A Heavenly Hostess (Giveaway) CLOSED

What does it mean to be a good hostess? I will never forget going to a class with many women around my age many years ago- all young mothers; and we were taught by an experienced mother of 10 about being a good hostess. This wonderful woman spoke of making sure your front walkway was clean, your door was wiped down, your front entry way was clear- esthetics. I'd like to add a few things to that.

None of us is perfect- but we all love to put our best foot forward and I don't think there is anything wrong with that as long as we allow others to know that it's our best foot. I wrote a post about being a good hostess about a year ago that you can read here. I also have a series of posts about house guests and how we can be good longer term hostesses.

When guests come, consider the following:

• How does my home smell? I have warmers throughout my home that I turn on every day to enhance the smell of my home. I enjoy a congruent smell throughout that reminds me of Fall or Christmas, or even Springtime.
• Is my home comfortable? This is not about square footage or the "clean house award". What I want you to ask yourselves is- Is there a place for your guest to be seated so that you can talk with them? Do you have them remove their shoes and walk on a sticky floor?
• Have I been considerate of my guest? Ask your guest immediately if they would like a drink of ice water. If they have been there a while, ask them if they would like a snack, perhaps you could slice up an apple with peanut butter, crackers and cheese, celery and dip- it's not a bad idea to keep things on hand to offer.
• Am I presentable? I love my sweats. Anyone who knows me can tell you that. However, when I am entertaining, I love to dress up. I think this shows respect for my guests. It shows them that they are important enough to me that I took the time to get ready and put on my best clothes for them. When I host a dinner party, you will find me in my Heavenly Hostess apron (friends can attest) because it's my best. I want others to know that they are special enough to me that I will put on my best things for them- get out my best china, crystal, silver or gold, linens, 40's jazz , and a fantastically cooked meal (hopefully).

Cynthia from Heavenly Hostess has graciously offered to do a giveaway with The Pink Teapot. I blogged about my Heavenly Hostess apron over a year ago and talked about the importance of wearing it! We should all feel honored because this apron is nothing short of amazing. I would wear this to show my guests how important they are to me, just as I currently wear my other apron from her. This is, in my opinion, the finest apron available, and I'm so excited to give it to one of my Pink Teapotians!

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This contest will close at 11:59pm on Friday, September 18th. The winner will be announced the following day and chosen by random.org