How To Organize Your Kitchen In Time For Christmas

If you’re hosting a Christmas lunch this year or are having a quiet family affair, you will likely need to create some order in your home, especially in the kitchen. The kitchen is the heart of the home, especially over the festive season and getting your kitchen into some kind of organization can provide you with some much-needed sense of calm over the holidays. 

The reality is that Christmas can be very stressful and if you’re planning on spending time in the kitchen, having an organized space in the kitchen can make the day so much easier and allow you to organize, plan and prepare well ahead of time. With that in mind, here are some top tips on how to organize your kitchen in time for Christmas. 

Clear & Organize Your Countertops 

The first step you should take when it comes to organizing your kitchen is clearing and organizing your kitchen countertops. There is nothing more frustrating than having too much clutter on your countertops or having to always clear things out the way when cooking or putting out dinner. When you’re dishing up a Christmas dinner, often with many more pots, pans and plates being used than a normal weekday dinner, this can become very annoying, very fast and can cause the process to slow down considerably. 

The most common items that clutter flat kitchen surfaces are the day to day essentials such as keys, posts, bags and wallets, especially by doorways or on dining tables. If you don’t have time to sort through the clutter over the festive season (after all, who has any spare time over Christmas!), then one of the best and easiest ways to combat this is to use decorative baskets or boxes where you can put daily clutter to give you more space. 

Have Snacks To Hand

There’s nothing worse when you are cooking than people coming in and asking for snacks, or how long the food is going to take. It can also be stressful when you have family and friends around and they’re not sure where to look for snacks and treats. 

Having some festive snacks and treats organized in jars or tubs around your kitchen that are easy for people to grab on the go or for you to point people in the direction of can make things a lot easier, plus they can add to the overall festive aesthetic of your kitchen. A festive biscuit selection, mini chocolate yule logs, fun Christmas sweets and chocolates or even a Christmas themed trail mix are all good ideas for snacks and treats you can have to hand. 

Re-Organize Your Fridge

You will need some extra space in your fridge over Christmas for all those delicious festive leftovers and party foods. In the run-up to Christmas, try to use up as much of your fridge supplies as possible to clear out some extra space and give the fridge a really good clean. 

If you are planning on doing a big pre-Christmas food shop, then coming back to a partially empty fridge will make putting everything away so much easier and then you’re not juggling and balancing things on top of one another. It also means that you can create some form of system that works best for you (meat in the bottom drawer, drinks and bottles in the door, fresh fruit on the top shelf etc) so that everything is easy to find when you need it, or if you have family or friends helping out with the cooking who may not know where certain items are. 

Stock Up Your Cleaning Station

Celebrations of any kind create a mess and this is especially true at Christmas. Having an organized kitchen can make the cleanup mission quicker and a lot less painful! Have an area near your sink that has a pile of fresh, clean tea towels and stock up on your dishwashing supplies, such as dish soap, sponges, washing up gloves, dishwasher tablets and bin bags. 

You should also have a food waste bin to hand should plates come back with food leftovers on. Before your guests arrive, ensure that the dishwasher is empty so that it can just be stacked and turned on after dinner. Clear any worktops, keeping the space next to the sink tidy and free from clutter so that dirty plates can just get placed there.  

4 Home Renovations to Make When Expecting Guests

Are you someone who hosts overnight guests often? It is important to ensure your home is comfortable enough for your guests. You can start by checking out these four home renovations to make when expecting guests for several days.

Mudroom Addition

A mudroom is sure to make your guests feel right at home. Start by adding a built-in mudroom hutch to your entrance. Your mudroom hutch may include several stalls with hooks for coats and jackets. The hutch should also include shelves above the stalls for outdoor accessories and a space underneath the stalls for footwear. You can even add a bench or chair for putting on or taking off shoes. A mudroom is a great investment because your family can use this space after your guests leave.

Built-In Storage

You may want to add built-in storage to the guest bedroom to ensure your guests have enough space for their belongings. Built-in storage can range from wall shelves to storage beds. Your guests do not need a lot of storage space unless they are staying for several weeks. However, you should always provide enough storage space for them to live comfortably during their stay. They can use the storage bed for their apparel and accessories, and the built-in shelves can be used for comfort items such as picture frames or figurines.

Bathroom Upgrades

It never hurts to look into bathroom renovations when expecting guests. You may want to install a spacious walk-in shower to add a touch of luxury to the space, or maybe you want to add an oversized soaking tub for guests who need to unwind after a day of activities. A narrow built-in shelving unit is perfect for their toiletries and grooming products, while a spacious vanity makes it easier for your guests to get ready each day. Other upgrades may include recessed lighting, an energy-efficient toilet, a rain shower head, and handlebars.

Separate Space

If you have the funds and space, you can always create a separate area for your guests. One idea is to convert an entire basement or garage into an apartment-inspired space. Another idea is to convert the pool house to a guest house for maximum privacy and comfort. If you do not have a pool house, you can have a small guest house added to your backyard. Whether you are converting the basement or pool house, your guest space should at least include a bedroom, bathroom, and small kitchen.

There are several home renovations to consider for your guests, from upgrading the bathroom to creating a separate space. The key is to make your guests feel right at home during their stay.

Guest Post - How to Create a Playroom That's Fun and Functional for Kids

If your home is quickly becoming overrun with children's toys and games, it's time to consider creating a playroom. A well-designed playroom won't just combat clutter, it will also provide your little ones with a stimulating space in which they learn and thrive. Need some inspiration? Read on for some handy tips on how to transform just about any space into a functional playroom your kids will love. 

