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The Heartfelt Hostess - with Guest Anita Healy
65 Plays7 years ago
The holidays have many of our schedules booked up with events and parties! Are you hosting this Christmas season? Whether you are a seasoned entertaining veteran, or are looking to host your first get together, you will love hearing from our first guest on the show, Anita Healy - supermom of seven and THE "hostess with the mostess"! She shares her favourite tips for keeping entertaining relaxed and fun, and discusses why opening your home can be the best gift you can give this Christmas!
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Transcript
Welcome & Introduction to Holiday Hosting
00:00:10
Speaker
Welcome to the Modern Lady Podcast. I'm Michelle. And I'm Lindsay, and we are so happy that you're here joining us.
00:00:21
Speaker
Sitting in church this Sunday as we lit the first candle on the Advent wreath, it hit me. Here we go. Though this is absolutely a season of preparation and anticipation, it is also a busy time of year for many of us, seeing family and friends to wish them a Merry Christmas.
00:00:40
Speaker
And if you are the one posting such festivities, well, that just takes things to a different level for sure.
Introducing Anita Healy: Expert Host
00:00:47
Speaker
But does being hospitable and entertaining guests have to seem insurmountable? Can we welcome people in and warmly open our homes and still have a good time ourselves?
00:00:59
Speaker
Today we are so excited to launch our very first interview here on the Modern Lady podcast and we could not be happier that we get to welcome our dear friend Anita Healy to the show to share her insights and tips on how to keep the festivities fun.
00:01:20
Speaker
But first, here's Lindsay with this week's etiquette tip and we are just going to follow this hosting train right into Emily Post's world, right Lindsay? We sure are. So it's a little Emily Post and it's a little Anita Healy. We had a little bit of a brainstorming session before we started and we
00:01:37
Speaker
Yeah, and we thought, you know what, who else better to ask? So we thought the tip today is to know your guests. And this is actually, like we said, in perfect alignment with what Emily Post was talking about too. So we're all on the same page here. And so a few things that we mean with this is do your guests maybe need to come a little bit later because they have small children that they need to get to sleep before the babysitter comes? So think about the timing that works best for them. Do they have a far way to drive? How are the roads? That type of thing.
00:02:06
Speaker
You should also know and be aware of their dietary needs and their drink preferences. So ask ahead of time if you're not very close with them, just so you make sure that you're not serving gluten to somebody who's gluten free, etc.
00:02:21
Speaker
and finally know their interests so that you can politely and subtly steer the topics perhaps in a way that works for everybody there or if there's a lull you know how to bring up the next thing so that your guests truly feel welcome in your home. That is great. I love that part about knowing a little bit about your guests and that's something that actually my husband does really well too and I've been trying to practice it as well I always ask
00:02:46
Speaker
How do you make people feel so comfortable when they're talking to you? Because he's not necessarily an extrovert. And he always says he's like, people will feel so comfortable speaking about themselves and what they know. And so when we're hosting, why not absolutely put that in the repertoire of being a good hostess?
00:03:07
Speaker
Absolutely. And we always think too, once you have those first drinks out, everything gets a lot better. And so just get the first drinks out, ask them how they're doing, ask about their jobs and the evenings, it starts to really become comfortable for everybody. And as the hostess, you can consider it a job as the hostess and treat it like a job because not everyone
00:03:31
Speaker
enjoys being that person that has to keep the conversation going until such a time that it can take care of itself. But if you're going to invite people into your homes, just as important as setting out the napkins and making sure people's drinks are topped up, I think especially if it's a group of people who may not know each other as well before the evening, then it certainly is on that checklist of things for you to keep in mind.
Anita's Hosting Background & Philosophy
00:03:58
Speaker
Absolutely.
00:04:02
Speaker
So I would like to introduce our good friend Anita Healy. And I have known Anita for about maybe four years. And I have been, and I'll say this, privileged to have attended some of the gatherings at her home. And truly, I've been blown away each time that we've been there. You know, and it's more than the food.
