Get Your Home Ready for the Holidays: 14 Day Challenge

Now that November has officially ended and the holidays are fully upon us, I’m in holiday prep mode. I LOVE the holidays, but the overwhelming stress that typically comes with the season? No, not that so much.

To fully enjoy the holidays and keep the stress from affecting my holiday cheer, I like to do small tasks that keep me motivated and excited for the next part of the process. Typically, this is a 2-3 week journey before the holiday rush even hits.

Why start so early? Well, because I have small children in the house and more often than not I need to shift my plans multiple times throughout the day. Also, it’s the holidays! I don’t want to feel overwhelmed and stressed when I’m wrapping gifts or planning for a family visit.

This time of the year is one of the best to create memories with your children, your partner, your families, and your friends. You should enjoy doing the things you love with the people you love, not worrying if someone is going to stumble into your clutter closet or feeling like you were unable to enjoy the holidays because you were doing a thousand things all at once.

For this 14-day challenge, I am sharing a tip or trick for each day on how you can get off to a great start this holiday season. You can choose to participate every day or simply pick the projects that you want to work on. If you decide to do the challenge, I’d love to hear from you and cheer you on!  

Day 1

Although this may seem like an obvious first step, make a list! It can be a list of anything you’d like to accomplish or of what’s important to you. This is the best method for getting your thoughts together and staying accountable for getting things done.

Day 2

It’s time to take a look at that pantry! Throw out any expired food and food people don’t eat. This will help you determine what you need to buy for upcoming parties and dinners.

Day 3

Today we’re still focusing on the kitchen area. Specifically, we’re looking at a kitchen deep-clean. I know, I know...it’s the kitchen. We all groan when it needs a deep-clean. But the kitchen is where we spend a LOT of time during the holiday season, so we want to make sure it’s properly prepped. Focus on the floors, the counters, the stove...but leave the drawers. That’s for another day!

Day 4

Alright, so yesterday we did a kitchen deep-clean. It was rough, but doesn’t your kitchen look so much better and ready for some serious holiday cooking? Today we are organizing our drawers—especially that miscellaneous kitchen drawer that has all sorts of weird items shoved in it! Take a look at your silverware drawer and get everything to where it needs to be, sort your pots and pans, make sure your casserole dishes are easily accessible, and purge anything you haven’t used in a while. Trust me, if you haven’t used that rice cooker once in the last year, you don’t need it.

Day 5

It’s bathroom time! As much as we don’t like to think about it, everyone is going to be in here, so let’s make it sparkle. The first step is to take a look and declutter anything you don’t use on a regular basis. Next, place whatever you DO use in practical and stylish containers. The last step? Maximize your space as best you can. Those of us with small bathrooms know how important this last step is!

Day 6

The TLC room. We all have that one room our whole family uses and that doesn’t get the love it deserves. This space might be your living room, or perhaps your own personal space. Once you’ve figured out which room has seen some organizational neglect, turn on your favorite holiday playlist and Fa-La-La your way to a room of organized bliss.

Day 7

It’s wall day! When we think about holiday prep, the last thing we consider in our planning is the walls. That is, at least, until we have a house full of guests and realize suddenly that your otherwise sparkling house has walls full of greasy little fingerprints. Talk about sudden frustration and anxiety! Cleaning walls isn’t the most exciting thing, but you can make it fun and easy by including your littles in a game of who can spot the most smudges.

Day 8

The bedroom. Even if you don’t expect to have any guests in your bedroom, it’s still a good idea to take a day to focus on this space. Your bedroom should be your own little personal retreat, so keeping it clean and de-cluttered is key to decompressing and enjoying some “me-time.”

Day 9

When was the last time you took a look at your windows and blinds? We all want our Christmas decorations to shine as bright as they can (I mean, is there a better view during the holidays than your Christmas tree sparkling through a window?). So I’m just going to say it: this cleaning task is not hard. But is it boring? Absolutely! To make this day’s challenge more tolerable, listen to a favorite podcast, put on a new audiobook, or call up that friend you haven’t chatted with in a while and catch up. 

Day 10

We’re getting closer to the holidays...which means it’s fridge and freezer time! If you’re like me, planning your holiday meals is a breeze. But figuring out where I’m going to store all the necessary food and items in advance, or any leftovers? Ha! I’ve done the container shuffle more than once. Do yourself a huge favor and create space for what’s coming. Take an inventory of your fridge and freezer and toss anything that has gone bad, is freezer burned, or has been sitting in there since last Christmas.

Day 11

It’s floor day! If your carpets are in need of a good shampooing, let’s get to it. The same goes for your floors. And if there are items you constantly find yourself tripping over, let’s declutter, organize, and open up your floor space.

Day 12

I find that one of the most common sources of clutter in the home is paper clutter. Stacks of paper can create an unsettling feeling, especially if you think there’s something important lingering in that pile. We all want a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere during the holidays, so today let’s tackle all of that paper clutter and breathe easy knowing what’s important is stored away and what’s not needed is gone.

Day 13

Today’s challenge is to prepare for your overnight guests and get your guest room or space prepped. Even if you aren’t expecting any guests, by preparing this space you can easily extend the invitation and mean it.

Day 14

It’s the final day of this challenge, which means it’s time for the final and most satisfying part of your holiday prep: decluttering your surface spaces! We ALL have clutter hot spots where items accumulate. The worst part of this is that it’s always in your face—and potentially in the faces of your guests! The best part of surface decluttering is that it’s easy to get to and provides instant and satisfying results. After 14 days of holiday prep, this is a challenge you can enjoy! Once those surfaces are clean, breathe deep and settle in for some well deserved holiday relaxation.

Although I hope this will get you off to a strong start this holiday season, don’t feel guilty if you don’t accomplish everything you had hoped to, or feel that your house isn’t the picture-perfect vision you want it to be. Life is life and projects and cleaning tasks will always be there. But your children are only young once, the holidays are often your only chance to see the special people in your life, and family should come first.

Do your best, and know that it’s enough. Prepare your heart to connect with family and friends and leave room for those magical moments. Make space for what’s most important. For me, it’s family. It always will be.

Simply,

Erin