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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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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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We’re getting to the end of the summer break 😭. The kids have been staying up late, sleeping in, swimming and kayaking on the dam, reading and watching movies, and giving the LEGO a good run. I’ve been reading, sorting out things (it’s what I do in January), binge watching Netflix, and cooking. In the evenings I go for a walk and always arrive back to this view as the sun is setting. Also, I haven’t taken down the Christmas lights yet, and I probably won’t for a while longer because they are so pretty. Not ready for summer to end!
Wide open spaces... Wide open spaces...
It’s been a busy old day around here. Washing be It’s been a busy old day around here. Washing bed linen, getting rid of the cobwebs that spring up so quickly. I even pulled everything out on the bathroom vanity and gave it a purge and deep clean. I have no idea how half the stuff got there 🤷‍♀️. For me January is a time to reset the house, de clutter and get sorted. Something about a new year perhaps? 🤔
Anyhow, here’s a pic of my freshly decobwebbed (totally a word) window  which makes me happy- just don’t look too closely!
I’ve been baking today, in between watching the I’ve been baking today, in between watching the news coming out of the US in disbelief. The mulberry tree has begun to fruit so I whipped up this mulberry yoghurt cake. It’s delicious and easy. The mulberries go all jammy and the cake is soft and not too sweet. Perfect comfort food with a hot drink when it feels like the world has gone mad.
We’re beginning 2021 in the best way; at the bea We’re beginning 2021 in the best way; at the beach with cousins. Despite the occasional rain we are enjoying swimming, playing board games and just hanging out together.
Top 9 2020 Drought and lots of pics around the far Top 9 2020
Drought and lots of pics around the farm (and a bit of green at the end) really does sum up the year.

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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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