So many people have a preconceived idea about entertaining at home. Some think it is an involved and much-to-be-avoided process. In the most basic form, entertaining at home can be defined as opening your doors and making others feel welcome. It isn't about your cooking or decorating talents, if your manners would make Emily Post proud or if you have the swankiest house on the block.
Entertaining at home is all about the way your guests feel when they head out your door. Did you create some fun or warm memories? Did you focus on enjoying the time spent together? Were you present in the moment, interacting with your guests? That is successful entertaining. We use outdated standards to measure our entertaining abilities, creating a lack of confidence in our role as hosts. Changing times have brought new ideas and relaxed rules. Think about what "entertaining" means to you. If you view it as something that consumes your time and money while creating much stress, we need to get you looking through a different entertaining lens.
People won't notice if the kids have toys out, the hallway could use a coat of paint or your "good" silver isn't the type that requires silver polish. Concerns like this are not important to entertaining at home and having nothing to do with true hospitality. Adjust your attitude, do some planning, and implement simple tips to find yourself in the position as the host with whom everyone wants to spend their time!
To be a successful host, turn the focus from material things like your house, serving pieces, and food to your guests. A warm and gracious host is the one who views entertaining at home as an opportunity to share, to welcome guests and make them feel like they are the most important people in the world right at that moment. When guests feel truly welcomed and appreciated the fact that the bathroom rugs don't match the hand towels are of absolutely no importance at all. Give yourself a measure of grace, find a new entertaining standard and have some fun. Put your guests at ease, make them feel special and see how much easier entertaining becomes.
