Be my Guest Please

 Now, when you fly or drive to a destination, you have already spent what should have been budgeted for food and lodging. With gas prices so high, it is a treat  for a friend to say, "please don't get a hotel room, say with me"! I myself have been reciprocating, and my guest have been reciprocating and the trend now is bed and breakfast, or stay with a friend while vacationing.

Here are a few rules that might help you when you join in this popular trend.  The more complicated I make things, the less I enjoy my guest so always remember keep it simple! 

When preparing your guest bed room, iron and starch the pillow cases. These freshly starched pillow cases, says that they are clean!  Never scrimp on the sheets. Quality bedding makes the big difference.  Being a decorator and the owner of a linen store for 15 years,  we personally sleep on Home Source 100% organic bamboo sheets. Home Source bamboo sheets are certified organic and have a rich soft silky feel.  Home Source bamboo sheets are cool in the summer, and warm in the winter. Bamboo is also anti bacterial. Remember, when you are shopping for bamboo, you want to buy "certified organic" to insure that you are getting a true organic product.

After making the guest bed, take the time to pull back the bedcovers. Guests tell me that is very welcoming.  Have available in the guest room a pitcher of ice water with lemon wedges. If I do not know exactly when my guest will arrive, have a basket on the night stand with individual packages of crackers, cookies,  and bottle water. I also provide a tiny bottle of lavender linen spray, to provide a lovely scent on the bed sheets.

When guest first enter their room, make sure the lighting is warm and welcoming. This best archived with lamps that provides low lighting. Avoid overhead lighting.  Personalize the room by leaving a note on the guest room mirror, or beside the bed saying "sweet dreams" or "Coffees on whenever you wake".

Before your guest arrive spray a little air freshener just before they arrive.  You want the scent in your home to be welcoming. You might even light a candle. Match the scent to the season. Do not choose a tropical scent for a winter season.  Remember the importance of lighting when inviting guest into you home.  Have lamplights on in every corner of the room.  Some homes incorporate white Christmas lights into their everyday decor. Being a decorator, I personally prefer white lights at Christmas or special occasions.

If room allows, invite your guest into the kitchen to visit while you prepare the morning meals. Choose recipes that can be prepared the night before like refrigerator quiche.  I usually create a self serve table with several types of cereals, a large bowl of fruit, a bowl of ice with various flavors of yogurt. I might also have bagels and cream cheese. I also fry up my bacon ahead of time and just warm it in the oven.  For a morning beverage, I serve mike, orange juice, and apple juice in frosted glasses that I have put in the freezer the night before.  Above all else, consider presentation when serving your guest.  Color and presentation is 75 percent of any meal. Colorful plates show off your food. I once spent a couple of nights at a bed and breakfast in a small town in Germany. They served the eggs in the most adorable egg holders. I can't remember anything else about the breakfast, but I do remember the presentation.

If you serve a evening meal. Serve menu items that indigenous to your area.  Living in a costal region, I personally serve seafood such as gulf shrimp, gumbo, or grilled red fish. Its fresh and my guest don't often get fresh seafood. I finish it off with fresh key lime pie! When I stay with a friend in Texas, she serves Tex Mex food or that wonderful Texas beef.

My guest are usually gone during the day, however if they show up during lunch, I always have hoagie bread and two types of lunch meat on hand for a quick informal sandwich. If I am showing them around the area, I sometimes carry a ice chest, table cloth, paper plates, and a basket loaded with picnic treats. The spring and fall are wonderful times for lunch picnics.

When entertaining, try to listen what your guest interest are. You will better understand what to suggest for entertainment.  Share what is available in your area, being careful not to overlook things in your own backyard like festivals, plays, or the food at local restaurants.  Often we take for granted things we are in close proximity to. For example, I would never think that our guest were interested in an big attraction in our area, the battle ship USS Alabama, but you would be surprised how many visitors want to visit this World War II ship.

Remember, most guest do not want to put their friends out. They don't want a lot, they mostly want there company. So the best advise is to keep it simple, keep it fun, and expect to stay in there home next time you visit there area.

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