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    Recipes » Hospitality How-Tos » Hospitality with Your Own Family

    Hospitality with Your Own Family

    Published: Mar 24, 2020 · Modified: Sep 27, 2020 by Kate Shungu · This post may contain affiliate links

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    Your home—is it a welcoming space to spend the day? Here are a few ideas on how to make your home a welcoming space for everyone who lives there, yourself included.

    Wooden table set for dinner

    Hospitality: friendly and generous behavior toward guests, visitors, or strangers, intended to make them feel welcome.

    In the time of COVID-19, it’s safe to say that we won’t be having any guests, visitors, or strangers on our doorstep anytime soon.

    But we do still have people around us, under our own roof. Perhaps they are home even more now—working from home, home from school, furloughed temporarily.

    What are some things that we can do to show hospitality to our own family? Here are a few ideas.

    Clear the clutter

    Have you ever walked into a room and then walked right back out, overwhelmed by the clutter? Since we’re essentially stuck at home, possibly in these very rooms, now is a great time to clear some clutter. Spend an afternoon, take 15 minutes while dinner is in the oven, or set a timer for 5 minutes before bed—take whatever time you have to clear some clutter. I can guarantee it will make the space more welcoming (even refreshing!) for you and your family members.

    Create a welcoming entryway

    entryway with a black bench and photos on the wall
    What are you bombarded by when you walk in the door? Shoes, coats, gloves, mail—whatever else ends up there?

    We live in a city condo without tons of space, so we purchased a small bench (this one’s similar) to house flip-flops, scarves, hats, and gloves. Our bags sit on top.

    We hung shelf ledges from Ikea, printed our wedding photos and Xander’s newborn photos, and placed the photos in Ikea frames. The mini plants are also from Ikea. The floor mat is for wet/muddy shoes and boots (it’s from L.L. Bean and it traps water beautifully).

    These were all inexpensive solutions to creating a welcoming entryway.

    Create new traditions

    Saturday afternoon ice cream sundae bar, anyone? Now is a great time to create new traditions for your family. Take a few extra minutes to chop some candy bars for toppings, make a homemade fudge sauce, and scoop out some ice cream for everyone.

    Mini Floral Bouquet on Table

    Purchase flowers

    Flowers are serious mood boosters. Buy local if you can. If not, Trader Joe’s makes some adorable mini bouquets that don’t break the bank. Divide them up and place some on the kitchen table, some in the bathroom, and some in the entryway. Tea cups and stemless wine glasses make great miniature vases.

    Learn something new together

    Learn a line dance (thanks to my friend Paul for that one!). Learn to draw. Make pie crust from scratch. There are so many tutorials on Youtube. Find something you’re interested in, and try it out!

    Go on a scavenger hunt

    Thankfully it’s no longer the middle of winter. While Chicago has some shaping up to do in terms of weather, it’s at least nice enough to get outside. Come up with a list of things for you and/or your kids to find on a walk outside, such as American flags, a pine tree, an “open” sign, something written in sidewalk chalk, etc. Keep walking until you find everything.

    A scavenger hunt can also be adapted for indoors. Find three things that are red. Find 10 doorknobs. Count the number of outlets on the first floor. You get the idea!

    Slice of beef wellington pot pie on a plate with a fork

    Make something special in the kitchen

    What’s your significant other’s favorite dish? Spend a little extra time and make it! I have Beef Wellington Pot Pie (Longe’s favorite) on my list of recipes to make. Choose a favorite from each family member so everyone gets a turn.

    Find a new location

    Suddenly the largest houses are beginning to feel small. And the smaller houses are beginning to feel even smaller. Find a “new” location—maybe a corner of the house that is rarely used, or a guest bedroom, and play a board game there. Or have a picnic on the floor there. A little change of scenery will be good for everyone.

    How do you show hospitality to your own family? Share with me in the comments!

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    kate

    About Kate

    I’m a believer, wife, mom, and big fan of old cookbooks. I live in Chicago with my husband and two young sons. I love discovering old fashioned recipes that will transport you back in time! Read more...

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    Kate from Gift of HospitalityI’m Kate. I love discovering old fashioned recipes that will transport you back in time. Learn more here
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