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MomIf you are hosting a Mother’s Day get together, think about what you can do to make all the mothers feel extra special in your home.  By implementing a few simple ideas, you will ensure they know how much they are loved and appreciated.

Have a door greeter (one of your children would be great at the job) who hands every Mom a single stem flower as they walk in the door. These can be flowers from the florist or fresh cut from your garden. Have the flowers in a basket with individual water tubes on each stem to keep them fresh. Water tubes are available in craft stores or from a florist.

If you are serving a sit-down meal, have something special for each Mom at her place setting. It can be something as simple as a tiny box with one decadent truffle or a piece of her favorite candy. You could have an individual flower or votive floating in a small bowl. Even a poem hand-written or photocopied on nice card stock would be appreciated.

To truly touch her heart, spend a few minutes writing down the reasons you appreciate her. Put it on nice cardstock or in an inexpensive frame. This will definitely be a keepsake and probably much more appreciated than other gifts you could buy.

And don’t forget those who may not be mothers, but have a mother’s-heart. If you have a special aunt, sister, cousin or friend who goes out of her way to make you or your little ones feel special, make sure you show your appreciation to them as well.

Think with your heart and I know you’ll be able to give your Mom a special memory she’ll always treasure.

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So many people have a preconceived idea about entertaining at home. Some think it is an involved and much-to-be-avoided process. If you are one of those, I  want to help you change the way you view entertaining.

In the most basic form, entertaining at home can be  defined as opening your doors and making others feel welcome. It isn’t so much about your cooking or decorating talents, if your manners would make Emily Post proud or if you have the swankiest house on the block. It is 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We use outdated yardsticks to measure our entertaining abilities, creating a lack of confidence in our role as hosts. Changing times have brought new ideas and relaxed standards.

Think about what “entertaining” means to you. Entertaining doesn’t have to be time and money consuming or stressful. It doesn’t mean people will 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 hostess, take the focus off the material things: your yard, house, serving pieces and food and instead focus on your guests.

A warm and gracious host is the one who views entertaining at home as an opportunity to share, to welcome guests into your home and make them feel like they are the most important people in the world to you 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.

Get a new yardstick, put your guests at ease, make them feel special and see how much easier entertaining becomes.

Happy Entertaining!

Shanna

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