10 things to stock up on before your holiday guests arrive

Are you ready for the holidays? The cooking, the crafting, the cozy-ing… oh, and all the cleaning; the holidays are coming, ready or not. So, while I’ve been out running around picking up ingredients and presents, I’ve also stocked up on all of our essential holiday paper supplies for holiday entertaining and last-minute guests.

What do you mean you don’t head to Walmart to stock up on Cottonelle, Kleenex, Scott, and Viva products for the holidays? You get that the kids are going to want to help craft and clean, right? I don’t know about your kids, but mine are MESSY. Spills, smears, and splatters are a way of life when cooking and crafting with kiddos.

Here are some of our favorite items to stock up on before holiday guests arrive:

1. Paper Towels. For all of their big and little messes, I rely on Viva® Big Roll Paper Towels. We always have a roll on our paper towel stand, and when we’re in the kitchen with the kiddos crafting and cooking, we make sure to keep one within arm’s reach. Then, when guests arrive, I make sure to keep one roll by the sink, and one by the drink station. Because kids {and sometimes adults} with drinks means spills. Because Viva paper towels are durable and have a more cloth-like texture, they can tackle any job from heavy-duty cleaning to wiping up the baby’s face after dinner. 
   
2. Quick grab snacks and treats. When you’re spending your days decorating, crafting, and cooking it’s easy to forget to make proper meals for yourself and your house guests, so I love having quick grab snacks like mandarin oranges, pretzel sticks, and mixed nuts on the counter for sustenance.
3. Games to play as a group. Nothing gets groups talking faster than opening up a good game and getting everyone involved. For this reason, I would highly recommend planning on playing a game or two when you are entertaining.
4. Toilet paper. Stocking up on Cottonelle paper products is a must before we have any house guests. No one wants to run out of the house mid-party to try and find a store that’s open, so I just prefer to stock up in advance and keep all bathrooms well stocked.
5. Elfcapade supplies. You never know when these types of shenanigans might happen. Darn elves. And, yes, I totally rolled all that Cottonelle® Ultra Comfort Care Toilet Paper back up on the roll. No way am I throwing away a perfectly good roll of toilet paper just because the elves got into it. The ultra cushiony, ultra luxurious roll withstood our elves’ hijinx and remained undamaged in spite of our prickly faux tree. If that’s not a ringing endorsement, I don’t know what is.
   
6. Activities for kids. From creating advent calendars to count down the days to making holiday décor to hang up and enjoy, there are lots of ways you can involve the kids and keep them from tearing apart your home while you prepare for guests.
7. Batteries for new {and old} toys. Nothing is sadder than a kid opening a new toy only to find that they can’t play with it until stores open the next day, so I always plan ahead and stock up on batteries ahead of time for gifts I’m giving as well as toys the kids might receive.
8. Kleenex tissues. I place one Kleenex® Holiday Oval in the living room and a Kleenex® Perfect Fit Holiday Canister in the kitchen and I’m all set for guests. I’m not a huge fan of huge boxes of tissues in the living room and kitchen, but with the Holiday Ovals and Perfect Fit Holiday Canister they blend in with the décor and look adorable sitting atop a side table so they are handy. Whether I’m sobbing at yet another heartfelt holiday commercial or I’m laughing until we start crying while goofing around with the kiddos, I always appreciate the softness and absorbency of Kleenex brand tissues without sacrificing style.
   
9. A well-stocked drink station. Free yourself up and let your guests serve themselves without needing to ask. We usually set up a station on the far counter so it’s not too far from the action, but is out of the way of the oven/refrigerator/and sink areas.
10. A holiday playlist. Every party needs good tunes, and a holiday party is no exception to the rule. I like to create playlists with specific holiday music as well as songs from holiday movie soundtracks that tend to get played more around this time of year, and just wait for the dance parties to inevitably happen.

Are you ready to stock up before the holidays? Cottonelle, Kleenex, Scott and Viva products are available at Walmart, a one-stop shop for all your holiday preparation and entertaining needs. And, if you use Ibotta app, you can save a ton of money while stocking up for guests. With the Ibotta app, you get $1 off Cottonelle 12-ct or larger, $1 off Scott 12-ct or larger, or $1 off Viva 6-ct or larger. Plus, buy two products and get an extra dollar back!
Check out the Ibotta app to find out how you can score great deals on all Kleenex, Viva, Scott and Cottonelle products at your local Walmart.

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.