The holidays are fast approaching and will be here and over before you know it. Fortunately, there are a few ways to best prepare your home that will help you and your family live in the moment and avoid that frenzied rush of the holiday season. Follow along for some tips and tricks for how to enjoy more of the holiday season and check out some of our other blog posts for more household tips. 

1. Have the Right Tools: One of the most exhausting parts of the holiday season is the amount of cleaning you must do to your home. Between hosting holiday events and people dropping in for festive visits, it’s almost impossible to keep up with the cleaning of your home. However, if you have the right tools to help you this holiday season, you’ll spend less time cleaning and more time enjoying it. Take note of tasks that take up big chunks of your time when cleaning such as sweeping and vacuuming, and consider replacing those tasks with automated tools like a robot vacuum. That way you can run it while doing some of your other important holiday tasks. 
   
   You can also get the whole family involved, there is no need to be doing all the cleaning on your own. Many hands make light work, which means more time to enjoy with your family. Consider adding cleaning to your decorating routine that way everything gets a good cleaning before the decor goes up for the season. 
   
   
2. Develop a Budget: The key to not breaking the bank this holiday season is to develop a budget. Building up your budget throughout the year is a good way to avoid overspending during November and December. Decide a percentage to take out of your paycheck weekly and set that aside in a separate savings account to compile throughout the year. That way when you start shopping for all your friends and family you don’t have to worry about dipping into your monthly budget or any other savings to make ends meet for the holidays. This is a great way to be proactive about your holiday spending. 
   
   
3. Shop Early: The best way to prepare for the holidays is to get ahead. A huge time commitment during the holiday season is the time you spend shopping for your friends and family. If you can get even a small part of that done early on, you’ll have more time to spend with your loved ones making holiday memories. You can start shopping at any point in the year that makes sense to you, that way you can take advantage of deals all year long. Consider stocking up a storage bin in your home with potential gifts and stocking stuffers that you can add to all year long. Then when December comes you can start wrapping or attributing gifts to the loved ones they need to go to.
   
   
4. Get Organized for 2023: Most of the time, the end of the year is spent in preparation for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or another cultural holiday celebrated in December. Therefore, you only have a limited number of days to prepare yourself for the start of the new year. For 2023 try to take a few moments before 2022 ends to get your thoughts in order. Think about your goals for 2023 and use the ending of this year to plan out what you hope to achieve big or small. Whether you hope to buy a home or organize your work-from-home space, you can start taking steps now to make 2023 your best year yet. For instance, if you plan to buy a home you can start to get your finances in order for mortgage pre-approval, or if you want to organize your work-from-home space, start decluttering the things you won’t use in the new year. Make a list of the tasks you’re looking to accomplish and dates you hope to accomplish them by, that way you can start your New Year on the right foot.
   
   
5. Get Creative: Another way to prepare your home for the holidays is to get creative in your approach to the season. If you have found yourself mentally and physically exhausted from previous holiday seasons, it might be time to switch things up. If you find it difficult to decorate your home for all the winter months such as Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year consider opting for a more neutral and classic approach. Choose some general winter decor like candles, garland, and snowflakes instead of some of the more themed holiday decorations. That way you don’t have to set up and take down decorations multiple times throughout the season. 
   
   Another impactful way to get creative this holiday season is in your gift-giving. Instead of expensive gifts for everyone you love, try to get personal. Check out local craft fairs and consider making a gift yourself or giving experiences as gifts. Baked goods are a great gift, and the receiver will know how much time and effort you put into making them.  

The holiday season is a wonderful time of the year, yet it goes so fast. Use some of these tips to get some time back with your family and friends and enjoy more of the season.