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10 Things to Do Right Before Holiday Guests Arrive

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Hosting the holidays can be stressful, so we’ve put together a checklist of 10 things to do right before holiday guests arrive. Feel relaxed welcoming family and friends this season!

Light Up The Porch

Prepare for the arrival of family and friends by making sure your home is well lit and recognizable for guests. For starters, turn on those porch lights to help guests easily identify the house number. And be sure to spruce up your entrance with festive and fun holiday décor. Get into the holiday spirit this season!

Turn Up The Volume

Have your phone in reach and turn up the volume! This way guests can easily reach you by text or phone call in case they need directions or just want to give you a heads-up that they’re running a few minutes behind.

Tidy Up The Kitchen

The kitchen is the go-to place for cooking, gathering and lots and lots of entertaining. Throughout the night, clean as you go to keep your kitchen in order. With a tidy and neat kitchen, you’ll feel much more relaxed and will be able to enjoy the real meaning of the season!

Freshen Up The Bathroom

Before guests arrive, be sure to tidy up all the bathrooms. Stock up on toilet paper and wipe down the vanity, faucet handles, and mirrors. Your efforts certainly won’t go unnoticed!

Create Ambiance

Get into the holiday spirit this season with some Christmas tunes. Playing holiday themed music creates a welcoming ambiance for family and friends to enjoy. Tune in to the top 100 list right here.

Have Appetizers And Drinks Ready

Set out drinks and appetizers 30-45 minutes prior to the scheduled time guests are planning to arrive. This will help you keep family and friends who have arrived early entertained as you make any final preparations.

Stock The Medicine Cabinet

In case of emergency, stock up the medicine cabinet with common cold medicines, pain relievers and anti-acids. You never know if one of your guests may need to take something for a food allergy or just a common headache. It’s always best to prepared when having guests over for the holidays.

Movie Time

There’s no better way to end the night than watching holiday movies with family and friends. After all, the holiday season marks everyone’s favorite tradition of holiday movies. Check out the top ten Christmas movies of all time here.

Give Yourself Time

Often times guests arrive early for holiday gatherings, so be sure to set aside some time for yourself to freshen up. Scheduling time for yourself in advance gives you the opportunity to get ready without feeling rushed or stressed out. By making time for yourself, you will have a few extra minutes to relax and even enjoy a glass of wine!

Make Last Minute Touches

Last but not least, make any last minute touches before family and friends start to arrive. Light a few candles, set out appetizers and drinks, and get ready for some holiday fun!

We hope you enjoyed these last minute tips and tricks to help you get your home ready for the holiday season. For more information on beautiful upgrades from Miracle Method, or to schedule a free in-home consultation, please visit our website right here or call us at 855-212-7337.

Get Your Kitchen Ready For The Holidays

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Get Your Kitchen Ready For The Holidays

Is your kitchen guest-ready for the holidays? With the holidays fast approaching, budgets and timelines are often tight for any type of home renovations taking place. For  those who are planning on hosting the holidays, almost all focus goes into preparing food, updating décor and of course the heart of the home – the kitchen!

Don’t let embarrassing outdated kitchen countertops keep you from entertaining holiday guests this season. Now is the perfect time to get your kitchen ready for the holidays. By refinishing your existing countertops right in place, you’ll save time and money over traditional replacement methods.

Get Your Kitchen Ready For The Holidays

These outdated kitchen countertops were in need of a serious upgrade.

Surface refinishing is an affordable alternative to removal and replacement that restores existing fixtures to look and feel like new again. Refinishing also allows you to avoid the mess and hassle of lengthy construction timelines, which is especially important during the holiday season. Tile backsplashes can also be repaired and refinished to look like new – creating a space where you feel confident and excited to invite guests over for the holidays!

Get Your Kitchen Ready For The Holidays

Miracle Method beautifully refinished the kitchen countertops to like-new condition.

Countertops are one of the most important elements of designing a kitchen and choosing the right color finish is often a difficult task. Miracle Method offers a variety of designer color choices, including Natural Accents® stone-look finishes – a multi-color finish that creates the appearance of real stone and granite at a fraction of the cost.

