(Family Features) Creating lasting memories during the holidays is all about spending quality time with loved ones. Being prepared for everything the season brings helps minimize stress so you can maximize that special time together.
If prepping for the holidays has you feeling overwhelmed, use this checklist to ensure your home is guest-ready, your thoughtful gifts are wrapped early and your celebrations are festive and worry-free.
kAmkDEC@?8mr=62?[ s64=FEE6C 2?5 #6DE@4< p9625 @7 vF6DED’ pCC:G2=k^DEC@?8mk^Am
kAm%@ 8F2C2?E66 J@FC 9@>6 :D C625J 7@C 6G6CJE9:?8 E96 9@=:52J D62D@? 42? E9C@H 2E :E[ DE2CE H:E9 2 E9@C@F89 4=62?:?8] u@4FD @? 9:89\EC277:4 2C62D =:<6 E96 =:G:?8 C@@>[ <:E496? 2?5 8F6DE 32E9C@@>D] s@?’E 7@C86E E96 365C@@>D :7 J@F’== 92G6 4@>A2?J DE2J:?8 @G6C 5FC:?8 E96 9@=:52JD]k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8mk:>8 2=ElQQ DC4lQ9EEADi^^5aK_8f<=2K7@?H]4=@F57C@?E]?6E^AC@5F4E:@?^255:E:@?2=0:>286D^achc`^`fe_e\56E2:=\:>286\6>365`];A8n`fdhbb`eacQ DEJ=6lQ>2C8:?i `_AIj 7=@2Ei C:89Ej >2I\96:89Eid_Tj >2I\H:5E9id_TjQ ^mk^DEC@?8ms64=FEE6C J@FC =:G:?8 DA246D E@ >2<6 C@@> 7@C 9@=:52J 564@C 2?5 4C62E6 6IEC2 DA246 7@C 8F6DED E@ >@G6 2C@F?5 4@>7@CE23=J] |2<6 C@@> :? E96 C67C:86C2E@C 2?5 C6DE@4< 6DD6?E:2=D DF49 2D D?24<D[ 36G6C286D 2?5 E@:=6EC:6D[ 2?5 D6E @FE E@H6=D 2?5 3655:?8 7@C @G6C?:89E 8F6DED] (96E96C @C ?@E J@F’C6 9@DE:?8 8F6DED[ 92G:?8 2 4=62? 9@>6 5FC:?8 9@=:52J 492@D 42? 96=A 3C:?8 A6246 @7 >:?5]k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8mv6E v:7E #625J E@ pG@:5 E96 #FD9k^DEC@?8mk^Am
kAm!=2??:?8 J@FC =:DE :? 25G2?46 42? 96=A J@F 2G@:5 E96 =2DE\>:?FE6 CFD9 E@ 7:?5 E9@F89E7F=[ 6=6G2E65 8:7ED 7@C 7C:6?5D 2?5 72>:=J >6>36CD] !6C764E=J 8:7E\C625J[ k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]H2=>2CE]4@>^:A^p:C\(:4<\tDD6?E:2=\|:DE\$E2CE6C\z:E\s:77FD6C\#67:==\pAA=6\r:??2>@?\u2==\$46?E\tDD6?E:2=\~:=D\s:77FD6C\p:C\uC6D96?6C^cebfh`ce`nH>=DA2CE?6ClH=A2U2>AjD6=64E65$6==6Cx5l_U2>AjH=`blbda_U2>Aj84=DC4l2H]5DU2>Aj25:5laaaaaaaaaffcebfh`ce`0`e``hbfee_db0a`a`c`hhedbU2>AjH=_lU2>AjH=`l8U2>AjH=al4U2>AjH=blehf`fbgafhg_U2>AjH=clA=2\abcgcd_hee_ecU2>AjH=dlh_e_bd`U2>AjH=elU2>AjH=flU2>AjH=glU2>AjH=hlA=2U2>AjH=`_lg`fd_bdU2>AjH=``l=@42=U2>AjH=`alcebfh`ce`U2>AjG69lD6>0{xpU2>Aj8250D@FC46l`U2>Aj825042>A2:8?:5la`a`c`hhedbU2>Aj83C2:5l_ppppps>7qxAz7)Dzp7c}K20zGwr+42"x8U2>Aj84=:5lr;Hzrp;H=~Cuq9q2t:HpHc3*s*=y#E;aD;{*+Jq\'J&@D&$"u==\HdfAsIp\({H;\}46:')>!da86I@rc?c"pGs0qHtQ E2C86ElQ03=2?