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Post christmas clean up

by with No Comment Christmas

After the celebrations, it’s always necessary to have a festivities clean up in your home. Here are some of my top tips for returning your home to its former ordered and ready to start a fresh new year.

Start by taking down the decorations

Get some empty boxes to put all your decorations in and start stripping away the Christmas tree. Depending on the types of ornaments, you may want to use different boxes, one for the heavy ones and one for the more delicate ones. Remember to wrap the delicate ones to avoid breakage.

Wrap your Christmas lights around a cardboard tube or wire coat hanger, to avoid a tangled mess. You’ll be grateful for this trick next year when you are not spending ages unwrapping cords. Most of the time they never fit back in the boxes.

If you had a real Christmas tree, then you could be battling the inevitable onslaught of pine needles for months to come. It’s easy to think you’ve done the job when you’ve removed the tree from your home and cleaned up the immediate aftermath. HOWEVER it’s an ideal opportunity for a deep clean of that room which includes underneath sofas, rugs, chairs etc and even underneath sofa cushions – you’ll be amazed where those little needles end up!

Don’t forget to recycle your real tree many local councils will arrange free Christmas tree collections in January. It is worth having a look at your local council’s website to see what they offer in your area.

Start with the kitchen

The kitchen probably took the biggest battering over Christmas so start here. Begin by clearing clutter and deep cleaning all the surfaces and cupboard doors, they may be sticky from over cooking, food spillages and messy hands. You are also going to need to set aside some time and focus on the dishwasher, that has worked over time cleaning all those dirty dishes. Hand scrub the edges and then use a good dishwasher cleaner that will leave it squeaky clean. Next the hob and don’t forget to run a cocktail stick under the edging where food particles get stuck, I always find it amazing what comes out and next the dreaded oven. The biggest cleaning job in the kitchen that will take time, but ensure you have some good products to hand along with some rubber gloves. If you want some oven cleaning tips take a look here.

Tackle any floor stains and deep clean the floor, if you have a steam cleaner this is defiantly the time to get it out as it will give your floor that extra clean feeling, break down any food odours and lift dirt. Remember you do not need to use any products with your steam cleaner the power of steam is enough to kill germs and bacteria.

Clean your fridge

Like your kitchen, the fridge is probably also a mess. Start going through the content of your fridge and remove any expired foods and things you will not eat. You don’t want to leave anything to rot away in there. Get everything out and give it a deep clean, I always find warm soapy water and a splash of white vinegar works well and the vinegar will help to banish any food smells.

Remove stains

Check all carpeted areas for any stains and clean immediately, mix together warm soapy water and white vinegar as this will remove most stains, scrub in using a bristle brush and then pat dry using a white cloth, white will show you if you are removing the stains. if you have a carpet cleaner it is a good time of year to get this out and not only clean but refresh your carpets. There is nothing more satisfying than seeing that dirt being pulled out.

Also check your table cloth and table linen for stains and get them washed and ironed ready for when you next have guests.

Think about next Christmas

Whilst you’re going through all of the Christmas decorations and cards, ask yourself if you can reuse them next year. You can turn old cards into gift tags for your presents, just cut out the part that you want from the front and recycle the rest. If you have any leftover wrapping paper put it in a safe place like a wrapping paper organising bag then you won’t end up buying more when it’s time to wrap the presents.

Don’t forget my January declutter this will help you get clutter out and get super organised for the year ahead, print a copy of and tick as you go and just focus on 10 minutes a day.

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The perfect Christmas tree

by with No Comment Christmas

I don’t believe there is a right way to decorate your tree, it is all down to personal choice and having fun together as a family, but I have put together a few very simple tips for you.

Measure

Measure the area you have chosen for your tree so you know it will fit perfectly. Ensure there are plug sockets for the lights before hand too.

Location

choose the right location. Your tree does not have to be in the lounge, so put it where it best compliments your home. If you have small children or pets, male sure-it is in a safe area too. If you are worried about it falling it over you could also have a real tree outside that you see from the inside and decorate with lights and baubles.

