Filed under Entertaining on December 5th, 2008:
Top 5 Ways To Make Your Houseguest Feel Welcome This Holiday Season
It’s officially the holiday season! For so many of us that means spending time with family and friends. So, you don’t have a separate guest house to accommodate everyone. You can still make their temporary home away from home just as cozy. Here’s how….
1. Prepare the room they’ll be staying in.
True enough, many apartments in Seattle, or any apartment for that matter, are low on square footage. However, this doesn’t mean you can’t play host to family and friends during the holidays. More important than the size of the space is the way you make the space feel. To get a homey feel to your guest space, be it an entire room or an air mattress in the corner of a multi-purpose space, here are a few suggestions…
- Get rid of the clutter. Less is more.
- Put out a basket of guest towels.
- Make the bed with fresh linens and extra blankets.
- Make a dresser or closet space available (don’t forget the hangers.)
- Place an alarm clock and reading lamp on the bedside table.
- Put an iron and board in a closet and a hairdryer under the sink.
- Seasonal flowers are a great touch for a guest bathroom or on a nightstand.
2. Put together a welcome basket.
This basket will vary depending on who you’re hosting for the holidays but include items like tea bags or hot chocolate, bottles of water, packets of crackers and cookies, coloring books for kids, and travel size toiletries.
3. Stock the pantry and plan the meals.
If you know what your guests favorite snacks are, you can stock up on those items. Also, buy groceries for a continental style breakfast for your guests, that require little effort on your part. That way, you don’t have to wake up early every morning to cook a large meal. Muffins, croissants, jams and jellies, yogurt, orange juice, and coffee should do the trick.
4. When they arrive, give them a tour of the house.
A home tour is one of the easiest ways to welcome your guests. If nothing else, they’ll get a lay of the land. So when they need an extra towel or want to pour themselves a glass of juice, they won’t have to ask. They’ll know exactly where to look and will hopefully feel welcome to help themselves.
5. Plan fun activities and things to do in Seattle for your guest. Particularly during the holidays, the city of Seattle has numerous events and attractions your guests will enjoy.
- The Northwest Boychoir’s Festival of Lessons & Carols Concert
- City of Woodinville’s Light Festival
- The Black Nativity Gospel Songfest
- Issaquah Reindeer Festival
- Scrooge the Musical
- Seattle Center Winterfest
- Seattle’s Holiday Parade of Boats
Obviously there’s no place like home. But, if your holiday plans include playing host to family and friends, these tips will certainly have your house guest appreciating all of your efforts to make your home feel like theirs this holiday season. Be careful. They might not want to leave!