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Welcome to a new series on the blog, quick How-To tutorials to help you style your home, gift with pizazz and entertain with southern charm. I’m starting out this series with a recent project for The Southern Woman’s Show here in Savannah. Jaclyn with Shop My Savannah hosted a segment in which I shared hostess tips with a group of fabulous ladies.
Entertaining is one of my favorite things and I LOVE making guests feel welcome and comfortable during their visit. We live in Savannah so we often host visitors for a weekend here and there – all exploring this charming place we live in!
All of these tips are SO easy and do not take a lot of effort. My secret to easy entertaining is to grab things here and there so you have them on-hand for impromptu arrivals. Stock up on the basics and you can whip anything together in a jiffy. For the Guest Room Welcome Tutorial below, these are all things I had in my home that didn’t require a special trip to the store.
Here’s a list of my favorite things to keep on-hand that always work for impromptu guests:
Assorted Cocktail Napkins and Guest Towels
Travel size and Sample Soaps, Toiletries, Shower Caps, etc.
Small bottles of water and beverages
Assorted candies and chocolates – I love to include local favorites of the area (Pralines, Byrd Cookies, etc)
Locally designed stationery that features landmarks and key locations in Savannah OR a set of your family Signature Stationery
So here it goes…I’ve designed a Guest Welcome Kit for both the bedroom and bathroom – both equally important.
First up, the Guest Room Basket!
What’s included:
1) Flowers – Fresh is preferred, Silk will do on the fly.
2) Plush Bath and Hand Towels – we received the best gift for our wedding, a set of assorted “GUEST” towels – each a different color. Such a great idea for embroidery!
3) Bottled Beverage
4) Something Savory or Sweet
5) Stationery and Pen for writing a quick note home! Or in some cases, the guests have left a sweet note before leaving. We have kept those over the years to reminisce.
6) Candle and Matches – after all, they are coming to Relax and Unwind!
7) Another addition that I often include are local magazines!
Next up, the Bathroom!
Okay, I KNOW you love to confiscate the hotel room toiletries and what better way to try out new products right!
I toss them into a ginger jar for guests who forgot anything. This includes shampoo/conditioner, shower cap, toothbrush/toothpaste, etc.
My favorite is the juice carafe – it provides them with a nice clean glass of water or you can serve orange juice in the morning. Toss in a few paper guest towels and some yummy soaps and there you have it. There aren’t any rules about what to include or what not to include – whatever you feel will make your guests feel welcome.
Working on a few tutorials for you! Would love to hear your ideas hello@emilymccarthy.com –
All the best,
