making people feel at home...

1. Be yourself... they want to know YOU, not your other personalities!
2. Don't sweat the menu - keep it simple and you'll stress less. Make it about the relationship, not impressing them with your gourmet skills.
3. Don't sweat the minute housekeeping (okay, you might want to make sure your bra isn't hanging to dry in the bathroom, but don't get all panicky if there's a few dustmites). They're coming to see you, not inspect your window sills.
4. Be yourself.
5. Don't serve spaghetti or grape juice if you have white carpet. ESPECIALLY if your guests have kids. It'll just make you jumpy, and a jumpy hostess makes nervous guests. And nervous guests are so much more likely to spill things... :)
6. Be attentive, not fussy. The more you fuss over them, the more unwelcome they'll feel.
7. Be prepared to listen. Ask them about themselves and let them share freely.
8. Do check to make sure nobody has food allergies or limitations (it's always awkward to plan a hamburger menu if someone is vegetarian...)
9. Just relax - remember it's about the relationship!
10. Be yourself!!!