<Qmp:C (:4< tDD6?E:2= |:DEk^2m :D 2? 62DJ[ E9@F89E7F= 9@=:52J DFCAC:D6 7@C 2?J@?6 @? J@FC =:DE] u62EFC:?8 2 C2?86 @7 7C28C2?46D 2?5 A@CE23=6 56D:8?[ :E 677@CE=6DD=J EC2?D7@C>D 2?J DA246 :?E@ @?6 E92E 766=D >@C6 6=6G2E65[ :?G:E:?8 2?5 9@=:52J\C625J] (:E9 :ED =@?8\=2DE:?8 D46?ED 2?5 677@CE=6DD D6EFA[ :E’D 2? 277@C523=6 AC6D6?E E92E 56=:G6CD 2 >F=E:\D6?D@CJ 6IA6C:6?46]k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8m$EC6DD {6DD H:E9 $>2CE q@F?52C:6Dk^DEC@?8mk^Am
kAm%96 9@=:52JD @7E6? 3C:?8 A24<65 42=6?52CD[ 6?5=6DD E@\5@D 2?5 25565 7:?2?4:2= AC6DDFC6D[ 3FE D6EE:?8 3@F?52C:6D 42? 96=A J@F AC6G6?E 3FC?@FE] rC62E6 2 C62=:D:E:4 3F586E 2?5 DE:4< E@ :E[ @AE:?8 7@C E9@F89E7F= J6E 277@C523=6 8:7ED] s@?’E 36 27C2:5 E@ 56=682E6 E2D<D[ H96E96C E92E’D 2D<:?8 72>:=J >6>36CD E@ 3C:?8 2? 6IEC2 5:D9 E@ 5:??6C @C =6EE:?8 <:5D 96=A HC2A AC6D6?ED] yFDE 2D :>A@CE2?E[ 3=@4< @77 2 76H 6G6?:?8D H96? J@F 42? 4@>>:E E@ ?@ @3=:82E:@?D[ 8:G:?8 J@FCD6=7 E:>6 E@ C6DE 2?5 C6492C86] qJ D6EE:?8 =:>:ED @? J@FC E:>6[ DA6?5:?8 2?5 6?6C8J[ J@F’== 36 23=6 E@ 6?;@J E96 >@>6?ED E92E >2EE6C >@DE]k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8m(C2A !C6D6?ED 2D *@F v@ E@ $E2J p9625k^DEC@?8mk^Am
kAm(C2AA:?8 AC6D6?ED 2D J@F AFC492D6 E96> 42? 96=A 2G@:5 E96 DEC6DD @7 =2DE\>:?FE6 8:7EHC2AA:?8[ ?@E @?=J D2G:?8 E:>6 3FE 2=D@ 2==@H:?8 J@F E@ 36 >@C6 4C62E:G6 H:E9 J@FC HC2AA:?8 DEJ=6] z66A DFAA=:6D DF49 2D A2A6C[ C:33@?D 2?5 E28D @? 92?5 :? 2? 62D:=J 2446DD:3=6 =@42E:@? D@ J@FC 8:7ED 2C6 8:7E C625J E96 >@>6?E J@F 3C:?8 E96> 9@>6]k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8m$6E E96 |@@5 H:E9 |FD:4 2?5 {:89E:?8k^DEC@?8mk^Am
kAmrC62E6 2 H2C> 2?5 :?G:E:?8 2>3:2?46 H:E9 E96 C:89E >FD:4 2?5 =:89E:?8] (96E96C :E’D 2 =:G6=J 82E96C:?8 @C 2 BF:6E 72>:=J 5:??6C[ A=2J:?8 9@=:52J >FD:4 42? 86E 6G6CJ@?6 :?E@ E96 76DE:G6 DA:C:E] $@7E[ H2C> =:89E:?8 7C@> =2?E6C?D @C D62D@?2= DEC:?8 =:89ED[ 2=@?8 H:E9 9@=:52J 7C28C2?46D[ 42? 4C62E6 2 C6=2I:?8 6?G:C@?>6?E E92E >2<6D 6G6CJ@?6 766= H6=4@>6]k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8mz66A w@DE v:7ED ~? w2?5 E@ q6 !2CEJ #625Jk^DEC@?8mk^Am
