Prepping For House Guests

Last week we had guests staying at our house before our wedding. Don’t worry we didn’t invite everyone only our parents, a bridesmaid and an aunt and uncle for an evening. Yes, your right, still quite a few people under one roof and to top it off we will have 3 dogs in the mix. How in the world do you go about prepping for this many guests?

History 

Back in May we moved from our quaint town home in the uptown area of Denver, to the burbs where we quadrupled our square footage. As you can imagine our house is pretty empty, rooms of emptiness and I am not afraid to tell you that. Furniture is expensive , that is the reality. One of the things that gets on my nerves quite a bit is when you see unrealistic expectations of decorating a house over night on instagram. It just doesn’t happen and if it does happen, well then that is not a reality for most. Don’t be afraid to take your time, don’t be afraid to let people see the incomplete interior of your house. Raising my hand now because I will be doing this all next week. 

Guest Bedrooms

While quite a few rooms in our house are empty I have started to make certain areas more home like, starting with the guest bedrooms. Guest bedrooms were a must to start with as all of our family lives out of town. A few things I have put in the bedrooms to make them feel a bit more comfy: 

• A seasonal smelling candle 
• Robe
• Slippers
• Books
• Lamps
• Extra cozy blanket on the bed

A couple additional things I have done to make a warm welcome for our parents are: 

• Handwritten arrival letter
• Wine/Drink of Choice
• Snickers

Central House Areas-Rugs

I had no rugs in our house up until about a week ago. What a sin I know right? I love what a rug can do to transform a room, not to mention help with the scratches on the hard wood floors (from the pups of course) and bring a bit of warmth and an inviting vibe. While, I didn’t order all of the rugs for our house, I did order one for the front and back door (outside) and one for our entry way. It makes the bench and “morning pumpkin” pillow I have their feel a bit more welcome. These rugs don’t make the house scream I am fully decorated, but have added a warm inviting touch. 

Scent

I love a good smelling house. I used to and still use boat loads of candles, but the key is to off set them with Bath and Body Works wall flowers. For some reason I have bath and body works associated with the unpleasant smells I used as a child, but let me tell you ladies, bath and body works has amazing scents. I have 3 wall flowers in our house now (I could definitely use a few more) and keep them filled with seasonal scents. The smell good scent in our house makes it feel more inviting and is super comforting if you ask me. 

***Candle Hack: Buy your candles at TJ Maxx Home Goods. They always have some sort of good smell and they are a fraction of the cost. I have done this for years and have never been disappointed. 

Food

Know what your guests like to eat. I always have the refrigerator stocked with snacks and of course cheese to snack on. Unfed guests leads to hangry guests, which is no fun. Figure out what they like, if they have any dietary restrictions and make sure you have a few things in the refrigerator and pantry. 

Hosting

I absolutely adore hosting people at our house. I love to entertain and make people feel special and right at home. A few tips/tricks I have for you: 

• Pick a theme. I usually theme what I do around the season and if there are any special events/holidays going on. 
• Know your guests. Don’t go blindly into hosting guests. Ask food and drink preferences ahead of time. 
• Ask your guests if there is anything they need you to get for them upon arrival. If you have guests flying in and they only take a carry on and can’t pack everything they may need something or need to borrow something. 
• Have a plan. Plan out what you are going to do, eat and drink. It doesn’t mean you have to follow the plan, but at least you have something to fall back on if you need. 

Cheers! XOXO