Fluff up

Once the base is up, make sure your fluff out all the branches so the tree looks nice and even, if you have a fake tree they can be scratchy on your wrists and lower arm so pop on a pair of rubber gloves.

Lights first

Put up the lights before the decorations, but make sure they all work first. Hang them horizontally and if you haven’t got many don’t worry about lightening the back as you can’t see that part anyway. Bonus is they are a whole lot easier to take them down once Christmas is over!

Lights on

Keep the lights on whilst decorating, this will save you from hiding any and keep your tree at its brightest.

Colour scheme

Choose a colour scheme wisely to compliment your tree, go for rich reds, glamorous gold or sparkling silver

Fill in the gaps

When popping on your baubles and decorations fill in any gaps you spot and try to be consistent in your choice of colours. Avoid hanging the same colours next to each other unless you are-using one shade.

Tree Skirt

Add in a treat skirt as they really do create a beautiful effect and can hide away the wires for your lights.

Special task

Get the younger family members to add on the Christmas star or angel.

Stand back

Stand back and admire your masterpiece and fill in any gaps.

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Christmas hacks

by with No Comment Christmas

Amazing hacks to help your Christmas run smoothly

Ironing board hack

Set up your ironing board so it is the right height for you to be comfortable then no stretching or back ache, grab your presents and wrap away.

Putting up a fake tree

Pop on a pair of rubber gloves when fluffing up your fake Christmas tree to save all the scratches on your arms.

Christmas Lights Hacks

If like most of us your Christmas lights come out all tangled and the elves get blamed for the mess, then you need this hack!

Grab yourself a coat hanger and simply hook one end of the lights to the hook on the hanger and wrap around or use the tube from your wrapping paper and wrap around. The following Christmas your lights will be tangle free.

Wrapping storage bag

If you hate your wrapping paper being everywhere and never being able to find your scissors then you need to get yourself a wrapping storage bag.

Put all the wrapping paper tubes inside along with the tags, ribbon, bows etc and you will have everything to hand.

Toilet paper tube

Keep of hold of your toilet paper tubes, cut along and then use this to keep your roll of wrapping paper in tack.

Sharpen your scissors

Kitchen foil will never sharpen your scissors, but it can certainly improve their performance, because the foil will clean the blades and remove little burs from the cutting edge. So grab a piece of foil and get them scissors performing better.

Smells like Christmas

Imagine giving your Christmas cards then scent of Christmas.

Pop your cards in an airtight container or sealed bag and add in a few cotton balls with your festive smelling essential oils such as evergreen or peppermint. Leave over night and then your cards will smell like Christmas.

Send off and the card will hang onto the smell for 2 weeks.

Wrap wine bottles with socks

Grab a pair of festive fluffy socks, pop the bottle of wine into one of the socks, fold the other other and tie around the neck to look like a scarf, this makes a great pressie and they get two lovely presents in one.

Watch my demo here

Label gifts with family photos

Use family photos instead of gifts tags, adds a nice little touch plus when you are out and about delivering makes it easy to recognise whose is who.

Christmas day box

Keep your essentials handy for Christmas day, add in batteries, screw driver, bin bags and anything else you may need to access quickly to keep the kids happy when opening the presents.

Dinner table

Collect wine corks to use as place settings. Simply slit along the long side of the cork and slide in a name card for a quick and easy place setting.

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Tips to simplify Christmas day

by with No Comment Christmas

Things you can do to simplify Christmas and take the pressure off.

Start with a plan, find yourself 15 minutes and write down everything that needs doing and everything you are going to need. Do this ahead of time so you are organised, use your phone to set reminder alarms and don’t forget to delegate tasks to other family members.

Your plan my look something like this?

  • Meal plan
  • Food shop
  • Make up dishes and deserts that can be frozen ahead of time
  • Stock check table decorations and refresh table cloth and napkins
  • Deep clean the house
  • Set up guest rooms, ensure any guests staying over are comfortable.
  • Create space, move furniture if needed to create space at the table
  • Remove any valuables that could get broken

Follow my 7 day Christmas clean up

Simplify everything. 

 Once you have got the lists onto paper, distribute them to other household members.

