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It’s that time of year again when Christmas is only just around the corner. The kids are amped with energy waiting in anticipation for Santa arrive and the rest of us are busy getting presents and the house ready.

Getting organised for the festive season now is the best way to reduce stress levels come Christmas Day – especially if you have family coming to stay. It’s not uncommon to have a few extra house guests staying over the holiday season. And whilst it’s definitely enjoyable for everyone, preparation is essential.

Here’s a few tips to make sure you get your home organised in time.

1. Get your guest spaces ready

Clearing out room for the family to come stay is the first step. If you’re anything like me and the guest room has turned into a junk “storage” space, start clearing it out and organising what needs to go. It’s the perfect excuse to chuck out stuff that’s been building up since last time the family came over too. Consider hiring a skip bin to encourage a full spring clean-up. This will make it easier to get rid of what you don’t need any more without the hassle of overfilling the house bins or heading to the tip.

If you don’t have a spare room, try and shuffle the house around slightly to provide as much space and privacy as possible. Even something as simple as having somewhere to put their things can make a big difference. Make sure there’s extra clean towels, fresh linen and other essentials your guests may need during their stay to make them feel comfortable.

2. Increase the security

As much as Christmas is exciting and fun for the family, it does come with one downfall. The holiday season provides an opportunity for thieves to target homes so it pays to check your security situation. If you are planning on heading away, even just for the weekend, make sure the house is securely locked and you give your neighbours a heads-up. Little things like tidying your garden and utilising timer lights can make a big difference too.

Also whilst it’s nice to keep Christmas presents under the tree, make sure curtains are drawn or the tree is positioned away from windows. Hiding gifts from prying eyes (and I don’t just mean your children!) will help to eliminate potential thieves seeing something they like and breaking in. Check all locks, windows and doors around the home to make sure everything is in working order. If you’re leaving a spare key out for family staying over, make sure you put it in a safe place that’s not obvious for other people.

3. Encourage the kids to help with decorations

It’s one of the most exciting parts about Christmas – putting up the decorations! Decorating the home should be done after you’ve completed a big spring clean-up and should definitely involve the kids. Encourage them to get creative by putting together some DIY decorations; this will also keep them entertained for a few hours while you focus on preparing the house. Hang out the Christmas stockings for Santa, put the tree up and get crafty outside with some fairy lights and other Christmas-y goodies.

4. Get house repairs finalised

There’s nothing like dealing with the house falling apart over the holidays. Dripping taps, broken steps or squeaky doors will only dampen the Christmas mood. Use this month to do a quick sweep over the place to check that everything is safe for family and friends. If you’re going to be having more children running around the house, it’s a good idea to childproof the home as much as possible too. Check decking outside to make sure no screws are loose or rusted, make sure any pool fencing and gates are in safe working order and remove any hazards from the yard.

5. ­­Cook ahead

Most people won’t enjoy spending most of the holiday season stuck in the kitchen when there’s family and friends to relax with. Cook ahead as much as possible and clear out the freezer for more storage space. Make sure the pantry and kitchen are stocked with staple items well in advance too. If you’re planning on cooking up anything new for the festive season, make sure you experiment with the recipe beforehand to eliminate any last minute stress. Organise some simple baking activities for the kids to help out in the kitchen too. Your home will feel even more welcoming and Christmas-like with the smell of backed cookies and meals!

Getting your home ready for the festive season doesn’t need to be stressful. By organising everything early on, you’ll have more time to sit back with the kids and enjoy a few glasses of vino with the family!

How do you prepare your home for Christmas? SHARE WITH US in the comments below. 

Image source: Pexels

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  • We have our set Christmas routine and that works for us.

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  • These are some great tips. Thank you

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  • Some good tips here, thanks.

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  • Done! For the first time in what seems like forever we’re not hosting so we just get to go places. Taking a lemon meringue pie and bread to one family event. That’s it! Simple! And taking the pav to another. Done.

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  • If we have Xmas at our house, I would be in organise mode. But I can’t see us having a big Xmas at home

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  • Great things to think about, thanks for sharing.

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  • I spent Xmas interstate so I gave no need for this info :))))) I gad a super lovely time too, leaving all the organising to someone else for a change

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  • I do some bulk cooking early in December so I have some extra time closer to Christmas to bake goodies to give as gifts and make some Christmas cookies with my family.

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  • Lists, lists, and more lists. This helps organise me and keep the family across what needs to be done. And discussions, lots of discussions about what needs to be done and how we can all pitch in to help.

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  • Thanks for your tips – we have done just about all of this and are planning to cook the day before with just a light heat-up, or alternatively to cook it in the BBQ outside in the deck while entertaining there. Salads and prawns as an entrée and to go with the main. Minimal effort and more time to spend with the guests and family.

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  • We had a situation we just couldn’t fit enough beds for people to sleep on. Some of them were too old to physically able to sleep on a mattress on the floor. Luckily somebody suggested that some sleep at their place overnight, have breakfast then come and spend the rest of their time with us. It worked very well.

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  • This weekend my daughter and I will put up the Christmas tree. We love doing it together.
    Generally I cook a lot, too much, for Christmas. This year I will keep it as simple as possible, trying to introduce healthier recipes too. :-)

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  • Good idea to be well prepared in advance.

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  • Having “to do” lists and checking things off is always helpful.

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  • I like your tip to cook ahead,always a great idea if you can!

    Reply

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