By Leslie Linsley

Author of “Nantucket Island Living” (Stewart, Tabori & Chang)

July 2024

Sharing your Nantucket home with family and friends can be a lot of fun, but not when all the work falls on you. Many friends say they spend all their time running to the market, picking up wet towels or doing laundry. I’ve lived on Nantucket long enough to know, the key to happy hosting is relaxed planning. Make a list of things going on around town as well as a flexible schedule.

Tip: Assign a job to even the youngest guests. This creates an environment where everyone is on vacation together and you aren’t the “host.” 

Pre-arrival, send an email with a schedule - no matter how loose, and ask guests what they most want to do.  You might add: “I have a Yoga class from 8-9 am on Saturday morning. You’re welcome to join me, but feel free to be lazy and sleep in. Coffee will be made by 7:30 a.m. help yourself to anything in the fridge.” Make up a pretty tray of baked goods. Include a fresh loaf of Portuguese bread. Find small appliances like a 4-cup coffee maker or a French press in Housewares.

Some Tips: 

- Remove personal items from surfaces in the guest room to make room for your guest’s things. 

- Clear out one drawer and make space in the closet. Add new hangers (Housewares), a scented bar of soap to freshen unused dresser drawers, and new fluffy towels - rose pink or hydrangea blue (Bed & Bath).  A fold-up luggage rack is essential.

- For the guest bathroom: Fill a basket with small bottles of shampoo, conditioner, moisturizer, toothpaste, and suntan lotion.

- Put a Nantucket scallop shell nightlight (Housewares) in the bathroom. And btw, check out the expanded selection of lamps on the front wall of Home Furnishings. They’re modern and classy and provide the perfect refresh for any room.

- In a pretty container: a copy of the Inquirer & Mirror, N magazine, and information about what’s happening around town. Add a water bottle, some fruit and a little box of chocolate covered cranberries or fudge from Aunt Leah’s.

- Leave books about Nantucket or by local authors on the nightstand.

- Michael Molinar, owner of Flowers on Chestnut, suggests a tight bouquet of tea roses on a bedside table, as well as a lightly scented candle. (Housewares). 

- Take guests on errands with you. It’s a good way to show them the island and experience everyday island life. Include the library, post office, and the farm for fresh corn and tomatoes.

- A tour of downtown should include the boats in the harbor and the Saturday morning Farmer’s & Artisan’s Market. Take The Wave bus to ‘Sconset for the Bluff Walk and lunch on the porch at Claudette’s. Plan for a sunset supper at Madaket beach. The portable Weber Beach Grill Q1200 (Garden Center) is small, compact, light and incredibly easy to take anywhere you want to set up a cookout. 

- Everyone needs alone time, so you don’t have to be always “on”.  If you have a regular tennis game don’t alter your plans, work around them. You might say,  “I play tennis from 4-5 on Saturday so let’s meet for a drink after that.” This frees the guest to do something without you for an hour. 

- Prep for meals as best you can so everything seems easy. Include your guests with something like making the salad or setting the table for a joint activity without fuss. In your pre-email you might say, “We’ll have dinner at home when you arrive on Friday evening, and I’ll make reservations for all of us on Saturday night.” Or order fully cooked lobster dinners from Sayle’s. Comes with everything ready to pick up.

- A day on the beach means sand comes home with you. I use my Dirt Devil Compact Power cordless vacuum in the car every day! Good for sand dragged into the house as well (Housewares).

August is a gift. Make the most of it and keep your cool. When your guests leave you want to say “That was fun. Let’s do it again next year!” And really mean it.