7 Ways to Help Guests Feel More at Home

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Kleenex.

As you have probably read about in another post by now, Mr. Savvy and I finally moved into a bigger home in late March. It has been SO nice to finally have more room to live comfortably, but one thing we were really looking forward to is having room to entertain more. We're going on year 3 of living here now and have made some great friends, but the Mr. grew up in Northern Virginia, so he has some really great friends there as well.

We love having his friends down, but it can be a 3 hour or more trip one way with traffic that can be quite crazy, so it's also nice to be able to have a dedicated guest room instead of leaving  them to sleep on the couch. This is the first time I've ever been tasked with having a real guest room and having friends over regularly. Even though Mr. Savvy likes to joke about not making things too comfy so guests don't overstay their welcome, I wanted to sit down and think about some ways to help guests feel more at home. See what I came up with below!

1. Relax and have fun. When we have guests over, we tend to feel like the entire house has to be perfectly clean and kept, but honestly, how many people really pay attention to all that? Keep the guest area clean, but relax, have fun, and enjoy your guests while they are there as far as the rest of the house is concerned.

2. Be aware of any allergies. These days so many people are allergic to something. While some allergies are worse than others, I always like to be sure of any allergies our guests have to provide a comfortable experience for everyone. That way I can keep the windows closed if they're sensitive to pollen, do a deep vacuum and keep the cats upstairs if they react to cats, or know what foods to prepare if they have food allergies.

The new Kleenex designs really help add a pop of color in style to a neutral area.

3. Have a bit of fun decorating the guest room. I like to use neutral colors to decorate the main pieces of a room, such as bedding and furniture, but then add in a few accessories with a pop of color. Facial tissues are something we all use regularly, especially during pollen season, so I love these new designs from Kleenex that add a pop of color and style to a room instead of being so ugly I hide them in the bathroom! They make a great addition on a nightstand that I pair with a lamp and a favorite book in case guests can't sleep.

4. Keep the guest area neat and tidy. No, you don't have to get on your hands and knees with a magnifying glass to make sure you got all the dust bunnies out from under the bed, but just make sure things are neat and tidy in general. Give furniture a quick dust, wash all the bedding and linens and give the floor a quick sweep or vacuum. Also try to not fall into the never ending clutter pit of turning the guest room into a storage room for boxes and items you don't often use.

Even our cat, Charlie, was curious about the new Kleenex boxes.

5. Stock a basket with extra toiletries and be considerate if you're sharing bathrooms. It never fails when your traveling you forget some sort of toiletry, right? That's why I like to keep a basket of shampoos, toothpaste and brushes, soaps, body wash, etc. available for guests if they forget something. Travel sizes are usually pretty cheap, but I usually have a nice array of items just by signing up for free samples. Luckily our guest room has its own bathroom, but when sharing in the past, I always thought it was considerate to my guests to get up a bit early and get ready first so that they didn't feel rushed when getting ready for the day.

6. Have a meal with your guests favorite foods and drinks. What's one of the easiest ways to make feel someone at home? Having their favorite foods and drinks of course! If you really know your guests, stock up on some of their favorite snacks and beverages, and maybe even surprise them by making one of their favorite meals.

7. Pre-plan some activities everyone will enjoy. When having guests over for a short visit, you may think you'll constantly have something to talk about or do, but then that awkward moment arrives. Instead, ask your guest what they might enjoy doing while they're visiting such as local attractions. If all else fails, have a deck of cards or other games on hand to have an entertaining night with.

Check out this video for more information about the new styles from Kleenex:

What are some ways you help guests feel welcome in your home or that you appreciate your friends and family doing when you're visiting?