Eight Great Ways to Welcome Holiday Guests
Decking the halls with boughs of holly is one way to create an inviting holiday ambiance for yourselves and overnight guests. And if you want them coming back next year, there are at least five no-fail ways to insure return visits. Take a hint from the world’s most hospitable homeowners by using these welcoming ideas to create the ultimate holiday guest accommodations!
Fluff and Fold
Make them comfortable with clean, crisp or silky sheets – whatever your preference. Turning in for the night in sheets that are obviously fresh and fragrant from the wash, makes a guest feel like they are staying at a five-star hotel. The bed presentation is a warm, friendly greeting that provides the perfect comfort zone for your visitors. Fresh flowers are another touch that makes guests feel if not “at home”, then at least supremely spoiled.
We think it probably goes without saying that the room needs to be dusted, swept, vacuumed, shaken and stirred. Plug in a scented wax or oil warmer if it’s too cold to open the windows – if not, give the room a good airing out.
Bath towels are another easy way to pamper your special guests – giant fluffy absorbent bath towels, like the 100 percent cotton collections at Target. And the Lone Tree location is only 15 minutes from Crystal Valley. For more recommendations check out the Good Housekeeping towel buying guide.
Subtract and Add to Your Guest Bedroom
Put on your critical goggles and look objectively at your guest bedroom. Be analytical. Be ruthless. Be aggressive. What doesn’t belong in the room? Leave the bed, nightstand, bedside light and flowers. Put the rest of the flotsam somewhere else. Don’t let stray clothes, shoes, gym bags, office equipment or any other jetsam stay the room. And clear out space in the closet, with empty hangers, and one or two drawers in any dresser.
Add a cozy throw so they can curl up on the bed to read, check their email or take a nap. And if you only have 30 minutes to declutter, check out Dolly.com for a grab-and-go idea that’ll help you de-clutter quickly.
Amie at Meme Hill has pages of images to inspire decorating your guest room for the holidays, with trimmings like a red ornament wreath, pine garland and red ribbon trees on the dresser. In addition to the décor, Amie suggests including a basket of toiletries, a coaster for the nightstand for your guest’s water glass, and light-hearted reading material they can take home.
For Technology’s Sake
We travel with our tech and if you’ve ever stayed overnight at someone’s house you know how necessary it is to find an unoccupied outlet to charge your phone or tablet or laptop. So, if there are no visible outlets for your guests, pick up a couple of cheap charging cords – one for Apple products and one for Android and run an extension cord to each nightstand. They’re cheap and your guests will SO notice and appreciate this small gesture.
This Conway Electric extension cord with USB ports is a splurge that you should get for yourself, and let them borrow for their brief vacation stay! Or the Native Union Smart Hub Bridge with two three-pronged AC outlets, three USB ports and one USB-C.
One last and attentive touch is printing and framing your Wi-Fi sign-on information (or getting one from Etsy!) and setting it in an obvious place so guests don’t have to ask. Simple and thoughtful.
Readying for the Holidays in Crystal Valley
There’s no place like home for the holidays, and in the master-planned community of Crystal Valley, Richmond American Homes, Kauffman Homes, Century Communities and D.R. Horton make new homes right! Set in natural surroundings with easy access to nearby amenities, find the new home of your dreams here in either a ranch and two-story model, priced from the $300s.
