The next time you host guests in your home, prepare in advance by setting a game plan well ahead of time. These smart and stress-free tips will show you exactly how to get your home ready for houseguests, even if you don’t exactly have a separate guest wing to work with.

1. Create a designated space. Everyone likes to have a feeling of privacy and a place to decompress, which you can easily create for your guests even if you don’t have a closed-off guestroom. Simply give them free run of a living room or den, or create your own guest quarters by investing in a room divider.
2. Test out the bed. Since you don’t normally sleep in the guest bed (or air mattress, or sofa…), it’s always smart to test it out first to ensure its comfort. If it’s not up to snuff, add a foam mattress topper, more blankets, or other affordable improvements.
3. Create an overnight kit. Stock a small caddy with shower supplies, water bottles, pain relievers, and snack bars, as well as anything else that your guests might ask for.
4. Change the linens. Be sure to put clean, fresh-smelling sheets on the bed and provide enough clean towels for all of your guests.
5. Feel out their schedules. Once they arrive, work around their schedules to prevent stepping on any toes.

Make Your Overnight Guests Feel at Home [Southern Living]
Hosting Overnight Guests [Life Your Way]
Real Life Advice: Hosting Guests Without a Guestroom [Apartment Therapy]
Getting Ready for Overnight Guests [Real Simple]

CC-BY-2.0/Flickr Rhian vK

Whether your apartment measures 200 square feet or 1,000 square feet, how large it feels depends on how it functions. Artfully arranging your furniture and incorporating smart storage solutions can make even the tiniest studio apartment feel like a luxury penthouse loft, and these space-savvy tips will show you just how to make the most of each square foot in your rental unit.

1. Use light to your advantage. No matter how limited you are on space, having good lighting can make all the difference. Play up your apartment’s natural light sources by using sheer curtains or blinds in light colors that invite the maximum amount of sunlight inside.
2. Arrange – and then rearrange. Instead of moving in and leaving your furniture right where you first placed it, don’t be afraid to rearrange multiple times until you find the situation that best suits your space.
3. Make your furniture play double-duty. Adding furniture pieces that double as storage systems (such as using a chest as a coffee table or a kitchen table as a desk) is one of the best ways to maximize the space in your apartment.

Creative Decorating Ideas for Small Spaces [Real Simple]
Make the Most of Small Spaces [Real Simple]
Designer Tricks for Small Spaces [Coastal Living]

CC-BY-2.0/Flickr Xalion Malik

Whether you’re looking for a tasty dessert for an upcoming birthday party or a large cake for the wedding of your dreams, Alma’s Cakes is a dependable choice in the Houston area. This beloved bakery made its debut in 1999, and it quickly earned a loyal following through custom cakes and its delicious tres leches cake, the signature offering of the bakery's founder and lead baker, Alma.

At this family-owned bakery, you can order a cake in almost every theme imaginable, from poker-themed cakes decorated with cards and poker chips to fondant baby shower cakes covered in cartoon birds and bassinets. In addition to the famous cakes, you’ll find freshly baked pies, Mexican pastries, and sweet breads made from fine ingredients. Don't skip a slice of the caramel pecan roll!

Alma’s Cakes is open 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays and 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays.

Alma’s Cakes
7802 Fallbrook Drive
Houston, TX 77086
(281) 580-5022
www.msalmas.com
www.facebook.com/pages/Almas-Cakes/235959287943

CC-BY-SA-2.0/Flickr ani!