I just had my sister stay with me for Easter. A few days before she arrived, I began to tackle the guest room in our house which had become a holding tank for all things unwanted and without a place of their own. The guest room had all the basic items it needed to be used as a guest room, but I decided it was time to make it a bit more special and really feel like a nice, genuine part of the house.

I started by cleaning off the window sills, the blinds and the ceiling fan :: things that had not been cleaned in a very long time. Your guests do not want to walk into cobwebs during their stay with you! I dusted off all the surfaces and once all that was cleaned, I vacuumed the room really well. I hung pictures on the walls. Many of these had been in the room leaning against the wall, but not hung on the wall. The room takes on a much larger and deeper dimension when art is hung on the walls.  (This is an obvious point, but many people wait to hang art on the walls for too long, and then wish they had just taken the time earlier to do it!)

Make sure you have a mirror somewhere in the room. I made up the bed with clean sheets and washed the mattress pad to really make it fresh. A freshly scented linen spray also adds a nice touch. If you don’t have a dedicated guest room, you can clear out space in an under-used room and have a blow-up bed available. Here’s a short checklist to use in making sure your guests have everything they need to be comfortable while staying with you ::

– fresh flowers
– water bottle by the bed
– a few available drawers + space in the closet
– extra blankets and pillows
– magazines and books
– hand/body lotion

And don’t forget to make sure the bathroom they use is clean and well stocked. You should have a few things already in the bathroom so they don’t have to wander the house looking for them!

– toothpaste and an extra new toothbrush
– a few rolls of toilet paper
– aspirin and pain medications
– a plunger
– space to put all of their toiletries

Happy hosting!