CasaSugar

Open House: How Do You Handle Extra Guests in Your Home?

CasaSugar — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 05:30:41 -0800

For my family's Thanksgiving, we always rent a couple dining tables and a dozen chairs, move our everyday dining table to the garage, and use our formal dining table as a buffet. When the party's over, my family members crash on every spare bed, couch, or inflatable mattress in the house.

What about you? How do you handle having a lot of guests in your home for dinner or for the weekend? What rearrangements do you make? Any tips for the rest of us? Tell me by commenting below!

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How-To: 14 Tips For Being a Gracious Guest

CasaSugar — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 07:00:11 -0800

Thanksgiving is all about family, food, and remembering our blessings. Yesterday, I gave you tips on how to keep your cool if you're hosting Thanksgiving. But if you're spending Thanksgiving dinner as a guest, you have responsibilities as well! Perhaps the best way to thank your host family for their hard work is by acting like a gracious guest. Check out my 14 tips for being a guest they'll remember (in a good way) for years to come.

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Open House: What Are Your Thanksgiving Plans?

CasaSugar — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 05:30:39 -0800

This Thursday, friends and family will gather to socialize, give thanks, and stuff themselves silly. Whether you're hosting or putting in a guest appearance, there's always a lot of preparation and work that goes into every Thanksgiving gathering.

This year my husband and I are driving from Berkeley to Whidbey Island, off the coast of Washington, to stay with his family. We're driving because we're also traveling with our two dogs (I know, it's going to be quite the road trip). Once there, we'll help prepare the Thanksgiving meal, take lots of walks in the foggy forest and on the shore, and, I'm sure, play many, many rounds of Scrabble with my mom-in-law.

My favorite part of Thanksgiving is getting to visit with so many loved ones, and to contribute to a meal, and an experience, that would be impossible without many hands. Tell me: what are your Thanksgiving plans, and what are your favorite parts of the holiday?

Source: Flicker User Lane & Anne

Open House: What's the Worst Houseguest Behavior You've Dealt With?

CasaSugar — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 05:30:16 -0700

Summer's definitely the time to take weekend trips, or to host out-of-town weekend guests. So, I've been thinking a lot about how to be a good houseguest, as well as how to host my friends and family in a gracious manner in the upcoming weeks.

Luckily, almost all of the houseguests I've hosted have been perfect guests. However, there's always that exception to the rule. For me, it was a friend who visited from New York years ago. She went out nearly every night clubbing, and wouldn't return until after two in the morning - on a weeknight. And on the last night of her stay, she brought a random guy home who she'd met at a club that evening. I didn't discover this fact until I literally ran into him in the middle of the night as he walked out of the bathroom. Needless to say, I asked her to stay in a hotel the next time she visited.

What type of bad behavior have you experienced hosting houseguests? Or, have you been that naughty houseguest yourself at some point in your life? Tell me all about it in the comments!
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Casa Beta: C.Z. Guest Candles

OnSugar Blog — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 13:00:00 -0800

Here's a post from OnSugar blog Maison Classique:

First off, if you are unfamiliar with the iconic late C.Z. Guest, do a quick Google search or brush up on the cliffs-notes here. I purchased this candle at Annie's last summer in Vail, CO. Annie's is one of my favorite shops in the village, and regrettably, they do not have a website. If you are ever there for holiday, or just driving through, stop at Annie's! They have a selection of china, dishes, candles, bath and body products, and all sorts of wonderful things. I pop in every Summer and I am never disappointed. Imagine my delight when I saw the C.Z. Guest candles . . . on sale! You better bet I snatched one up! Truth be told, I would have purchased it had it not been on sale, but I guess it was my lucky day.

The genius thing about this candle is that it literally lives on. The jar is actually a handmade flower pot, and the candle box is packaged with a seed packet. Once the candle is spent, you plant the flowers and grow them in a delightful little pot! Perfect for a guest bath or the kitchen window ledge.

Continue reading the rest of this review.

Primer: A Well-Equipped Guest Room

CasaSugar — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 07:00:17 -0700

Old-fashioned homemaking wisdom says that everyone should sleep in her own guest room at least once, to see how it feels and make improvements. (As the guest in many rooms over the years, I can safely say that most people do not do this.) Of course, if you live in a smallish apartment or house, you may not have a spare room, but that doesn't mean you should ignore your guests' needs, even if they're just crashing on the couch.

