Here we are, close to the end of the year and facing the oncoming holidays. Do you secretly dread the hustle and bustle or are you excitedly anticipating all the sights, sounds, smells and activities that are upon us? Whatever holiday you celebrate, this is a busy time of year for everyone. Sometimes, life events happen during this busy time, like a move or a new baby or even the passing of a loved one, which amplify the intensity of the season.
With that in mind, I wanted to touch on some of the things that can help make your home inviting and comfortable and can help you to relax and enjoy the season.
Get Rid of Stuff
Now’s a great time to purge the things you don’t need from your closets, in the storage room, stuff piled in the guest room and in the garage. Get rid of the clutter piling on desks, counters and corners of the room. Wow, it feels so good to declutter.
Get it Clean
If you don’t want to do it, hire a company to come and get things cleaned up, particularly the areas you often skip like baseboards, fans, window tracks, inside the oven and inside the fridge. This is a great time of year to get the carpets and the windows professionally cleaned.
Having Guests
Easily freshen up the guest room with some new linens, clear a space in the closet or dresser for their things. Make sure there is a night light and a bedside clock. It is a nice touch to place some flowers or a small holiday arrangement in the room.
Prepare the Kitchen
Generally, when people gather, they end up huddling in or around the kitchen. Clear counter space by putting small appliances in cabinets or in another room and put a diffuser with holiday scent in the corner. This is a great time of year to make sure the oven has been cleaned and the inside of the fridge cleaned out. Make room for the leftovers and the goodie plates from friends and neighbors.
Hire Help
Give yourself permission to hire someone to help with the things that you can’t do or just don’t want to spend your time on. Some tasks are best done by professionals. Don’t push yourself to tackle tasks that may end up causing injury, like getting up on ladders, etc.
Make it Easy
If you are hosting, remember, people come to visit and renew relationships. The meal does not have to be complicated to be enjoyed and remembered. Set a pretty buffet on the island with a few decorations and let people self-serve. This frees up time for you to enjoy the evening also.
Entertaining
A great way to get people talking and reminiscing is to run a continuous slide show on the TV, with some quiet holiday music in the background. People LOVE to see themselves and their loved ones through the years. This also helps people who don’t know each other well interact and inquire about who’s in the picture. This is easy to do with various slide show programs available or even a photo DVD set on repeat. I sometimes have added in beautiful holiday scenes randomly placed between the pictures of family and friends that I knew would be there. This sets a warm and festive atmosphere in the room.
Going Away for the Holidays?
What a better feeling than to come back to a home that is de-cluttered, clean and ready for the New Year.
Wishing everyone a wonderful holiday season! QCBN
By Lucy Leyva
Lucy Leyva is the proud owner of MTO Janitorial LLC, and Prescott Maid to Order LLC, both local cleaning companies based out of Prescott Valley, serving Northern Arizona since 2005. For any cleaning inquiry, please contact us at 928-772-0004 and/or visit our website at mtojanitorial.com.
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