Tag: entertaining

A Little bit of Soul Food for Summer Changes

July 1, 2022 /

Summer has officially arrived! That means change! Kids home, different pace, trips to the lake…

Changing Hospitality Rhythms

Summer is a time for easy outdoor entertaining where it’s all about the fun and connecting!

Hospitality hack: Pre scoop vanilla ice cream and put it in cupcake liners in muffin tin. Serve root beer floats for dessert.

I have a free resource of Easy Summer Go-to Menus, recipes, and More if you’re interested! Just click here!

Changing Seasons

Summer may mean a shift to casual, play, and outdoor fun. But it may mean other transitions too. A move, a job change, a loss, a diagnosis…

If you’d like to get a free resource to help you reflect on the changing seasons of your life with God and prepare to flourish, just click here!

Changing Church

Speaking of change…How has your relationship with the Church changed over the past few years? We’ve had terrible scandals, racial tension, Covid…Were you engaged in church before, but not now? Check out sermons every once in awhile, but aren’t attending in person anymore? What have you learned?

My friend Nancy Beach wrote a great book with her daughter Samantha, called Next Sunday about the good, the bad and the ugly and what may be next for the Church. They take an aspect of church for every chapter and each of them write from their experience and perspective, raising questions to consider.

This would be a great book for your small group to discuss! Here are a few questions my small group has used:

  1. What was your experience of church growing up? Positive? Negative? Non-existent?
  2. What draws you to church now?
  3. What keeps you from fully engaging?
  4. Have you been injured by the church?
  5. If the following are qualities of genuine community, which do you think we/you need to work on most:
    • forgiving one another
    • showing up for one another
    • listening to one another
    • believing the best about one another
    • creating safe space for one another
    • being committed over the long-haul

6. What is one experience of community or inclusion in the church that has been powerful or inspiring for you?

7. Is there some way a challenging aspect of community has formed you more into the likeness of Jesus or taught you something?

Have a joy-filled week and let me know in the comments what’s on your summer fun list!

I hang out mostly over on Instagram. I’d love to see you there!

Soul Food – 5 Creative Ideas for Celebrations With Covid Restrictions

August 17, 2020 /

Celebrate God all day, every day. I mean, revel in him! Make it as clear as you can to all you meet that you’re on their side, working with them and not against them. Help them see that the Master is about to arrive. He could show up any minute!

Philippians 4:4-5

In this season of pandemic, and racial tension and what I heard someone refer to the other day as “the Great Pause”, there have appropriately been calls for reflection and repentance. It is so important that we not just get through this time, but be transformed by it.

However, there is also a place for celebration in this season. As we begin to meet outside at a distance, we are excited to experience the human connection we were created for.

Here are five ideas that I, or friends of mine have tried:

  1. Virtual Travel Potluck Dinner.

Maybe the thing I miss most about the restrictions of this season is the inability to travel internationally. I invited some couples to think about where they’d like to travel when it’s allowed and to bring a dish representative of that place. If it’s a place they’ve already been, I asked them to come also with a memory to share. If it’s someplace new to them, I asked them to share what they’re looking forward to seeing.

One couple brought ceviche in individual mason jars (Covid considerate!) because they want to go to El Salvador.

I also made the desserts in individual mason jars.

I found all different sizes and types of mason jar at Target.

2. S’moregasbord gathering around the fire pit.

@katiejacobsnashville

I LOVE the idea of all kinds of creative adaptations of s’mores! This picture from Country Living is amazing, but not very socially distance friendly, so my idea is to tie up a variety of ingredients in individual bandanas that folks can use as napkins, and tie them around their marshmallow fork. I can’t wait to do this one in September as the weather gets cooler!

3. Onesie Scavenger Shower. Our daughter, Maggie, was set to host a couples baby shower, but they couldn’t gather in person due to Covid restrictions. Instead of cancelling the whole thing, she wanted the expectant couple to have a special experience.

She asked each couple who had been invited to the shower to decorate onesies and take a picture of themselves. Then she created a Onesie Scavenger Hunt for the expectant couple, with clues sending them to different spots that were meaningful to them. At each spot they found two onesies and a picture of the the couple who created them.

