7 Great Tips to Help You Become the Perfect Hostess
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=M_Hammersley]M Hammersley
Have you ever been to a home where you didn’t seem welcome? Your friends or family may have invited you over for a nice outdoor dinner, but once you arrived, the dinner was anything but nice. You could feel the tension in the air, so thick you could cut it with a knife. Dinner was on the stove and you were left twiddling your thumbs waiting for it to be done. And once it was, you sat down at the outdoor dining table and ate it as quickly as possible so you could escape the sugar-covered snide remarks about who accidentally let the potatoes burn.
As you were walking out the door, you might have promised yourself that you would never make your guests feel that way. However, becoming the perfect hostess isn’t as easy as you might think. It involves a lot of preparation and attention to detail.
Becoming a Great Hostess
If you want to be a great hostess, you have to think ahead. Here are a few tips for how to make your guests feel comfortable and welcome in your home.
Furniture- Before you invite guests to your home, it is important that you ensure you not only have enough furniture for them to sit on, but also that it is comfortable. If you plan on having an outdoor dinner in your backyard, be sure to only invite as many guests as can sit around your outdoor dining table. Choose some outdoor wicker furniture, like loveseats or sofas, for your guests to sit on once the meal is complete. Rattan furniture and wicker furniture is very comfortable, so your guests will feel more at home and won’t rush out the moment they are done eating.
Pre-Arrival- Before your guests are scheduled to arrive, make sure you have your house clean and food prepared. Once they arrive, your focus should be entirely on them. You shouldn’t have to move the laundry off of the couch or still be running around in the kitchen.
Dinner-When planning dinner, make sure you take into account the foods your guests do and do not like. Do they have a favourite dish? Are they vegetarians? Are they allergic to certain foods? If you want keep your guests from driving straight from your home to the nearest fast food restaurant, these questions are important.
Arrival- Once your guests arrive, greet them at the door with a smile. If you are good friends, you can also greet them with a hug. Let them know how happy you are they came. Sit down with them and allow yourself to enjoy their company. You should offer them something to drink, but don’t run off right away to put all of the food on the table. This can make them feel like they are being rushed through dinner and that you want them to leave as soon as possible.
Discussions- While they are sitting around the outdoor dining table for dinner or sitting on the comfortable wicker furniture after the meal has ended, be sure that all discussions are light. Don’t talk about serious issues or argue with your spouse. Avoid any discussion that may make your guest feel uncomfortable.
Focus-Focus all of your time and energy on your guests while they are in your backyard retreat. If you need to put food away, stick it in the fridge and clean up any messes later. This is the time for you to enjoy your guests; you have the rest of your life to clean. Also, never have your guests help you clean up after the meal.
Goodbyes- When it is time to say goodbye to your guests, let their last memory of you be a smile. If you can, stand on your front porch as see them off as they drive away. This small gesture will let them know they are important to you.
If you want to be the perfect hostess, make sure you have the appropriate wicker furniture for your guests to sit on, keep your focus on them, and discuss only appropriate subjects while sitting around your outdoor dining table for dinner. Let them know you truly enjoy having them to your home, and they are sure to come back.
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Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?7-Great-Tips-to-Help-You-Become-the-Perfect-Hostess&id=6855025] 7 Great Tips to Help You Become the Perfect Hostess
