It wasn’t until I moved away from my family for college that I realized just how much I enjoy go home for the holidays. It’s already such a magical time of year and it’s even better when you’re surrounded by the ones that you love.
When we moved from Florida to Manhattan and away from most of my family, it was difficult to be that far away. We traveled home for the holidays for a few years when it was only Harlan (and manageable to fly on a plane during the holiday with one child,) but when Avery came along, we sadly had to tell our family that it was much too difficult to travel back home during the holidays.
Our move from New York to Connecticut came as great joy for everyone because we finally had space to host our family for the holidays. Not only was I excited to have them around during my favorite time of the year, but I was excited to let them stay in our home.
It’s so important for my guests (family or not) to feel comfortable in our home during their stay. Many of the amenities that we love at hotels, I want to be able to provide for our guests. From making sure they walk into a room that has all they need, to making sure they stay connected throughout their stay, here are some things that I believe make everyone feel much more at home when they are your overnight guests, especially during the holidays.
If you’re hosting your family and friends this holiday season, here are some of the tips I’ve learned along the way.
- Give them a comfortable night’s sleep. I love my bed. I think my bed is the most comfortable bed in the world. It always makes it hard to travel because I am very particular about my mattress and what kind of pillow I have to sleep on. That’s exactly why I want my guests to feel the comfort of sleeping in their own bed while they are at my house. We have a lot of extra pillows at our house for when guests come over. Prior to their arrival, ask what your guests prefer in terms of pillows. Everyone is different, so I like to give them options. Also make sure there are plenty of blankets on hand. While some people love to sleep with just a sheet, others prefer being piled in big soft blankets.
- Take care of the essentials. I like to make sure that our guest room is much like a hotel room (but much more inviting) by having all of the essentials on hand during their stay. I’ll buy travel-sized toiletries for them so that they can easily bring them into the bathroom without having to ask what’s okay to use. Make sure the towels are laid out so that they can grab them when they’d like to take a shower. I always like to put a bottle of water and an easy grab-and-go snack available so that if they need it, it’s there.
- Stay connected. One of the first things I do when I am visiting a friend or family or even staying in a hotel, is ask for the wifi password. In our day and age, there is always so much going on online that it’s hard for us to stay away. I’ve mentioned my love for eero in the past and while it’s been a lifesaver for our family, it’s also been the perfect tool to help our guests stay connected. With eero you can set up guest sharing in the eero app. That allows you to set a password for your guests so that they can connect to the eero app simply and securely. I put the wifi network name and password on a piece of paper and leave it in the guest room so that they don’t even have to ask for it when they arrive. Whether they want to stream the latest Netflix movie or check emails for work, eero gives my guests the same amazing connection that we get everyday.
- Go the extra mile. One of the goals for me is for my family to feel like they are at home, especially during the holidays. It’s always important for me to make them feel special and to let them know that we are happy to have them spending this time with us. Whether you provide fresh flowers in their room, or a beautiful scented candle. Even putting a few local magazines in their room so that they can see what your city is all about and they can explore on their own. Our guest bedroom is in the basement, which allows our guests to hear footsteps above very easily. My kids get up early, which I know might disturb our guests. Putting a quick-making espresso machine in their bedroom is the perfect “I’m sorry,” during their stay. If your guests have kids, surprise them with toys upon their arrival. Not only is it important for the adults to feel comfortable in your home, but their children as well.
And for those of you looking to do a little shopping this holiday season (either for yourself or your family,) eero is having an amazing Black Friday sale!
You can purchase eero in retail stores and online at eero.com, amazon.com, bestbuy.com from 11/24 – 11/28 for the following prices
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$399 for a 3-pack (reg. $499)
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$299 for a 2-pack (reg. $349)
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$149 for a 1-pack (reg. $199)
If you want early access to the sale, use code EEROLAUREN100 (offer valid on purchases over $450 and valid until 11/23) I don’t often brag about how much I am obsessed with a product, but when I tell you that eero has been a game-changer for our family, I mean it. It’s changed the entire network in our house for the better and I can honestly say that since we’ve gotten it, I’ve NEVER had a buffering issue with my computer or watching shows on my phone. It is well worth the investment and saves the headache. We’ve tried other things to increase our wifi signal and there is nothing that can even compare to eero. Learn more about how it’s worked for our family here and here.
