Christmas is but a matter of weeks away, despite the year seeming to have started a mere matter of weeks ago. As the holiday season hurtles headlong towards us, we all find ourselves experiencing that pre-festivity panic as the gravity of our task becomes clear once again. Getting your home Christmas-ready is no simple task – but here are some simple ways to make life easier before the family start to flood in.
Clean Out the Fridge and Freezer
The festive season is the perfect excuse to finally embark on that task you’ve likely been putting off for months now – the dreaded fridge-freezer audit. Over time, our fridges get stocked up with all manner of extraneous and mystery items, which we never think to dispose of until things get a little cramped.
With Christmas on the way, and the opportunity to get and freeze a turkey before they dramatically increase in price, there is no better time than now to empty out both fridge and freezer and give them a good deep clean and de-frost. You can chuck out older and undesired foods, leaving you with a spick and span fridge and room for all your festive ingredients.
De-Clutter the Wardrobe
Your bedroom wardrobe, cupboards and cabinets could also benefit from the same treatment. In the knowledge that you’ll be getting your fair share of ‘soft presents’ on the big day, and knowing also that you’ll need some room to hide the gifts you’ve bought, this could be a good time to get rid of old, unwanted and ill-fitting clothes.
In taking your de-cluttering frenzy to your jewellery box, you might find some items you don’t wear anymore, that you’re willing to pawn. The money raised could go towards more gifts, and further enrichment on Christmas Day itself.
For instance, you could save up some cash to make a few house improvements, such as repairing your garage door or replacing your old single-pane windows with modern OptiLight windows.
Children’s Bedrooms
This is the most torturous item on your to-do list, but a necessary evil and one with a worthwhile outcome. Ahead of Christmas, you should gather your kids together and get them to be ruthless with their own collections of clothes and toys.
They’ll soon be receiving a bevy of new gifts and items that are more appropriate to their age and tastes, leaving their outdated toys and clothes to do little but take up space. Getting them to get excited about giving things away will be hard, but can also be a great learning experience for them – especially if the items are going to charity, or to other children!
The Living Room
Last and certainly not least comes the management and organisation of the living room – your main hosting space, and home to practically everything – from the stockings to the Christmas tree, to the gifts that sit beneath them.
You’ll need to make space for your tree, so set to moving your sofas and other furniture around. This might be a good time to deep clean your carpet if you have the inclination! With space made, you can start the fun part: Christmas decorations.
