How to Survive Hosting Overnight Guests
Having people stay with you doesn’t have to be exhausting. Prep spaces and plan activities so you can enjoy the visit
Having family and friends stay with you can be great fun and a good time for bonding. But it can also be a lot of work. Here are ways to prep for overnight guests and some ideas on activities to plan so you have time to relax and enjoy their company.
If possible, place the coffee and tea station away from your kitchen work area. That way everyone will be able to fix their beverages without getting in your way while you concoct your signature frittata.
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Remember that while you know your fancy machine well, your guests may be at a loss. Write down instructions on a notecard and leave it next to the machine.
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Prep for Afternoons
Show them where to grab glasses and beverages. Similar to the coffee station idea, point out to guests where drinking glasses and beverages are — whether that means a water filter, cooler, beverage fridge or wherever else you keep the sodas, juices and other drinks.
Show them where to grab glasses and beverages. Similar to the coffee station idea, point out to guests where drinking glasses and beverages are — whether that means a water filter, cooler, beverage fridge or wherever else you keep the sodas, juices and other drinks.
Leave out snacks. Place a bowl or two of the kinds of snacks your guests like on the counter and point it out when they arrive. Ideas include fresh fruit, protein bars, pretzels and chips.
For young guests: Ask parents before the visit about any allergies their children have and what kinds of snacks and milk they drink, then show them where they can find these things.
For young guests: Ask parents before the visit about any allergies their children have and what kinds of snacks and milk they drink, then show them where they can find these things.
Encourage quiet time. Organizing pro Emily Ley taught me about leaving margins, whether they’re empty space on a bookshelf or time within the hours of the day. When scheduling each day with guests, leave some margins for quiet time and let everyone know about them. This can mean a nap, reading or catching up on a favorite show on a tablet. Leave magazines, photo albums, coffee table books and novels for your guests in their rooms and on a side table in the living or family room.
Make everyone feel at home. Point out comfy spots where your guests can feel at home. Leave throw blankets on armchairs and sofas and stack reading material nearby.
If some of your guests include children, lay out storybooks and coloring books and crayons for them for quiet time. Stack some boxed puzzles and board games on a card table and provide a basket of toys. If their parents allow screen time, quiet time is a good time to designate this use.
Prep for Evenings
Adopt a “make up your own bed” policy. This one may be controversial, but I’m going to put it out there for those who feel beleaguered and have thrown that whole impossible perfect-host thing out the window. It comes from my pragmatic Aunt Sally. She owns a lake house and loves to have overnight guests, but she would rather no one come visit than start off every weekend by having to make up five beds. So she has a “here are your sheets” policy — she leaves a stack of fresh sheets atop each bed and lets her guests put them on themselves or with her help.
By the way, my Aunt Sally is an excellent hostess, and I’d gladly make up five beds for the privilege of staying at her lake house and enjoying her cooking and company.
Adopt a “make up your own bed” policy. This one may be controversial, but I’m going to put it out there for those who feel beleaguered and have thrown that whole impossible perfect-host thing out the window. It comes from my pragmatic Aunt Sally. She owns a lake house and loves to have overnight guests, but she would rather no one come visit than start off every weekend by having to make up five beds. So she has a “here are your sheets” policy — she leaves a stack of fresh sheets atop each bed and lets her guests put them on themselves or with her help.
By the way, my Aunt Sally is an excellent hostess, and I’d gladly make up five beds for the privilege of staying at her lake house and enjoying her cooking and company.
Outfit the guest room. Be sure the guest room and guest bathroom are outfitted with everything guests could possibly need so you aren’t running around looking for extra hangers or bath towels when you should be stirring the sauce. This topic has been covered extensively on Houzz. Check out Laura Gaskill’s article, 10 Essentials for a Gracious Guest Room, for a great checklist.
For young guests: Ask parents about their kids’ sleeping arrangements — crib, big-kid bed, family bed, family room tent setup with the cousins in the rec room. It’s much better to know all this well ahead of time so you can blow up the air mattresses or borrow items like extra sleeping bags or a bassinet if necessary.
For young guests: Ask parents about their kids’ sleeping arrangements — crib, big-kid bed, family bed, family room tent setup with the cousins in the rec room. It’s much better to know all this well ahead of time so you can blow up the air mattresses or borrow items like extra sleeping bags or a bassinet if necessary.
Plan evening entertainment. During the winter holidays, my parents, Aunt Sally, Uncle Steve, cousin Alison and I enjoy watching a movie every night after dinner while pigging out on make-your-own sundaes. We light a fire, grab comforters and blankets and sprawl out. For the entertainment portion of the evening, text your guests before they arrive for favorite movies they’d like to see again or new ones on their list.
If your family is less lazy than mine, set up a spot for group games. Charades, Scattergories, Taboo and Uno are all fun for groups. Or, if the weather permits, bundle up and head out to the fire pit for some after-dinner s’mores making.
Share: How do you handle your overnight guest prep? What are some of your favorite activities to enjoy with guests? Please add your suggestions in the Comments.
More on Houzz
How to Turn Almost Any Space Into a Guest Room
Genius Home Prep: A Guest Room in a Box
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Share: How do you handle your overnight guest prep? What are some of your favorite activities to enjoy with guests? Please add your suggestions in the Comments.
More on Houzz
How to Turn Almost Any Space Into a Guest Room
Genius Home Prep: A Guest Room in a Box
Find a pro to help you with your home project
Shop for home products
Set up a wake-up station. Chances are everyone will get up at different times, or you’ll be too busy prepping breakfast to worry about caffeinating a crowd all by yourself. Create an easy morning setup where your guests can grab coffee or tea themselves. If you already have a permanent coffee station, great. If not, outfit a spot on the counter with:
- Coffee and tea makers
- Mugs and teacups
- Bags of coffee or coffee pods
- Tea bags
- Cream and sugar
- Spoon and spoon rest
- Napkins
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