Welcome to Day 14 of the Get Your Home Ready For The Holidays Challenge! Ok, by now you probably thought the challenge was over. 😉 Last week was a BUSY week for us, we were working on several things around the house plus getting ahead on homeschooling and packing for a weekend trip. If you follow me on Instagram, you likely noticed that I was in NYC with my husband celebrating our anniversary. It was our first kid-free trip since being married and it was simply amazing. We were able to talk and eat without any interruptions. *gasp* We truly had a blast and I can’t wait to share all about it soon.
One World Trade Center-Our view while walking through Chinatown.
Like I had mentioned in Day 13 of the challenge. My plan was to focus on our outdoor space, but we had a few days of rain which delayed my plans. By the time we got to it, our trip was upon us and I wasn’t able to share my progress. However, my wonderful husband did get a chance to work on it with me. We don’t have a lot of yard space since we live in a development that shares some of the common grounds. However, our side yard was bad. Tons of leaves seem to wind up on our side because of a slope next to our home. We also had a weird super long vine that kept growing around the bushes. We were able to finally tackle this, but returned from our trip to a bunch of leaves again. *sigh*
If you have a yard and haven’t had a chance to work on it yet, here are a few tips to help you get started:
Gather the supplies you’ll need-Trust me, you don’t want to be outdoors with a huge pile of leaves and zero bags. Been there, done that.
Recruit help-When it comes to yard work, I never do it alone. Even younger kids can help by gathering small branches and holding bags open.
Mow the grass-I know it’s tempting to avoid this when fall arrives, but mowing the grass at least one last time before the winter arrives keeps it healthy plus it looks cleaner.
Rake the leaves-Leaving leaves around the yard looks pretty in the fall, but not so much once they dry up. They also add to your homes moisture if you don’t rake the ones that are up against your home.
Clean the entryway/porch area-This is the first area your guests will see. I like knock of the cobwebs, wipe down the door and add a new welcome mat.
Put up lights-This is also the time when I put up my Christmas lights. I don’t turn them on, but I do put them up. Why? Because the weather is still tolerable in the Northeast. If I wait until December when it’s freezing outside, I won’t even bother.
Is you home ready for the holiday? Or are you in panic mode? Remember that it’s great to have a clean and organized home for the holidays, but don’t stress yourself out trying to make everything perfect. Your guests won’t remember (or care) if you deep cleaned your floors, but they won’t forget the laughs and memories created in your home.
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