Holiday Housekeeping & Hospitality (3 tips)

As you may have read on the blog before, we try to keep a tidy house even with our two boys. The holidays, however, can be a challenge. We often host the family and with people comes stuff and germs and dishes.

Holidays can be more overwhelming than usual, but I have developed a very simple system to stay on top of things while hosting events at our home (since we seem to be the go-to spot for parties).

So we have developed a plan for our home and we each have assigned duties to make sure that our guests feel welcome, but the house remains clean and organized. Here are a few tips for the wife who wants to make her home a place where Jesus Himself could visit.

Tip #1: Clean ahead of time.

I cannot stress enough how helpful it is to clean your house, apartment or living space BEFORE guests arrive. First, it puts you in the mindset of keeping everything in its place. Secondly, you are able to identify what areas need more help than others. Thirdly, you are less likely to be embarassed with an area that you have overlooked.

We do put our boys to work helping out as well. They are in charge of taking out trash, moving furniture and setting tables. My hubby handles all the floors and and I do the organizing for everything else.

Some additional tips are to quickly spot clean floors and baseboards. People notice these things. Keep in mind that people look at everything. 

 What are you advertising or representing in your home?

Also, be sure that your restrooms are visitor-ready. Being a mom of boys, this is a MUST for me. Stains and spots and smells are a huge no-no. Be that Proverbs 31 woman and just say no to dirty bathrooms, lol! I also like to air out my house so that dust does not settle.

Tip #2: Don't stress about the mess.

While you are hosting, please enjoy the people and do not worry about cleanliness. Homes are meant to be lived in. It is a time to enjoy your visitors and engage with your guests.

Maurice is often the greeter when people come to visit. He takes coats and welcomes everyone. The boys are in charge of all kids attending. They need to make sure that nothing gets broken. Our everyday rules also apply for events we host in our house!

Quickly offer food and drinks and make everyone feel comfortable in the atmosphere that you have provided. Do be aware of the noise level from screens (tv, computer or other devices). These can distract from your present company and create a stressful space. Even music should be in the background not the forefront.

Tip #3: Clean up right away.

This is the biggest tip of all. I am always tired after hosting a party or event in my home, but I do praise God for a tidy husband. We tackle the mess of the party right after, every time. It makes a world of difference! Wash the dishes, mop or vacuum and clear the counter spaces and couches.

We also either throw a lot of things away or recycle for something else. For example, at Christmas time, we take all the decent bags and wrapping paper and store them away for another ocassion or last-minute re-gifting. Decide immediately if something is worth keeping or not and put it in the proper place (re-gift, storage, recycle or trash).

After I am finished, I congratulate myself for a successful gathering and look at all the pictures, or just take a well-deserved shower and nap!!


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Hopefully this was helpful and you learned something new, or perhaps it was a good refresher. In any case, please pay it forward and share these tips with someone else.

How we serve and host is for the glory of God. A Titus 2 wife is a keeper of her home. This is just one of the many ways. Find more in The Titus Ten book HERE. Also, leave a comment on this post and you may be the one subscriber chosen to get the book for FREE!