00:04:20
Speaker
or the drinks or even the ambiance though it's really the really most important thing i found is that it's anita herself as the hostess and she's joined by an excellent husband um but it's just really the the couple that they are the feeling that you feel when they walk into their house and you walk away feeling like you were really looked after and cared for
00:04:39
Speaker
And that is a place open and welcome and warm and friendly. So we have a lot to learn from her. This is an area I'm not that good at. And so we're really, really happy to have our friend Anita here to answer our questions. So I'm going to throw the interview over to Michelle and I'll step out for now.
00:04:56
Speaker
Well, hi, Anita. First of all, welcome to the show. Hi, Michelle. Thanks for having me. I'm so happy to be here. Yeah, absolutely. Now, you and I met a couple of years ago and I have so enjoyed getting to know you and hearing a little bit about your family life. For our listeners, can you share a little bit about who you are, a bit about your family and
00:05:21
Speaker
Really, where did this love of entertaining come from? Absolutely, yes. So I'm married to Michael for 17 years now. And we live in Cambridge and we have seven children. The oldest is 16 and the youngest is two. And I have a background in theology. I went to the University of Franciscan University in Steubenville, Ohio.
00:05:45
Speaker
And so this is just a little bit about me. I enjoy teaching. I enjoy raising my kids. I teach in the parish. I'm staying at home with the children, raising them now. I remember when I first met you actually was at a conference, a women's conference in Toronto, and you had with you your youngest and he was just born. I remember that so clearly he has the best cheeks.
00:06:07
Speaker
He does, yes. They are kinda chipmunk cheeks, yeah. So he's two years old now, and he is about five children's worth himself, so he's actually the only one at home now, so he keeps me pretty busy and on my toes for sure. Oh my gosh, it's amazing how that last one at home, because my youngest is also around two years old, and
00:06:27
Speaker
I think I was like, oh my gosh, you have no other distractions but me. This is a world I'm no longer familiar with. And I laugh when people say, oh, how nice, you know, all the kids are in school, you only have one at home. And I think, oh my goodness, it is so hard to just have one at home. They demand everything from you. So I definitely hear you on that. Oh, they totally do.
00:06:52
Speaker
So getting to know you a little bit more, and like you said, you live in Cambridge, so there's a bit of distance between us. A lot of our friendship happens online and on Facebook. It does, yep. And I have loved following your family adventures and your style, your decorating, how you've been doing new things to your house, I find so fascinating. Thank you. So it's apparent to me
00:07:16
Speaker
and those who know you in person that you are actually super mom in the flesh. And in addition to this, I can see that you truly are known as an incredibly gracious hostess. You seem to be able to put together both these large and small events with relative ease, it appears. So I would be curious to know, is this a skill that you've
00:07:42
Speaker
been learning in your years as a married woman as you raise your family or were you raised in a family that did lots of entertaining as you grew up? Well thank you first of all for the beautiful compliments. I am humbled by that and you know what it is it's been something that I've grown up with from day one. As long as I can remember I've been in a home where
00:08:02
Speaker
My mom has constantly been providing for others and hosting small events like a Sunday dinner up to a very large event where, you know, the whole family room is taken apart and they rent tables and there's my communion party with everybody I've ever known invited.
00:08:20
Speaker
And my grandmother was the same way. My aunts are the same way. It all came down to details. It was all in the details. It was beautiful things. It was fresh flowers. It was homemade desserts. It was beautiful roasts and roasted potatoes.
00:08:39
Speaker
The smells that were in the house were always lovely and decadent and delightful. And that's just how I grew up. So that was very normal for me. And on a Sunday, every Sunday I feel like, and maybe my mom would disagree and say, oh no, it wasn't all the time. But it felt like every Sunday after mass, we'd say, okay, who's coming today? And it'd be, oh, you know, so-and-so or aunt this person or aunt that person.
00:09:02
Speaker
And it was just normal. We knew the drill. We start tidying. My mom gets her roast in the oven. We set the table in the dining room. Out comes the beautiful tablecloth and all the fine dishes and the silverware.
