Now that the holidays are behind us, it’s time to put away the decorations, the presents and the holiday cards, and start planning for next year’s holiday season.

A little planning now will save you time once the holidays roll around again in 2012, and that means less stress for Auntie and more time to spend with your nieces and nephews!

Take advantage of cloud technologies such as EverNote or create a digital holiday folder on your computer to keep your holiday gift lists, card lists, recipes, and to-do’s organized. As you think of a great gift idea or come across a recipe you want to try, add it to your file.

Holiday Cards

Make your card list easier to manage next year. Take the time to update or delete any addresses, emails, and phone numbers.

If your address book is in disarray, consider systemizing your list by creating an Excel database. Several years ago, I hired a virtual assistant for less than $100 to type my address list into Excel since I was too busy to do it myself. Now when a friend or family member moves, marries, or divorces, I can easily make the change on my database.

If you received photo cards and want to keep them, scan the card and file it in your digital photo files. You could also take a photo of the card with your smart phone and then upload the cropped photo to use as a contact photo for your friend or family member.

Holiday Lists

Check your gift-giving list and check it twice! I know you just finished up your gift shopping, but capture any ideas you have for gifts for 2012. It’s always interesting how spending time with family and friends can help generate gift ideas for next year. As you go through the year, record any ideas, URL’s, and photos you have for gift ideas. Notice your nephew is developing a serious interest in all things Spiderman? Or maybe your niece is drawn to a particular toy or gadget at a store? Write it down.

Recipes

If you tried out new recipes, make any notes you noticed about the preparation or if something didn’t turn out the way you expected. If someone passed along a recipe you sampled at a holiday gathering, add that to your holiday folder.

Many Pinterest users are using the virtual pinboard to round up recipe ideas to try, and you can create your pinboard for holiday recipes.

Decorations

As you’re putting away your decorations, take a moment to check for any wear and tear and see what needs replacing for the coming year. Toss candles that have become burned out stubs, tinsel that has lost its luster, frayed light cords, and anything else that’s broken. Make a list of items you need to replace. If you don’t want to buy any replacements now, stash your list onto EverNote or in your holiday file.

If you took advantage of post-holiday discount sales, add your new purchases into your holiday storage boxes. I can’t tell you how many times my organizing clients will buy wrapping paper and other goodies on sale after Christmas, but then cannot find them in December. They then buy replacements at a higher price.

Plastic boxes with lids are best for storing decorations since paper boxes attract dust, pests, and mildew. If you store boxes in a garage or basement, make sure the boxes are off the floor in case of flooding. Fragile decorations should not be stored in areas where the temperatures are not controlled since extreme weather can damage them. Pests, such as mice, can still get into plastic tubs, so make sure no food and food-like items are in the boxes.
 
If you have an artificial Christmas tree, you can use special plastic tubs or bags to store your tree for the year. If you have the space to keep the tree up, use a sheet or a mattress cover to keep the dust off the tree in the closet.

With a little preparation now, you can have another great holiday season...next year.