Is your home ready for guests?

[Gryphon]

With the holidays quickly approaching, if you're like most people, you'll be hosting houseguests in the coming months. Are you ready?

Here's some tips for making your guests comfortable:

1. Have extra toiletries on hand. I routinely raid the maid cart at hotels I stay in to insure I have plenty of travel sized shampoos, soaps, lotions, etc. Throw away used items once your guests have left--no one wants to reuse someone elses soap!

2. Get the bed ready! Have a good mattress in your guest room. Since some people like plushy softness and others prefer to sleep on a bed that's as hard as a rock, you'll come closest to pleasing everyone with a moderately firm mattress (or a firm one with a nice pillow top). Have on hand different types of pillows. My own guest room has four pillows--a pair of firmer, fluffy ones, and a set of flatter soft ones. Have high quality sheets on the bed. High thread count sheets are now available at low prices at many discount stores--so theres no excuse for making your guests sleep on threadbare percale. Have some extra blankets available for guests who get cold easily.

3. If your guest room serves double duty, reserve it exclusively for your guests while they are around. Little used guest rooms are often called on to double as studys, craft rooms, exercise rooms, etc. But while your guests are in town, let them have the run of the room.

4. Place things your guests will need where they are easily found. Don't force them to hunt through the closets for a towel. Leave a nicely folded set for each guest in their bathroom or bedroom. If there's room in the guest suite, place a small coffee pot, a few bottled waters or sodas, etc. so guests in need of a late night drink or early morning cup of joe have easy access.

5. Don't forget the extras. Have on hand a few good, light reading books. Short stories or coffee-table style books are perfect for guests who just want to have something to wind down with before falling asleep. I also have a huge amount of framed pictures throughout my house, and I usually try to put a few that will  have meaning to the guest in the guest room. (Maybe its a picture of us at an old vacation spot, a photo from their wedding, etc.)

6. If you're planning a new home, some things you might want to consider for the guest room: zoning the heating and air conditioning so that guests can control the temperature in their room themselves. Give guests access to the outdoors (particularly nice if you often have guests who smoke and you don't allow it inside your home).

7. Help guests who have time on their own. I've often found myself entertaining guests for a week at a time, and just can't clear my entire schedule for them. In those cases, I have a list of local attractions that I can print out to give them, and I take the portable navigation system out of my own car so they can use it to get around.

[Dexter Morgan]

I wanna stay at your house for the holidays.    Wow, you really cater to your guests. I bet you plan great parties too. Those are all great suggestions. Some of those ideas, are things I never even thought of. 

[Gryphon]

I wanna stay at your house for the holidays.    Wow, you really cater to your guests. I bet you plan great parties too. Those are all great suggestions. Some of those ideas, are things I never even thought of. 

Thanks! Youre welcome anytime!
Part of it comes from having been a guest so many times...Ive stolen ideas or seen "room for improvement"

[Dexter Morgan]

Thanks! Youre welcome anytime!
Part of it comes from having been a guest so many times...Ive stolen ideas or seen "room for improvement"

So are you ready for the holidays? Will you be having large gatherings? I can't believe Thanksgiving, is less than 2 weeks away. It's only 6 weeks until Christmas.  I've actually started my shopping a little early this year. I'm a procrastinator really bad, when it comes to picking gifts for people. A lot of times I give gift cards or money. That way everybody buys what they want, rather than getting somehing they don't want or need. I'm a slacker, when it comes to shopping. I absolutely hate shopping of any kind. 

[Gryphon]

So are you ready for the holidays? Will you be having large gatherings? I can't believe Thanksgiving, is less than 2 weeks away. It's only 6 weeks until Christmas.  I've actually started my shopping a little early this year. I'm a procrastinator really bad, when it comes to picking gifts for people. A lot of times I give gift cards or money. That way everybody buys what they want, rather than getting somehing they don't want or need. I'm a slacker, when it comes to shopping. I absolutely hate shopping of any kind. 

Not at all! I'll probably have one big party, but no family get togethers at my house this year. I've purchased ONE gift, and I bought it so long ago, that I'm not even sure where it is now. I've been trying, unsuccessfully, for several years now to get my family to agree to NO GIFTS. We're all really bad to just buy it for ourselves if we want something, so its really hard to shop for them. I'd rather we all took a ski trip or something and let that be the gift.

[Dexter Morgan]

Not at all! I'll probably have one big party, but no family get together at my house this year. I've purchased ONE gift, and I bought it so long ago, that I'm not even sure where it is now. I've been trying, unsuccessfully, for several years now to get my family to agree to NO GIFTS. We're all really bad to just buy it for ourselves if we want something, so its really hard to shop for them. I'd rather we all took a ski trip or something and let that be the gift.

I think a trip or outing is a great idea.  It's hard to buy gifts for people. I never have any idea what to get. When they started selling gift cards, I was in Heaven LOL!!! It may seem like it's impersonal, but at least people get what they want, and it saves a lot of time, and energy.  I don't have a lot of family, so my holiday gatherings, aren't formal, and it's a just a relaxed atmosphere. It's nice ,but not fancy. 

[tallulahdahling]

Excellent tips for the houseguests--I've had them all year and will continue to have some more through the holidays.
They are tending to me, of course but I want to return the favor by being a gracious hostess!
I've noticed that it is really important to have a variety of beverages on hand.
Not everyone drinks coffee in the am (I know, they must be aliens, right?) so I've learned to have fruit juices, different teas and plenty of bottled water in the pantry.
And everyone likes cookies.  Always have cookies on hand!

[Dexter Morgan]

Excellent tips for the houseguests--I've had them all year and will continue to have some more through the holidays.
They are tending to me, of course but I want to return the favor by being a gracious hostess!
I've noticed that it is really important to have a variety of beverages on hand.
Not everyone drinks coffee in the am (I know, they must be aliens, right?) so I've learned to have fruit juices, different teas and plenty of bottled water in the pantry.
And everyone likes cookies.  Always have cookies on hand!

What......... no Dew or Mello Yello!!!  I guess I'll just have to bring my own LOL!!! 

[tallulahdahling]

No, I'm gonna keep some of that Bahama Blast on hand for you -- that should knock your socks off!  LOL   

[Dexter Morgan]

No, I'm gonna keep some of that Bahama Blast on hand for you -- that should knock your socks off!  LOL   

GOOD TIMES!!!!

[tallulahdahling]

And why do I keep losing all of my matching towel and washcloth sets? 

Seems I purchase new ones every time I have a houseguest and then one of them disappear.

Must go into the black hole that my socks vanish into!   

[Dexter Morgan]

And why do I keep losing all of my matching towel and washcloth sets? 

Seems I purchase new ones every time I have a houseguest and then one of them disappear.

Must go into the black hole that my socks vanish into!   

It's probably the Dryer Conspiracy!!!! 

[tallulahdahling]

No doubt--just my luck--but screw it--I am determined to have a good time.

Making the cherry pie with the lattice top today!  My BIL's fav.  He'll forget that the washcloth doesn't match the hand towel, I'm sure!   

[Dexter Morgan]

No doubt--just my luck--but screw it--I am determined to have a good time.

Making the cherry pie with the lattice top today!  My BIL's fav.  He'll forget that the washcloth doesn't match the hand towel, I'm sure!   

Wing it T. They'll never know. 

[tallulahdahling]

Got until Xmas day to clean this filth pot -- just have a couple of friends coming for xmas dinner so I think I can make the place presentable--now if I can just keep them sober enough to stay outta the gun cabinet ................