So the other night we were sitting in a cozy little restaurant in Brevard, SC after watching the Christmas parade and strolling through the cute shops in this darling mountain town. As we ate our meal we had a delightful conversation with the couple sitting next to us and by the time the meal was over we were exchanging information and had invited them to come stay at our home the next time they come to the “big city”.

Do you like to entertain out-of-town guests? Do you have a place for them to stay? The home we live in now is the first home where we have two guest rooms and neither one is in a basement, or in one of the kid’s rooms, or on a sleeper sofa, or even a on blow up bed in the office. Now I believe in being hospitable no matter what type of space you have for guests but it’s nice, at this stage in life, to have two bedrooms set aside exclusively for guests.

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When we were buying this house there were people who asked us what in the world the two of us would do with such a HUGE house. First of all, it isn’t “huge” by Southern standards, and secondly, we chose a larger house for the sole purpose of having space to entertain. I am so glad we did too because we have had a LOT of out of town guests since we moved here and hope that friends and family will find it so comfy that they’ll keep coming back!

What makes you feel comfortable when you’re away from home?

When I think about nice hotels I’ve stayed in the most important thing to me is the bed. A comfortable mattress, soft sheets and extra pillows.

When people come to stay in my home I like them to have a bit of that Hotel experience. I take care to clean the rooms right before they come so that everything is still fresh.

I like to put reading material out that would be of interest to the person or persons we are entertaining.

I want the room to feel cozy and nicely decorated but not cluttered.

I want the room to speak a great big welcome to my guests.

 

Besides feeling welcome I want my guests to feel celebrated and to know that we are happy to have them here.

When I’m pulling my guest rooms together for company I feel great joy as I anticipate spending time with friends, old and new.

Before my guests arrive I like to say a blessing over each room, that my guests will find their stay to be a time of refreshing,

and that they will feel God’s love here in our home.

Like I said, we’ve had a lot of company in the year that we’ve lived here in South Carolina. We’ve had family members (my heart), guests who have been our friends for a long time, and some guests who we never even met before they came to stay (friends of friends). It didn’t take long for them to become our friends though and we look forward to future visits together.

We are blessed to be in a stage of life where it’s easy for us to entertain. I know that you may not have two guest rooms in your home but however you entertain overnight guests I’d encourage you to think about what makes you comfortable when you are away from home and prepare for your guests with that in mind.

The following is a comprehensive list of items you might consider having for your guest room.

Guest Room Prep List:

• A comfortable mattress (I use foam mattress toppers on ALL of our beds)
• Extra pillows and blankets
• Bedside table and lamp
• Wifi password
• Reading material, i.e. magazines, short stories, books that give a little history about your city
• Alarm Clock
• A small fan for white noise
• A space for clothes, either in a dresser or closet space
• Extra hangers
• A hanging bag for shoes
• Extra bathrobes and slipper socks
• Lint roller
• Bottled Water
• A basket of snacks such as packaged crackers and cheese, nuts, chocolate, or trail mix.
• A television or radio/CD player (we are still working at getting the TV hung in one of our guest bedrooms)
• A coffee maker and supplies (if space allows - We put the coffee maker in the bonus room across the hall from the guest rooms)
• Trash basket
• An extra house key in case your guests are venturing out on their own

Bathroom Prep List:

• Water glasses
• New toothbrushes, toothpaste, dental floss
• Packets of Advil and Tylenol
• Liquid hand soap
• Body Soap
• Hand and body cream
• Facial cloths for removing makeup (I like Burt’s Bees for sensitive skin)
• Disposable razors
• Shampoo & conditioner (my guests have commented on how much they’ve enjoyed my OGX Coconut Milk Shampoo & Conditioner)
• Deodorant
• Hair Dryer
• Hair Spray (I use Tresemme Extra Firm Control for the humidity in the south)
• Curling Iron
• Magnified and lighted makeup mirror
• Good quality towels and washcloths
• Extra Toilet Paper
• Facial tissue
• Q-tips and cotton balls
• Feminine hygiene products
• Trash Basket
• A basket under the sink with bathroom cleaning supplies (I don’t expect my guests to clean up after themselves but sometimes they want to so I keep the supplies handy)
• Plunger

That is one LONG list isn’t it? What do you like to find in a guest room when you are the visitor? Are there things you would add to my list? I’d love to hear.

“Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it!” (Hebrews 13:2 NLT)
Hmmm . . . about that couple from Brevard . . . 😉

Blessings,

TheDIYShowoff, LifeOnLakeshoreDrive, NiftyThriftyThings, SilverPenniesSundays, SundaysAtHome, RusticAndRefined, Spiritual Sundays, Sunday Stillness

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