Article and Photo Courtesy of Organized Christmas
Wrapping holiday gifts can be one of the most-overlooked chores of the
Christmas season. Too often, it takes "hind place" on the to-do list.
Then suddenly, it's Christmas Eve ... and there's a long evening ahead
among the ribbons, gift tags and scissors. Assuming you can find them!
Not this year! To make it easier to wrap as we go, it's time to set up
a wrap and mail center: a dedicated space to wrap gifts and prepare them for
mailing.
With tools and supplies at hand, finding your "center" speeds
the job--and keeps the joy!
To Do Today
Print the 2 forms:
Set up a wrap and mail center
Wrapping gifts at the last minute is no way to celebrate the holiday
season, so today, we'll take the sting out of the chore by setting up a wrap
and mail center.
Last week, we inventoried wrap and mail supplies with a wrap and mailchecklist.
This week, it's time to find a
dedicated area for this activity.
With all supplies and tools at the ready, a wrap and mail center
converts chore to celebration. Simplify your holidays!
Organize holiday swaps
Swapping with friends is a great way to share holiday gifts, crafts and
decor. Will you swap with other members of online communities? Track swaps with
free printable swaps directory and swaps tracker forms for your Christmas
planner.
Simplify Gift Wrapping with a Wrap and Mail Center
Wrapping gifts for the holidays? Repeat after me: "This year, I
won't be wrapping gifts at midnight on Christmas Eve!"
If there's a single most-underestimated holiday chore, it's gift
wrapping.
Supplies lie scattered throughout the house, while space and privacy
are hard to come by.
Translation: late-night Christmas Eve wrapping sessions, grumbling your
way through the job.
Not this year! To lick the wrapping problem at the outset, set up a
wrap and mail activity center: a dedicated space for wrapping gifts and
preparing packages for mailing. With workspace, tools and supplies at hand,
it’s easy to wrap as you go—and enjoy the task, without grump, grumble or
hurry.
Having all gift wrap, tools and supplies in one place speeds gift
wrapping and makes mailing easy. Follow these steps to set up a Gift Wrap and
Mail Center:
Shop At Home, First!
First, find last year’s gift wrap. Did you stock up on half-price wrap,
bows and ribbons in last January’s post-holiday sales? Wonderful--but you lose
all your Good Consumer Brownie Points if you can’t find the booty! Dig it all
out from boxes, closets, drawers or attic.
Time to see what you have--and what you need. Use a Gift Wrap and Mail
Checklist to evaluate your existing stockpile. Will you need to refresh stocks
of gift wrap, gift bags, ribbons or bows?
Tool check! Make sure you have scissors and pens. Like cellophane tape,
these gift wrapping necessities often go astray during wrapping season, so lay
in a good supply before you begin.
Include mailing supplies on your list, especially postal-approved
parcel sealing tape. Masking tape, twine and cellophane tape can become caught
in parcel handling machinery, delaying your gifts and goodies or even damaging
them. Don't run the risk to save a few pennies.
Make a "to buy" list and add items to the shopping list.
Hint: double up on the cellophane tape. There are never enough rolls of tape on
hand for holiday projects!
Select The Right Spot
List made, find a place for your wrap and mail activity center. Look
for a room of your own with a lock upon the door: a bedroom, office, utility
room or large bathroom that will allow you to wrap in peace and privacy.
Good lighting and a comfortable work surface are a must, so consider
placing a craft table near a window. Those in small homes can make use of a bed
area, if they place a large sheet of poster board or cardboard on the bed
before hauling out the supplies.
Access to a computer and printer will help speed the process of mailing
gifts. Look for a postal scale to make best use of the mailing tools offered by
the United States Postal Service. Using their Click-N-Ship, you'll be able to
buy postage, print mailing labels and arrange for carrier pickup from the
comfort of home. No more long holiday lines at the Post Office!
Scout Out Storage Options
Once you've chosen a location, be creative to find storage for tools
and supplies. Stand rolls of gift wrap on end in a large carton, confine bows
to grocery sacks, and tuck the box into a corner of a closet.
A paper clip on each end of rolled gift wrap keep the paper from
unwinding when stored. Supermarket "chip clips" are a handy way to
group sheets of tissue paper; hang clips on a hook to grab the right color
tissue anytime!
Under-bed storage works for the wrap and mail center, too, so long as
you corral the supplies in a long, low cardboard storage box. Commercial gift
wrap organizers are available and are a wise purchase. Long, low molded plastic
boxes with storage for bows and gift cards slide easily under beds or on a
linen closet shelf. An over-the-door shoe bag will keep scissors, bows, tags
and ribbons visible as you work.
Remember To Recycle
To cut the cost of gift wrapping and mailing gifts--and give a welcome
Christmas gift to Mother Earth--make room to recycle!
As the season progresses, stockpile any catalog or mailing boxes you
receive for re-use in the wrap and mail center. Recycling mailing boxes, bubble
wrap and plastic peanuts makes environmental sense . . . and saves cents!
A well-stocked Wrap and Mail Center smoothes ragged nerves as the
season approaches. Establish yours today . . . to get ready for Christmas!
Today's Recipe
pine cone cheese ball recipe
For upcoming parties and events, share some holiday sparkle with this
Almond Pinecone Cheeseball appetizer.
Shaped like a pine cone and decked with a bit of artificial greenery,
it looks as good as it tastes!
Make the filling up to a day ahead to save time on busy holiday
weekends.
Almond Pinecone Cheeseball Recipe
It's a pinecone? No, it's a savory cheese spread sparked with bacon,
green onions and dill.
So pretty that guests are afraid to muss it, you'll need to dig into
this creamy, pinecone-shaped cheeseball first! Add a sprig of artificial
evergreen for an easy show-off holiday appetizer.
This Ewer favorite has been served in our family for over 30 years!
Ingredients
1 1⁄2 cupalmonds, whole
1 cream cheese, 8 ounce package
1⁄2 cupmayonnaise
5 bacon slices, crisply cooked
1 tablespoongreen onion, chopped
1⁄2 teaspoondill weed, dried
1⁄8 teaspoonpepper, ground
Instructions
Spread almonds in single layer in shallow pan. Bake at 300 degrees, 15
minutes, stirring often, until almonds just begin to turn color.
Combine softened cream cheese and mayonnaise; mix well. Add bacon,
onion, dill and pepper; mix well. Cover; chill overnight.
Form cheese mixture into pinecone shape on serving platter. Beginning
at narrow end, press almonds at slight angle into cheese mixture in rows.
Continue overlapping rows until all cheese is covered.
Garnish with artificial pine sprigs. Serve with crackers.
