Dining at Home

Entertaining and dining at your home will always allow you the opportunity to plan, design, and create an atmosphere that meets your individual needs. You can plan the following events right from your dinner table. These are some events and gatherings that I have arranged from my home. They are as follows, Dinner Parties, Birthday Parties, Weddings, Showers, Family Reunions, Club meetings, Funeral Lunches and Specialty Dinners, Etc. What ever you plan from your home you will need some basic items such as food, beverages, and decorations. The demand of work schedules and activities have divided all family members and family time together. The cost of living has increased and everyone needs to work to make financial contributions to the family unit. I strongly feel that families need to find some time to sit down and have some meals together.

The data discussed within this book can help you to develop some additional skills and techniques that can be discussed while dining and entertaining within your home. When planning a gathering from your home you need to think of the size and space within your rooms. Utilizing these two important factors can help you to make decisions that allow all persons to feel safe and comfortable.

The proper way to welcome guest is to greet them with a big smile and make them feel welcomed and desired. If people are visiting you for the very first time, locating your address can be a problem. Please try to decorate your front door and your trees outside of your home. This gesture will help your guest locate your home. When guest enter your home please give them a flower, this can be a wonderful way to share friendship and create interesting and fun discussions. I always try to give my guest and family members something. I generally give a flower upon entry and give them something to take with them at the end of the evening. These are some of the items that I have given my guest as a symbol of warmth. They are as follows, Balloons with their name on them, Small colored key chains, Small bottle openers, and small pocket calendars. These are small items that can be easily purchased within your neighborhood novelty store.

The basic concept of etiquette means different things to all of us. Our level of tolerance has to be identified and organized in order for us to feel and respond to people. I spoke with 50 people to see how often they entertained within their home. Based on my research many people mentioned that they entertain with friends and guest two times per month in their home and four times per month away from their home. Many of the people who completed the survey had basic concerns about food and service. My suggestion to them was to educate themselves on table manners and basic etiquette because this could help them to develop a positive level of confidence needed to feel good about entertaining. Practice makes perfect and education takes time and patience. The ability to become a good host can be learned and earned. By granting opportunity and awareness anyone can obtain great entertaining and dining skills.