PHOTOGRAPH: STOCKSY
Recently, my husband’s brother and his family came to stay for the weekend. In the days before their arrival, I dashed around the house like a woman possessed, washing towels, ironing bedsheets and spritzing the spare bedroom with a specially bought lavender room spray.
I planned the meals carefully around everyone’s different tastes, making a mental note that my brother-in-law doesn’t like pasta and my nephew won’t touch fish. I got the wine I know my sisterin-law likes and bought some little games for the children. I only really stopped short of leaving chocolates on the pillows and rolling out the red carpet as they pulled up outside.