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Health & Fitness

Wrapping Drives Me Crazy

Do you dread wrapping gifts? Need some help?

Is wrapping the worst part of the holiday season for you? Do you put it off until the last minute, and then find yourself up late at night? There’s a better way.

If you are staring at a pile of unwrapped gifts and dreading the next two weeks, here are some suggestions to “get your jolly back”. The first and best way to handle the wrapping is to get someone else to do it! Some charities offer gift wrapping services as fundraisers. College kids hungry for cash might be more than willing to help. A babysitter might like to earn some extra $$ after the kids go to bed. Or maybe you have a friend who loves wrapping and would be willing to “swap” holiday chores. (Try tossing an offer up on Facebook and see what happens!)

If you can’t find someone else to lift the task from your shoulders, then make it as pleasant as possible for yourself. Here are the steps:

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Get Supplies. Having everything you need right at your fingertips is going to streamline the whole process. You want to be able to leave these where you wrap, so don’t grab from the kitchen drawer – get some dedicated supplies. At a minimum, you will need:

  • Paper
  • Ribbon/Bows
  • Gift bags
  • Tissue
  • Tape
  • Tags
  • Boxes (various sizes)
  • Scissors
  • Large shopping bags (with handles) for relocating gifts once wrapped
  • Pens for labeling

If you struggle to wrap paper around a box, I highly recommend you use gift bags OR pre-decorated boxes. The best place to stock up on these supplies in a Dollar store. Decorated boxes are so quick because all you need to do is stick a label and a bow on top and you are all done! While they may represent the outlay of a little more $$ up front, they are reusable. Ultimately, you need to ask yourself what is more valuable to you – the time or the money.

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Set up a “Wrapping Station”. While not everyone can have a room dedicated solely to wrapping gifts, all of us need to dedicate some space to this activity during the holiday season. Ideally, this is a place where you can keep your supplies, have a surface for wrapping, and close the door. Nothing is more frustrating that hauling out all the gear, only to be interrupted by curious eyes! And, since most of us can snatch only short periods of time to wrap, we need to be able to start and stop our wrapping without having to clear everything up and put it away. For these reasons, I recommend against using the kitchen table – it is just too public. A better place would be a laundry room, basement, office or master bedroom. Whichever room you pick, don’t work on the floor. If you don’t have a table in the room, set up a large flat surface at waist height. Think card table, piece of plywood (or old door) set on two stools/sawhorses, or even a large (cleared off!)dresser. Remember, if you are setting this up for the holidays, it is temporary. Make it functional… you can tear it down in January.

Set The Ambiance. Few people long to spend time in a space that is cold, dark, and dreary. If you want to enjoy the process this year, make sure your wrapping station is a place you like to be. Have a radio or iPod hookup nearby to play music. If you love holiday movies, perhaps bring your laptop or a portable DVD player in. Be sure to have great lighting. Maybe light a scented candle, or have a TV turned to ESPN. Whatever YOU love is what is important. See this as “me time” to escape from the chaos.

Designate Gift Storage. Some folks put them right under the tree, which is easy. If your tradition is to hold them until Christmas Eve, you need to think about where to keep them until the big night. Some simple solutions include large plastic bins in a garage/attic/locked porch, trunk of a car, inside an empty cooler, under beds, or even at a friend’s house. Think ahead of time so you can transport wrapped gifts immediately to their secret hiding spot.

When all the gifts have been unwrapped this year, collect any reusable materials, put them in plastic bins and store them with your holiday decorations so you can have them at your fingertips next year. Who knows, if you set up a functional “workshop” you really love, wrapping may become your favorite tradition of the year☺

Submitted by Seana Turner, founder & President of The Seana Method.

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