If cleaning your house is on the schedule, spread it out so you’re not trying to clean the house and roast a turkey at the same time. Doing cleaning tasks little and often always really helps my book The 15 Minute Clean will really help you get into the habit of little and often

This makes hosting and opening your home so much easier because you are being proactive with your cleaning all the time instead of reactive.

The Menu, the decorations, the plan for the day. It’s okay to keep things as simple as possible. If you’re having guests, delegate specific items for them to bring – drinks, dinner specific sides, desserts etc.

Set yourself up for success. 

There are a handful of things you can do in advance that make hosting Christmas a little easier and the run smoothly.

My suggestions are:

  • Start with an empty dishwasher or sink. The empty dishwasher will keep the dishes of the worktops then you can load as you go.
  • Turn the thermostat down 2-3 degrees before anyone arrives. This will keep your home at a nice temperature when the house heats up from the oven and extra people.
  • Dim the lights, turn on lamps – make it cozy!
  • Light some festive candles.
  • Have a stain remover product and some cloths to hand in case of any spillages
  • Keep a large tub by the door for shoes, this way they aren’t loose.
  • Make room for people coats.
  • Ensure hand soap in the cloakroom, a clean hand towel and plenty of toilet roll
  • Close of rooms so people know not to go in them.
  • Write the WIFI code where people can see it.

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Christmas stains

by with No Comment Christmas

Christmas can bring with it a lot of mess and one of biggest messes is stains, I have put together my Christmas stain busting guide so you can deal with those pesky stains quickly get on and enjoy the rest of your festive activities and plans.

Red wine

Probably one of the most common Christmas stains, this isn’t the easiest stain to remove and please do NOT chuck a glass of white wine over it as it will be a complete waste. The trick never works.

The key is to get these stains as soon as possible and use cold water to try and release the stain, hydrogen peroxide works well on carpets but do a patch test on your carpet first, ensure you dab and do not rub as the rubbing will make the stain worse. For clothes, liberally spray the stain with white vinegar and then after 5 minutes soak in cold water, chuck in a few ice cubes too so the water is really cold.

Failing this you will need to get yourself a bottle of wine no more, this product is yet to fail me.

Candle wax

Lighting a few candles is the best way to create Christmas ambience but can often drip. Wax is easy to remove, start by using a blunt knife and scrap off as much as you can. Next cover with brown paper or some kitchen roll and then apply heat. You can use your iron or hair dryer for this. Put on a mid-heat setting and heat over the covered wax. The wax will liquidise making it easier to remove.

This will also work if wax gets splattered onto your walls, after heating wipe off as much as you can and remove any left residue with soapy cloth.

Hot chocolate

We all love to curl up with a mug of tasty hot chocolate, a good film and a cosy blanket but it is really easy to spill that hot chocolate down your top or onto the carpet.

To treat hot chocolate stains on clothing, immediately rinse the garment under cold water, running the water through the reverse side of the stain to flush it out. Pre-treat the stain using a liquid laundry detergent, soak for 20 minutes and then wash as normal.

For the carpet, immediately blot up as much of the liquid as possible with a clean white cloth or thick kitchen roll and work from the outside in. To rinse the area, fill a spray bottle with cold water, spritz a small amount over the stain, and blot again. Using a cloth dipped into a mixture of warm water and a small amount of washing up liquid, blot the area until the stain is gone. Remove any soapy residue with a clean cloth dampened with warm water.

Lipstick

Christmas glam may leave your napkins stained, lipstick is normally easy to remove so don’t panic. If you have some micellar water for removing your make up then grab this and cover the stain, let it soak for 10 minutes then rinse away alternatively use your liquid laundry detergent again as a pre-stain treatment.

Soot

Nothing like a burning fire over the festive period. But ash and soot can make a real mess. To remove soot stains on your carpet sprinkle with bicarbonate of soda and leave to sit at least an hour, this will hopefully absorb the staining. Then vacuum the area thoroughly. If the stain remains use a specialised carpet cleaner like the Dr beckmann one.

