The holidays are in full swing and what that means is The Etheridge Family home will soon become a revolving door for friends and family visiting. We live in a typical NYC apartment and so extra space is severely limited. However, both my husband and I love to entertain and host guests. With the majority of my family being out of town, hosting over-night guests has become a regular occurrence.
While it goes without saying that guests can be a pleasure to host, without proper planning on our part, entertaining may also come with its share of headaches. I can tell you countless house guest horror stories, however, I’d rather focus on the tips we’ve picked up over the years on entertaining with ease:
- We always keep a chart of frequent guests likes, dislikes, allergies, and other special needs. That way, we don’t have to try and remember or guess when it comes to a guest returning.
- I keep a handy little notepad on the night stand with our Wireless Internet username and password, as well as simple directions to sign up. I know most people travel with their laptop and need to use their computers, for business as well as leisure, throughout their stay.
- We make sure the house is festive and especially enjoy leaving sweet little pleasantries around the house. For example, we leave a pretty little jar with candy in the living room that we replenish throughout their visit. Not only is it a lovely gesture, it’s also a great way to get rid of our leftover Halloween candy!
- We make sure to leave the local paper on the night stand in case our guests want to check out what NYC has to offer.
- We also leave a bunch of take-out menus organized in a folder in the night stand. You would be surprised by how many of our house guests do not appreciate my delicious home-cooked meals when they came over! (smile) People tend to like NYC for it’s cultural diversity, and they especially enjoy experimenting with various cuisines throughout the course of their visit. So I make sure they’re able to easily do so!
What tips do you use to make sure your holiday guests feel at home, while also minimizing stress on your family?
Loading ...