Must-Have Virtual Tools to Prep for Holiday Gatherings
Managing a household every day is one thing, but taking it to another level with company for the holidays is a totally different story. Thinking about the holidays can be somewhat stressful: the cleaning, cooking, prepping, and decorating - all while trying to keep a handle on everyday life with family typically leads me to doing absolutely nothing unless it’s immediate family.
However, in the spirit of the holidays and really over the past year wanting to spend more time with my loved ones and connecting with those typically outside of my circle, I’ve decided that I want to host a holiday open house in our home for local family and friends. While I LOVE my paper planners, there’s something special about virtual and automated sharing of tasks.
I have approximately three weeks, and am going Pinterest crazy, but there are three virtual tools that I am learning to love, that have also been paramount in both inspiring & helping me plan, prep and organize my ideas for this upcoming event: Paperless Post, Food 52, and Wunderlist.
Paperless Post
Parties need people, and Paperless Post is a great way to send, gather and track RSVPs digitally using emails for invitations. My one frustration is that there is no text sending feature from the desktop, because honestly most of my friends I connect with via text message. As a graphic designer, I have to say I am pretty picky when it comes to pre-made invites and cards. But, these are gorgeous digital invitations, AND you can even design and get them printed through Paper Source. My other favorite feature are the many ways to customize the RSVPs. The service is free with add-on components based on your design selection and card type. The currency are “coins” and each invite is approximately 2 coins. When you sign up you automatically get 25 coins to get started. From there you can purchase packages, refer friends and earn more coins. Who’s ready to party?! :)
Food 52
If you follow me on social media, you’ll know that I am not a foodie, or food blogger, and really don’t even do the majority of cooking in my home. However, I am great at offering ideas, creating the meal plan, and delegating the process. One of my recent findings is the Food 52 website, where they have a community, kitchen & home goods and lots of delicious recipes on a beautiful and aesthetically pleasing website!
Wunderlist
I keep my entire family, lists and work tasks organized using the Wunderlist app. Favorite feature? Syncing the app across all of my devices and with my family members! We set up a shared list for Costco, Target, Sprouts and even chores! There is also a feature to print lists and they come complete with check boxes which is handy for my children that need to tangibly check off their tasks.
So, tell me how on earth do you keep yourself organized when it comes to parties and gatherings?
