Hi friends!! Did you have a great weekend??
I was thinking about those of you who along with me really love tinkering around your house and making things pretty. For many of us our homes are our canvas and we have millions of ideas of things we’d like to do to tweak it.
This weekend we had a houseful of family and it was tons of fun! Even though our house was far from picture perfect…..
……there is still a mountain of mulch on our driveway (along with the wheel barrel)….
……some of the annuals I picked up didn’t get quite get planted (they’re just thrown in the pot for now)…..
…….and our overnight guests had a mirror-less bathroom to use since this baby sat in the hallway all weekend. (yep that’s the mirror I bought for our living room, change of plans, now it’s going in the kids’ bathroom. We fly by the seat of our pants around here.)
The older I get, the more I realize hosting isn’t about having our home look pulled together all the time (although come on – that would be wonderful!!) – it’s about giving our guests an enjoyable experience. And sometimes that means getting done what you can, and then letting go of the things you didn’t and being a warm and gracious host.
Good food, yummy drinks and lots of supermarket flowers can make up for many a house imperfection!!!!
Cute palm pillow above is part of the deck spruce up that didn’t happen quite yet.
Thankfully not getting every single thing crossed off the to-do list does not hinder
hula hoop races….
headstand competitions…..
sign making….
Emily Wilson says
Agreed! The bathroom should be the one spotless place in the house. All other rooms get the doors closed! We are hosting my son's first birthday this weekend and I haven't been able to get all of the house projects done that I wanted to. This was a great reminder to focus on the guests and having a great time celebrating being together!
Stacey says
I agree too! Honestly, how often do you go to someone else's house and judge? Nope, you are just glad to go somewhere fun and be with others. That's what it's all about. ๐
Vel Criste says
Thank you for reiterating what we should all have realized a long time ago Lisa!!!!! It's US who worry about what our home looks, when in the end, our guests came there to see US, and not our homes! Glad you had a wonderful time with your guests!
Prettypracticalhome says
Completely agree! Bathroom must be clean, everything else tidy. Everybody will assume it's clean if it's clutter-free (speaking from lots of experience). Plenty of food and drink will ensure a good time, not a fancy tablescape. I completely forgot to make a centerpiece for a brunch at my house recently, but no one cared because of the food and mimosas.
Tara Lehman says
I completely agree with everything you said! It's important not to be stressed or look stressed before people come over and the bathroom should be cleaned first:).
Kris Jarrett says
You are the best – this is so true and I need to work harder to follow your advice. Especially since moving to a new house that our long-distance friends haven't seen, it feels like everything has to be perfect before they come and see it for the first time even though I know it's only me that cares. I'm coming back and reading this post next time we have first-time visitors ๐
Brandi says
This was such a great post, Lisa! I stress so much before company arrives. It's so bad that I'm usually hopping in the shower as the door bell rings. I will definitely try and relax more.
Brandi says
This was such a great post, Lisa! I stress so much before company arrives. It's so bad that I'm usually hopping in the shower as the door bell rings. I will definitely try and relax more.
Cassie @ Primitive & Proper says
love this post!!!!!! so true and thanks for sharing!
Jessica Holte says
Wow, this post speaks to my heart right now! We have guests coming in this weekend for a visit and I'm stressing about not having pictures hung not being completely finished with decorating their rooms (the list goes on and on)… but you're right, enjoying your time with them and providing them a welcoming place to stay is the most important thing! Thanks for sharing this helpful reminder!
pam {simple details} says
What a great post and reminder, Lisa!! We always have the BEST time at one of my friend's homes, it's been in remodeling mode for years, but they're the most fun, hospitable and great cooks! No one even notices, we're just happy to be invited! ๐