Holidays, Parties and Houseguests OH MY!
Many of us will be opening our homes to host family and friends this winter. Preparation starts long before the guests actually arrive and planning for meals, entertainment and sleeping arrangements for a crowd can be overwhelming. By planning just a few things in advance; successful memory making will be that much easier! Here are some swift tricks we use to keep our sanity, while using items we already have on hand to add that personal touch.
Guest Room Welcome Basket
Grab a cute basket—you know, one of the ones you have stacked in a larger basket, holding other baskets. Probably in the closet or garage. If you don’t have a basket use a big bowl, tray, or go eco-chic and decorate a left over shipping box with the kids! Remember to keep it simple by using items you already have on hand, less is always more.
Add the basics for each guest—if you have unused hotel soap and shampoos this is the perfect time to put them to use. Add in a shower towel, washcloth, bottle of water, a mug or wine glass - You even be extra and order customized decals to personalize a mug or glass!
A cozy pair of winter socks, slippers or a blanket that your guests can take home.
A book or magazine they wouldn’t expect to find like MJ Lifestyle’s most recent issue (still available at Barnes & Noble and Books-a-Million stores nationwide!)
Personal touches like a homemade bedtime spray, CBD Honey or CBD Chocolate
DIY bedtime spray: (per bottle)
~ 1 TBL witch hazel
~15-20 drop lavender essential oils. DON’T be fooled by imitations, you want the real deal. Often essential oils found in stores (even in specialty organic stores), have other additives. Many people are sensitive to perfumes, we recommend using Doterra or Young Living if possible. *links*
~ Distilled water
~ A funnel (not necessary) or a glass measuring cup with a pour spout
Directions: combine everything and pour into spray bottle. Add label and VioLa!
CBD Honey—Drizzle over yogurt and granola, in your tea or straight into the mouth! Get these cute jars of hemp-infused raw honey from Potli or a delicious personal-sized Cannabis-Infused New Zealand Manuka HoneyShot from Kikoko
CBD Chocolates—Everyone loves a little late night chocolate and with a dose of CBD, it’s a treat you can’t resist. Check out this collaboration with Rosebud Women x Calivolve CBD Dark Chocolate Bar with 100 MG of Full Spectrum CBD or Vital Leaf’s CBD Holiday Edition Chocolate Bar Set!
5. Lastly, add a sprig of aromatic dried herb or a crystal from your collection that you want to gift.
Simple Meal Prep for Guests
If guests are arriving when you still have kids in school, work or other commitments. Have a list of nearby places to explore, eat or things to do. You can print the list and email it with links to help take ‘Entertainment Director’ off your duties.
Photo via Proposition.co
Breakfast ideas
Cereal station—bowls, spoons, milk (in smaller jars for little hands), and a little cereal selection
Pre-make pancakes (or waffles!) so they just need to be warmed. Cool them before storing so they don’t get soggy. You can even freeze them in between parchment paper for up to a month before.
Omelet station. Precut any add-ins and store in a small glass dish in the fridge by the eggs. You could do the same thing with yogurt or overnight oats. Have the basics ready and let your guests customize.
Grab and go fruit and bars
Snacks
Muffins (if you have time you can make mini muffins in advance and freeze them)—visit Pinterest for all the muffin recipes you could ever ask for.
Use small plastic bins (with or without a lid) to coordinate snack food in the pantry. This makes it easy for your guests to find and easy for you to see what needs to be replaced. You can always keep a larger back-up stash in the garage to refill when needed.
Drinks
This is where the mug/glass idea comes into effect. If each guest has their OWN design, monogram or whatever to distinguish; then it eliminates a lot of extra dishes to clean and keep track of!
We also LOVE Proposition Co.’s Non-Alcoholic Adaptogenic CBD Cocktails! They are great refreshment for any time of the day, without the hangover :) We also recommend the hemp-infused sparkling elixirs by Aurora, naturally aromatic, refreshing and dosed at 15mg of CBD each.
Next to the coffee and tea, place a bottle or two of CBD tinctures for them to add a dose of CBD in the am. We love and trust family-grown Moon Mother Hemp Co.—the cinnamon is especially delightful this time of year.
* The suggestions above are with the intention of safe and responsible consumption. We do not recommend gifting cannabis products containing THC to guests that are brand new to cannabis or under the age of 21. Make sure your home is a safe haven for your family—if children are visiting, be sure all THC products are stored safely and out of reach. If you choose a brand other than what we recommend above or anywhere on mjlifestyle.com, please be sure to check for third party testing reports on all CBD & THC products.
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