7 Home Essentials to Buy Before Your Holiday Guests Visit

We're reaching the year's final months, and we're sure you can feel the change in the air. No, we're not referring to the chill settling in (although you can feel that too). We're talking about the holiday spirit!

The holiday season just might be the most memorable time of the year. Friends and family gather, gifts are exchanged, warm meals are shared... And your in-laws come to stay in your guest bedroom.

Maybe you're excitedly awaiting your house guests' arrival, or maybe you're anxiously biting your nails. Either way, we're sure that you want to impress.

Luckily, not too much needs to be done to ensure that your guests have a lovely stay. Just allow yourself a few days (to a week) in advance to prepare and you should be all set.

How about we dive into it?

Put Yourself in Your Guests' Shoes

Before we give you our list of home essentials, let's discuss how to create the coziest environment for your guests. 

First, put yourself in their shoes. Your guests are traveling (likely far from home) to spend their holidays in a place that's not their own. During the holidays, everyone wants to feel as comfortable and warm (literally and metaphorically) as possible.

Sometimes, the littlest thing, such as a lumpy mattress or dusty room can ruin that joyous mood. In fact, these small bothers can turn a great Christmas into a pain in the butt. 

Luckily for us, the tiniest details can also turn a good holiday into an excellent one. One of the most important rules about hospitality? It's the thoughtful touches that can make you feel cared for and pampered. And, of course, who doesn't want to feel pampered during the holidays? 

So, if you want to show your guests some extra love during their visit, we got you covered. Without further ado, here are our top seven home and guest room essentials for the holidays.

Home Essentials for Your Holiday Guests' Visit

1. A Comfortable Mattress to Sleep On

So you invite your sister and her partner to stay over at your home for Thanksgiving. After a huge dinner of stuffing and turkey, they'll want nothing more than to sleep off the food coma. The catch? All night, they're tossing and turning on your hard-as-a-plank futon. 

If you're worried about having to buy a whole mattress for your guests, don't fret! There are some simple and affordable fixes.

Above all, we highly recommend getting a foam mattress topper. These genius inventions quickly take your guest bed from the structure of solid concrete to that of a dreamy cloud.

In case your guest is a cold sleeper, feel free to add some extra blankets for them. Fresh sheets, cozy blankets, and extra pillows will be sure to take your bed from zero to 100.

If you don't have a whole bed for your guests to sleep on, don't fret. A comfortable air mattress will do the trick. Just don't subject your guests to your way-too-short couch (unless you want to ensure the holidays are at theirs next year).

2. Luggage Rack

You've been there before: you finish up your family celebration and retire to the guest bedroom. Finally, as you take out your suitcase to unpack your pajamas, you realize... there's no place to prop your bag open. Knowing what you must do, you cringe as you sit on the cold, dusty wood floor to unzip the bag.

Yes, we know this anecdote sounds a little dramatic. However, your visitors will appreciate having a place to put their bags.

A luggage rack is a thoughtful and caring touch to your guest space, that can be conveniently and easily folded right back up when not in use. And if you have a guest room closet or empty drawers for your guests? Even better.

3. Soft Bath Towels

Whether you're at a boutique hotel or a highly-rated Airbnb, there is one surefire way to tell that your accommodations are top-notch: the bath towels. If you aren't convinced, just think about it. Truly, nothing feels more luxurious than wrapping yourself in a fluffy, soft towel after a warm shower.

We beg you: when your guest decides it's time for a shower, please don't hand them an old, ratty towel from the back of your linen closet. Instead, leave some extra towels on their bed or in the bathroom that they'll be using. 

And no, you don't need to have fancy, white towels. Just as long as they're nice and of good quality, your guests will appreciate the thought.

4. Scented Candles

Nothing can quite set a mood like a good candle.

During the colder months, we get little sunlight and warmth. There's no cozier feeling than walking into the house, out of the cold night, and warming up your room with a couple of lit candles.

If you really want to create a picture-perfect holiday atmosphere, you're in luck. There's no shortage of seasonal flavors to choose from. Whether it's evergreen or gingerbread, your room is sure to smell lovely.

Nothing screams the holiday season like a delicious-smelling candle. Plus, it's the perfect and easy, little touch to make your dedicated guest bedroom into a holiday-ready space.

5. Basket with Essentials

There is no greater travel nightmare than realizing you have forgotten something at home. You finally get to your destination and you're ready to get a good night's sleep... until you unzip your bag to realize that you've forgotten a toothbrush. 

As a host, don't break up the holiday festivities with an emergency CVS run. Instead, set out a basket of extra toiletries for your guest. 

This basket can include small essential items, from cotton balls to nail clippers to bottles of shampoo. Don't worry about buying full-sized care items either; travel-sized toiletries will do just fine. 

6. Fully Outfitted Bedside Table

If you really want to impress your guest, provide them with all of their bedside table necessities. 

What do we mean by bedside table necessities? Well, just think about what you usually have by your bed when you go to sleep. This might be your phone, your alarm, a lamp...

To make sure your visitors have the comfiest stay possible, leave out an extra phone charger or USB Port to charge up. If you want to go the distance, you can even write out your WiFi password for them. Finish off the side table with some fresh flowers and you're all set to go.

7. Humidifier

During the holidays, there's nothing better than warming up inside after playing in the snow. However, an unexpected drawback of blasting the heat... your home is going to get dry.

If you want to ensure your home is comfortable for visitors, getting a humidifier is the way to go. The last nuisance you'll want your overnight guests to experience is waking up in the morning with a dry throat and peeling, itchy skin. 

Humidifiers can also provide relief for cold symptoms. We always have that one sniffly family member during the holidays. Luckily, a higher level of humidity helps moisten nasal airways, allowing you to more easily blow out irritants from your nose.

When it comes to increasing guests' comfort, humidifiers like our award-winning Carepod, are a household must.

Conclusion

Now that we're through, we hope you feel ready to tackle any holiday guests that come your way. Just remember, treat your visitors how you would want to be treated! We promise you that any thoughtful touch or small detail will be appreciated.

Happy holidays!