10 Ways to Prepare Your Home for the Holidays
The holidays are a wonderful time of the year for most, but it can also bring some additional stress to an already busy season. Our advice? Start your preparation early by booking a Holiday Helpers session with us, we would love to help you get through the holidays as smoothly as possible! Here are a few things you can do to feel more prepared for the holidays.
Clear out the clutter
Decluttering is the first step to a successful and stress-free holiday season. We collect a lot of stuff throughout the year and are about to receive a whole lot more. Decluttering before the holidays will help alleviate the overwhelming feeling of more things coming in and make decorating so much smoother. It will also clear up some extra hiding spaces for all of those gifts that Santa is bringing!
Prepare the guest room
The guest room can end up being a drop zone for the entire family especially if you don’t have guests staying over on a regular basis. Ensure all your sheets are clean and ready. For decorating the guest room on a budget we recommend using neutral sheets and adding a throw blanket or decorative pillows instead of purchasing brand new holiday sheets.
Finish your shopping and gift wrapping
I know; obviously right? But how many of us have left shopping or wrapping until the very last minute?
Prep the basement or playroom
If you are having families over who have children you may want to take a look at your current basement or playroom set-up. Ensuring that there is a safe and organized play space for children of all ages will help keep everyone busy (and hopefully out of the kitchen) until dinner is ready.
Set up and decorate your celebration spaces
Decorating every space in the house can get pricey and busy to look at over time. Start by pulling out all of your decor so you can see what you have to work with. Keep your nicest, largest or favourite pieces for the main celebration areas (living room, dining area, etc.) Smaller or less high traffic areas can be changed significantly with only a few small items or one signature piece.
Brighten up the exterior of your home
Since this is the first space your guests will see it is always nice to spruce it up a little with a large wreath, lit up garland or another staple decor item.
Go through, restock, and organize the pantry before the holiday cooking begins!
Having a clear view of your inventory will eliminate those last minute runs to the store on Christmas Eve and standing in line for two hours for one can of cranberries. (We’ve all been there!) Be sure to double check those baking supplies that you never actually need other than during the holidays.
Tackle the mudroom or hall closet
This will make your guests feel more at home by having a dedicated space for their belongings. Implementing storage solutions beforehand will alleviate the extra clutter.
Plan your table settings early
If you have nice china or glassware ensure they are ready to be used before the holidays start. Is the china dusty or does the silverware need to be polished? Maybe you want to use your everyday dishes but need a centerpiece that will pop. Checking these things now can certainly knock one item off the holiday to-do list.
Decoration inventory and maintenance
Regardless of how hard we tried last year to carefully pack away the decorations, there are bound to be a few misplaced hooks, torn ribbons, and broken ornaments. Double check your inventory before starting the decorating process. That way there is plenty of time to repair, replace or maybe even upgrade some of your pieces.
We know, we know. All of these things sound simple and easy, which individually they are, but everything together can be overwhelming or simply too time consuming for a lot of people. This year leading up to the holidays we will be offering a Holiday Helpers Service; we can assist with everything listed above and anything else you may need help with leading up to the holidays!
Whether you need help with a single area of your home or need a holiday home overhaul you can book with us through our website or by clicking here!
Feel like tackling it yourself? Leave your email below to join our mailing list and receive a copy of our free Holiday Checklist coming out later this week!