Alair Homes

The holiday season is known as the most wonderful time of the year when families spend more time together over good food and gifts. Thanksgiving often requires plenty of work and energy when prepping the meal and cleaning your home but is only the beginning when prepping for the holidays. Once Thanksgiving is over, there are a few steps to take with to create a plan when getting ready for Christmas.

Clean Different Areas of the Kitchen

The pantry, kitchen, and cupboards are some of the most used areas of the home during the holiday season due to the cooking and baking that takes place. Once your guests leave, clean out your pantry and create a pile of items that are close to expiring and can be donated to a local charity.

Deep cleaning the kitchen is also necessary to ensure that the appliances are maintained well and continue to operate. Remove spills in the oven and wipe down the shelves inside of the refrigerator. Cleaning underneath and on top of the fridge is also necessary to remove dust or grease that accumulates.

Restock Essential Items

Restock your kitchen with certain ingredients that will be needed for upcoming Christmas parties or dinners that you’re hosting. You may need more chicken broth, nutmeg, or cranberries to ensure that you have the essentials on hand.

Use labeled bins to organize all of the food items and make it easy to find what you need as you cook. Group like items together to ensure that snacks or spices are easy to find.

Refilling the salt and pepper shakers will also allow you to have one less step to worry about as you prepare for the next meal that is served.

Relax

Although you may feel crunched on time with upcoming parties planned, relaxing is an important step to take to avoid becoming burnt out. Relax by kicking your feet up and enjoying a mid-afternoon nap or by watching a television show. You can also avoid becoming stressed by taking a walk or spending time in the backyard, which will prevent you from feeling overwhelmed.

Prep for Overnight Guests

It’s common to have overnight guests during the holidays when family members or friends come from out of town. Make it a point to clean your guest room and wash all of the sheets. Consider using white sheets, which look clean and fresh for your loved ones. You can also put out a few candles with a bouquet of flowers to make your visitors feel welcome. Adding small travel items in the guest bathroom that may have been forgotten will offer a bit of convenience if your guests are in need of a toothbrush or shampoo.

Store Certain Items Smartly

It can be easy for the holiday lights or decorations to become cluttered and unorganized when they’re not stored smartly. For items that are only used once a year, consider keeping everything in plastic bins that are clearly labeled in the garage where they’re out of sight. You can also keep them mounted overhead or on shelves in the garage to free up extra space on the ground. Toss out items that are broken or old to ensure that you don’t keep anything that won’t get used in the future.

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