Food grease from cooking

Head chef over the Christmas period is bound to pick up a few grease and oil stains. Pop washing up liquid on the stain straight away as this is a degreaser and let it sit for 10 minutes, rinse with cold water and then wash as normal. Repeat if there are still traces of the stain. Remember: You should always confirm a stain is completely gone before drying. If you need to repeat add in a few drops of lemon juice to help fight the grease.

Cranberry sauce

Most likely to hit your Christmas table cloth rinse or blot with cold water, spray with white vinegar and rub in some washing up liquid, let it sit then blot, use a white cloth so you can see if the stain is lifting and then wash as normal.

Gravy

Over Christmas dinner there is bound to be a gravy disaster and if you are busy enjoying your dinner the chances of you dealing with it straight away are pretty slim. Scrap of as much as you can using a blunt knife. Then use warm water and washing up liquid, and it will easily remove.

Don’t forget my book – How To Clean Your House at Christmas: The ultimate how-to guide for cleaning your home, with an updated chapter to help at Christmas is available now.

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Don’t forget to add these items to your Christmas shopping list

by with No Comment Christmas

I can’t tell you the number of times that I’ve written my big Christmas shopping list and left off something essential that has meant an extra trip out back to the shops when they are absolutely crazy and heaving with last minute Christmas shoppers!

This is a handy reminder of those often forgotten things that are essential to your Christmas wellbeing.

1 – Stuffing,

2 – Cranberry sauce, home made is always nicer but if you don’t have time ensure you add to the list.

3 – Sellotape, because it always goes missing or runs out.

4 – Batteries, if you have younger children fit the batteries before wrapping will make your life so much easier on the day and get a range of sizes.

5 – Bin bags – There is always so much rubbish over the Christmas period, get the wrapping paper in, knot and get it out the house after all you are going to need as much space as possible.

6 – Ready made custard, someone always wants custard.

7 – Double cream, always good to have options, if it is. not custard they will want cream.

8 – Gravy granules – always lovely to make your own but granules are just so much easier when you go through a lot with Christmas dinner.

9 – Christmas crackers – if you leave them to the last minute the rubbish ones will be left.

10 – Mayonnaise – for all those leftover turkey sandwiches.

If you are an online shopper like me don’t forget to book your Christmas and New Year slots these get booked up super quickly, dates for most supermarkets Christmas week slots are released early November.

Are,You,Ready?

Christmas Planning

by with 4 Comments Christmas

Christmas Cleaning & Organising schedules

As much as we love the build up to Christmas it can be also be a little over whelming and feel like one big TO DO LIST. I have put together a few simple planners to help you stay organised and keep you on top of not only the Christmas prep but your housework too.

I just love the pre Christmas clean and when you follow my simple schedules break it down, shop right and buy practical gifts it all comes together.

My simple calendar will guide you through the organising, planning and cleaning that you will need to get your home sparkling clean.

Download your free copy

Preparing to welcome guests during the festive season means time to pay extra attention to the home, from the rooms and objects we touch the most, to all the corners and crevices that are often forgotten.

I have put together my 7 down Christmas count down, a few daily tasks to do to keep you extra organised on the lead up to the big day

To download a copy click here

Christmas Meal Planning planner

My Christmas meal planner is here to help you plan the key Christmas meals between Christmas and New Year and budget.

Christmas Menu Planner Printable

Christmas Shopping Planner

Keep track of who you have bought for and how you have spent

Christmas Presents Printable

I hope these little guides help you with your Christmas planning and organising.

 

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Queen of Clean Christmas countdown

by with No Comment Christmas

Do you want to beat the rush this Christmas and be super organised?

If you do then keep on reading……….

The Christmas countdown is on. I really can’t believe it’s nearly that time of year again.   Some of you may have already started planning and preparing your Christmas which is amazing.

I love Christmas it’s a very magical time of the year and as much as I love to be organised I don’t like to start too soon. November really is the month to get going, this way you will free up your December allowing you time to catch up with friends and enjoy any pre-Christmas activities.

I have broken up key tasks here running over a 4 week period which will hopefully guide you to a stress free Christmas.

