Over the last couple years we have had some major events happen in early December leaving us no time to get the house in order for the holidays. This year things will be different! I want to focus on enjoying the weeks leading up to Christmas this year, have visions of cookie baking, crafting and snuggling my babies. Here are the steps I am taking to work towards a relatively ready house. Let me be clear it is IMPOSSIBLE to have a perfectly ready house with any amount of children running around, amirite?
- Touch Up Paint on Walls: This makes such a difference! I only stick to the main floor or any parts of the house that gets a ton of communal use. Use a roller NOT a brush. To be honest I can tell where I have touched up the paint but I don’t think its noticeable to others. Either way it makes the house feel fresh!
- Toy purge: The older my kids get the more ruthless I am with this step. Pro Tip DO IT WITHOUT THE KIDS! Pay attention to what isn’t getting as much use in the house and pack it up. Wait a day or two to see if they notice and then off to the donation bin it goes. This year I got rid of 80% of the tiny toys in the basement (there is a playroom upstairs too, I’m not that cruel) and they have started playing down there more often.
- Coat Closet Purge and Reorganization: During the holidays you will have more people in and out of your house and/or you will be coming and going more often so you want to free up some space and make your items more accessible.
- Pantry Reorganization and Stock Up: We have a kitchen pantry and a basement pantry where overflow items go. Go through and check expiration dates and ditch what you can’t use. If you have a ton of one item (why the heck do I buy so much stuffing mix) donate to your local food pantry. Make sure you restock any items you use a lot. I try to have all these items on hand for a party ready pantry
- Deep Clean Fridge: Take everything out and wipe down all of the shelves and drawers. Toss expired items and restock what you need.
- Restock Liquor Cabinet: It is nice to not have to be running out for odds and ends during the holiday season. This is the time of year that I buy a bottle or so of items we might normally drink.
- Junk Drawer Clean Out: I have three junk drawers and a junk closet (no bueno). I really do my best to keep organized but lots of stuff gets shoved in drawers and closets so I can deal with it later. When I do clean them out I usually find game pieces, Barbie shoes, crayons and other small items that need to be put back where they belong.
- Deep Clean Guest Bathroom. This room will be getting lots of use so scrub away and reorganize. I’m updating mine this year too – yay!
HOLIDAY PREPERATION HOUSE CHECKLIST
That should keep you busy for a while!! This year I am going to slowly chip away at this list starting in early November!
HOLIDAY LIKE A BOSS – PARTY READY PANTRY
HOLIDAY LIKE A BOSS – GIFT ORGANIZATION