00:09:19
Speaker
not just the regular cutlery but the fancy silverware, you know, and that was just normal for us. I'm the youngest of four and there was definitely this normality about the whole thing. We just kind of went to it, each to our own jobs to get this all set up.
Hosting Teamwork & Strategies
00:09:35
Speaker
And that was regular for us. And I was also the recipient of that kind of hosting where my grandmother and aunts and other family members did the same. Every event felt like it was a worthy event for the special stuff, for the beautiful foods and the beautiful decor.
00:09:53
Speaker
Mm-hmm. I love that. So it really just sounds like very much like the family culture. Yes. It was very much the culture. I love that. And you know what? That was actually one thing that really stuck out to me in some of your pictures was I adore the fresh flowers. They really make things pop. They do. They really do. The most wonderful arrangements. Yeah. And the colors.
00:10:18
Speaker
seem to match the theme of the party, like the mood of the party, which is wonderful. We try and I laugh now and I was thinking about this as I prepared for the podcast today and I thought, you know, back in the day when my mom was doing this and my grandmother, there was no Pinterest, there was no HomeSense and I think of how easy it's become for us now in this culture and for me, I think like, oh my goodness, am I breaking the rules because it's easy? Like my grandmother would have had to toil and work a lot harder
00:10:45
Speaker
to produce that type of beauty because it wasn't as affordable. Today, it's like you can get really beautiful stuff at Dollarama. It's not about how much money you're spending on these details. It's how you're pulling it all together. And I know a lot of people don't appreciate fresh flowers or care to have them in the home. But a lot of people, oh, what's the point? You're wasting money. It's going to die anyway. Well, you know what? A $6.99 bouquet of tulips.
00:11:13
Speaker
that sits on your table for seven or eight days it brings it brings beauty in the home and people walk in and go wow like there is something different here and that's 6.99 you know it's not like i'm calling a florist and having a special floral arrangement made for these events
00:11:29
Speaker
So it is in those small details and that's what I picked up in my youth and of course as I became a housewife myself and having my own family I tried to learn and to replicate some of what I'd seen through my youth and
00:11:47
Speaker
some of it came a little harder than other things. I remember the first few parties I threw for my daughter's baptism, for example, my first child, I remember calling my mom probably every hour in the days leading up to it, you know, like what time do I have to put the roast in and how many potatoes am I supposed to cook and what time do you, you know, start this and how do I time everything and which table should I put there, how should I put it out and
00:12:11
Speaker
It was all, it's almost like I innately knew what had to be done but had no idea how did my mother pull it together at the end. And even today I can show up at my mom's house with my whole family and she'll be like, oh you guys gonna stay for dinner? And she pulls out a beautiful roast from the freezer, she throws together potatoes and next thing you know you feel like you're having a Christmas dinner.
00:12:33
Speaker
So that's just how she rolls and I feel like that's what I've picked up from her and I've tried. I mean she does it with a lot more grace, I will give her that, but I have tried over the years to work towards that. I mean she has 30 years on me so I figured in 30 years from now maybe I'll be as graceful as she is as she does it.
00:12:53
Speaker
That's right. Well, yeah, with all the practice you get, you're certainly on your way. And I love that point about how it doesn't have to be over complicated and overpriced. And really, hosting and entertainment is really about this
00:13:10
Speaker
considering what people need and practicing and that practicing makes perfect and you will get to find your rhythm over these years and decades and there is not necessarily an end game you've reached hostess perfection right? Absolutely and I think like anything else that's worth doing
00:13:29
Speaker
you practice right so it's not going to come natural the first time and like I said my first actually that baptism that I referred to I was making I cheated and I did those boxed potatoes you know you have to add water and butter I did not know how to do the math to get the consistency right and I ended up making like it ended up being like a soup
00:13:50
Speaker
and I was dying in the kitchen because I didn't have a backup plan and you know and there's things like that to this day my mom will laugh about with me because I was trying to do the math and she was laughing and I couldn't do it and you know and it's like okay I don't do that anymore I don't make that same mistake right so you do learn from your mistakes you laugh about them and you practice so the more you host the the more of a rhythm it becomes and and you kind of just know okay we've got a party next Saturday so then you just kind of go into this
00:14:19
Speaker
mode or a zone of planning and it's sort of just the more you have experienced the hosting then you kind of know what the week before looks like in the days before and the hours before. There is a rhythm and that practice is really what makes it more pleasant in the end. So if there's one message for the listeners is just do it. The more you do it the better you'll get at it for sure.