Week one

Set a budget

Family budgets can change yearly so it’s always important to plan your budget for food, presents, decorations, outfits and social events. To keep organised with you present buying download my Present buying printable this way you can set your budget and list what you have brought.

Start buying those gifts

As of now I will start to pick up a few bits each week and I will list what I have brought using my Present buying printable that I will carefully have hidden in my diary.  There have been years where I have brought items and had no idea who the gift was for.

Maybe plan a shopping day with friends or family.

Find a hiding place

Choose your hiding places wisely and clear a space. I tend to clear out one of my clothes drawers in the bedroom and this always gets me started.  There are plenty of hiding places in your home if you think about it. My tops places are listed here

Book tickets

If you planning a family outing to the local pantomime, or a visit to see father Christmas then get this tickets booked now.

Social planning

Start talking to family members and friends and set aside dates aside time to see people.  You don’t want to double book do you?

Week 2

Book those appointments

Whether its hair cuts for the whole family, dental appointment’s or beauty treatments now is the time to get these booked in. Make the calls this week and get these written down with reminders added to your phones. Most places will have their Xmas diaries open now and will start to be taking appointments so beat the rush and get in quick.  Nearer the time you may not actual no longer need the appointment but at least you have the option.

Pet Plans

You may be going away this Christmas or be spending times at various other people’s houses. Pets aren’t always welcome so start to think about where they can go. Book into a kennels or see if friends and family are around to support you. Don’t wait until a week before as the chances are they will be booked up.

Baby Sitters

If you have younger children and you have few Christmas functions to attend now is the time to start to booking your baby sitter. They will appreciate the notice and you can go ahead and plan your nights’s out with one less thing to worry about.

 

Week 3

Gift Wrap

Get out and purchase gift wrap, bottle bags and tags.  There is such a huge choice when it comes to gift wrapping but in the past I have found that some of the nicer patterns do sell out fast and don’t forget to look at more eco friendly options such as linen bottle bags and eco friendly gift wrap or look at foil large gift bags which are great for larger presents and can be reused year after year. If your having a theme which runs right through to your gift wrapping then now is the time to go out and find the right paper for you.  Don’t forget the matching tags.

Keep everything together using a gift wrap storage bag. If you can wrap as you go and don’t forget my ironing board trick.

Christmas Cards

I am finding I am get less and less cards these days and more festive messages through social media.  But I still love Christmas cards and feel that they are a tradition we should stick. A card can mean a lot to some people.  Purchase your cards and make sure you buy enough. There are lots of eco friendly cards made from recyclable card which is great.

For your children work out how many children are in their classes at school and nursery and get your child to join in by putting together a list of the names so they have a list ready for when they come to write their cards. 

Put together a list of who you are sending cards to and check international posting dates.

Always have a few spares in case you receive cards from people that you haven’t planned to give one too. It is always nice to show acknowledgement.

Don’t forget to buy your postage stamps and check you have updated your address book.

Make kitchen Space

On the lead up to Christmas It great to pick up a few bits every week to help with budgeting. Clear out a kitchen cupboard ready for Christmas foods such as chocolates, nuts and snacks.

Take stock of your pantry and baking staples. Add flour, spices, and sugar to your shopping list, so you are prepared for any Christmas baking.

Freezer de-clutter

Now that you have made the kitchen cupboard space its time to start thinking about freezer space too.  Give you freezer a good de-clutter. The freezer is a cold and desolate place that’s home to forgotten, icy food its time to remove all unusable food, and salvage the rest. Maybe spend a week eating what you actually have in their rather than adding to it so you have a clear space ready for those frozen party nibbles.

Getting head of the cleaning

Plan some time into your schedule to take a day of work to give your home a really good deep clean before the decorations start to go up. Also you may want to consider a professional cleaning services to spruce up your carpets and shine up those hard to reach outside windows.

Week 4

Order your meats

If you are hosting Christmas dinner this year get those meat orders in.  Don’t forget to order your chipolatas and bacon too for your pigs in blankets.  If you order and pay early it is one less thing to worry about. 

Local farm shops do some great offers on your Christmas meats too and sometimes can even deliver.

