’Tis the season to look forward to holiday gatherings! As Thanksgiving approaches and kicks off the Christmas and winter holiday season, you may be looking forward to a houseful of friends and family. And, possibly, trying to figure out how and where to house them.
While holidays are meant to be a time of joy, celebration, and togetherness, we all know that they can also become stressful. Thinking strategically about housing guests is one great way to keep their visits enjoyable.
First, make your guest space—whether it’s a guest house or a guest room—into a place your friends and family enjoy. Make sure the bedding in the guest room is freshly laundered and that you’ve cleared drawer and closet space. Fresh flowers and interesting books or magazines are a nice touch to make your guests feel welcomed and valued.
Photo by Yan Krukov from Pexels
Think about things to do. Even if it’s cold, find ways to get people outside, whether that’s a refreshing walk in the neighborhood or one of the holiday events taking place near you. Most towns have special events throughout the holiday season, from shopping nights to tree lightings to holiday plays and concerts.
Get your guests involved. People like feeling useful; depending on your guests, you can ask for help with meal prep, cleanup, entertaining kids, or errands like last-minute grocery runs. And speaking of errands, it’s okay to take a break from hosting to “run to the store,” even if what you’re actually doing is sitting in your car with a cup of coffee, enjoying a moment of silence.
If you frequently host house guests and are planning to build, consider incorporating a guest house into your new construction plans. It doesn’t have to be large or elaborate; even a small guest home provides valuable separation and space that gives everyone the breathing room they may need. You can also connect the guest house to the main home, using anything from a simple covered breezeway to something more unique, like a greenhouse pass-through. See our recent guest house article in Pure Montana magazine for more ideas on this and other real estate trends.
No matter whether you’re housing friends and family in a spare bedroom or a barn-inspired guest house, the best feature of guest space is the friends and family who fill it.
Main Photo Credit: Photo by Nicole Michalou from Pexels
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