10 Amazing Hospitality Tips Learned from Mom
I learned so much from my mom but I think hospitality is probably the #1 thing that she modeled to me on a daily basis. When I was thinking about this post, I started writing and ended up with 10 amazing hospitality tips that I learned mom. I hope you enjoy and learn from them.
Growing up we always had people in our home or my mom was preparing a meal or a “Sunshine basket” for my dad to deliver to a shut in. This is just a way of life for my mom and our family. That has continued into my adult life. I enjoy having people over to our home through out our marriage. It is not usual to have someone spending the night or over for dinner in our house.
10 Amazing Hospitality Tips learned mom
- Make your home inviting.
Light a candle, bake some cookies, or put on a pot of coffee. Make you home pleasant to the smell when they walk in. A warm gentle smell that brings warmth is best. Vanilla, coffee, fresh baked bread or cookies will allow your guest to know they are welcomed. - Know your guest.
Try to cater to your company. Make them feel wanted and expected. Try to have something that you know they will like, it could be just as small as their favorite drink. Will there be kids coming? Have a basket of toys or games for them to play with. Make your guest feel like they were anticipated and prepared for. - Have good lighting in your home.
Make your home inviting with good lightning. If you have a dark corner in your home, turn on a lamp in the corner. Use candles to bring light to a room. Turn on the front porch to welcome people. Make sure the light on the front porch is clean and bright. - Play music:
If you are entertaining, it is always good to have some soft music playing in the background. It serves as a buffer between conversations as well as sets a tone for the visit. I use a wonderful playlist from Spotify. - Clean up as you go when cooking for guest
Do as many dishes as you can while you are cooking your meal. This will make your kitchen look better as well as it will cut down on the clean up after dinner as well. Dirty dishes and pans also create a sense unpreparedness to your guest.We are called to show Hospitality
[clickToTweet tweet=”Don’t just pretend to love others, really love them. Romans 12:9a Hospitality Lessons learned from Mom ” quote=”Don’t just pretend to love others, really love them. Romans 12:9a “]
- Put your pets up
Know your guest, if they are not pet lovers, put your pets in another room. If they tell you it is ok to bring the pet out after they get there, then that is a sign that they don’t mind having the pets in the room with them. Some people are allergic to pets so you need to be sensitive to this issue. - Set out something to snack on
Have something to snack on while you are finishing up dinner. I love to put out my cutting board with a sliced apple, cheese, and crackers. It doesn’t even have to be expensive cheese. I use a block of Colby Jack or Cheddar and people love it. - Make other rooms in your house welcoming
Make sure your bathroom, guest bedroom, office, etc is welcoming as well. Open doors in the home make your home welcoming and make it look like you are not closing people out. - Make sure you have everything you need.
You don’t have to time your plan but have a plan of things to do with your company. You could have multiple options but have those options ready. Maybe you want to grill out or sit around a fire pit. You need to make sure ahead of time you have charcoal or gas for the grill or wood for the fire pit. Plan ahead with ideas that you know your guest would enjoy.Saving the sweetest for last.
- Always have a dessert on hand.
This is one my mom always had and it was so welcoming. She always had a dessert either made or all the ingredients to make a quick dessert for that unexpected guest that dropped by. I keep a can of peaches and a box of cake mix always ready to make a quick peach cobbler. It is always a hit and a no-fail recipe on hand.
