Yesterday I had a five women to my house for a Baked Potato and Dessert Bar. Here are few of my thoughts:
1. Run don’t walk to the phone or your computer and invite your friends to your home.
(flowers on the bathroom sink)
It was so much fun to laugh and talk with friends that I can’t urge you enough to take the plunge and have a party. If you’re reticent to have a full-blown gig, call it a gathering or a get together. Have one safe, comfortable friend over for coffee. But just do it.
2. You learn things that you never knew before.
I learned one of my friends from church is a diabetic – I didn’t know that. It was interesting to hear her personal story on how she found out and what she does to control it. I also thought this friend was rather quiet but she knew another one of my guests and boy, was I wrong.
3. People feel loved when you go the extra mile.
One of my guests commented on the table decorations as she walked into the kitchen and said, “awwww, that makes me feel loved.” Taking time to think through what I already had on hand and how I could craft my party made a difference.
I also sent home with the ladies a small six pack of flower plants that they got to pick out from a bunch of them. Spending under a dollar a piece and seeing their faces as I offered each of them one, was priceless. I think it made them feel very special and unique and that I was glad that they came.
4. It’s fun for others to share food with each other.
People like to share their individual family recipes. Their dish is part of them that they’re sharing.
5. Showing people around the house could have been embarrassing but instead it was freeing.
I invited a few women who hadn’t been to my house before so when they arrived, I gave them a quick tour. I hadn’t been upstairs in awhile and when I went up there with all of these women trailing behind me, I was rather shocked how messy our old playroom was. (My two older kids live upstairs and I don’t go up there because it makes me crazy…) Oh well…my comment to my blind friend was, “This room looks like a huge purse was dumped out all over. It wouldn’t be safe for any of us to walk through it.”
6. Don’t believe any lies in your head about why you shouldn’t have a party.
This is similiar to #1: I believe if we listen to lies, we won’t reach out to others and will stay isolated. We, human beings are meant for community.
7. That I’m planning a party for next month for all the homeschooling moms at the charter school.
I learned from this Blogathon that I had to openly commit to having a party or I would have never had one. So I’ve already FB’d my dear mama friends and am committing to another one. Boo-yah.
Tomorrow I’ll have Part 2 on what else I’ve learned from this special time.
I’m so excited that I’ll be having a book giveaway next week. So please stop by next week.
What have you learned from having friends or family over?
Boo-yah is right! love the idea of sending everyone home with a cute, reasonable treat. I’m sure they all felt very loved by the care and concern you showed in all your prep. Yay for you, Jan!
I’ve learned so much through this experience.
TY Liz!
Yay, Jan! Glad your first get-together was such a success! Great idea about sending people home with a little something, and making everyone feel special. Even though our house is chaos as we renovate, more people have wanted to see what we’re up to and our dropping by. I can’t wait to invite them over when the kitchen is in and really host them instead of chips and dips in a construction zone!
Lisa,
I think to have people over during the construction would be a wonderful idea because they’d get to see the work in progress. And you could have another get-together afterwards so they could see a finished product. It would be a very dramatic before and after experience.
Good for you Jan!
Michelle
I hope this experience will have others thinking “why was she so whiney or scared to have a party?” and then they’ll have a party themselves.
We ARE meant for community. I have found that I need to make socializing a habit. Between business and family it’s easy for me to get caught up in the day to day. I need friends and to keep that balance.
Hi Sara,
That’s a great way to say it – “make socializing a habit.” Thank you for stopping by.
P.S. Loved your cheesy video. 😉
Jan,
Thanks for sharing this with us – you have inspired me – I have always wanted to have a tea – with just a few friends, but worried that I wouldn’t be able to pull it off – well I going to give it a shot. Thanks for the idea
Patti
:O)
Patti, Patti, Patti – I am so excited to hear about this. I will be your cheerleader if you’d like.
Please have one and you’ll be amazed at why you didn’t have one sooner. I promise!
j