Party Tips - Hospitality.

I thought I'd do some posts about entertaining. Give my audience some tips that I personally use on a regular basis when planning an event. Growing up on the other side of the world, in the Philippines, I was immersed in a culture where hospitality was a priority. I regularly saw people give who had nothing to give. Keep in mind that the Philippines is a third world country, so when I talk about "nothing to give" I really mean nothing. People who live in shacks made out of scrap metal. If you were a guest in their home, they shared their best with you. My own parents who came from Canada and the United States also instilled in me the importance of hospitality. Growing up, we had visitors over on a regular basis. Some were planned. Some stopped by right as we were sitting down to eat dinner. And there was never any question of what to do in those events. We just added more plates to our table and shifted around to make room for our guests. The most important tip that I can give to you as a hostess is to make sure that your guests feel included, comfortable, loved, and at home. It's about them. Your party or your event is really not about you. Your party or event is about the love you have for the people you have invited to spend the next several hours with you. And even I am still learning this valuable lesson. It's hard for me to set aside my own agenda and my busyness to really be present at a party that I am hosting. I constantly struggle against my desire for everything about the party to be perfect and my desire to spend quality time with my guests. I have the tendency to run around with my head in a tizzy worried that things may not run smoothly. It takes conscious effort on my part to step back, take a deep breath, and relax.