From Thanksgiving on, we do a lot of entertaining in our home. We host both Thanksgiving and Christmas and also throw an annual tacky christmas sweater party for my birthday. It’s so much fun, and I just love having a house full! Since this is the one time of year we really have a lot of traffic going through the our home, I do a few extra things to make sure things are in order.
How I Prepare My Home For The Holidays
Deep Clean
First thing I do, before any decorating or stocking, is clean, clean clean. I’m one of those people who has to have a clean home, despite the fact that I have two boys who are constantly undoing my efforts, I’m always trying. My weekly cleaning always includes a top to bottom dusting and your standard tidying. On a monthly basis, and especially right before we have holiday visitors, I do my deep clean. My deep clean includes: cleaning the grout on the bathroom floors and shower, washing baseboards, washing my white couch, washing curtains if needed. I also go around and give my walls a wipe down. Yes, my dreaded matte paint walls. They don’t come as clean as I like since they’re matte, but I still give it a try and it does cut down on some of the finger prints. When we moved out of our first home, I learned a few little tips and tricks first hand to really get things “looking fresh and new”. I carried what I learned to this new house, so hopefully I can keep it looking new longer. Check out that post for full details on what I use to deep clean.
Freshen Up
Before we have guests, I go through and see what needs to be freshened up. Maybe a new hand towel, new shower curtain liner, new sheets if we’re having overnight guests. Whatever doesn’t look its best gets replaced. I always use those cheap $3-$4 shower curtain liners and replace them fairly often anyway, but I always make sure they’re fresh before guests come over.
Stock Up
Then I do my stock up! All of the necessities you can think of; a giant pack of paper towels and toilet paper, napkins and paper plates to cut down on dish duty after guests. Running out of toilet paper with a house full of guests is not good, so I try to never let that happen. Since it’s a busy time of year, I try to make sure we’re stocked before things get rolling and I also try to do a lot of online ordering, because shopping with a toddler is a nightmare, and it saves me time. I order most of my Christmas presents online, why not my essentials too?!
Walmart has everything in one place, so I ordered my Viva® Paper Towels and my Scott® Bath Tissue online and took advantage of their free two-day shipping. You can also order online and pick-up in the store!
It was easy and I also saved money on the Ibotta app – $1 off Scott® Bath Tissue for any variety, 4 ct. pack or larger (now until 11/29) and $1 off on Viva® Paper Towels for any variety, 6 ct. pack or larger.
Decorate
When the house is in tip-top shape and everything is fully stocked, I break out the decorations and get festive! I decorate the most for Christmas more than any other season or holiday, but it still isn’t all that intense. As much as I want the outside of my house to look like the Griswold’s it’s currently only rocking a wreath and a small light up tree. I may call it a day and leave it there, or add a little something else.
After all that, I do my best to keep things in order, while my boys do their best to undo it. Either way, we’re stocked and ready for all the season has to bring. Up next, the annual tacky christmas sweater party (for my 30th birthday, eeee!)
How do you prepare your home for the holidays and #GetGuestReady? Have you tried online ordering from Walmart?
-Brooke
Now, let’s…get…linking!!
NEW! I’ve started a collaborative Pinterest board for the Oh, Hey Girl! Link-Up. I would love for you to join and share your looks there too! Just send me a message on Pinterest or at [email protected] if you would like to be added.
Link up any post you would like to show off; your outfit, home decor, recipe, workout. Anything at all! Because, oh, hey girl! I want to see it!
Link-Up ‘Rules’
1. Follow me on Bloglovin or Instagram
2. Link back to my site from your post, you can grab a button if you like!
See who I link with here! (p.s. – if you have a new link up on your blog, leave it in the comments, so I can add to this list!)
LOVE your front door with the buffalo plaid bow and red balls are my favorite! Looks fabulous!
I love to deep clean right before decorating too! Then with all the Christmas decor up everything feels wonderful.
Oh I love how you’ve decorated, so beautiful! I’m looking forward to this weekend, our Christmas trees traditionally go up on the 1st December here so I’m hoping Saturday or Sunday I’ll put the tree up. Gotta do what you’ve done here and clean up a bit first though haha
Thank you for the link up!
Hope you are having a lovely week, and you got some bargains in the sales. I ended up grabbing a little something on Cyber Monday after resisting temptation all weekend, haha!
Away From The Blue Blog
So pretty and festive, Brooke! I love this post!
Shelbee
http://www.shelbeeontheedge.com
Having the house super cleans is always nice before the start of the holidays!! xo, Biana –BlovedBoston
You house looks so pretty and festive!! It’s a lot of work getting it ready but I always love the results:)
Marta
http://www.sweatersstripesandsweets.com
Your home is so festive, you want to come decorate my condo for me lol.
xo
Pinksole
Your home looks lovely for the holidays. I really need to start ordering basic supplies online. It just makes so much sense.
xo, Whitney and Blaire
Peaches In A Pod
Your home looks so nice! I love how you decorated it all for the holidays!
Your house looks beautiful! I love the classic decorations you have. Ours is similar!
Katherine | http://www.oneswainkycouple.com
Your home is looking so gorgeous for the holidays! Love having essentials/groceries delivered! It’s so easy!!
Rosy Outlook
How absolutely beautiful is your home? Ugh, it’s just The Hubs, our pup, and me and our house isn’t that clean. LOL Guess I know what I’ll be doing this weekend…
Have a great day!
Your home looks lovely. And your tree is beautiful!
How pretty is your home and these are all great tips!
Cheryl
http://www.northwestmountainliving.com
Can I have some of your energy? Just reading about your deep cleaning exhausts me. Perhaps that’s why my home is filled with dust and cobwebs. 🙂 LOVE, LOVE, LOVE your house. Everything is so pretty and perfect!
