Every year as Christmas approaches, time seems to speed up. There are lots of great ideas I want to do around the home, but as time is taken up by an endless (and exhausting!) round of school concerts, Christmas drinks, last minute catch ups, braving the shops for Christmas shopping, office parties, carol nights, and so on (don?t mention the post office!)?.well, by the time Christmas actually gets here I have no time or energy left for getting those great ideas on the go. Does this sound familiar? Please tell me it?s not just me!
So this year, I?ve mixed things up a little, and started getting stuff done before time evaporates! A bit of online ordering, a bit of pre prep work and everything will seem so much easier?.
The Bathroom
Yes, the bathroom. How festive. We are having two lots of house guests for the big day, and with a house full of small children and grownups, I know from experience the bathroom will look like a truck stop restroom in no time, and who has time to deal with that on Christmas Day? So, first step ? a mini makeover!
A new shower curtain, bathmat and hand soap will freshen the room up considerably. Yes, that is antibacterial soap; the last thing anyone needs on the big day is a memorable bout of gastro!
- Splash Seersucker Shower Curtain (Search 6628892 at Coles online)
- Fashion Home Bathmat (Search 4950067 at Coles online)
- Palmolive Handwash AntiBac Pump (Search 6914723 at Coles online)
A nice scented candle will keep things smelling lovely (and especially non truck stop like) It will be on all day so?make sure?it is up high out of the reach of monkey children.? It also looks good and blends in well with the rest of the paraphernalia I keep in the bathroom.
- Glade Moments White Flower Peony 135g (Search 9213736 at Coles online)
Don?t forget the downstairs bathroom! It is closer to the BBQ so the menfolk are likely to use this loo more often. Hopefully this candle is up to the task!
- Air wick Candle Vanilla and Orchid Mini 100g (Search 9223048 at Coles online)
The Garden
There are lots of things that need doing in the garden, so let?s go with the things that make the biggest impact.
It?s easy for weeds to ruin the look of your pathways and outdoor entertaining areas, but thankfully it is just as easy to get rid them. A quick squirt on a dry day and it?s goodbye forever, weeds! Or at least for a while, which is why a refill pack is a great idea.
- Yates Zero Weed Killer Refill Two pack 750ml (Search 6010164 at Coles online)
Keeping flies, midges and mosquitoes away from you and your guests is an absolute must in the Australian summer. A few different options should cover all bases, because let?s face it; it?s a jungle out there! These incense sticks also have a groovy diffuser to sit in, but I like the cactus effect they give in this pot. A few shells on a terracotta pot base make an informal but stylish candle holder.
- Waxworks Citronella & Sword Sticks 6 pack (Search 6812290 at Coles online)
- Waxworks WW Candle Pillar Citronella 15cm (Search 5876844 at Coles online)
Complete your anti bug arsenal with some personal insect repellent. Because there is always someone (waving madly, it?s me!) that in the great buffet of life, seems to be the midge?s equivalent of a plate of brownies.? Sad but true.
- Off Repellent Skintastic Spray 175ml (Search 5270749 at Coles online)
Some outdoor fun stuff to keep the monkey cousins amused. After they finish a chalk creation on the driveway it will be washed away in the water bomb fight. This sort of fun creates the best type of Christmas memories, don?t you think?
Getting the family pet in the Christmas spirit might take some training, but rewarding with treats will have your little reindeer ready in time for the big day!
- Coles Reindeer Ears Headband 1 each (Search 7609849 at Coles online)
Twig Chandelier
I have a few special decorating projects to master, the first of which is decorating our twig ?chandelier?. Last year we hung this branch above the dining table and hung baubles on it, and it looked so fantastic that it has stayed there all year. I removed the baubles after Christmas, and all sorts of stuff has hung there ? kindy works of art, jelly fish creations, mini disco balls, sparkly fake fruit, crystal sun catchers, even a few dangly earrings! Crazy. It was actually a relief to take it all down in readiness for some stylish Christmas decor.
Choose your baubles! This year I?ve decided on a beachy theme so blue and silver are the order of the day. Last year I used pale green, but gold or pink would look lovely as well. Or mix it up! It?s your creation, so go with what you love.
- Coles Sapphire Assorted Finish Baubles 30mm 24 pack (Search 7604131 at Coles online)
- Coles Sapphire Assorted Finish Baubles 40mm 18 pack (Search 7604018 at Coles online)
- Coles Wonderland Bead Chain 8m (Search 7605972 at Coles online)
These hooks are invaluable, best $1 I have ever spent! They will make this project so much easier, and they are also perfect for hanging Christmas cards on some fishing line over your mantel, hanging homemade decorations on the tree, and replacing hooks in existing decorations.
Take some time to find the perfect twig, you want lots of branches to hang stuff from but it needs to be fairly lightweight. This is hung using fine grade fishing line and some very small cup hooks.
Using the hooks, hang some bead chain around the external edges of your chandelier. It?s nice to have some hanging down too, but be aware of it catching on people heads. You don?t want it crashing down on the turkey!
Now start hanging the baubles! Keep using the hooks, and remember, hanging the baubles anywhere that pleases your eye will be fine. There are lots of different finishes and two different sizes, so it will look cohesive even if you don?t follow a particular pattern.
Ta-DA! Admire your finished masterpiece. Well done!
Front Door
Making a decorative entrance will put your guests in a festive mood as soon as they arrive, and it will also give you a reason to smile every time you come home. ?I love taking the monkeys to look at Christmas lights every year; it is one of our family traditions.
Choose your decorations! You might go in for Griswold Style lighting, but our front door is so prominent that a little goes a long way when it comes to decoration. I do want some lights, though!
- Coles Lights LED White Fairy low volt 80 pack (Search 6442410 at Coles online)
- 3M Command Decorator Clips 20 pack (Search 7291706 at Coles online)
- Coles Classic Bauble Wreath 1each (Search 9359050 at Coles online)
These removable hooks make life very easy. I didn?t want permanent hooks to mark up my beautiful red door! I was a bit worried about the paint coming off, but it was no problem at all! They also come in different sizes, which is very handy.
Following the instructions, use the hooks to place a string of outdoor lights around the outer edge of the door, leaving enough room to close the door. The hooks came in a pack of 20, and I didn?t end up using them all.
I snuck the cable through the tiny gap at the edge of the wind stopper, then snaked the cable behind the couch to the power outlet. This enabled the door to open and close without bothering the cable, and the lights didn?t have to be turned off at all.
The hooks kept the lights safe and sound in place, and because they where outdoor lights, there was no concern with a few rainy days.
Use the same style of hook to hang a festive wreath on your door, then stand back and admire your work! The sticky tabs on the back of the hooks are visible but not obtrusive, and not visible at all from the street, especially after dark.
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Finally, the Star!
The star topper for the Christmas tree is the final and mandatory touch in this household. Do you have a star or an angel on top of your tree?
I think this star might be another decoration that stays out all year.
- Coles Classic 3D Tree Star 1 pack (Search 7605338 at Coles online)
Merry Christmas to you and your family!
Mrs BC?s House of Chaos commenced in 2010 because Mrs BC wanted to blog about her family of five, fun, friends, food, gardening, house renovations, furniture upcycling, and embracing The New Thrift. She is passionate about the blogging community and blogs on average three times per week. She tries not to overuse the smiley emoticon, but often uses the Sarcastica Font. You can read?Lisa BC?s?blog here http://www.mrsbcshouseofchaos.blogspot.com.au/
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Source: http://blog.colesonline.com.au/2012/11/15/organising-your-home-for-christmas-guest-post/
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