How can I be a good host at home?

I was thinking about how can I be a good host at home a couple months ago. There are a lot of things to consider. So, I decided to write a helpful post on how you can be a good host at home.

To be a good host at home you need to be prepared, communicate with your guests, create a welcoming guest room, present food nicely, introduce your guest with some talking points, create a calming Ambiance and be present.

before I jump into this I want to give you my biggest piece of advice and that is you can have a perfectly clean house you can have the most perfect scrumptious meal and still not be a good

host and the reason is because if you make it about you.

Be prepared

shop for your groceries early and clean your house a day early. I cannot tell you how

many parties that I have hosted that I did not prepare early that I was a frantic mess that by the time the guest knocked at the door to come in I was so worn out I could hardly enjoy myself.

communicate with your guests

to find out what time they’re going to arrive and what time they’re going to leave especially if these are guests that are going to be staying overnight find out what food allergies they have and also find out what time they’re going to get up in the morning so that you can get up a little bit before them and have that coffee ready and maybe some donut sitting out and you can

welcome them when they wake up

create a welcoming guest room

fresh towels little toiletries I love to get the little samples that you can get like from Target and put them in a little basket make a little sign with the Wi-Fi login make a little carafe with a little bit

of water so that if they’re going to take medication in the night they’ve got that water right there and maybe just a little bowl of some snacks maybe there’s someone who wakes up in the middle of the night and needs a snack but what you’re doing by creating all of those elements in that guest room is you’re saying you’re special to me and I want you to have a good visit.

present your food nicely

now listen I go  to the store or Bakery it doesn’t have to be homemade but when I say present

your food nicely take it out of that package and put it on a plate and make it look lovely listen people care that you’re taking care of them and that you do have food that they eat more than

they care if you can say yes I made that all by myself and from scratch it’s all about presentation break out the good dishes you know the ones that are in the back of your cabinet that makes it more festive it’s a lot of fun and you’re Grandma will be happy that you use the dishes she got you on your wedding day and don’t forget to set your table

correctly let me tell you how to do that you start with a charger and next you’re going to pick a beautiful plate to sit on top of the charger and then if you’re going to do soup the soup bowl would go next then you’re gonna put the salad or bread plate to the top left next you’re going to add your drink or glass cup on the top right your napkin and then you’re going to add your

utensils you’re going to start with your larger Fork first then you’re going to have your salad fork placed right beside it when you put your knife down you want to put the blade facing the plate you’re going to start with your larger knife first and then a smaller knife to the outside which is usually your butter knife and then you’re going to follow with the spoon right next to the small

knife and there you have an easy and proper way to set a table

Introduce Your Guests

If you’re having a party, introduce your guest with some talking points. For instance, this is my pet. She helps me to be creative. This is a very easy way to create an icebreaker and to get the conversations going.

create a cozy and calming Ambiance

 and there’s two ways that I do that 

candles

 I use candles candles are just that soft romantic light but I have a rule of thumb when it comes to candles if you’re cooking and the house smells wonderful say you’re cooking some Italian meal don’t introduce a scented candle to that because that mixes everything up just do

a regular candle with no scent but maybe you’re hosting just a dessert party that’s when you can break out of scented candles so that when the guests come into the home they smell something

beautiful. 

beautiful music

I cannot express how important this one is and that is to have some beautiful music playing not loud It’s just in the background but it is amazing how it just calms everybody down and it’s almost a great way that they’re just relaxing and getting a hug so don’t forget those two

things that create a beautiful warming inviting space number seven is to put

Put Your Pets Away

your pets away now most of you have been watching me for years know I have two little dachshunds Emma and Molly but I never leave them out when I’m having company because there’s nothing more annoying for a guest to knock at the door and the dogs are barking and jumping all over them not everybody is a pet person so put your pets up then if your guests ask that they want to see them then that’s time for them to come

be present 

we could use that advice in every Avenue of our life but it’s very important when you have a party if you’re in the middle of a party and you start cleaning up the dishes you know what that tells your company that tells your company that that’s more important than being with them those dishes can wait be present and enjoy the evening.

 well I hope these tips were helpful. keep wandering wanderer.