My in-laws came into town last week and oh my goodness, we had a blast! I love them dearly and often refer to them as my “in-loves” but that doesn’t mean that there’s still not this urge to want to host them, and all of my guests, excellently. This means fresh and matching towels, clean sheets with an extra “fluff’ to the pillows, their favorite snacks in the fridge or pantry and a warm scent welcoming them in after the long trip to Alabama.

Growing up, I always had an incredible family that also doubled as fantastic hosts and hostesses. My Mimi always has my favorite baked goods ready to go at any moment that we wanted a “splurge.” And when I was younger, she always had the perfect accessories for the tea parties she knew I’d want to throw. My Grandma always made arrangements to have the most fun days planned and goes above and beyond to make sure that my Grandma-time is never forgotten.

As a little girl, I was on the other side of hosting, too. My mom asked would ask me to “make up the bed” and “set the table” and we can never forget the last minute “Turn on the porch lights! Light that candle! Pick up your shoes off of the floor!” to make sure that their arrival was everything they deserve and more.

This was never a stressful thing for me, however. Having and hosting guests was something I always looked forward to and luckily, it followed me into adulthood and this new precious place I happen to be living, Birmingham, Alabama.

The clean towels, fresh sheets, gifts, and snacks come naturally so I’m wanting to share all my tips and secrets with you!

1. Gift Basket

I love putting together a basket of all of their favorite things. If you don’t know (or remember) what they love, I find it fun to add a few staples from your city so they’ll have something to take back home to remember their visit. I use a basket from World Market that’s easy to put together on your own – I normally include a soda or water, snacks, and a handwritten note. The gift basket is always a fun surprise when they see this sitting on the end of their bed.

2. Sign about Wifi

Guests are probably going to want to connect to your wifi so they’re not draining their data (oh, the struggle). Having that info sitting on a bedside table is the perfect way to share the information if they forgot to ask!

3. Bathroom Accessories

It’s easy to forget about sprucing up your bathroom. This was a fun excuse to splurge on my favorite towel set from World Market! I also make sure that there’s a beautiful bar of soap, a yummy smelling candle, fresh eucalyptus in a jar/vase and any toiletries they may have forgotten (toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo, body wash, etc.).

By no means is hosting something where I feel like I have to “prove” myself. I feel that hosting is a way to welcome someone into your home and community and this inclusion has always been something on my heart. Hosting has always been something that I look forward, am never stressed out by and to be completely transparent, I believe we’re supposed to do “what we can with what we have” and if that’s hosting people well in my home with everything I have, sign me up!

What do you do to host people in your home? A home cooked meal? Plans for the weekend? I want to know! Share them in the comments, please, I’d love to read about them and add them to my “hosting routine”!