Family

Hosting events is not a piece of cake, especially when you have people coming home to test your skills and patience

While hosting guests, it is imperative that they feel welcome and comfortable at all times. And it is the job of the host/hostess to make their guests feel appreciated and welcome in their house. However, if one is doubtful about their skills as a host/hostess, here are a few tips that can help them regain their confidence.

Welcoming a guest into the house is a step-by-step process, something that has to be followed by every host in order to make the guest feel like a million dollars. The best way to start is by personally picking up guests from the train station or the airport, instead of letting them come in a cab. Also, hosts can make their guests’ experience even more overwhelming by bringing them a small snack, like a cookie or cupcake on their arrival. This not only sends a warm message of invitation, but also endears them towards the host.

Similarly, when guests are departing, it is generally a good idea to send them off with a gift basket; a small basket packed with fruits, dry snacks, and some drinks for the way. For some additional thoughtfulness, hosts can insert a “thank you for visiting” card inside, to make their guests feel cherished.

All through the duration of their stay, guests need a lot of things that have to be taken care of way before they arrive at the place. The first and foremost thing is to build a guest-kit for them, so that they have everything they might need beforehand. In a guest kit, hosts can include the following general items:

  • Toothbrush and toothpaste
  • Dental floss
  • OTC pills like aspirins, etc.
  • Eye mask
  • Combs and hair brushes
  • Deodorant (spray on/ travel sized)
  • Body lotion
  • Feminine products like sanitary napkins/tampons
  • Cotton swabs/balls
  • Shampoo & conditioner
  • Bathing soap/ body wash
  • Loofah or shower pouf
  • Toilet paper
  • Mini first aid kit
  • Mini shaving kit
  • Mini sewing kit
  • Towels & bath robes

The next step towards being the perfect host is to find out the eating and drinking preferences of the guests that are visiting the house. This is because every host/hostess needs to make sure that the house is well-stocked with all the needs of the guests, so that they feel at home even when they are guests. If there are children in the guest list, it is always a good idea for the host to check in with their parents and find out what the children like to eat and what food items are forbidden for them. Moreover, before the arrival of guests, all hosts and hostesses need to stock up on essentials like tea, coffee, milk, fresh juices (orange, pineapple, etc.), sugar, biscuits and wafers, etc. also, all hosts need to make sure that they know in advance about any persisting allergies or other such complications that their guests might have, and make arrangements accordingly, especially while preparing meals for lunch or dinner.

A good idea for all hosts and hostesses would be to have a small goodies basket with fresh fruits, snacks and savories that they can munch on at their convenience, and place it either in the drawing room or the guest room for the guests to sit and enjoy. Moreover, a good host would always ensure that their guest always has a fresh supply of pillows and pillow cases, bed sheets and blankets, along with a mesh bag or laundry basket for picking up dirty laundry. A good idea would be to buy a luggage rack for the guest room, so that guests can keep their luggage in a safe and proper manner, and not have everything spill on the floor.

For entertainment purposes, it is advised to keep the guest room stacked with a plethora of books and DVDs so that guests can pass their time in whatever way they want. Moreover, it is the duty of a good host/hostess to see to it that there is always a jug of water in the room, so that guests can reach out for it whenever they feel thirsty.

If one follows all the instructions mentioned above, then there is nothing that can stop them from being the perfect hosts/hostesses and getting all the love and appreciation from their guests for their excellent and warm hospitality.