I’ve been told that denial is one of the most powerful forces we fight against in life. Denial can keep us in the dark about a number of very powerful realities. One of those realities that I have had to deal with face to face lately is that the holidays are just around the corner; and no amount of denial from me or yours will keep them at bay.

This is not to say that I don’t like the Christmas season. In fact, I love the holidays! What I’m not so enamored with is the feeling of being hopelessly unprepared as we rush into this most festive time of year. Whether it’s hosting guests at my home, being a guest at other people’s homes, shopping, toasting, wrapping, or singing Christmas carols; I never seem to feel as prepared as I would like for all the added responsibilities that come with the season.

A few years ago, a friend shared with me her 3 steps to preparing your home for the perfect holiday season. She said that she had started following these simple steps a few years ago and that they had made a noticeable difference in how prepared she felt when her vacation roared into view.

So I have listed all three and am happy to share them with you. Let me know how much of a difference they make as you prepare for the happy season that is just around the corner.

3 simple steps to prepare your home for the holiday season:

1. Divide and conquer. Not every room in the house will be under the scrutiny of the holidays. Some rooms can (and should) remain off limits to guests. So lower your stress level by dividing your home into three zones. “A” rooms are the ones that all guests can wander into during their vacation. Included in this list are the living room, dining room, family room, kitchen, and powder room. “B” rooms are rooms that some guests may see, but won’t be front and center when the holiday bells start to ring. This includes children’s bedrooms, secondary bathrooms, and basement media or rec rooms. “C” rooms (such as the master bedroom and bathroom and a home office) are discretionary spaces that are open to the public only at the discretion of the host or hostess.

Instead of stressing over every room in the house, focus on the “A” spaces and leave some energy for the “B’s.” If you don’t get to the “C’s”, it’s much easier to slam a door than it is to completely freak out.

2. Edit, Edit, Edit. Once you’ve established your room hierarchy and are in the most important “A” space in your home, your next task is to edit anything you can live without. A useful rule of thumb is the Rule of 3. For any horizontal surface in a room (table, book shelf, mantelpiece) you are allowed exactly 3 decorative items (books always count as 1, regardless of how many are present). Your interior decorator may scream at this suggestion, but remember; the Christmas decorations have not yet been brought into the room. What may seem like a barren wasteland of a mantelpiece will soon be draped in holly, adorned with candles, and no doubt sprinkled with pine cones, berries, and bows. Get a clear, clean canvas on which to display your Christmas decorations to best effect.

3. Light your way to success. Remembering that many of the favorite elements of Christmas decoration include lighting (twinkling lights, candles…etc.), it’s time to add moderation to the overall lighting scheme of your room. Reduce the wattage of the bulbs in use in your chandeliers, sconces, table and floor lamps. For overhead lights, turn the dimmer to low and if you don’t have dimmers (and you really should), turn them off. Nothing will wash down a successfully decorated holiday room than having the lights on from the ceiling similar to those in a prison yard; washing up every bit of holiday delight. Use the ‘candlelight rule’ as a guide. If, when fully lit (including the Christmas decorations), the room has the glow of candlelight, then you have the lighting exactly where it wants to be.