· Put aside sheets you will use for your guests; bundle them together in a nice ribbon if they are not staying in a guest room, but may be using your pull out sofa or using an air mattress.
· Put aside towel sets and bundle them with ribbon, so they know which ones are for them; try and make sure they are very different from the ones your family may use, so the family knows they are ‘guest’ towels.
· Put sample size shampoo, soap, lotion, tissue, hair spray in a small basket and let them know that they are free to use any and all.
· Make sure your guests have adequate space to put their clothing – even if it’s a small part of a used closet, they may have outfits that should be hung up and not left in a suitcase.
· If your guests are driving to your home, make sure they know where they can park to avoid tickets and bottlenecked driveways.
· Make sure your guest sleeping area has adequate lighting – after a full day, they may want to unwind alone and read – make sure you have created a space they will feel comfortable staying up reading – or going to sleep early!
· You may want to have an iPod docking station in the area/room with music you know they will like. An alarm clock showing the current time zone will also be appreciated.
· Ask in advance if there are any household allergies or food allergies so you can avoid purchasing items they cannot tolerate.
· Find out before they arrive if there are any foods they like, fruits they like or routines you should know about. You don’t necessarily want to get up to find Uncle Harry in his boxers doing yoga in your den! Purchase foods they like and let them know that the food is for them and to help themselves.
· Flowers and a welcome letter go a long way to making your guests not only feel welcome but loved.
