Open Your Home for the Holidays: Ways to Prepare for a Perfect Holiday Celebration
Christmas week is here! Along with the natural joy, love and laughter the holiday season brings, ‘tis also the time for holiday hosting. While you count down the days until Santa arrives, what better to do than check your holiday list to make sure that your home is well-prepared for guests this holiday-hosting season? Here are 10 tips for preparing your home for holiday guests: 1. Take Santa’s Lead If you’re hosting this year’s family get-together or just having a few friends over, take it from Santa and make a list! Simply, there is no better way to make sure that you’ve got everything covered than by writing it down. And, there is just no better feeling than checking that final item off the list. 2. Be the Early Bird They don’t call it the “hustle and bustle” of the holiday season for nothing. There are tons of things to get done around the holidays (decorating, shopping, baking, wrapping, etc.); but, that doesn’t mean you aren’t supposed to enjoy this festive time of year as well. By cooking, cleaning and decorating in advance, you’ll have more moments to sit back and relax with your guests. 3. Remember the Outdoors Trying to arrange ample parking for guests during the holiday season can be tricky; but, once your guests step onto your property, it is easy to begin to make them feel welcome. Clean sidewalks and walkways are a great way to start. A festive display outside will also help to set the mood before your guests step into your holiday wonderland. 4. Make More Space Since this most-festive holiday falls in some of the coldest weather of the year, make sure your guests have adequate space to store their cold weather gear and anything else that they deem necessary to bring to your party. One great way to “create” some temporary space for stashing shoes, coats and more is to clean out a closet close to the entryway and designate it for guests only. After all, their comfort is worth your reorganizing later, right? 5. Prepare to Potty! You may plan for your guests to spend most of their time in your dining or family room, but there is one place where they are sure to spend a little alone time during your festive get-together… the bathroom. Make sure your home’s personal spaces are spotless and fully-stocked with any supply that your guests may need. Don’t make your friends and family search through your medicine cupboard to find extra toilet paper. Keep that, tissues and, even, some extra deodorants, lotions and sprays in an easily-accessible spot. 6. Supply Extra Seating Allow your guests plenty of space in your home to conspire during your holiday party. You can bring in extra seating if you need to or creatively rearrange your own space to accommodate a social environment in your home. 7. Spread Holiday Scents and Songs Help set the mood in your home and give off the scents of the season. There may be only a few more days that you can enjoy your favorite holiday tunes; so, make sure that they’re on repeat during your festive functions. Light a few fragrant holiday candles prior to your party to keep a gentle waft of Christmas cheer in the air. Coupling low, cheerful holiday music with soft, festive scents will surely spread good tidings around your celebration. 8. Keep Cool No, we’re not only talking about your nerves. If you’re planning to open your home to guests for the holidays, shortly before they begin to arrive, set the thermostat a few degrees lower than you typically would. The additional warmth that your friends and family bring will certainly help keep your home at a comfortable temperature. A house that’s too warm may tempt your guests to take a long winter’s nap, instead of celebrating the night away! 9. Break Some Traditions There is no holiday-hosting rule book that says you and your Christmas guests have to sit around the dining room table to enjoy your festive feast, even if you did take the time to make sure it is dashingly decorated. Allow yourself time to mix and mingle with your guests by arranging a holiday buffet, where your guests can continue to devour your delicious dishes while enjoying the party. 10. Stock Up on Gifts that Keep on Giving What do you do when Aunt Ida, who never said she would be coming, decides to drop in at the last minute? Stash a few beautifully-wrapped gifts in an extra closet! You will be sure to WOW her, and any other surprise guests, who may walk through the door. Nothing will make them feel more festive than “knowing” that you remembered them while you were shopping.