Christmas Crackers

Get these in this week loads of great choices on the high street.  But remember to make sure they match your Christmas table theme and always have a few spares in case you end up with some unexpected guests.

Don’t forget ECO Christmas crackers made from sustainable materials are becoming more common.

Christmas party outfits

I am sure many of us have packed December diaries but that means a few Christmas outfits for you and your family and don’t forget those Christmas jumpers too.
Christmas Jumper day Thursday 8th December this year. Add this date to your diary and set a reminder in your phone.

Don’t forget your accessories too lots of pretty sparkly bags around along with sparkly earrings.  If you treat the kids to Christmas Eve PJ’s it may be worth you looking at getting these now too before all the sizes sell out and don’t forget your party shoes.

I do have a discount code for Dorothy Perkins which is QOCX10 and they have some lovely party wear in.

Travel

If your travelling by train for Christmas get those tickets booked now, prices for Christmas week will be reasonable at the moment but if you leave it much longer you will find they will start to double or even triple

Advent calendars

There must be a calendar for almost anything these days! if you are looking for a specialist calendar, whether it be from Lego, Smiggle, Benefit, Body Shop get these now.

If you can donate a gift box or an advent calendar to a local charity I know these items are very much appreciated and don’t forget woman’s aid are always on the look out for unused toiletries.

 

Sounds like a lot doesn’t it but when you break it down into weeks it becomes much more manageable. Enjoy your festive planning and I will be popping up gently reminders as we go.

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5 Top Tips for a Sparkling Clean Christmas

by with No Comment Christmas

It’s a really good idea to prepare for Christmas in advance. I find that if you split your house into sections and plan to tackle one section at a time at the lead up to Christmas.

For example.  The children’s bedrooms can be week one as you probably need to make room in these for new toys that are coming in for Christmas, dinning area week 2 so you can stock check table decorations and so on.

Make sure you declutter as you go.  Clear out wardrobes, cupboards, check underneath beds and in drawers.  If you haven’t used it recently and it has no real purpose then it really needs to go.

There are 5 things you can do in advance to make sure your home is sparkling clean this christmas.

Clean your carpets

If you are fortunate enough to own a carpet cleaner  this is the time to give them a really good clean. Move as much of the furniture as you can to get that freshly cleaned look.

Don’t panic if you don’t own a carpet cleaner many local Companies will probably be offering a few Christmas cleaning packages for the festive season or there is also the option of hiring one or borrowing one of a friend.

Clean the Oven

You may be like me and clean the oven pretty much after every usage but if you not and it has a build up of dirt and grim then its time to get your oven clean on. There are some fantastic oven cleaning products on the markets so you can quite easily do its yourself but always take care and use good cleaning gloves.

Clean the Fridge 

Have a really good fridge clean, take all the items out and the shelves. Soak the shelves in warm soapy water and clean all the sides using a good antibacterial fridge cleaner.  Check all sell by dates on the food and wash over jars and bottles so everything you are putting back into the fridge is very clean. Add in a fridge deodoriser to help keep it smelling fresh and make sure you leave enough space for all the extra Christmas food.

Clean the silverware

If you are doing Christmas Day at your house then make sure you have plenty of cutely and its sparking clean. Most of us have a nice set of cutlery or dining set that only makes an appearance on special occasions. So get this prepared.  Just wash in warm soapy water, towel dry and if your silver has become slightly tarnished use a metal cleaner and buff to dry.  You can also try this amazing silver polishing gloves. I have these and use them all the time I must have my silver as shiny as I can get it.

Organise and clean the Christmas Decorations

Christmas decorations spend a long time living in dusty confined spaces until they are brought out again but how many of us actually think about cleaning them.  You would have seen me a few years on Obsessive compulsive Cleaners bleaching my baubles and still to this day I am stopped in the street and asked If I really do this and YES of Course I do.  But you don’t have to be as full on as me. A quick wipe over with a damp cloth will be enough. Make sure you test the lights before you put them on the tree and plan your christmas theme making sure it matches well with the room you are displaying your tree in. If threads on baubles are looking bear and the odd decoration is looking a little tatty then hide at the back or better still don’t hang at all.Over the years my children have made me various tree hanging decorations so we have a special tree on the middle floor for all their bits and pieces and they get to decorate this just the way they wish.

