Jewel Box® Home gets ready for overnight guests.This past weekend I had overnight guests from Friday evening until Sunday at noon. Not one, not two, not three..., but five overnight guests. This was not a get together planned at the beginning of summer, but a spur of the moment visit. On Wednesday evening my sister called wondering if she might come for a quick Chicago visit with my nephew, niece and her boyfriend. Of course I said yes.
Successfully hosting an overnight stay has nothing to do with fancy accomodations or a big house. Give guests a comfortable place to sleep and make them feel genuinely welcome. If you do that honestly, the rest will take care of itself.
So how did I manage this in an 1800 square foot house? For all my overnighters, I like to put together a little guest 'goody' bag. I reuse gift bags - men are fine with a paper lunch bag - and fill them with sample size toiletries saved from hotels. Shampoos, lotions, anything a guest might need for an overnight stay. For men, I slip in a disposable razor. I also throw in a few chocolates and a bottle of water. With their goody bag, each guest also gets a few magazines from my current subscriptions. In the photo above is the goody bag for my sister, along with her bedding and towel set.
Now let's talk about logistics. I certainly don't have enough pillows and towels for five overnight guests. So I went to T.J. Maxx and bought inexpensive bedding and bath sets. Two pillows were $8 for the pair and towels were $5 each. After spending a little over $50 and 20 minutes of my time, I was all set for my sister's stay.
Where did everyone sleep? My two nephews slept in sleeping bags in the basement with my younger son. My neice's boyfriend shared a bedroom with my oldest son, my niece slept on the downstairs sofa and my sister used the couch in the study. Sheets, blankets and pillows were used as bedding on the sofas. These were rolled up and stored in a bedroom during the day.
The beautiful sunflowers my sister gave me as a hostess gift!
May all your overnight guests be as gracious and fun as my sister!
So how did I manage this in an 1800 square foot house? For all my overnighters, I like to put together a little guest 'goody' bag. I reuse gift bags - men are fine with a paper lunch bag - and fill them with sample size toiletries saved from hotels. Shampoos, lotions, anything a guest might need for an overnight stay. For men, I slip in a disposable razor. I also throw in a few chocolates and a bottle of water. With their goody bag, each guest also gets a few magazines from my current subscriptions. In the photo above is the goody bag for my sister, along with her bedding and towel set.
Now let's talk about logistics. I certainly don't have enough pillows and towels for five overnight guests. So I went to T.J. Maxx and bought inexpensive bedding and bath sets. Two pillows were $8 for the pair and towels were $5 each. After spending a little over $50 and 20 minutes of my time, I was all set for my sister's stay.
Where did everyone sleep? My two nephews slept in sleeping bags in the basement with my younger son. My neice's boyfriend shared a bedroom with my oldest son, my niece slept on the downstairs sofa and my sister used the couch in the study. Sheets, blankets and pillows were used as bedding on the sofas. These were rolled up and stored in a bedroom during the day.
My guests have now left and I'm off to take a nap - one of the most important 'to-dos' for successfully hosting overnight stays!
The beautiful sunflowers my sister gave me as a hostess gift!May all your overnight guests be as gracious and fun as my sister!
Cheers!
Genevieve
Genevieve
