“Well, it is almost time! Just 10 more days!”, says my 14 year old, jumping up and down! Henry, who has autism, will come bounding into the family room every morning to give me the Christmas countdown. Oh, to have that joy and unbridled enthusiasm! Don’t get me wrong, I love the holidays, but it is a lot of work! I feel it is my job to make everyone feel at ease when we are hosting out holiday festivities. I want my guests to walk into my home and feel as if they are part of the family. In order to keep my stress level at a minimum, I have a checklist I go by when preparing the house for our holiday guests. I hope this can help you too!
5 Tips To Make Hosting During The Holidays A Breeze
- Keep it Simple: It took me a few years to realize this, but no one expects you to have a Food Network worthy holiday! Your guests are coming to hang out with you, eat some good food and just have fun. They are not expecting a fancy spread with a bunch of fussy decorations. If you did, they would feel a bit uncomfortable. Heck, now I am known to greet my guests in my slippers!
- Food: Here are a few things to know about the food. Make a menu that is simple but yummy. A nice ham, roasted potatoes, winter vegetables and a nice dessert is plenty. Check beforehand to see if there are any vegetarians on the guest list. If so, prepare a dish they will be able to eat as well. Make sure you have some appetizers if dinner is delayed more than an hour of your guests arrival. Make sure to offer both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages.
- Decor: You do not, contrary to what my mom thought, need to make your house look like the Festival of Trees! My sister said it looked like Martha Stews threw up Christmas in my mom’s house! We have simple outdoor decorations, with a mix of live greenery and lights. Inside, we have the tree and a handful of favorite holiday decor items. The decorations are concentrated in the family room, where we spend most of our time.
- Remember The Kids: Nothing can put a damper on a holiday party then bored kids. This comes in a close second to the whole “Are we there yet” on a family road trip. Make a fun crafting table or play area for the kids to hang out. This keeps them busy and gives them their own area. Away from the boring adults!
- Stock Up On Essentials: When you have holiday guests, be prepared! There is nothing worse than running out of toilet paper, paper towels or tissues when you have a house full of people! Trust me, I speak from experience!
A few years ago, I had several people over for a holiday party. In all my preparations, I totally forgot to stock up on toilet paper. I ran out before the party was half way over. My husband had to run to the store for me and it was so embarrassing! This year, I headed over to Walmart and stocked up on several of my favorite Kimberly-Clark products including Cottonelle® Toilet Paper Double Rolls, Viva® Big Roll Paper Towels and Kleenex® Holiday Ovals. I choose to use the Cottonelle Clean Care Toilet Paper because it is strong and has extra-absorbent ripples, keeping every clean enough to go Commando!
The Kleenex® Holiday Ovals are super festive with prints and colors inspired by the holiday season. They are the perfect tissue to keep on hand throughout the holidays (and the rest of the year too!) For those kitchen spills, and keeping the kid’s craft table clean, I make sure I have plenty of Viva® Paper Towels. They are the perfect companion for taking on tough messes. They’re durable, with a cloth-like texture, and can tackle the job when wet or dry. Suffice it to say that Kimberly-Clark has me covered this holiday season!
To make sure your holidays are merry, bright and stocked, I have a treat for you! Head over to download the Ibotta app, to save you money on products you buy from your favorite retailers! All you need to do is:
- Download the App on iOS and Android.
- Unlock Rebates on great products by completing simple tasks.
- Go Shopping and buy the products you’ve unlocked at any supported store.
- Verify Your Purchases by scanning your product barcodes, then submit a photo of your receipt.
- Get Cash deposited into your Ibotta account within 48 hours.
You can purchase your favorite Cottonelle, Kleenex, Scott and Viva products, available at Walmart via the Ibotta app. For my family, Walmart is our one-stop shop for all of our holiday preparation and entertaining needs. With the Ibotta app, you can get $1 off Cottonelle 12-ct or larger, $1 off Scott 12-ct or larger, $1 off Viva 6-ct or larger and if you buy two products, you will get an extra dollar back on Cottonelle®! I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.
Have you downloaded the Ibotta app to save on your favorite Kleenex, Viva, Scott and Cottonelle products at your local Walmart?
