If you're having guests over - for a dinner party, cocktail hour or even for a weekend stay - it's important to know how you can be a great host or hostess.  You want your guests to enjoy their time in your home, and we've got 5 secrets for how to do it.

5 Secrets for Being a Great Host/Hostess

1. The name of the game is COMFORT. 

You want your guests to feel comfortable in your home.  Whether they're staying for an hour or a weekend, the first step to making them feel "at home" in your home is to focus on comfort.  It's easy if you think about the five senses: 

Touch - What will your guests touch that you need to consider?  Will they need a soft place to sit or sleep, a throw blanket for staying warm, or a nice dinner napkin?  For weekend guests, do they have fresh clean towels to use?  Can you offer them some house slippers or a robe for their stay? 

Sight - Is your home tidy?  Consider the lighting for your get-together.  Less overhead lighting and more candles or lamps create a great ambiance.

Hearing - Put on a great playlist, or at least have some music playing in the background (it helps combat awkward silence).

Smell - Light your favorite candle to set the mood.  Or if you're serving food - make sure the house smells delicious!  It's kind of like that old realtor's trick of baking cookies in a house before a showing - it reminds people of home.

Taste - Do you have food and drink to share?  Even if it's an impromptu gathering, you should have something on hand that you can offer your guests.  Cheese and crackers?  Some fresh fruit?  A seasonal candy?  Enjoying a snack or meal with friends is a great way to bond and get settled.  If your guests are staying the weekend, consider having bottled water and snacks in their room so they can help themselves without troubling you.

2.  Cover the Basics. 

If you're having people over, you'll want to have some basic items on hand - like toilet paper, ice, bottled water and common over-the-counter medications.  It may sound silly, but running out of toilet paper or not having aspirin on hand for a guest with a headache can be very stressful - for everyone.

3.  Prepare Ahead. 

Even if it's a small gathering of just another couple, there are things you can do ahead of time that will allow you to enjoy your guests' company instead of running around to serve them.  Set the table, prep the coffee pot, have glasses and serving utensils clean and ready to use, and pre-make any appetizer or breakfast casserole (for weekend guests) that you can.  It will save you time on the day they arrive and let you actually enjoy extra those moments with your guests.

4.  Surprise and Delight.

When you have guests in your home, for any reason, it's fun to offer them something memorable about the occasion.  For instance, if they're coming over for happy hour, whip up a signature cocktail.  If they're coming for dinner, surprise them with their favorite dessert.  If they're staying the weekend, print out a photo of someone they might be missing and put it in a frame in their room.  Or put a flower in a bud vase on the nightstand.  It's really just the little things that can mean so much - your gesture doesn't have to be elaborate or expensive.  As a general rule, a little bit of thoughtfulness goes a long way!

5.  Focus on Them, NOT You. 

When we have guests in our home, it's easy to stress about every little thing - are they going to notice the cracked window or the scuffed up floor, or that pile of mail didn't get tended to... but try to quit worrying about what the guest will think about YOU.  Focus instead on what you can do for THEM.  A good host/hostess puts their guests at ease so they can relax and enjoy - and if you're relaxed too - you can BOTH enjoy your time together.