It’s that time of year! Finally, we are welcoming family for the holidays. Rose Morrison describes ways to Welcome Family More Warmly Post-Pandemic in her guest article for Slipcovers for Your Walls, casartblog for Casart Coverings custom removable and reusable artisan wallcovering.
Please be sure to read Rose’s bio below and follow the link to her other articles on Slipcovers for Your Walls.
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Autumn weather invites everyone to head indoors and hang out with their favorite people. Whether you’re welcoming family with one of the upcoming holidays or spending time with your loved ones during chilly fall weekends, you’re likely thinking about creating a positive environment after the pandemic.
Check out these tips to welcome your family more warmly after years of anxiety about gathering indoors. Everyone will feel safe and loved when they enter your home because you took the time to prepare for your party with tips like these.
1. Set the Mood With Lights
Lighting sets the tone for any room, so consider the lights in your house before everyone arrives for your upcoming party or gathering. You can always upgrade from basic table lamps to string lights to create a welcoming mood.
Look around local stores and online for string lights with festive fall designs. A string of glowing fall leaves or red and yellow bulbs will set a seasonal atmosphere and warm each room in your home with soft lighting.
2. Send a Proactive Email or Text
If you’re worried about everyone getting sick during your gathering, take steps to reduce your anxiety before welcoming family over. Send a proactive text or email to everyone who will attend and remind them to take preventive health measures like:
- Get tested for COVID-19 or the flu before leaving home
- Watch for flu-like symptoms
- Wear masks in public in the week or two leading up to your event
Your guests can also keep an eye on the local news to watch for surges in the flu or COVID-19. Staying aware of what’s affecting people in their town will help your guests make informed travel decisions. Everyone who arrives will be as healthy and safe as possible, which reduces any post-pandemic anxiety they may have about gathering indoors.
3. Extend Your Party Space
It wasn’t fun to get stuck in a single party room even before the pandemic happened. It quickly overheats and becomes stuffy if people can’t spread out. Extend your party space to make your family gathering more enjoyable by considering other rooms where everyone can hang out.
You could place heaters on your back or front porch so your guests can get fresh air. You might also consider setting up tables and chairs in your garage so people can spread out a little more.
If weatherstripping and insulation aren’t enough, a small heater can make a big difference. A few rugs and warm lighting will transform your garage into a comfortable party hub, making it a great addition to your space for welcoming family.
4. Celebrate With Tabletop Decor
Parties wouldn’t feel as fun without tabletop decor. Don’t forget to decorate your table space even if your family isn’t gathering for a holiday. Autumn-themed floral arrangements and scented candles set a positive mood for anyone mingling by the table or sharing a meal.
Play around with colors and textures to add depth to your decor. Flowers arranged around a bed of succulents, mini pumpkins or a cornucopia of fall vegetables may inspire you to decorate your tables and other surfaces. This will add to the good time everyone will have at your party.
[Casart Tabletop Decor welcomes family for holidays and all occasions.]
5. Include Their Favorite Seasonal Foods
You’d feel surprised and loved if someone showed up at your home or workplace with your favorite food for a surprise lunch. They spent time thinking about what you enjoy eating and went out of their way to provide that for you. You can make your family feel the same way by serving their favorite seasonal foods at your post-pandemic party.
Consider which foods are most popular and what your family often eats during the fall. You could create a party menu that includes items like:
- Apple cider doughnuts
- Pumpkin bread
- Butternut squash soup
- Roasted sweet potato salad
- Corn and potato chowder
You could also serve various drinks, like apple cider, pumpkin beer and seasonal wine. It all depends on what your guests like the most and what makes them feel loved.
6. Decorate Your Outdoor Space
Your family members might feel more at ease during your post-pandemic party if there’s an optional outdoor space for gathering. They can stay socially distanced if that makes them more comfortable or if they need fresh air. Set up patio heaters, blankets and plenty of seating if the forecast doesn’t include fall rain showers.
7. Offer Your Guest Room
Finding a place to stay is one of the first things your guests will think about when they receive your invitation. Before welcoming family over for a visit, you could offer your guest room if you have the space. Cleaning the bedroom surfaces with antibacterial spray and washing the bedsheets in hot water will ensure the room is virus-free.
You could also suggest nearby hotels with great reviews. Giving a hotel your seal of approval is an easy way to ensure your guests they’ll be in good hands while away from home. If you send a digital invitation, you could also make your family feel more welcome by linking to the hotel’s list of preventive cleaning measures on their website.
8. Consider Your Parking Space
Struggling to find parking space at a party can make you feel stressed before the fun begins. Determine what’s available at your house to avoid this issue with your family. This is an especially important step if your garage will be used as a party room since it limits where people can park.
You might place signs in your yard to indicate where your guests can park on your grass. Neighbors might allow your family to use their driveways if you ask in advance. There’s also the option to shuttle everyone from a hotel to your home with a transportation service.
Start Welcoming Family More Warmly
There are many ways to start welcoming family in a post-pandemic world. Set the tone for your seasonal parties, make your home as clean as possible, and problem-solve issues like parking and party space before they arrive. Everything will go smoothly and prevent anxiety during the evening or weekend.
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[In addition, consider adding seasonal reusable wallpaper to welcome your guests. Just one 52″ wide roll can be used to update an entry. Casart wallcovering can be repurposed many times going over stair risers, cabinets, closets, even decorating holiday trays and tables. Finding another use is more beneficial than simply throwing away.
You can even engage your guests with an interactive activity by having them color in the wallcovering creatively or adding their artwork to our faux panels for an artistic architectural display in your dining room, as with Nature Noticed versatile, vertical removable wallpaper panels, seen below.. Your guests’ handiwork will not only spark conversation but create fun family memories for years to come.]
Additional posts & resources:
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Many thanks to Rose for this article with lots of helpful ways to enjoy and prepare for warm family gatherings for upcoming holidays.
About the author:
Rose Morrison is a home improvement and design writer.
She is also the managing editor of Renovated. Follow her on Twitter to see more of her work.
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