As the holiday season rapidly approaches, there’s still time to do a few things that will make your guests feel welcome.
Whether you’re having a cocktail party for your co-workers or you’re hosting a Thanksgiving weekend for distant relatives, we have some tips that will ensure everyone has a great time!
Declutter Living Areas
Even if your home feels cozy and festive to you, it may have a completely different vibe once you add a group of people to the mix. Look around the rooms where your guests will be gathering and ask yourself if there’s anything that would be better off put away for now.
Homes can feel particularly cluttered if you added holiday decorations to your everyday decor. Will your guests have room to set down drinks, sit comfortably or talk in small groups? If the answer is no, consider boxing up some decorations until after your guests have gone.
For overnight guests, make sure that the bedroom is as clutter free as possible. People sleep better in rooms with minimal visual clutter and the last thing you want is someone tripping and falling in the dark!
We get that you want pretty candles and strategically placed Santas, but if it’s too much, your family and friends will feel crowded and uncomfortable.
***Need more advice and help getting those areas decluttered? Check out our Love Your Home Again course! We can get your home ready now so you can focus on your guests when they arrive!***
Remember The Five Senses
To make your home feel as welcome as possible, always remember the five senses! Sight, sound, scent, taste and touch can all have a huge impact whether you’re hosting a dinner or a sleepover.
Sight: Make sure you have soft lighting at the dinner table, candles work wonders!
If you’re having overnight guests, blackout curtains are a great way to ensure a good night’s sleep. Short of that, eye masks are a lovely touch to add to a bedside table.
Sound: Background music is a great way to add ambiance to your festivities. Make sure it’s not too loud (you don’t want people to have to shout at one another) but just loud enough to fill any awkward silences.
You may also want to consider a white noise machine in your guest bedroom so the every day comings and goings of your home won’t bother your guests.
Scent: Even if your home smells fine to you, that may not be the case to everyone else. And that doesn’t even have to mean it smells bad! But the way we live our lives; pets, cooking, kids, etc all make for a scent that is particular to our homes. So break out some lightly scented candles, air fresheners or a bouquet of fresh flowers to make the smell of your home enjoyable to all.
You can also keep a pot of scented herbs and spices on your stovetop or in your crockpot if you don’t like candles or air fresheners.
Taste: Above and beyond the obvious food prep for meals, you can add a few welcoming touches for your guests. A wrapped chocolate on their pillow, a protein bar on a bedside table and readily available snacks throughout the day will ensure your guests feel looked after.
Touch: Small things can have a big impact on how people feel in your home. Something as simple as soft, plush hand towels or crisp, clean sheets can elevate your family and friends’s experience. Buy the best you can afford of these types of things and save them for when the holidays roll around. You’ll be so happy you have basically brand new items to offer to your guests, rather than the things you use every day.
Open Your Heart As Well As Your Home
Having guests in your home can feel stressful and the more you allow yourself to get anxious, the more things will likely go wrong. Acknowledge that you aren’t perfect, your home isn’t perfect and no one expects perfection anyway! Forgot to stock the fridge with your sister’s favorite coffee creamer? Oh well, she’ll live and you can always run out and grab some when you get a second.
The most important thing is spending time together. If you can exude gratitude and joy for being with your friends, family and loved ones, then everyone will feel welcome and you can rest easy knowing that you made your house a home for the holidays!
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