Festive food prep
- Consider preparing and freezing two or three meals in advance of your guests’ arrival – you’ll be so much more relaxed knowing you have something ready to serve in the evenings.
- It’s also worth keeping the ingredients for an easy to make meal in the cupboard - for the day you forget to take one out of the freezer.
- Stock up on hearty soups and frozen garlic bread (the kind you can pop straight into the oven) – the more convenient food you have, the more unflappable you will be.
Space – it’s not just for aliens!
No matter how large or small your home may be, a little space clearance will go a long way before your guests descend.- If you’re using a pull out sofa bed in the living room, set aside an obvious space where bedding can be cleared away and stored during the day, and find a place where luggage can be kept, with easy access.
- If you have a guest room, you don’t have to worry so much about crowding, but make sure there’s space for hanging clothes and keeping presents in the wardrobe.
- De-clutter the living areas as much as is humanly possible - more people means more room for mess!
- Guests hate to have to ask, so:
- Leave out towels and show them where the hot press or linen cupboard is for extras.
- Clear a couple of shelves in the bathroom. If you can, give them a laundry basket as well (those pop up fabric ones are ideal).
- Fill a basket with toilet paper and put in any spare toiletries you have (hotel samples are perfect) – they’re sure to have forgotten something.
Cool on kitchen DIY
- Make sure your guests feel comfortable using the kitchen themselves. This may sound obvious, but being in someone else’s home can be complicated. No matter how well you know each other, people often feel the kitchen is the sacred domain of the host or hostess.
- Leaving a tray beside the kettle stocked with tea, coffee, biscuits and savoury snacks encourages everyone to help themselves between meals, and takes the pressure off you.
- A “breakfast tray” in the kitchen, with bread, jams, cereals and yoghurt, also means that guests can help themselves at whatever time they get up.
The kids’ zone
Childproof the house in advance. Whether it’s just one corner of the living room or a separate play room – set up an area where the kids can leave their toys and equip it with colouring books, board games, Wii and Xbox, or whatever you have to keep them entertained – that way both you and your guests can relax and nobody is worrying about broken vases or shattered ornaments.Happy kids help keep adults happy too!
Time out
- Everyone needs some time out from the crowd, so make sure your guests know it’s ok to sneak away for a while.
- If you have a den or a second TV room, leave a bunch of books and DVDs there (the local library stocks a selection of both and you can keep them for the duration of Christmas and New Year).
- There may not be a separate living area, but even leaving some books and magazines about the main living room makes people feel it’s not impolite to enjoy downtime.
- It’ going to be extra cold this season; keep a basket of rolled up blankets ready to use in the living room/kitchen area – it’s a homely touch.
Flexible friends
- Everyone has a routine, but both you and your guests need to stay flexible, especially when there are kids involved. They will be in an unfamiliar environment, which can make them unpredictable. Similarly, your own children may react to the Christmas mayhem
- Remember you’re in holiday mode, so it’s ok to relax rules a little. Bed times may be different to the norm and eating habits will be off kilter
- Just make sure all children get enough sleep, even if that means taking a nap they wouldn’t normally take – tired children are everyone’s problem!
- When parents and grandparents get together the atmosphere can be a little heated at times, as each generation has ideas on how things should be done. So while it’s great to be open with your views, there are also instances when the old saying applies - “Whatever you say, say nothing!” It’s a small price to pay for a harmonious Christmas household