With family-oriented holidays coming up in the next few weeks, you may be getting excited and ready to see family and celebrate the holidays with them. Perhaps you're even hosting this year and are getting the house prepared for their stay. Preparing the home for family coming to stay over can be stressful. There are suitcases, clothes, and makeshift beds all over the place. Not to mention the snack raid on your kitchen that inevitably happens. So whether you have friends and family staying the night at your place or just want to create a welcoming environment for daytime hosting, here is a quick guide to preparing your house for guests!
Clean the House
This is an obvious first step to any house preparation, and if you have already done your spring cleaning, it shouldn't require much time. A quick decluttering, dusting, and mopping should do the trick! Just make sure to keep your guests in mind. This means creating space for suitcases, clearing out shelves or drawers, finding fresh linen, and making plugs and outlets accessible.
Prepare the Bathroom
Toilet paper! The number one most important thing to stock up on. No one likes to run out of the stuff, and when you're entertaining many guests, it disappears quicker than you think. Make sure to stock the bathroom and place a few extra rolls in a logical place where guests can easily find them. Other than toilet paper, stock up with a few other essentials for guests. Hand soap by the sink, body wash in the shower, and maybe even some conditioner and shampoo if you're feeling extra generous ;) Also, don't forget to lay out an extra set of towels.
Prepare the Bedroom
If your guests are staying over, prepare their beds or sleeping areas with fresh linen and at least 2 pillows per guest. Depending on how many guests you are expecting, you may run out of bed spaces. Be sure to set expectations and let your guests know if they need to bring their own bedding or find alternative accommodation. Also, keep a few light blankets that can be layered onto the bed just in case it's a bit colder than your guests may like. Layering blankets will allow your guests to adjust the warmth to the level that's right for them.
Prepare the Kitchen
The last place left on the list to get ready is the kitchen. Whether you are only hosting for the day or cooking meals for everyone, the kitchen can quickly become a place of gathering (and eating)! Make sure to have a variety of drinks to choose from. Morning drinks such as milk, juice, coffee, and teas are great to keep around. Waters, light sodas, and maybe even some wine can also be great to keep on hand to quench thirst throughout the day. When it comes to getting some snacks for your guests, it's good to stock up on both sweet and salty options. Trail mixes or snack mixes are great ways to combine both of those flavors. You can also keep a few different types of chips on hand with a variety of dips and some sweet snacks like Rice Krispie bars, cookies, or individually wrapped chocolates.
Make a Meal Plan
If you're going to be in charge of meals for everyone staying over, MAKE A MEAL PLAN. Cooking food for more people than you are used to can be overwhelming without a plan. List out every meal and precisely what you're going to make for each one, then run it by your guests to ensure there aren't any issues. This is a great time to ask about allergies. It can sometimes be difficult for a guest to speak up about an allergy or sensitivity, so make sure to ask beforehand to avoid any awkwardness and also so you don't accidentally cause an allergic reaction.
Allow for Downtime
It can get really tiring being the host and constantly seeing to your guests' needs. Be sure to schedule in some downtime for yourself. Consider turning on a movie for everyone and taking a midday nap or going outside for a walk. Being inside with a lot of people is a recipe for everyone going stir crazy, so you can also encourage everyone to get outside. Even a walk around the block or relocating to the backyard can make a huge difference in your mood and energy.
Enjoy It!
Even if your house is packed to the brim with people, your fridge is so full it can barely close, and you barely have a moment to enjoy it, it's so special to have friends and family spend time together. Soon enough, the occasion will be over, and your house will be quiet and clean again with your regular routine. So let the little things go and soak up the quality time with your visitors :))