KETTERING, Ohio, Dec. 12, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- At the
midpoint of the holiday season, busy schedules and stress levels
continue to rise. To help you survive and thrive during this
holiday season, ACCO Brands Corporation (NYSE:ACCO), a leader in
branded office and consumer products and print finishing solutions,
has several tips and tricks to help make yours memorable and
stress-free.
"The holidays are a time for family and friends to come together
and enjoy the season—however, this often gets lost in all the
hustle and bustle associated with it," says Lissa Cupp, vice president, e-Commerce and
Consumer Marketing, ACCO Brands. "The key is to capture lost time
and use the time you do have efficiently and effectively.
"This is all easily accomplished through good planning and
organizing," she adds.
The experts at ACCO Brands, makers of industry-leading
AT-A-GLANCE®, Day-Timer® and Day
Runner® productivity and time-management tools, have
several tips and suggestions to help get you through the holiday
season.
- Home is where the heart is. And it's also the
gathering place for family and friends, so get yourself and the
house prepared. Create a chore chart and timeline so you're not in
this alone and focus on the "public areas" of the house, especially
the kitchen. Maximize its space by cleaning and clearing counter
tops. A professional carpet cleaning, which is recommended every
6-18 months, should be considered, as well.
- It's Party Time! If you're hosting a holiday
event, request RSVPs to ensure an accurate headcount. Then, create
a plan that includes seating and space requirements, supplies and
party favors—2013 calendars make great gifts. Be sure to plan for
food storage and cooking/preparation space during the party—this is
also a great opportunity to clean out the refrigerator.
- What's a feast without Roast Beast? Unless you're
in Whoville, you probably will feature more traditional items for
your feast. Whatever they may be, write out a detailed menu, create
a shopping list, gather grocery ads and coupons, and create a
cooking timeline. Make sure to organize these lists and items
properly to ensure an efficient trip to the store. Account for
dietary restrictions and food allergies, too.
- Away you flew like a down of a thistle. Maybe
you're not staying at home for the holidays—make sure your travels
to your destination are as stress-free as possible. Create and
print out itineraries for the entire family. If traveling by car,
go through the standard 21-point checklist or make time in your
schedule for a professional mechanic to look over your vehicle—use
of an auto record book helps you stay on top of required services.
If traveling by air, pre-print boarding passes and other necessary
documentation for faster check-in. Set up alerts through your
mobile devices with the airlines to keep on top of delays or flight
changes.
- The other line moves faster. This always seems to
be the case, and even more so when under the time pressures of the
holidays. If you're going to make the most out of your holiday
shopping trips, you must have a plan and stick to it. We have
several tips and tricks designed to streamline and enhance the
entire experience and keep stress levels at bay. See our article,
"Take the Stress Out of Holiday Shopping Through Productive
Planning."
"With jam-packed schedules and lists of what seem like
never-ending tasks, you need to plan and prepare if you want to
truly enjoy the holidays," says Cupp. "Be sure to use
organizational tools to help, and don't be afraid to think outside
of the box. For example, just because you traditionally use an
expanding file for business documents doesn't mean you can't use it
to store and carry shopping ads and coupons when you hit the
shops."
For more tips on how to achieve higher productivity and better
time management through good organization and planning for the
entire year, visit the Day-Timer blog and the new AT-A-GLANCE
blog.
About ACCO Brands
ACCO Brands Corporation is one of the world's largest
suppliers of branded office and consumer products and print
finishing solutions. The company's widely recognized brands include
AT-A-GLANCE®, Day-Timer®, Five
Star®, GBC®, Hilroy®, Kensington®, Marbig,
Mead®, NOBO, Quartet®, Rexel,
Swingline®, Tilibra®, Wilson Jones® and many others. More
information about ACCO Brands can be found
at http://www.accobrands.com.
SOURCE ACCO Brands Corporation