.  My husband’s birthday, our anniversary and Christmas all come in a few week period, so even if I have a great idea or two, I still am looking for more.

Christmas Zürich

My husband loves to work out, which has created gift ideas over the years ranging from a new gym bag to sneakers to the newest and coolest in running technology. We have so much fitness equipment that I often joke we should start charging our neighbors and open a gym. But where does it all go after the wrapping paper is gone? In a drawer. Under the bed. Tucked in a closet. The thought of adding more to this collection seems ridiculous when we can barely even find what we already have.

 

So this year, I am doing something different. This year I am going to purchase a storage area for all of our fitness items.  With a central location for our dumbbells, yoga mats, running sneakers and more, we will finally be able to put all of the items that we have to use. Once I started thinking more about it, the best gift to give all of my family this year is the gift of organization.

 

Organization allows the collector to put his treasures on display. Storage and shelving turn a crowded shed into a gardener’s oasis. It can help the amateur chef transform a stuffed broom closet into her pantry. By giving the gift of organization to my loved ones, I will be giving them so much more than a storage solution. I will be giving them the gift of time. They will have more time to enjoy their hobbies, because everything will be in order. They will recapture the hours spent looking for an item buried in a closet. More importantly, they will have more time to spend with loved ones. For this holiday season, I can’t think of anything better than that.

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photo credits:

Image 1 : Christmas at KLCC via photopin (license)

Image 2: Weihnachtsshoping in Zürich | Christmas Shopping in Zurich via photopin (license)

Image 3: Little girl with Christmas tree via photopin (license)