OHC Holiday Hospitality Guide
The Oily Home Companion
10 Steps to Prepare Your Home for the Holidays
We’ve all done it...prepped for the holiday get together at the very.last.minute! We’re talkin’ the night before the guests show up! It’s not fun, right?! Sure you get your cardio and steps in for the MONTH, but gosh is it stressful! That’s why this hospitality guide is such a lifesaver. Not only will it get you in the mindset of preparing your home (which is half the battle) for the holiday season, but it will also offer you a checklist of sorts so that when the time comes to host, you’ll be proud of your abode because all of the key areas are clean and ready for company!
1. PLAN AHEAD
Be a list maker. Really, really. Even if it isn’t your normal way of operating, this will truly streamline your work and help you avoid wasted time. Make a checklist of all the items that need to be done between now and the holidays—everything from cleaning and decorating to baking and stocking the house with necessary groceries. See the rest of this blog to spur on your list making! Then schedule and delegate tasks with your family members. Make it a whole family activity. Even the littles can contribute to getting your home holiday-ready!
2. GET YOUR FRIDGE READY
As you prepare your home for the holidays, don’t forget one of the most important areas to prep for the season: your refrigerator! The fridge is one of the most frequently used spaces in the home. But, it often gets forgotten in the cleaning routine. We doubt we need to convince you that cleaning your fridge is important, as you have probably had the experience of opening the door to a dreadful odor or mysterious sticky substance on a shelf. However, the way you clean your fridge is equally important because of what your fridge holds: food! Do you want to use toxic chemical cleaners where you’re keeping your food? We didn’t think so. That’s why we love using Young Living’s non-toxic solutions so we can be more confident about what we’re ingesting. Ready to get started?
Start by taking every single item out of your fridge. This allows you to take inventory and check expiration dates but also clears out every space for optimal cleaning. Any food item you’ve cooked 5 or more days ago should be thrown out. If you have items that have broken seals or have a poor odor, toss ’em. If some food items, like meat, are still good but you’re not sure you can use them soon, freeze them! For your condiments, sauces, and the like, check expiration dates and throw out the old. You can also toss the things you haven’t used in months because clutter leads to chaos and you don’t need that during the holiday season. Do the same for your freezer. Once everything is out, use these 3 simple tips for non-toxic fridge cleaning:
STEP 1 | DEEP CLEAN
Deep clean the dirtiest areas first. Find the odors, the sticky substances, the stains, the spills, and other tough spots, then tackle them with a homemade Thieves deep cleaner. Mix 1 capful of Thieves Household Cleaner and 2-3 tablespoons of baking soda to form a thick paste. Add to area and start scrubbing. No gloves or face mask necessary!
STEP 2 | WIPE DOWN
Remove shelves and drawers, and clean every square inch of space. Use Thieves Wipes or a homemade Thieves all-purpose cleaner. Mix 1 part Thieves Household Cleaner with 30 parts water in a spray bottle. For glass shelving, make a glass cleaner by mixing 1 part Thieves Household Cleaner to 50 parts water in a spray bottle.
STEP 3 | DEODORIZE
Then use a deodorizer to keep things fresh. Before putting everything back in the fridge, find a small corner and place an uncovered bowl of baking soda with a few drops of Lemon Essential Oil to prevent future odors. Replace this with a fresh bowl once a week for optimal freshness, and for a reminder to clear out the old!
3. MAKE YOUR GUEST LIST
Holiday plans are sometimes made a year in advance, so make sure you let your friends and family know that you’re hosting early enough for them to plan to be there! You can use social media or an online invite generator like paperlesspost.com for a quick, casual invitation or opt for a more traditional, handwritten invite that you send through the mail. No matter the format you choose, getting that invite out asap is key! Don’t be shy about asking for RSVPs at least a couple weeks before the big day. This will help ensure that your house is prepared and you have an appropriate amount of food for those who join in on your fun!
4. DECLUTTER AND DECORATE
One of the quickest ways to BEGIN feeling some relief in your holiday prep is to declutter! It’s possible you’ve seen the latest tidying trend with Marie Kondo teaching people how to purge their homes of clutter and learn how to simplify. This practice is trending for a reason--it is liberating! When we clear up our spaces and get rid of things we just don’t need or use, it makes room to breeeeeathe! Sometimes that alone is a huge stress relief. If you have a spouse or kiddos, recruit them to help in this process too. Teach them as you declutter! See something on the ground? Pick it up. Find a toy out? Put it away in the toy bin. See dust? Attack it with a cloth and Thieves Household Cleaner! With the little ones, you can even make it a game and award a “point” for each item put away. Keep the motivation up with the promise that decorations will come out once the house is decluttered and clean. We know this isn’t just a reward for the kids, don’t we? :) When you feel satisfied with the “blank slate” that is your now clean and decluttered house, bring out those tubs of decorations and get to it! Put on some tunes and make it a whole thang! Don’t forget, what goes up must come down though, so start laying the groundwork with that concept too. Make sure your helpers are aware that they will be needed again in a few weeks to take it all down!
