Are you reluctant?
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Take it away Sandy…
.When Amy asked me to write a post for her blog, I immediately thought about her beautiful photography and how mine doesn’t compare to hers. It doesn’t even come close! But that’s okay because I have a secret that I want to share with you today.I’ve learned to NOT compare and get all hung up on what others do.
When it comes to living out our passions, we have to figure out what makes us tick or what inspires us. And then as we learn to let go of the imperfect, which often robs us of our potential, we embrace the freedom to be ourselves and move forward with confidence and clarity.
By the way, have I told you how much I adore Amy? We’ve seen each other 3 times this year.– BlissDom, Napa Valley, and Park City. We still have 2 trips planned later this Fall. I appreciate the friendships I’ve made through Blog-land. I’ve learned so much from some very special ladies! (Love you, Amy! Thank you for having me here today.)
Anyway, I just wrote a book released this week, The Reluctant Entertainer, and it encourages women to be real with their entertaining. It offers great wisdom to those who get caught up in the comparison trap and gives savvy entertaining ideas.
Since Amy asked me to talk about my book, I thought I’d share my “Best Strawberry Bread” recipe that is featured in the back. Yes, along with wisdom, advice and ideas for the reluctant entertainer (anyone will enjoy this book, even the seasoned entertainer), I have some very yummy, tried and true recipes …
I went to my strawberry patch last night, as it’s growing thin now, and picked these beauties. I just love how the little white blossom fell into the bowl right as I was finishing up.
My daughter helped wash, stem and slice up the strawberries and we added some raspberries to create a more unique flavor
Mixed together and tossed it in the oven.
I love making extra loaves for my neighbors.
And then a large loaf for the family.
Hospitality is about helping others to feel warm and welcomed. It’s not about being the perfect family or entertainer. And to me, on this night, it was also about sharing a loaf of bread with our neighbor.
Do you struggle with “perfect” or the comparison trap, to where it stops you from inviting others in?
** True confessions: When I made this bread I forgot one simple step. Make sure and add the berries at the last, and then mix the batter by hand. It’s much better with chunky bites of fruit!
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Thanks Sandy! This looks delicious. Can’t wait to make it, and soon! I think I may have almost all the ingredients on hand too.
And guess what?!? One person will be randomly selected to receive a copy of The Reluctant Entertainer, by my friend, and guest, Sandy Coughlin. Just leave a comment answering Sandy’s question above…
Do you struggle with “perfect” or the comparison trap, to where it stops you from inviting others in?
OR share a tip for no stress entertaining.
Can’t wait to hear comments and ideas!
***Be sure to leave your comment before Wednesday, August 4, 2010 midnight PST. One comment (entry) per person. Winner will be randomly selected and announced sometime on Thursday, August 5, 2010.
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By the way, if you’re looking for an easy peasy chicken recipe, that would be a perfect compliment to Sandy’s yummy bread, check out this guest post I did for Tasty Kitchen where I tried out a recipe for Lazy Chicken. It’s easy and tasty! Tasty Kitchen is a great place to find all sorts of recipes and you can join (for free & no strings attached) to submit your own favorites to share with us all!
:•)
Yes, I struggle with perfection. Perfection in how my home measures up to others’ homes, how the food I serve will be received and how imperfect our family is. However, since reading Sandy’s blog we all have become less reluctant to entertain friends and neighbors.
An example: After our teens played Ultimate Frisbee with friends at a nearby park, they all came over for an impromptu pizza party. I didn’t even know our teens had invited them until they were bringing the pizzas in the door! No reluctance on their parts! It was nice to see them with no care for the perfection that I struggle with. They just wanted to bless their friends.
Thanks for the giveaway and for featuring Sandy and her book.
Peace.
I always get so stressed out when entertaining, cleaning, cooking, and making sure everything is just right. By the time the company arrives, I am too frazzled to enjoy the party. To help with this, I enlist my family to help me clean (instead of trying to do it all). Depending on the occasion, I may ask that each guest bring a dish. We provide the main course, and I throw a few quick salads together the day before. These things help with both mess, preparation, and time. Don’t be afraid to ask for help; it makes things so much easier!
All my friends seem to have a knack for cooking and entertaining and I feel like I must’ve slept through that class so, though I would love to have friends to my house, I feel much more comfortable at their houses. I realize, of course, that I don’t care if their house is messy or if we’re just having water and talking, but I can’t seem to accept that they may feel the same way at my house. Don’t know how to get over that, and at my age I guess I might not.
I have one of each! An answer and a tip.
My answer is ABSOLUTELY! I know everyone says “well, my housekeeping could be better” but mine is truly sub-par. And of course, it seems that it’s always on the day that I left the dishes until morning that someone shows up unexpected!
