Opening our home to friends and family is something that we at Artemano love to do year round. And we make sure that we are always ready by creating ambiances that are simple, durable and inviting. But the holiday season is a time with even more reasons to make our home warm and relaxing because this is the season of togetherness and a chance for the Artemano ambiance to flex its entertaining credentials.
Rather than suggesting the usual clichés of a warm stoked fire; a carefully curated playlist; and good food, we ask that ahead of this magical time, we identify potential stress areas. These proactive measures will ensure that home is the escape we all wish it to be. Because no matter what happens between now and January, the more calm we can channel, the cozier and more desirable our home will feel to us and to those we welcome in it.
Here are the three steps that we take in-mid November to prepare our worlds for the holiday season.
Plan out a holiday schedule
This helps us mentally prepare for the whirlwind ahead, and gives everyone in our family enough lead time to be where we need them to be on the right day and time.
More than that, starting early gives us ample time to express our creativity. Here are a few ways we help encourage our own creativity:
- We set up a special online holiday calendar everyone in our family can access, and get imaginative with things like email reminders. It’s 2015 and we’re leveraging technology!
- We assign everyone in the house a different common room and challenge them to give it a personalized holiday touch
- We plan a themed potluck dinner based around a seasonal ingredient like nutmeg or a cookie bake-off and see what everyone comes back with.
Anticipate the impromptu / expect the unexpected
We like to be ready for the unexpected. The holiday season is when friends sometimes ask to bring other friends along. A gathering of six people can quickly grow larger. Making sure that we have everything we need makes the transition seamless and scramble-free.
- We check our wine rack. Is it full enough? And is there enough of our favourite wine?
- Flatware and silverware inventory is a must for us. This dictates how many people we could host for a dinner.
- We assess our staples. How’s our cheese situation? Could we put out a platter? And do we have enough crackers? What about lemons and limes for cocktails? And carrots, celery and dip for munchies?
- And speaking of munchies, can we quickly whip something together?
- We count our towels. Canadian winters turn drop-ins into overnights all the time. And we are always sure to have breakfast foods in the fridge: bacon, eggs and maple syrup – the perfect morning-after menu.
Via: Etsy.com
Accounting for everything
For most people, the biggest stress around the holiday is money. So we sit down before the season begins and budget it all out so there are no surprises come January.
- We host a lot, so we include incidentals like stain removal.
- We set spending limits on gifts and stick to them.
- We take advantage of opportunities to let others spend on our behalf. When guests offer to bring something to our house, we take them up on it. They appreciate the chance to contribute to the cause, and usually surprise us with something fabulous.
- We make a receipt folder so we’re not scrambling to find them on Boxing Day.
A peaceful holiday starts with peace-of-mind; and the more we have it, the better we feel no matter what the season holds. From our family to yours we wish you a wonderful holiday season!