kAmq6 AC6A2C65 7@C 2?J =2DE\>:?FE6 :?G:E2E:@?D 3J <66A:?8 2 76H 9@DE 8:7ED @? 92?5] (9:=6 eeT @7 42?5=6 AFC492D6CD 4@?D:56C 42?5=6D 2? 2AAC@AC:2E6 8:7E 7@C 9@DED @C 5:??6C A2CE:6D[ 244@C5:?8 E@ E96 }2E:@?2= r2?5=6 pDD@4:2E:@?[ ` :? b C64:A:6?ED D2J E96J’C6 =:<6=J E@ C68:7E 42?5=6D 3642FD6 E96J C646:G65 2 D46?E E96J 5@?’E 6G6? =:<6] (:E9 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]H2=>2CE]4@>^:A^p:C\(:4<\tDD6?E:2=\|:DE\$E2CE6C\z:E\s:77FD6C\#67:==\pAA=6\r:??2>@?\u2==\$46?E\tDD6?E:2=\~:=D\s:77FD6C\p:C\uC6D96?6C^cebfh`ce`nH>=DA2CE?6ClH=A2U2>AjD6=64E65$6==6Cx5l_U2>AjH=`blbda_U2>Aj84=DC4l2H]5DU2>Aj25:5laaaaaaaaaffcebfh`ce`0`e``hbfee_db0a`a`c`hhedbU2>AjH=_lU2>AjH=`l8U2>AjH=al4U2>AjH=blehf`fbgafhg_U2>AjH=clA=2\abcgcd_hee_ecU2>AjH=dlh_e_bd`U2>AjH=elU2>AjH=flU2>AjH=glU2>AjH=hlA=2U2>AjH=`_lg`fd_bdU2>AjH=``l=@42=U2>AjH=`alcebfh`ce`U2>AjG69lD6>0{xpU2>Aj8250D@FC46l`U2>Aj825042>A2:8?:5la`a`c`hhedbU2>Aj83C2:5l_ppppps>7qxAz7)Dzp7c}K20zGwr+42"x8U2>Aj84=:5lr;Hzrp;H=~Cuq9q2t:HpHc3*s*=y#E;aD;{*+Jq\'J&@D&$"u==\HdfAsIp\({H;\}46:')>!da86I@rc?c"pGs0qHtQ E2C86ElQ03=2?<Qmp:C (:4< tDD6?E:2= |:DEk^2m[ E96C6’D ?@ DF49 C:D< – :ED H:56 C2?86 @7 7C28C2?46D >2<6D :E 2 C625J\7@C\2?JE9:?8 8:7E E92E 42? 36 62D:=J E2:=@C65 E@ E96 C64:A:6?E’D AC676C6?46] qJ 92G:?8 E96 5:77FD6C @? 92?5[ J@F 42? D9@H J@FC 2AAC64:2E:@? 677@CE=6DD=J[ H:E9@FE E96 DEC6DD @7 =2DE\>:?FE6 D9@AA:?8]k^Am
kAmu:?5 >@C6 :?7@C>2E:@? 23@FE 8:7E\C625J 7C28C2?46D 2E k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]2:CH:4<]FD^nFE>0D@FC46l72>:=J762EFC6DU2>AjFE>0>65:F>lC676CC2=U2>AjFE>042>A2:8?l`fe_e\p:C(:4<Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Qm2:CH:4<]FDk^2m]k^Am
kAm!9@E@ 4@FCE6DJ @7 $9FEE6CDE@4< WH@>2? HC2AA:?8 8:7EDX k:>8 DC4lQ9EEADi^^DD=]8@@8=6\2?2=JE:4D]4@>^4@==64EnGl`U2>AjE:5l&p\cgabb_\fU2>Aj4:5l`hdddd`6\`hfd\d6da\_453\gd`e_f`_hc45U2>AjD4lDE2CEU2>AjElA286G:6HU2>Aj5=l9EEATbpTauTauEC24<]72>:=J762EFC6D]4@>Tau`fe_eTau`__adU2>Aj5Elvt%\w~{xsp*\p}s\vxu%\#tps*\p\rwtrz{x$%\%~\!#t!p#t\u~#\%wt\$tp$~}Q ^mk^Am
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.