Designing Domesticity: Gearing up for Guests

Do you have a guestroom that rarely gets used? I do. And it's that time of year to get her ready again!

In fact, my guestroom is on the list for a makeover, so it's never looking quite right. I definitely need to bring out the reinforcements when someone comes to stay.

Here are a couple easy steps to welcome guests into your home this holiday season.

1. Clean - give your room a good cleaning and airing out, if possible. After all, nothing says welcome to my home quite like spiderwebs, dust and neglect! I kid, I kid.

2. Personal Touches - personal touches are what make a house a home and we want our guests to feel like they are at home, only better, right? So place reading materials next to the bed, a water glass, some fresh flowers, you get the idea.

3. Extra Bedding - Sleeping well is key to having a happy guest. You never know what will make someone else comfortable when they are sleeping so have extra bedding like, pillows and blankets available.

4. Bathroom - A fully stocked bathroom can go a long way to making your guests feel like they are at home. I always seem to forget at least one item when I am traveling, so I try to have extra soap, shampoo, towels, toilet paper, etc on hand for my guests.

5. Food - It's always nice to have a little something on hand for a snack or light meal, especially if your guests have been traveling a ways to see you. I'll be making a batch of my favorite Fall soup, Butternut Squash and Apple Soup from Ina Garten's Barefoot Contessa Parties cookbook.