For the two weeks that I am traveling, I have invited two lovely ladies and fellow bloggers to share their tips and advice on how to be a good hostess on Wednesday’s Why Not . . . ?. While traveling itself is always a treat, having house guests visit may happen more frequently, so in order to make sure both the host/hostess and the guests enjoy themselves, today I’d like to introduce you to Emily Knightley. I have been delighted to know Emily for more than two years through her blog across the pond in Great Britain titled Sugar & Spice, and she is also a guest editor for Independent Fashion Bloggers Links a la Mode. Full of fashion and dressing stylishly on a budget, be sure to pop by and see her most recent find.

With out further ado, Emily’s 10 tips on how to be a good host/hostess . . .

A few months ago Shannon wrote two wonderful blogs about being the perfect house guest. These posts were so well written and the advice in them was exactly what I always hope to be when I visit friends. Having been to university away from the town I grew up in and now having graduated a few years ago, I have old school friends and university friends across the country who I like to visit – and who I enjoy having to stay too. So I got to thinking about the converse of being a good house guest, what about how to be a good hostess? Here are my tips:

1. Ensure that communal areas that will be utilised by guests are clean and tidy. We can all be a little messy when left to our own devices and whilst this may be ok when it is only us at home, when there are guests coming to stay, it is polite to ensure that any area they are going to use is tidy and, above all, clean.

2. Ensure that if they are to be in the guest bedroom that the bed is made up with clean linen and has clean towels out, before their arrival. If they will be staying on a sofa bed, ensure that before your guests arrive, you have clean bed linen and towels to hand, so that you’re not rummaging for them come bedtime.

3. Fresh flowers are an inexpensive way in which to make a room look instantly welcoming. I always try to make sure that I buy a bunch or two of seasonal flowers for the guest bedroom and living room on the day of my guests’ arrival.

4. Check for any allergies or dietary requirements before guests arrive. One of my dearest friends has a gluten intolerance and so I ensure that at the very least I have a gluten-free loaf of bread and some gluten-free pasta in the house.

5. A neat idea I came across on one of my favourite beauty blogs, Cult of Pretty, was to collect up all of those unopened miniature bottles you get in hotels etc and put them in a basket in your guests’ bedroom for them to use, in case they have forgotten anything. I have so many bottles languishing in boxes that are just taking up space, so I have already invested in a cute wicker basket for my new guest bedroom and filled it with mini shower gels, shampoos, toothpaste and, even, perfumes! If guests are sleeping on a sofa, you could put the basket in the bathroom and point them in the right direction.

6. Have your internet access codes to hand. I know that when I go away, I like to have a little internet time, even if it is only on my smart phone. Most of us have unlimited broadband packages in our homes and so it just seems a little tight not to share this with your guests. Either point out where they can find the codes (on the router) or else have them printed out for them.

7. Whilst your guests might be simply staying in your house while you all get on with your own schedule, it is polite to have some activity ideas, or restaurant recommendations available. Ensure you have at least one day activity and one evening out planned with guests.

8. Let guests know your schedule. If your house only has one bathroom and you have to shower at 8am in order to get to work on time, let them know – rather than discover they are in the bathroom for an hour from 7.30! And if they are sleeping on the sofa, let them know what time you’ll be up.

9. Be sure to show guests where simple things, like water, juice, tea, coffee and cups and glasses can be found, so that they don’t have to ask you every time they want a drink – it’ll save you time too!

10. Be upfront about how long they can stay for. Or you’ll start to resent them if they over-stay their welcome.

~A tremendous thank you to Emily for her tips! I know I will including them for my next guest’s visit. Be sure to stop by her fashion blog Sugar & Spice, follow her on Twitter, follow her on Pinterest or like her on Facebook.~