Summer is coming to an end, and that means it's time to prepare your home for holiday entertaining. From Thanksgiving through New Years (which are just around the corner!), the holidays are a time where family and friends descend upon your home to join in merriment, eating, drinking, and gift giving.
Needless to say, it is mandatory (well, not mandatory, but high suggested if you want to keep your sanity) that before diving in to full hostess mode you take a beat to make sure that you are organized and well prepared for what lies ahead.
Declutter Your Entry Way
The first impression you will make on your guests is your entry way. Maybe you have kids in school and they throw their shoes and book bags here every day. Maybe you are used to dropping all your bags at the end of the day in the entry and only moving them when company comes over. Whatever the reason may be for a cluttered entry way, getting this organized in advance will immensely help when prepping for the holidays.
There are so many inexpensive storage solutions these days - rustic baskets, chic storage bins and stylish cabinets that make storing your usual entry way clutter away and out of site a breeze. If you take care of putting away the clutter now, and showing the other members of your house that all their stuff has a permanent, hidden home, you won't have anything to worry about the day of your event.
Organize Your Craft Closet
If you are a DIYer like me you have a portion of a closet, or even a whole closet, dedicated to gift-making accessories. Ribbons, bows, tape, faux flowers, cards and so much more. Before getting too far into the holiday season take an assessment of your craft closet and make note of what you have, what you need more of and what needs organization. Often times you don't even realize you have two spools of lavender ribbon because it's hidden under a pile of raffia.
Clear out the old bits and pieces, create an organizational system and refill anything you are missing. This will make gift giving and event styling during the holiday season so much easier and more time efficient.
Prepping the Mantle
Hey readers - mantle decoration is not just for people who celebrate Christmas! As I am sure you have seen across past entries on this blog, the mantle is the perfect place to add some personality to your holiday party, whether with home-made paper turkeys, blue and white garlands, hand crafted snowflakes, or traditional stockings.
In my house the mantle is utilized year round for display so I make sure that around this time every year I take down the summer decorations in preparation for the holidays. Even if it's just adding vintage-inspired crystal vases or beautiful frames filled with family photos, making sure your mantle is cleaned up and orderly will save you time later on.
Read Through Your Recipes
Whether you are hosting a holiday dinner or bringing a dish to someone else's house this year, take stock of the recipes you have collected over the past year. While keeping a famous family staple around year after year is something that everyone looks forward to, switching it up and adding new recipes to the mix can be really exciting for your guests. The same meal or dish year after year can become boring and less appetizing than the first time you made it. Take a chance and try something new, and if you are nervous, practice once before making it the night of your event.
If you start tackling these four tips now, you'll have made a huge head start to prepare your home for holiday entertaining - and you'll be able to just relax and enjoy the season!
All Images: Pinterest