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Useful Things to Have in the Home at Christmas

Useful Things to Have in the Home at Christmas

USEFUL THINGS TO HAVE IN THE HOME AT CHRISTMAS

Get organised and prepared for Christmas. Check out this list of useful things to have in the home at Christmas.

AN ORGANISED CHRISTMAS THIS YEAR

Christmas can be a busy time with lots of things to remember and do. It always helps to be organised and prepared for Christmas to ease the stress and make it a little more fun and enjoyable for all of you.

To help simplify your Christmas this year, here’s a list of useful things to have in the home at Christmas – just in case the unexpected happens or you can’t get to the shops when you need to.

USEFUL THINGS TO HAVE IN THE HOME AT CHRISTMAS

Here are some useful things to have in the home at Christmas to make things a little easier and less stressful!

1. Candles and matches

Always useful if you have a power-cut, want to cosy up the home or create a calm space to meditate by when it all gets too much! Candles not only give out light but they come in so many wonderful scents and colours. Don’t forget the matches or something to light those candles with too!

2. Batteries

For games controllers, TV remote controls or those new Christmas toys that need batteries but which aren’t included. Keep a stash of different batteries as you never know when you’ll run out.

3. Drinks and nibbles

For last-minute entertaining or unexpected guests, keep a few alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks in your cupboard that you can pull out when you need. Buy a few extra sets of crisps, nuts and little nibbles to offer with those drinks so you look and feel like the perfect host or hostess!

4. Spare presents

Keep a little stash of emergency gifts that you can hand out if you get given something you weren’t expecting. Bottles of drink, bath products, boxes of chocolates or biscuits and pretty stationery make perfect little gifts. Watch the best-before dates on edible goods but usually you can use these up over the course of the year if you don’t use them at Christmas.

5. Spare cards, gift wrap and tape

You’ll need something to wrap those emergency presents so perhaps stockpile a little selection of wrapping paper, gift bags, cards and sticky tape. Go for Christmas-themed ones which you can use only at Christmas or choose more generic ones that could be used at other times of the year too.

6. Emergency freezer food

You might not feel like cooking every day over the holiday season or you might be catering for extra guests that you hadn’t planned on. Keep a little selection of food in your freezer that you can pull out if and when you need it. Some examples could be frozen pizza, vegetables, bread and selections of frozen party food and deserts. You could also batch cook some of your own food, such as pasta sauces, cottage pie, stews and curries.

7. Medicines

Have a look through your medicines and make sure you’re not running low on pain relief or indigestion tablets, cold and cough medicines and anything else that your family might need. Now is not the time to run out of something when you most need it.

8. Store cupboard food

Do a stock-take of what’s in your food cupboard. Stock up on tins, jars, spices, seasoning, sauces, rice, pasta and anything else that has a relatively long shelf-life and can sit in your store cupboard until you need it. All those leftovers from the Christmas dinner can be made into some great meals with the help of what you can find in your store cupboard!

9. Tin foil, disposable plates and napkins

Cooking and storing food is always easier when you’ve got plenty of tin foil so make sure you’ve got a roll or two extra in your cupboard. You’ll probably get through it during the year even if you don’t get around to using it at Christmas. I find disposable, even recyclable (where possible) plates, serving dishes, cutlery, napkins, table cloths and even foil roasting platters can be really handy to cut down on washing and washing up. I buy them up in bulk when I see them on special offer during the year and just keep them in a drawer until I want to use them. They’re handy for parties too, not just at Christmas.

Useful things to have in the home at Christmas

FURTHER READING

For more tips and ideas on how to enjoy a clutter-free, simpler Christmas, you might like these posts:

DON’T MISS OUT!

I’m Antonia and on this blog I share practical inspiration to simplify your home, time and life. Follow me on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest! You can also subscribe to Balance Through Simplicity and receive regular simplicity tips straight to your inbox for free. Make sure you never miss an article plus you’ll get a copy of my free Declutter Starter Kit as a welcome gift!