When it comes to getting ready for the holidays, many people take a page out of Santa’s book: Make a list, then check it twice. It’s a strategy for success, according to entertaining and home-keeping experts. We want the holiday season to be filled with joy, but it also comes with a heavy dose of shopping, cooking, wrapping, hosting and no small amount of cleaning. All those things require planning and coordination.
“The easiest way to start is to think about what type of experience you would hope for if you were a guest,” says Lori Greeley, the CEO of Serena & Lily. We asked Greeley and other experts to share their best tips for getting ready for the most wonderful (or most stressful, depending who you ask) time of the year.
Prep the entryway
Start here, says home lifestyle expert Julian Thomas, to make a good first impression. Clear away clutter, add a mat for wet shoes and address any unpleasant odors. “The first thing people notice when they enter your home is how it smells,” Thomas says.
Create a drop zone
If you’re hosting a holiday gathering, no matter the size, Thomas says, “think beyond the menu.” Ask yourself where guests will put coats, bags, umbrellas, shoes and gifts. He recommends setting up a garment rack or creating a designated space with hangers (a few adhesive hooks can work wonders here) “to keep your entryway from turning into a traffic jam.” Also consider a boot tray and/or an umbrella stand near the front door, which can be stowed in a closet when not in use. “It saves guests from having to awkwardly ask, ‘Where should I put this?’ and keeps your space clutter-free without making permanent changes,” Thomas says. And don’t forget to have an answer ready for the age-old question: Shoes on or off?
Bring in the smells of the season
Scent is a powerful tool for creating a festive atmosphere. You can use wall plugs, candles and diffuser oils in holiday scents such as balsam fir, cinnamon or cranberry to set a festive mood, says Lindsey Pedersen, a seasonal content creator.
Get the bathrooms guest-ready
“You don’t need to reinvent your routine,” Thomas says, “just clean thoroughly and make sure all the essentials are visible and stocked: extra hand soap, rolls of toilet paper, feminine hygiene products and fresh towels. Nobody should have to go digging through cabinets.” And don’t forget a wastebasket, he says, preferably a lidded one that you keep lined.
Declutter and restock your kitchen
You’re going to need room for all that cooking. “Tackle the fridge, cabinets and pantry,” Thomas says, tossing expired items, condensing duplicates and taking stock of what you have. “Keep a running list as you go,” he says of items that need to be restocked. “It’ll save you from panicked grocery store runs later.”
Pedersen agrees: “The holidays can be stressful so setting yourself up for success in the kitchen is crucial.” Planning early, she says, reduces the risk that you won’t be able to find a crucial ingredient. It also allows you to take advantage of sales, helping to keep the cost of groceries down. Don’t forget to pick up sparkling water, coffee and tea if you’ll be hosting overnight guests, Greeley says. “Make it easy for guests to know how to get a glass of water and to wake up and find a cup of coffee or tea. It’s also thoughtful to have a well-stocked bar and readily available snacks.”
Don’t forget the essentials
Now is the perfect time to make sure you have plenty of foil and parchment to get you through the holiday baking season, Thomas says. “This is also a good moment to think ahead with your cleaning supplies,” he adds. Stock up on dish soap, sponges and paper towels. And don’t forget the things you’ll need at the end of the festivities, including heavy-duty trash bags, recycling bins, and storage bags and containers for packing up leftovers.
Perform crucial home maintenance tasks …
Thomas suggests taking care of some basic home maintenance tasks ahead of the holidays, such as checking your smoke detector batteries, replacing burned-out lightbulbs and testing the heating system, “so you’re not caught off guard once guests arrive.” Pedersen would add checking air filters and indoor air quality to that list. “Ensuring the comfort of your guests begins here,” she says.
… And small, cosmetic fixes
“Touch up wall scuffs and scrapes,” Pedersen says. “The holidays are a time for memories! When looking back at photos, you want to focus on family and friends, not the ding on the wall behind them.”
Check your tech
“Double-check your WiFi, reset the password to something simple and easy to share and, if the TV is a big gathering spot, make sure your streaming apps are updated and the remotes have fresh batteries,” Thomas says. “It wouldn’t hurt to sanitize those remotes while you’re at it.”
Freshen up the guest room
If you’re hosting overnight guests, Greeley says, “Always, always make sure the room is clean: clean floors, surfaces and freshly laundered sheets.” To get air flowing, “leave the door open so it’s not sealed off from the rest of the house,” she adds. “A few days before guests arrive, consider opening windows to let some fresh air in and maybe even light a scented candle well in advance of their arrival.”
Adjust the layout
In your guest room and beyond, don’t underestimate the impact of simply moving things around. “Adjust the guest room or bathroom layout so that essentials like extra towels, pillows and outlets are easy to spot and use,” Thomas says. Pedersen agrees, saying you might want to consider adding storage to help keep the space tidy, upgrading your seating options or creating a feature wall that guests can use as a backdrop for photos.
Don’t overlook the basics
“Restock the basics: extra linens, tissues, toiletries, maybe even a spare phone charger,” Thomas says. And don’t overlook the towels. “Whether the bathroom is in the guest bedroom or not, leave no mystery around where towels are, and leave at least two towels per guest,” Greeley says. Pedersen likes to keep some inexpensive buttoned hair wrap towels on hand. That way, you’ll have plenty of standard towels to go around. (Bonus: They take up less space in the wash than full-size bath towels.)
Add a welcoming touch
While it’s not necessary, the experts I spoke to all suggested adding a personal touch to welcome guests. “A handwritten note with tips on where to find things, an unopened sleep mask, or even a favorite snack shows your guests you went the extra mile, even if they are family,” Thomas says. Greeley suggests providing what she calls “often-forgotten items” such as toothbrushes, toothpaste or chargers in guest rooms. Or, Pedersen says, “For added coziness, small touches of holiday decor and bath robes are inexpensive and make a big impact.”
And finally, add an easy and greatly appreciated show of holiday kindness: “Make sure guests know where the extra wrapping paper and ribbon are in the event they need to wrap something last minute,” Greeley says. “We’ve all been there.”
Jolie Kerr is a cleaning expert and the author of the best-selling book “My Boyfriend Barfed In My Handbag … And Other Things You Can’t Ask Martha.”
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