How to prep for parents and in loves (laws)...

So this month is a bit ridiculous with parents coming into town plus the best of holidays - aka Thanksgiving. Husband loves the food that happens around this time of year. If we end up moving back to St Louis, it will significantly help me in getting in the mood for all the winter vegetables as it has been warm this year...yes, still.

So with our first house guests coming out to play, how does a new wife prepare. First off, the weekend before they arrive, I deep clean. I dust and sweep and wipe down EVERYTHING. Husband and I gain a lot of dust. Not sure why, but it just builds up. Deep clean the bathroom they will be using and make a conscious choice to avoid using it. Husband and I divided up the chores and as soon as we were both done, we rewarded ourselves with a new episode of Doctor Who. Then over the course of the week before they arrive, I prep the room. Clean sheets, fluffed pillows, fresh towels, mints on the pillow (seriously, it makes a big impression), put out the typical hotel shampoo, conditioner, lotion, etc plus some extras like sunscreen, take out or put away extra clutter to give the room a clean and chic look, and pray that you don't spill anything before they arrive.

Also, during the week before arrival, I figure out what meals I will want to make and how the guest eats. The In Loves (who are visiting first) as well as my Dad and his wife are pretty love maintenance. No weird food allergies, etc. I know there will be a couple restaurants that we will want to take them too i.e. Porto's and Story Tavern.

So I figure that have some soup and sandwich makings prepped and ready in the fridge is a great call for lazy lunches. I choose a yummy, but hassle free breakfast that doesn't take a lot of work on my part/can be made a head of time and just requires baking (Sticky Buns). I prep what I can for the "big" dinner in, complete with some sort of appetizer. Parents and In Loves always want to be helpful, which is great, but I attempt to have something to show them or for Husband to talk about with them so I can focus and get it done as quickly as possible. I will be prepping my Amazeball Stuffed Mushrooms for appetizer to keep hands busy for before dinner and the Marmalade Stuffed Chicken. Day of I will just need to bake the mushrooms, pour marmalade over chicken and bake it, and then prep the Quinoa and peas. Very easy and my hands don't get messy so there is a lot of me being part of the conversation in the living room.

Another little thing that makes a big impression is that I go ahead and set the table for 4 so it doesn't seem like a last minute thought when they arrive. It is all about making people feel welcome.

I think that this game plan will work, but if it doesn't, it is fine too. No need to stress about the people I call family.