Making your guests feel welcome this holiday season

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I am hosting Christmas at my home this year. My husband’s family will be traveling in from Syracuse, NY, and from Hilton Head, SC, to celebrate the season with us here in Virginia. I am so grateful they are willing to travel, as my husband and I simply will not. 🙂 That probably sounds quite selfish, but we decided that while our children are young we want them to experience Christmas morning at home. I feel we are creating some amazing memories similar to the ones I grew up with, and that is just something I am not willing to compromise on.

Norman Rockwell captures it perfectly!

With that said, I do realize it is a huge sacrifice for our family and friends to travel during the holiday season, and I really want to make them feel welcome. In order to ensure that our guests feel comfortable in my home over the holidays, I try to be sure they have everything they need during their stay. Here are some helpful hints and creative ways to welcome your guests this holiday season.

Bathrooms:

Fresh towels are a must. I try to have at least two towels per person, especially for our female guests. I use two towels daily, so extra towels are just something I wouldn’t want my guests to go without.

I personally love the Better Homes and Gardens Thick and Plush Towels from Walmart (yes, I did say Walmart!). They come in about 10 different colors, they are super inexpensive, and you can easily monogram them to give your bathroom a more custom look. Doesn’t the monogram make all the difference?

I love the pure white with the pale green monogram and stripe.

The white on white is pure luxury but the single letter makes it really down to earth and simple.

I hope to have His and Her guest robes hanging in my guest bathroom someday. Wouldn’t that be such a nice hotel touch?

Pottery Barn robes would be such a lovely touch when welcoming your guests.

I always have Q-tips, cotton balls, soap, a new toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo and conditioner on hand. It is a busy time of year, so guests might forget to pack something.

I re-purposed grandmother’s mason jars to hold cotton balls and q-tips.

Bedrooms:

Fresh Sheets and lots of pillows are a must in my guest room. There is nothing like crawling into a comfy warm bed after a full day of traveling.

Decor Pad

Southern Living- I love the desk area!

I also try to ensure I have photos displayed around the bedroom that reflect their family. It is like bringing a piece of their home into my home. For example, here is an amazing photo of my niece Chloe from her senior picture photo shoot. I have placed that in the bedroom where her parents are going to sleep this holiday. Isn’t she beautiful!?!

My Niece Chloe- As gorgeous as ever!!

Kitchen:

I try to ensure that all dietary needs are met. As most of you know, I have a son who has a rare metabolic disorder, so when we travel we have to pack so much food to ensure he can eat along the way! I would hate for my guests to feel that they have to do the same, so I try to stock my fridge to ensure I have something for everyone. My niece is lactose intolerant so I will have soy and almond milk available for her. My nephew is peanut free so most of my baked goods will be peanut free. This is not always realistic, but I try my best to make sure everyone feels at home.

Lastly, I always set up a coffee station so my guests can brew a cup as soon as they wake up. I hate waiting for my much-needed cup of Joe in the AM! For this reason, I love the Keurig Brewing System. No one has to wait for a hot cup of coffee, cocoa or tea in the morning. You can simply brew the perfect cup of coffee whenever your heart desires.