The best compliment I have received was when a friend of mine came to visit us with her family. They had visited another one of our friends a few weeks before, then came to visit us. She said that she felt like she was coming to Monica’s, after visiting Joey’s house a few weeks earlier. I laughed so hard at this. (and if you don’t get the Friends references, we can’t be friends, j/k)
So, let’s talk about your guests and what they need to feel welcomed into your home. First, think about how you want to feel when you are visiting a friend or family member. Next, place all the items they could want, or need, out so they can find them easily. Also, have plenty good and drinks available!
I keep an assortment of toiletries out in the guest bathroom, and I let my guests know they are there for them to use freely. I grab these items from the dollar tree or from a hotel that I stayed at, so that I always have a stash hidden away to replenish.
I also place extra blankets in the guest bedroom where guest can find them, an extra fan out if they get too warm, and I always have a water pitcher with glasses and beverage napkins in the guest room. Our guest room is upstairs and this way they have some water in there and don’t have to come back down the stairs if they get thirsty in the middle of the night. I also have reading materials in the guest room. I don’t think the magazines get used much, but I like to have them there so it’s available for some light reading before bedtime.
Next, is I keep a fully stocked coffee station! This always has a variety of k-cups so that guests can find the coffee of their choice. I also keep it stocked with hot cocoa, hot teas, wassail, apple cider, and wine! I also include a lot of togo cups for coffee. This way your guests can grab and go, if they need to! Also, our garage fridge is always loaded with sparkling water, la croix, sodas, and juice boxes. The one thing I do tend to forget is just regular bottles of water. I have committed to doing better at having this in the new year!
Last on the list is food! Make sure to keep an assortment of snacks available that are easy for guests to grab. This is something that is usually forgotten about because the hostess normally provides meals. But, when you are entertaining out of town guests, many times you are drinking a little extra, or staying up late. So, make sure you have snack foods available that are easy to access! One of my favorite items this time of year is the popcorn tins! I usually get a few of these to keep on hand, from the gourmet variety to the cheap one from Walmart. I keep popcorn bags out so guests can grab a bag, fill it with their favorite popcorn, and go!
I also do a ton of holiday baking each year. I love this tradition with my daughter! We spend a full day baking a variety of cookies and goodies! These usually last throughout the end of December. We always put them in cute tin containers. This makes it easy for me to grab them and put a few out for guests to nibble on.
I hope this little list list helps you out when you are getting ready to host your family and friends for the holidays! Just remember to relax and have fun! And think of ideas that make you feel welcome when you go to visit for the holidays.
Happy Holidays!!!