Five Easy Ways to Prepare Your Home For the Holidays

As soon as the clock strikes midnight on November 1, it's as if there's a sudden change. Pumpkins and cornstalks yield the floor to evergreen trees and inflatable reindeer. Candy corn and creepy gummies seem to magically turn into candy canes and fancy chocolates. Mariah Carey breaks forth from the ice and takes over Adult Contemporary radio with her Christmas list.

All of these hallmarks can only mean one thing: the Holiday season is upon us. With it, a sudden realization sets in - this is your year to host the family for both Thanksgiving and Christmas festivities!

It may seem overwhelming, the need to prep. However, there's no need to panic. Below, you'll find a seamless five-point plan to help you get your home ready for the Holidays as quickly and as painlessly as possible.

1: Clean and Clear Out the Clutter - This is one of the most frustrating parts of getting your home ready for company. At least, it feels that way sometimes. In reality, it doesn't have to be so hard. Make cleaning and decluttering easier by taking things step by step. Declutter first, going through things that can be donated, sold, or simply tossed out. Once your home is free of clutter, give your home a good, thorough cleaning. That could simply mean going around with a vacuum once or twice, or giving the entire place a strong deep clean.

2: Stock Up On the Essentials - Hosting means you're probably going to have guests come in from out of town. Some of those guests may have accommodations elsewhere, while others may opt to stay with you. Make those guests staying with you feel as welcome as possible by stocking up on clean bedding, fresh towels, hygiene products, food, and beverages.

3: Pile On the Holiday Cheer - So, you've cleaned up. Stocked up on the essentials. Yet, your house doesn't quite feel as full of Holiday cheer as you'd like. This means it's time to start decorating! Your decor can be as simple or as elaborate as you'd like it to be. For some, it's as simple as a nice table setting and a few lit evergreens placed tastefully around the house. For others, it's turning the house into a true winter wonderland, with fake snow and reindeer, and perhaps a vision of jolly old Saint Nick himself...

4: Deck the Halls With Scents of the Holidays - Smells make up a great percentage of the atmosphere in your home. If you have Christmas trees and decorations set up all around, but the scent wafting around is making guests think of palm trees and Bahama breezes, it's not going to feel so Holiday-cozy. Utilizing seasonal scents, such as cinnamon and freshly-cut evergreen, will make your house feel like a living embodiment of the Holiday season.

5: Utilize the Sounds of the Holidays - For a nice final touch, get your guests in the spirit of the season by playing Holiday music. This can be anything from lovely choral Christmas hymns to more modern Christmas classics. Create a playlist of one, the other, or a mix of both!