How to Organize Your Guest Room and Guest Room Gone Wrong Giveaway

With the holiday upon us, you are either the guest or the host. Rarely are you probably neither between Thanksgiving Christmas, New Year’s.  Perhaps Hanukkah, Kwanza, you name it there are six weeks of opportunity for you to be staying somewhere or hosting someone.  So now is a great time to help you think about going home for the holidays is all about guest rooms organized.

1.  Make it private. I’m actually sitting in our guest room which 365 days of the year is our playroom.  When we have guests, 2 things happen.  First, depending on the guests, I may put my children in this room taking the trundle out making the day bed work versus putting our guests in here depending on their needs.  Or second, I may empty the items out of this room that my children most desire so that I prevent them from knocking on the door early giving the guests the room.

The most important thing is to provide a space that is private.  If the only space you have is public like a family room or living room, then you are the one who is sleeping there and they are the ones get a bedroom in your home.  Its the only way because its much easier for you to be displaced in your own home then to ask someone who rarely visits to be out in the public space.  If you are looking for a family smackdown, this is a great way to make sure that happens.

2.  Look at the room from your guests point of view. Does it feel like a bedroom?  Is it as nice as how you have your bedroom set up?   Don’t make it an afterthought.  Take the time to include a basket of amenities, have adequate lighting, that the filter is clean, that there isn’t any cobwebs or dust.  And make sure you have storage.  Is there somewhere for your guests to hang their cloths or empty their suitcase if they like?  Those are all little touches that say “I’m happy to have you in our home and want you to be as comfortable as possible.”  Fresh flowers and candles are a perfect touch.

3. Its all about the bed. It doesn’t matter if you are using a blow up mattress, pull out couch,or a trundle bed like I do.  Make it as comfortable as you can.  If you need to buy a mattress topper to add a few inches than add it.  If you need to buy a fresh comforter then do it. Don’t give your guests your kids old comforter with trucks on it.  Have a dedicated set of linens that is just for that bed so that when you pull it together its as fresh and wonderful and comfy as possible.

I hope these three tips help you better organize your guest room as you travel through the holidays.  If you’d like to make a splash and have everyone fighting to stay at your house next, go ahead and enter our GIVEAWAY!  Thanks to the folks at Tempur-Pedic are pleased to offer a giveaway for your very own Tempur-Pedic Mattress. Thanks to BlogHer I won one too and now its all about giving one to you too.  Enter, tell your friends, and I can’t wait to see how you go Home for the Holidays with your Guest Room Organized!

HOLIDAY GUEST ROOM GONE WRONG GIVEAWAY!

1. MAKE A VIDEO Create a video 60 seconds or less in length based on the theme “Holiday Guest Room Gone Wrong” Tell us your worst guest room experience ever.  Think Chevy Chase and Christmas Vacation, ugly Christmas sweaters, sleeping on snowman sheets in a toddler bed, staying in a room full of mounted stuffed deer heads staring at you all night long.  Something “only in my family”  funny, not offensive or inappropriate.
2. POST YOUR VIDEO. You can upload it to our GO MOM! Facebook Fan page, share it on YouTube, include it in a post on your blog, really anywhere you share video, just share it.
3. LEAVE A COMMENT HERE. Once you post the video, come back here to share the link in our comments so we can laugh with you too!
4. INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL:  Your comment has to include your email address. It won’t be shown publicly and will never be used for anything other than communication during this contest.
5. TWEET THAT YOU HAVE ENTERED Let the Twittersphere know you are in it to win it by Tweeting ” @MyGOMOM Please help my Guest Room Gone Wrong #Tempurpedic
6. LET US KNOW THAT YOU TWEETED Stop back by and share your tweet.

RULES

1. You must be at least 18 years of age to enter the contest.
2. You must be a resident of the United States (including all 50 states and the District of Columbia).
3. Your video must be original content.
4. Your video should be no more than 60 seconds in length.
5. The link to your video should be posted in the comments no later than Tuesday, December 20th at 11:59 pm, EDT.
6. Please, no nudity, profanity, or anything out of line. This is a website to help moms get organized.  We are rated G all the time.

HOW DO I PICK A WINNER

I will personally pick 3 favorite videos based on your genuine storytelling ability, that its funny, original, and just all things Clark Griswold. I’ll announce my top 3 videos on Wednesday, December 21st.  From the 3 top videos, Tempur-Pedic will select the final winner that we hope to announce by Wednesday December 28th.

GOOD LUCK! Now go…make your video!

Disclosure: I won a TEMPUR-Cloud Supreme bed from Tempur-Pedic as a result of entering their giveaway at BlogHer ’11.  I was not required to review this item and all posts and opinions are of my own accord. The rules of the giveaway contest were created in conjunction with and approved by Tempur-Pedic.

©2012 GO MOM! Inc. All rights reserved. To repost or publish, please email Molly.