Let’s Look-How You Host

EEEEKK!!! Here we go again with the “Last of the Year”…another one! Shay and I are sharing our last Let’s Look of 2022!

To recap our amazing year, last month we shared gift ideas and where we shop for our moms.

September had us chatting all things closet organization. Funny we talked about that months ago when right this second I’m working on organizing our new closet.

In July, we shared how we try our best to stay healthy with different tips/techniques we apply.

June had us sharing our summer go-to lunches.

In May, we took a closer look at our hometowns. Any other small town Missouri girls here?

In April, we shared our favorite kind of date nights.

Back in March, we were nostalgic again by taking a look back at all our favorites from high school and college. From fashion to movies to food, we covered it all.

In February, we shared a peek at our menus.

And to kickoff the year in January, we shared how we get organized for a new year.

Today, we’re talking about how we host holiday parties! I know Shay is going to have that all covered for you so I’m gonna tweak my side of the topic by covering how I handle holiday out of town guests. Just call me a rule breaker. ;). It’s what I’m working on right this minute because my family is coming in from Missouri to spend the week after Christmas with us so it’s fresh on my mind.

Here are some of the things I do when I have guests coming for several days…

1. When I go visit family and friends, I love having our schedule ahead of time so I know what to pack, what type of clothes to bring, etc. So I like to send out a little tentative schedule with what the plans are and get their input. For instance, if the weather is good when my family comes we’re gonna go to Six Flags. My sister-in-law and nephew love rides so it’ll be a fun and festive way for us to spend part of our week. My mom wants family pictures taken so again-everyone needs to pack the right clothes for the pics. It all went out on my handy-dandy schedule. 😉
2. I make a super detailed list of meals so that I have everything covered. From breakfasts to snacks to dinners, I list our entire menu out. I’ll even add “quick lunch out” or “nice dinner out” on my list. I don’t like my out of town guests to have to spend a lot of money on food when they’re here visiting us so I try to limit how often we go out for a meal or we cover their food.
3. I make ahead as much of the food as I can. I’ll make a few breakfast casseroles that are ready to bake. One night we’re going to have a little “Christmas meal” and I’ll have all the sides ready to just throw in the oven when we’re ready to eat. A few hours of cooking before they arrive allows me to be able to spend those hours when they’re here, enjoying them!
4. I use disposable pans and plates when I have guests to eliminate tons of dishes. We’ll use our nice dishes some, but when we’re making quick sandwiches for lunch we’re using paper.
5. I’ll re-wash clean towels in a really good smelling detergent just so they’re all smelly and fresh for guests.
6. Stock the bathrooms with all the things they might need…towels, toilet paper, toiletries, etc.

Okay, this post has me excited about my family arriving! If you have guests traveling into town for a Christmas visit, what do you do to prepare?!

Thanks so much for following along this year and “Looking” at each and every topic with us! It’s been fun, friends!

XO