So I've put together a quick checklist that covers the basic essentials that any good guest room (or mere guest space) should have. To see if yours is up to par, read more

clean towels, perhaps laid out on the bed
a well-lighted mirror
a bedside table and reading lamp
a few well-chosen books and magazines
a wastebasket
paper and a nice pen
a closet with plenty of free hangers
an alarm clock
a night light, if the room is unusually dark

From there, whatever embellishments you want to add - from fresh flowers to maps of your city - are up to you. Think I'm missing a crucial accoutrement? Tell me below.

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Room Therapy: A Bed For Our Guests

CasaSugar — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 12:00:31 -0700

Hi, Casa!

I am at a loss, and I'm hoping you or other Sugar readers can help me out. I recently moved from a spacious apartment to a tiny townhouse. My husband and I decided to make the larger of the two bedrooms into a joint guest bedroom/office. The only problem is our guest bed is a queen! We are definitely tight for space in this room, and a pull-out sofa or futon seems like the ideal solution. We've started our search, but everything seems so expensive (after moving expenses, we really can't afford to go over $200 or so on an "optional" piece of furniture). What can we do? We crave our office space and I definitely cannot give up my bookshelves, but we still want friends and family to be able to visit and stay with us. Please advise!

Thanks,
Bethany21

To see my suggestion, and to leave a suggestion of your own, just read more.

Hi Bethany21,

I can totally empathize with you! Moving costs are often exorbitant, and it's so nice of you to already be turning your attention to your guests' comfort. I'm sure that you're a popular household for friends and family to visit, given your outlook on entertaining.

First of all, I'd suggest donating or selling your current guest bed. A queen bed is huge, and it likely dominates the guest room/office. Since you say that you're also attached to your bookshelves, why not set up this second bedroom primarily as an office? For years I put guests up comfortably on a pillow-top full-size aerobed in a room that was primarily an office, and I think that this might be a good option for you as well. I recently slept on one for four nights when I visited a friend, and didn't have an ache or pain anywhere upon waking, so I can wholeheartedly recommend this product. And more importantly, you can deflate, roll up, and store this bed in a closet when you're not entertaining overnight guests. That way you and your husband can optimize the space as an office when guests aren't visiting, rather than as a huge bed-dominated second bedroom/office. I also spotted a Aerobed Peremier Pillowtop Inflatable Bed on sale for $124.95 at Sierra Traders, so that's well within your budget. And if you're absolutely opposed to an Aerobed, check out this morning's Good, Better, Best post for a wrought-iron daybed that's also in your budget.

Anyone else have a suggestion?

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Before and After: Guest Quarters by Mae Brunken

CasaSugar — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 11:00:35 -0700

Desire to Inspire recently posted a makeover of the poolside guest quarters of a Pacific Palisades estate by interior designer Mae Brunken, and I was completely floored by the project. As you can see, the space was cramped with large furniture, and it didn't quite make sense. Items were not stored properly, the television was oddly positioned, and quite frankly, the space simply lacked personality. Guest rooms are usually the last place we devote our attention when redecorating, but we should want to treat our pals to a well-designed room when they visit! To see Brunken's fantastic transformation, read more.

I'm simply in love with this room! The soft gray and yellow color palette is splendid, and that rich zebrawood is so unusual. I almost can't believe it's the same room. Just using smaller, shorter furnishings has really made the space seem 10 times larger. The daybed is so versatile and ideal for a guest room. What do you think? Head over to Desire to Inspire to hear more about the project and to see more photos!
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Casa Quickie: Welcome Guests With a Shoe Organizer

CasaSugar — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 08:15:43 -0800

TeamSugar member SweetPeasMom shared a great tip for making your guests feel right at home involving an over-the-door shoe organizer, which she repurposed. She says:

I hang an over-the-door shoe organizer on the back of the door of our guest room. In each of the different clear pockets I may include the following: a map of the local area, sun lotion, soaps and shampoos (usually the free hotel ones or samples), note cards, a good paperback book (with a note saying to take it with them if they haven't finished), candies, a flashlight, a variety of medications and personal items, a couple of stamps, postcards from the surrounding area, etc. My guests seem to really appreciate it. And it's amazing how many of these little things are free or very inexpensive.

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Do You Sleep on the Sofa When You Visit Friends or Family?

CasaSugar — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 11:00:53 -0800

Over the Thanksgiving holiday, my husband and I are staying at his mom's Whidbey Island retreat. Luckily, the house is big enough to allow us the luxury of staying in a guest bedroom. I've spent a good many nights sleeping on sofas, and I don't mind, but a guest bedroom is always a wonderful luxury!

Source: Flickr User jaliyaj