Welcome to Heart of Hospitality Magazine — we’re so delighted to have you with us! Whether this is your very first time flipping through our pages or you’re a cherished returning reader, you’ve just joined a community that celebrates the art of living well with heart, soul, and style.
Here at Heart of Hospitality Magazine, we believe that hospitality begins with how we care for ourselves and extends outward to how we care for our homes and those around us. Each issue is thoughtfully curated to inspire and uplift women in every walk of life — whether you're nesting in your first apartment, a veteran hosting family dinners, or simply craving a cozy corner for “me time.”
Inside each issue, you’ll find a vibrant mix of home decorating ideas, perfect for transforming your space into a reflection of your personality and warmth. Our selfcare spotlights offer gentle encouragements to help you recharge, reflect, and thrive. And don’t miss our reader-favorite Tips Pages — quick, clever nuggets of information for everything from simplifying routines to adding that extra sparkle to everyday tasks. Chalk full of recipes, ideas for increasing your community, and ways to hit that much needed “reset button.” There is something for everyone of every age within the pages of Heart of Hospitality.
We know life is busy. That’s why every feature is designed to be as approachable as it is beautiful — little moments of inspiration you can savor on a lunch break, in a quiet evening, or with a warm cup of tea in hand. But more importantly, something you can do at any stage of your life
Thank you for allowing us into your day. We’re honored to be a part of your journey — and can’t wait to share many beautiful moments together. We hope you enjoy this free mini magazine with some articles from our favorite past issues to give you a greater idea of what you can find in Heart of Hospitality Magazine!
Withwarmthandgratitude,
DeAnnaKane Editor-in-Chief
LeslieCallaway ExecutiveEditor
Pink Perfection
Mother’s Day Tea
Nothing beats a warm spring day to celebrate mom This year, Mother’s Day is May 14th. In most parts of the country, the Farmer’s Almanac reports that it should be warm and sunny, with only a few areas expecting cooler temps with scattered showers. We brought together a delightful combination of perfectly pink table settings to create a soft, inviting atmosphere for our Mother’s Day tea tradition.
Mother’s Day is when we bring our friends over to celebrate our mothers who cannot be with us Some are too far away to share a cup of tea together, while others are gone but never forgotten Mother’s Day is such a special time as we honor the brave women who raised us, influenced us, and shaped who we are today in their own way We take this day to celebrate the love that only a mother can give and hold close to those that may not have experienced it the same way. It’s a day of laughter, tears, and hugs. A day to remember that women worldwide need to be celebrated for their strength, fortitude, and willingness to help their daughters grow to be the incredible women they are today. Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms out there!
Previous Page: An eclectic mixture of antique tea cups sit atop a 3-tier serving dish with pink florals and white & gold trim - Home Goods $12. This Page: Pink solid dinner plate Grace Teaware pattern from Home Goods spring collection $5.99 sits under a salad plate $3.99. A bowl of authentic Thai jelly desserts from Maree House (Thailand). Pink floral design napkin ringwithsatinribbontie.
BreakfastDiningTip
Add some fancy flare to your table by including an elegant menu at everyone’s place setting for their ‘Build your own’ choices. This helps you create dishes to everyone’s liking. Or better yet, bring in a chef to cook for you!
TablescapeTip
Remember to keep your centerpieces low - usually below the chin level - to allow guests to freely talk with everyone at the table. Centerpieces that are too high are not only distracting, but a discouragement for the flow of conversation.
Fast Food
Hospitality
We all know those friends that seemingly have 35 hrs in a day. They’re more productive with their morning routine than I am all day. The fact that they have a “routine” makes them a life master, and that they seamlessly do it every day proves that they clearly have everything figured out
This article is not for those people! This article is for the people like me You’re not lazy or unproductive You’re actually a super hard worker, and you try your best to end your day knowing exactly what you worked on Most days, I run and run and think back on my accomplishments expecting to pat myself on the back only to realize, my laundry isn’t folded, my dishes aren’t done, and that “routine” I was supposed to be following went out the window and I can’t even tell you when that happened!
