Are you waiting with baited breath to hear how our family visit went? No? Okay, well you get to hear all about it anyway!
But.
I’ll present it in a how-to format so you can see what I did to make it as cozy and relaxed as possible in case you need motivation or inspiration for any upcoming visits.
You know I was so excited to see my sisters and one of my brothers in law. As in SO excited. It has been more than a year since I saw them and it was time!
They were basically here for a long weekend so we planned Thursday through Monday departure.
I’d like to say we created lasting memories, but I cannot even remember everything we did. Because we went a mile a minute!
Preparing the Guest Rooms/Space: A Warm Welcome
Of course I wanted everything to be perfect for the visit. So I started prepping well in advance.
So far in advance, that we purchased and assembled the Murphy bed back in August!
We ended up leaving the daybed/trundle in the room so that our guests could have options when selecting where they would sleep.
Considerations:
- The daybed has two excellent and comfy twin mattresses.
- The daybed is best used for small/short people.
- The Murphy bed has a thinner queen mattress.
- The Murphy bed sits lower to the ground.
My sister Monique used this room and she opted to use the Murphy bed. I had both beds made up with fresh linens just in case.
I actually purchased new linens for all the beds and new pillows. It just felt like it was time to treat our guests to new stuff.
Storage Space
A good deal of my prep time was spent decluttering the closets and drawers in these rooms.
The closets were mostly empty with space for luggage and hangers for clothes.
In addition to the closets, I provided as many empty drawers and clean surfaces as possible.
There are hooks in both bedrooms and the bathroom for towels, PJs, jackets, whatever. That vertical space should not be overlooked.
Essential Guest Amenities: Comforts of Home
Even with careful packing, there is always something missing or empty or forgotten.
One sister needed deodorant and another needed a toothbrush. Luckily we shop at Costco and it was no problem coming up with any necessities.
Welcome Bag
It is my favorite way to welcome guests with a little gift to let them know how delighted I am that they are visiting.
For this visit I put together identical welcome gift bags for my sisters and one for my BIL.
Because I’m just like that kinda gal, I also purchased all the gift items for myself so we could match. Smart, right?
The sisters’ bags contained: kitty PJs, fuzzy and adorable slippers, ankle bracelets and kisses, nuts and water for a snacks..
Men are always much more difficult to buy for, but my BIL likes to drink his coffee in a thermal cup (so do I!) so I ordered one and gifted that with snacks.
Stress-Free Meal Prep
With a lot of communication ahead of time, we planned out most of our meals. Hub and I did a big grocery run the day before.
Susie and Mike actually arrived Wednesday evening after a long drive from Colorado. I had a pot of homemade chicken tortilla soup ready for them.
It’s nice to arrive to a hot, homemade meal with little fuss.
The day before I also made two loaves of sourdough for quick sandwiches made with an assortment of deli meats I picked up.
You might have the idea we are all not much of restaurant people. All three of us are into making food we like at home.
Breakfasts were simple overall, but one day hub made a big breakfast which is his specialty.
Happy hour charcuterie and snacks were on hand every afternoon.
Activities
This post is getting VERY long, so I’ll post again with family/out-of-town guest activity ideas.
Let me just say we did a LOT and had very little downtime. Nobody was surfing on their phones.
We did relax a bit and watched movies a couple of nights.
Embarrassing, but one night was Halloween and we watched Dawn of the Dead. So bad and so good.
Wrap Up
All the work that went into planning for the long weekend was worth it. I was freed up to relax and enjoy and laugh and dance.
Do you have plans to entertain out-of-town guests over the holidays?
Any good how-to tips to share with the rest of us?
Thank you for letting me tell you how much I enjoyed this visit.
As always, may God bless you and yours. Have a good week!