This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Fellowes Brands for IZEA. All opinions are 100% mine.
The holidays are absolutely insane for me. Aside from running my own site full-time and managing three other sites, I am a total holiday fanatic. So I bake (yes, that’s right, I bake!), decorate the house within an inch of its life and shop until everyone around me drops. Then I wonder why I’m so exhausted! I can’t give up working and I won’t give up the things I love about the season. I also haven’t figured out how to add more hours to each day, so I have to figure out how to be more productive with the time I DO have. Since I adore you all oh-so much, I’m going to share my secrets with you!
How to be more productive during the holidays
Plan ahead
Having a plan is the number one way to stay productive during the holidays. I plan ahead for when I’ll do my major decorating (the day after Thanksgiving, of course) and when I’ll take Jacob on special outings. I also try to plan my editorial calendar as much as possible, but things often come up last minute, so I plan for the unexpected by leaving blank time slots. If nothing comes up, awesome, I can get ahead!
Multitask
It’s not a dirty word, I promise. I know psychologists and “gurus” say that we actually get less done when we focus on too many tasks at once, but it all depends on HOW you do it. For example, I edit pictures for blog posts while cookies are baking, or draft in my head while I do laundry. I can also shred documents with my Fellowes 79Ci shredder while I’m working on other tasks, since it runs continuously for 20 minutes. If I don’t have continuous sheets to shred, I can just pop in up to 16 sheets at a time and get the job done faster that way.
Delegate!Â
I cannot tell you how important it is to hand over a few tasks whenever you can. Whether it’s getting your own kids to help out more at home or hiring an extra hand during the season. Also, if someone offers to help you, learn to say “yes.”  For example, I can delegate the task of shredding to my boyfriend while I work. Since the Fellowes 79Ci has SilentShredâ„¢ Technology, it doesn’t disturb me (or make the kitten go all sorts of nuts, like other sounds can!). 
Reduce, Reuse, Creatively Recycle
The three “r’s” aren’t just environmentally friendly, they help you be more productive too. Example:Â I have this idea. The little pieces of paper that come out of my shredder will be perfect for “snow” in handmade ornaments. I like the idea of taking something that is destined for the recycling plant and turning it into something nifty. If you look around your house, you’ll come up with other things that can be creatively recycled into decorations. 
The 79Ci can shred CD’s too, so I’m thinking it’s finally time to get rid of all those backup CD’s I made in the 90s! I wonder what I can make with those? Shiny and silver, hmmm. Has to be something! Anyway, this saves you time from running to the store to get crafting supplies! Trust me, it’s a big deal. I always get in the mood to craft at midnight and ONLY midnight.
Relax & Spend Time With the People Who Matter!
Remember to actually spend time doing things you love with the people you love. That’s what the holidays are all about. Don’t get so caught up in creating the perfect winter wonderland in your front yard or checking off your to-do list every night that you forget to actually enjoy yourself. I always make time for a holiday movie a few nights a week. I also make sure to spend plenty of extra fun moments with my son, because he’s the whole reason that the holidays are so fun!
Reduce clutter
 This is a tip that I’m actually working on myself. Paper seems to just breed when you’re not looking, and now it’s taking over valuable cabinet space in my house. My home “office” is actually part of my dining room table. I have no place to put my stuff when company comes, so I end up tossing it in my bedroom.  So my goal is to free up at least two cabinets and three shelves before the holidays begin, that way I have a place to put my “office” when company comes. 
To do that, at least five bins and boxes of random papers have to go! The Fellowes 79Ci shredder will help me get through it fast.  It has a 100% Jam Proof System, so it can power through even the toughest jobs. This is a major plus because I have a weird knack for jamming shredders. For a moment, I thought I managed to jam the un-jammable and break my poor shredder within the first five minutes, but it did this sort of backing up thing and voila, no jam.
Plus it has a patented SafeSense® Technology so it automatically stops shredding when hands touch the paper opening AND an Energy Savings System so it’s more efficient when you’re using it and when you’re not. The 79Ci is even stylish, a handsome shredder looking all debonair in its spot in the corner of my work space. Can’t ask for much more!
Get the Fellowes 79Ci at Amazon and Office Superstores for a suggested retail price of $239.99.
What are your favorite tips for getting more done during the holidays? Do you have any other tips for conquering clutter? Share in the comments!
If I could get a maid, personal chef and chauffeur, I would be able to get a ton more done 🙂
Planning ahead is such an important aspect of being productive, especially when you’re planning to multitask. Great list!
Great tip to do what you enjoy. We so often get overwhelmed and just want to get everything done the season loses it meaning.
GREAT list! These are tips everyone could definitely use, and I’ll be keeping them handy this holiday season! Thanks!
I need all the tips I can get to get through the holidays this year! I love this list! Thank you!
These are excellent ideas. It’s crazy how fast that paper clutter builds up on the side of my desk!
I always try to plan ahead and stay organized. This time of year is extremely hectic and I usually work at least 15 hours a day so I need all the help I can get. I can’t stand clutter and random mail all around the house so the shredder would be perfect to eliminate that.
You are so on point: planning ahead, staying organized and delegating is absolutely KEY. I tend to make a ton of lists as well…and I’m already 50% done with holiday shopping. Woo hoo!
what are the great list. I love being organized and i am applying this list to myself for this coming Holiday season
Planning ahead works best for me. I really need to invest in a quality shredder. I have so many stacks of paper/documents that need to go.
Planning and making a list always gets me through the busy Holiday season! Delegating is important too, you can’t do it all on your own!
These are all great ideas planning and having a list is an excellent idea.
I multi task to get more things done in the least amount of time. The holidays are indeed fast approaching and we must be able to keep our sanity by being more organized.
I could use a new shredder. It’s been oh so long since I had a good one in the house.
I’m a wicked list maker. Keeping a written list of things that I need to do so I can cross it off as it gets accomplished really does help me get stuff done. Where I struggle is delegating! lol
These are very helpful tips. Planning and making a list always works for me.
I need to get better at planning ahead. I’m great at multitasking though! Great list.
Planning ahead is my favorite tip for getting more done during the holidays. There have been years when I did not plan, it was hectic and not fun. I make it a point to write things down year round, to help my plans better. 🙂
I have a Fellowes shredder and I love it. I need to delegate more. I tend to like to do everything myself.
i am more productive on the holidays i do a lot
I’m trying to reduce clutter in our home, especially in my home office right now. I have so much paper I don’t need! Not sure why I keep so many things.
I am trying to reduce some of the clutter in my house right now. These are some great tips.
Planning is a big deal. That make everything easier. I agree with the kind of multi tasking you’re talking about. I operate that way too.
Thanks for the tips! Planning ahead during the holidays really helps a lot in smooth flow of schedule and chores.
Great tips