00:14:43
Speaker
Yes, jump right in. That's great. I remember seeing pictures of your birthday party this fall and it looked amazing. Did your husband plan this for you? My husband planned the whole thing. I had nothing to do with the planning. All I knew was that it was happening. But that is the extent of my collaborating in that.
00:15:05
Speaker
He planned the whole thing. He did hire a caterer because he knew that actually it was sweet. The reason he hired the caterer is not because he couldn't have figured out how to produce the food himself and he would have had my sisters and everybody pitch in a little bit. But he did it because he knew that it would stress me out to have people working in the kitchen and not be able to go in and sort of help with the kitchen work or, you know, what are you looking for? Can I help you find the tray?
00:15:33
Speaker
so there was a lot of thought put into that as well that the catering meant that I could just as the person who lives in the home but also the birthday girl yeah that I didn't have to think about any of that so yep he had it catered
00:15:49
Speaker
he had all the decorating done, my sister helped him with that and it was all pulled together with you know pumpkins and you know that beautiful burlap ribbon from Dollarama that cost you about 25 and beautiful bouquets put together from zer's like it was just it was very very beautiful very tasteful and very thoughtful
00:16:11
Speaker
Yeah, thoughtful is what I was going to say. And he seems to enjoy hosting parties just as much as you do. And that's so much fun and such a gift when you're able to do that together. I remember growing up when my parents would throw parties
00:16:26
Speaker
My mom would generally take charge of the menu and the cooking and the scheduling of the guests and things like that. And my dad conversely was excellent at setting up the house and choosing a drink menu and engaging the guests as they came into the house. And it was like this dance that they did and they both knew so well after so many years.
00:16:47
Speaker
So, when you and Michael tag team entertaining, now, how do you divide the workload and are there certain things that Michael always looks after and that you always handle or does it change with each event?
Family Involvement in Hosting
00:17:01
Speaker
That is a great question. And you know what? You just described it when you described your own parents. That's very much what it's become.
00:17:08
Speaker
I would say Michael has grown into that hosting a lot over the years. He always enjoyed it, but it wasn't natural at first for him to know kind of what has to happen. And so as a team, we've figured out what works for us. And as you say with your parents, I mean, Michael does the sort of the heavy lifting, if you'll call it that. I mean, he'll help with setting up the tables. Where are we going to put the bar and getting the vacuuming done so that
00:17:35
Speaker
my only job is to produce and provide the food and and to put those beautifying touches everywhere. So he knows I'm going to need time to put flowers together at the end and to make sure that I have the right linens out even to the point where if I'm running late he'll run up to the linen cupboard and say which tablecloths are you using you know and make sure that I have the right ones and that they match and so yeah in terms of teamwork it's it's
00:18:01
Speaker
become very, very good over the years where we know exactly, we kind of go into again that rhythm and he knows that he's in charge of getting the bar set up and providing the drinks and even making sure we have all the right drinks in the bar and taking care of the company as they arrive so that those last minute touches that I'm taking care of and making sure the food's coming out warm as the company arrives, everyone is well looked after and feels welcome and comfortable as they arrive.
00:18:30
Speaker
Right and I love that and you know what is so funny is that so I grew up watching my parents very similar to you and Michael and without discussing it my husband Phil and I we have kind of settled into the opposite because Phil enjoys cooking he just loves to cook and so I'm the one moving things around and welcoming people in and getting drinks and he's in the kitchen but it really goes to show that there is no
00:18:59
Speaker
set rules for hosting. You do what works for you and when you're doing it together, any situation, any circumstance can be fun. When I'm hosting a get-together, you know, there are some events that it doesn't matter how prepared in advance I am, that day of party prep can quickly ramp up and it can sometimes get overwhelming. I think that's the nature of the beast.