4. Photo Scavenger Hunt on Bikes. The husband of a friend wanted to celebrate her well on her birthday so he invited 15 of her friends to surprise her, showing up at their house on bikes. He used the app Goose Chase to create a Photo Scavenger Hunt that sent three teams of five around our town to get pictures at different sites and text them back to my friend’s husband and kids at “command central” to get points.

5. Pizza and Podcast. This idea that I’ve posted about on Instagram, works well virtually or in person. Just send out a podcast suggestion and host a discussion (outside with distancing or on zoom) around pizza. Easy Peasy! I heard about this idea from Bailey T. Hurley and you can see more of her ideas here.

**One bonus idea that’s not a gathering: Weekly Themed Group Playlists to keep you going through Covid.

Daughter Katy has a group of friends who name a playlist master and a theme every week. Each person in the group contributes a song to go with the theme and sometimes they try to guess who’s contributed which song.

The playlist master sends out the curated list at the end of the week. Sometimes the themes are timely, like Social Distancing (Ex. “Stop, in the Name of Love!”), or Social Justice (Ex. “Blowin in the Wind” by Bob Dylan). Others are just great escapes, like Pop Divas (ALL the Lady Gaga and Adele) or Best Covers (“I Will Always Love You”)

What creative ways have you found to celebrate this season?

Towards the Making of a More Relaxed Christmas 2018

December 29, 2017 /

It’s the 28th of December as I write this. I’m guessing both you and I are both feeling a bit “over” – overfed, overtired, over-partied, over-drawn – after weeks of celebrating. Am I right?

Most of us are looking forward to taking down our Christmas tree for a fresh start, and simultaneously feeling sad for the passing of this holy time.

Some of you are thinking “coulda/shoulda/woulda” regarding some of the choices you made this Advent. Maybe you said too many “yes’s” or were totally unorganized. Maybe you over-spent, or were too tired to be present in the moments. Our dream is to be present to God and to others especially during this holy season, so what are we going to do about it?

At our church, every week we do a little post-service eval, asking what went well and what we could do better. I’m thinking that if we do that and give a little forethought, Christmas 2018 can be even better than 2018. So here are a few suggestions.

And let me just say, if you are a man reading this and thinking, “Not my thing”, think again. One of the best gifts you can give your wife if you’re married is your partnership in this season. Step up men!

December 2017 /January 2018 

Have a conversation today. Evaluate Christmas 2017. Discuss these questions:

  • What worked well for Christmas 2017? What are we thankful for?
  • If we were going to choose one word to characterize Christmas 2017, what would it be?
  • What mistakes do we want to avoid for Christmas 2018?

The putzy stuff I hate to do, but this helps:

  • LABEL EVERYTHING as you put it away. Attach pictures of how you decorated to your storage boxes. Buy a storage box and label it 2018.
  • Buy candles, ornaments, ribbon, and goodie bags at post-holiday sales. Put these together and label “Hostess gifts”

  • I LOVE making things, but when November rolls around I feel too pressured to get creative. This January I’m looking at some of the DIY gifts I have pinned and am committing to actually doing them during our cold Minnesota winter.
  • Write on your calendar for December, 2018 which cookies you absolutely loved this year and want to commit to baking next year.
  • Record which menus worked this year – for an Open House, for easy family dinners, for whatever.
  • Update your Christmas card list now.
  • Did you have a great idea for a gift or an activity? Write it down on your calendar – December 2018.

Throughout 2018

  • If you have trips or family gatherings planned for 2018, write in reminders on those dates – TAKE FAMILY PHOTOs for Christmas cards!
  • Keep a gift chart of people, ideas and budget through the year..

November 2018

  • Buy or order your Christmas cards before Thanksgiving if possible.
  • I know not everyone can do this, but I block off the 5 days after Thanksgiving to focus on prepping for Christmas – getting decorations up over time so I can be relaxed. We make a point of coming home from visiting relatives at least a day early to miss the crazy crowds driving/flying home and to give ourselves some time to get grounded before the rush of the holidays starts.
  • If you’re married and have kids at home, sit down with your calendars and see if there is one day you can both take off and work together on shopping (grocery or gift). Enjoy a lunch date!

