"T'was the night before Christmas and all through the house not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse. The children were nestled all snug in their beds while visions of sugar plums danced in their heads". Ahh... such sweet dreams. When you have guests coming to stay at your home during the holidays is it a dream come true or is it a nightmare? Are you frantically scooping up piles of laundry off the bed and clearing the clutter so there is just enough space for one suitcase and hoping they will arrive later than their planned time of arrival?

Turn your spare room into a guest room before you are scrambling to clear the clutter as they are driving into your driveway. Your guests will feel welcome and will appreciate the additional thought and effort you put into a truly welcoming space. It is a reflection of the spirit of the season and your thoughtfulness. It may even give you the incentive to organize clutter so you can use the room for other purposes when guests aren't using it.

A spare room or guest room is the least used room in the home so there is a tendency to toss things in this room by family members when they don't know where else to put things. It quickly can become a disorganized nightmare storage room. How to declutter this room can be daunting but your efforts will be worth it to you and your guests. Creating a room that is clutter free, peaceful and relaxing shows your guests that you have been looking forward to their visit.

When I was a child I would stay for a few weeks in the Summer at my grandma's. She always made me feel welcome by doing little thoughtful things for me. She would pick snapdragons and put in a vase and place on the dresser in the room I slept in. She had a fluffy feather bed and she would fluff it up until I felt like I was sleeping on clouds.

Little touches for your guests go a long way to making them feel welcome. During Christmas time this could be placing a small artificial tree in their room, and creating a basket with personal essentials they may need. This could include shampoo, conditioner, toothbrush, toothpaste, lotion, a shower cap, mouth wash and bubble bath.

Of course clean sheets are a must. Bath towels, hand towels and wash cloths can be placed in the room or guests can be shown the closet where they are welcome to help themselves. Current magazines and a few books, bottles of water and perhaps a map for out-of-towners is a nice touch.

Besides organizing and removing clutter dust and vacuum. A bedside lamp and an alarm clock are appreciated by guests. Check to see if there is adequate lighting and replace burnt-out bulbs where necessary.

Let's take a peek inside the closet. It is important to make adequate space for your guest's to be able to hang clothes. If you store your seasonal clothes in this closet they can be removed and placed in plastic containers and placed on the closet shelf. Or clothes can be slid to the side of the closet leaving room for your guest's clothes. Make sure you have hangers for them to use. Portable drawers on rollers can be used for a dresser if there isn't one in the room.

If they are sharing a bathroom with family members provide them with a basket or a small plastic container where they can keep their toiletries contained and easily transport them when needed.

When surveying the room think what you would like in the room if you were going to be the guest. By clearing the clutter and making the room inviting your guests will be looking forward to returning next year. You will be respected and acclaimed for being a wonderful hostess.

Marilyn, a professional organizer and author is passionate about organizing for women and seniors in clearing clutter from their lives. Her new book "Go Organize!" will be in bookstores Dec 2009. Visit her website http://www.marilynbohn.com.