00:19:25
Speaker
But do you have any strategies on how you keep your cool when the day arrives? And there are so many things to do. And in our case too, there are many children in the house doing their thing. The countdown is on. What do you do in those times?
00:19:41
Speaker
Well, I will admit that it has gotten better over the years, so that level of stress was much more pronounced in those first few years of hosting. I won't say that I'm not stressed at all anymore, but it's a different stress. It's not an anxious stress, and I'm not yelling at the kids to
00:19:58
Speaker
put that over there and oh my gosh, who, you know, who spilled this and where are you and why are you doing that? It's not like that anymore. It was at one point. Now, now it's much more calm. It's just like a, it's like you put your game face on, you know? And so I won't call it stress so much as it is more just, okay, concentrated. We are, we are now in the zone. We are now hosting today. And I mean, really it does, it does come down to the planning ahead of time, to be honest.
00:20:25
Speaker
You have to have had the plans in place leading up to the day. Now, on that note, I will say my husband is the king of spontaneity when it comes to hosting people. He will say to me on a Saturday morning, Hey, do you want to have friends over tonight?
00:20:42
Speaker
And I'm thinking, uh, sure. And I'm like, what are you thinking? He says, I don't know, maybe we can do a dinner with, you know, such and such couple. And my first reaction is, are you kidding me? And then I kind of go, okay, we can do this. And, you know, it's a quick, quick text to that couple. And then it's just like, we literally press the go button on that job. And it's just, it is like clockwork now.
00:21:05
Speaker
um so how do we keep our cool we just we stick to the tasks at hand we don't don't go over and above i mean your upstairs bathrooms don't need to be clean for your company maybe you'll disagree with me i've had very very few times where somebody will just wander up the stairs so
00:21:22
Speaker
If I don't have time to make sure the whole house is company perfect, I don't sweat it at all. A priority for me is that when they walk in the house, it feels tidy and warm and welcoming, and that the whole main level is tidy. And ultimately, that's really all I stress about, to be honest.
00:21:43
Speaker
Keeping my cool means making sure that I know that each of the kids are in line, that they know what they have to get done. And the funny thing is, is that they know the drill. They know exactly what has to happen. And they know to sort of stay out of the way when, you know, in the kitchen area, for example, or having seven children means that I can have a variety of help. I'll have the older kids, the older four kids are actually all girls and they're very naturally inclined
00:22:11
Speaker
To to want to host as well. So I've actually this is just a side note I've enjoyed watching them learn over the years as well And they've really taken up to the idea of decorating and producing or you know providing a beautiful space for our company so, you know my 12 year old will go upstairs and get the nice towels for the bathroom and make sure that there's a candle in there and and
00:22:33
Speaker
you know the the girls all like to really make things special in the house when we have company coming and so I think all that has contributed to helping me keep cool because everybody's in on it and everybody knows the drill now. That is awesome yeah I was I was very curious actually to
00:22:50
Speaker
to ask how you get your family involved. So that was so nice to hear that your daughters, like you yourself when you were a girl, are swept up into that culture. It's just a thing your family does and they've embraced it. That's really beautiful to see. I've also learned that when I'm yelling and stressed out, they just want to stay away.
00:23:13
Speaker
They don't want to help. They want to stay out of my way. So you have to really kind of check yourself and say, look, what am I trying to produce here? Am I trying to produce a beautiful home so that my company can feel welcome? Because if that's what I'm doing, then our children are part of our home. My husband is part of our home. It's not just me, the woman of the house who's going to do this single handedly. So to get everybody on board and for all of them to grow in an understanding and appreciation for
00:23:43
Speaker
what it is to host. It's not meant to be a chore or a bore or a frustrating event. It's meant to be a gift. It's you opening up your home and your life, your family to other people. So having the kids participate in that means that they
00:24:03
Speaker
that they'll grow to enjoy it and not resent it. And then I think when your kids are happy, you kind of tend to be cooler too, right? You don't get that same level of stress when you feel like you're doing this alone and that you're fighting everybody along the way to keep calm.
