Christmas is one of my favorite times of the year, but it can also be a busy and hectic time. One of the first ways I simplify Christmas is to simplify my home ready for Christmas before Christmas arrives.
When you take a little time to get your home ready for Christmas you’ll have time and space to actually enjoy the season!
After all, one of the things that make the Christmas season such a special time of year is that our homes, calendars, and of course, our hearts are filled with things to do and special people to see.
On the flip side, all of this activity can also make things feel hectic. We have to be purposeful in what we allow to fill our homes and calendars. While this is generally true any time of year, at Christmas it’s especially important.
Let’s face it Christmas naturally comes with extra stuff. Gifts you are buying, wrapping supplies, extra food for guests and celebrations, or Christmas decor. Of course, this does not include all the gifts that will be coming in.
However, taking a little extra time to get your home ready for Christmas ahead of time is one of the best things you can do to keep a handle on all that stuff. Doing this now will ease any chaos associated with the season.
The Benefits of Preparing Your Home Before Christmas
The Benefits of Preparing Your Home Before ChristmasYour already stuffed home is about to receive a whole new influx of things!
But the good news is, by choosing to get your home ready for Christmas now you’ll receive some awesome benefits. These benefits will allow you to enjoy the season without adding stress.
Simplifying your home now will ensure you won’t have to worry about what to do with all that new stuff. You’ll also be able to relax and focus on your guests and the festivities.
Here are 4 pretty impactful reasons to get your home ready for Christmas.
1. Benefit #1 – you’ll have more space
Getting your home ready for Christmas now, will give you the time to declutter and clear space in your home. This is never more beneficial than at Christmas time.
After all, you need someplace to store all that extra Christmas stuff. Not only that, but clearing space now allows your Christmas decorations to shine.
In addition, you’ll have room to store any presents before you’ve had a chance to wrap them. Plus you’ll have space to store your wrapping supplies in one place.
If you will be hosting any Christmas guests having the space to store extra food and party supplies will make your celebration run so much smoother.
Benefit #2 – you’ll have more free time
The thing about our homes is they take a good amount of our time to care for, maintain, and clean. When you simplify your home and have less stuff, it definitely frees up your time.
Cleaning becomes easier and less time-consuming because there’s just less stuff to move, and everything fits away nicely where it should go.
By making time now to get your home ready for Christmas, you’ll be able to keep your home tidy in just 20 minutes a day. Add in a couple of 15-minute pick-ups to return everything to its proper home, and your home will function smoothly all season long.
Benefit #3 – you’ll enjoy holiday visitors more
When our homes are cluttered and messy we either spend hours cleaning before guests arrive or we spend the entire time worrying about what our guests think of our messy and cluttered home.
Either option makes it incredibly difficult to relax and enjoy your holiday visitors. However, by when you get your home ready for Christmas ahead of time your home will be easily tidied. This allows you to slow down and focus on the people.
Benefit #4 – your home will be calmer and more peaceful
The holidays are hectic under the best of circumstances. All of this makes preparing your home for Christmas important. When you do, you will create a calmer and more relaxing environment, in your home.
This is exactly what you need during the hectic holiday season.
Even when your calendar is overflowing with activities you’ll have a peaceful home to retreat to. This will help the entire holiday season to feel calmer and in control.
Benefit #5 – it stops you from over buying
It’s so easy to overbuy and end up with some serious shopping regret during the Christmas season. The best way to stop buying things you don’t want is to take inventory of what you have and what you need.
There is no better way to do this than by getting your home ready for Christmas beforehand. Part of preparing your home for the holiday is knowing exactly what you have on hand. Knowing this in advance is the surest way to stop overspending and stop buying things you don’t need.
Let’s be real here, retailers are great at convincing you of all the things you “need”. However, when you know what you have on hand it is so much easier to avoid becoming prey to those trickly marketing strategies.
How To Get Your Home Ready For Christmas
Now that you see some of the benefits of preparing your home for Christmas, the question is what things should you focus on to do that?
The last thing you want to do is put extra pressure or stress on yourself trying to declutter your entire home right before the holidays.
However, there are a few key areas to focus on to get your home ready for Christmas.
Declutter and Clean the Kitchen Before Christmas
During the holiday season, I tend to spend a lot more time in the kitchen than at other times of the year. This is why making time to declutter and clean the kitchen before Christmas is so important.
I don’t generally love being in the kitchen and cooking really isn’t my thing. However, because I host my family every Christmas, I spend a lot of time cooking and baking. Decluttering and organizing my kitchen is key to making my time in the kitchen easier.
There are three main areas I like to tackle when getting the kitchen ready for the holidays.
