Hospitality & Entertaining – Little Touches Make a Big Difference

You don’t have to go all out or do anything extravagant to make someone feel welcome in your home.  Sometimes the smallest things are enough to do it. 

One of the best examples I can think of is when Nick and I first started dating.  He has a friend, Ben, whose mom, Martha, has become sort of a second mom to Nick over the years.  At the time, Martha cooked a big family dinner once a week for everyone (and I do mean everyone) who wanted to come eat.  The first time I met their family was at one of those dinners.

It came up that I don’t eat chocolate.  I didn’t think much about it.  I know it’s weird not to eat chocolate, and I’m used to skipping dessert at a lot of functions because everyone loves chocolate.  The next week and the next dinner came around and Martha had vanilla ice cream sandwiches in the freezer. 

That made me feel so good!  It felt like she wanted me to be there, and like what I liked was important to her.  I know ice cream sandwiches aren’t a huge thing, but the thoughtfulness meant so much. 

Here are some little touches I’ve found that seem to make a big difference to guests:

-          If you’re making or buying someone’s birthday cake try to get the writing in their favorite color(s).

-          If someone has a soda or juice that you know they absolutely love try to have that on hand when they come to your home.

-          Make someone’s favorite meal, or side dish, or dessert when they’re coming to dinner.

So what about you?  What are some of the little things that you think make a big difference when it comes to hospitality?