My tip is hot spinach artichoke dip. It’s reasonably inexpensive to make, and you can throw it together in about ten minutes. Even people who hate spinach love this stuff. I’m asked to bring it whenever there is a party. I just throw all the ingredients into my slow cooker and open a bag of tortilla chips half an hour later, and let the party happen!
Can’t wait to try this bread recipe. I need to use up my bounty of garden stuffs!
i struggle with the ‘perfect’ thing and selfishly wanting to do nothing – especially if we’ve been really busy.
the bread looks awesome!
I am somewhere in the middle. I usually go all out for a few big occasions, rather than a bunch of smaller (more manageable!) ones. The cooking seems to take forever, so I guess I could use help choosing different recipes. Thanks for a great giveaway.
Yea for Sandy:) I can’t wait to try this bread. Looks fabulous! We are in the middle of a kitchen remodel, so there is nothing perfect about our house right now. We just warn people to watch out for nails, etc:)
I have always loved to entertain. In years past though I was reluctant to do so because things in my home were not perfect. The house needed to be cleaned, bathrooms needed to be shiny, yard & porch manicured, etc. I have learned though that none of that is important. It is the people who are most important. The relationships ,the conversation, the memories made and remembered, are what it is all about.
I used to want to be perfect. When we had people over, I would dig out new recipes and reorganize the linen closet. Then I had kids. Now I try to make sure the toilet in the guest bathroom has been flushed and that the hardwood does not contain enough dog hair to knit a sweater. I’m all about the crock pot for easy entertaining.
Yes, it’s a struggle – but for me… it seems to be a good struggle.
I ran into some old friends last Friday and, on a whim, invited them to our home for dessert and overdue conversation. My husband was shocked! I would never have done that in the past. I told them to take the long way to our house so I could move the folded laundry off the sofa in the den. They did and we had blast.
Sandy’s blog has helped me realize I was missing out by trying to have everything perfect before inviting anyone over and causing myself a lot of stress in the process. I’m not perfect, my house is not perfect, and my good friends already know that. Who was I trying to fool?
No, I actually don’t really worry about being perfect. I enjoy having company over, and it’s something fun for me! 🙂
I decide ahead of time that things don’t have to be perfect. I just want to spend time with those I’m having over and I rarely do dishes while company is still here. Why? Because I don’t want to take away from time spent with them, unless the gals and I gather in the kitchen and share the job (which has been done before).
I struggle with my home never being “company ready”. I am working on that. 🙂
~Yvette
I do struggle with inviting friends in to my home, but I’m not sure it’s because of the ‘things need to be perfect’ thought? If it’s just adults I seem to be ok, I plan ahead, make menus that don’t keep me in the kitchen all night etc… but if the company is to include children, that’s when I panic! I am just not comfortable when they ‘run all over my house’ and the parents don’t keep an eye on them… hence the reason I don’t invite many ‘families’ over. I am trying to overcome this so I can have our friends over more often.
I would love to do more casual, last minute entertaining but my house never seems clean enough…kids, dog. I’m sure no one but my husband would care but it does stop me from having more occasions to have friends over. Would love a cope of the book!
Hi! Visiting from the Reluctant Entertainer site! Through Sandy’s wonderful blog, I have found the courage to entertain and have people into my home. I grew up in a home where we only had visitors a few times during my childhood.. it was just not done in that house. Once I had my own family, I knew I didn’t want that to be the case, but had no idea how to invite people IN. Sandy has taught me this! My tip for stress free entertaining is to remember that a slightly messy house puts people at ease and that if you start to feel overwhelmed, just order a pizza.
I love having people over– I do however struggle with wanting everything to be just right. But slowly thru your site and Sandy’s I am learning to let go and allow God to use the little I have to bless other people’s lifes.
P.S– I love using mixes as my base ingred. to make quick and easy treats for my family and friends. Check out the Kraft Food site and Betty Crocker when you are in a pinch for time.
I always struggle with is my house to small or does my food taste alright. I have to keep telling myself that nobody came to see my house or judge me. They came because they love me and my family. Besides by the end of the night the house is messier than it was to begin with and everyone is full, laughed out and ready for seconds!!
I still live at home, and would love to entertain! But my mom is a pack rat, and I really struggle with the idea of my friends judging me based on how disgusting my parents house is. The worst is the well meaning friends that tell attempt to goad me into cleaning my parents house, without realizing that I can’t just go through and throw things away that my mom is purposely saving for whatever reason. I’ve become very selective of who I allow to visit me, until I can get a place of my own. Its very frustrating.