What naice things do you make sure are visible to visitors

MyRed - will have a lay down now am lusting after hanging biscuity things which, I didn't even know existed until this thread.

My mum has glass shelf in her downstairs loo with posh ginger & whatnot hand wash & matching hand cream. On the sink is the bar of soap they actually use

I keep a plastic tub under the stairs and sweep crap from the kitchen counter & table into it when guests/are coming over - then sort it out at a later date

Other than general tidying I also wipe the skirting boards and polish the chrome base of the breakfast bar stools round my island. Makes a big difference for some reason

I don't believe in saving nice things for best. If best never comes they are wasted. Nicer to have a little bit of a boost every time you see or use the nice thing,even if it won't last all year.

Like pp I tidy up a bit more than usual for visitors, but am pretty tidy by nature anyway.

How about this one?

Too much for the festive guests?

Aww thanks AnnieOnnieMouse I'm a bit overwhelmed by the response from this thread to be honest. I feel like I've got my own little bit of internet fame - I must make sure it doesn't go to my head and remember my humble beginnings of subterfuge with soap (Hang on Gin maybe there's a NC in there somewhere?) Especially when any visitors in the future to my home will think I've gone all la de da with my sugar cubes and Method cleaning products.

Can't really take credit for the addition of stunt to pineapple though. I may well purchase said pineapple but I believe the christening of the terminology was courtesy of APlaceOnTheCouch so thank you kindly for my new name.

I'm a regular reader of MN and comment here and there but havent ever started a thread before and I echo a PP in that it's given me a warm feeling sharing our little quirks without any judgement (not sure I've seen too many threads recently without a bunfight somewhere along the line). Each to there own and what ever makes you happy is what I say. I am however going to enjoy my treats myself a bit more from now on because as previous posters have said life is too short.

Now if only the Daily Fail or MN FB picked up the story. I truly would have reached internet superstardom.

gin 😂😂 staged washing up area . I love it , your kitchen is lovely btw

I don't really have things for show but I always have a frantic tidy , Hoover up and spray of air freshener !! People always comment how tidy my house always is . Suckers

GinandOnIt 💐 You're a good sport to post photos. I think you're completely barking, but I like my friends a little on the unusual side 😊 It looks like a lovely little cottage...(is it?).

I don't tend to invite many people around for coffee as it's easier to meet out (I don't live near work or school), friends just drop in & 'take us as we find us', I hate cooking so don't really invite people for dinner, I'd sooner meet at a restaurant.

People staying - I just like to make their room nice (bright, airy & flowers in the summer, cosy throws, cushions & layered bedding in the winter) plus plenty of towels etc and then they're shown where stuff is & told they're welcome to use anything they want to - toiletries etc. They use the family bathroom though, if the guest room had an ensuite I'd put pretty guest stuff in it. In the winter I tell them to adjust the heating in their room to whatever they're comfortable with. I like guests to feel 'at home' I'm too lazy to make them feel spoilt! 😬

Ffs myredrose, now I need I shortbread mold too for biscuits that hang of a teacup too. I was going for button or jewel shapes.

Reetpetite17 I do the no bubbles in the sink too. I thought I was a bit of a weirdo thinking that. Glad I'm not the only one!

I love threads like this, so gentle & cosy I am soooo stealing the 'fake washing up area' I have the matching towels/candles/fresh flowers thing going on & get lovely hand wash, from tkmax for the bathrooms.
I had a jo malone diffuser & candle as a gift & am currently using them as it's silly really, just keeping for best.
Yy to charity shops for pretty china tea sets & cake stands.
🍍🍍

Gasp! I had no idea that I'm not the only one who does things like this! I don't do it intentionally I just think 'Oh, I'll leave that there so I look cultured'. Another thing I sometimes do is if I've just done a bit of quick washing up, I'll get rid of the bubbles and any evidence that shows I've just washed up so they don't think I've done it because someone's coming round when I definitely did.
Ha Dillie I do that with toys and games! I have all the educational stuff on the bookshelf (again unintentional as DS needs assistance with it hence being downstairs but also I like how it all looks)

*mould

Donkey I am with you on the sugar cubes, I bought some brown heart ones and a mouldy to make shortbread that hangs on the cup

I use my nice things.

I LOVE the staged washing up area, bravo Gin .. Love the idea of clear washing up liquid, what's in the other bottle?

I have a coffee station (blame pintetest). I has giving great serious thought to getting silicon molds and making sugar cubes but I had a word with myself.

I saved my hotel stash of Avena mini toiletries and making up a clear acrylic box with loads of lovely things in for overnight guests.

I love this! I usually hide all the kids crap when people are coming over - mil came over once when the kids had been in bed and commented that the living room looked different and looked really puzzled. I'd just shoved everything out of sight as she usually comes over whilst they're still up and crap is everywhere My daily little trick however when I remember is to light Yankee candles in the hallway and the living room at least half an hour before dh comes home. He always seems to think the house is tidier/cleaner when it actually just smells nice. I am actually quite excited about popping into Waitrose to buy the fanciest washing up liquid I can find tomorrow and will obviously refill it with the massive bottles of aldi stuff

I keep hold of old copies of the Telegraph to go in the log basket for firelighting don't want visitors thinking we read tabloids

The only thing I do is hide all my trashy romance novels behind my set of Cambridge Press philosophy books!

Ooh Lorelai which ones? I work there

On losing her best friend to breast cancer, Ephron said, “It’s taught me to always use the good bath oil”. I reflected on this and now I never save anything for best. I just go for it and enjoy the fancy candle/ shower gel etc. I really love it.

We use the nice L'Occitane handwash and hand lotion that we get as a gift. When it's finished I refill with cheapie stuff that's the right colour. Sometimes it's even bubble bath that would never be used otherwise.

I do the nice hand soap thing too, as well as posh towels, impressive cookbook on display, fresh flowers, matching crockery (the wedding China which gets used twice a year!) and make sure all the nice and educational wooden toys are at front with all the cheap, plastic, flashing tat hiding behind!

Totally stealing the pineapple idea!

My mum has a whole cupboard of nicer versions of the cheap products she usually uses.

• posh soap
• fancy tissues in prettier boxes
• expensive washing up liquid
• tea bags - yes, usually uses Tesco Value, but pushes the boat out with Yorkshire Tea in a Yorskshire tin for guests - but wants them to think she drinks that all the time

The funny thing isn't the giving guests nice things, but wanting them to think you use those all the time.....when you don't.

Love the idea of people leaving high brow books out too.

my loo walls are painted purple, I put out purple handwash and the purple loo roll that I keep hidden away from family especially for guests. also if its an evening visit I switch on my battery candles and day or night will spray my home made room spray and / or put the diffuser on or light a scented candle... oh and always clean loo!

I'm with you itsall. I stage the guest room like that when we have people to stay, too.

I light a scented candle in their room before they arrive. Turn down the bed, close curtains and switch on bedside lamps so it looks welcoming. They have their own bathroom so I keep it stocked with toiletries and plenty of towels.

Ideally, I'd like to run my own boutique B&B

We always have plenty of quality scented candles, mainly to mask the smell of dogs, then I pray that en dogs will be such a distraction that no-one notices the random washing / pots / papers lying around.

To be fair, I'd love a clean tidy "show home" type house, but I'd have to move out for that to be a possibility.