December 2018

Talk about expectations with your family. What are the things each person is MOST looking forward to and what are they apprehensive about?

Gift ideas

  • A lot of Christmas gifts can’t be anticipated or bought way ahead, but one that everyone loves that you can do in November is to create photo books for family members. If you do this on Shutterfly you can add to save and add to your project throughout the year too.

  • One of the best gift ideas I heard this year was from a grandmother who is a voracious reader and has a huge library of books. She chose one of her books to give each of her kids and grandkids with a note saying why she thought they’d like it. My mom has given me similar gifts that are precious to me – classics we loved, my grandfather’s Bible and my grandmother’s scrap book (100 years old!)

  • For busy mom friends this year I made them the main course of a dinner they could freeze and pop in the oven on a busy day when they didn’t want to cook.

  • Time is our most precious commodity. It may sound like a cop-out, but giving a “date” with someone to take them to a movie and dinner is a precious gift.

 

  • I love it when friends use their gifts and talents to create something special. My friend Sharon, who runs a creative communications team called Open Book,  made these prints to give.

  • And my friend Cara, who has started Rooted by Design, a flower arranging business made these lovely gifts for each of her friends (in a votive holder that can be reused!).

  • Looking for a gift for neighbors or hostess gifts? Make a big batch of ONE thing and put it in the bags you got after Christmas last year. Attach a tiny ornament. Three of the things I have given in the past are homemade granola, or “Christmas crack” snack mix, or quick bread in inexpensive ceramic loaf pans (I got red ones for about $2.00 a piece at Michaels)

 

  • Do you know someone who is grieving? This one is tricky because everyone what is helpful to one might be hurtful to another. The first Christmas after my brother died, my sister-in-law didn’t have the will or energy to decorate herself, but friends snuck over and hung a wreath on her door. You also might give an ornament that reminds you of the person who died, with a note sharing a memory. 

Those are a few of my ideas. What would you add? Please share in comments!

5 Mistakes I Made as a Hostess Last Night

December 20, 2017 /

I love gathering people – around our table, in our yard, throughout our house…whatever…

I do it a lot, but I’m a lifelong learner who still makes LOTS of mistakes!  Entertaining may not be your jam, but most people have to host something sometime.

Last night we had a small open house for some leaders in our church. I thought it might help if I shared some mistakes I made that you can avoid.

Things I did wrong last night:

  1. I tried too many new recipes. I love trying new recipes! With a large group of guests is not always the best time. I usually try to make sure I have at least one sure-fire winner and let myself try one new recipe. Last night there were 3. Not good.

 

2. I had too many hot things that needed to come out of the oven at the same time – last minute. The goal is PEOPLE time – “There you are!” time.

 

3. I put drink station in too congested area.  This is hard in our house – it’s an ongoing challenge, but I’ll keep experimenting.

 

4. Forgot to pray for guests. This is one of my absolute go-to’s – to stop and think about who is coming and their specific gifts and needs and pray for them. But yesterday I forgot. #fail.

 

5. Missed personal conversations with two guests. It’s hard to balance meaningful conversations with guests which may go long and keep you from circulating, and fly-by conversations that feel obligatory and too surfacy. I try really hard to engage meaningfully, but last night after folks left, I realized there were two people I hadn’t talked to at all! Ugh.

 

Things I did right:

1. Asked for help (people – especially introverts – love to be put to work!) Have people take plastic off plates, pull cider out of fridge…

 

2. Did as much as possible the day before. Labled serving pieces. Get out what you need, and think through how much room is needed for each option.

 

3. Made one easy, no-fail option. And here it is: Cut bacon slices into thirds. Wrap one piece of bacon around a “Lil Smokie” sausage and secure it with a toothpick. Dump all in a heavy plastic freezer bag. Shake in a bunch of brown sugar. Shake bag to coat and leave in fridge til ready to cook. Bake at 450 for 15-20 minutes. Can keep warm and serve in batches.

I’d love to hear from YOU!! What have you done as a host that we all can learn from?

 

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