Are your home, and YOU ready for the holiday’s?

Entry #10, November 3, 2009

Enjoy the season…

In about 4 weeks, the relatives will be wearing out their welcome in your overcrowded guest room.  The Thanksgiving meal will need to be planned, and your kid’s are already giving you their mile-long Christmas lists… relax. The holiday’s are supposed to be a joyous time to spend with family and friends, but for most of us, it’s stressful!  Let’s try and make it easier.. read on..

House:

Preparing for guest’s can be enjoyable, and not-so-enjoyable. Here are some time-saving tips to help ease the last-minute, frantic countdown to the doorbell ringing.

• Guest Room: Have bed linen, comforters, duvet covers washed or taken to the dry cleaner well in advance. This way they are ready for bed-making, day’s before guest’s arrive.  Remove clutter, and storage items that are in closets, under the bed, and in drawers.  Make sure there are enough hangers in the closet, and room for guest’s to bring in luggage and belonging’s.
• Kitchen: Go through your kitchen and see if you have enough pots, pans, utensils and cookware for your cooking. If you need special ingredients that you may not remember… like cloves for the ham? Buy it now, so when you are writing your grocery list, it’s not a missed ingredient that you have to run back to the store for!
• Bathrooms: Similar to bed linen, make sure towel’s, shower curtain/mat and other item’s in the bathroom are guest ready. Helpful hint: Buy sets of towel’s when they are on sale. Then put them away, until guest’s come. This way you don’t have to worry about worn out looking towel’s when Uncle Harry steps out the shower!

Our family is the main reason why we enjoy the season. They are also the reason that we hate the season! With some

Do the work now..enjoy the family when they arrive!

advanced planning, and self-talk, this season will be what you make it… great!

• Out-of-town guest’s: Try and talk with guest’s before they arrive about their expectations.  Activities, favorite foods, allergies, etc.. can help the visit be more enjoyable for everyone. If Aunt Mildred likes pancakes in the morning, and Jimmy hates sausage.. it will help in your planning.
• Children: Talk to your kid’s about what activities they’d like to do over the holiday’s. Often times the adult’s make it about their childhood memories… often times your kids just want to play in the snow with their friends for 3 days! Make a compromise, and explain the holiday’s are for everyone. One day, make cookies with them, and the other two day’s.. let them play!
• YOU: Make a wish list and a To Do list for the season.  Everything on the wish list is a “would be nice” item. While the To Do list is a “must” – like buying the turkey! This will help you prioritize, and not kill yourself to get every item you think of done. Remember, this season is wonderful, with planning… stress in burning in the crackling fireplace! Enjoy!

Relax… The season demands it!

For more holiday ideas on Stagetecture, click here.