Many people are filled with the festive spirit as soon as the Pumpkins are chucked out from Halloween and can’t wait to get the tree up, hit the shops for presents and blare out the Christmas songs. For others, the festive period is synonymous with worry as the thought of opening up the household to visitors fills them with dread. Preparing a home for the Christmas onslaught can seem daunting, but with a little bit of preparation and a few savvy investments, you can open your front door to visitors with pride.
Lay the Right Foundations – Furniture Solutions
A cluttered house is a cluttered mind – so start by assessing the accents of your home and deciding which ones are stylish features and which would be better tucked away. Make the most of the furniture you already have; a good clear out of the cupboards and draws will allow for more space to pop those other bits away – be it books, DVDs or ornaments.
If space has long been in short supply, now is the time to consider intuitively designed pieces in the form of fitted furniture. Beautiful yet practical creations will serve you well over the Christmas period and beyond, providing key rooms with some often much-needed organisation.
Plan Visits Around Your Schedule
Festive season or not, work and family still carry the same need for routine as the rest of the year, so a disturbance to this can quickly throw you off kilter. Plan visits wisely by being pro-active; get in touch with people that normally visit at this time of year and agree on a date and time that suits everyone. Jot these down on your calendar and set reminders on your phone to ensure you don’t end up with the headache of a double booking!
Add Buffer Nibbles to Your Food Shop
Food is always on the agenda around the Christmas period and if you have visitors they will most likely be expecting a treat or two. When you do your Christmas shop, add a couple of packets of mince pies, bottles of wine, biscuits and other longer life festive favourites to ensure you are well stocked.
Keep the Kids Entertained
If you have visitors coming with their little ones and your house is not currently a child-friendly home, you can soon discover that bored children = tearful and irritated children. Do a little damage control by buying in some affordable craft activities and games for younger children and set this up ahead of their arrival.
Deep Clean the Key Rooms
Set aside a day ahead of any of the impending visits to really get scrubbing. A thorough clean means you can then get away with lighter cleaning and tidying on the day of the visits as opposed to panicking that the bath looks grimy and the shower curtain is scummy. Think about the rooms most likely seen by others; whilst the washing in the utility probably isn’t going to be noticed, the living room, bathroom and kitchen need to be clean and tidy.
Don’t Forget to Accommodate Your Pets
Many people often don’t realise that Christmas can be a stressful time for pets, particularly with all the strange people walking in and out of the house. If your pet is of a nervous disposition you should take care to set up a quiet area of the house for them to retreat to. Never shut a dog outside to accommodate visitors as they will feel as if they are being punished for something and this can lead to further anxiety when strangers come into their home. Instead, get a treat ready for them and set their bed up in the spare bedroom. Leave the doors open so they have the freedom to come and go as they please.
Set the Christmas Scene
Delight guests with your efforts to turn your home into a comfortable, relaxing and festive setting by getting the Christmas decorations in place before they arrive. You can purchase festively scented candles at this time of year so stock up and light around an hour before arrival so that guests walk into a fragrant and homely space. Play Christmas music softly and you’re sure to create a Christmassy atmosphere within the home in no time.
Remember it’s About Your Christmas Too!
Playing host can often mean you spend so much time rushing around after others that by the end of it all you feel anything but Christmassy! A little bit of preparation goes a long way so by getting everything sorted ahead of guests arriving, you can sit back and relax in the beautiful and welcoming atmosphere you have created, with a mince pie in one hand a well-deserved drink in the other.
Alex is from http://www.jamesmayorfurniture.co.uk/ . She loves to write about how to make your house a home and come up with excellent storage solutions. . When she isn’t busy writing about the latest design trends she can be found relaxing on a sofa with a warm mug of hot chocolate!
