The countdown to the festival of lights has begun. You can feel the excitement in the air! There’s a lot of house cleaning to be done, stuff to be thrown out, new stuff to be purchased, the house to be decorated, the menu for the big day to be decided and some gifts to be picked up for our loved ones as well. But don’t let all those things overwhelm you. Covid-19 has made our lives bleak enough all these days and months. It is time to brighten up our hearts and our homes this Diwali and celebrate the festival with pomp and gaiety. That said, here are a few things you can do to prepare for the festive season without burdening yourself.
Spruce Up Your House
It is time to get rid of all the gloominess of the last few months. If you have a big budget, book a safe painting service and brighten up your walls with some bright hues and colours.
If you’re not house painting, just make sure you thoroughly clean your walls, doors, windows, grills, fans, furniture, balcony, terrace and such. You can pick up all your cleaning supplies online and avoid an extra run to the supermarket.
Pick up your cleaning supplies here
A week should be more than enough to get all the work done.
Declutter
Do you know how many things you’ve added to your home since last Diwali? Chances are, you now have a ton of stuff you don’t need or don’t use anymore. Pull out all your favorite clothes you cannot wear anymore from your wardrobe, the stuff you simply keep in your loft for a rainy day that never comes and dispose or donate them. You’ve got to be a bit ruthless here. Just tell yourself that you need the space to bring more new goodies in and you’ll be able to part with them sooner.
That should take a day or two.
Plan Your Shopping
Next up, its time to decide what you are going to buy. New clothes for the family; curtains and décor for your home; new kitchenware (those non-stick items are sure to be worn out now); electronic gadgets (definitely need an upgrade); new TV ( they sure are getting bigger, better and cheaper); decorations (diyas, candles, string lights, rangoli designs); dry fruits; crackers; grocery items if you plan on cooking up a Diwali treat in the kitchen.
Whatever your shopping needs are, sit down and put them all down on paper. Then decide if you want to do your shopping online or offline. Since shopping in stores poses a significant risk, you can try and complete this year’s purchases online. Amazon, Flipkart and various other online stores offer plenty of festive discounts to help you get whatever you want without stressing yourself out.
Here are a few things to consider:
Statues and Idols – A great festive addition to the living room space. Here are some cool collections on Amazon.
Puja Essentials – Take your pick from the silver gods and goddesses to handcrafted puja thalis, agarbathies and more from this collection.
Diyas – No Diwali is complete without them. Take your pick from shiny brass lights to handcrafted terracotta beauties. See on Amazon.
Cooking essentials – If you are planning on doing a lot in the kitchen, its time to upgrade some of those nonstick pans and kadais. Amazon is offering plenty of great deals on cookware. If you are health conscious, you can try the wide range of healthy living kitchenware and if you want to upgrade your appliances, there’s plenty of big deals from the likes of Havelis, Bosch, Bajaj and more. Check it out here.
Cushion Covers – We particularly love this set of cushion covers from STITCHNEST but there’s plenty to choose from including this one from Indigifts and this one from Lalhaveli.
Gift hampers – If you plan on gifting your loved ones, take your pick from the lovely festival hampers on Amazon from chocolates and dry fruits to spa collections and immunity boosters.
Decorate your House
With the shopping list done and dusted, its time to think about decorating your home. Plan things first before you get started. Rangoli at the entrance, lighting – strings and diyas – where you’d want them set up; if you’re buying paper lanterns this year, where do you want them hung; putting up the new curtains, pillow cases, bedcovers, cushion covers and other nitty gritties. You can reserve this task for a day or two before the big event. And you can even delegate this task to other family members, who I’m sure would be super excited to do this part of the Diwali chores with gusto! – leaving you free to focus on the big day’s menu.
Cooking with love
If you love making sweets and savouries for the big day, make sure you organize your recipes and allocate the time you’ll need to make them. Be sure to include more healthy recipes in your festivities this year!
And finally, don’t forget to enjoy every activity you do with your family members. After all, that’s how you create beautiful memories. Smile, sing, laugh, and dance, your way through all your chores, and before you know, you would have dispelled all the gloom of 2020 and celebrated the precious festival of lights with greater joy and happiness than you have ever done before. Have a Safe, Happy and Green Diwali this year everyone.
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