Many of us have family and friends coming into our homes over the next month or so. We all love making an impression and want to make sure our homes are lovely and comfortable for all of our guests. Here is a helpful list of tips for preparing your home for the holidays.
Be Prepared for the Snow First and Foremost
Hopefully, you are going to do this anyway, but just make sure you have everything shoveled for your guests. Include current walkways and create new walkways to where additional cars may park. Keep a snow shovel and a bag of rock salt by the door just in case you have to shovel yourself out.
Make Room for Incoming Items
Take out all the things you no longer need or have not used in a while. You are most likely about to receive gifts, so now is a good time to make room. Rent out a dumpster, donate to shelters and others in need, whatever you have to do in order to make the necessary space. After you have cleaned out all these things, your rooms should be able to hold more presents, guests' luggage, and should also be easier to clean.
De-Clutter to Create Useful Space
More people means more food, bags, and storage space needed. So clear off countertops and make extra room. You can even use this additional space to create a special coffee serving area for breakfast and after meals, complete with cups and fixings. You may also want to add extra seating around tables and kitchen islands. If you have overnight guests coming, make sure to clean out some drawers and closet space for them to put their things, instead of making them live out of their luggage. You can also clear a space or hang up more hooks to account for all the additional coats and jackets.
.....but leave out some extra umbrellas. Just in case you need to keep someone dry while they carry away gifts and leftovers.
Prepare your car
For your cars, you want to make sure they all have scrapers in them. You also want to have a pair of jumper cables and a roadside kit just in case. If you have a lighter car, it is also handy to put a bag of rock salt or cat litter in the back to give it some weight and help provide better traction for your tires if you get stuck.
Prepare the Bathroom
Check the toilet and make sure it’s in working order because it is about to get a little workout. If you want to spruce up the bathroom, cleaning between the tiles can give a nice boost. Usually, we like to hide all of the bathroom supplies, but our guests may not know where everything is. You can either leave them out in an organized fashion or place them in festive baskets so no one has to rummage through the cabinets. You can even provide some extra toothbrushes in case someone forgot theirs or unexpectedly ends up spending the night because of winter weather. You will also want to have an extra hand and bath towels on hand.
Safety First
You may have people who are older and/or younger than are usually in your house, so now is a good time to childproof the house and watch for hazards like loose floorboards and anything that juts out. Some quick safety tips are to remove things from precarious positions, cover outlets, check handrails, and watch for rugs that slip. Nightlights are also useful. You may be able to sprint through your house blindfolded balancing an egg, but for people unfamiliar with your home's layout, it can be much more difficult.
If you have any tips of your own please comment and help make this list even better.
Have A Safe and Happy Holiday
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