You look at your overly full plate, decide what stays and what leaves, and unfortunately, to our mental health and overall happiness, we choose friends to take the boot. We know this is true even though we would never say it. We take months to follow through with plans, cancel last minute, and if you’re honest with yourself, you’re so tired that giving anything else seems impossible, so you’re excited when the plans get canceled
Sometimes that’s reality I can’t wear my friends' clean clothes, so laundry can’t be cut I can’t eat out of my friends' hands, so dishes can’t be cut, and my bills still have to be paid, so work can’t be cut, and that’s not including kids and spouses So it seems reasonable We dismiss our need for community and bury it under the overgrown laundry pile. Clean laundry, of course, because everyone knows the worst part of laundry is folding.
However, there is a way to avoid cutting the most important part off our plate. I call it fastfood hospitality. All it takes is one 10-20 minute phone call or a few extra texts. But it has to be intentional. There’s that word we all hate. We love “organic” friendships and hangouts that happen “organically ”
Well, friends, we are past the days of forced hangouts due to 8 hrs in school, 3 hrs in church, and 4 hrs in sports with your besties. We are at the age of intentionality
I’ve written on this before, but every year, especially now, it’s important to remember that friendships fade when we forget to ask how our friends are My version of fast food hospitality goes something like this:
My best friend's name is Lauren She lives in Kentucky, and I live in Texas, so as you can imagine, organic hangouts don’t happen very often But twice a week, at least, we call each other Usually, when we are driving It’s neither a pretty nor polished conversation. Some may call it pure chaos, but to us, it’s caring for each other intentionally. We laugh, cry, tell each other the hard truth, and help when possible, even with daily things like Paint Colors and Furniture. On our “fast-food” hospitality call, we make sure to check two things:
1.How are you really? What’s been hard this week?
That’s an interesting question because it varies from “Someone I know passed away” to “I’m looking for a gala dress ”
2 What’s on your calendar this week?
Why is that question important? Because it shows you care about their future as much as their present And some weeks, it’s grocery shopping, and some weeks it’s a Hawaii trip But we celebrate every step of growth.
And I would say the MOST important thing about this fast food model is telling your friend when you have to go without the fear of hurting their feelings, and being okay when they have to go. Stop mid-story, tell them you love them, and you’ll talk to them next time to finish the story. It’s not that we aren’t making time. We are making time, even if it’s short every minute counts.
Shae Callaway lives outside Houston, Texas, with her daughter, Layla.
Hospitality Tip
Make sure visiting guests feel at home
The steps we stand by when guests are arriving. First, declutter - then thoroughly clean. Start by dusting, cleaning the floors, wiping the walls, changing the bedding, cleaning sheets and pillowcases. Adding fresh flowers and a beeswax candle is the icing on the cake!
Quick Cleaning Tips
Before your guests arrive
Clearcountersofclutter
Wipedowncountersand cabinets
Washandputaway dishes
Scrubtub&toilets
Wipedowncountersand washmirror
Sweepandmopfloor
Changesheets
Cleanoutclosetand discardonebagclothes
Vacuum&dust
Pullweeds
Checkallplants forbugs
Removealldead leaves
Pie 101
By DeAnna Kane
I have never baked a pie before in my life. I’m not that big of a pie fan, and it’s rarely on my craving list of foods to have around the house. I’m not that much of a sweets person in general, and I very rarely ever eat fruit I just don’t care for it I figure that if I am going to have something loaded with sugar, it should include dark chocolate - and a lot of it! Why waste the calories on anything else?
However, all that being said, I have discovered I have a new love for a specific type of fruit It is the unsung hero of fruits that no one really knows about because you don’t see them that often Loquats! When I moved last year, I discovered I have a loquat tree in my backyard (and my neighbor has a HUGE one that spills over into my front yard). I didn’t know what they were and discovered one day from a plantidentifying app that they were loquats. I did some research and found they are called Japanese plum and Chinese plum.
