Houseguest. For most people they hear the word and the following tumbles through their mind simultaneously; burden, inconvenience, stress.

Well maybe I’m crazy, but not me!

And especially not, when the houseguest in question is my best friend in the whole entire world, who also just so happens to be my baby brother Eddie!!

And he arrives TODAY!!

So for those of you who are unfamiliar with my backstory, I was born in Connecticut and all of my immediate family is still there. And since I have been gone for about 13 years, anytime someone can make it all the way out to Hawaii, it is an incredible treat and quality time that I absolutely treasure.

So this is his third trip out to Hawaii, and probably his maybe tenth time visiting me all together. (He got to visit me when I lived in California many times since he was still in high school and the responsibilities hadn’t quite piled up just yet!)

Now the first two times he came to Hawaii the focus was VERY much so on myself and my husband.

Trip one was for our wedding:

And trip two (since he is such an incredible carpenter!!) was to help us renovate our beautiful home:

I mean… it wasn’t ALL work and no play…..

… but it was a lot of work… seriously a LOT!! (Thank You Eddie, we love you!!)

SO, I want this trip to really be about him getting to relax, have an actual vacation… and be a happy house guest!

And one of the ways I intend to do that is by making him the perfect “welcome basket” for his arrival.

Making one of these baskets (or bins, or boxes in my case) is really incredibly simple, but it is a thoughtful way to help your guest feel right at home.

Step One:

Find your vessel. Like I said this can be anything from a nice canvas bag, to a wooden crate.

I chose this Cute wooden crate with the chalkboard panel because it is what I had on hand. (If you love it as much as I do, you can find a very similar set here.)

Step Two:

Pick out the items you want to fill it with!

I started with the general necessities/toiletries:

• Colgate Toothbrush
• Colgate Toothpaste
• Oral- B Dental Floss
• Razor (We use the Dollar Shave Club and just have an extra handle and set of blades for when people stay with us!)
• Cottonelle Wet Cloths
• Old Spice Deodorant
• Old Spice Body Wash
• Tresemme Shampoo
• Q-Tips (Since we have huge boxes of Q-Tips from Costco I just took some out and put them in a cute little tin.)

Since I like to have a few of everything in smaller sizes just in case we do have a guest, planned or unexpected, I actually had all of this stuff on hand! You can click on any of the items above and it will take you to an amazon link where you can buy them, usually in groups of 6-12 to keep on hand. Also, if you are pressed for time, you can just run out to the pharmacy and check their “travel size section” which works really great for short term houseguests.

Next, some location specific items:

• Neutrogena Beach Defense SPF 70 Sunscreen
• Carmex Lip Balm

Since we live in Hawaii, sunscreen and lip balm are two absolute musts! But you can adjust based on your location and the time of year.

Lastly, a few small refreshments!

• La Croix Sparkling Water
• Mini Water Bottle
• Stretch Island Fruit Leather
• Nature Valley Sweet & Salty Nut Bars

These things are all interchangeable with what you currently have on hand in your kitchen. They really are just a few little items that they can nibble on, or get a quick drink in the middle if the night if they don’t feel like wandering the house in their PJs!

Step Three:

For anyone with the chalkboard box, this step is for you! A cute way to utilize that chalkboard panel is to write down the name of your internet network and password with a chalk marker. (Chalk markers are honestly my favorite thing and I paint everything I can with chalkboard paint and use them daily! You can find a pack here.)

Now if you aren’t using the crate with the chalk panel, another great idea is to purchase one of these adorable printables and put it in a cute frame to showcase your internet info.

Step Four:

Find the cutest little helper that you can, and fill the box with all of the goodies!

And TADA! You’ve made the perfect welcome basket for your houseguest!!

Here are a few other things I like to include in the guest room to be prepared and help our guests feel at home:

• Plush Towels
• Some of my favorite books; Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, 1,000 Places to See Before You Die, and A Tale of Two Cities/Great Expectations
• An extra blanket (I know it’s Hawaii but just in case!)
• A plant (even if it’s fake!)
• A cute stuffed animal (because everybody likes to cuddle!)
• A small and simple Thank You Card to let them know that you appreciate the time they are taking to visit with you. (I can’t link to these cards because they were from the always incredible $1, $3, $5 section at Target!)

And that’s it!

Set your houseguest up with this welcome basket and spare room essentials and you will definitely have the happiest houseguest!

Now if you will excuse me, we have to go pick up Eddie from the airport! Aloha!

XOXO

MAL

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