Tis the season and your place looks impeccable, Brooke!! Let’s just say the advantage to getting older is my friends don’t see as well, so I don’t have to deep clean as much—ha ha!!! But I’ve never tried that Ibotta app even though I downloaded it ages ago!!!
Wonderful post!!
XOXO
Jodie
http://www.jtouchofstyle.com
Your home looks stunning Brooke. You know how much I love XMas decor! Your front porch is goals and I love love love how you have placed those candles. Where did you buy the house-shaped glass holder? I need it. I will be sharing my Christmas Home Tour on the blog next Thursday. Love that you shared yours and I pinned everything, Hope you had a great Thanksgiving.
P.S. Did you check my special feature on you on Thursday Moda from two weeks ago?!
Stocking up before the craziness starts is a good idea! Your home looks really lovely! We use Wal-Mart pickup and it is a lifesaver!
Amy Ann
Straight A Style
Such a cute post! Love all your holiday decor.
~Samantha
http://goldcoastgirlblog.com
I love this time of year! Stocking up on things, getting rid of things I don’t need and cleaning is my jam! Thanks for sharing how you do it, Brooke!
Sending love from Napa Valley!
Paulina | http://www.shenska.com
Your front door looks so cute, and I love how you decorated. Walmart makes it so easy to stock up for the holidays!
Rachael
http://www.threadsforthomasblog.com
ahh, Your adorable house reminds me of how behind I am on everything in my own house! I’m hosting Christmas so I had better get a move on 🙂 Thanks for all the tips!
Mary
http://marymurnane.com
I am particular about my home being clean all the time, too! And, it is so hard with kids! I love those little barrels you have the mini Christmas trees in on your front porch and I also love the tile in your shower! Beautiful home! I have never purchased paper goods from Walmart, but I should remember how convenient that would be during this time of year!
Carrie
curlycraftymom.com
Your home is beautiful Brooke! Anything would look amazing on your floors! We are getting a tree this weekend and I’m excited to decorate 🙂
Your home is gorgeous! Want to come decorate mine? I love that lantern on your table. Looks like the one from the Magnolia line at Target. I bought one of those and thought it was probably a foot or so, nope it was ginormous! Had to return it, as sad as that made me.
I have not used online ordering yet. I do love your home decor and I like stocking up on neccesseties for the Holidays and for company too! Extra everything is important because I hate running out of those items when guests are in town!
http://www.mylittlenest.org
Beautiful decorations!
beautiful ddecorations!
It’s amazing!! Such a lifesaver, that and ordering groceries online and picking up at the store.
Thank you!! It is! I just had to have something from her line. This one is the smaller one, I saw the huge one in the store! My kids can’t keep from playing with it haha!
Thank you so much Noelle! Have fun tree hunting!
It drives me crazy constantly cleaning up after the kids haha! But I go crazier if the house is dirty, so I have to. 😀
Thank you Mary!! I bet your home is going to be ready to go in no time (and beautiful too!)
Thank goodness for Walmart! Anything to make life easier haha
Two of a kind! 🙂
Thank you Samantha!
I love that too, and the online grocery ordering, so nice to not have to go in with the boys!
I can’t wait to see your home tour Ada!! I know it’s going to be beautiful! The little house is from the magnolia line at target, I want everything from there!! I missed my feature! I’m so sorry, I get so behind on my blog reading sometimes, I’ll be sure to check it out, you’re so sweet to feature me!
Thank you Carrie!
Thanks girl!
I’ll have to remember that! Haha! I wish I wasn’t so crazy about the cleanliness, it’s like I don’t mind a messy home anywhere else, but my mess…can’t handle it! Haha!
I have to use it now while I can, I know it won’t be long before it wears down haha! I was cleaning my grandmas house today too. Thank you Amy!
Thank you Cheryl!
Thank you Veronica!
It never lasts long, I do the deep clean and then I feel like a week later its undone haha!
Thank you Kelly! I’m so glad it exists now, makes life so easy!
Thank you Katherine!! I bet your home is beautiful!
Thank you Laura!
It’s so easy! Especially if the shipping is free, I’m all about it!
Yeah girl! 😀
That’s the truth! So much work, I have to talk myself into it haha!
So nice! Love to start with that clean slate.
Thank you so much shelbee!
Good for you Mica! I was all shopped out by Monday and missed some awesome deals, I felt like I should have waited till Monday! Hope you have fun putting your tree up!
It’s the best feeling!
Thank you sweet Andrea!
Great job with this post Brooke! Your home is beautiful!
Wow, your home looks so festive and beautiful! Great job!
xx, Elise
http://www.sparkleandslippers.blogspot.com
Omg your home is so festive and oh so pretty!! Absolutely love what you’ve done to prep for the holidays. Totally reminded me, I need to get on decorating my space!
xo,
H
http://firsttimethings.com/
I love a clean house too, but I hate cleaning (especially with kids), so this time of year is a struggle. I usually compromise and hire some one to do all of the tasks that I don’t want to handle (like cleaning the tile). I also stock up this time of year! I don’t want to be in the middle of a Christmas party and run out of paper towels to clean up messes (or worse, run out of toilet paper)! Overall, I love this post! Thanks for sharing your tips!
You’re very organised! Your house looks lovely and festive!
Emma xxx
http://www.style-splash.com
The decorations looks nice and simple.
I love it dear!
Much Love,
Jane | The Bandwagon Chic
Oh wow! you’re ready 🙂
Like you I like to start fresh and clean before putting anything up- this year I going to paint some walls before going out to shop for a tree.
Its a life saver with the boys, but I will admit, sometimes I’m disappointed when they make substitutions!
Your tree is really gorgeous dear! The candles makes quite a beautiful touch too.
Jessica | notjessfashion.com