24 UHeart Organizing: A Thoughtful Holiday Gift Bin

Are you all ready to talk about the upcoming holiday season yet?  I know some people like to wait until after Thanksgiving to begin their Christmas planning, but others lump Thanksgiving into that holiday mix and get started in 3...2....1... NOW!

The organizer in me believes that it is better to head into the busiest time of the year with a plan.  I also think that doing a few small things now will definitely help during those cold, wintery days when all I will want to do is curl up by the fire with the kids.  In fact, family is where it is at this time of the year, right?  No one wants to spend countless hours cleaning, shopping, cooking, cleaning, shopping, wrapping, scrambling...

My beautiful friend, Courtney of A Thoughtful Place blog, is a pro at all things gifts, entertaining and designing.  I personally put her on that pedestal because she places family and friends first on her list, and then finds ways to pull off tasteful and thoughtful moments that don't add an abundance of fuss or stress.  She is here today to share how investing a few minutes now, will save her a lot of sanity and time when it matters most.

Hi, everyone! Tis' the season for becoming overwhelmed very quickly. If you are a reader of A Thoughtful Place, you know that I have been making a major commitment to staying present and engaged this holiday season after wrapping up our One Room Challenge. From using my crockpot more, to being on top of gift giving, I am really wanting to simplify and enjoy. One of the things I put in place for this gift giving season is a 'simply bin' so I can put together a well dressed package in no time.

We have all been there. A forgotten gift or that last minute scramble to the store because someone slipped your mind. Or maybe someone does something special for you unexpectedly and you would like to thank them somehow. By putting together this bin, I should have the children’s teachers as well as special neighbors and friends covered.

Let’s look at what is included:

• bubble wrappers for sending gifts in the mail
• gift cards ( I chose Starbucks as most people are fans)
• tote bags
• tissue paper
• a list of people we are gifting
• scissors, twine and a hole punch
• gift cards
• notepads and sticky notes

Here is my own list I’ve started so I don’t forget the people we are giving gift cards to. I will also have this on standby in case a last minute gift needs to be given. So much better than stressing out or feeling like you are stuck without something to give.

So here is my philosophy on giving gift cards. I truly think so many people, teachers included (I used to be one), appreciate receiving them. I just don’t like when it looks like it was a last minute thought or not presented in a cute way. It’s so, so easy to make a bin like this and have a way to wrap up a gift card in a special and thoughtful way. I visited my local Target and hit up the dollar section. Darling things this season that won’t break the bank on top of the gift card you are purchasing.

I grabbed a few notepads, pens and sticky notes. Everyone can use those and it’s nice to receive something tangible along with a gift card. And you can’t beat a $1 notepad that happens to be super cute.

Here is an example of what I will put in a tote bag. The gift card plus a cute notepad and pen. And it only cost me a couple more dollars. But I think the overall look is much more pulled together and thoughtful.

Here is another trick. I look for these darling notecards rather than just gift tags. I like to use notecards because they are larger and there is more room to write a note. Of course you can fill it out, use the envelope and stick it inside. But I love to cut them apart, hole punch them and use them as a statement tag on each gift.

So cheers to us slowing down and enjoying the holidays with our friends and family. I hope that this gives you a good idea of how to set up a simple gift card station so that you are ready to give! It doesn’t take much to make someone feel special and cute wrapping is always a plus. This gives me more time to decorate the house! Ha. I am starting to get busy on that but you can check out last year’s Christmas home tour here.

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"Do you believe in love at first sight? I sure do because when I first stumbled upon iHeart Organizing I immediately fell in love with Jen's mad organizational skills. I think we all long for a calm, organized, well styled life. I am the author of A Thoughtful Place blog where I dish on all things related to decorating, organizing, entertaining, and of course DIY-ing! To be quite honest, working on making my house a home is my happy place. It fulfills my need to be creative and I love sharing ideas {both big and small} with my readers. Along with my blog, I am a contributing writer to House of Fifty and have recently started my own decorating firm, Casey Grace Design, LLC, with my talented sister. I call Orange County, California home where I live with amazing husband and two children. At the end of a busy day, I love to enjoy an ice cold beer on the front porch with my hubby while we watch our children ride their bikes or run around. Life is sweet and I am thrilled to be a part of the IHeart Organizing Team."