10 ways To Be An Excellent House Guest
It’s Holiday time. Time to blow up the air mattresses.
This list comes from Life Hacker.
1. Show up on time. If you tell your host that you’re going to come in on Wednesday morning, show up at that time. If you’re running late make sure to give a call and update your host when you’ll be arriving.
2. Bring a gift. To show your appreciation for the free room and board, bring a gift. It doesn’t have to be big or expensive. Baked goods are always appreciated.
3. Offer to pay for groceries. If your host will be paying for your food while you stay, offer to chip in for groceries. You don’t want to be a complete mooch. Even if your host turns you down, it will show that you really appreciate their generosity.
4. Keep your area neat. Before you leave each day, make sure to make the bed and straighten up your room.
5. Help with chores around the house. Always be willing to help around the house. Help prepare the big holiday meals, wash the dishes, and take out the trash. Don’t wait for you host to say no, just start helping.
6. Disclose your schedule. Let your host know your schedule everyday and do all you can to stick to it. This will help you host plan when to serve meals and how late they need to stay up.
7. Always ask. Remember, you’re a guest. Even if someone tells you to make yourself at home, still ask before you start using things. It’s just good etiquette.
8. Don’t overstay your visit. Try to keep your stay shorter than three days. Your host has things to do and they can’t put their life on hold forever.
9. Strip the bed before your leave. Your host will likely wash the bed linens after you leave. Help make their job easier by stripping your bed before you leave.
10. Leave a thank you note. A short handwritten thank you note can go a long way to show your appreciation.
Heather and I have done really well at this list. Well, except for number 8. 3 months, 3 Days? Who’s counting?
How many of you are staying with or being stayed with this season and do you have any more rules?
Los
RAIN IT DOWN
My wife and I also try to make an effort to get out of the house during the trip to give the hosts a break from being “on” all the time. Even if you’re just ther to chill and be lazy, get out for a couple hours to give them some….”private time.”
I’m nomadic in CA until my big move to Minnesota after Christmas and am currently staying with friends. This entry comes at just the right time! Thanks for the reminders. I DO have a special little something up my sleeve for them, but since they, too, read your blog, I cannot disclose it here…
Hmm this is why we shall be staying in a hotel.
Cheers
we’ll be staying with my dad (in t.x.) during the holidays so i don’t have to follow any rules since it’s family (just kiddin’)…a couple things we try to do when we stay with him: 1. make sure the girls clean up toys and things they get out WAY more often that they do at home and 2. when we use dishes we try to put them in the dishwasher right away and don’t let them pile up (another thing we don’t regularly do at home
) 3. take the sheets off of the beds before we leave and put them in the wash.
p.s.~i have one more rule for people staying with someone (due to an incident that happened to us almost 5 years ago, when i was pregnant with kaia)…
if you’re staying at someone’s house that only has 1 bathroom and the lady that lives in the house is pregnant, DON’T stay in the one-and-only bathroom for almost an hour doing a facial and using up all the T.P. (i’ll also add…especially if the bathroom is right next to the master bedroom and the toilet paper roll is kinda loud when it rolls).
and think of the fact that the pregnant lady who owns the house might have to pee so bad that she’s contemplating going to pee out in the backyard or in a cup or something. sorry, true story.
An important rule: Always provide a “courtesy flush” if you have to camp in the loo for a while.
I just visited my sister in Dallas, here’s my score:
1. Good
2. Bad
3. Good
4. Good
5. Good
6. Good
7. Good
8. Good
9. Good
10. Bad
8 out of 10 ain’t too shabby.
I offered to make dinner one night while I was there. Chicken Wellington – it was awesome! Toot, toot.
I also made it a point to be nice to their pets: 4 dogs and 2 cats; all living in the house.
I also did not try to convert them to my religion.
my foster house rule: fish and company stink after 3 days.
though Carlos, im positive this is not the case with you. you could stay at my house for as long as you want just based on the fact that you have these guidelines.
peace..mike.
http://www.DeadlyViper.org
Are you afraid of what I will write since YOUR Family stayed at MY house just last week?
1. You and Heather are not a necessity. Please send your children to visit any time. While we love you, those three are amazing.
2. Please leave Heather here when you go home. She did dishes, washed sheets and towels before she left and even folded my clothes in the dryer. My husband doesn’t even do that.
3. I love the idea of Heather cooking. We exchanged recipes and everything she cooks has garlic in it. Being southern, this is exciting change!
4. Do not take pictures of your hosts when they do not want it. THis seems to be especially hard for Carlos. THe man always has a camera in his hand.
Love ya!
Kathy
“Heather and I have done really well at this list”….come on! Heather has done really well, you leave Oreo tops all over the house. On the mantle, next to the couch, on the TV cabinet, next to the toilet (gross!).
Now that is keepin’ it real, Cali style.
Going back to Cali, Cali, Cali….
Those were um, Losiahs, um oreos
11. Bring the funk
Old saying:
Fish & Friends smell in three days!
yeah, i’ll hold you to this next time