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 COOKING! The cooking gets me down!! I don’t particularly enjoy cooking and I don’t do it too often. But, when I entertain, I feel as though I have to make everything from scratch. I’ve never had people over for take-out….but maybe that’s where I should start ;)
Shared on FB
http://www.facebook.com/curliegirlie03/posts/140636416006095
I love to entertain but would love more ideas for it!
Meg
My biggest bog down is the time and effort that entertaining takes. My personality definitely affects my lack of entertaining, because I am type-A all the way. I need everything perfect and just so. I stress over every detail and tend to not enjoy my parties because of it. I have a party coming up in a week and a half and I am already SUPER stressed!
I know for sure that my “like everything to be just so” personality definitely can bog me down at times when it comes to welcoming people into my home. But thank God that my husband is quite the opposite and challenges me to welcome people whenever – like less than a week after we’d moved into our home and there were boxes EVERYWHERE and we had new friends over for lunch after church one Sunday. That was a good challenge for me to let go of my particularness!
I follow you on Twitter
@curliegirlie03
I like both of your Facebook pages!
Sara Elizabeth
I get the most nervous about my house looking good enough! I definitely think personality has a lot to do with entertaining because I am such a perfectionist that it keeps me from just having people over and having fun!
My biggest problem is being about to enjoy talking to everyone when I entertain. I always find myself in the kitchen the whole time. I need to come with more foods I can prepare ahead of time!
I shared your giveaway on Facebook.
I am excited about this giveaway! The thing that bogs me down is the house cleaning. I have a 1, 2, and 4 year old and it feels every time I turn my head they are undoing what I’ve just done. It can be stressful as I am trying to prep other parts of my home and kitchen in order to entertain. And, I definitely think personality plays a role in entertaining style. I am pretty laid back and my hosting style reflects that.
The thing that bogs me down is time management, and probably trying to make everything little thing perfect. I’m sure my personality plays a part…I try to do everything myself rather than delegate. I’m a work in progress! :)
Thanks for the giveaway! I would love to read your book.
I always worry about being “entertaining” enough. I want to make sure that everyone has fun without being pushy. Yes, my perfectionist personality plays a part in this!
We just need to be more intentional about entertaining. We can let our need for down time after a busy week keep us from having others over for a meal. And we usually find out it energizes us rather than depletes us. So it’s a matter of reminding each other that the benefits out-way the stress of making it happen.
I get bogged down at the asking part–I never know exactly how to say it! And I’m afraid if I say it wrong that it’ll create an awkward moment :) And yes, my personality definitely affects my entertaining style–simple and casual. The less that can go wrong, the better! (Murphy seems to want to be my friend :) )
I followed you both on Twitter :)
I love to entertain. I think sometimes I overwhelm myself by not allowing enough time for the preparation.
what bogs me down is the food! MAking sure everything is ready at the same time and that there is enough food!
Like many others, it is the house prep and organization. Always worried that a good meaning person who wants to help will open a door or drawer and find chaos. I don’t think about it at someone else’s home yet have the worry at my own! Yet, after the prep and service…always so happy and fulfilled to have friends over. Guessing I just need to do it more often so that I keep things organized and together :)
My house is always so messy and clutter as I work a full time job with 4 kids. Plus, I just worry so much about everything pulled together. I want to entertain but just doesn’t seem feasible right now.
I liked your facebook pages!
I tweeted about the giveaway!
I would so love to win this! Entertaining is intimidating to me because I feel everything has to be perfect, and I am not perfect, so I don’t entertain….at all. I need this book! And the ca-ute apron would help too! :)
For me, the hardest part of hosting is not being intentional about it or making it a priority. To help remedy that, my husband and I recently sat down and made a list of all the families that we keep saying ‘we should have them over’ about. I’m more of an introvert, but I’m also a planner and really enjoy checking things off a list so this has really helped!
I’m a subscriber
I’m already a FB follower