The holidays are officially upon us, and with them come the holiday parties. This festive time of year often brings joy to revelers, but it can be a little stressful for hosts. If you’re the host for holiday parties, make your home more suitable for hosting to help take some of the stress out of the event.
Rearrange Furniture
Unless you’re a regular party host throughout the year, your home’s furniture arrangement is probably more suited to your everyday living needs than hosting a party. If you need to create more space, move furniture closer to the wall or move it to another room altogether. Keep in mind that at least some of your guests will probably want to sit down at some point, so hauling out all the seating options might not be such a good idea. However you decide to arrange the furniture, make sure it promotes a healthy flow of traffic through the house. This will make it easier for guests to mingle and comfortably transition between rooms.
Declutter
Clutter can make holiday parties uncomfortable for your guests, not to mention potentially embarrassing for you. It also increases the risk of your belongings getting knocked over and broken. Declutter your home to make it a more comfortable hosting environment. Sort your clutter into sections to make it easier to deal with. Throw away any garbage. By the time you’re finished, everything should have a place where it belongs. Avoid the temptation to rearrange your clutter and stash it elsewhere. You’re better off removing it altogether. As an added bonus, you’ll feel better in your own home by the time you’re done. That said, if you just don’t have the time, gathering it all up in a basket and stashing it in your closet to deal with later can work in a pinch. Just don’t leave it there.
Deep Clean
Once you’ve cleared the clutter, cleaning your house will be much easier. Do a deep clean to prepare your house for guests. They will be more comfortable in a clean house. Focus on those areas that you and your guests will heavily use. It’s especially important to deep clean your kitchen and bathroom. If you’re cooking dinner for your guests, start by cleaning out the fridge and oven. This helps you have enough room to store food for your feast and should help it avoid tasting like whatever got burnt in the oven last. At least some of your guests will need to use your bathroom at some point. Deep cleaning your bathroom will help them feel more comfortable in your home. Don’t forget to pay attention to your living room, entryway, and front porch too.
Improve Your Outdoor Space
Hosting can be tough if you’re planning a big party in a small house. While entertaining outdoors is often left to warmer months, there are ways you can make your outdoor space work for you in the winter too. Plan for winter weather by providing sources of heat for your guests. Fire pits can be a fun option for gathering around. Propane-fueled heaters can be another good option for providing warmth. You’ll need propane tanks for these, and it might be worth considering purchasing your own. There are good reasonsto own your own propane tanks, especially if you use them a lot. Don’t forget to provide lighting as well. Do double duty here by hanging strings of holiday lights overhead to provide both light and holiday decor to your outdoor space.
Make Repairs as Needed
Odds are that you have a few things around the house that could use some repairs. If your guests will see it, you should probably fix it. Cracked lightswitch panels, damaged outlets, burnt-out lightbulbs, and broken door handles all need to be taken care of before your guests arrive. These are quick fixes that require very little in the way of tools or materials. You’ll need the replacement parts, screws, and a screwdriver for most of them. Even something like tears in your upholstery can be easily fixed by applying a new furniture cover. As an added bonus, this can be a great way to protect your furniture from spills and staining.
Stock Up On Essentials
Few things are worse as a party guest than using your host’s bathroom only to discover that you don’t have enough toilet paper. Close behind it is finding you don’t have anything to dry your hands with. Make sure you stock up on essentials like paper towels and toilet paper before your party gets underway. You might consider providing a small supply of sanitary napkins under your sink for female guests who may be caught by surprise. Your guests will appreciate your thoughtfulness and preparation.
Decorate
No holiday party feels like a holiday party without festive decorations.Decorating your home helps you get into the spirit of the holiday. Between Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and other seasonal holidays, there are tons of decor items to choose from. Seasonal wreaths and foliage, holiday lights, garlands, centerpieces, accent pieces, presents, and decorative pillows and blankets all combine to give you endless possibilities when it comes to decorating your home for holiday parties.
Seasonal Scents
Scents provide you with a perfect finishing touch to your holiday host preparations. Aside from the visual aspects of your home, the way it smells is one of the first things your guests will notice. Thanks to your cleaning efforts, you should have a fresh base to start from. Favorite holiday scents will help immerse your guests in the holiday experience. You can use candles, essential oils, or a stovetop potpourri to pleasantly scent your home in advance of the party starting.
Getting your house prepared for hosting holiday parties is essential to throwing a holiday party that is sure to be a rousing success. Make sure your house is clean and is arranged to promote socializing. Fix things up as needed and make sure you’re stocked up. Add seasonal finishing touches, and your house will be good to go.
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