Preparing for Guests During the Holidays

This time of year from Thanksgiving to New Year's, lots of friends and family will be coming around to visit. I love having people over, decorating the house and serving festive food and beverages. This was the first Thanksgiving we hosted and I can't wait to host a Christmas get-together!

There is so much to do in preparation for guests. Cleaning, grocery shopping, cooking, buying and wrapping presents...shall I continue? We all want a clean home to show off, but who has time to clean on top of everything else on our to-do list?! I have some tips and ways to clean up and make it seem like we spent hours scrubbing every inch of our home. 

Even if you only have a morning or an afternoon to clean up before your guests arrive, you can make it seem like you spent all those hours cleaning. 

First, empty trash cans in the kitchen and bathrooms. No one wants to smell or see your trash!

Next, if you don't have time to vacuum, shake out your bathroom, kitchen and other rugs to make them seem cleaner. Bonus points for vacuuming or sweeping/Swiffering! You only need to do the main rooms in your home.

Add new toilet paper rolls in the guest bathrooms so there won't be a chance it will run out and your guests have to hunt for extra rolls, or worse, holler for you to bring them one.

In your family/living room/den, fold blankets and fluff up couch cushions and pillows. Straighten books, magazines and knick knacks on coffee and side tables or even put them away in a cabinet so there is room to place drinks.

Empty dishwasher and load up dirty dishes, then wipe down sink and counter tops with Clorox wipes.

Close doors to bedrooms, offices, playrooms, and any other rooms that won't be used by guests. This gives you an excuse not to clean these rooms! For now...

Finally, light a candle in the guest bathroom, kitchen, and living room or dining room where guests will congregate. The scent and glow will make any home feel cozy and festive. 

See? That was easy! Never stress over cleaning for guests again! Now use all that extra time to cook some awesome goodies! I've been wanting to try out this recipe. Love a good muffin!! An excuse to eat a cupcake for breakfast :)