Prepping for the holidays can be very stressful. However, planning can help make the festivities manageable despite the chaos. To do that, you can follow these eight actionable tips to get your home ready for the holidays.
Declutter and clean
Toss, sell, or donate everything you haven’t used in the last year. After all, the holiday season is all about giving back.
At Maid Sailors Austin Maid Service, we often tell our clients to ask the following questions when decluttering:
- Where does this thing go?
- Is there a spot for coats and shoes?
- Where could visitors put their things?
- Where can my bills and other paperwork go that’s out of sight?
Decluttering can be beneficial, especially before the holidays. That’s because it allows you to focus your cleaning and organizing efforts. Plus, if you have less clutter, decorating your home can be easy as a breeze.
Focus on the front entrance
Give your holiday guests a hint by greeting them with a glimpse of what they are about to find inside. This means decorating your house with fresh and aromatic boughs or twinkly lights.
The key here is to make your guests feel that Christmas is coming.
Decorate main spaces
Turn up the holiday ambiance and treat yourself and your guests to a welcoming space by getting into the holiday mood. You can do this by trimming your tree, lighting some candles, and adding Christmas accents.
However, don’t sweat it if you don’t get every nook and corner. What’s important is that you decorate the spaces where your guests will likely hang out.
You can start hanging Christmas wreaths on the door and adding holiday decors on the porch, entryway, and living room. You can also do the same in the kitchen and dining areas if you will host a feast.
Get the kitchen ready
In relation to decorating the main spaces, it is essential that you also prepare your kitchen for the holidays. And we’re not just talking about adding Christmas decors in the room.
For one, you need to ensure that your pantry is well-stocked for the holidays. Second, you must be aware of your guests’ dietary restrictions. That way, no one will feel left out, and everybody can enjoy the feast you prepared.
Stock up on essentials
Here’s the thing: Preparing for the holidays does not mean stocking up your pantry with festive ingredients. After all, we only get to spend Christmas once a year.
Welcoming guests and hosting dinners can also get exhausting and expensive, even if you can afford it.
As such, give your time to relax in-between by prepping your usual meals. That said, do not forget to stock up on essentials while preparing for the holidays. Buy your regular groceries while ensuring that you have the ingredients and supplies you’ll need for the holiday feast.
Dress up your bathroom
Nothing beats decking your halls with all your holiday decorations to get you in the festive spirit. Whether you pull in a giant Christmas tree or tie a green garland on the railing, there are practical ways to dress up any part of your house. This includes the bathroom.
When you adorn your bathroom for the holidays, you must ensure that it is brimming with joy. This is even though you cannot rearrange the fixtures. What you can do instead is use Christmas-themed bottles and dispensers for your soap, shampoo, conditioner, body wash, and other toiletries.
Prepare the guest room
If your guests will stay over during the holidays, make sure that you deep clean the guest room. Replace your beddings, wipe the closet clean, hang some hangers when needed.
You would not want them to sleep in a dingy bedroom, would you? Moreover, your guests would also like some privacy.
Hence, you should provide them with the best accommodation you can offer by ensuring that their room is spic and span.
Do exterior maintenance
This is something we often overlook while preparing our home for the holidays. Nonetheless, mice and other critters will look for a cozy and warm spot as the weather becomes cooler. That’s said, you must ensure that they won’t invade your house.
Inspect your house and see that there are no gaps wherein pests and vermin can pass through. It’s also imperative that your home is clean. That way, you won’t invite any insects and critters to your place.
Conclusion
Holidays are an excellent time for family and friends to get together and enjoy each other’s company. As such, you would not want the lack of food, dirty dishes, or a critter to ruin the mood.
Fortunately, you can prevent this from happening through proper planning. Planning ensures that your house is ready to welcome guests this Christmas.
When you follow the holiday cleaning tips listed above, you can have a stress-free and enjoyable Christmas season that you and your guests can enjoy.
