Take care of the house during the holidays

I know it seems strange, but there are only 9 days left till Christmas. If you’re anything like me, you’re stressing about getting your house clean in time. Between the relatives coming to town and the friends who want to pop by, I can forget to clean the little places. Anyone who has ever had an open house knows this checklist, and it works perfectly for the holidays. So here are your top places to be sure to prep for the big day.

Trash

Cleaning always makes some extra trash, so this should be one of the last things that you get to. The holidays and the increased traffic can overwhelm the trash cans that you already have in your house, so make sure that the morning of your parties includes the emptying of the trash cans. That way you won’t have to worry about the trash overflowing everywhere. You also get the added advantage that you don’t have any funny smells coming out of the trash.

Snow

Now, clearly this year has

already been fairly snowy. Everyone thinks, “I need to make sure that I have the driveway cleared for the cars.” The less obviously counterpart is the closet space required. Everyone will be coming with their big winter coats, make room.

This may just be as simple as moving all of your winter coats into another room for the special day. It may also mean that you need to get a carpet set up. If it’s snowy out, that means that snow will be tracked throughout your house, unless you have a clear place for them to clean their feet off. That will keep your floors cleaner throughout the day, and make clean up easier the day after.

Air it Out

If you actually live in your house, there is a good chance that it has a slight smell. Also, there is a chance that you can’t even tell. It’s always a safe bet to open up the windows for a bit to air it out. That fresh cool air can really help to make sure that your house has a fresh feel to it.

The other have of that coin is the candle! Now some of you bakers out there will be filling your house with the smell of Christmas cookies, etc. However, for those of you not so savvy in the kitchen, you can fake it. Candle companies have learned the smells you like, maybe a snickerdoodle candle to give it the warm homey feel.

Warm it Up

We’ll see if we do have a white Christmas this year, but it looks promising so far. Even if it isn’t particularly snowy outside, it’s likely to be cold. Don’t cheap out on the heat, live a little, and make sure it’s welcoming to walk into. This is a good place to mention, that a fire isn’t the worst thing to be having going when guests arrive. Just a word of caution: if there are too many little children attending, you may want to shy away from a fire. -The holidays are almost here, and with this list you can be sure to be ready for the big day. There is no better practice for an open house than to have people over for the holidays. Make sure that you spend the same time get ready for your open houses, and you’ll be sure to shine.