Apparently People Are Coming Over…

Somewhere between now and the New Year, there's a good chance somebody will visit your home. Maybe you're hosting Thanksgiving. Or the kids are coming for Christmas. Friends might stay for a weekend. Or maybe Bob and his entire family are descending upon your house for four days, and although you've known this since August, you will somehow find yourself at 11:47 p.m. the night before they arrive standing in the guest bathroom holding an empty soap dispenser and wondering how your life came to this.

So let’s look around the house NOW and take care of things BEFORE groceries, cooking, wrapping, decorating and all the regular holiday stuff demands all our time and attention. I'd really like you to enjoy Bob when he gets there. At least not resent him before he makes it through the front door.

First Things First: Where Do Bob and Fam Sleep?

Once you know people are coming, it might be a good idea to figure out where you're actually going to put them. And I mean actually put them. Not the vague plan where someone will sleep "in the office" even though the office currently contains a desk, a printer, three boxes destined for Goodwill and absolutely nothing resembling a bed.

We happen to be doing this right now. My daughter and grandkids are coming to stay for fall break, and one of our sleeping arrangements involves an air mattress. So we tested it. And by tested it, I mean we blew it up, put a heavy weight on it overnight to make sure it didn't have a slow leak. Excessive? Perhaps. Better than discovering at 2:00 a.m. that one of my grandchildren is sleeping on what has become a fitted sheet covering the floor? Absolutely.

If overnight guests are coming, now is a good time to think through where everyone will sleep. Enough beds? Sheets? Blankets? And  ̶  this one is important  ̶  pillows? Because giving your guests your pillows sounds very hospitable until you realize that means you no longer have pillows.

Nobody should spend Christmas Eve sleeping on two decorative shams and a folded bath towel because Bob needed the good pillows.

Bob Needs a Bathroom

Once we've figured out where Bob is sleeping, we should address the fact that he has normal body functions. We're not opening a hotel. But take five minutes and look at the guest bathroom as though you don't live there.

Clean towels? Extra toilet paper? Soap? Shampoo? A trash can? Somewhere to hang a wet towel? And maybe tuck away a few inexpensive things people commonly forget. A spare toothbrush. Toothpaste. A couple of disposable razors. Because Bob has somehow managed to arrive with four suitcases and no razor. We're not going to ask questions. We're just going to hand him one.

A few basics tucked away now can save an emergency trip to the store later, and an awkward conversation through a partially opened bathroom door. Everybody wins.

Apparently, We Have to Feed Bob

You don't need to plan every meal but consider not just big meals but also breakfast, coffee, snacks, food allergies, and various options – in other words, take a quick inventory.

Do you have the pans and serving pieces you'll need? Enough dishes and glasses? Containers for leftovers? What do you normally keep around for breakfast, snacks and drinks? And yes, Bob wants coffee.

One smart tip is to pick up things you know you'll use during your regular shopping trips. If something’s on sale, grab it. Pantry staples, baking supplies, beverages, paper products  ­̶  whatever makes sense for your plans. You're spreading out the expense, the work and the number of things you have to remember. You're also avoiding that final pre-holiday grocery run where every person within a twelve-mile radius has apparently realized at the exact same moment that they need butter. You'll still make that final trip. But there's a big difference between going to the store for eight things than going for 83. Future you will appreciate the distinction.

Bob Brought HOW MUCH?

People don't just arrive at your house. They arrive with stuff. Suitcases. Coats. Purses. Shoes. Gifts. Electronics. And, in Bob's case, four suitcases and a computer bag that needs to remain in a secure, kid-free zone. Bob, exactly how long are you staying?

All that stuff has to go somewhere. You can clear closet space for Bob, empty a drawer, and decide where his luggage can live so everyone isn't stepping over it for four days. And don’t forget to make extra room in the fridge and freezer.

Now Take Some Things OFF the List

Here's the other side of preparing ahead. You do not need to do everything. Your guests need clean sheets. They don’t need you to reorganize the linen closet. They need a reasonably clean bathroom. They are unlikely to inspect your baseboards.

The goal isn't to create a perfect house for the holidays. It's to take care of the predictable things now so they don't become emergencies later. There may still be people sleeping on every available bed, sofa and air mattress in your house. Someone will forget something. You'll run out of something you were certain you had plenty of. That's the holidays. The goal isn't to eliminate the chaos. It's to manage it so you can laugh at the rest.

We Love Bob

After everything we've said about him, I feel like we should make something clear. We love Bob. We invited Bob. We want Bob to visit.

We want him to have a comfortable place to sleep, clean towels, coffee in the morning and somewhere safe to put that ridiculously overpacked computer bag. That's why we're doing a little thinking ahead. We're doing it so that when the holidays arrive, we get to enjoy them too.

And when Bob walks through the door, we're ready and genuinely happy to see him. Even if he does take our good pillows.

Now, what will you do next to love where you live?

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