The Hostess with the Mostest

When I was recently asked to share some organizing tips for hostessing, I was reluctant.  There will be seasons for every single one of us when we feel like our homes are not organized, and I would never want you to pass up a hostessing opportunity because of that.  Being a gracious hostess is about your attitude.  The way you greet your guests, the way you listen when they are talking, your comfort level at having them in your less than perfect home.

So, before you read on, please believe that you can still have someone over even if your living room is stacked with furniture and you have portable heaters all over the place and you can only sit on kitchen stools or dining chairs because you have no other furniture.  

Okay.  Now let's talk about some things you can do to be organized before your guests arrive.

Entry:

Whether you have lots of space or barely any, there are steps you can take to make your entrance guest friendly.  If you keep guests' coats in the closet, make sure you have extra hangers and push your jackets aside to make some room.  If you have enough room in your entryway, put up some hooks that are special for guests.

A rug, especially something with a bit of depth like shag, will keep your visitors from that wet floor dance when they come in with snowy boots.

It's nice to have a chair if you have space, so people who need to can sit to put on footwear.  A mirror is helpful as well in case someone wants to do a quick once over before coming in.  

Don't forget to pop a little pretty into your entrance to help your friends feel welcome.

Potty Talk:

No joke.  I have had the empty roll experience on more toilets than I can tell you.  Just the other day it happened to me in a restaurant.  

Ugh.

Please, please, please keep spare rolls in the bathroom!

I fell in love with this idea that I saw on the Jones Design Company blog...brilliant!

I also think a garbage can is essential in your guest bathroom...it can be kinda awkward without one.

Corral the Clutter:

I am a huge fan of the tray.  I use them all over the house from my nightside table to my coffee table.  Trays come in all shapes and colours.  They look pretty and are useful to corral your stuff.  If you need more space when you are entertaining, it's easy to move a tray to create more room.

House of Turquoise

 If you have an ottoman in your entertaining area, a tray makes a perfect spot for guests to place their drinks or snacks.

House of Turquoise

Even my in my temporary living room I have my trusty trays out.

Way up there in the first photo, I really wanted to make excuses for my unfinished door frame and my lack of baseboards.  And did I mention that I want to paint the wood on that turquoise chair to match the love seat?  But when someone comes over and you spend your whole time apologizing, it sorta starts to feel a bit uncomfortable.  So, no apologies please.  I'm not perfect, neither are you.  Come in and let's have a great time enjoying each other's company.