With Christmas just around the corner, you’ll soon be heading home for the festive season, ready to spend time with the family.
If you have younger children, or have them visiting this Christmas, there are some small touches that you can add to your home to give that added festive sparkle and to keep the magic very much alive! And here’s a bonus: the tips we have included are simple, quick and easy to clean!
Festive Footprints
A fun idea that adds to the excitement for younger children is to create snowy footprints. By simply tracing around your shoes and cutting out a template, you can leave a trail as to where Santa has crept around in the midnight hour!
Our tip: Use talc as this is the easiest product to vac up and it will even smell nice as you hover! Alternatively, flour is a relatively cheap option and creates a similar effect. Do not be tempted to use icing sugar. On the off-chance that you have not managed to vac all of the sugar up, your carpet could become sticky. If drinks are spilt (even water) you may find that icing sugar hardens after drying and causes damage to your carpet.
Reindeer Dust
Another simple idea that is sure to add to the enchantment this year is the addition of reindeer dust to your driveway. This is a simple mixture of glitter (any colour, it’s your choice!) and porridge oats. The mixture can create a trail as to where the sleigh has flown. It is environmentally friendly, so if it blows away, there’s no need to fret! If not, it can be simply swept up and disposed of into either bin.
Fake Snow
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow… So we’re in Britain and the snow dance hasn’t worked at all this year. With temperatures soaring high for December, it is highly unlikely that we will experience a white Christmas. Even Jack Frost has refrained from making much of an appearance. To give your windows that winter wonderland theme, your greatest chance will be to opt for fake snow.
Our tip: Use pulled cotton wool rather than the fake snow you can spray from a can. Not only is the fake snow toxic to young children and bad for everyone’s lungs; it leaves a horrible smeary mess when the season is over and you attempt to wipe your windows clean. Even though cotton wool is non-toxic, it is still a choking hazard could cause an injury if it tightens around little fingers, so it’s worth keeping it out of the reach of children.
Mince Pies & Cookie crumbs
Children live by their imagination. By simply putting minces pies or cookies back in their packets or eating them and not leaving a few crumbs, there is very little visually to spark imagination and get the children excited.
Our tip: This is a great parenting opportunity as well as a fun gimmick to excite the children. If you’ve a nice writing hand or are well practised in the art of calligraphy, leave a little note next to the crumbs saying ‘thank you’ as it will act as a reminder of the importance of manners. If you’re writing hand looks more along the lines of drunk spiders having sprawled ink across the page, then you’ve always the option of using a computer and printing on some decorative paper.
(photo credit – shutterstock/ Magdanatka)
Carrot peelings
Similarly, you can leave some carrot peeling in place of the carrots left out for the reindeer. The great bit is that they don’t need to be overly neat either – reindeer are very messy eaters, you know!
Our tip: This is a great opportunity to also prep for the Christmas dinner. Who wants to be peeling veg when you could be opening presents? Simply pop the peeled carrots in some water and add a little lemon juice and they’ll okay to keep overnight.
(photo credit – shutterstock/ kittibowornphatnon)
The not-so-easy-to-clean!
There are a few Christmassy items that you should be vigilant about over the festive season.
Cracked Nuts
One of the most popular products sold at supermarkets this Christmas, and one that very well may be in your home are nuts. Both the actual nut and the shell are potentially fatal to younger children and pets as they are a choking hazard. When cracking a nut, the shell can splinter and fragments often miss the bin. Even if you do not have children or pets, the shell and nut can cause significant damage to your vacuum cleaner, so it is worth remaining aware of any bits that have escaped the bin.
Cracked Baubles
Similarly, baubles that have smashed are potentially fatal to children and pets. Ensure that they are disposed of immediately in a safe manner. Bauble injuries are more common than you would think. People regularly tread on the glass or attempt to clear away a broken one without using gloves, a dustpan and brush. After having disposed of the larger fragments, thoroughly vac the area.
