8 Bad Hostess Tips | My Tried & True Hacks, Tricks & Gimmicks
It seems like there is an expectation in our society that women are supposed to be natural hostesses. Well, I’m here to tell you that I didn’t get the gene! I’m a bad hostess! What I mean by that is that I’m willing, but it’s not fun for me. Oh, I don’t mind the planning, but it’s the actual execution where I struggle! I don’t enjoy the shopping, the food preparing, the tablescaping, or the cleaning.
Everyone’s Favorite Sweater | Pumpkin Spice Bracelet Stack (Use code ENB20 for 20% off) | Monogrammed Hoop Earrings | Acrylic Rectangle Floral Centerpiece (See below!)
What I do love is being the conduit for getting together the people I love! So although I’m far from the hostess with the mostest, I keep offering to host. But make no mistake, I’m a bad hostess! Today, I’m sharing my 8 tips for bad hostesses. These are the secret tricks I use to make it look like I know what I’m doing. Well, sorta! 😂
Bad Hostess Tip #1: Get Your Heart Right
Like so many other things in life, being a good hostess is about focusing on others rather than yourself. The chief qualification is just being willing. It’s about serving others and not worrying about how clean your house is, how delicious the food tastes, or how perfect your table looks. It’s about providing a warm, loving environment that will facilitate sweet conversations, encourage laughter, and help build memories. I’ve found that if I pray for a servant’s heart and a desire to provide those things, everything goes better.
Bad Hostess Tip #2: Buy Ready-Made When You Can
Whether you’re hosting Thanksgiving dinner, Easter lunch, or your niece’s baby shower, buying ready-made ingredients when you can is just smart! Buy fruit or veggies already cut up, then replate them. Buy ready-made decor like wreaths instead of making your own. We’re all good at something, and if your forte isn’t tablescaping or crafting 🙋♀️, that’s okay!
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Bad Hostess Tip #3: Use Gimmicky Hacks That Look Impressive
Similar Doormat | Croton | Artificial Pumpkins
When it comes to decor or food presentation, bad hostesses are all for gimmicks that make people ohhh and ahhh! Yep. I’m all about shortcuts and flash! For the fall planter above, I bought a big croton at Lowe’s, along with some small pumpkins (I bought real ones, but artificial ones would work too!), and stuck them in the pot that lives by my back door all year long.
As you can see above, with food, I’m all about a gimmicky trick that is super simple but looks pretty!
Bad Hostess Tip #4: Garnish Everything
Remember, when you’re a bad hostess, it’s all about the presentation! 😂 Think curly-edged green leaf lettuce, assorted fruit, cranberries, or nuts. My go-to? Herbs like parsley, rosemary, flat-leaf parsley, or cilantro, depending on what I’m serving.
Bad Hostess Tip #5: Take a Break and Go Get Yo’Self Some Tacos
When you’re deep in the middle of bad hostessing preparations, you might find yourself in a mood to match your bad hostessing skills. 😠😡 What’s sure to cheer you up? Head out to dinner somewhere you love and treat yourself. You deserve it!
Bad Hostess Tip #6: Everybody Loves a Skewer
Here’s the deal: when you’re a bad hostess, fruit is your BFF. It’s pretty, and the colors add that wow factor! My go-to tool is the trusty bamboo skewer! If it’s summer, go for colorful fruit kebobs like the ones above, and if you’re grilling, pile the red and green peppers on some grill-safe stainless steel skewers!
In our family, I usually host Thanksgiving. Since the Dallas Cowboys game is on in the mid-afternoon, my bad hostessing on Thanksgiving involves both Thanksgiving lunch and some kind of deli-style Thanksgiving dinner. (Typically rolls with leftover turkey, reheated dressing, etc.)
No matter what, I always bring out the fruit kebobs, which everyone seems to love after the heaviness of the main Thanksgiving meal. This year, I’m going to shake things up a little and make a fruit turkey like the one below! Be sure to watch my Instastory on Thanksgiving to see how mine turns out!
Bad Hostess Tip #7: For Decor, Use What You Have & Embellish With Amazon Finds
The simple but pretty 24″ acrylic floral centerpiece below was a fantastic bad hostess find for me! I bring it out every single time I host. All it takes is a trip to the grocery store’s floral department for seasonal flowers, and boom, I’ve got myself a centerpiece!
