OR Easier Than Not Dropping Your Hardboiled Egg Baby
Did your school use eggs to teach adolescent responsibility? I mean, who wouldn't love to carry an egg around for weeks, fervently protecting it while knowing with horror that your grade depends on a crack-free shell? Riiiiigght.
As stressful and difficult as that experience may have been for some, and as silly as the whole project seems now from a more (debatably) grown-up perspective, do you ever feel a hint of the same panic when having guests to stay for the weekend, or longer? ---> What will I feed them? What is there fun to do? I'm so boring!!
Never fear! Just as hosting dinner was easier than imagined, the same is true of entended hostessing.
As always, the key is in the planning. Start with an organizing helper like this free Overnight Visitors printable: (click image to download)
Now, whether you store these in a Home Management Binder or just jot it down on scrap paper for a single visit, it's still be helpful. You may ask why bother writing it down if you know your friends well enough to know all this stuff...but what about a significant other or a child? Point is - it's helpful to have, just in case!
- Date of Visit: Obviously, to help you remember when and how long guests are staying.
- Allergies: Though primarily important for food prep, other allergies such as pets or certain smells can also
be helpful to remember for future visits.
- Interests: Keeping a few notes of guests interests can help you to have fun topics to discuss as well as local
activities to keep an ear out for.
- Dislikes: Though not as essential to know as food allergies, dislikes can also be helpful to know in advance.
Non-preferred pastimes are also a handy to know when thinking through pre-planned activities.
- U.N.C. Topics: (Under No Circumstances) Speaks for itself - things that should just never be brought up.
- Special Notes: Anything you think might be worth remembering.
- Visit ideas: Now this is a fun one! Considering what you know about your guests, take some time to think
through activities or places of interest with which to fill your visit.
Note About Activities: Although having at least one pre-planned activity is a good idea, it's no fun to have a schedule too full to just enjoy time relaxing together. I recommend signing up for your community newsletter so you have the resources to know what is going on. Consider making a short list of available activities and ask your guests which ones sound fun to them!
Once you have a timeline for the visit as well as your handy guest preference notes and list of possible attractions/activities, you're halfway done. Next, loosely sketch out each day, penciling in your food plan and approximate timetable (including potential activities). For example:
Check to make sure your guest room is ready for visitors, hit up the grocery store for your planned meals as well as a few on-hand snacks, then sit back and enjoy time with the people you love.
See, wasn't that waaayyy easier than keeping an egg from cracking in your backpack? And hopefully your loving guests will be a bit less delicate and more flexible than the egg too!
In the end, remember:
Feeling more confident with the idea of entertaining at home? I hope so!
Friends are one thing...now what about the big holidays where even the best hostesses' nerves are stretched to breaking point? Do they even need to be?...Check back next week for some fun holiday & special occasion entertaining tips!
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As stressful and difficult as that experience may have been for some, and as silly as the whole project seems now from a more (debatably) grown-up perspective, do you ever feel a hint of the same panic when having guests to stay for the weekend, or longer? ---> What will I feed them? What is there fun to do? I'm so boring!!
Never fear! Just as hosting dinner was easier than imagined, the same is true of entended hostessing.
As always, the key is in the planning. Start with an organizing helper like this free Overnight Visitors printable: (click image to download)
- Date of Visit: Obviously, to help you remember when and how long guests are staying.
- Allergies: Though primarily important for food prep, other allergies such as pets or certain smells can also
be helpful to remember for future visits.
- Interests: Keeping a few notes of guests interests can help you to have fun topics to discuss as well as local
activities to keep an ear out for.
- Dislikes: Though not as essential to know as food allergies, dislikes can also be helpful to know in advance.
Non-preferred pastimes are also a handy to know when thinking through pre-planned activities.
- U.N.C. Topics: (Under No Circumstances) Speaks for itself - things that should just never be brought up.
- Special Notes: Anything you think might be worth remembering.
- Visit ideas: Now this is a fun one! Considering what you know about your guests, take some time to think
through activities or places of interest with which to fill your visit.
Once you have a timeline for the visit as well as your handy guest preference notes and list of possible attractions/activities, you're halfway done. Next, loosely sketch out each day, penciling in your food plan and approximate timetable (including potential activities). For example:
Check to make sure your guest room is ready for visitors, hit up the grocery store for your planned meals as well as a few on-hand snacks, then sit back and enjoy time with the people you love.
See, wasn't that waaayyy easier than keeping an egg from cracking in your backpack? And hopefully your loving guests will be a bit less delicate and more flexible than the egg too!
In the end, remember:
Feeling more confident with the idea of entertaining at home? I hope so!
Friends are one thing...now what about the big holidays where even the best hostesses' nerves are stretched to breaking point? Do they even need to be?...Check back next week for some fun holiday & special occasion entertaining tips!
This post is part of the Modern Simple Homemaking series.
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