Prepare Your Home for the Holidays
As we enter the holiday season, many of us feel a mix of excitement and anxiety. As festive and wondrous as this time of year can be, it is often matched by long nights and jam-packed schedules. This week, we’ve put together our favorite ways to prepare your home for the holiday season and to make guests feel welcome and cared for. We hope to alleviate some of the stress of last-minute guests and give you a little extra peace of mind. We recommend checking in with your housekeeper or property manager to make sure everything is prepped and ready before the busy season.
Refresh Guest Bedrooms and Common Areas
While it’s wise to do a deep clean of your entire home before the busy holiday season, we recommend paying extra attention to oft-overlooked guest bedrooms, as well as the kitchen and dining room, of course. Ask staff to be sure seasonal dishes and glassware are unpacked and organized and that silver is polished.
In the guest bedroom and bath, think about what special touches your guests might appreciate. For example, we suggest stocking a couple good-quality mini toiletries (we love both the Malin + Goetz and the Aesop travel sets), leaving filtered water on the bedside table, and having extra phone chargers on hand to loan to guests. Small touches like a sign with the WiFi information, and a couple cozy books on the bookshelf can go a long way towards making a guest’s stay more enjoyable.
We love finding a way to bring the holiday season and winter decor into the room; this might be through a seasonal potted plant, such as a poinsettia or mini evergreen, or with festive throw pillows and scented candles (don’t forget to leave a matchbook or handy!). If you’ll be regularly hosting overnight guests this season, you might purchase additional throws for the guest bedrooms and to have on hand for cozy movie nights; for a luxe option, we love Frette’s cashmere blanket and for excellent quality at a lower price point, we love Naadam’s. Make sure you have extra bath towels and bedsheets on hand if your home will be fuller than usual. We also love adding a spa robe and slippers to the guest bedroom, as well as a little self-care gift such as a face mask or body lotion. Amazon now sells simple disposable hotel-like slippers, which we think are a nice treat for guests.
Restock Entertaining Supplies
During this time of year, you’re likely to have unexpected visitors, last-minute drop-ins, and dinner guests that linger longer than expected. To be ready for whatever holiday entertaining throws your way, we suggest planning ahead and strategically stocking the various areas of your home with long-lasting items you can pull out at a moment’s notice. For the bar, we suggest having a few extra bottles of sparkling water on hand, as well as some wine and champagne, if you drink alcohol. In the pantry, we stock olives, crackers, herbed nuts, and dried specialty pastas. In the refrigerator, we try to always keep lemons, quality parmesan, a good soft cheese, and whatever fruit your household enjoys. Finally, we love keeping a few frozen appetizers on hand in the freezer, as well as a pint of good quality ice cream. Most gourmet markets offer a wide selection of frozen hors d’oeuvres to choose from; if you prefer you or your staff to make your own, these gougeres (French cheese puffs) are simple and freeze well, as do many recipes using puff pastry. This way, you will be ready no matter what – you can easily put together a quick cocktail and light bite, fast dinner, or add a scoop of ice cream to your neighbor’s homemade pie.
Make Small Upgrades
If there are any small upgrades you’ve been meaning to get around to in your home, we suggest handling before guests arrive this season. Upgrade the shower curtain in the bathroom. Add Kleenex dispensers to the bathrooms (we love these marble covers). Swap out the wastepaper baskets in the bedrooms. Repaint the guest bathroom. These little changes will take one thing off your to do list and make your home feel fresher.
Confirm Gifting Plan
Before the season gets too busy, we suggest making a list of everyone you plan to give gifts, bonuses, and/or holiday cards to this year. Update your list as you purchase gifts and as they arrive and share with your spouse and/or personal assistant. Clear out a closet and make sure you have space to store gifts as you purchase them. Keep your wrapping paper and ribbons all in one place. If you’ll be outsourcing wrapping to a staff member, mark on the list if the gift recipient should receive a particular style/color of wrapping and what date you need it completed by.
Review Staff & Family Schedules
Double check staff contracts and requested vacation dates before the busy season starts to be sure everyone is on the same page and coverage is handled. Review children’s schedules with nannies and caretakers and be sure all staff understand the requirements around holidays. Double check dates of theatre tickets and holiday parties and confirm with childcare ahead of time. What staff will work which holidays? Are the hours more or less? What is the agreed rate? If overnights are required, have logistics and pay been negotiated ahead of time?
Stay Safe
On top of all the fun preparations, don’t overlook the practical considerations of keeping your family and guests safe this season. Clean the rain gutters at the end of the autumn. Check fireplaces. Winterize the doors and windows. Make sure your alarm system works properly and all family members are in the habit of using it – even the best systems are useless if they aren’t working correctly when the worst happens.
Be sure to check smoke and carbon monoxide detectors – and be sure you have enough for your home. The general rule of thumb for smoke detectors is to have minimum one on each floor with one inside and outside each sleeping area; larger homes may need more. Click here for up to date guidance and click here for more tips on fire safety from the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). For fire extinguisher information, click here. For carbon monoxide detectors best practices, click here.
Set Aside Time for You
As the head of a household, it can be an overwhelming time of year as you try to manage family and social engagements, holiday preparations, fluctuating academic schedules, visiting guests, and more. Try to set aside some regular time for yourself – whether it’s your daily trip to the gym, a nightly hour to yourself, or an occasional spa day, don’t ignore your own needs. While the holiday season may seem overwhelming, the thing your family will remember most is the time spent together. Feel free to say no to big events and spend a cozy night in together instead.