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Kathleen Petty AVP/Sr Mortgage Originator Global Credit Union Home Loans AK#157293 Phone: (907)261-3458 Cell: 223-4440 Fax: (907)929-6699 License: NMLS Unique Identifier #203077 K.Petty@gcuhome.com https://www.globalcu.org/home-loans/resources/originators/Kathleen-Petty/ |
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December 2006
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Preparing for Holiday Guests Ensure Their Happiness and Your Sanity When it comes to the holidays, our "to do" list seems to be endless. We shop for gifts, attend parties, host parties, decorate our homes, shop for more gifts, plan menus, send cards... you get the picture. But just when you think you've got a handle on everything, your doorbell rings. You look through the peep hole and there, standing on the front step, are your relatives. It may just be Mom and Dad at the door, or perhaps it's a whole group of aunts, uncles, and cousins; it really doesn't matter. With suitcases in hand, they are ready for an extended stay at your home. The real question is... are you? You may be asking yourself, do I really need to "prepare" for guests? By offering up my home, aren't I already doing enough? Besides, company should adapt to my way of doing things, not vice versa. In the real world, you would be absolutely correct; but this is family we're talking about. It's also the holidays, and, unless you thrive on tension, you may want to think about choosing the path of least resistance. In other words, when it comes to hosting guests during the holidays, prepare yourself and prepare your home. Preparing Yourself The lesson here is two-fold. First, shorter stays are better, with a maximum of 3 days being ideal. It's just enough time for everyone to catch up and celebrate, yet it also ends the party on a high note. It's possible that a shorter visit could go so smoothly that you may actually want to do it again next year! Part two of the lesson applies to those visits that extend past the magic 3-day timeframe. First, you need to recognize exactly what you're up against. Understand that your patience, along with everyone else's, will be tested and the most important thing is for you and your family to have an enjoyable holiday. Here are three suggestions to help you achieve the proper holiday mindset: 1. Don't take responsibility for every single logistic. 2. Remember that communication is more important than organization. 3. Don't sweat the small stuff. Preparing Your Home 1. Place an emphasis on the entrance of your home. You will also want to ensure that all of your walkway, porch, and entryway lighting is functioning properly. This is primarily for safety purposes, but it will also give your home a more inviting look. If you have a closet in the entryway, you may want to move its contents to another location. Then reserve it for everyone's outdoor gear, such as jackets and umbrellas. This will help to cut down on clutter, and it gives your guests a place to keep their more "grimy" belongings. Speaking of which, a few holiday doormats on the floor of your entryway will give guests a location to place their wet boots. 2. The main living area is where you'll spend most of your time, so plan accordingly. Make sure your seating is in order. Depending upon the amount of space available, you may want to move a chair (or two) from another room into your main area. Oversized throw pillows are great for kids or for anyone who doesn't have a problem sitting on the floor. It's also a good idea to have plenty of throw blankets as well. Establish your main living area as the center of entertainment by stocking it with DVDs, board games, magazines and other activities. Keep everything appropriate to the ages of your guests, and you'll soon find that you've created a true "family" room. 3. Correctly setting up your guestrooms is paramount to ensuring a happy holiday. As with hallway closets, you will want to make sure that bedroom dressers and closets have plenty of space for guests to place their clothes. Also, confirm that each room is equipped with a bedside clock and a reading lamp. Sleeping in a bedroom that's not your own can be somewhat disorienting. These two additions will restore a sense of familiarity. Freshly laundered sheets and bed linens are vital to your guests' comfort. You may want to use either a lightly scented fabric softener or a natural linen water to bring a fresh smell to the bed. This not only says "clean" to your guests, it promotes relaxation. 4. Don't forget about the bathrooms. Stock the guest bathrooms with plenty of toilet paper, facial tissue, air freshener, hand soap, shower soap, and a few basic toiletries. A combination shampoo/conditioner and a tube of toothpaste is a great place to start. Whether you choose to provide anything beyond that is completely up to you. Don't forget to have plenty of clean linens like bath towels, hand towels, and washcloths. This practice will help to avoid needless complaining. Depending upon your guests, it is sometimes a good idea to assign bathrooms. Anyone with a baby will require a tub in their bathroom, and anyone who makes frequent visits during the night will benefit from a bathroom close to their room. If you are uncomfortable with the idea of assigning bathrooms, you can do so in a somewhat nonchalant way. Subsequent to showing your guests to their rooms, bring them to their assigned bathrooms, showing them the bath linens you've set out for their behalf. Chances are they'll naturally gravitate back to that bathroom. 5. Keeping the kitchen properly stocked will come in handy. Speaking of which, plan out as many meals as you can, and shop for the appropriate items as early as possible. Perishable items must be bought in accordance with their use, but be as judicious as possible with trips to the store. This practice will cut down on the number of visits as well as the time spent inside the market. Remember, most people are off from work, and most people have procrastinated their food shopping. Grocery stores tend to be crowded on the days leading up to each holiday. One last thing; if you have any rarely-used kitchen appliances sitting on your counters, see if you can find a temporary, alternate location. Chances are you'll need every square inch of counter space that you have. From everyone here at YOU Magazine, we wish you the happiest of holidays and a safe, enjoyable New Year! | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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