De-stressing the Holidays at our House

The Holiday season always seems to sneak up on us when we are the least prepared to deal with it.? Since I work from home I often lose track of the days of the week; thankfully my son will keep me on track by checking the school lunch menu every morning, followed by deciding whether he would prefer a homemade lunch or opt for one of the school?s choices.

I have learned to take a few minutes every weekend in October and early November to prepare for the unavoidable guest visits during the Holidays.

I will start by assuming that you keep your house fairly clean all year long and that we do not need to cover any last minute housecleaning tricks to make your home presentable.? Here are five of the items that are always kept handy in our home during the Holidays:

• A storage container with a selection of toys for the littler kids such as a Mr. Potato head, some building blocks, toy cars, dolls and a few pint size stuffed animals. You can get most of these at a thrift store and run them through your dishwasher on the top tray in a lingerie bag.
• A game box for the older kids with a selection of board games, puzzles, brain teasers and other non-electronic games.? In my opinion non-electronic games should be in every home as they promote family time instead of TV or computer time.
• A selection of toiletries in small baskets (including wash cloths and hand towels)? which can be pulled out and set on the vanity in the bathroom that will be used by your guests during their visit.? It requires a small investment to put together but well worth having ready ahead of time.
• A pillowcase filled with all the dining room table ?fixings? to make setting up for dinner fast, painless and easy.? Since you prepared it ahead of time you have control over the overall look of your dining area, I consider this a bonus especially since it keeps my kids from arguing on the deem appropriate choice.
• Invest in a set of mid-sized storage containers to be kept in the refrigerator for healthy snacks. These will make it easy to satisfy kids and adults? need for a bite to eat while waiting for the Holiday meal to be served.? I use these all year long to encourage a healthy snack choice and keep my kids away from candy, cookies and potato chips.

During this busy time of the year; the chore box is pulled out and is a great help in keeping my house organized.? I also prepare some of my favorite side dishes ahead of time so they are ready to be pulled out of the freezer for the final cooking right before mealtime.

I am no expert in organization and mind you often am the one caught off guard so I share this in the hopes that you (like me) will find that a few minutes of preparation a few weeks ahead of the time will allow you to visit with your guest and enjoy their company rather than performing a Holiday mad dash that ends in your head crashing on your pillow at the end of the day/night.

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About the Author:

Suzanne Remington is the owner of The Boy?s Store, a online clothing store dedicated to boys ONLY.? She worked for many years as a dressmaker in Switzerland which gives her an advantage when choosing quality items for her store.? While living abroad she has learned useful tips and tricks that she loves to share with others.

Source: http://momvantage.net/11545/

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