Ready or not, the Holidays are coming !!

[Cheri354]

Egad !Greetings ~  With Thanksgiving coming up quickly and Christmas just around the corner, I'm curious what your plans are with hosting ? We aren't getting together with family this year so would be okay having guests. Is it common to have people wanting to book for the holidays ? And if so, do you do anything differently ? (decorate a bit, offer Holiday treats, give a gift to guests or ??)

Our home situation is: we live on the main floor of our house and the whole second floor is the private Guest area. We don't mingle for meals or anything but do provide basic starter foods, drinks, fresh fruit and snacks.

We would love to hear your Holiday stories 🙂  Thank you !  ~Rick and Cheri

[James3814]

@Cheri354 Your post really got me thinking about my holiday plans, and I think I wanna go to Chile! ❤️ I never been there, but I stumbled upon this blog that gave me some insights about the place. https://gowithguide.com/blog/chile-tourism-statistics-2023-the-ultimate-guide-5558  I was also thinking about finding some good deals on Airbnb, in case I can't find a decent hotel. I've used Airbnb before and it was a really cool experience. I was in New York City last year for Christmas, and renting a cozy and private apartment through Airbnb was such a sweet deal! 🏠

As for the decoration, you can check this out to get some ideas https://www.thespruce.com/modern-christmas-decor-ideas-4153105
 and might offer some hot cocoa ☕ or wine 🍷 to guests, which I think is freakin' awesome! I mean, who wouldn't want some wine during the holidays?! 

Your hosting setup sounds amazing too! Having a separate space for the guests is definitely a plus, and I'm sure they'll love the privacy. Anyway, I hope you and your guests have a great time during the holidays! 🎄💚

[Cheri354]

@James3814 Thank you so much for the interesting links ! 

We've never been to Chile, either but it's always fun to read about new places to travel 🙂

Love the decorating ideas~ that Rainbow Tree is amazing !  Spruce is a good site (I keep forgetting to search there more often); they usually show a lot of choices on decor topics that would work in just about any home. I like their variety and photo angles, too.

We appreciate your ideas. Thanks for taking the time to write.

Hope your plans for the holidays go smoothly ! 🎄

[James3814]

@Cheri354  You're very welcome!  I'm happy to hear that you also liked the decorating ideas. The Rainbow Tree definitely caught my eye too! And I totally agree with you about Spruce - they offer a wide range of options and great inspiration. I hope your own plans go smoothly as well! And have a fantastic time hosting your guests during the holidays! 😊

[Laurelle3]

@James thank you for the links. The Spruce one  I got lost in their ideas with the simple designs.

[James3814]

@Laurelle3 No problem, glad I could help! 😊 I agree, Spruce is definitely a great resource for simple design ideas. It's easy to get lost in all the inspiration they have to offer! Let me know if you need any more help or ideas. 🥂

[Myriam452]

We also live on the main floor and have 3 guest rooms, each with full baths, on the second level.  We've just finished our 3rd year as Superhosts!  We have never blocked the rooms for the holidays unless we had family staying with us.  We had received a request in September to book for 10 days over this Christmas, but my family is arriving on the 23rd and will be using all three rooms.  We did have a couple last Christmas who stayed with us for 3 nights to visit their sons in a neighboring town.  We didn't change anything.  The house was decorated as always, we had holiday cookies on plates on the kitchen counter and asked them to help themselves.  Christmas music or movies were playing nearly all day.  I think they were grateful to have a place to stay at a time when a lot of rooms are blocked.  We made them feel comfortable (we hope!) and all went well. 

[Cheri354]

@Myriam452 That sounds awesome and you are gracious hosts ! Oh, I forgot about offering Christmas music and movies !! Thanks for sharing 🙂

[Finch3]

Sure Christmas is a time we decorate our  place with great giveaway BBQ, and drinks to give our guests a  local  experience  with our local food and traditional  dancing of the parang songs  O yes we love the salt ham and baked bread  as well 

[Cheri354]

@Finch3 WoW, you sound like great hosts ! What a great way to celebrate 🙂

[Sarah5000]

@Cheri354 Time fly ! But I am not ready yet , this year I don’t think I am going anywhere because I just discharged from the hospital. But during the Holiday season I always prepare a little gift for my guests such as a chocolate or a bottle of wine . 

[Cheri354]

@Sarah5000 Thanks for the suggestions, good gifts !

Hope you recover well from your hospital stay ~

[Breanna]

If you do end up having guests for the holidays, will you decorate upstairs @Cheri354?

[Cheri354]

Good question ! I'm thinking in addition to little lights along the porch, we could add some Christmas cheer in the kitchen/laundry area.. maybe a wreath with lights on the door, hang some mistletoe and then add some festive cookies to their snack area.

Also, a few holiday movie dvd's and Christmas music cd's could be put in the hall for guest use 🙂 Nothing overwhelming, just sprinkle a bit of cheer.

[Laurelle3]

@Cheri354 I just came across your Are we ready or not for holidays.

Today we have been checking our Christmas solar lights are still working. I have planted our red and white petunis in the window boxes for our Christmas display.