00:24:18
Speaker
Right. I like that. Like no amount of candles can diffuse tension for your guests. No, absolutely. Have your priorities in check here. Your family comes first, even when you have guests coming over.
Outdoor Hosting & First-Time Tips
00:24:32
Speaker
That is great. And yeah, so I have loved seeing all the different kinds of parties you and your family have hosted and even going back over the years. Actually, the one I really loved, the one that I saw, was it a night at the Oscars?
00:24:46
Speaker
Did you do that one? Actually, I did. That was so fun. I did. That was for my daughter, my eldest daughter. I think it was her 13th birthday in grade eight. And she must have come across the theme somewhere probably on Pinterest and said, hey, Mommy, can we do this? So we actually did. Yeah, we had eight or 10 teenage girls, 13-year-old girls. They all had to dress up Oscar worthy. And we set a beautiful white tablecloth in the dining room and made them a sit down dinner. And there was a red carpet when they came in.
00:25:16
Speaker
decorations and it was pretty special, but it was all very, very affordable. Right, yeah. Yeah, it was spaghetti that they ate, but because they sat at a table with dishes and real forks and knives, they felt like it was pretty special and it wasn't pizza or hot dogs.
00:25:33
Speaker
That's great, I was going to say. They could twirl with the fancy forks. That's right. So do you have a favorite type of party to host? Yeah, actually I would say our preference, and I speak for Michael and I, that we love hosting the outdoor backyard evening party.
00:25:53
Speaker
That's really where we are the most comfortable and the happiest. Part of that is as I find my home, the kitchen area where I have to do a lot of the cooking and hosting becomes tight for me when I have a lot of guests. And we have a backyard that lends itself to hosting. So we do the ambiance, you know, we have candles everywhere, we have an outdoor fire pit, there's outdoor speakers and
00:26:20
Speaker
You know, we just like to create that cozy ambiance. And of course, the food is easier when it's outside. You can use the barbecue. And there's nothing wrong with hot dog parties. Don't get me wrong, we do hot dog parties. But when we're trying to elevate it and make it like a nice evening out for couples, that's where the charcuterie boards are nice, you know?
00:26:38
Speaker
I really rely on those. I will say we've got a couple of nice cutting boards, big large boards, and I like to just go to Costco and buy whatever cheeses happen to be on sale or whatever catch my eye that day. Some salami or prosciutto and whatever sausages are there, a package of grapes.
00:26:59
Speaker
You put that on a beautiful wooden tray and people are just like, wow, you know, when did you have the time? And you think, I just went to Costco an hour before you got here. Right. You know, it looks special. People feel like it's special because you don't eat that every day.
00:27:15
Speaker
And you know, the baguettes at Costco or Zaire's, even they're beautiful. So pick up a few baguettes, some some gluten free crackers, if you have any gluten free guests coming and something as simple as the cheese and salami, you can really have friends over and linger over that for hours with a glass of wine. And so those are the easy ways. They're very affordable. So that is our preferred event for sure. It's a lot more comfortable than being inside.
00:27:45
Speaker
I love that idea. Oh, my gosh, that sounds so great. And we're heading into winter now. And now all I want to do is sit outside with a Chicudri board. Well, you know what, you can do it inside too. That's right. Yeah, it's all about creating beauty and creating ambiance for your company. So one last thing I know our listeners and so we are dying to know.
00:28:07
Speaker
If you have any tips for us, and especially I'm thinking something that might help someone who is perhaps hosting even for the first time this holiday season, you know, a bit of encouragement or a tip to, like you said, just jump right in and to go ahead and feel confident enough to invite people over. Do you have any words of encouragement? I will say this, hospitality is a gift.
