The holidays are nearly upon us and Torontonians are busily preparing to celebrate the season with family and friends. Those of you who are hosting at your Toronto home know the work and stress that go into getting ready to receive, but you also know that it is all worth it in the end. Although it might be a little late in the game to get organized for this year, we thought it would be fun to put together a list of ways for you to get prepared well in advance for the holidays next year!
Here are some quick tips to help you avoid the holiday stresses put on time and money.
Create a budget and plan well ahead of time!
As trite as those two elements seem, they are key to enjoying the holiday season instead of dreading it. If you create a realistic budget for your celebrations and start planning well ahead of time, you definitely won’t run into the issue of not enough time or money to get through one of the busiest and most expensive parts of the year.
Shop throughout the year
Instead of shopping for everyone’s gift at the very last minute, if you see something during the year that you think would be perfect for someone, pick-it-up! Creating a list of people you need to shop for and having it handy each time you are in a store will help you stay organized and remember what you purchased for whom. If you want to be even more organized, the moment you get home wrap it and label it. By the time the holidays arrive you will be fully stocked with more than enough presents to fill everyone’s spirits with cheer.
Bake in advance
If you know that you will be hosting, start baking and freezing two-to-three weeks ahead of time so that you are not caught trying to make all of your cakes and cookies at the same time. Most items can easily be frozen and thawed when you are ready to eat.
Lastly, about a month before the holidays you can start cleaning and decluttering your home. Trying to clean the guest bedroom, the basement and the rest of the house in the same day and then cook and bake can be daunting. However, when the tasks are broken up into manageable chunks it is easy to get ready in no time at all.
And on that note, all of us here at Imaginahome would like to wish you and yours a wonderfully festive and joyous holiday season and may your New Year be spectacular! We thank you for your continued support and look forward to answering your realty needs again in 2020.
Please note that our offices will be closed from Monday, December 23, 2019 until Thursday, January 2, 2020.
