Hosting Christmas Like a Pro in Your New Home
When the last residential moving company truck rolls out of your driveway, you get to work unpacking as quickly as you can. Your family pitches in, knowing that Christmas is fast approaching. This process can take a bit longer than unpacking at any other time of year – there is so much to remember, and much that needs to be temporarily put away until the Christmas decorations come down.
If you’ve decided to host Christmas for your entire family this year, it is all the more pressure to unpack the boxes moved by the Fort Collins movers as quickly as possible. If you’re stressed, the enormity of what you have to get done in such a short amount of time can overwhelm you and cause undue panic.
Never fear, just follow these tips to pull off your first family Christmas in your new home without a hitch now that your Fort Collins movers have gotten you to your new place!
Make overnight guests feel included in Christmas Day planning.
You don’t have to involve them in every little detail – it is your house. To make them feel like they are an important part of the day without relinquishing control of everything, you simply need to ask their opinion on how things are usually done in your house. You could say, “We typically eat breakfast after opening gifts. Are you okay with this?” or “We’ll be eating an early dinner after opening presents. Our tradition is to eat around 2:00 p.m. Is that alright with you?”
You’ll find your guests will be glad to feel as if they are included in the decision making process, and normally, they won’t have a problem with doing things your way. Giving them the option to voice any concerns they have will be thought of as considerate, and they’ll appreciate the gesture.
Determine tastes and dietary needs.
If you’re hosting the whole family or both yours and your spouse’s families, you’ll want to be sure you are catering to any dietary needs. Is anyone diabetic, gluten- or dairy-free, nut free, or otherwise? Maybe your great-grandmother has a certain dish that just has to be on the table, otherwise you risk hearing her complain for the rest of the year.
Find out who is coming, what dietary restrictions they may have, and if there is anything other relatives just can’t live without in terms of holiday dishes. Worst case, you can ask other guests to bring the things they consider essential to the holiday feast – they won’t mind, and it will be done exactly the way they like.
Let the kids roam free after dinner.
It may be tempting to force the kids to stay at their places around the table so that they aren’t sneaking into rooms they don’t belong in, or destroying the cleanliness of your living room with endless boxes and toys. However, you’re going to have to let them go and say a silent prayer nothing bad happens. If this really bothers you, just close the doors to the rooms you don’t want anyone getting into, locking them if possible.
Know that kids want nothing more than to sit and play with their new toys, so your fear of them getting into mischief in your bathroom is probably unfounded. Adults may remain around the table sipping wine and talking, while children head to their new toys.
Don’t be a Scrooge.
With all of the anxiety having the family in your new home can bring, it can be easy to get annoyed with the overly excited kids. Take the time to remember they’re kids, and kids get excited on Christmas. It’s the toys, and of course, the sugar in the cookies, pies, fudge, and chocolates in the candy dish. There is really nothing you can do except take a few deep breaths and biting your tongue.
A good solution to burn off some energy: send the kids outside. Sledding, building a snowman, a snowball fight, or if there is no snow, some bike riding, roller skating, or a game of tag can get the extra energy Christmas has infused in them out, bringing down the chance they’ll drive you bonkers.
Ask for help.
Despite what you think, your guests want to help make things easier for you. Accept help when it is offered, and ask for help when it’s needed. It doesn’t matter if it’s making side dishes and bringing the pie, helping clean up after dinner, helping to prepare the feast – they will help, even though you feel like you’re being a horrible host. Nobody’s perfect, and everyone knows that more help means better chances the feast will hit the table on time.
We know you’ll have a wonderful holiday, as long as you remember nothing will ever go perfectly. Whatever hiccups you run into along the way will just provide you with fond memories you can look back upon at future gatherings! Call Exodus, your Fort Collins movers, for a free moving quote today, so that you can start planning your holiday feast! We’re proud to be the best residential moving company in Fort Collins!