00:28:34
Speaker
it's a gift you're giving to your friends and I know I said it before and I don't want to repeat myself here but this is really what it comes down to is that love serves so when you love the people you're having over it feels like a gift you're giving as opposed to a chore and I think it it really does come down to that and when I think about a tip I mean sure there's some practical things like
00:28:56
Speaker
You know, go to HomeSense to buy your napkins. They have the cutest Christmas napkins. You know, they have the beautiful towels you can put in your main level bathroom so that when your company's washing their hands, they go, oh, look at these cute little towels. They cost you $5.99, right? Those are easy tips. But the real thing that I think will
00:29:14
Speaker
help people to kind of move from that place of anxiety to just taking the step in faith is realizing that what you have to offer is a beautiful gift to some people who maybe don't ever get to experience that type of hospitality. To me, it's also about intimacy. So when someone comes into my home,
00:29:36
Speaker
I'm essentially opening up my heart to them. And that's how Michael and I see it. We see it as a gift to other people. And so I want to give good gifts to my friends. I want to make them feel loved and not, it's not stifled. It's not contrived. You know, it's just very open.
00:29:56
Speaker
And maybe that comes in all the little details and the way you welcome them. And when they come in the door, you're quick to grab their coat and pour them a drink and give them a seat. Those are the things that we all know you have to do when you're hosting. But I really think if you don't have the heart there for it, it doesn't matter how many drinks you offer, they're not going to feel welcomed. So if you're afraid to host this Christmas,
00:30:21
Speaker
put those fears aside and just look at it as, what do I have to offer? What do I have to offer my friends? How can I make them feel loved at Christmas? Maybe I don't know how to make a beautiful roast. I won't make a roast then. If that causes you too much stress to put a roast in, don't put a
Favorite Things & Farewell
00:30:37
Speaker
roast in. You know, you're not Martha Stewart, then don't pretend to be Martha Stewart.
00:30:40
Speaker
Um, but it isn't hard, like I said, to say, okay, you know, I've never hosted or I haven't hosted in years. I'm going to go to Zairs. I'm going to grab a couple poinsettias or a little bouquet, you know, don't have to break the bank.
00:30:55
Speaker
put it on the table, light a few fresh pillar candles, and put some Christmas music on. From that moment forward, you can't go wrong. When you create a place where your company feels comfortable and at ease, everything you have to offer them when it comes from a place of love is gonna be received beautifully. Because when you do that, beauty is sacred and it's special. And I think that's the intimacy that you're inviting them to.
00:31:27
Speaker
Okay, ladies, it's time for our What We're Loving This Week segment of the show. And I'm so glad Anita has acquiesced to sticking around to share her love from this past week.
00:31:39
Speaker
And we do still have Lindsay here somewhere, too. Yeah, she's still here. Hello, I'm still here. I'm actually wiping tears from the end of that interview. It was so good. Can you guys see why we just love her so much to share? Oh, it was so good. Yes. So, Anita, we will start with you today. And what have you been loving this past week?
00:31:59
Speaker
Well, ladies, how can you not love faux fur? I'm sorry. I know that sounds crazy. OK. Listen, I was listening to the podcast, and the whole episode on the hygge is something that I have been adopting for the last couple of years, thanks to Lindsay. And with Christmas upon us, I wanted a few new throw pillows for the couch to make it seasonal. And I have had my eye on this faux fur throw
00:32:26
Speaker
in the Pottery Barn catalog that is like $300. And I think, yeah, that's not in my budget. I mean, I don't think most people are going to buy a $300 throw. My friends, I found a $35 throw at Sares that looks exactly like the one at Pottery Barn.
00:32:45
Speaker
And I bought it. And I'm loving it this week. It is on my couch. And every time I walk by, it brings me joy. Because it makes my family room look cozy, warm, and welcoming. Yes. That is the best. It is those little things that bring that little bit of joy. And like you're saying, it doesn't break the bank. And there are things that I bought my red pillows from IKEA. Every time I look at it. Yeah, full of joy. And so that's awesome. I'm glad you're loving that this week. Loving it. And go check it out, ladies, if you need any throw for your Christmas decor.
