It’s hard to believe that Christmas and New Years are just right around the corner!  If you have been shopping at all for the last month and a half, you may have thought they were here already!  We saw our first Christmas decorations in October!  It seems they are out earlier every year!  Good grief!  Anyway, now that the big holidays are in sight, it’s a good time to take stock and determine if you are ready for guests, both planned and drop-ins!  Because the last couple of years have been less than normal and guests may have been few and far between, it’s fair to say we may have put off any guest preparations during that time.  Well, help is here in the form of a checklist for you to consider as you prepare for guests coming to visit.  Holidays can be stressful so if you can check off the following items now that will make for less stress later.

Guest Checklist:

1.  Sleeping Area:  Do you have a space designated for guests to sleep?  If not, think through now where you would have your overnight guests bunk to avoid last minute shuffling that may make your guests feel like they are a burden.  If you are having your guests bunk on a blow-up mattress, is it in working order with no leaks?  What you want to avoid is finding that out at midnight when you’re blowing it up for your guests or worse yet the next morning when you found out they spent the night sinking to the floor on a leaking mattress!

2.  Guest Room:  If you have a guest room, are the sheets fresh?  Do you have some nice extras available like a few books, a couple of newer magazines, etc.?  It’s also nice to have a clock in the room and maybe some fresh flowers for a nice extra touch!  Don’t forget easy access to charging for your guest’s devices.

3.  Guest Bath:  How about your guest bath?  Are fresh towels available?  Do you have extra items available that people tend to forget when they travel like razors, toothbrush, toothpaste, and other basic toiletry items?  Place these items in a cute basket on the counter for easy access.  Maybe add some special soaps or lotions for a special touch.

4.  Food & Beverages:  How about the food and beverage department?  Now is a good time to watch for sales and stock up on bottled water, snack foods, soda, coffee, and other easy food items.  Does anyone have food allergies?  Not sure, find out early so you have things on hand to accommodate anyone with special dietary needs.  Again, the goal is to make everyone feel welcome and no one feel like you’re having to go to extra trouble for them.

5.  The Extra Touch:  If you know you have guests coming, it’s a nice idea to give them a little goodie bag or basket that has some of their favorite things in it.  Ideas:  Magazines, bottled water, favorite candy or snack items. Doesn’t have to be big or fancy but just adds a nice extra touch to let them know how special as you think they are!

The biggest trick I have learned over the years for less stressful holiday visits is to simply do as much ahead of time as possible.  Think through all the things you need to do, make a list, and knock in out a few things at a time, a couple of times each week, up to holiday time.  Taking on smaller amounts make even the longest to-do list seem much easier to accomplish!  This way when your guests arrive, you will be able to enjoy the time with them and not have to worry about anything other than having fun!

I hope this helps you think through the things you need to get done before the doorbell rings and your guests are at your front door!

Now, what will you do next to love where you live?

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