12 Easy ways to get your home ready for the holidays if you start now

The holidays are almost here–and that usually means madness. There are ways, however, to minimize the insanity. Here are 12 easy ways to prep your home for the holidays today. 

Read more ¿Qué más?: 20 Amazing DIY Holiday gifts for the whole family

Images via Corbis Images, Thinkstock, Overstock

Prepare your entryway

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Crane Concept

A simple wreath like this will do. You can even change the ribbon according to the holiday. Orange all through November, and red in December.

Order the bird

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Publix

Whether you are cooking the turkey yourself this Thanksgiving, or you are catering it, it's time to order your bird, particularly if you want an organic or free range one. Wait until the week before, and you will get a mediocre frozen one.

Check your furniture

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Dnak/Wikimedia Commons

The last thing you want is that uneven dining table to distract your guests from the gorgeous dinner you made, or for tío Gonzalo to spend the day complaining about his dolor de espalda, because of a sagging mattress.

Purchase new....

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Fiestaware

Dishes, table cloth, that mattress for tío Julio… Maybe you want to purchase a new couch or dining table. This is the time to take care of that.

Winterize the home

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Corbis Images

Check for drafts, make sure to get a contract with the oil company if you are responsible for the boiler, and clean your radiators.

Make sure the thermostat works

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Thinkstock

Even if you live in a rental and you have the best landlord in the world, a broken thermostat could become a real nightmare. There are even inexpensive ones that you can control from your smart phone.

Do a deep clean

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Thinkstock

A deep cleaning now will make things so much easier before everyone comes over.

Declutter

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Thinkstock

You need room for all the holiday purchases and…gifts of course!

Practice that new recipe

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Thinkstock

Nothing beats a prepared cook. Iron out the pesky details of your meal.

Oil door, unstick windows

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Corbis Images

Make sure that everything in your house works how it should.

Get enough toilet paper and other basic staples

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Thinkstock

Can you imagine the scene? A dozen people in your home and you forgot the toilet paper, or kitchen towels, or a cork opener…

Restock your liquor cabinet

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Overstock

No need to explain, right? Just imagine tío Julio complaining about his espalda y sin un tragüito.