When we think of hospitality, we might think of a few things. Maybe you think of hotels or vacation homes, maybe you think of big parties, or maybe you think of extended visits with family and putting people up in a room for a week. And while these things are certainly facets of hospitality, they certainly don’t cover the depths of what being hospitable truly is.
When I was in college, I attended a college version of a typical church camp, and went to a break-out session on hospitality. The woman leading this session was in a unique position to do ministry and show hospitality to those around her. She was a young, single woman working with a university, mentoring girls that were students there. Because she was single, she was able to have an open-door-policy with the students and minister to them right where they needed her.
It was in this session that I gained an understanding of what a truly hospitable person is. In my own definition, hospitality is sharing your own resources to create a welcoming and comfortable environment by anticipating the needs of others. Your resources include your time, your home, and your skills. A welcoming and comfortable environment is just how it sounds; a place to sit comfortably, a place to set a drink, and clean enough spaces to keep someone comfortable. When you anticipate the needs of others, you might have things on hand to be helpful at a moment’s notice.
In this post, I’ll share with you how I maintain a home that’s ready to meet others’ needs, and how those habits transfer into more structured, planned events. Hospitality is certainly more than being the hostess with the most-est, but I do like to do those things too.
Habits for Being Hospitable at a Moment’s Notice
Some of you may have grown up in pristinely clean homes, and maybe you like it that way, and that’s quite alright. I won’t tell you to change that. However, I will say that uber clean homes make me nervous and I’m not usually my most comfortable when I’m in them. You know, when you go to someone’s house for the first time and you’re afraid to sit on the couch because you might get in trouble? Yeah, I don’t love that feeling. And it makes me a little nervous to have them over to my “lived-in-clean” house.
What is “lived-in-clean”? well, it’s pretty much how it sounds. There may be clutter on my entry table, but you won’t find a floor littered with crumbs. I might have some dishes in the sink, but you won’t put your hand on a sticky countertop. And this is exactly how I decide what’s important for a welcoming and comfortable space.
The things I like to focus on are:
- Floors and surfaces: I don’t mean perfectly sanitized and shining, but just make sure the floors are swept/vacuumed fairly recently and there aren’t any syrup spots on the surfaces. There’s nothing worse than setting your hand in a sticky mess.
- Fresh Guest Bathroom: Again, it doesn’t have to be sparkling clean and sterile, but check the sink for toothpaste and hair, and check the toilet for that dreaded orange ring. If done regularly, this shouldn’t take long at all.
- Smells: We don’t always think of this, but smells can make or break our comfort level in a space. If we walk in to hefty litter box or trash can smell, we’ll probably be aware of it the entire time. If you know you have guests coming, light a candle or diffuse your favorite blend. Otherwise, just do your best to keep strong odors at bay.
- Keep Snacks and Drinks Stocked: You don’t have to keep a year’s supply of popcorn and sodas for this one, but if you have frequent flyers, keep a few of their favorite snacks and drinks in light stock. Have a little popcorn for movie nights and a little lemonade powder for little ones to enjoy.
- Have Quick Meals On Hand: My husband and I stock food year-round, but even if you don’t, just keep a pack of spaghetti and a jar of sauce on hand for unexpected or last-minute dinner guests. This will save you stress and an extra trip to the store.
- Consider Animal Behavior: This one is definitely a last minute thing, but if someone shows up unexpectedly and you have a dog that jumps at the door, simply place the pet in another room and allow it to acclimate before answering the door. The jumping-dog-overwhelm is real. Do your best to avoid it altogether.
These are some of my tricks for keeping my home ready to meet the needs of others whenever they come up. I don’t worry too much about perfect cleanliness as it is much more important to me that someone feels at home than it is for me to not feel embarrassed about a lived-in home. And as an added bonus, this mentality has been freeing to me. I no longer stress unnecessarily when we have company coming.
How I Apply These Concepts to Planned Events
When I’m planning a more structured event, I already have most of these things done since I keep them up out of preparedness, but there is always more to be done for a get-together. What I do in these instances is think about how I want someone to feel and what they might need.
Here are a few examples.
For a Dinner Party, I always check for any dietary restrictions so I can meet the needs of all my guests. When it comes to the overall feel of a gathering, I’ll usually build a playlist centered on a theme or mood I want to set. I’ll make sure to plan appetizers and drinks to give guests something to do before dinner is served. Day of, I’ll be sure to put away animals to avoid the chance of pet hair in food or strong odors.
For an Outdoor Event, I’ll plan to have plenty of seating and things to do like corn hole for the adults and bubbles for kids. Also consider the weather. If you’ll be hosting in the summer, have plenty of water handy. In the winter, have some blankets ready, and maybe make a batch of cider to keep people warm.
For Overnight Stays, ensure that you have washed the linens and have extra. I also like to keep travel-size items in a guest bathroom drawer as an in-case-you-forgot spot. As a personal touch, I like to leave a welcome note next to the bed thanking them for coming and to give any extra information they may need, like how to operate the TV, where matches are kept for candles, and some fun things to do around town.
When it comes to planning events, think of the things you might take for your own family, and have extra for others. If you have that need, your guests probably will too. This is an easy way to make sure you have things on hand to meet others’ needs as they come about.
The heart of the hospitable homemaker anticipates the needs of others and seeks out opportunities to meet them.
I hope this post has helped encouraged you to practice hospitality in your own home and in your day to day life. If you have any more tips on practicing simple hospitality, share it in the comments. And be sure to follow me on social media to see my future posts on hospitality, hosting dinner parties, and other homemaking tips.
Happy Homemaking,
Rebekah
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