It makes me so happy that people are back to traveling, because that inevitably means I’m back to hosting them! If you know me, you know that I love having people in my home. I live for it! And it’s a running joke in my family that I have someone staying here more than not, whether it’s family or close friends. I’ve always wanted my home to be a place for people to gather (obsessed with that song that says, “I want a house with a crowded table, and a place by the fire for everyone…”) I still have a lot to learn about being a great host, but I do think I’m getting better over the years. So I was really excited when Walmart asked me to partner with them to talk about hosting and the things that help me.

Walmart Home | Palms to Pines | Guest Room

To me, my Grandma was the ultimate host, and with her recent passing I’ve thought a lot about the things I’ve already learned from her and the ways I want to become more like her:

  • Keep things clean and fresh. My Grandma’s house always smelled GOOD – whether it was clean and fresh or she was cooking or baking something good in the kitchen. I try to keep a generally clean house so that when guests do come it’s not too much of a process to get ready, and so that I can accept those last-minute guests! She even kept a bar of Irish Spring soap in every drawer to make sure things always stayed fresh – how cute is that? I just stocked up on some Irish Spring along with more of my favorite cleaning supplies from Walmart – I still swear by this carpet cleaning machine (currently on sale for $79!).
  • White! I’m a big believer in white towels and linens for guests for two reasons. They can SEE how clean they, and they just LOOK fresh and bright. Also, I can bleach them. I think everyone who is sharing a guest bed would appreciate that everything’s been bleached from whoever was there before! I just re-upped on white towels from Walmart – they’re not expensive and so worth having for guests.
Walmart Home | Palms to Pines | Guest Room
  • Make things feel comfortable and homey. It’s important to me to have a comfortable bed and private space for people to stay. My house isn’t big, and my guest room is tiny, but I can at least make it homey and “their’s” for while they’re here. I always leave some drawers and/or closet space open in case people want to unpack or get organized. I also try to keep the decor looking cute and updated. The Walmart Home section has some great options for bedding sets, and I love looking at their new “Wow and Now” section for some fun/trendy little decor pieces.
  • Provide the necessities. I like to keep extra toiletries (soap, shampoo, new razors and toothbrushes, etc) in the guest bathroom. I also like to ask people if there are any special foods they want or need beforehand (or if they have any allergies!), and if they’re coffee-drinkers I make sure to have coffee on hand. I’ll also ask them what time they wake up and set the coffee maker for that time. (If you stay with me and you wake up at 5 that’s totally fine, but I’m not gettin’ up with ya!) I love this coffee maker – I’ve had it for years and it’s been so great!
  • Let them help. I used to say no every time someone asked “Is there anything I can do?” and I realized that then they just had to sit there wanting to help while I ran around and didn’t get to spend quality time together. Now I’ve realized that most people (at least the kind that come to my house, ha!) feel more comfortable helping AND then we get to spend more time together.
Walmart Home | Palms to Pines | Guest Room

I feel like I have a lot more to share on this topic, but for now I’m excited about the little facelift the guest room just got from my Walmart Home finds – you can find them all linked below!

xx

Jen

*This post was sponsored by and in collaboration with Walmart and LTK.