How to Have a Guest-Ready Home for Christmas
How to Have a Guest-Ready Home for Christmas
Christmas is around the corner and you’re ready to spend a joyful season with family and friends. But we all know the stress that can creep in when small details are overlooked, turning moments of memories into moments of stress. Here’s a few easy steps to ensure your home is guest-ready. We want you to fully enjoy every moment without a single worry about these common causes of stress.
With Minnesota’s winter, fluctuating temperatures can cause wood to swell, causing doors in your home to scrape or stick. Before guests arrive, check that all doors are working smoothly. A door that won’t open or close easily can add unexpected frustration as guests don’t know the special “lift and jiggle.”. Now is the time to make sure everything’s moving smoothly.
Next, prepare for the leftovers. Make sure you have storage room for all that Christmas food, and check that the outlets they’re plugged into are in good working condition. Some homes have insufficient electrical systems that are pushed over the edge when so many extra users and equipment are being used. This small step gives peace of mind that everything in your fridge and freezer will stay cool, and you won’t find yourself scrambling to store all those holiday goodies out the back door on the deck.
A quick clean-up now will make a world of difference before guests arrive. Dusting the baseboards and ceiling fans well ahead of time helps keep the focus on family and festivities, not on those last-minute details that are easy to forget. Even though so many of us do it, no one wants to be sweeping cobwebs with guests arriving any minute!
Another high cause of stress is when a search for a lost toy in your seat cushions brings out an embarrassing pile of dropped cheerios and popcorn. Get ahead of the treasure hunt by cleaning out any crumbs or stray items in your couch after reading this article!
As we cozy up together indoors, take care of any drafty areas. Before you find yourself in temperature discussions with unhappy guests, inspect the seals around windows and doors and add weatherstripping or caulk where needed. Fixing these drafts not only keeps your guests warm but also makes your home more energy efficient—a win-win!
Lastly, don’t forget the sentimentals that you boxed away. If there are any family gifts you know your guests will look for—like artwork from your cousin thinking about art school or your Aunt Gertrude’s holiday hotdish platter she gifted to you last year—make sure they’re out and displayed. Every year someone will ask about what they gave you last time, and being prepared beforehand keeps you from panicking with a made-up story in the moment.
With these simple steps done ahead of time, you’ll be ready to welcome guests without a care in the world, fully focused on Christmas. Are you ready to make this Christmas the most enjoyable one yet?