Create Designated Zones

Younger children have a hard time maintaining focus, quickly losing interest in one activity to concentrate on another. This can swiftly lead to piles of abandoned clutter, throwing a small space into disarray. A simple way to overcome this is to create dedicated activity areas within a playroom. Even a small space can be optimized with zones with a little bit of creative thinking.

To create zones, think about what activities your kids enjoy doing. If they have a passion for arts and crafts, set up a creative station stocked with all the supplies they'll need within easy reach. You can also cater to bookworms by setting up a comfy reading nook or corner. For this, all you'll need is an inexpensive bean bag and bookshelf to house all their favorite literature.

Encourage Imaginative Play

Little ones love nothing more than playing make-believe. Whether it's role-playing as a superhero or pretending to be a fairy tale princess, you can help them live out their fantasies by incorporating a dressing-up box into their playroom. If you have more space to work with, you can be a bit more ambitious and put together a dressing-up corner. A full-length mirror can be picked up relatively inexpensively, while a collapsible clothing rail or valet stand can house all their favorite outfits. 

Brighten Things Up with Artwork

When designing a playroom, the space must be as stimulating as possible. Introducing artwork is therefore a must. Poster prints of their favorite characters are a good place to start. If your little ones are budding artists, you can also create a gallery wall to show off their creations with pride.

For older children, it makes sense to go with a more versatile design scheme. Stick to bold color palettes and statement walls, or introduce chunky fabrics to add texture. If you're dealing with a rather barren space with wooden flooring, an oversized rug is also worth investing in. 

Create a Dedicated Study Space

If there's no space elsewhere in the home for little ones to catch up on their homework, think about incorporating a study space when designing a playroom. An unloved nook can easily be transformed into a learning hub with relatively little effort. In terms of furniture, keep things simple with a small desk and ergonomic chair.

If your playroom is lacking in storage, now's the time to incorporate some. Consider cube storage that can be adapted with drawer inserts and totes that can be used to house books, assignments, and stationery supplies. If you're particularly limited in terms of space, you can always add a fold-down desktop to these storage cabinets to free up square footage once study sessions are completed. If your child regularly requires a helping hand with their studies, it's worth investing in some breakout seating so you can sit with them while they work through their assignments. 

Dual-Purpose Playrooms

If your playroom still needs to double up as a guest bedroom on occasion, think carefully about the kind of furniture you're selecting. If the room is only ever going to host younger overnight guests, a loft bed that incorporates a bunk with a desk is a good option.

However, if your budget can stretch, it may be better to go with a decent daybed. These multifunctional pieces of furniture can be used as comfortable seating solutions during the day, before being reconfigured as a comfortable bed for unexpected guests. Furthermore, most daybeds feature integrated drawer storage, allowing to keep fresh linens and bedding close to hand. 

Make Life Easier with Storage

Every playroom needs plenty of storage. If you're looking to migrate games and toy clutter away from your living space, make sure there's sufficient playroom storage in space. Open storage units are a practical and budget-friendly option. Different inserts will allow you to tailor storage furniture to meet your requirements. Provided you've invested in neutral colors, these units can also serve your children for many years.

To motivate your children to pick up after themselves, make sure your storage is well organized. Introduce a labeling system to make quick work of cleaning up once play sessions are over. Failing that, a color-coding system is an accessible alternative. 

Putting Together a Perfect Playroom

With a bit of initiative, you can turn just about any space into a functional playroom for kids. A spare room is ideal, but even an unused corner in a larger room can be reworked to provide little ones with a space to call their own. Creating activity zones and making use of storage are essential for maintaining order, while multifunctional furniture is ideal for spaces with limited square footage. 

Author Bio: This article was written by Michael Dinneen of NannyCity. NannyCity is a leading Nanny Placement Agency with locations in both NYC & CT. 

How to Determine Your Home's Value Before Refinancing

Refinancing your home can be a great way to improve your financial situation, but you will need to know your home's value before you carry out that transaction. While a professional appraiser is going to be ideal, there are some simple steps that you can take on your own to get a rough estimate of your home's value.

Use an Online Calculator

If you only need a general estimate, then you can use an online calculator to figure out your home’s value. Most of those calculators are completely free to use, and they take many different variables into consideration. That includes the age of the home, how much the home was sold for in previous years, and the current state of the market.

Check the Value of Nearby Homes

You can also take a look at local listings to see how much the homes in your neighborhood are going for. That type of information will be especially useful if a nearby home was recently sold and the final price has been listed. With those prices, you will know exactly what is happening with the real estate in your area and what your home’s value might be if you put it on the market right now.

Consider Your Home’s Upgrades

Your home’s upgrades will need to be factored into the equation as well, and that step in the process is going to be slightly more complex. Depending on what upgrades you have carried out, you might have increased the value of your home by thousands of dollars. That is why it is so important for you to reconsider your home’s value whenever you complete a larger upgrade or addition.

Acquire a Comparative Market Analysis

Depending on where you live, you might be able to acquire a comparative market analysis before refinancing a home mortgage. That type of data is usually collected and analyzed by local real estate agents, and it could be updated as often as once every few weeks. To acquire an analysis, you can call local real estate agents to see if they will email the data or send you a free hard copy.

Once you have estimated your home’s value, you will then need to contact a lender to discuss your refinancing options. With the proper plan in place, refinancing your home could end up saving you thousands in the coming years or even help you pay off your loan early.