5 Ways for Hosts to Outsmart Holiday Stress

5 Ways for Hosts to Outsmart Holiday Stress

5 Ways for Hosts to Outsmart Holiday Stress

With each day, we’re getting closer to the holiday season. That’s exciting but also stressful – especially if you’re hosting the big gathering. 

We want you to go into the season with a sparkle (rather than a dying groan), so we’ve put together a few tips to maintain your composure and outsmart holiday hosting stress. 

Anticipate the spill. Red wine, cranberry sauce, pets, kids, and inlaws. We love them all, but you’ve got a perfect stain storm when you mix them together. It’s the holidays. Stains are going to happen, but you can mitigate the damage by preparing now. 

Before you launch into the holidays, load up on stain removers or save some cash by making your own. Universal stain removers will do in a pinch, but some stains require specific solutions. So look at your holiday menu, anticipate the spill, and plan accordingly.  

Take care of nagging jobs now. If you’re a homeowner, chances are that there are a handful of projects you’ve been putting off. These unfinished tasks are a daily nag, but we’re never more acutely aware of them than we are when guests are in our home. 

Maybe it’s a toilet that runs constantly, a crack in the glass on the front door, a mangled door or window screen, or an outlet that doesn’t work. Rather than apologize to your guests about these neglected tasks, take care of them now. You’re going to feel better, especially once guests arrive.

A trip to the groomer. Dog-lovers may be immune to your pet’s overgrown coat, long nails, and, to put it politely, distinct odor. But your other guests aren’t going to be as charmed by an unkempt pet. It’s time to schedule a trip to the groomer.

Many other pet owners are going to have the same idea, so set your pet spa day now and schedule it for the week of your holiday gathering. This ensures that your furry friend lands a spot on the holiday schedule. And when you plan the trip for the week of the event, your pet has less time to go outside and roll in the mud, rain, and snow.   

Upgrade your smoke detectors. If you’re hosting the next holiday event, the stove, oven, and microwave are going to be humming – and so are your smoke detectors. Most smoke detectors typically put out an ear-piercing 85 db alert that sends pets running and throws the kitchen into a towl-waving frenzy. 

The trouble with old-school smoke detectors is that they have to be silenced manually. Plus, they can’t be shut off unless you remove the battery. The good news is that smart smoke detectors are available. 

These nifty machines sync to your favorite mobile device, allowing you to temporarily disarm them or silence them without standing on a chair and waving a towel or broom. In our book, smart smoke detectors are holiday must-haves.  

Schedule a pre-holiday deep clean. We know you’re perfectly capable of accomplishing the impossible. That is, working, taking care of the kids, cooking, cleaning, and somehow finding time to hit the gym. We can’t help you manage your hectic schedule, but we can take one of the biggies off your list by giving your house a pre-holiday deep cleaning

MaidPro professionals cover a 49-point checklist and will hit every nook and cranny in your home. Or, we can even focus on particularly troublesome areas. It’s up to you. Think of it this way: if we deep clean your home now, you only have to maintain your home through the holidays. Maintenance is far more manageable than starting from ground zero.

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