Every friend group has one: the person who, despite juggling two jobs and three kids (one of whom is still in diapers), always happens to have a warm, welcoming home--no matter what time of day you decide to pop in. How does she do it? Well, chances are she always has these 22 items on hand.
1. A well-stocked pantry of coffee, tea, soda and snacks (that, yes, are only there for reserve).
2. An extra bag of ice in the freezer.
3. Plenty of seating in the living area (even if that means not being afraid to bring up the folding chairs from the basement).
4. Clean spare towels and linens in case anyone needs the guest room (or even the couch) for the night.
5. And on that note, a carafe of fresh water near said guest bed or couch.
6. A foolproof one-hour roast chicken recipe.
7. And a make-ahead dessert, too, just in case.
8. More than four wine glasses (stems optional).
9. A bottle of red, a bottle of white and Champagne--again, in the reserve portion of the pantry.
10. A good bottle opener. Preferably one that does all the work for you, never causing a fuss.
11. Cloth napkins. Save the paper towels for Wednesday's solo pizza night.
12. A good lightly scented candle that can be fired up in an instant.
13. But also plenty of unscented candles, should you need some dinner-table ambience.
14. A go-to playlist for background music. But remember to keep the volume low. No one wants to shout over music, even if it's a great remix of Bon Iver. (OK, especially if it's Bon Iver.)
15. Fresh flowers or greenery. Hint: Eucalyptus branches are a worthy contender because they smell fantastic and kind of never die.
16. An easy-to-use coffeemaker. There's nothing worse than someone breaking your precious French press.
17. Matches in the bathroom (self-explanatory).
18. Extra toilet paper under the sink (also self-explanatory).
19. Extra toothbrushes, floss and toothpaste (even if it's the free stuff from the dentist).
20. Hand soap that's worthy of an "Oooh." (Save the Dial for the kiddos.)
21. An easily accessible phone charger.
22. And last but not least, your Wi-Fi password written somewhere obvious--like on a laminated card on the fridge.
Related:
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The One Way You Should Really Be Organizing Your Pantry
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