Planned Activities
If your guests will be visiting for more than one night, you can avoid cabin fever by scheduling activities besides the holiday dinner. There are always special events from which to choose around the holidays such as plays, vocal performances, ballets, or new movies. Investigate whether any local museums have special exhibits that would interest your group. Even planning a family walk in a local nature area would be a welcome change from holiday dining. Other fun physical activities could include going to an indoor roller-skating rink, an ice-skating rink, driving golf balls, or even bowling. Have schedules, times and prices available for activities that don't need advance ticket purchase, then the group can decide what sounds best.
If little children are visiting, some fun, inexpensive diversions to have on hand include sidewalk chalk, bubbles, crayons and paper or coloringbooks. Simple baking projects are also a good project for young children. Use a mix or pre-made cookie dough, available in supermarket freezer cases, and let the children have fun shaping and decorating the cookies. Taking the children outside (weather permitting) to a local park or playground helps to release their nonstop energy.
Sleeping Arrangements
If you have overnight guests throughout the year, it's worth having a separate guests bedroom so that no members of the household are displaced when guests visit. It also offers you and your guests a little privacy and flexibility so that the living room doesn't need to be cleared out when your guests need to go to sleep. A private guest bath offers even more luxury to your visitors.
If you don't have a separate guest bedroom, you'll want to invest in several cots, or a pullout couch. Young children are usually comfortable sleeping on the floor on several thick blankets, or you can ask parents to bring along their kids' sleeping bags.
Make sure your guests' beds are made up with fresh sheets. If your guests are anything like me, two pillows per person are the absolute minimum! And make sure you have at least one clean towel per person. Towels and washcloths can be decoratively arranged in a basket in the bathroom or guest bedroom.
Final Tips
Try to relax and enjoy your guests. Accept help when it's volunteered - you don't have to do it all by yourself. Remember that everything doesn't have to be perfect to build those long-cherished memories. Many times it's the little imperfections that nestle into the warmest spot of your heart.
