Hosting Overnight Guests in a Small Space

This time of year many people find themselves entertaining overnight guests. With a new baby in tow, we have even more visitors this year. Because we live in a small(er) sized home we have to get creative when family and friends come to visit. Though tempting, we've firmly agreed not to upsize to gain more guest space, that we'd rarely use. We just can't seem to justify the increase in housing expense. So to get around our size restrictions we've devised a few strategies, which you can try too:

1) GIVE UP YOUR BEDROOM. When a dedicated guest bedroom isn't an option, it's always nice to give up your bedroom to guests. This ensures they will feel welcomed, cozy, and have a little privacy. You can sleep on a sofa or pull out bed tucked away in another part of the house.

2) HAVE FRESH GREENERY. A few flowers on hand for guests to enjoy during their visit are always appreciated.

3) PROVIDE NICE TOWELS. Nice guest towels give guests a hotel experience for free. You don't have to spend an arm and a leg for high-quality towels. You can pick up nice ones at discount stores like TUESDAY MORNING.

4) HAVE SOME OF THEIR FAVORITE THINGS AVAILABLE. Presumably if someone is coming from out of town to stay at your home you know them pretty well. Use some of your knowledge about them to ensure they have a few of the favorite things hanging around, i.e. magazines, books, tea, snacks, adult beverages, etc.

5) OFFER ENTERTAINMENT.  This could be a television, movies, or access to your iTunes or Amazon account.

6) MAKE SURE SLEEPING QUARTERS SMELL WELCOMING. Fresh linens of course are a must, but you can also have a few scented candles on hand.

7) OFFER MINI TOILETRIES. You know all those bottles of lotion, shampoo, and conditioner you've been collecting from your travels? Well now's the time to offer them up to your house guests.

What do you do to make your guests feel welcome?

“That boy is your company. And if he wants to eat up that tablecloth, you let him, you hear?” ~Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird

Nesting...

We are about a week away from our due date, and boy are we excited! I can't wait to meet the little person living inside of me. But first I must clean and organize my entire house. It appears I have entered the nesting phase, and hardcore, much to the dismay of the hubs. He is perplexed as to why I've waited until the last minute to give him an immediate to-do list of 87 tasks. I can't fully explain it, all I know is we must clean, and clean like we've never cleaned before. The urge to get everything perfectly ready for the baby has been so strong I can hardly sleep lately. I wake up in the middle of the night and start cleaning.

This crazy little phase I'm going through does have its pluses, most obviously that our home will be as my mother would say, "spick and span". Its also showed me how much unnecessary stuff we've been harboring, and how a thorough de-cluttering can create serious amounts of room in our home. I've been FREECYCLING our unneeded stuff like a mad woman. I've also eliminated all toxic cleaners from our home, instead opting to make homemade organic ones. I'll share all the great recipes I've been using shortly. I've gotta run.....off to clean!

DIY: How to Make Quick Homemade Laundry Detergent

Laundry detergent is one of those things we all need to use regularly. So why not get it for cheap? In comes my 5 min. dry laundry detergent recipe....

You will need to mix together:

• 1 cup Borax ($4)
• 1 cup washing soda ($3.24)
• 1 bar of grated Fels Naptha soap ($1) 

Also, feel free to add 20 drops of essential oil if you'd like yours to be scented. Shake up ingredients and store inside of a lidded container, and you're good to go. You only need 1 tbsp per load. The mixture above makes 64 loads (for ~$1.94), and you'll still have plenty of Borax and washing soda left over to make more after you run out. Happy (environmentally friendly) washing!

“He who will not economize will have to agonize.”  ~Confucius