When the “seasons to be jolly” (etc.) comes round again, it’s always a time of great expectation, fun, and general festiveness, but as any mother knows, a great deal of preparation needs to go into making the perfect family Christmas.
In fact if you have outstanding jobs to do around the house, or even if the interior of your house looks a more like a badly planned kids party than a warm and inviting Yuletide home, maybe it’s time to get some stuff done well in advance, or your Christmas may not be as jolly as you would have hoped!
Take a hands-on approach for the perfect Christmas!
There are lots of things you can do around the home to make a creative Christmas that everyone can enjoy, often with little effort! This can be divided for ease into two parts: Outstanding jobs to finish, and also Creative touches for the season.
It is often good practice, at least for efficiency, to create a list, just one side of A4 paper, outlining what jobs need to be done, and then simply cross them off your list once you have finished that particular task.
Outstanding jobs to finish
Many people tackle this bit first, get all those niggly jobs completed, and with them done, you can focus on getting the home ready for Christmas. If there is a ugly wall that needs painting, then get it done!
If something is broken around the house, like for example a toilet flush, or a missing door handle, remember you will have guests around, so make sure the house is perfect for them and complete all unfinished jobs and fix anything that is loose, broken or missing.
If you have any old stools or tables lying around, you will need to use them at Christmas time for the extra guests, so why not give them a fresh coat of paint to bring them back to life? Be sure to plan well in advance for drying time as no one wants to sit in the house with the smell of paint on Christmas day!
Once that bit is taken care of, you can now turn to focussing on getting the house more “Christmassy!”
Creative touches for the season
With all the DIY jobs completed, now you can start to give your home the yuletide feel, and once again, a bit of planning goes a long way in this case. Get all the lights and decorations that you think you will need and start with the front room, where the action always takes place each year and work outwards from that. Don’t go overboard with the lights though; some times subtle is better than big, bold and vulgar.
It’s easy to make low cost or free decorations for the seasonal time and what a great thing to do with the kids too! Simply dig out the cards you saved form last year and they can be cut up into shapes and strung between the walls or across shelves. Add a bit of tinsel to bring that sparkle too, and tape it across the fireplace and around doors!
Make sure the front of the house is clean and tidy and consider giving the front door, the first thing people see, a lick of paint, although make sure it is not too cold to carry out that. If that isn’t possible, or the door doesn’t need painting, make a wreath to go on the door, many suggestions on how to do this can be found on the internet and on craft sites.
Lastly, give the house a de-clutter and get rid of anything that is not needed for Christmas time, being sure to know how many guests you will have, and making sure everyone has a seat at the table this Christmas!
Whatever you want to be doing this Christmas, be sure to plan well ahead, get yourself organised well in advance and then sit back after your hard work, get the other half to do their share of the food preparation and cooking and above all, enjoy yourself at home this Christmas!
