~Hospitality is Making Your Guests Feel at Home, Even if You Wish They Were at Home~

I think by this point we've all read or seen how Martha Stewart and her minions think we should treat guests. With her homemade shampoos and monogrammed robes, she's a an inspiration to us all...to a point.

A house guest should feel welcome and should never be made to feel as though their visit has caused any undue work on your part...so skip the monogrammed robe and, only make the shampoo if you were making some for yourself anyway.

Having guests doesn't have to be stressful; I have a few simple tips to help things run smoothly for you...and for them.

Housework is something you do that nobody notices until you don't do it.
~Clean your house thoroughly at least a week before your guests arrive. This way you'll have plenty of time to do all the heavy duty cleaning and not feel like a deadline is looming over you. Also, it makes quick wipe-downs and any other last minute tidying easier to do. Keeping up with this stuff will also give you more time to hang out and have fun with your company.

~Always, ALWAYS make sure there is enough clean linen for your guests. This means clean sheets, bedding and clean towels. You should also make sure there's an extra set of clean sheets and, if any extra blankets are required, those are clean as well. As for towels, you should provide your guest(s) with one washcloth, one hand towel and one bath towel each. Be sure that you have enough clean towels available so that your guest(s) will have a clean towel every day that he/she is at your home (though, most people won't do that).

As a child my family's menu consisted of two choices: take it or leave it.
~Plan a menu and shop ahead of time. Just because you make a menu doesn't mean you have to follow it strictly but it does mean you'll have all the food on hand to feed your guests if you decide to eat at home (for some meals) instead of going out. Also, ask your guests while you are planning your menu what some of their favorite dishes are, or if there are any food allergies.

Keeping everyone busy.
~Look into some of the festivals, movies and activities that may be going on in your area while your guests will be there. For the most part, your guests are probably there just to see you but, there's no reason you can't go do something together away from the house for a few hours. Looking into it ahead of time saves you from the awkward conversation that always includes the phrase, “Well, what do you wanna do?”

Everybody should believe in something; I believe I'll have another drink.
~Stock the liquor cabinet! Sometimes you just need a drink and running to the store for booze while your company is sitting there isn't such a great plan. Travel makes people 'thirsty', so having a variety of liquor on hand is a great idea. Keep in mind that if you plan to offer your guests gin & tonic, you'll probably also need limes, so add those to your grocery list as well.

So there you have it…five easy tips to make your next visit run smoothly. Remember that you don't have to do things the way your parents did (or didn't) and you sure don't have to live up to Martha's standards. Just do what you can, and your guests are bound to notice the effort and care that you took in making their visit a pleasurable experience for BOTH of you.

Stressed out host = stressed out guests, and that's no vacation for either of you.

Go forth and hostess!
-Ms. Demeanor