Unexpected Guest Preparation: Prepping Your Home

Now that you are ready to entertain guests at the drop of a hat with great party food and delicious drinks to quench their thirst, take the final step to being a great impromptu host - prepare your home. Here are a few easy tricks and tips to keep your home ever-ready for unexpected guests:

Tip 1: Keep the Living Area Tidy

• This easy tip is often the hardest to adhere to. With busy lives, kids' craft projects, dog toys and magazine clutter, the living room can quickly morph into a disaster zone unsuitable for company. The best way to avoid this is to dedicate ten minutes at the end of each day (or ask your kids to dedicate the time as a chore) to tidying up the main living area of your home. Spend just ten minutes stacking magazines, putting away glasses, picking up wrappers and putting the toys in a bin. Not only will your home be guest-ready, but it will offer a relaxing refuge to you and your family at all times.

Tip 2: Buy Flowers Regularly

• Nothing brightens up a room faster than a simple vase filled with flowers. If you visit a local flower mart or farmer's market, choose long-lasting varieties that will live two to three weeks. This is a ten to twenty dollar investment that makes your home seem polished and effortlessly stylish at all times - perfect for showing off to company.

Tip 3: Create a Guest Linen Bag

• This tip is one of our favorite ways to ensure you always have a clean, matching set of linens and bath towels on hand for unexpected overnight guests. All it requires is setting aside a freshly washed set of sheets, pillowcases and duvet, along with two large bath towels and two small hand and face towels. Place this stack inside a large shopping bag and label it 'guest linens' to prevent family members from inadvertently using them.

• If you want to make your guest bathroom look even more guest-ready, add a selection of simple wrapped and scented soaps to the bag. When last minute guests arrive, just pull out the bag and set everything out - it's as simple as that.