I have designed a christmas cleaning and organising calendar that starts on November 25th it gives you a daily task to do to help keep you organised on the lead up to christmas.  Click here to get yours.

 

This post contains affiliate links

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Getting Guest ready this Christmas

by with No Comment Christmas

At Christmas time visitors can make the festive season all the more stressful, but a few simple steps will help ease the pain.

Guest preparation is the key at Christmas time. Always make sure you are as organised as you can be so you can relax and enjoy special time with your friends and family. Think of your visitors, there is nothing worse than ignoring them because you preparing food in the kitchen or tidying up and in turn they are sat twiddling their thumbs in the lounge.

Make sure if you have guests coming over for a meal that you are fully prepped. (ie) The table is set, extra chairs have been brought in, food is nearly ready, drinks are ready for pouring and you are ready. 

No dashing off too quickly get changed or apply your makeup!

I really enjoy playing host and will spend weeks getting organised. It’s so important that your guests feel welcome. If you have invited friends or family to stay then think about offering them privacy and a few home comforts.  Have the guest room ready or a dedicated area to accommodate them.

Always have a few spare generic Christmas presents wrapped up under the tree in case a gift is given to you but you didn’t buy them one.  You do not want to get yourself in an embarrassing situation.

The Guest room 

Having a space that guests can make their own allows for a much easier stress free visit. Your spare room may also be a bit of a dumping ground passing off as a home office, or a place where you dry your clothes so this is a good chance for you to have a quick declutter and organise. If this room isn’t used much you may not have the radiators switched on so get these switched on ready and warm the room.

Allow your guest some storage space, make room for their bags and a space for them to hang their clothes.

Leave a set of clean towels at the end of the bed and a set of mini toiletries in case they have forgotten something. Pop the wifi code on the bedside cabinet along with a few bottles of water.

If you have a family staying in the room invest in a few airbeds so a family can all stay together.

20 Minute Mad Guest Dash

We can also have unexpected visitors where little notice is given, Here are some of my top tips for getting you guest ready within 20 minutes.

Throw open the windows to let air through the house to make it feel refreshed and to get rid of any smells.

Entrance Hall 

Start by clearing the entrance to your home so guests don’t fall over shoes and coats when they walk in and make sure your door mat is clean by giving it a shake and sweep any dirt away.

Leave a space for guests shoes and coats.

Kitchen

Next, clean the kitchen. Put any dirty dishes in the sink or dishwasher and make sure your tea towel is clean. lighting a festive candle and emptying the bin. Spray a damp microfibre cloth with all-purpose spray and use it to wipe over kitchen surfaces and brush crumbs onto the floor. Once you’ve finished, speed-vacuum yourself out of the room starting in the furthest corner. 

People always migrate to the Lounge

The living room is another area of your home where guests are likely to spend a lot of time. Tidy away any clutter in your living room such as books and magazines, and if you have a pet, quickly rub your furniture with a damp rubber glove to remove pet hair. Spray sofas with a fabric refresher and turn your cushions over instead of vacuuming them to save time. Dim the lights and use lamps where possible to hide any dirt and hair on the carpets.

Your Bathroom must be clean

The bathroom is an area in your home where your guests will spend time alone and will make judgements about how clean it is! If you only have a few minutes to get your bathroom ready grab some fresh clean bathroom towels and change the bath mat.

1. Grab a clean cloth and a good bathroom cleaner and  wipe down the sink, the toilet seat and underneath the base of the toilet. Keep some handy cleaning wipes under the bathroom sink so you can just grab one quickly when in and out of the bathroom yourself.

2. Scrub the inside of the toilet and add some toilet bleach.

3. Leave the window slightly open

4. Light a strong pleasant scented candle.

5. Replenish Toilet paper.

No go areas

Lastly, if there’s a room in your home that you don’t want guests to enter, simply closing the door will make them less likely to go in.