House Guests

I have piles of subjects to expound upon for you, my little friends, but today, it just isn't going to happen. I have finally gotten home after a day of errands and a not so relaxing three day weekend (Thank you Mr. Columbus for discovering America... sort of.) Why wasn't it relaxing, you ask? Well my dears, my lovely boyfriend's lovely parents came to my house for an overnight stay. They are on their way to the Keys for a vacation (where my boyfriend and I will be joining them in a few days time) and opted to break their long trip up and stay at my house for a night. 

Obviously, I lost my freaking mind and any sort of sanity I was hoping to have was a little nervous. This was the first time they have been to my town since my boyfriend and I started dating, but not only that, it was my first time ever having significant other's parents in my home. I spent two days freaking out, then the following three days cleaning my house and buying random trinkets, returning them, buying more, returning those, and then buying the original trinkets (and let's be honest, a few pieces of furniture). All in all, I'd say it was a great visit and completely painless (minus the mini panic attack I had yesterday afternoon). 

With that in mind, here are a few tips for how to treat house guests when they come to visit.

- Clean your house.
- Wash the sheets on the bed your guests will be staying on.
- Remove any clutter from the room your guests will be staying in. My guest room doubles as my office and craft room - so crafts go into their homes and office papers are filed or moved into a different room.
- Make sure there are fresh towels, as well as soaps, multiple rolls of toilet papers, and any other bathroom accoutrement that might be needed.
- Have an alarm clock as well as a place for your guests to hang their clothes.
- Make sure to have a few breakfast items available (coffee, tea, pasties, fruit, etc.) in case you have an early risers or in my case if you have gone to work before everyone else was awake.
- Leave notes on anything that needs an explanation that you might not be around for - Example, how to use the TV in your guest room if you have more than one remote.

If all else fails, think of what a hotel has and emulate that with your own personal style. The key, as I learned, don't freak out. It's important to make your guests feel welcome and comfortable. Sometimes going overboard can be uncomfortable for everyone, just be yourself and a gracious, lovely host/ess.