Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Preparing for guests


With the Christmas season in full swing, I'm sure most people are busy "decking the halls", cooking, cleaning, and preparing their homes for guests. My In-Laws are coming this weekend! This is the first time they will be staying with us in our new home.... actually, they are the first overnight guests in our new home.


On top of the normal cleaning one does while preparing their home for guests, we had to turn our empty spaces into actual guest rooms! They were completely empty, untouched rooms. It's amazing how many "things" it takes to make a guest room and bathroom functional. 


We had to buy a bed, bedding, pillows, mattress pad, comforter, lamp, shower rod, shower curtain, bathroom rugs, trash can, etc.... Up to this point, we've had no reason to use the guest room or guest bathroom so our parents were definitely the motivation to finally make these rooms usable. We found a great Black Friday deal on a mattress set and Martha Stewart bedding ensemble at Macy's. I didn't even know Macy's sold mattresses, so I was really excited we'd be able to use our Wedding gift cards to help with such a large purchase! Plus, we were able to save an additional 20% with our Registry Completion discount. I love when you can find great deals on things you need NOW!


Our Guest Room (complete with Christmas decor!)


Most of the stuff for the bathroom was on Clearance at T. J. Maxx. I've never really shopped there, but I must admit, I was pleasantly surprised with their quality and pricing. The bathroom still needs some work, but at least it's functional. & I love the shower rod and curtain rings! I'm hoping gravity will take some of those wrinkles out of the curtain.... otherwise I'll be doing some ironing Friday night! 


Guest Bathroom

Pretty Shower Rod and Rings: only $15

I think it's funny that I've put more effort into decorating our guestroom and bathroom than our own bedroom and bathroom. When I was mattress shopping, the sales guy told me that most people don't want a guest-bed that's too comfortable because most people don't want their guests to stay too long.... That has to be the most ridiculous thing a salesman has ever told me.... especially since more comfortable=more money=bigger commission for them!

I certainly do not embrace that mantra, and I want to make sure that our guests are as comfortable as possible (within our financial limits). Plus, my father-in-law will be installing cabinetry that he made for my laundry room while they are here, so they'll certainly be earning their keep! :) So excited to see them!!

The ornaments of your house will be the guests who frequent it.  ~Author Unknown