Preparing Your Home For Holiday Guests

Preparing your home for holiday guests is an important task that can help make your guests feel welcomed and even reduce your holiday stress. I used iHerb to help with this task and they have also sponsored this post.

The holidays tend to be a busy time with so much to do and so many people to see. That can lead to us rushing things when it comes to hospitality.

I’m a firm believer in that your home doesn’t have to be perfect and things don’t need to be fancy to have people in your home but there are simple things you can do to make guests feel more welcome.

The first thing I like to do before doing any of the things I’m about to recommend is placing a big iHerb order. It has become one of my favorite places to buy natural products and stock up before the holidays.

I really love recommending iHerb products because they ship to over 150 countries so I know almost everyone can have access to these products.

They carry over 30,000 products so you can always find plenty of things to order. All my orders end up being huge because I can find basically everything on my list in one place.

I also love that they ship from climate-controlled distribution centers, offer 24-hour/ 7 days a week customer service in 10 different languages. Good customer service is always the key to a good experience.

Now that I have my iHerb order I know that I’m prepared to do all these little things for any guests I have for the holidays and make them feel extra special and welcomed in my home.

How to Prepare Your Home for Holiday Guests

Keep Your Main Spaces Clean

I like to do a big clean before the start of the holiday season to get my home in good shape. After I do this I can just focus on upkeep for the rest of the season and not worry about the bigger jobs.

When tidying up for guests, I may skip areas like my bedroom or office and just shut the doors if time is an issue. These areas aren’t useful for my guests anyway.

I do like to use a good all-purpose spray that I can use throughout my home for easy and fast cleaning. Simply take this product and a rag with you around the house wiping any surfaces you can and suddenly your home is already much cleaner.

A bonus tip is to use an all-purpose spray that smells good like the Molly’s Suds all-purpose spray in peppermint. This way you are not only getting your house clean but also leaving behind a festive scent that will be welcoming to your guests.

Be sure to also grab my holiday home checklist. It will help you make sure your home is ready for the holidays so you can spend less time cleaning and more time enjoying all the holiday season has to offer.

Set Up a Simple Drink Station

We often feel like waiting on our guest’s hand and foot is going to make them feel the most welcome but often allowing them to take care of themselves makes guests feel more at home.

Having a station set up for people to get their own drinks when they want them can be a nice touch. Then you don’t have to feel like you need to ask people all the time if they need anything and no one has to ask for a drink.

There are some very elaborate and time-consuming drink stations out there. They look great on Pinterest but are quite overwhelming to make yourself.

You can set up a very simple station with minimal work. I like to just clear off a spot on my counter in my kitchen and put a decoration or two to make it cute.

Then I set out some drink options. What you choose to serve is up to you. You can simply offer soda and water or also offer so hot options.

One easy thing to do is set out hot water in an insulated pitcher for people to make hot tea or hot chocolate. If you have a Keurig you can set that up as well.

For mine, I put out some hot water for hot cocoa and hot tea and a fresh pot of coffee. I also put out some cute paper straws, cups, and spoons. And of course, I sit out some hot cocoa mix and tea bags.

You can set out any creamer or other dairy products when your guests arrive or even just have them in the fridge in an easy to find location.

Set Up Bathroom

Make sure the bathroom your guests will use is clean and well-stocked. I like to make sure there is an extra roll of toilet paper in a very visible location and a nice fresh hand towel.

You also want to make sure you have plenty of hand soap and during the holidays I love putting out a peppermint hand soap for a festive touch.

Also, make sure to have some tissues and for a nice extra touch, I will add some hand lotion and often a second-hand towel in case the first one ends up damp.

Have Simple Snacks Available

When I’m not serving a meal I like to have some snacks on hand. One really simple option is a snack mix. I recommend picking one without nuts in case anyone has a nut allergy. You can also have nuts available in a different dish.

I love to have fresh baked cookies or other treats but if it’s a last-minute get-together or I just don’t have time then I like to keep some nice chocolates on hand that I can put out.

A cheese board is also always a nice option and something you can keep very simple or go all out if you have a bit more time. I love to keep some crackers on hand to make sure I can always easily pull out some cheese and crackers for guests.

I also like to have mints available, especially if coffee is being served. No one likes to feel like their breath isn’t fresh.

Create a Welcome Basket for Overnight Guests

It’s nice to have a guest room prepared with extra blankets and fresh towels but an extra special touch is to have a welcome basket.

Fill it with simple things that will help your guests feel more welcome. It should only take a few minutes to pull together but can make a big difference for your guests.

The one I made contained some snack mix, truffles, peppermints, hand lotion, Emergen-C packets, and a Christmas book.

Make Your Home Smell Fresh

Nice smells are a simple way to make your home instantly welcoming. If you only have time to do one thing and your home is already clean, these are the tips I’d recommend the most.

I have a few different things you can do or you can do a few, all will leave your home smelling so good.

Light a candle, the Mrs. Meyers Orange Clove candle is a wonderful holiday option. I love that these candles use soy wax and natural fragrances.
Wash your throw blankets and rugs with Method’s fragrance boosters. I don’t like my clothes to have a strong scent but for things like throws and rugs, it’s nice if they are giving off a fresh scent. With Method you know it’s free of all the nasty things most scented products contain.
Spray your soft surfaces with a fabric refresher. Soft surfaces can hold on to odors and a quick spray with fabric refresher can make everything smell fresh again.
Sprinkle some baking soda on the carpet before your vacuum. You can also add a few drops of essential oil to the baking soda before you sprinkle it for a nice scent. I like to use peppermint essential oil for this.
Diffuse your favorite holiday essential oil. Diffusers are a great alternative to candles and are safer around small kids and pets. I also like to use them in rooms we won’t be in a lot so you don’t have to worry about an unattended candle. Peppermint and orange are a surprising combo that smells so good.

None of these steps takes very long but all of them will make your home extremely welcoming to any holiday guests.

The most important thing to remember is that your guests are there to see you. Don’t get too hung up on the other things and enjoy their company.