Goodbye To Fall Holiday Stress

So the kids are back in school, vacations are over and the house is back to a normal routine.

Did you know that this is the best time to pre-clean before the holidays?  Yes! Most people stress themselves at the beginning of November or December to get the house spotless for all those guests if they are hosting for the holidays.

No need to stress yourself out.  Would it not be nice to actually sit back and relax for once? Here are a few simple tips to help you make any holiday event as smooth and stress-free as possible.

1-Plan your menu early

The sooner you know what you would like to serve, the easier it is to cook for the big event.  For each item, you would like to prepare, make a list of all the ingredients needed for it.  Once this is done, check your pantry to see which items you already have in stock and check it off of your list. I normally recommend having some type of storage bin or area in the pantry where you can place all the items needed together and place a note stating which holiday the items are for.  You can then make a secondary list from the main list of the items you would need to purchase the week of the event which normally consists of those items that are perishable and would not keep long in the fridge.  This way you cut back on the number of trips you would have to make to the grocery store and the stress of missing items.

2-Check Your Cookware and Bakeware

Once you have your menu set, this is also the perfect time to check your cookware and bakeware items to make sure you have all that will be needed to pull off a perfect holiday meal.  Nothing like wanting to serve some appetizers and you find out that the tray you thought you had is no longer presentable, damaged, or missing.

3-Go Through Your Linen Closets and Storage Bins

If you will be having guests stay in your home, this is the time to go through your linen closets and/or linen storage bins to make sure you have enough sheets, pillowcases, spreads, towels, wash clothes, etc.  You can go ahead and pre-wash the items you would need to make sure they are fresh and clean before your guests arrive.  I usually recommend doing this at least 2-4 weeks prior to your guests’ arrival. This will eliminate the stress of wondering if the linens are clean and fresh for your guests, and to make sure they are presentable which keeps you from making any last-minute stressful trips to the store to purchase more.

4-Do A Home Deep Cleaning

We all want our homes to be fresh and clean before we host that big holiday event. It would help to have your home deep cleaned at least 4 weeks prior to hosting the holiday event. This will make it easier to keep your home clean before the big event.  This is also the time to get your carpets/rugs cleaned if they have not been done within the last 6 months. Also, a good time to take a look at your curtains/drapes/chair covers, etc. to make sure they are clean as well.

Planning ahead and being prepared is one of the easiest and best ways to cut down on some of the stress that comes with being the host of the big holiday event!

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