Blossoms, RE Books, Aprons & The Nester’s GIVEAWAY Day!
Hey Friends, I’m super excited today because it’s a big giveaway day!
I’m getting closer to 1,000 posts here at RE, with my message of journaling about entertaining and hospitality going back to 2006. Yes, way back then, I shared this simple post:
With the best intentions, many of us think about entertaining, but never get around to it. Usually this happens because we don’t have enough time, we’re disorganized or our spouse isn’t interested in hosting a party, or even a small dinner! For many this blessing of gracious living for both the hostess and her guests never takes place, because of fear … fear of failure, unable to cook, unwilling to share their lives with others, fear of deepening friendships … they are intimidated and think the meal has to be perfect, or … they don’t have the lifestyle that says, “welcome.” (-my very first post on RE)
Hospitality doesn’t have to be complicated at all, and today’s little tip is to bring beautiful Spring blossoms indoors to spruce up your home a bit.
You might have read my post on forcing branches, but my real love is the elegant pink and white blossoms that are currently blooming in Oregon. Stunning!
Clip and put in water.
Arrange and bring indoors!
Along with these beautiful blossoms today, The Hip Hostess and I are offering an amazing giveaway for 3 WINNERS. (Thanks to The Nester if she sent you over.)
1 person will WIN all 3 of these items:
Signed Copy of The Reluctant Entertainer
Balcony Girls E-Book
Sheath Style Black a la Mode apron from The Hip Hostess2 people will WIN:
Signed Copy of The Reluctant Entertainer
Here’s HOW to WIN:
1. Leave a comment telling me what it is about hospitality or entertaining that bogs you down? Also, do you think your personality type affects your hospitality/entertaining style?
2. Join our Facebook pages and leave a comment telling me that you did (Reluctant Entertainer and The Hip Hostess)
{If you’re already a member, leave a comment. You guys get one too!}
3. Follow us on twitter and leave a comment telling me you did. (@SandyCoughlinRE and @TheHipHostess)
{If you’re already a follower, leave a comment. You guys get one too!}
This counts as three entries.
4. Facebook about the giveaway, and leave a comment, telling me you did.
5. Tweet about the giveaway, and leave a comment telling me you did. (using @SandyCoughlinRE and @TheHipHostess)
6. Blog about the giveaway, and leave a comment telling me you did.
It’s your choice to just comment, or do all six! So that is 6 chances total!
Contest ends midnight on Thursday, April 7th. Winner will be announced Friday morning, 4/8/11.
The Nester is featuring all of her sponsors today over at Nesting Place, so head over there for a kazillion more giveaways and chances to enter for some incredible prizes.
GOOD LUCK, Friends!
(I want to thank Debbie from The Hip Hostess for donating one of her classy aprons. The quality is superior. If you don’t have one, you’re really missing out. If you want to read more about Balcony Girls, go HERE. If you want to read more about my book, The Reluctant Entertainer, go HERE.)
Hello and welcome to my home and table!
I’m Sandy—lover of food, family, cooking, THE BIG BOARD, travel, and bringing people together. Through great recipes and connection around the table, we become better, stronger, and more courageous people. Feasting on Life is real, and every time we do it, we grow a little more. Read more...
the thing(s) that stop me from entertaining are named Lainey, Anna and Emily. Ages 4, 2 and 2!
The house is always a mess and it’s rarely quiet enough to hear myself think, let alone have a meaningful conversation with another grown up. :)
Grocery shopping, cleaning the house. sometimes just feeling too tired to do it all!
great giveaway!
we are vegetarians and sometimes I feel like I am letting down the meat eaters when they come over for dinner.
I think my biggest road block to entertaining is worrying that I won’t have time to get everything done… the house clean, the grocery shopping…etc!
My big bog down when entertaining is trying too hard for perfection. I’m a type-a when it comes to the preparation and can get real testy if things aren’t finished and ‘just right’ right before guests come. Trying to be smarter in my prep. and not being so hard on myself to be perfect.
WOW! Lots of opportunities! What bogs me down is probably setting the date. Impromptu is the bast route!
I also tweeted about the giveaway!
The thing that really gets me with entertaining is keeping my house clean with three small kids, one of which gets me up three times a night to feed her. Also, I am SO not an organized person.
We are often tired from work and taking care of our kids. Then we are also introverts so it makes it hard to reach out and invite others.
The thing that tends to bog me down the most about entertaining is worrying that my house isn’t as nice as everyone else’s and therefore I don’t measure up somehow.
My bog down is wanting the house to be clean and presentable. I never seem to have time to pick up the clutter, so I’m reluctant to open my home. However, after having friends over last night, I was reminded {again} that it is SO worth taking the time to tidy up and enjoy some fellowship! Thanks for the great encouragement {and the awesome giveaways!}
I’m following you both on Twitter!
I “liked” you both on Facebook!
Honestly, there’s nothing about hospitality/entertaining that bogs me down. I don’t care if my house isn’t all that clean (though having people over is a good motivator!) or if the food is done on time or if people arrive late. I’m more focused on making sure everyone is comfortable and connecting to one another. Hospitality is one of my greatest strengths and I feel pure joy whenever I get the opportunity to put it into practice.
I follow both on twitter
I like both facebook pages.
I think the state of my house, the expectations I have for myself, and then when I do entertain, I can’t seem to sit and relax and enjoy the company – I’m always trying to get things done, clean up, and prepare for the next thing we’re doing or eating. Would love to read your book!
Getting bogged down by planning an easy meal. I don’t want to spend the whole time in the kitchen.
My biggest problem is finding and opening in our schedule, we need to be more intentional and plan things before our time is all filled up. I do think that my personality affects my entertaining style as I do much better in small groups and as such tend to invite smaller groups rather than having big open house type gatherings.
For sure my personality affects my entertaining style! I am way too concerned with what people will think, I get caught up in the details and forget that my friends are gonna love me no matter if the food is perfect, of if I cut out enough labels, if the banner is coordinated with the color scheme etc. I would love to read your book!
Oops, I just saw the second part about how your personality affects your entertaining style. About that, I tend to get really enthusiastic about making the table look pretty and then have been known to completely forget to put the main dish in the oven. Yipes!!!
In the past we have done a lot of hospitality, but now that we are older, and busier, so have fallen out of the habit. We really need to get our act together and get back into it. Love your blog! Thanks.
I always worry my house isn’t good enough – it’s not well decorated, and we have lots of clutter and junk everywhere. It’s very stressful to prepare for company trying to clean up the clutter, at least.
Personality-wise, we are both introverts and tend just to stick to ourselves. Unfortunately, that means we don’t connect with our friends often enough.
Timing the food to all be done simultaneously is the tricky part for me.
Just subscribed to your blog — I found you through A Holy Experience and now follow you on Google Reader — I don’t do twitter, though — but I did join your FB page as well as the Hip Hostess — all very good stuff!!
Thanks for the giveaway!
Far and away, the thing I struggle with the most is the condition of my home. Before I had to go back to work full time I had people over all the time. Now, I’m afraid someone will pop in while dropping something off or picking up one of my kids because my house is usually in such cluttered disarray. I’m really not sure how to overcome that, but I want to because I feel like I’m called to open my home whenever the opportunity presents itself, and sometimes to make the opportunities happen, and I don’t anymore — I’m missing those days….