When the holiday season brings an onslaught of out-of-town visitors to your warm, sunny front door, how do you keep your sanity?

   MomsMiami.com consulted some seasoned hosts for some ideas.

   At one time, Stephanie and Doug Horton of Cooper City hosted overnight visitors so frequently they jokingly referred to their home as "Hotel Horton.''

SLEEPING ARRANGEMENTS

   The Hortons, who have two daughters, Rachel, 8, and Rebekah, 5, planned in advance how to best accommodate overnight guests in their three-bedroom home. Each of the girls' rooms has a day bed with a trundle that pops up to make a double bed.

   "When we have guests, they'll bunk in one of the girls' rooms, and the

   A queen-size sleeper sofa in the living room is used to handle extra guests.

   At Tammy and Mike Messer's two-bedroom townhouse in Pembroke Pines, it's daughter Kaitlyn, 10, who forfeits her room when family comes to town. The Messers' tip: Treat it as special family time, and the kids won't mind a bit.

   "Kaitlyn gets to sleep on the blow-up bed, and she gets to sleep in our room, so that's a big treat for her,'' Tammy Messer said.

   Maria and Armando Vidal of Hialeah have hosted out-of-town company since their daughters Annay and Amy, now 24 and 22, were tots. Maria's best tip: "Prepare the kids before company comes. Make it exciting. Make it a happy moment -- then break the news to them. That's when you tell them they'll have to share their room.''

BEDTIME RITUALS

   Families with young children often see their carefully tended rituals go out the window when company comes calling. Here's how to handle it:   

• Split duties. In the Horton household, Doug will entertain company while Stephanie makes sure the kids get baths and bedtime stories. If Doug is working, Stephanie said she may offer dessert and coffee to guests while she tends to the kids. But sometimes everyone has to make do, she said.

     "They're family -- they just have to be comfortable enough to watch TV.''   

• Stick to your routine. Let your company do their own thing.

     "We still have to get up early and go to work in the morning and Kaitlyn has school, so we stick to our routine,'' Tammy Messer said. "If they (my guests) want to stay up later, that's OK. I want people to feel at home in my house.''   

• Incorporate guests into rituals. When a childhood friend from Cuba visited the Vidals years ago, the friend gave the girls a real-life bedtime story. "My friend told my girls stories of when I was a little girl,'' Maria Vidal said. "It was really special.''

FEEDING A CROWD  

• Buy in bulk, Stephanie Horton advises.

     "I like frozen party-size premade pastas, enchiladas and casseroles,'' she said. Add a bag of salad and some bread for a fast, easy meal to feed a crowd.  

• Stick with the basics. The Messers like to grill hamburgers and hot dogs.

     "We put stuff on the grill because it's easy and easy to clean up, so we have time to do the things we want to do,'' Tammy Messer said.  

• Make cooking part of the fun. "Everybody cooks together, and we all eat together,'' Maria Vidal said. "There's a Cuban saying, 'Add water to the soup' if someone comes over. In my family, if people come over, and you have food, you eat.''

HOUSEKEEPING  

• Do a load of laundry a day. "You'll keep up and not get that far behind,'' Stephanie Horton advises.
• Straighten up before bedtime. Maria Vidal makes a habit of sweeping and putting the house in order before she turns in for the night.

     "You can't let it pile up, because then you'll have dirty everything,'' she said.  

• Do unto others. When you visit a relative, do your part to help out, and they'll be more likely to return the favor. Tammy Messer said her mother helps with the laundry and cooking when she visits from Kentucky. "When I go to her house, I help her cook and clean,'' Messer said.

KEEPING THE PEACE

   The arrival of far-away family means more people to tempt your kids with sweets, staying up past bedtime, too much TV and general chaos. Here are some suggestions:  

• Relax and let things slide a little. Everyone will be happier for it.

     "When we do see the family, they are here for a very short time, so I just bite my tongue,'' Stephanie Horton said.  

• If something really bothers you, speak up. "Use honest, open communication with lots of love,'' Maria Vidal said. "They are your family, and you want to keep the peace.''

     When problems pop up, Stephanie and Doug Horton each deal with their own family members. "We feel like that's better, so you don't become the enemy of the in-laws,'' Stephanie Horton said. "Everybody has family issues, but a holiday is one day out of the year. Try to keep the peace that day.''

HOLIDAY PLANNING  

• Keep it simple. "If you're the host, you want to try to keep it as simple as you can,'' tephanie Horton said. "If you want to use paper products, then you should.''
• Do as much as you can in advance. For holiday dinners, plan in advance who will bring what dish, to minimize cooking on the actual holiday.  
• Share the load. Make sure everyone brings or helps with something. Maria Vidal has hosted large Christmas Eve dinners for 20 years. "Everyone has to pitch in,'' she said.

TOUR-GUIDING

   Many out-of-town visitors come expecting you to be their personal tour guide. Plan in advance how to handle sightseeing duties.  

• Gather local information, like tourist brochures and magazines, and websites like MomsMiami.com and Miami.com that highlight local activities and attractions.

     "You want them to have a good time when they're here, so they come back to visit more,'' Stephanie Horton said.  

• Have a lot of patience. "Remember, they're on vacation, even if you've seen things 20 million times,'' Maria Vidal said. 
• Make a list of sightseeing suggestions, including things they can do on their own. 
• Let them go. If you have to work, encourage guests to visit the beach or a museum during the day. You can have dinner together, then head out in the evening for more fun, Tammy Messer suggests.  
• Above all, relax. "Try to keep it simple,'' Stephanie Horton said. "Sometimes people try to make everything perfect, but if they're your family, they don't expect all that.''