Getting ready for Christmas visitors!

We are all really hoping that this year can be a bit more sociable than Christmas 2020. We are overdue some glad tidings and spending quality time with our family and friends has to be top of the list. On the flip side, this means that visitors need to be fed, housed and entertained. If like many of us, you have almost forgotten what it takes to host a festive gathering, here are a few tips to get the house ready and to ensure a stress-free time is had by all.

Do you have more people staying than beds?

A bed deficit can be easily sorted by investing in a Sofa Bed! Sofa beds can stored in playrooms, living rooms or bedrooms and act as additional seating as well as doubling up as an extra bed too.

For rooms with limited floor space, try a Pull-Out Trundle Bed that can be stored under existing beds. Perfect to slide out when the cousins are staying over. Or try the Pop-Up Trundle! (The same concept, but can be popped up to a more regular bed height).

Got some extra children staying over? Try one of our handy Z Beds, which fold up Z-shaped into a little comfortable seat in your child’s room.

And don’t forget that extra sleeping people need extra bedding. We offer a range of competitively priced duvets and pillows plus lots of fun, colourful duvet cover sets.

A pre-Christmas tidy up

Rather than leaving a big tidy up to the new year (hello Spring Cleaning fans!), it can feel very cathartic to declutter and make space before opening festive gifts and decorating the house. I like to do a ‘big clean’ at this point too. Visitors tend to come with lots of ‘stuff’, big coats, multiple shoes, gifts and food parcels. A declutter will ensure that there is room for this excess without feeling overwhelming or claustrophobic.

Check out our range of storage furniture which stores toys, books and clothes to help you feel like the organised person you secretly wish to be.

Plan some festive activities

As fun as it might be to chill and watch festive TV and films, it is often much easier to plan an outdoor activity to dust away the cobwebs and help expend some energy (particularly if you have young visitors). Go and explore the woods, walk off some mince pies and get some much-needed fresh air. If you don’t have easily accessible green spaces or woods, take a stroll through the streets looking at all the festive lights and decorations.

If you want to avoid too much screen time, dust off the family board games and challenge Uncle John to a game of monopoly.

Delegate tasks

This is your Christmas too, so don’t be afraid to ask for help. Divvy up the food by asking people to be in charge of a particular meal, give people tasks to do so that it doesn’t just fall to you to be the perfect host. I tend to show people where the kettle, tea and coffee are and say that they are to help themselves whenever they fancy a cuppa.

Plan meals ahead

There’s nothing that causes more stress and arguments than trying to feed multiple people without any forward planning. Plan meals in advance so you know roughly what and when you are eating every day. If you have a slow cooker, put this to good use so you do not spend every waking hour slaving in the kitchen. If you can pre-cook and freeze a meal, do it.

Going back to the delegate task tip, ask people to bring their favourites with them. Work out if there are any dietary requirements from guests ahead of time. There’s no use finding out on the day that Uncle Simon is now gluten free and Auntie Anne has recently become a vegan, live the Boy Scouts motto “Be prepared”.

Take some time for you

It’s difficult with a house full of people, but if you want to spend 30 mins reading a newspaper or your new Christmas book, go find yourself a quiet nook and do it. If it gets overwhelming having too many people in your space, suggest a walk or change of scenery. If the kids want to stay in their PJs all day, where’s the harm, join them, it’s much comfier than formal clothing. Try to enjoy the little moments as we have had so few family occasions over the past 18 months.

Have fun and Merry Christmas!