Does the thought of having house guests fill you with Joy or worry?
This week I’m sharing some tips to help you prepare your home for Easter guests.
Whether you’re in the middle of your KonMari tidying journey or are yet to start these ideas that will help you get your home “house guest ready” so you can relax & enjoy the time with your guests.
Clear your hallway:
Marie Kondo believes that hallways are the most important space as they greet you on your return home - they deserve respect and attention and should be clutter free. Removing clutter will make the hallway feel more spacious & create a great first impression for your guests
If you just tidy the items in the hall you’ll find that similar items from around the rest
of your home migrate back within a couple of days.
To prevent this follow the KonMari™ Method principles. Take a look at what’s in your hall – in most cases it will be coats, shoes and bags – luckily these all fall under the 1st KonMari™ category of CLOTHES.
Follow these steps...
Collect ALL items from one of these sub categories from around your home (try shoes first).
Sort in to one pile for each person living in the house).
Joy Check - ask each person to go through the pile to select which shoes they love - if you’re children are 5+ you can do this with them, they’ll know what they love. Lifestyle Check - there will be shoes that you need to keep such as school shoes, work shoes etc check they fit & are in good condition.
It’s time to let go of any shoes that no longer fit, are uncomfortable or in poor condition - put them in a bag to leave the house.
Once complete look at the shoes you wear everyday - these can be kept in the hall but use a basket or shoe rack to keep them tidy. Find a home in your bedroom/wardrobe for other shoes.
Repeat for coats and bags.
These photos show the storage baskets we use in our hall which make it easy for our children to tidy away their bags & shoes.
Clear kitchen surfaces:
A key principle from the KonMari Method is to keep surfaces as clear as possible - this makes it easier to keep the kitchen clean & more enjoyable to cook in. We typically use more kitchen equipment when we entertain so maximising space will make your life much easier over the weekend.
Kitchens tend to be the hub of the home &can become the place where homeless items get ‘left’ behind.
Follow these simple steps to get Easter ready.
Start by scanning your kitchen and removing anything that doesn’t belong there (as you do this joy check & make a decision on things you no longer need).
Aim to just keep your favourite items on display - anything that can be stored away in a cupboard or drawer should be so you can free up your worktop.
Think through what you’ll be using when you entertain your guests. Do you know where everything is & can you easily get to it? You want to be enjoying your time with your guests rather than hunting for things.
As a final touch wipe all the surfaces down.
A Marie Kondo tip from KonMari.com - Make sure your dishwasher or dish drying rack is empty when you’re expecting guests. If you can place the dishes directly into the dishwasher after meals, you’ll be able to keep your kitchen looking neat and tidy to the very end.
Take an opportunity to see your home in a different light:
We’re usually too busy with our everyday lives to fully take in our everyday environment. Walk around your home & notice the areas that feel cluttered - make decisions there & then about whether the items that are creating the clutter Spark Joy (clutter is the result of delayed decisions). Thank the items that you no longer need & let them go.
Throw open the windows: Let the fresh air in & think about what sparks joy in your home - make sure you can see what you love.
Find a home for the items you decide to keep:
Think about the obvious place they should go so you’ll be able to find them when you next need them. KonMari is all about storing similar items together & making life easier. Buy some fresh flowers & pop them in a jug or vase - it will bring colour & a feeling of freshness to a room.
Contact Sue for more information about decluttering and organising using the KonMari™ Method:
e: sue@alifemoreorganised.co.uk
m: 07740 782575
www.alifemoreorganised.co.uk
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