How to Get Your Home Holiday-Ready: 5 Can't-Miss Tasks

How to Get Your Home Holiday-Ready: 5 Can't-Miss Tasks

Worried about getting ready for the holidays? Have no fear. Avoid the chaos of the holiday season with these five helpful preparation tips.

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Around this time of year, your home becomes full. Full of guests. Full of celebration. And full of seasonal decor. With all the chaos of the season, it can be easy to become overwhelmed with to-do lists and events.

But preparing and organizing your home before the holiday season hits its peak can help ease some of the pressure and stress of the season. So, make sure your home is ready to endure and impress this holiday season with these five tips for getting your home ready for the holidays.

1. Scrub the Place Clean

The holidays see both family and friends come into town to visit and celebrate. And like any good host, you need to clean up before they arrive. Cleaning the whole house is no easy task, so set aside one day, get all the equipment you’ll need, and take things one room at a time.

If you’re in a pinch and need to clean fast, prioritize the rooms that are guest-facing like your home’s common areas, powder room, and guest bedrooms and bathrooms. While you scrub things clean it’s also a good idea to organize cabinets, linen closets, and other storage areas so bed sheets, towels, and guest amenities are easy to find and bring out once guests arrive. With a spotless home, you’ll then have a clean slate with which to decorate.

Woman Scrubbing the Kitchen Counter

2. Deck the Halls

No holiday season is complete without holiday lights, scented candles, wreaths, poinsettias, and more. Break out your best holiday decorations for the season, stock up at the Hallmark store, and start stringing up your holiday lights.

Want to really amp up the festive ambiance this year? Some of our favorite pieces of holiday decor bring the outdoors in. For example, holiday lights aren’t just for home exteriors, you can also string them up on your mantle, banister, or windowsills to make your home look sparkling and warm. 

Living Room With Holiday Decor

3. Make Up the Guest Bedrooms

The unavoidable fact of the holidays is that you’re going to be hosting guests. And sometimes those guests require a place to stay for the night. Make sure you’re prepared to have overnight guests or extend an invitation for them to stay over by preparing the guests bedrooms before the holidays start.

Strip the beds, give them a fresh set of sheets, ensure the room is fully stocked and ready for new occupants at any given moment. This way you can rest assured that your loved ones will always have a place to stay with you.

woman changing sheets in a guest bedroom

4. Stock the Kitchen

From Thanksgiving to Hanukkah to Christmas and beyond, the holidays bring families together over a good meal. Plus, there’s plenty of baking to go around as well. And the last thing you want to have to do the night before any one of those holidays is going to the store — it’s guaranteed to be crowded and picked over.

Avoid this worst-case scenario by stocking up your kitchen with the majority of your baking and cooking needs. While you’ll need to purchase some fresh ingredients closer to the holidays, you can certainly purchase others in advance and freeze them if you’re concerned about expiration dates. There are also some ingredients like flour, sugar, canned foods, potatoes, and others that will keep fresh all through the holiday season. So, make a list, check it twice, and head to the store before it’s too late.

Woman Shopping at the Grocery Store

5. Give Guests a Warm Welcome

The warm glow of scented candles. Throw blankets. A crackling fire. A cup of hot chocolate. Warm, inviting pieces of decor go a long way in helping guests feel a sense of welcome in your home. Keeping this in mind, make sure you're ready to usher in guests by lighting the candles, starting a fire, turning up the heat, or preparing a little welcome treat.

Inviting Living Room Holiday Decor

Holidays Don’t Have to Be Hectic

With plenty of preparation, you can avoid much of the hustle and bustle of the holidays. So before the holidays are in full swing, make sure you set aside some time to thoroughly clean your home, prep the kitchen, make up the guest bedrooms, and decorate for the holidays.

Want to give your home a little present for the holidays? Our Black Friday sale is right around the corner! Starting this Friday our entire site is 20% off. Just use promo code blackfriday18 at checkout between 12:00 AM Friday, Nov. 23, 2018 and 11:59 PM Sunday, Nov. 25, 2018 to receive the discount. Happy shopping!

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