I tend to panic when my husband tells me that someone is dropping by our house. It’s the time to look around in dismay at the array of toys and crumbs and empty water bottles and wail, “No! They can’t see our house looking like this!”
I read a great article by Kelley Powell on mothering.com about kicking that habit to the curb and welcoming friends into your home without presenting the facade of perfection and cleanliness. It encourages you to plan “crappy dinners” with friends, with the following rules:
Crappy Dinner Rule 1. No housework is to be done prior to a guest’s arrival
Crappy Dinner Rule 2. The menu must be simple and not involve a special grocery shop
Crappy Dinner Rule 3. You must wear whatever you happen to have on
Crappy Dinner Rule 4. No hostess gifts allowed
Crappy Dinner Rule 5 (optional). You must act like you’re surprised when your friend and her family just happen to show up at your door.
Sounds great, right? Perhaps we should all learn to adapt to a welcoming lifestyle like this. (It would take a lot of learning on my part.) But this is good stuff.
To read the full story, click How to Host a Crappy Dinner (And See Your Friends More Often).
Photo courtesy of Kelley Powell.
