It's Christmas week! And we are getting ready for a family invasion- and we cannot wait! While the family will be coming and going, at one point, for George's birthday, we will have 14 people under our roof. We have been preparing for a couple of weeks. I thought I would share our time line and meal plan as well as some little extras we did to prepare for our family.
First, I should say that before the invitation was extended to everyone, we made sure we had a place for everyone to stay. They will be scattered everywhere, but they will have a place- that's what matters. I've made a special point to be sure each guest has access to
1. Clean linens
2. A place for their bags and to hang clothes
3. Their favorite foods and drinks
4. Water bottles by their bed
5. Outlet/extension cord if needed for charging phones, iPads, etc.
While everyone is here- which is only for a couple of days, there will be people sleeping in our guest room/ basement/, our bedroom, George's room and Ella and Anna's room. While I can't make each space a guest retreat, if I make sure they have these few things, they will feel more comfortable, and most of all, welcome. Which is what they are!
The week before we:
1. Nailed down everyone's schedules- when they are arriving and when they're leaving.
2. Finished up Christmas shopping.
3. Meal planned
4. Made a run to our local wholesale club to stock up on kcups, favorite drinks, snacks, etc.
 |
| This is definitely not pinterest worthy, but I made up a coffee/tea bar so our guests would have access to warm drinks anytime they wanted. |
5. Made a run to Trader Joes for wine and specialty items we wanted to have on hand.
 |
| We did the same for the "other" bar ;) we don't drink lots of liquor but I did buy some that could be used in holiday drinks. |
6. Made a run to the liquor store for the seasonal drinks we wanted to make.
7. Did some last minute sprucing up to the house- hung pictures, and Erik put lights in my China cabinet- yay!
One day before:
1. Last minute grocery shopping and errands
2. Buy sheets! We have two sets of queen sheets, but I don't want to have to do laundry while I'm prepping for George's party and making arrangements for family. So we are going to get another set so we have enough for the air mattresses without stopping and washing.
Arrival day:
Nina and Papa are coming in on December 22. I plan to:
1. Vacuum and sweep all floors
2. Final wipe down of bathrooms
3. Put chili in the crockpot- it's an 8 hour trip- we want them to have dinner ready whenever they're ready.
4. Prep some of the food for Christmas morning.
5. If time permits- let the kids do some baking.
I have also researched some seasonal activities that are in our area. I'm not making plans for anyone, however, having a list of activities will help if anyone finds themselves wanting an outing.
I believe in any undertaking it's always important to keep the goal in mind. My goal for this visit is to do the leg work ahead of time to prepare for our guests then simply let go and enjoy the ride. Erik and I are thrilled to open our home and feel blessed so many want to come be with us as we celebrate Christmas and George's birthday!
I'll post my meal plan on the next blog. Meanwhile, laundry is calling my name!
No comments:
Post a Comment