12 Ways to Make a Visitor Feel Welcome in Your Home

As part of my "30" series, I sat down and just wrote out a list of random topics that either mean something to me or are just plain fun. Here's one of them, and I thought it was fitting to the blog because having visitors into your home is synonymous with feeding them, or at least should be.

Have you ever gone to someone's house and they didn't at least set out a bowl of mixed nuts on the coffee table? If not, how did that make you feel? ...Like they kind of want you to leave, right!? And, if they did set out some nuts, but you are allergic to them, how did that make you feel? ...Like either they didn't care to take the time to get to know you, or they didn't really care whether you dropped dead, eh?! I have been in homes that didn't even offer a glass of water. That's just shameful! One thing my mother taught me about hospitality is to offer even the plumber a glass of lemonade.

So: Feed your friends!
And: Make sure what you are feeding them won't kill them. Ask ahead of time.
Ask preferences - Just because you like tomatoes doesn't mean they don't taste like death to the next person. I really appreciated that almost every person we were invited to eat with while I was pregnant went out of their way to ask what I did/didn't want to eat... But only one friend has asked since! (I know, I know, I'm not the usual woman... It took almost a whole year for my taste buds to readjust after pregnancy ... and the tomato thing still hasn't gone away!)
Make plenty of offers - Just because someone is shy (or from another culture where it is rude to accept anything on the first offer) doesn't mean they're not starving to death. Don't badger them, but offer something every little while.
Place food in front of your guests - Even if someone just dropped by out of the blue, surely you have some random snack to offer them! Be creative! Do you have some fruit? A pack of crackers? Cheese (of ANY kind!)? Half a can of olives lurking in the fridge? Pimientos? (ewww...) Well, whip up a snack and place it in front of them. "But it's the tax man", you say? Well, Jesus ate with Pharisees. And prostitutes.
Your table should be inviting - I don't have nice dining room furniture. It's used, old, and hideous for modern tastes. But if we have people over, especially if they've never been to our house before, we do everything we can to make them feel comfortable, relaxed, and special. My husband is the master at this. He pours water in glasses and sets each place so that no one is wondering where to sit. We turn the table so that the chairs are more accessible. The first thing we always ask someone is what we can get them to drink.
Your home should be inviting - Turn on lots of lights. Light a candle in the bathroom. Set fresh flowers on the coffee table. Something! For goodness sakes, at least clean up a little before they come over!!!
Make your guests feel individually special - One way of doing this is really surprising to some guests. And might mean more to them than they would expect! Research their name (first AND middle scores lots of extra points!!) and make them a little place card with their names and the meanings on it.
You should be inviting - If a visitor is staying the night, don't go out without them. If it is something very, very important, and they can't or don't want to go, at least let them know ahead of time. And supply something for them to do while you're gone.
Set necessities in view - No one feels right rummaging through closets! Set towels out in view. If a guest is staying for several days, show them where everything is that they might need.
CHANGE THE SHEETS - This really shouldn't have to be said... But some people just don't get it... Seriously, if ANYONE has slept in that bed then change the sheets for your guest!!
Give them "refrigerator rights" - If staying for several days, or is a frequent visitor, give them the freedom to get their own drink (or whatever) from the fridge. They will feel like family =)