Santa has elves, and even THEY start preparing for Christmas early!

I know...it's not even cool outside...HOW can we already be planning for the holidays?!  But pre-planning for your friends & family to visit will make the holidays THAT much less stressful.  

For example, if you are traveling to see friends or family, you should be coordinating your time off at work, booking your flights, renting a car now so that you're not overpaying and ending up with the last available (Griswold's) vehicle.

But if you are hosting the holidays this year, start getting your house ready now so you can enjoy November & December instead of working like a maniac to get the house ready for your guests (PLUS cooking AND shopping AND attending the social events that seem to multiply every year).  Here are a few tips to get started on outfitting a guest room:

• If you have guests who will be staying with you for more than a night or two, be sure they have space to hang their clothes and put their luggage out of sight. 
• If you have the space, get a small bureau or chest of drawers to put in the closet so the guest room (which is usually the smallest room in the house) feels more spacious. 
• Any repairs that need to be done to the bathroom (whether it be a suite or down the hall) should be started now...just in case it turns into a bigger project.
• Any drafts coming through the window now will be felt even more so when it gets cool.  Seal the windows from the cold.
• Does the room need a ceiling fan?  A little circulation no matter what time of year keeps a room comfortable.
• Squeaky hinges, noisy clocks, etc. are all easy fixes to do now.
• Good time to update your decor

• Many guest rooms are made up of "leftover decor".  You know what I mean, don't pretend you don't:  Your old comforter set from the 1980's...the big ol' television you moved from the living room when you got the sleek, flat screen...the lamps your mother gave you to match the couch you had after you graduated college....

• This is a great time to catch some end of summer or back to school sales and update your guest room to WELCOME your guests.