Where did the year go? It’s almost Christmas again! Well, whatever happened, we’ve got your back covered so you can be ready for guests to come during the holidays. Here are a grand total of 6 quick ways to give you lots of extra space to entertain your expected holiday guests. Take a look and see if some of these ideas won’t help you to be more festive during the next several weeks!
1) Simply Your Kitchen
Your kitchen is going to be the central hub when family and friends begin to arrive, so make space now before it’s too late!
Reduce the clutter! – Toss out everything that’s out of date, and do it now. Even those herbs and spices you’ve been saving won’t last forever. So, if you can’t smell them anymore, get rid of them. Take your cereals and dry pasta out of their bulky boxes and store them in plastic containers. Almost anything you won’t be using until next year, think about storing it for a while. Put it in the garage, or almost anywhere else, just so it’s out of the way.
Label stuff – Put some labels on anything that isn’t patently obvious. That way, guests won’t be pouring salt in their coffee or something just as bad. Check anything that has an old label and make sure what it says on the label is actually what it has in it.
Clear off surfaces – Be prepared for fixing lunches and other meals for more than just you and the folks who live with you.
Create comfy spaces – Guests are always going to gather in the kitchen while you’re preparing food. Set up spaces where they can set their plates and drinks, and whatever else they bring in.
Add a wine rack – If you’ve dug out all the hidden-away wine glasses for company that’s coming, invest in a wine rack. Hang it underneath your overhead cabinets so it’s accessible but not completely hidden.
Arrange stuff – If some of your guests will be staying for a few days, put the coffee, tea, and sugar together on a tray that’s within reaching distance of the coffee maker or tea kettle. Add a few cups, saucers, and spoons nearby, so your guests don’t drive you crazy and ask for something while you’re busy.
2) Clear out the Hallway
When guests arrive, they need to find a welcoming entrance-way, without the clutter that probably occurred there over the past 11 months. Hide your bulky coats and muddy boots somewhere else, and add some coat hooks to the wall. Don’t forget to place a few of the hooks underneath the others so the kids can hang things up by themselves.
If there’s space, position a free-standing cupboard in the hallway. Or, put it nearby, so there’s a place to keep your jackets and shoes until the holidays are over. If there isn’t room, move them somewhere else, temporarily, so the hallway isn’t cluttered.
Add an umbrella stand next to the door. That way, guests will have a place to put theirs and won’t drip rain or snow all through your nice clean house.
Think about hanging a key rack and memo board on the wall, but not directly in line with the front door. This will be a great place to leave an extra set of keys for guests, so they come and go as they please. It also encourages older children to write on the memo board when they expect to be back home.
3) Create a Great-Looking Living Room
Clear away space to put the Christmas tree, and create some elegant space you will be proud of in the living room. Don’t hesitate to toss things out that you no longer like having around. The space needs to look welcoming and elegant for your holiday guests.
Invest in some DVD boxes if you’ll be playing a lot of seasonal music. Move furniture around, so there’s space for the Christmas tree, and it will be the center of attention, or maybe in second-place, if there’s a big TV already there.
Store all the toys in boxes, so the kids will feel welcome when they come and play. Show off family photos, and dig out some nice-looking Christmas Cards to set around, for a nice homey display.
Watch out to make sure you don’t make the living room too colorful. Adding too many colors can make the room seem crowded and feel just like clutter. Make the living room warm and elegant. Don’t use more than one or two colors that blend with the overall scheme of things to give a neutral palette when you begin to decorate the tree.
4) Make a Welcoming Guest Room
Change your unused children’s room, home office, or spare bedroom into a great inviting space for guests. If they’ll be using it as a home office, toss out any printed material that can be easily found online, so you are rid of the excess paperwork. Make space in the wardrobe, so your guests can unpack their things. Get rid of bulky coat hangers, and get slim versions instead. Store summer clothing in plastic bags, boxes, or baskets, so you can find everything when the next season arrives.
5) Organize the Linen Closet
You’ll save a lot of time if you organize your linen closet by storing pillows and duvets together with the correct size of bed linens. Match sets so that everything is already organized together. Then, when you start making up a fresh bed, you won’t need to search to be able to find all the right parts.
Of course, you know you need to wash linens before storing them. Stains will set and be nearly impossible to launder out. Label the shelves with metal nameplates, if you have them, so a month from now, you will know where you stored everything.
6) Tidy up the bathrooms
Make your bathroom a veritable sanctuary. Clear messy toiletries away from the basin areas and edges of the bathtub. Put anything that’s duplicated into a storage box, along with extra toilet paper rolls in a box. Then, place it on the top shelf of the closet.
Invest in over-the-door hooks and hanging racks to add storage space for shoes, ties, and lots of other things. Just use your imagination!
Invest in a few new sets of matching towels, so you can add some luxury to the plain bathroom that your guests will be using. If you want to spend the money, pick up a nice bathrobe that they can wrap themselves up in at bedtime, or after a shower. Roll extra towels up neatly, and place them in a basket to save space. If you like, invest in a heated towel rack to keep towels warm and dry.
There you have it! Six quick ways to get yourself ready for the upcoming holidays! We hope you can make use of at least some of these ideas, and let us know if you’d like us to add some others you may have come up with when we do this again next year!
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If you live in the Chicago metro area and are interested in learning more about our home cleaning services and how we can help you maintain a safe and healthy living environment, please give us a call. Our number is 708-599-7000. Or, contact us online, and we’ll give you a free house or office cleaning consultation.
