{"id":368,"date":"2017-12-06T15:13:57","date_gmt":"2017-12-06T20:13:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/karenlordrutter.press\/blog\/?p=368"},"modified":"2017-12-13T17:25:45","modified_gmt":"2017-12-13T22:25:45","slug":"ready-or-not-here-they-come-20-tips-for-helping-holiday-guests-feel-at-home","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/karenlordrutter.press\/blog\/?p=368","title":{"rendered":"Ready or Not, Here They Come! 20 Tips for Helping Holiday Guests Feel at Home."},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/p>\n

Perry Como first sang the tune, Home for the Holidays<\/em>, back in 1954. Since that time, recording artists including The Carpenters, Garth Brooks, Barry Manilow, Cyndi Lauper and Norah Jones have serenaded us as we await loved ones returning home for the holidays.\u00a0 Television celebrates reunions by showing wreath decorated doors opening to loved ones in snow-covered scenes with guests bearing gifts for all. Friends gather around the holiday table for a feast befitting a king. A beautifully decorated Christmas tree completes the scene of the most magical holiday season.<\/p>\n

What television doesn’t show us is all the preparation, stress, and worry involved in creating those perfect holiday scenes. Yes, its a labor of love…but it’s still labor. Making those guests feel comfortable and at home can be challenging. Here are 20 tips to ensure that overnight guests feel comfortable and welcome in your home.Create a relaxing environment by providing a personal space for guests that feels safe, secure, and aesthetically pleasing.<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Provide guests with fresh, soft, clean sheets that invite a good nights sleep.<\/li>\n
  2. Provide extra bedding such as quilts, blankets, extra pillows, etc. so that the bed can be as plush or bare as your guests prefer.<\/li>\n
  3. Avoid heavy perfumed laundry detergent and dryer sheets.\u00a0 Some holiday noses will be sensitive to scent.<\/li>\n
  4. Provide a chair, table or luggage rack for ease of using suitcases and totes while visiting.<\/li>\n
  5. \u00a0Provide a night-light in both the bedroom and bathroom.\u00a0 When guests are traveling, waking up in a strange place in the dark can be a little unsettling.<\/li>\n
  6. Provide a small fan in the bedroom. With winter heating systems, air can sometimes feel dry and stifling. Fans can also provide ambient noise when guests prefer to leave the party and retire to bed early.<\/li>\n
  7. Place a single flower in a vase or a green plant on the bedside table.\u00a0 That extra touch can mean so much.\u00a0 I have a friend whose children always picked a flower from the garden to put on the bedside table when I arrived.\u00a0 I felt the love and always appreciated that simple gesture.\u00a0 (Sadie and Ella, thank you.)<\/li>\n
  8. Place a bottle of water or a glass on the beside table.<\/li>\n
  9. Provide TV instructions and the wifi passcode so that guests can have some “me” time.<\/li>\n
  10. Instruct children (and adults) to respect guests when they retire to their space.\u00a0 Every guest should have the opportunity to “get away” for time to themselves.<\/li>\n
  11. Provide a new toothbrush and travel size toothpaste for every guest.\u00a0 Traveling can be stressful and it is easy to forget to bring the necessities.<\/li>\n
  12. Provide individual bars of soap or new shower gel to guests. As Oprah once famously said, “Nobody wants to bathe with used soap.” (paraphrased)<\/li>\n
  13. Have towels laid out on the counter, dresser, or bed so that guests have them readily available for use<\/li>\n
  14. Provide extra toilet paper in an easily accessible place and check often to replace rolls during the guests’ stay.<\/li>\n
  15. Check with guests to determine if they prefer coffee, tea, juice or other beverages as they arise in the morning. Be sure to ask about creamer, sugar, lemon, etc.<\/li>\n
  16. Find out about dietary concerns before guests arrive.\u00a0 Be considerate of allergies and preferences.<\/li>\n
  17. Give guests permission to “feel at home”.\u00a0 The refrigerator, snacks, outside spaces, etc. should be accessible and welcoming to guests.<\/li>\n
  18. Don’t forget to tell guests about alarm systems!\u00a0 Nothing is worse than needing a little fresh air at 4am and blasting the neighborhood because nobody bothered to tell you that an alarm would be set.<\/li>\n
  19. \u00a0Smile, relax, and enjoy those special guests.\u00a0 After all…<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    \u00a0\u00a0Oh, there’s no place like home for the holidays,
    \n‘Cause no matter how far away you roam,
    \nWhen you pine for the sunshine of a friendly gaze,
    \nFor the holidays, you can’t beat home, sweet home.<\/p>\n

    (Songwriter: Al Stillman)<\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Perry Como first sang the tune, Home for the Holidays, back in 1954. Since that time, recording artists including The Carpenters, Garth Brooks, Barry Manilow, Cyndi Lauper and Norah Jones have serenaded us as we await loved ones returning home for the holidays.\u00a0 Television celebrates reunions by showing wreath decorated doors opening to loved ones […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":369,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true},"categories":[1],"tags":[143,146,148,142,145,140,138,144,141,147,43,139],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/karenlordrutter.press\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/winter-holiday-scene-wallpaper-4.jpg?fit=500%2C375&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p9gDsa-5W","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":700,"url":"https:\/\/karenlordrutter.press\/blog\/?p=700","url_meta":{"origin":368,"position":0},"title":"Traveling is a Hassle!","date":"December 23, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"I've been preparing for a trip this holiday and I've been reminded just how much work preparing for extended travel is!\u00a0 Let's just cut this commentary short and sweet and make a list: Decide on location where everyone has options for engagement Buy airline tickets or prepare car for travel\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "children"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/karenlordrutter.press\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/This-Heart-of-Mine.jpg?fit=375%2C500&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":751,"url":"https:\/\/karenlordrutter.press\/blog\/?p=751","url_meta":{"origin":368,"position":1},"title":"“We’ve already bought the cheese and crackers!”","date":"December 25, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"I've spent a lot of time in hospitals in my adult life. 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Today held a big disappointment for us.\u00a0 We secured our Robben Island tickets before ever leaving home because we wanted to see the place where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned and better understand his plight.\u00a0We made our way\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "family"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/karenlordrutter.press\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/IMG_6739.jpeg?fit=500%2C667&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1033,"url":"https:\/\/karenlordrutter.press\/blog\/?p=1033","url_meta":{"origin":368,"position":5},"title":"Just one more disaster","date":"October 10, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"We've all come to expect the worst in 2020; but I never dreamed that I would survive a tornado and a hurricane in the same year. I've jokingly said that I can't travel to Asia this year even if the travel ban is lifted. 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