It’s that time of the year again – how’s your home doing? Christmas rush can be a bit overwhelming (or greatly overwhelming!) and you don’t know where to start with your to-do list. Avoid the pressure this season by using these 12 days of home improvement tips.
DAY 1: PLAN WITH YOUR FAMILY
Who’s going to host the Christmas celebration? Plan it out with your family members and decide where and how you’ll be spending the holidays. If you’re planning to celebrate the holidays on a trip or somewhere else, then these tips are not probably for you. However, if you’re planning to celebrate at home, we hope these tips can help you.
DAY 2: CREATE A RANDOM LIST
Sometimes, overly detailed lists can bring anxiety, especially during this busiest season. To enjoy planning your home project this Christmas, try something new like writing your goals on a whiteboard, crafting a fun poster, getting creative with Photoshop, and so on. Your list doesn’t have to be boring just because it’s a list.
DAY 3: UPDATE YOUR GUEST LIST
List down the number of guests you want to invite for a Christmas celebration. Call them as early as day 3 to confirm whether they can make it or not. If they can’t confirm right away, they’ll at least have more time to fit in your event to their own schedules. Also, you’ll have to ask them which foods are they allergic to so you can make a list of what not to include in your Christmas menu.
DAY 4: PLAN THE HOLIDAY MENU
A Christmas celebration will never be complete without the perfect holiday menu. Plan what and what not to include in your recipes. Your menu should include appetizers, soup, beverage, main dish, and desserts. Begin baking pastries that you can just store in the freezer as well.
DAY 5: PREPARE THE MEALS
Preparing your meals beforehand will save you the chaos. If there are meals in your menu that take a long time to prepare, you can also do it a few more days ahead. Bulk everything you need for Christmas cooking and store them in the freezer. Don’t forget to use freezer-proof boxes.
DAY 6: CLEAN YOUR HOME
Although it’s still a matter of days before Christmas, cleaning ahead will save you from procrastinating. Got no time to clean your house? You can call a professional home cleaning company instead. After the major clean-up, make sure you maintain the cleanliness of your home like putting things in it’s proper place and vacuuming carpets. Who wants to decorate a dirty home after all?
DAY 7: DECORATE YOUR HOME GREEN
Break the conventional way of decorating your home for Christmas. Since Christmas is the time of giving, this year, think about giving back to our planet. There are endless ways to make your home merry without hurting your bank and the environment. Here are few ways to do so:
- Eco Trees – Indeed, using fake Christmas trees will reduce tree-cutting, however, they are still not enough to help the environment. Many fake trees are made from harmful materials such as polyvinyl chloride and lead, which in the long run would be thrown in a landfill where it will take several years to degrade. So, which Christmas tree is greener? Buying a real tree is still better than artificial ones. If you’re the crafty type of person, get creative with ways to make your own tree.
- LED Lights – Since Christmas lights are left for hours, might as well use LEDs to save at least 33% energy than that of the typical light.
- Reusable Wrapper – When wrapping gifts, there are eco-friendly alternatives that you can use such as fabric, flower pots, map, and reusable bags.
DAY 8: KEEP YOUR HOME SAFE
Many accidents have been reported during the holidays. Some of which includes heavy snow, food poisoning, burglary, and so on. Here’s a list on how you can keep your home safe.
- Burglars – Activate cameras and motion sensors inside and outside of your home.
- Electricity – With all the bright lights around, avoid overloading wall outlets and extension cords.
- Fire – Make sure you activate your smoke/carbon monoxide detectors and check if they are still working.
- Children – Look out for small items that could be a choking hazard to young children such as batteries, fallen toy parts, or burst balloons.
- Food – Allow more time for yourself to prepare meals to avoid hot water and sharp knives accidents from guests. Remember to wipe spills right away.
- Falls – Remove any clutter on the floors and on the stairs.
- Gifts – Buy gifts for the right age group and from stores that meet the government’s safety standards.
DAY 9: SEND YOUR HOLIDAY CARDS
Decide how many holiday cards you need to give away. If you know the exact number of people to give those cards to, buy 5 additional cards just in case you need to give away more. You can also craft your own holiday cards for a change. Start sending them once they’re ready.
DAY 10: SHOP SMART
Time to check the naughty-or-nice list! Who do you want to give presents to? Create a list of those people and write a description of what they would want for Christmas. Do some secret research to know what they truly need. Shop smart by conducting an online window shopping first. Once you’ve decided which gifts to give, you can start shopping online and have them wrapped. Doing so will save you more time and energy. If you have to send gifts to people from afar, make sure you send gifts to them first.
DAY 11: GIVE SOME LOVE
There are so many things to be thankful for – your stable income, your health, your spouse, your family, and so on. Now it’s time to give back to others. You can find simple ways to do this such as donating old clothes to charity or baking goodies for homeless people.
DAY 12: ENJOY CHRISTMAS
Christmas is all about love, laughter, and celebration – need we more to explain?
Michael Nash Design Build & Homes is a world class, multi-awarded, best of the best home remodeling company which specializes in Complete Kitchen Remodeling, Complete Bathroom Remodeling, Complete Basement Remodeling, and Complete Home Additions & Extensions. Our expertise also extends to Addition Remodeling as well as Major Renovations, New Custom Homes, Outdoor Living Services and Green Remodeling. For inquiries and in-home consultations, call us on our mobile number (703) 457-8684 or email us at info@michael-nash.com. You can also take advantage of our services through these areas: Northern VA | Aldie | Alexandria | Annandale | Arlington County | Arlington | Ashburn | Burke | Centreville | Chantilly | Clifton | Dunn Loring | Fairfax County | Fairfax Station | Fairfax | Falls Church | Gainesville | Great Falls | Haymarket | Herndon | Leesburg | Lorton | Loudoun County | Manassas | McLean | Merrifield | Oakton | Potomac Falls | Prince William County | Purcellville | Reston | Springfield | Sterling | Vienna | Woodbridge, VA.