By choosing a refinishing company like Miracle Method, the leader in surface refinishing industry with over 35 years of experience, you can expect your project to be completed on-schedule and on-budget. …. and your newly refinished countertops will be durable, functional and yet beautiful again!

Entertain family and friends this with a beautifully upgraded kitchen from Miracle Method, call today for a free estimate at 855-212-7337 or visit our website right here.

Homemade Holiday Gift Ideas

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Homemade Holiday Gift Ideas

Whether you are on a tight budget, or just prefer giving gifts from the heart, homemade gifts are always appreciated. The recipient knows that you spent your valuable time putting together a thoughtful gift straight from the heart. Here are five budget-friendly homemade holiday gift ideas to share with friends and family this year.

Decorated Cookie Canisters

Save your empty Pringles containers and repurpose them by wrapping and filling them with homemade holiday cookies. Simply wipe the inside of the canister with a damp cloth or paper towel, then cut a piece of wrapping paper or scrapbook paper to 10” x 9.5”. Next, wrap the paper around the can and secure both ends with double-sided tape. Decorate the wrapped canister with ribbon or bows and fill with homemade cookies.  A sweet treat to share with family and friends!

Homemade Holiday Gift Ideas

 

Potpourri

Preheat oven to 200° F and cover a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper with cut flowers (cut the flowers right below the heads) and thin slices of citrus fruits or sprigs of rosemary, lavender or thyme. You can also add cinnamon sticks, cloves or allspice depending on your scent preference. Add 10-15 drops of essential oil to one tablespoon of water in a spray bottle and spritz the flowers, fruit and herbs. Place the cookie sheet in the oven and let the potpourri dry for at least 2 hours (flowers should be brittle, but not burnt.) Remove the pan from the oven and spritz one more time with the essential oil mixture. Place potpourri in a decorative jar tied with ribbon. For more ideas on making holiday potpourri, click here.

Homemade Holiday Gift Ideas

Image courtesy of seevanessacraft.com

Sugar Scrub

The winter can be very harsh on our skin. Using a sugar scrub can help keep skin feeling soft and looking smooth. Make a sugar scrub using natural ingredients. Fill a pretty jar with a locking lid and tie a wooden spoon with a ribbon around it for a pretty presentation to give to teachers, neighbors or colleagues at the office. Here are 21 homemade sugar scrub recipes.

1. Combine ½ cup coconut oil and 1/2 cup of sugar in a bowl and mix until creamy.
2. Add essential oil while continuing to stir. This is when you would add coloring, if desired.
3. Add more sugar until the formula reaches the desired consistency.

Homemade Holiday Gift Ideas

Jewelry or Cake Stand

Do you have a collection of single plates or teacups that are collecting dust? Rather than donating all of those dust collectors, make a jewelry stand to give as a thoughtful, unique gift. You can find great pieces at second-hand stores and flea markets and the beautiful thing is, they don’t have to come in a complete set! In this case, the more unique they are, the better.

Homemade Holiday Gift Ideas
Sweater Sleeve

Dress up a nice bottle of wine with this simple, yet elegant sweater sleeve. All you’ll need is an old sweater, a pair of scissors, a sewing machine and thread, some pretty ribbon and a marker. Complete the gift with one or two wine glasses and a bottle opener for a great hostess gift. Full the view tutorial on how to make these adorable wine sweater sleeves right here.

Homemade holiday gift ideas are a fun way to prepare for the holidays, but making sure your home is in tip top shape is an absolute essential for entertaining guests. For affordable kitchen and bathroom remodeling, visit our website here or call us at 855-212-7337.

Thanksgiving Entertaining Ideas

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Hosting the holidays doesn’t have to be stressful. With a little advanced preparation, you can feel relaxed this holiday season, even if you’re hosting Thanksgiving! Here are some Thanksgiving entertaining ideas to help you prepare for the holiday season.

Tablescape

Pinterest has a plethora of creative ideas for seasonal table settings. By incorporating natural elements like tree stumps, pine cones, pumpkins and squash, you’ll create an affordable yet seasonal tablescape. Unleash your creativity this holiday season!