5. SET THE MENU
Okay, let’s talk about the most important part of any holiday event—the FOOD! It’s really a major part of stirring up the excitement. Depending on the tone of your holiday event, you can approach the food preparation in a few different ways. You can ask your guests what they are planning to bring, then make a list of everything else you will need to provide. You can also set the menu yourself and ask your guests to bring specific dishes or let them know they don’t have to bring anything at all. A plan ensures everything is covered and you don’t end up with 5 pumpkin pies and no turkey!
Kid’s Table Recipe
Pizza bites BY Hadleigh
1 pack of Siete cassava flour tortillas
1 pack of turkey pepperonis
1 pack of dairy free cheese (grated or block)
Directions: Heat up your griddle to 345*F, spray lightly Lay four tortillas on griddle and layer with cheese and pepperoni Place other tortillas on top making it like a sandwich Cook evenly on both sides When you pull it off place on cutting board using cookie cutters of choice Eat and enjoy!
Looking for some menu ideas?
Here are a few of our favorite recipes using Young Living’s Vitality Essential Oils!
6. GO SHOPPING
Once you have your menu set, make a detailed list of all the ingredients you already have or still need to buy. To avoid crazy lines at the store, shop for nonperishable items early, then store them together until you’re ready to use them. Buy the turkey or ham as soon as you find one big enough for your guest list and freeze it, then save the fresh produce for a day or two before. Shopping early in the morning or later in the evening may also help you avoid larger crowds. If you’re short on time, you can use a grocery delivery service like Amazon Prime for Whole Foods, Instacart, or Kroger ClickList to have your produce delivered the day before. There’s no shame in that game! It’s all about efficiency when the holiday crunch time hits!
7. SET THE ATMOSPHERE
Choose warm, seasonal-inspired decor and signs that encourage gratitude. When your home is full of people, spaces can easily begin to feel cluttered and stressful, so let the decor be simple and keep common spaces clear to accommodate your crowd. Choose a centerpiece for your tables and create unique placemats for each guest. You can write personalized “thank you” notes with encouragement and scripture for a personal touch. Before the guests arrive, diffuse essential oils to fill your home with scents of the holiday season. Try one of the blends below.
Don’t forget to take care of the host/hostess too—YOU! Dab on a little Stress Away or Northern Lights Black Spruce before your guests arrive and take a few calming breaths. Remind yourself of why you are opening your home to your guests and give thanks for the abundance you are able to share. Preparing your heart will help settle your nerves and pressure of entertaining!
8. COOK AHEAD
A week before, sit down and make a plan for how you’re going to prepare your meals to avoid having your guests arrive while you are still cooking or waking up at 5 am to do everything in one day. Plan time to thaw the turkey/ham so it can go in the oven first thing on that holiday morning. Many desserts can be made, and casseroles can be assembled, the day before. You can also chop vegetables and organize ingredients for recipes the day or two before. Talk about a huge time saver! Plan to decorate and clean the house at least a few days before, so all you need to clean during the big day is the kitchen and the dishes you used to cook. Give yourself time to run the dishwasher and empty it before your guests arrive so clean up will be a breeze after the meal! Your day will run smoothly and your sanity will remain in tact!
9. PREPARE ACTIVITIES FOR THE DAY
Entertain your guests from start to finish by welcoming them with an essential oils station where they can breathe in or apply an essential oil blend they need that day, apply lotion for their dry hands, or take a shot of NingXia Red for an energy boost after a long drive. Have games and activities planned for after the meal. If your friends and family like to watch sports, set aside one room with a TV to show the game. For those who aren’t sports fans, have a few board games ready to turn your holiday table into a gaming table. If kids are attending, have a room for them to play kid-friendly games or watch a holiday movie. If you want to include friendly competition with your guests, you can also have games set up outside, like flag football, volleyball, spike ball, potato sack races, corn hole, bocce ball, horseshoes, and giant Jenga.
10. BE PRESENT
When you are hosting, it is easy to get swept up in the tasks of the day. Depending on your personality type, some people even find that they get so much satisfaction from just taking care of every guest’s needs that they hide behind the role of host and keep themselves busy for most of the event in order to avoid the vulnerability of *gaspppp* actually having a conversation with their guests!! Just us? Oops! On a serious note though, it is important to take the time and thoughtfully interact with your guests! You invited them for a reason, right? Show them that you appreciate their presence by catching up with them and actually sharing some meaningful chit-chat! You’ll get something out of it too, we promise! And trust us, the clean up CAN WAIT.
If you find yourself a little anxious about interacting with your guests, take a peak at this list of conversation starters! Even the most confident hosts benefit from a clever ice breaker, once in a while!
So, you’ve cooked ALL the things, you’ve cleaned ALL the things, you’ve put in ALL the forethought available to make sure your holiday event proceeds smoothly. What now? Enjoy! Don’t forget about #10, “Be Present”! We included this because we know just how easy it is to get swept up in “busy” and not focus on the moment we have planned for. It happens to the best of us. Reflect on your preparation, look at the faces of those you’ve invited, recognize their enjoyment and appreciation for your hardwork and thoughtful preparation. After that, take a moment to yourself and BE THANKFUL. There’s so much to be thankful for, even in the most trying of times. Wellness, purpose, abundance...for all of us. Blessings!