Guest room goodies!

I think I'm among the many who has a combo home-office / guest room, and when I get the guest room ready I try and make it as inviting as possible and a personal space for the guest. Because our guest room isn't much bigger than a match box we have a futon that folds out into a double bed for our guests. There are some essentials that guests need and some that are just fun to have there.

Essentials:

• towels
• clean sheets and duvet cover. I dry our laundry out on the line and it gives it a fresh smell.
  
• bar of soap. I buy a big pack and give one to our guests. I often wrap it up in tissue paper and put a little string or ribbon on it. My favorite soap is of the oatmeal variety.
• bottles of water. Nothing is more refreshing after a long drive or flight.
• facial tissue. The last time we had guests here the weather was really cold and one of guests got the sniffles, so it really helped to have some extra tissues for him.
• Bed side table
• Lamp
• Curtains to block out any unwanted light (your guests might have jet lag and need to nap during the day to stave it off).
• Welcome card. I put a nice little greeting the welcome them to our house and I might also mention what time we get up (written in a nice way) like saying "Breakfast is served at 8:30", or something like that.
• A Chair that they can sit in when they're getting ready, or just to have an extra place to set things on.
• Space in the closet for their things. Our guests have to compete with all my arts and crafts projects in the room, but I clear a space for them in the closet so they can put away their things and store their suitcase during their stay.

Extras:

• linen spray: different scents create different moods/atmosphere. My favorite combination is to add a Vanilla essential oil and a little Rose essential oil to a bottle of water and spray the linens with it. (let linens dry completely before putting any blankets on top). Vanilla is a very calming scent and can help people sleep, but I add a little rose scent to it as well because I like to put fresh flowers in the guest room and if they aren't very fragrant the rose oil will allude that they are.
• Post cards for them to send to friends and family
• snacks; I usually go for a local sort of candy or chocolate that they might not have at home, i.e. I don't put M&Ms because they can get those anywhere.
• Hand lotion and sunscreen.
• Neighborhood guide. Many times our guests don't need to be entertained all the time and they like to get out and explore things on their own. Putting together a binder of bus and train time tables and walking trails in the area lets our guests be more independent. A collection of retails stores and cafes in the area is also appreciated.
• Wi-fi internet. We have wi-fi in our house and our guests are welcome to use it while they're here. If you don't have wi-fi in the house let your guests know where they can connect to the internet. For example, we have a McDonalds/McCafe down the street that has free wi-fi.
  

Here's a guest room I wish I had (and our guest probably wish we had), found on House Beautiful. For even more Guest Room tips check out this article from House Beautiful.

This is also an open invitation for our friends and family to come and visit!
We'll leave the light on for you.