Squeaky Clean Holiday Relief
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Contributed by Sandy Coughlin of Reluctant Entertainer
Today I’m sharing why #CleanFeelsGood to me, with 4 Holiday Tips for Your Home using Scotch-Brite tools,as well as a Sticky Toffee Cheese Gingerbread Cookies dessert to set out for holiday guests.
I've found when your house is ready (and clean) for company during the holidays, it’s much easier to do last-minute entertaining!
Getting the family and your entertaining space in tip-top shape is much easier when you have a system or a plan, that is for sure. But what about drop-in guests? How do you involve the kids, what food do you serve, and how do you quickly clean the space where guests will be sitting?
Squeaky Clean Holiday Relief
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Tip-top shape means something different for everybody! My house was neat and tidy until I had kids (years ago). Then reality set in. It was a rare occasion that it was perfect and ready for company, because we were a real-life active family with pets and messes!
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Because we are a pet family, with a dog and 2 cats, our living room sectional can get dirty and hairy—fast. The last thing I want is for guests to sit down and be covered with hair!
It’s important to me to have our living space nice and clean for company—Perfect? No. Clean and tidied up? Yes! I keep a few Scotch-Brite productson hand, under our kitchen sink, for quick and easy clean up! One being their Printed Lint Roller,which is the only lint roller made with Scotch Brand adhesive, so you know how powerful it is.
They have fun designs, and they help to not only keep our furniture clean, but they’re great for clothes (jackets, pants, sweaters, dresses), quickly removing all lint and fuzz. -
Sticky Toffee Cheese Gingerbread Cookies Dessert
I’m one of those that still cares about my home looking good for last-minute guests and wants my space to be clean, but I know it doesn’t have to be perfect. That is a sweet relief, because ultimately I know that hospitality is about the people, not perfection. Drop-ins happen quite a bit in our home during the holidays, people stopping by for a quick hello, dropping off a gift, our college kids’ friends popping in. I try to keep things neat, in a relaxed kind of way. Oh, and have some food items stocked in the pantry and fridge for last-minute treats, like this Sticky Toffee Cheese (have you tried it yet?) with gingerbread cookies! YUM!
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Scotch-Brite conducted a survey and found that 84% of households with children have avoided cooking or baking a recipe because the clean-up would be too difficult. Although “sticky toffee cheese” sounds like it might be a cleaning challenge, it isn’t at all when you have an Extreme Scrub Spongeon hand.
Here are 4 Holiday Tips for your Home:
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1. Keep One Area Ready
Have one entertaining space ready for company. Our living room has the beautiful tree, a comfortable sitting area, the piano, and a small coffee table (for drinks and a snack). It’s perfect for a last-minute or drop-in visit, whether you serve food or not, and I try to keep it comfy with soft pillows and blankets!
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2. Quick Cleaning Tools Easily Accessible
Have a few quick cleaning tools accessible. We keep a Scotch-Brite Printed Lint Rollerhandy, and it only takes a few seconds to roll the sectional to remove the pet hair. Sweet relief, knowing our guests who have a black dress or pants on, won’t be covered with pet hair. It’s also great for that last-minute photo, where everyone gathers on the sofa!
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3. House Smelling Good
Keep ingredients on hand for a quick apple sangria or cider on the stove. It only takes about 5 minutes to get this recipe, here, brewing on the stove. Plus, it makes your house smell delicious!
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4. Easy Dessert
I try to keep a few items on hand to set out for guests to munch on. Pistachio nuts are always a big hit, but lately I’ve also been treating our guests to Sticky Toffee Cheese with Gingerbread Cookies. It’s delightful!
#CleanFeelsGood. The bottom line is to set a standard of what clean means to you, and go with it.
The simpler you make it, the more you will be able to give up perfection and enjoy the people in your home!
This post has been adapted by Sandy Coughlin from the original, which you may read on http://reluctantentertainer.com/2015/12/sticky-toffee-cheese-gingerbread-cookies-dessert/
