Hospitality Questionaire: Tessa

1. How often do you have company in your home (per week/month/year)?
 2-4 times a month... I try to have company once a weekend (either Fri evening or Sat or Sunday coffee/lunch)


2. What do you enjoy about hosting? What do you dislike?
I like the way that you get to know people in the intimacy of your home the way that you never would at a social function or a public place like a restaurant.  How many times have Jon and I asked each other "what are we going to talk about with them?" only to discover that the conversation lasts as we walk them out the door!  I just wish I wouldn't fuss so much over my housekeeping... or worse, avoid inviting someone b/c my house is not perfect or I don't have anything "fancy enough" to serve to company.

3. Name 2 IRRATIONAL things that you do for company/before company arrives, that you rarely/never do otherwise.
- looks for spider webs and dust... ordinarily, I don't even notice, but what if company sees!?
- put all the toys in the playroom/bedrooms... my kids play in the livingroom all the time, but I like all the toys to "disappear" before company comes.  I'm not sure why I bother: people know we have kids, and the toys usually drift back out while the company is here anyways.
4. What is on your "last-minute check list" right before the door bell rings?
- check the bathroom (I have a non-flushing kid!)
- check the kitchen counters (make sure they're still clear... things have a tendancy to collect beside the sink)
- make sure the light at the front door is on (it's really dark in the country at night)
5.What is your favorite "event" to host? ( for example: coffee, a meal, evening, over-nightter, family/friends, outdoor/indoor, casual/formal... etc)
- for kids, I'm a sleepover kinda mom.  I like the slow pace of a sleepover playdate on a Friday afterschool to Saturday afternoon.  It gives me a great chance to really get to know my kids' friends.
- I love an outdoor summer bbq with another family or a group of families.  I like the casual atmosphere - the potluck, kids tearing all over the yard, guys playing bocce while drinking beer, ladies tossing salads and chatting, the drippy ice-cream cones.
- I like dinner and a hot tub night too.... a more formal, more fancy late dinner once the kids are off the bed, and then a soak, and then back inside for a light, cold dessert.
- my biggest hosting challenge was having my family stay (anywhere from 2 to 22 extras) over the course of a month last summer.  My family was great, and so helpful: I learned to chill out and go with the flow; and we went through a lot of milk, bread and eggs that month!