I start by getting rid of extra or worn-out utensils and other cooking supplies. This makes it easy for me to find what I need quickly when I am cooking or baking. It also helps me take stock of anything that needs replacing beforehand.
If you have the time, go through pots, pans, dishes, mugs, glassware, and food storage containers, as well!!
The next big area I focus on is making sure my countertops and other flat surfaces are clean and clear of clutter.
Having less stuff on my countertops makes cooking and clean-up much easier. I do not have to move things out of the way or try to find space to hold those extra trays of cookies when they come out of the oven.
Clean-up is a breeze because once I’ve done the dishes I am just wiping down clear countertops. So much easier and quicker than back in the day when I had to move all my small appliances to clean under them.
Finally, focus on giving your pantry and fridge/freezer a good clean-out. You will need that space for extra food supplies.
Start by going through the pantry and tossing any expired food or spices. If you come across items you know you won’t use but are still good, there are many places to donate them at this time of year. Wipe down the shelves and put things back in an organized fashion.
Now it’s time to move on to clearing out the fridge and freezer by giving them a good cleaning. You might be surprised at the number of expired condiments and other bottles in there. The goal here is to make room for any extra food you’ll need for the holidays.
I promise doing these tasks now will make your time in the kitchen much easier when Christmas gets here.
Simplify Decor Items
I love decorating and changing out decor pieces. The result of this is that I find my decor pieces building up. I have to regularly go through and get rid of things I no longer use.
Because the holiday’s come with their own special decor items, taking time to simplify and make adjustments to your decor, will make those special pieces stand out even more.
Not only will your home will feel so much more open and peaceful, but you’ll have room for your favorite holiday decor when it’s time to decorate!
As you come across things that are broken, worn, or no longer loved now is the time to let them go.
Now pay attention to how your home feels. You want to add some warmth and cozy features. Christmas is a great time to add some hygge elements. Your home will welcome you like a big hug!
Prepare Guest Spaces
If you plan to host family or friends over the holidays, this is a great time to make sure your guest spaces are ready for your guests.
Nothing makes your home feel warmer and more inviting than a clean and welcoming space for your guests.
If you have a designated room for your guest, declutter the drawers and be sure your guest has sufficient space in the dresser and closet for their stuff.
Look through your guest towels and bedding, and make sure it is clean and fresh.
Finally, focus on seating, you want your guest to have a comfortable place to sit and relax. Add a couple of extra chairs to the main entertaining area if needed.
Declutter the Kids’ Room
Next to the kitchen, I would list this as the second major area to focus efforts to get your home ready for Christmas.
Your kids are going to be getting new stuff and decluttering the outgrown or unused items now allows you to get ahead of the clutter.
Start with the toys. Most of our kids have way too many toys, the truth is they do much better with fewer toys. Now is the time to take advantage of all the new toys your kids will be hoping to get. It will make them much more willing to let go of the excess toys.
Donate the excess toys so you can make space for some new ones. This will also help your kids from feeling overwhelmed with all the new toys after Christmas.
Once you’ve tackled the toys move on to their clothes. The likelihood is your children have some outgrown clothing sitting in drawers or closets.
Again, because your kids will be getting new clothes at Christmas you need to make room for these new items.
As you declutter anything outgrown or worn out you will also know exactly what needs to be replaced or filled in. When family or friends ask for gift ideas you will know what to tell them.
If you have some extra time, why not go through your own closet? If there is anything that needs replacing you’ll know what to suggest to those that need gift ideas for you!
Clean the Main Areas of Your Home
I am not talking here about doing a detailed whole home declutter before Christmas. That would be too much to take on at this time of year. Rather do a quick walk-through of the main areas of your home looking for things that are out of place, you don’t use or love.
Grab a box or basket to hold all that stuff as you walk through your home. Remember the more you are able to declutter from your home, the easier your home will be to care for.
Pay special attention to your flat surfaces. Places like tables, dressers, and countertops. These areas tend to act as clutter magnets.
Clear off as much as possible from your flat surfaces and you will see a dramatic impact on the feel of your entire home.
Decorate for Christmas
Now is the fun part! You’ve been busy creating space and freedom to enjoy your Christmas. So have some fun decorating your home for the holiday.
Just remember you don’t need a lot of stuff to make your home festive. A little Christmas decor can go a long way without undoing the hard work you did to get your home ready for Christmas.
Using decorations you love and enjoy will help to keep things simple and still feel festive.
The key is to find a way to decorate for the holidays that works for you and makes you happy without adding unnecessary stress.
Enjoy a Simplified Christmas
With your home holiday ready you can enjoy a Christmas without all the chaos and stress that often accompanies the holiday. You’ve seen the benefits that come when you get your home ready for Christmas.
Once you take some time to do the preparations all that’s left is to enjoy a simple and peaceful Christmas!
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