I participated in an Influencer Activation on behalf of Influence Central for Charmin. I received product samples and a promotional item to thank me for my participation.

Getting your home ready for holiday guests doesn’t have to be a nightmare (although my mom kind of makes it out to be one!). Simple things really make all the difference. Your guests are coming to spend time with YOU and each other, not to go through your home doing a white-glove inspection. The holidays are all about engaging the senses, so focus on that and you’ll have a successful party. How? By following my easy tips, of course!

I’ve included a few of those tips in my video, and oh my goodness, I’m not even going to tell you how many takes it took to get it right. The outtakes are NOT family friendly. Let’s just say I’m much better at writing that talking. Every now and then, though, I like you guys to actually see me. Just so you know I’m real and not, you know, like a thousand trained monkeys attempting to churn out Shakespeare or something.

Easy tips for engaging your guest’s senses during holiday gatherings

Sight: Chances are, you already have this covered with your tree. You’d be amazed at how much you can cover up by turning off the lights and turning on the tree. Small stains on the carpet, drab drapes, even that layer of dust on the top of your cabinets vanish under the sparkling lights. Go the extra mile by sprinkling festive decorations throughout the rest of your house too. My grandparents get a spot of honor on the tree so they can be with us in spirit.

Sound: My aunt insists we cannot have our holiday meal unless we have appropriate holiday music playing in the background. While I don’t recommend blasting the carols, even faint tunes help create a festive atmosphere. You don’t want it to overpower the conversation. On the other hand, you want it to be loud enough that when the natural lull in conversation occurs, it replaces the awkward silence!

Taste: If you’re serving food (and it wouldn’t be a holiday party without food!), you have this covered! My mom is in a baking and cooking frenzy for our upcoming event. Every family has a secret holiday recipes. Ours is dough ball soup. We get it once a year. I eat as much of it as I can on that magical day!

Smell: Since most of the food is made ahead of time, our guests don’t get to smell all the yummy scents that I’m smelling this week. This is where candles and room sprays come in handy. Before guests arrive, spray the living room with some sort of pine tree scent (I have a great Balsam Fir scent). Throw a batch of frozen cookies back in the oven for a few minutes to warm them up and get the aroma wafting through the house. Bonus: the right aromas can make your house seem cleaner than it is. When my ex was in the Navy, he used to spray lemon scent before inspections. He never failed.

Touch: You’ve gone the extra mile in every other room of the house, don’t skimp in the bathroom. Charmin is cushy on your guest’s tushies! It’s a favorite in our household, and not just because it’s both soft & strong.

We have a septic system, which means we need to be more careful about our TP choices. Charmin is the only brand that  has a clog-free and septic-safe guarantee!

Did you know that Charmin has partnered with Roto-Rooter plumbers? Roto-Rooter recommends Charmin more than any other brand and gave Charmin their stamp of approval.Head over to Charmin’s website to learn more about their guarantee!

How do you prepare your home for guests during the holidays?