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Simple Country Living

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How To Have House Guests… Easily

We have guests come and stay quite often. Barely a month goes by without friends or family coming down for a weekend in the country. We love hosting our friends, and over the last two and a half years, we have worked out few things that make visits easier to prepare for, and enjoyable for everyone.

After having guests earlier this week, Country Boy and I were talking about all the things we have done that make it easy, so I thought I would share what we have learnt:

Beds, Bedding and Logistics

Make sure you have enough linen and blankets on hand, and in an easily accessible place. I have a zip-up container (Skubb from Ikea) to hold all our spare blankets and quilts ready to make up beds. When we don’t need them, the container slides easily under Toby’s bed. We also have several spare mattresses stored under beds which we can pull out as we need them.

If you are fortunate to have a guest room, (all three of our kids share a room) wash the linen and then remake the bed(s) immediately after your guests leave. That way it is ready for whoever visits next, and it is one less thing to do the day before your next guests arrive.
If your guests ask what they can bring, suggest they bring their own towels. A few less loads of washing at the end of the stay is always appreciated. We have hooks on the wall of the guest room so that friends have somewhere to hang their towels when they stay.
We try to make sure we have a few extra beanies, gloves, and gumboots in winter for guests to use. Because our guests don’t normally live on a farm, they don’t always have the right ‘equipment’ to make life easier. We even have lightweight windproof jackets, which we used in Europe, for our guests to use should they need them. Perhaps if we lived further north and had a pool, spare goggles might be more appropriate.

Food

If your guests offer to bring a meal or some snacks with them, accept immediately. No further explanation necessary.
When planning meals, we try to think of meals that can easily be prepared in advance. Slow roasted meat and vegetables, pasta bakes, casseroles, homemade baked beans, and cranberry lamb shanks, are all foods we serve regularly.
Keep the food coming. We try to have “proper” morning and afternoon teas when we have guests. I find that filling the kids up every two hours or so means that they stay happier longer. Happier kids = happier, more relaxed, adults. Often we will whip up a batch of lemonade scones or pikelets, which I put out with a plate of chopped fruit. Popcorn, homemade biscuits, or even a plate of vegemite toast all fill them up. A late afternoon cheese platter while sitting in the sun is always popular too!

Activities

It is important to have a loose plan of what you might do each day. Often our plan is as simple as a list of different activities we can do. On the farm we have the usual list of activities such as bike riding, going for a tour around the farm on the truck, feeding the animals, canoeing on the dam, and bonfires (in winter). We also try to mix up the type of activities so that there are times when we are active outdoors, and others where we are relaxing indoors. Usually, a movie or audiobook for the kids after lunch (and a snooze for the adults) is on the agenda.

Where ever possible make sure that you have enough of each activity so that all the kids can join in. We have spare bikes in the shed (which we picked up for free during council clean ups) so that there are enough for extra kids. If we don’t have one of the right size, we suggest our friends bring one with them if they have room. If you don’t have enough scooters, bikes, pool noodles etc ask your guests to bring them, or borrow some from friends close by.

Have backup activities. I always have a few craft or baking activities up my sleeve in case it is freezing or raining (or both). I also check out any events in nearby towns such as markets, cafes, or even something at the big town further away.

Even when the kids get along fabulously, there will still be differences of opinions (aka arguments) at times. Expecting the kids to get along all the time with no assistance is asking for problems. We often get our kids to put away any of their very precious items before guests arrive so that they don’t become an issue. We also try to make sure that there are times where the adults play with the kids. Sometimes half an hour of hide and go seek in our garden (which is fabulous fun for adults too), is all the kids need to reset.


Don’t be afraid to call a break. Particularly when the visit is longer, going for a drive gives everyone a break from each other, and helps everyone to feel happier again later. Just because your guests have come to see you doesn’t mean you need to spend every moment together!

Do you have house guests often? I’d love to know your tips!

Let everyone know:

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Previous Post: « Winter Warmer: Rhubarb Strawberry Crunch
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Katie says

    July 10, 2014 at 11:12 am

    Oh, Jo, this makes me wish we were visiting you right now!

    Reply
  2. Nicole says

    July 10, 2014 at 7:38 am

    Hi Jo, i just came across your blog, we also live in the Blue Mountains. i have had a quick read & i will definitely be back to read about you and your families adventures. thank you for sharing
    Nicole :o)

    Reply
    • Jo says

      July 10, 2014 at 7:43 am

      Hi Nicole, and welcome 🙂

      Reply

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Hi, I’m Jo

I'm a city girl turned farmer's wife, school teacher, ideas woman, and mum to three country kids. Country Life Experiment is all about simple country living, growing and making our own food, and life on our family farm in rural Australia. Join me as I give country living a try. Read more...
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Autumn has well and truly arrived. The mornings ar Autumn has well and truly arrived. The mornings are chilly and the grape vine has turned deep red. I lit the fire yesterday and the house immediately felt cosy and ready for the coming cold weather. When we renovated our house, we deliberately designed it to catch all the winter sun. The grapevine sheds it leaves each winter to let the light and warmth in. Yet another thing I love about our home.
With the weather being wild outside, we’re stayi With the weather being wild outside, we’re staying in today.  Reading, playing games and baking are on the cards. Between the changing season and the approach of Easter I’m all about making breads. Today it is hot cross buns using @jamieoliver recipe with sultanas and little cubes of green apple.They’re going down pretty well.
Over the summer Toby and I sorted out his bedroom. Over the summer Toby and I sorted out his bedroom. The bookcase was always a disaster, and he could never find what he wanted. Since we got him a new shelf and storage cubes, his bedroom is just sooooo much better. He has enough space and knows where everything goes. It has removed a point of conflict and has confirmed to me that kids really need structure in their space. Everything needs a defined place to be put. He is doing his best to keep it tidy and while he is still a 10 year old boy, I can see that he loves having a nice space to hang out in and is proud that he can look after it by himself.
Summer holidays seem a million years ago already. Summer holidays seem a million years ago already. It’s all systems go here as we try to get our rhythm going. School and work are busy, community events are coming back, and our harvest is in full swing. It’s a lot to manage. No matter how busy we are, I’ve been prioritising my evening walk. Sometimes C or the kids come with me and we talk and make plans, and sometimes I go alone, with a podcast for company. Either way, the golden hour is always breathtakingly beautiful and I snap way too many pics. None of them ever fully capture the magic, but I can’t help myself. I mean look!!! 😍
The kids have been wanting to build a raft for the The kids have been wanting to build a raft for the dam for a while. They collected some old barrels and pallets, and got some rope to lash it all together. This morning they put it together and floated it out into the middle of the dam. Plenty of magical days to be had playing on the dam ahead of us!
The orchard doesn’t stop. We’re getting basket The orchard doesn’t stop. We’re getting baskets and baskets of fruit each day and I’m running out of things to do with it all. I’ve taken quite a few to work to give away. I’ve made jams and pastes and chutney. I’ve cooked and frozen apricots and nectarines for fruit crumble this winter and dehydrated plums and apples for lunch boxes. The pantry and freezer are filling up.

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Hi, I’m Jo

City girl turned farmer's wife, school teacher, ideas woman, and mum to three country kids. Country Life Experiment is all about simple country living, growing and making our own food, and life on our family farm in rural Australia. Join me as I give country living a try. Read more...
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