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Clear your closet
Add some greenery
Along with hooks, clearing your closet of the family’s
things before a large gathering is a good idea. Put your
own coats in other somewhere else (especially in the
rooms where guests will be sleeping) so there’s ample room for
guests to store their own things.
If you have enough light in your bathroom, plants can
instantly brighten the space. Find some pretty containers
(baskets or clay pots work well) and add your plants of choice.
Place on the counter or anywhere they are sure to receive
enough light (and remember to water!).
Living room
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De-clutter
Provide a basket for keys, gloves and hats
Other than the dining table, your living room is where most
of the action will occur during holiday hosting. Make sure
all toys, exercise equipment, errant shoes and anything else
lying around on the floor is moved out of sight before guests
arrive. The coffee table should also be cleared off, and any
clutter replaced with a few simple coasters.
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Add festive touches
Adding seasonal decorative touches doesn’t have to cost
much. Fill a glass bowl with miniature pumpkins or apples
and display on the mantel. Or place lightly scented candles
(pine, cinnamon or nutmeg) on various surfaces, string twinkle
lights along the banister for a festive ambiance and bring some
of the outside in with large bowls of pine cones and ribbons of
birch bark.
Spice up the conversation
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Depending on the types of guests, conversation cards
can be a good way to break the ice. You can buy them
or make your own (print topics of interest to inspire
discussion on nice cardstock) and leave them on the
coffee table or dining room table.
Add hooks
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Having a pile of coats on the stairs or otherwise lying
around the house is not a good way to welcome guests.
Adding a row of hooks provides a place for you and your
guests to hang coats instead of heaping them somewhere.
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If you live in a climate where holiday time means a dip
in temperature, guests will most likely be arriving with
gloves, hats and scarves. Providing a large basket at the
front door for them to leave their cold-weather items,
and a smaller basket for keys, helps ensure no one forgets or
loses anything they arrived with.
Guest bedroom
Make space
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If you know you’ll be having overnight guests during the
holidays, it’s important to make space for their
belongings. Even if they’re only staying one or
two nights, clear out some space in the guest
closet for them to hang their items.
Provide toiletries
No, you don’t have to spend a small fortune at Sephora to
accommodate an overnight guest, but it’s nice to
leave a travel-size hand cream and shower gel for
them to use during their stay in case they forgot to
bring their own.
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Create a comfortable atmosphere
Along with toiletries, leave a fresh bath sheet and hand towel
for your guest at the foot of the bed, along with some
light reading material (magazines or a book of short
stories) and a bedside lamp. Be sure to show them
everything they might need to know, such as how the
shower works and where to find basics like coffee, cereal and
milk.
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