3 Simple Christmas Preparations For Hosting Guests
Do you love to host for the holidays, but dread all the work that goes into it? The holiday season is crazy enough without adding 100 items to your to-do list! These 3 simple Christmas preparations are all you need to be a 5 star host.
This post is sponsored by Hoover. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This post may contain affiliate links where I earn a small commission on your purchases.
3 Christmas Preparations to Simplify Hosting
The joy of the holiday season is getting to spend time with loved ones, take part in memorable traditions, and give the gift of time and love. However, the holiday hustle and mountainous to-do list can quickly overshadow the joy of the season.
So today, I want to break down the top 3 Christmas preparations that are actually necessary to be a 5 star host!
Decorate for the Season
Of course, as a decorator myself, I always want to make my house look nice for guests. However, as I say in my book, Your House – Your Haven.
That means that the amount of decorating you do for the seasons should fit with your own style and level of ability. Don’t stress over making sure every room is decorated or that perfection is achieved!
Focus on the main areas, add meaningful decor, whether simple or elaborate, and enjoy the beauty of this cozy season! If you’re looking for decorating ideas, take a look at my Christmas archives for lots of inspiration!
Finish Last Minute Projects & Clean
On the other hand, the first necessity of being a 5 star host is to tidy up.
Nothing motivates me to deep clean my home like having guests over. I finally spend time finishing up projects that have loomed over my head for months! (Like our new mantel we just installed, which you can see styled here!)
But the task of cleaning can become taxing when you don’t have the right tools.
I’ve spent 8 years in homes that are large enough to warrant a cordless vacuum. It can be so cumbersome to trip over cords and move the cord from one outlet to another.
So this season I was so excited to partner with Hoover to showcase their ONEPWR product line! This line offers 9 products that are all equipped to share the same rechargeable battery. It has highly simplified my cleaning schedule.
The ONEPWR Blade Max Cordless Vacuum has been a lifesaver, allowing me to easily go from carpet to bare floor with a simple push of a button.
I love that I can easily switch the battery from one product to another depending on my needs. I have two batteries so that one is always charging and ready to go.
The real game changer has been the FloorMate Jet Cordless Hard Floor Cleaner. These floors have been mopped more times in the last two months than in the previous 6 because it is so simple!
I love not having to haul out a bucket and mop, and the sprayer puts the exact amount needed onto my laminate so as not to oversaturate the flooring.
Using these tools from Hoover has simplified my cleaning schedule so much. This gives me more time to work on preparing in other ways for my guests to arrive!
You can find the ONEPWR collection at Hoover, Amazon and select retailers nationwide. These are the products I have experienced and love! And, right now Hoover.com has some special holiday deals!
Shop Hoover ONEPWR
Prepare Your Kitchen
The final necessity to prepare your home for guests is to get that kitchen ready. Both literally and figuratively.
Shop My Kitchen Decor
My biggest desire for my guests is for them to feel comfortable and at home. In order to do that, I need to be prepared so I am not distracted by last minute food prep!
I’ve created a free printable for my blog subscribers to download and print for your own use to help with food preparation!
Having the fridge stocked, pantries organized, and meal plans completed before guests arrive takes off so much pressure for holiday hosting!
One Special Touch
To finish strong, I have a bonus Christmas preparation idea for you! Think back to past holiday seasons and consider your most memorable moment.
I’m guessing it has little to do with the things we typically stress about. We don’t need a checklist of 100 items to be prepared to welcome others into our homes!
That’s why I wanted to suggest this simple 3 step approach to a holiday checklist.
- Decorate
- Clean
- Feed
However, consider adding a finishing touch to your Christmas preparations with a little something extra.
Perhaps it is a special game you could enjoy together. Or a favorite tradition you want to instill as part of your holiday experience. Maybe it is a small gift or memento left in the guest room to be discovered. Or, perhaps you take your guests somewhere for a memorable experience.
Your whole goal is to show love to your guests in a way that makes them go, “Remember that time when you _______. That was something special.”
And that’s it. No need to stress over the perfect gift, the perfect decor, or the perfect guest room accessories. Serve them with love, a warm and cozy home and good food and enjoy making those memories.
Great tips thank you.
Thanks so much!
Your guests rarely remember things like how well timed the dinner you served was, or that the soap dispenser in the guest bathroom had obviously just been filled, or that the dog has been recently groomed and your hair looked perfect and the taper candles are all the same length. No…as you say, we remember the special things, the memories, the traditions, the little something extra. That’s a great perspective. Thanks for the timely reminder! 🙂
You’re so right Heather! I hope this holiday season is filled with those special moments for you and your family.
Hi Sarah,
Under “special” we had 17 guests two Thanksgivings ago, and there would be 2 older citizens, and one 50-ish man with severe ADD. So, I put out my large black and white coffee table books with pictures from the east coast 1800- Early 1900’s where they grew up, and a 500 piece jigsaw puzzle on a table we would not use for dining. Both ideas were a success! I got such a heartfelt letter afterwards saying how much it touched the gal whose folks and brother had been helped by those simple touches. They felt loved by someone they had never met before that day. It was a good thing. ?
What a blessing! That is so kind and thoughtful and I’m so glad it was well received.
I love this list; decorate, clean, feed. It’s simplicity nails it!
Yes! So often we overcomplicate it!