It happened to all of us at least one: friends who come to visit, calling a few minutes only before arriving... or not calling at all! What do to then?  First thing: do not panic!  Anyway, you don’t have time for this, you have to get prepared.

Long time no see friends are in town for business or to see family and they thought passing by before returning back home.  They are nice and give you a phone call telling you they will be there in 30 minutes.  Find!  Believe me, you have plenty of time to be prepared even if your house is a mess.

Get down in the basement, go in the freezer and get a bowl of vegetable soup, spaghetti sauce and an apple pie. Bring all this back in the kitchen and be proud of you for always keeping such good food at hands for days like today. Put some wine or beer in the refrigerator; your guest will love to have a drink with you while you’ll be preparing dinner. If you don’t have room for a freezer in your house, use canned food you made.

Now, it’s time to take a shower if you haven’t done it earlier.  Long hair?  No problem!  You do not have time to wash them, but who doesn’t look good with a bandanna?  There are so many kinds of them nowadays with so cute colors and designs.

Unless you feel strange without makeup, pass your turn on this too.  Your visitors are on vacations, they will only feel better to see you feel like it too!

Ok, that may be the part that make you wishing you never answered the phone when your friends called, but relax because you cannot do it all anyway.  The most important thing is for sure your guest bathroom.  Take some cleaning products, a few Scott Towel papers and wash the toilet, the sink and the mirror. Good job!   This took you 5 minutes, so you have five minutes more to grab the clothes, the papers and the toys that are everywhere in the kitchen and the living room and put them in your room and in your children rooms.  What would your guest do in your bedroom anyway?  As for your children rooms, it is ok if they are filled with toys.  Took the last 2 minutes to sweep the kitchen floor where maybe your little ones have left some pieces of toasts, rice or vegetables.

You made it all and still have 8 minutes, so why not create a special atmosphere for your guest. If it’s winter, light up the fireplace or prepare ready-to-bake cookies if after 2 minutes you haven’t find any fireplace yet in your house! If it’s summer, make some lemonade or unfroze any kind of juice you have and put it in a beautiful juice pot. If it’s spring or autumn, open a few windows to let the fresh air comes in or at least use an odor removal product such as Febreeze. Candles are also a fast way to create atmosphere in a house at any moment of the year.

Your friends where nearby and just remember you live two streets away.  They stop by and knock at your door.  First thing: open the door with your widest smile and let them in!

For sure, you don’t have time for a shower, but you still can pretend you need 3 minutes, go in the guest bathroom and wash it.  Back with your guests, invite them to stay for dinner.  You will then have the 2 minutes required to get your food off the freezer.  While going in the bathroom and in the basement, get the biggest toys on your way and let them in your children’s room.

It’s perfect!  Have in mind that a person who knocks at your door without calling before cannot expect you to be in a satin dress or your house being absolutely clean.

So, it’s easier than you thought, Huh?