00:33:14
Speaker
Perfect. We're always up for new throws. You almost can't have enough this time of year. I know. It's true. Well, with seven kids and everyone's pulling one from you while you're watching a movie, yeah. I get the furlough. Michelle is a throw addict. She has admitted that in public and on the internet. Everyone knows it. Well, I'm with you on that, Michelle. It's out there, yes. And what about you, Lindsay? What have you been loving this week?
00:33:40
Speaker
Well, Michelle, it's been a couple weeks since we've mentioned murder, so it's safe now. It's safe now. Great. I'm back to murder. I have briefly mentioned the show Shetland, and they just recently put the third season on Netflix, and it is a Scandi noir that's been adapted to like the northern British Isles and this island of Shetland, and it is
00:34:02
Speaker
outstanding. It's just the perfect, speaking of hygge, show to watch and curl up because the landscape is so striking and in some ways barren but beautiful and they have very heavy accents. So this sounds silly but we may have to watch this one with the subtitles on. Oh okay.
00:34:22
Speaker
Just some tips. I don't feel silly if you have to put the subtitles on. But it is just really well written. It's slow moving, but it's just a great show. So season three, that's what we're catching up on right now. Shetland, it's on Netflix. We are big fans. What about you, Michelle? What are you loving?
00:34:41
Speaker
Well, My Love is also on Netflix, and I know I plugged it to you, Lindsay, this weekend, but for Family Movie Night last week, we watched the Netflix-produced cartoon movie Angela's Christmas.
00:34:56
Speaker
and we were looking for something a little bit shorter than our usual full-length feature because the kids run well. But we still wanted to have our movie night and Angela's Christmas was just so sweet. That is the best word I can think to describe it. It's based on the short story by Frank McCourt and I think he wrote Angela's Ashes but
00:35:19
Speaker
Angela's Christmas focuses on a little girl and she is part of a bigger Irish family. Their family is poor but they are going to midnight mass on Christmas and she notices the baby Jesus in the manger and is really kind of indignant that no one has covered him.
00:35:40
Speaker
And she's like, he looks so cold. So this short film goes through her thoughts and her adventures in, once she realizes this, that the baby Jesus is cold and something must be done. So I would recommend that my children were enthralled. I was wiping away tears at one point and it's sure to be a classic from now on. I can see it becoming a classic.
00:36:08
Speaker
Based on your recommendation, we did watch it too. And like you, I was tearing up. I guess I cry a lot, but it was really good. And then I saw that there's actually a book of it. Like they made it into a children's Christmas story as well, like separate from, I have read Angela's Ashes, but I read it probably 20 years ago when it came out. So I don't recall if that story is in the book, but I saw that Kendra Tierney at Catholic All Year on Instagram, they bring out the baby in the manger, right? Jesus. And they read the book as the family.
00:36:37
Speaker
So it would be a great addition to our Christmas libraries. That is, I didn't know it was a book and I kind of love that tradition of reading it with kids around your own family crushes and the activity scenes. That's beautiful.
00:36:52
Speaker
Okay, that's going to do it for us this week, Lindsay. How can people find us? Well, you can find us on Facebook at the Modern Lady Podcast, and you can find us on Instagram under the same name, and you can find Michelle at MMSACS, S-A-C-H-S.
00:37:07
Speaker
And I am at Linney Autumn L-I-N-N-I-E-A-U-T-U-M-N. And we'd love it if you follow us. And we just want to thank everybody again, once again, for the discussions, for the comments, for the ratings. You all are just so incredible. We have loved the community that we're creating here. And we're just so thankful. And we want to thank Anita for coming and joining us. This was so much fun. You were such a great person. Thank you. I had so much fun.
00:37:32
Speaker
Oh my goodness, now I think. Yes, now we should just add a third co-host because she is outstanding. Oh my goodness. So true. Thanks for having me, ladies. It was our pleasure. Anytime, the door is always open. Thanks so much, everyone. Have a great week and we will see you next time.