Sticky Toffee Cheese Gingerbread Cookies Dessert with 4 Holiday Tips for Your Home
Today I’m sharing why #CleanFeelsGood to me, with 4 Holiday Tips for Your Home using Scotch-Brite tools, as well as a Sticky Toffee Cheese Gingerbread Cookies dessert to set out for holiday guests.
I’ve found when your house is ready for company during the holidays, it’s much easier to do last-minute entertaining!
Getting the family and your entertaining space in tip-top shape is much easier when you have a system or a plan, that is for sure. But what about drop-in guests? How do you involve the kids, what food do you serve, and how do you quickly clean the space where guests will be sitting?
Tip-top shape means something different for everybody! My house was neat and tidy until I had kids (years ago). Then reality set in. It was a rare occasion that it was perfect and ready for company, because we were a real-life active family with pets and messes!
I realize now that there will be time to clean when our kids are all grown and out of the house, and it’s just my husband and me! For now, our house is lively, and I couldn’t be happier!
Last-minute drop-ins.
I recently read a study that showed women who are ages 18-25 care more about a perfect house, but as time goes on, we become less fussy about cleaning. (Above, our family Christmas card this year.)
Sticky Toffee Cheese Gingerbread Cookies Dessert.
I’ve joined the “still caring about my home and last-minute guests stopping by” camp, that wants my space to be clean, yet knowing it doesn’t have to be perfect. That is a sweet relief, because ultimately I know that hospitality is about the people, not perfection. Drop-ins happen quite a bit in our home during the holidays, people stopping by for a quick hello, dropping off a gift, our college kids’ friends popping in. I try to keep things neat, in a relaxed kind of way. Oh, and have some food items stocked in the pantry and fridge for last-minute treats, like this Sticky Toffee Cheese (have you tried it yet?) with gingerbread cookies! YUM!
Because we are a pet family, with a dog and 2 cats, our living room sectional can get dirty and hairy—fast. The last thing I want is for guests to sit down and be covered with hair!
Scotch-Brite™ Printed Lint Roller.
It’s important to me to have our living space nice and clean for company—Perfect? No. Clean and tidied up? Yes! I keep a few Scotch-Brite products on hand, under our kitchen sink, for quick and easy clean up! One being the Scotch-Brite™ Printed Lint Roller, which is the only lint roller made with Scotch adhesive, so you know how powerful it is.
They have fun designs, and they help to not only keep our furniture clean, but they’re great for clothes (jackets, pants, sweaters, dresses), quickly removing all lint and fuzz.
Here are 4 Holiday Tips for your home:
1. KEEP ONE AREA READY. Have one entertaining space ready for company. Our living room has the beautiful tree, a comfortable sitting area, the piano, and a small coffee table (for drinks and a snack). It’s perfect for a last-minute or drop-in visit, whether you serve food or not, and I try to keep it comfy with soft pillows and blankets!
2. QUICK CLEANING TOOLS EASILY ACCESSIBLE. Have a few quick cleaning tools accessible. We keep a Scotch-Brite Lint Roller handy, and it only takes a few seconds to roll the sectional to remove the pet hair. Sweet relief, knowing our guests who have a black dress or pants on, won’t be covered with pet hair. It’s also great for that last-minute photo, where everyone gathers on the sofa!
3. HOUSE SMELLING GOOD. Keep ingredients on hand for a quick apple sangria or cider on the stove. It only takes about 5 minutes to get this recipe, here, brewing on the stove. Plus, it makes your house smell delicious!
4. EASY DESSERT. I try to keep a few items on hand to set out for guests to munch on. Pistachio nuts are always a big hit, but lately I’ve also been treating our guests to Sticky Toffee Cheese with Gingerbread Cookies, which I purchased at Trader Joe’s. It’s delightful!
#CleanFeelsGood.
The bottom line is to set a standard of what clean means to you, and go with it.
The simpler you make it, the more you will be able to give up perfection and enjoy the people in your home!
Check out the Scotch-Brite Cleaning Guides for more tips!
How do you keep prepared for drop-in holiday guests?
Get the Recipe:
Sticky Toffee Cheese Gingerbread Cookies Dessert
Ingredients
- Sticky Toffee Cheddar Cheese, I buy at Trader Joe’s
- 1 package gingerbread cookies
- Pomegrante seeds, optional
Instructions
- Lay the brick of cheese on a platter; surround with gingerbread cookies.
- Sprinkle pomegrante seeds on top for a festive garnish; serve!
I am a compensated 3M-sponsored blogger. Opinions are my own, and additional products used in the project were selected by me. #CleanFeelsGood
Hello and welcome to my home and table!
I’m Sandy—lover of food, family, cooking, THE BIG BOARD, travel, and bringing people together. Through great recipes and connection around the table, we become better, stronger, and more courageous people. Feasting on Life is real, and every time we do it, we grow a little more. Read more...
This is a great appetizer!
Having a golden retriever, we have those rolls in every room! I love all these tips!
Love how simple and fancy this is!
I need to keep these tips handy! I’m not so fussy when it comes to cleaning, so I need all the help I can get for drop ins!
I’ll have to see if our Trader Joe’s carries Sticky Toffee Cheddar Cheese. What a simple and unique dessert! I do something similar with a wedge of Stilton with cranberries and serve it with Swedish Ginger Cookies (Annas Pepparkakor). I serve it as an hor d’oeuvre but it too would be nice for a cheese plate dessert. Thanks for the inspiration as usual! Merry Christmas Sandy!