As December grows nearer and nearer, now is a great time to prepare your home for Christmas. But with all the excitement comes an equal dose of frantic present buying and stress as you scramble to get everything in place. That's if you don't give yourself plenty of time to plan.
There are a few different ways you can ensure you’re fully prepared for the Christmas period. So we’ve put together a guide to show you how you can prevent the Christmas panic from setting in before it’s too late.
Get your guest bedroom ready
Before your guests make an appearance, it's important to ensure they'll remember their stay for all the right reasons. If your guest bed has seen better days, now is the time to get a new guest bed. If you already have a double bed, why not throw out all the stops and invest in a king size bed instead?
You also need to make sure you have a good mattress for them to sleep on. If the mattress is old and sagging you could consider investing in a mattress topper. They’re cost-effective and can give even the oldest of mattresses a new lease of life.
Make sure the bedding you choose fits the bed, so if you have a king size bed make sure you get a king size duvet to go over the top of it. Sounds obvious, but the last thing you want is for your guests to be fighting over the duvet!
Create a warm ambience
Christmas is all about positivity, so make sure to create that ambience in your home. Know your guests and what they like. If you have someone coming over who doesn’t like bright and flashy decorations then try and cater to them when it comes to decorating your home.
Christmas time is cold so don’t scrimp on the heating, make sure you create the perfect temperature in your house. Test it out a few days before to make sure on the day you don’t leave your guests sweating or shivering under layers of blankets. A comfortable temperature is around 18oc, this will keep everyone happy.
Plan your meals well in advance
Make sure you know exactly what you’re cooking and the timings needed. The last thing you want is an underdone turkey or burnt pigs in blankets.
Cooking at Christmas can be stressful at the best of times, so preparation is key. Know exactly how many people you have eating so you don’t overbuy food. A little bit extra always goes down well later on in the evening or on Boxing Day, but do try to keep waste at a minimum.
Try and prep all your vegetables the night before so you don’t have to worry about prepping on the day. Having this done means you can focus on the timings and the most important part of the meal, the turkey. If needs be, write down the time you’re going to put each part in the oven or microwave so you know exactly when everything is happening.
Focus on the important stuff, including yourself!
Try and focus on what’s important rather than the little things that will piece themselves together. As well as your guests, make sure you’re happy and enjoying yourself! The more you can do in advance, the more you can join in with the festivities on the day.
If you have guests staying, get their room ready earlier than the day before they arrive. Tidy the house a little, once all the important stuff is done, you can fully relax and enjoy yourself.
Spread out the present buying and gift wrapping
Now is the perfect time to start your present buying and wrapping, ensuring you don’t have to do it all in one go the week before Christmas. There’s nothing worse than panic buying when all the good stuff has gone and you’re left with the best of the rest.
Once you’ve bought all your presents, get them wrapped as soon as you get home so you don’t end up with a stockpile of presents that all need wrapping. Buying in advance also spreads the finances out so you don’t get hit by a huge financial burden in the lead up to the big day.
Follow these tips and you're sure to have a stress-free Christmas. Preparation is key, so if you do need any assistance sorting out the perfect guest bed or a new bed for yourself to reward all your hard work, contact us and we’ll do our best to help you.