Holidays are fast approaching, you can already hear Christmas carols everywhere and see Christmas decorations all over. Christmas is one of the longed-for holidays, with the excitement of preparing everything, cooking good food and doing all the shopping. It is a great time to make new memories with your family. However, it can be time-consuming and stressful. If you are going to be the family’s host for this year’s festivities, you have a lot of preparing to do.

To help you have a smooth sailing holiday, here are a few things you need to do before the big event. Continue reading so you can be one step closer to your best holiday season ever.

Clean, Clean, and Clean!

Every day our house can get pretty messy, and the holiday season is a new level of messy. Before it starts, you should make sure that you clean and declutter your house. You should do a general cleaning of every nook and cranny of your home. Starting from the inside (bedrooms, guestrooms, and bathroom) to the outside (living room, garden, and basement). Before putting up any lights or setting out any decorations, make sure that:

  1. Wash windows and clean glass on your party spaces
  2. Vacuum and mop the floor all around the house
  3. Sweep outside (patio, walkway, garage)
  4. Dust every surface (including drawers, ceiling, and ceiling fans)
  5. Wash curtains, carpet, and pillows
  6. Remove any unnecessary things that are not meant to be in the house

Deep cleaning your house is an excellent way to make it holiday-ready. Moreover, it is the perfect time to declutter and give away things and clothes that you don’t need anymore. Donating your stuff to charity is incredible, and at the same time, you can make space for all of the things you will be buying and receiving.

Christmas Shopping Early? Why Not!

We all look forward to doing Christmas shopping, so why not do it a little bit earlier? It is good to help you not have an expensive month and break down the expenses a few months before the big day itself. The professionals who do residential Christmas decorating services said they get inquiries and installation requests as early as two months before the special day. If you are dreading buying or putting up Christmas lights, trees, any lanterns, or even Santa and reindeers. You can hire someone to do everything for you. Early shopping will also be a hassle-free errand since the malls are not overcrowded by everyone doing the last minute shopping. In terms of buying gifts, buy customized baby gifts or some generic gifts for unexpected people and last-minute Christmas parties that need gifts.
Some of the gift ideas you can buy:

  • Oil Diffusers
  • Mugs
  • Hoodies, Sweaters or Socks
  • Wine
  • Books
  • Makeup and Skincare items
  • Toys for boys and girls
  • Food and snacks gift bags

You can also start stocking up on food items a week or two before the holiday. Start with beverages, non-perishable items, and dessert. This way, you can accommodate, feed, and gift more people. After doing all of this in advance, you are certainly more ready.

Ready, Kitchen, Go!

The kitchen, aside from the front room, will be the most used space of the house during this holiday. The kitchen is where all the magic happens. Clean your microwave and make sure that your oven is all properly working. Make sure that your refrigerator has space and is cooling properly. Next, clean, drain and inspect your dishwasher.

You will be cooking and eating a lot so make sure that you have a complete set of plates and utensils. Sharpen your knives and pots and pans. Last but definitely not least, make sure that your kitchen is stuff with food and drinks.

Equip Yourself for Houseguests

Parties will undoubtedly be all night. Your houseguests, especially older people or young kids will need a place to rest, sleep, or change. In this way, you would be prepared if one or several of your guests would stay at your place after the celebration is done. Ensure that your guest room has:

  • Comfortable bed – it should have nice clean bed linens, extra pillow, and blankets.
  • Drawer space – make sure that they have something to put their clothes on and an extra set of hangers.
  • Toiletries– put enough toiletries, like shampoo, soap, toothpaste, and toilet paper.

By doing this, you can be assured that they will feel welcomed and taken care of. It will also free up most of your time on the day itself. Instead of thinking on the spot that your house guest needs, it is already well taken care of.

Better Safe than Sorry

You don’t want your holiday ruined by medical emergencies, accidents, fires, or burglary. And as what many people say, “prevention is better than cure.” Although you can’t avoid anything and don’t have any idea about what can happen, you can take some steps to make sure that you can handle everything the holiday rush will throw at you.

For kids:

Baby-proof the house by securing there are no heavy objects that can tip over them, all the power outputs are enclosed, sharp edges of furniture covered, and no choking hazard is lying around the house.

For pets:

Remove all of the poisonous plants. Make sure that food that is not allowed for them is out of reach. If your pets are not socially trained, you can put them in an enclosed crate or spare room.

From accidents:

Don’t leave any appliances plugged for a long time. Turn off anything they can cause a fire. Don’t leave food cooking unattended. Check if anyone has any food allergies. Stock some medicine for cough, cold, fever, or minor burns. Have an emergency phone number ready. Make sure that your door is always locked to avoid any intruders from coming in.

It may seem like a tedious task but if you get all of these tasks done, you can freely enjoy yourself throughout the event. The best way to spend the holiday season is in the comfort of your home, with the people you love and the food you like.