by Tracey Doull, Kitchen Moxie Founder
Mi casa es su casa. Translation: my house is your house. A wonderful sentiment and one most of us strive to achieve when welcoming overnight guests into our home. While hosting visitors in your home can sometimes feel like a daunting task, with a little extra effort and some forethought you can help your guests feel right at home.
Use these tips to sweep out the stress and welcome in the hospitality and warmth of your loving home:
- Before your guests arrive, make sure to ask if there are any dietary restrictions, food allergies or aversions that you should be aware of. The last thing you want to do is serve something that one of your guests can’t eat.
- When planning your menus, pick meals that are easy to pull together or can be completely made ahead of time. Part of being a good host is balancing your time between taking care of and enjoying time with your guests.
- Prior to your guests arrival (and on a regular basis), make sure to test out the mattress on your guest bed. As we don’t often sleep in our own guest beds, it is easy to overlook a sagging or lumpy mattress.
- In case you have early birds staying, make sure to show them where they can find morning essentials like coffee and tea, as wells as how to operate the coffee maker and/or kettle.
- Place plenty of towels, washcloths or even extra robes (if you have them) at the end of the bed where you guests will be staying.
- If the bath or shower operation is a little tricky, walk your guests through it so when it comes time to bathe they will be good to go.
- Stock the bathroom with soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes, shampoo, conditioner and loo paper. Your guests may bring some of these items, but it’s great to have things in place just in case.
- Set out a water jug and some glasses in the guest bedroom. This will be much appreciated in case a glass of water is needed before bed and save on a dark walk back to the kitchen in unfamiliar territory for your guests.
- Set out a vase of flowers in the guest room. Not only will this brighten the room, but will make your guests feel very welcome indeed.
How do you make your guests feel right at home?
More from GalTime.com:
- How to be the Best Houseguest Ever
- Tips To Keep a Tidy Kitchen
- 7 Ways to Give Your Home a Facelift for Pennies
- How to Salvage Your Old Cast Iron Pots and Pans
Tracey Doull worked in both broadcast news and broadcast public relations prior to becoming a stay-at-home mom in 2000. After her daughter was born, Tracey’s passion for cooking and entertaining exploded. With more time on her hands to devote to “figuring it out,” she honed her organizational skills from her former life and began hosting dinner parties most weekends. Two more children and a puppy later, Tracey is still passionate about food and entertaining. Over the past 12 years she has hosted hundreds of dinner parties, themed parties and black-tie dinners for her friends and family. Learn more at kitchenmoxie.net.
