The 25th December is fast approaching so with a couple of weeks left until Santa makes his way down our chimneys, I thought i’d blog about my top tips to getting your home ready for Christmas.
Whether your hosting for 20 this year, or getting somebody else to do all the hard work for you, it can still be a stressful time of year with present shopping (why are men near on impossible to buy for…also don’t even get me started on the hordes of people everywhere), visitors staying, work christmas parties, putting up decorations & everything else that goes with this time of year.
1. Make a list – ‘He’s making a list. And checking it twice; Gonna find out Who’s naughty or nice’…see what I did there?
I’m a huge fan of list making so this is obviously my number 1 tip, even as I type…i’m list making! Make sure you have all aspects covered, write a list of what you need to buy for Christmas day (turkey, potatoes, carrots, stuffing, pigs in blankets….the dreaded brussel sprouts), a list of present ideas for family & friends, a list of games to play before you pass out on the sofa after stuffing yourself with Christmas dinner.
I’m a huge fan of list making so this is obviously my number 1 tip, even as I type…i’m list making! Make sure you have all aspects covered, write a list of what you need to buy for Christmas day (turkey, potatoes, carrots, stuffing, pigs in blankets….the dreaded brussel sprouts), a list of present ideas for family & friends, a list of games to play before you pass out on the sofa after stuffing yourself with Christmas dinner.
2. Delegate tasks – it’d be absolutely impossible to do everything yourself so it’s important to seek help from those around you. This year i’m hosting Christmas day for 12 of our nearest & dearest but that doesn’t mean i’ll be doing everything. My parents are bringing the turkey & gravy, my mother-in-law is on stuffing & roast potato duty & my best friend on the puddings.
3. De-clutter – where on earth are you going to put that huge mound of presents your children have received from everybody with the best intentions? This is the bain of my life seeing as I always like to have things hidden. Before Christmas & birthdays I always have a huge sort out of all the bits the little’s haven’t played with for a while & either sell them on or donate them to charity.
4. Deep clean – before those decorations go up & you’re inundated with people, it’s the perfect time to give your home a good deep clean including all skirting boards, dusting, mopping the floor & so on.
5. Choose a theme – it’s always a good idea to ‘invest’ in a few different styles of decorations so every year you have a slightly different look to the next. Think the traditional reds & whites one year, then golds the next, silver the next & so on. This will help when you go to set the table on Christmas day with the ‘look’ you’re aiming for. I always find Pinterest amazing for this.
6. Don’t forget the exterior – the outside of your house should look just as festive as inside, even if that means hanging a wreath on your front door.
7. Think about the table plan – as i’ve got more people coming on Christmas day than I do tables/chairs i’m having to improvise by borrowing more & putting two tables together. It also pays to think about things like plates/glasses/cutlery as the last thing you need when setting the table is realising you’re 3 plates short.
8. Get your spare room ‘guest room ready’ – Christmas is a time for family & whether you like it or not, you’ll have lots more visitors appearing at your doorstep. You may also have people staying over night so it’s nice to make them feel at home. Make sure you have cleaning towels & bedding as well as nice little luxuries for them.
9. Shopping – get all of your present & food/drink shopping done as soon as possible. This adds so much unnecessary stress. I usually try to make sure that all my Christmas shopping is done by the end of November so that I can have it all wrapped & under the tree (not this year as i’d turn my back & the little’s would be having a field day unwrapping it all). I’ve also got my Asda delivery slot booked so that all I have to do is wait in for it to come to me rather than braving those crazy people that panic buy because the shops will be shut for 1 day so feel the need to buy 20x more than usual.
10. Enjoy – sit back, relax & enjoy this time. Nothing beats curling up under a blanket with the Christmas tree lights twinkling, eating a whole tub of Celebrations/Roses/Quality Street (we all have a preference…mine’s definitely the Celebrations although I do love the purple ones in Quality street tubs), listening to Michael Buble & spending time with those closest to us. You just can’t beat it.
How do you prepare for Christmas?
Love, Charlotte x