Moreover, it’s easy to build around if you want to expand the centerpiece width-wise. Think battery-powered LED fairy lights, battery-powered flameless votive candles, a delicate holiday garland, or even just acorns, leaves, or holly berries from your yard!
Bad Hostess Tip #8: Look Cute While Hostessing
I cannot emphasize the importance of this enough! 😂
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If you’re busy bad hostessing, it means you don’t want to think too hard about what you’re wearing! Keep it simple, classic, and comfortable, but not sloppy! And by all means, wear comfortable shoes!
If you’re bad hostessing Thanksgiving like I am, consider something autumnal-but-simple like my outfit below.
Vanessa Sweater (Use code SUZY15 for 15% off) | Carmen Jeans (Use code SUZY15 for 15% off) | Reyes Ballet Flats
Remember, if you’re not naturally a good hostess, it’s okay! Bad hostessing is its own art form! 🤣 Keep a light heart about it all, and remember how much you have to be thankful for as you gather your loved ones together.
Also, may I say if you’re not the hostess, you need to be sure you bring a little something to the hostess to thank you for her efforts. Trust me, if she’s a bad hostess and you know it took a lot for her to pull off an event or occasion. I’ve got some great ideas in the Gifts for the Host & Hostess section of the Empty Nest Blessed Holiday Gift Guide! (It’s also a great place to find gifts for your BFF, Bible Study gals, Book Club chicks, etc.) You might also want to check out the Gifts for the Home section for more ideas.) You can check out the entire Holiday Gift Guide by clicking below.
Do you have any other bad hostessing tips to share? I’d love to hear them! Leave me a comment and share, okay?
All my siblings inherited the great hostess gene; it’s something we all do well. My personal tip is to employ anyone who asks if they can do anything. If someone can mash potatoes they’ll get that job! Husband is always tasked with setting up the bar with soda, juice etc. I don’t need to own the day!!
Now that I have 4 grandkids I make sure I have something to involve them. They’ll be creating that cute turkey fruit platter this year.
Linda,
What great advice! I did tap my fabulous MIL to do the tablescape this year, and my DIL is a baker extraordinaire, so she’s doing the pies! I’ll have plenty of other help and will buy most of it ready-made!
Thanks for your sweet comment! I appreciate you!
xoxo
Suzy
I love all your hostess tips, Suzy! I too use ready-made and make it my own whenever possible. This year it’s a complete turkey dinner from Cracker Barrel! I will add a huge seasonal salad I make myself. For Thanksgiving it will be topped with pomegranates, chopped apples, walnut halves and gorgonzola with a pomegranate vinaigrette. Apple slices in my crisp apple cider from the farmers market. Oh, and for dessert I’m making a mini cinnamon-sugar taco platter. Store bought Philly cheesecake tub (I can only find at Walmart), mixed with pumpkin pie filling to taste, stuffed in the cinnamon-sugar taco shell & topped with whipped cream and chopped sugared pecans. Voila! I’m using your adorable fruit turkey platter idea as well! I do love tablescapes. The special dishes, chargers, crackers, a pomegranate, clementine and wrapped pumpkin cookie at each place setting. Thanks! I love your posts!!
Helena,
Wow! I didn’t know Cracker Barrel did a Thanksgiving meal. How wonderful! I ordered mine this year, too, because I don’t want anything to get in the way of enjoying family. It’s the first time we will all be together since my son’s wedding to my beautiful DIL a year and a half ago!
Such blessings! I appreciate your kind words so much! Thankful for you!
xoxo
Suzy
I so agree it allows more quality time with family we seldom get to see. Embrace every second and cherish the memories🥰 Your outfits are adorable. I’m eyeing that bow sweater for my daughter for Christmas.
If you come across any mom/baby sweaters, please share in a post. I have been greatly blessed with my first granddaughter born in September. My cup runneth over! Praise the Good Lord!🥰💝👶
I appreciate your candor. Not all of us have the hostess gene! I struggle with the decor part. I am laughing now as I remember reading about bringing nature inside for decoration. So, I went outside and gathered some leaves, did it enhance the decor, no it did not! My tables looked like I went outside and found some dead leaves to put on the table, oh well it was good for a laugh! 😉
Many blessings to you.
Margie,
Your comment made me laugh out loud. I have a holly tree that produces beautiful red berries in the winter, and I often cut and use those. Also, I definitely don’t use dead leaves! 🤣 Maybe pretty red or orange ones, or acorns would work!
So sorry it backfired on you! I’m still laughing!
Sorry!!!
xoxo
Suzy