Well you’ve moved in to your brand new, custom built home just in time for the Christmas holidays. Now you need to get ready for Christmas and you are starting to panic!  Construction is complete and your home looks beautiful, but you are feeling the pressure to make your everything perfect for family arriving sooner than you’d like.

Your family is not going to care whether you’ve decked the halls to the nth degree and you know it.  But you care, so here are a few tips to get your new home prepared for the season.

With a new home, especially a custom home with high peaks that seem to touch the sky, you likely won’t have time to illuminate the roofline with the latest strings of Christmas lights.  Save those eaves for next year.  A few strings of lights on a front yard tree or two and maybe lights along the lower level of the house would do it.  Add a fresh wreath to the front door and some fir boughs to up the Christmas cheer level. Then spice up the inside entrance –candles and string lights can look elegant and welcoming in a foyer.  If you do have a bit of extra time, do some Christmas crafts with your kids.  Here is a link for 70 Christmas Decorating Ideas if you get stuck.

It’s a new home.  Your guests know that and understand that you have been frantically unpacking boxes and setting up house.  Throughout the home construction and moving in process, you have lost track of where all the decorations went to.  For the last several months, your life was build, build, build.  There was no thought of Christmas.  Now you are supposed to be settled and you need to get ready, and fast!  So in the house, you need focus on the areas where everyone is going to be – probably the living room.  Number 1 priority is to get your tree up and decorated.  Spend sometime on the mantle.  Make sure there is enough seating areas for all your guests.  Consider a Christmas scented candle or two around the house – it’s easy and adds a nice touch.

If you have the time to get to your guest rooms, you could incorporate a simple garland with lights across the dresser, or holiday themed throw pillow on the bed.  You will need fresh linens and somewhere to put their luggage and gifts.

If baking defines you, then maybe you want to stay up late at night for a baking marathon like my mom used to do.  If you aren’t particularly known for your Christmas baking, then skip it.  Use that time to find that missing Christmas box in storage.  And no baking means you won’t have to worry about getting used to a new stove.  There are lots of bake sales this time of year.  Failing that, the local grocery stores usually have a pretty good bakery nowadays.

Being in a lovely new custom home is great and enjoy it.  And the holiday season isn’t meant to be stressful time.  You may not be able to do absolutely everything you want to be prepared for your Christmas guests, so prioritize.  Do the easy stuff.  Get help.  Buy some baking.  Remember to relax.  Enjoy your family.  Drink some egg nog.

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