Is your home holiday ready?

The most wonderful time of the year is just around the corner as Christmas trees light up, carols start to play on the radio, streets get adorned with colorful decors, and Christmas activities begin rolling. Sure, you may have already put up your Christmas tree and parol, but have you prepared your home for the coming of guests, barkada parties, and family reunions? Here are some ideas on how you can get your home ready for the holiday festivities:   1. CLEAN UP Before your Christmas gifts start pouring and guests start arriving, it’s the perfect time to declutter your place. It’s best to allot one day for general cleaning. Get rid of anything you are not using anymore and you no longer need. Wipe surfaces clean. And, you can try reorganizing your furniture to update the look and make your place more interesting.        

2. KEEP THE DÉCOR SIMPLE

During Christmas, it’s tempting to go overboard with Christmas decors especially when you have guests coming over. But when you have limited space, too much décor can render your space smaller and cramped. Instead, opt to have one focal point (think: mini Christmas tree) that you work on. From there, you can just reflect the different elements of your theme to the whole house. For instance complementing color or print for your curtains, throw pillows, and table napkins. Adding mood lighting through fairy lights will also make your place Instagram worthy. This way, your décor will be more sophisticated and balanced and will save you the stress of cleaning and putting away too much décor after the holidays.         3. HAVE EXTRA BED SPACE Hosting gatherings at your home means there will be instances when some of your friends and family might have to sleep over. If you have a guestroom, clean it and make sure it’s properly ventilated and with storage spaces for their things. If you don’t have an extra room, you can create sleeping spaces through airbeds, folding beds and mats. The sofa is also a practical option. Just ensure that you plan out where you can lay these when needed.       4. STOCK UP YOUR FRIDGE Prepare for last minute gatherings by making sure you always have something in your fridge. Pastries are the easiest to store and serve. You can also store some marinated meat for impromptu barbecue grilling. Just make sure that the food you’ll stock are not easily perishable. One good practice is labeling with expiry dates as reminder.           5. READY YOUR BATHROOM Whether you have visiting or stay-in guests, your bathroom will be one of the most-used parts of your home. Make sure it’s spic and span and complete with all supplies your guests might need. Have several rolls of tissue ready, extra towels and toiletries. You can place these in shelves or in baskets. To make your bathroom feel a bit more luxurious, you can throw in some scented candles and healing oils.         6. PLAN FUN ACTIVITIES Part of your home is the community that you live in. Apart from the usual charades and karaoke, why not bring the gang to your village clubhouse or condo amenities and spend time outdoors? If you live in a place with complete amenities like 8 Adriatico, 68 Roces, Eton City, Eton Emerald Lofts, and West Wing Residences you can always gather everyone up for a quick swim, or for larger gatherings, book the multi-purpose hall for your Christmas costume party and games. Much better, if you live in a place like South Lake Village, you can organize a Christmas camping in your backyard, sipping hot chocolate with your very own scenic lake. Now, that is #lit.       Indeed, exciting times are ahead of everyone this holiday season and with all the parties and reunions happening, there’s no better place to spend it with your loved ones but right at home.