Meal Plan

Sit down about 3-4 weeks out and put together a meal plan. Search websites like www.recipes.com and Pinterest for new recipes to mix things up a bit. Instead of only using the same recipes you used last year, try something new! Serve homemade apple sauce instead of cranberry sauce, or make stuffing from scratch instead of using a boxed mix. Proper planning gives you more time to try out new recipes without stressing out!

Be sure to test the recipes in advance. Don’t wait for the big day to try a new recipe. If you’re thinking about trying a new recipe, give it a test run before the holidays arrive. You can make a smaller batch for the first go-around to make sure it’s something you want to serve to guests.

Prepare for Your Guests

Assign Dishes to Guests – Once you’ve made your meal plan and collected all of your recipes, assign small side dishes for your guests to bring. One guest can bring the sweet potatoes, another is assigned green bean casserole, beverages or dessert. This way, your guests will feel like they are contributing and there is less for you as the host to do.

Cut Coupons – Pretty much all grocery stores have specials during the holidays. Watch the free circulars that come in your mailbox and buy non-perishable items in advance when they are on sale. Search online for digital coupons and subscribe to the free rewards program for the grocery store you most frequently shop with to take advantage of preferred customer pricing.

Make it Memorable – Create simple notecards for everyone to jot down what they are thankful for, then go around the table and share. This will create lasting memories and meaningful conversation. For more ideas on bringing “thanks” to your thanksgiving table, click here!

Buy Affordable Containers for Guests to Take Home Leftovers – There are always plenty of leftovers from Thanksgiving dinner. In fact, many people prefer the leftovers to the meal on the actual holiday. Prepare by picking up inexpensive semi-disposable containers from the dollar store so that your guests can take home various entrees and side dishes (and don’t forget dessert!) to enjoy later. This way, you’re not sending everyone home with your good storage containers that you may or may not ever see again.

For more ideas on how to prepare your home for Thanksgiving, visit our website here or call us at 855-212-7337.

Preparing Your Home for Holiday Guests

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Preparing Your Home for Holiday Guests

Hosting guests for the holidays? It’s never too early to start thinking about getting your home guest-ready for the holiday season. Use these tips to make sure your home is welcoming for family and friends this season.

Spruce up the Bathroom and Kitchen

Is the grout in the bathroom stained to the point where you can no longer get it clean? Do you hate the color of your bathtub? Are you tired of looking at those green laminate countertops in the kitchen? Refinishing is a cost and time-effective alternative to traditional remodeling and you can have your bath or kitchen looking modern and fresh before holiday guests arrive. Holiday guests give you a good excuse to make home updates that you’ve been putting off for years!

Clean Out the Coat Closet

Toss any worn out jackets and sweaters that have holes in them or with a broken zipper and donate anything that isn’t being worn to make room for guests to hang their coats up during their visit. Make sure you have plenty of hangers on hand and add a room deodorizer to the closet so that it smells nice and fresh.

Create Ambiance

Turn on some holiday music, light a few candles and dim any harsh lights. When guests arrive, help them hang up their jackets in the coat closet and offer them a beverage. If you have a no shoes policy in your home, have a few pairs of new socks in different sizes so your guests can keep their feet warm.

Get the Guest Room Ready

You don’t have to spend a lot of money on décor or fancy linens to spruce up your spare bedroom for holiday guests. Simply give your bedding a refresh in the wash, add an air freshener to the room and even place a vase of fresh flowers to the side table. If you want to be extra courteous, print out your wifi name and password for guests.

Put Away Anything Private

Get organized, before your holiday guests arrive. Be sure to file away any personal paperwork and clean out your medicine cabinet. Check each of the rooms in the house for anything lying around that you don’t want made public. After all a tidy home is a happy home!

Check Light Bulbs

When preparing your home for holiday guests, make sure all your light bulbs are working properly. To check, take a walk throughout the house, as well as out front and back. If the light bulbs are not working, make a list of sizes you need and stock up before guests arrive. Additionally, add a night light to the hall way between the guest bedroom and guest bath.

For more information on affordable upgrades to prepare your home for holiday guests, visit our website here or call us at 855-212-7337.

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