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"  Does the sound of the doorbell fill you with dread? Holidays are coming up! You may be hosting family holiday meals, dinner parties, gift openings, or even (gasp)... overnight guests! Here&amp;#039;s your checklist for making sure you&amp;#039;re ready. Front door:  Is your jack-o-lantern still rotting on the porch? Make sure your decorations are up-to-date with the season. Does your doorbell work well?  Check your doormat and replace if tattered and worn. Clean your front door and apply wood polish if applicable. Is your sidewalk safe and clear? Does the yard look decent?  A brass kickplate on your door can be a beautiful crowning touch or an eyesore, if it&amp;#039;s scuffed and worn. These are relatively easy to replace. Sweep your porch and check for cobwebs and wasp nests on the walls. Replace your porch light bulbs if needed.  Entryway:  Do you have a place for guests&amp;#039; coats?  How are your coat hangers? Move some nice, sturdy, wooden hangers into your coat closet to handle heavy coats with style. Check first impressions-- anything need to be improved? Have you dusted everything, and changed light bulbs in the chandelier?  Pantry and Refrigerator:  November is National Clean Out Your Refrigerator Month. Really! It&amp;#039;s a good idea, because Thanksgiving creates a lot of need for extra space for large amounts of leftovers and thawing turkeys. Does your pantry still contain crackers and dried fruit from last year&amp;#039;s holiday gift baskets? Clean out the deadwood and make room for the new. See my pantry organizing tips in this video on YouTube. Do you need to stock up on sodas, wine, beer, or other items that your group needs for gatherings? Get ahead before you hit big crowds at holiday time. Plan menus in advance of their visit and buy all of the groceries. Even prepare what you can in advance, so you can better enjoy your friends with less fuss and mess.  Guest Room: If you don&amp;#039;t have a dedicated guest room, where will they sleep? Think through sleeping arrangements for everyone involved, and borrow an inflatable mattress or cot if needed. (Here&amp;#039;s an always appropriate article from Peggy Post about handling unmarried guests.) Make sure there are enough bed linens, towels, and blankets for everyone. Make your guests feel special by having some of these items available for them:  Clock with easy-to-use alarm Empty hangers in the closet  Hair dryer  Night-lights for the restroom  Internet access, with instructions  Books, magazines, and other reading material  A &amp;quot;tourist binder&amp;quot; with brochures about attractions in your city (See my video about creating a tourist binder here) Key to your house with important phone numbers  Guest Book (like a special blank journal) for signing remembrances of the visit  Carafe of drinking water, or bottled water  Special treats like fruit, chocolate, or cookies  Fresh flowers  Extra toiletries &amp;quot;just in case,&amp;quot; like shampoo, toothbrushes, toothpaste, feminine products, razors, cotton balls and swabs, hand cream  Here are more guest room ideas from Good Housekeeping, and some speed-cleaning tips for after the guests leave in this video.  Do you have guests coming for the holidays? What will you do first to get ready? Share in the comments! Lorie Marrero is the best-selling author of The Clutter Diet: The Skinny on Organizing Your Home and Taking Control of Your Life, the spokesperson for Goodwill Industries International, and the creator of ClutterDiet.com, an innovative online membership program that&amp;#039;s provided affordable professional organizing advice to thousands of people in eighteen countries. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/home/decorating-ideas/a23398/house-ready-for-guests/>