Preparing Your Home + Life For the Holidays

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! The holiday season is filled with fun festivities… and a little bit of chaos. If you’re someone who likes to host and invite friends and family over, it can be especially overwhelming to do all the things to prepare for guests. Our goal is to simplify your mind with a series of to-dos that will help give you the willpower and strategy to accomplish all that you want to get done this year.

Grab your notepad and pen. It’s time to prep your home and life for the holidays!

Step 1: Declutter

Before you grab your cleaning supplies, spend some time decluttering your space. Here are our best tips:

• Remove unnecessary items from your countertops

• Throw away expired food from your pantry and refrigerator

• Walk through the main living spaces of your home and pick up and put away clutter and items that don’t belong

• Make space in your entryway, mudroom or coat closet for guests to hang coats and bags and to put shoes

• Don’t worry about areas behind closed doors - only focus on the areas guests may access.

Step 2: Clean

Now that your counters are empty and your floors have been cleared, you’re ready to give your house a good scrub. Here’s what you can do:

• Vacuum the sofa and area rugs in high-traffic rooms

• Wipe down counters, stove, and kitchen appliances

• Dust entertainment center and shelves

• Scrub toilets and shower grime

Step 3: Prepare for Guests

The best thing you can do is make your guests feel at home. At the very least, it’s important to make sure you have everything your guests need to feel comfortable. Consider things like:

• Set up and stock a coffee/tea/hot chocolate station to include disposal to-go cups - risers and lazy susans are great for sugar, creamers, pods, stir sticks, etc

• Meal plan ahead of time, including snacks and drinks, and prepare casseroles that freeze well

• Have extra throw blankets available for guests to cozy up with

• Check and refresh your stock of towels and bedding to make sure you have fresh linens and pillows for all guests

• Create a guest basket or tray to place in guest rooms to include wifi info, travel-sized toiletries, soap, Tylenol, tissues, bottles of water, packaged snacks, slippers, etc.

Our last tip is the most important one: Don’t stress! This time of year is filled with love and joy, and your guests will be happy to simply spend time with you. Do what you can to make your house cozy and warm, but most of all, enjoy every second of the season!

*Disclaimer: All links above are affiliate links from which we receive a small commission from sales of the showcased items. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Thank you!