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It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Yes, it’s Christmas time, the tinsel is hung, the tree is decorated and the mulled wine is simmering on the stove. But if you’re the one hosting Christmas this year there’s a fair amount of preparation you will need to do. After all, preparation is how you make sure everything goes smoothly, so we wanted to share some of the best tips we’ve heard over the year.
Work Out Guest Numbers
And write them down! For most people Christmas means at least one or two people come to stay, as well as all those people who pop over for dinner, drop in for nibbles or swing by for drinks and gift swaps. Try to work out how many people are going to be there as early as possible. This gives you the time to work out where people are going to sleep, how you’re going to fit everyone around the dinner table, and how to entertain them all. Once you have your numbers, you can put all of your other plans into place.
Clean The Oven
If there’s one thing you should deep clean before Christmas (just one), it’s the oven. Christmas is a high-traffic time for this particular appliance, and the last thing you want is for your Christmas turkey to have the aftertaste of last weeks curry. Most people only clean their oven once per year (including us), and this is the time to get it shining. If you don’t fancy an afternoon up to the elbows in grease and grime, you can always book a local oven cleaning business to do it for you – but do it quickly before they’re all booked up!
Check Crockery & Cutlery
Do you use the fancy crockery and cutlery for Christmas? Then you need to get it out of the cupboard and the draw and make sure it’s all there. That it’s not chipped, and most importantly it’s clean. If you just use your regular crockery, it’s time to go through it all and make sure you have enough. Extra guests at Christmas means extra knives and forks, plates and bowls, glasses and even placemats. Do a count of yours and make sure you have enough ready to use.
Get Prepared
Preparation is the key to a happy and stress-free Christmas. So if you only take one thing from this blog, make it preparation. Give your home a quick dust, know who to expect and when, and get everything you need together beforehand. Then you should be able to enjoy Christmas with just a light hoovering and cleaning up the odd spill (there’s always one)! A few things you should put on your to-do list include:
- Get your duvets and pillow sets ready for overnight guests, so that you’re not searching at the last minute.
- Give your carpets a deep clean, either by hiring a carpet cleaner or getting a professional in.
- Write out all the meals you’ll be eating over the Christmas period (including snacks) so that you can create a master shopping list.
- Buy your basic, long-life groceries now. Don’t wait until the week before Christmas when every shop will be heaving.
Whilst it’s fun to get your house ready for the festivities, remember that your visitors are coming to see you, not your house. So try not to overburden yourself – no one wants to be exhausted at Christmas! And from all of us at GP Norgate, we hope you have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.