4 Essential Spaces to Organize Before the Holidays
As the holiday season approaches, hosting can feel overwhelming, especially when you're preparing to welcome guests into your home. My husband and I are gearing up to host Thanksgiving for the first time, and I know how stressful it can be! We’re taking the next two weeks to wrap up outstanding projects and get our home ready for guests in a sustainable way that affords us breaks and time to knock out deadlines at work. If you're feeling the holiday pressure too, here’s a practical guide to the four most important spaces to organize before your guests arrive. This way, they’ll feel at home, and you can truly enjoy the celebration!
Remember, if organizing feels like too much, you can always book an organizing session with Savvy Sloth Strategies. Gift cards for our half-day and full-day organizing sessions are also available—perfect for treating yourself or surprising someone special.
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The entryway is essentially the first impression space. It’s the space guests enter and decide whether they will enjoy this experience. So, starting with this space makes the most sense. Here’s the checklist:
Make sure there is a clear bath for guests to enter: Pick up any toys, shoes, bags, or belongings that are around and near your front door. Return these items to their home or invest in a storage system that works for your space. Ensure that all items have a proper home and that you’re not just stuffing things away.
Create a space for guest shoes/coats: Ensure the coat rack and entry closets have space for guest belongings. Now is a perfect time to go through these areas and decide if there is anything you can part with or remove.
Remove any unnecessary items from the space: Now is the time to finally move that item you’ve kept by the door as a reminder. Drop off those donations, make your returns, or store the item where it belongs now before it creates problems for you when guests arrive.
Ensure the space is clean and smells fresh: Now that you have the clutter out you can adequately clean and light a candle ( the quintessential sign for this room is now clean).
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The kitchen is the heart of the home, and even if guests aren’t cooking, they love to be in the kitchen. So, focus on making this area clear and functional, so you and any guest chefs can move through this space effortlessly. The easier it is to use, the less stressed you’ll be. After all, you will have other host duties on your plate, so we want your kitchen to be a “fend for yourself” room that doesn’t require too much instruction. Here’s the checklist:
Clean out the fridge: Toss old leftovers and condiments to make room for the fresh ingredients, beverages, or dishes your guests bring over. Doing this before guests arrive will also inform your shopping list or let you know what you’re missing, and you can even ask your guests to pick it up on their way in.
Dispose of expired pantry items and spices: Get rid of any old pantry items or nearly empty items to create space for the new ingredients coming in. Doing this before guests arrive will also inform your shopping list or let you know what you’re missing and can even ask your guests to pick up on their way in.
Clear off countertops: Put away appliances or decor you don’t need day of to ensure you have a clear workspace for any last-minute touches and that your guests have a place to put down their contributions.
Designate zones for food storage and pans: If organizing your pans and tupperware has been on your list, now is the time to tackle it. Designate one cabinet you can direct folks to when it’s time to put the leftovers away. Same for pots and pans, this will help tremendously if your guests offer to help clean up or make a quick add-on recipe.
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This one will be more of a cleaning than an organizing project. But make sure you have soap, towels, and toilet paper that are easily accessible in any bathroom your guests use. Our main goal is to remove items that are taking up valuable space. Here’s the checklist:
Clear out nearly empty products from cabinets and closets: take the time to complete your product refills if you decant products from their original packaging to another container. Doing so will free up space for the things your guests may need day of.
Use under the sink area to store extra soap, paper towels, and toilet paper: I recommend reserving the under-sink cabinet for the bare necessities that you’ll likely need to restock throughout the day. Think soap, paper towels ( just in case the hand towels get wet), and toilet paper.
Ensure the space is clean and smells fresh: Now that the clutter is out you can properly clean the room and get it fresh for guest use.
Fill the medicine cabinet with post-dinner necessities: This is optional, but if someone doesn’t feel 100%, they may head to the bathroom to freshen up. Stock the cabinet with pain relievers, allergy meds, tums, mouthwash, or floss picks so your guests don’t feel they need to leave the party early.
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Last but certainly not least is the space where everyone will hang out before, during, and after dinner: the living room! Folks will want a cozy spot to connect and watch TV. So this space should be ready to seat multiple people. Ensuring you have enough space on your couch and floor ( in case you bring in chairs) is critical. Here’s your checklist:
Put away any toys or extra items: If you’re a parent of any kind ( child or pet), be sure all toys and extraneous items are cleared from high-traffic areas. The last thing you want is your guests injuring themselves or falling.
Shredd mail or unwanted papers: If your coffee table is anything like ours, you’ll want to go through your documents, mail, and magazines and recycle or shred them before folks come over.
Clear table tops: this one goes with the one above but be sure table tops are clear so guests have a place to put down their drinks and plates. No one wants to have to hold everything the entire time.
Have blankets folded and to the side: We’re a big blanket family and usually, we just leave them on the couch but in this instance, it's best to put them in a basket to the side that folks can reach for if they need to.
Take it easy on the throw pillows: While pillows add to the decor of your home they can be cumbersome when you have large parties trying to sit down. So do your best to pare down the number of pillows.
With this checklist, your home can be ready to welcome guests in a warm, organized way that makes everyone feel at ease. Remember, the goal of the holidays is to enjoy the company of loved ones, not to stress over a perfect home. So do what you can, focus on being present, and give yourself a break!
Feeling overwhelmed with holiday prep? Let us handle the organizing for you! Our full-day and half-day organizing sessions make fantastic holiday gifts, too—grab a gift card [here] and treat yourself or someone else to a season of ease and relaxation.
