The truth is, family members deserve fun more than a guest, don't they? You want to "entertain" your mate and the children for lots of reasons. Bonding, happy memories, good example, healthy attitude, tolerance, forgiveness and the feeling that it's good to be home where it's safe. You want to show children how to be a good guest. I'm sure you can think of more reasons.
One thing that brings a family closer is food. Preparing food in the kitchen, cooking, eating together around the table, sharing good conversation, making lifelong memories. That's what's important, isn't it? But that's not all.
You want to give the most important people in your life a reason to look forward to getting together for a good meal. Make it fun, comfortable, maybe entertaining, and you want to set the scene.
Start with the table where loved ones gather. Set the table for dinner. Cook good food that looks inviting and smells good, too. You want to make home, food and family a happy and memorable experience from day one.
Here's how to entertain at home, as well as how to be a good guest away from home.
How to Entertain You and Your Honey
The first person you want to "entertain" is you mate. I do not have to have a party to show my honey how special he is at home. It might be weird, but I create what I think is an entertaining moment for my honey -- at home, especially when it concerns food.When dinner is just the two of us, I want to create a snapshot of an entertaining moment, an experience in time that turns into a wonderful memory for both of us. Here are a few steps I take to make life fun and memorable.
1. I put little love notes in my honey's lunchbox to create an "I love you" memory for him.
2. I save holiday napkins and put one in his lunchbox to festive up his lunch away from home. I know he is entertained by the surprises in store for him each time he opens and eats lunch at work because he tells me so.
3. I do the same at home by making a little appetizer, storing it with a sticky note in the refrigerator for him to find.
4. When my honey and I want to sit in front of the TV and watch the Superbowl, the Academy Awards or the count down to the Final Four, I dress up the area just a bit to make it fun and entertaining. For example, for the Academy Awards I print "ballots" so we each can choose who we think will win. For sports, he cuts the "scoreboard" out of the newspaper. We make our picks, and he gets such a kick out of winning. Although I did win moreFinal Four count down picks one or two years. Great fun. Together. At home.
Even though dinner is often just the two of us... or I should say... especially because there is just the two of us, adding a reason to eat with a smile feels important. I want to make all the moments we share together happy and meaningful and entertaining. Life is too short to treat our time together less than memorable.
For many couples, it could seem like a waste of time to entertain for two. It might feel like big bother. It might not make sense to take time to "spruce up" the moment you share first thing in the morning. It's a busy time.Why make an effort to create a "moment" when you drink orange juice or cup of coffee, or munch snacks on the patio, or eat together at the dinner table. Why entertain when it's just the two of us?
There's a really good reason I make time for "sprucing" -- and the reason I enjoy doing it is because... I'm not just cooking, eating or entertaining: I'm making a loving memory of our life and time together: It's another way to say, "I care. I'm grateful for you. I appreciate you."
How to Put Fun in Family
My honey and I have shared good times with friends, but the best of times are spent with the children -- even now when the kids have kids.
There's just nothing better. The memory book in my head and heart are filled with joyful moments, and I believe the reason is that I made the effort to make the moments.
If you want a certain outcome, you need to make a plan, commit to it, and make it happen.
You don't want to leave making your good memories to chance. You don't want to have regrets when you get to your later years. It's a truth no one can deny. My good times involve the ones that mean so much to me.
I didn't realize it then, but even cooking breakfast for my young ones, making their school lunch, packing a picnic basket and roasting marshmallows at the beach turned out to be smile-filled entertaining moments. But that's not all...The holidays, birthdays, special events and times for celebration make moments to remember, too, don't they?
As time marched on, sharing good times, fixing a backyard barbecue, planning hors d'oeuvers for a baptism or baby shower were each and all moments on the calendar of months in time that I would remember for decades, and cherish as a prize possession long after these wonderful human beings were grown up. Whether you entertain two or twenty, whether you are the entertainer or the entertained... it's a part of life that is so sweet.
It really isn't difficult to entertain and create entertaining moments. It does take some thought and planning. There's no greater pleasure in life than seeing someone smile because of something you did.
Set the Scene
Room and table decorations don't have to cost anything. What decoration can you re-purpose to make the meal splendid and oh so interesting?Take time to create a fun, funny, beautiful or even a theme tablesetting. It just makes the meal so much better.
Whether it's a holiday or a special event like a graduation celebration or birthday party, theme decorations bring smiles and laughter and make dining together so much more appetizing.
I love creating the party atmosphere even when the children got too old for what is usually reserved for youngsters.
For Easter, I'd make these wonderful Easter "baskets" for my grown-up children packed with grown-up things.
On the Forth of July. I'd throw grass get-togethers with American flag decor. Red, white and blue tablecloths. I'd have "painting" stuff and everyone would paint a painting. We play croquet and laugh and have so much fun. In October, I'd invite everyone to a theme birthday party event.
One year I planned a luau with hoolah skirt decorations. Another year, it was a Mexican fiesta. Fun, huh? I wish I had the energy to keep doing these fun gatherings. It meant so much to me. I think the kids enjoyed, too.
For Easter, I'd make these wonderful Easter "baskets" for my grown-up children packed with grown-up things.
On the Forth of July. I'd throw grass get-togethers with American flag decor. Red, white and blue tablecloths. I'd have "painting" stuff and everyone would paint a painting. We play croquet and laugh and have so much fun. In October, I'd invite everyone to a theme birthday party event.
One year I planned a luau with hoolah skirt decorations. Another year, it was a Mexican fiesta. Fun, huh? I wish I had the energy to keep doing these fun gatherings. It meant so much to me. I think the kids enjoyed, too.
There are many no-cost, table decorations, such as using homemade placemats, wrapping paper tablecloths, using your good serving dishes, putting a photo display on the table or floating flowers in a pan, candles in wine glasses, little gifts in a gift box, theme music, and question of the day cards... that make even a simple breakfast, lunch or dinner table feel delightful and memorable. It doesn't need out-of-pocket cash... only your imagination. Set the scene and enjoy eating in an entertaining way.
Put fun in family. It's easy.