They are grown in subtropical to mild temperature climates and therefore are not very well-known in other regions. They grow spectacularly in Southern California, and I am the happy recipient of two trees right outside my door These fruits have a sour skin, but sweet flesh that is juicy and somewhat reminds one of a peach or apple I personally feel like it tastes a little like pears, but apparently, I am the only one
Loquats do not ripen once removed from the trees, so you want to make sure you pick them when fully ripe, which means no green or yellow color to the skin They also don’t last very long once you have picked them, so plan on using them right away. They will only last about 2 or 3 days on your counter before they start to turn, and even less if you refrigerate them.
You can eat the loquats directly off the tree if you like If you love that sweet-and-sour combo, they are perfect off the tree I am not a fan of the sour part, so I tend to pick and peel them before I eat them Loquat season starts just before summer, around mid-May, and will last a couple of months It’s nice because most of the other vegetation is not ready for harvest so early, so there is plenty of time to pick the hundreds, if not thousands, of loquats available with multiple trees.
If you have been reading along in the Heart of Hospitality issues or read our other publication, The Empowered Magazine, you may recall that I have been obsessing over growing my own foods and learning to can and preserve foods in a way that doesn’t cost much or take up a lot of energy I have found that the loquat is an excellent fruit to can! I have also stumbled upon the fact that it also makes a fantastic pie filling This is quite astounding to a girl that had never made a pie before and doesn’t eat fruit I took a stab at it, and I have to say, I am completely converted! Check out my pie recipe and techniques for preparing the loquats!
Prepping your Loquats
Preparing is relatively easy, but it will take some time. Loquats are small, so you need about 125 to 150 for your filling. After picking your loquats, soak them in cool water for about 2 to 3 hours - this will get them all ready to peel easier. Once soaked, with a paring knife, carefully slice the fruit in half, going around the seeds in the middle. Remove the seeds, and take out the stringy peel from the center. Once those are removed, pick a side (I usually work from the bottom up) and get your nail under the skin between the peel and the flesh. Pull it apart, and it should come right off like you are peeling a banana You can leave the fruit in halves, or you can quarter them for your pie filling
It may seem like a lot of fruit, but it will reduce when cooking and become softer, so the amount after peeling will look like a lot, but it really isn’t Once you get into the groove, you can probably complete it in about an hour I usually park myself in front of a movie and work through it I’m usually done before the movie ends
Pie Recipe
125/150 loquats
1 1/2 cups of sugar
2 tablespoons fresh ground cinnamon (you can use pre-ground, but fresh is so much better)
Pinch of salt
Juice from 1 lemon
1 egg white
(other spices you can experiment with are apple pie spice, nutmeg, maple syrup, and even ground clove)
Place loquats in a large boiling pan and add sugar. Let set for about 10 minutes to activate the juices. Turn the burner on to medium and add cinnamon, salt, and lemon juice Let come to a rapid boil, then quickly reduce heat to low and simmer covered for about 20 minutes - stirring every few minutes Add sugar/seasonings to taste if you want sweeter filling
Place pastry pie crust in a pie pan (you can make your own or get the store-bought package) Ladle filling in the pie pan with a slotted spoon as you don’t want the juices to overtake the pastry crust, or it will get soggy and not cook through Place the pastry pie covering over the filling and pinch the edges together with the bottom pastry crust Cut slits into the top of the pastry crust to vent Lightly brush egg white over the top pastry crust Bake at 425 for about 40 minutes If the top gets too brown too quickly, lightly place tinfoil over the pie to keep the crust from burning
My first attempt ever at making a pie was a hit with our Mon Ami girls!
Home Remedy Tips
Have some minor ailments and want relief but just don’t quite want to see the doctor? Try some of these:
Ailment:
Upset Stomach
Sore after a workout
Have a UTI
Can’t sleep
Constipated
High Blood Pressure
Drink this:
Ginger Juice
Pomegranate Juice
Cranberry Juice
Tart Cherry Juice
Prune Juice
Beat Root juice
Home Remedy Tips
It’s that time of year again when kids are back in school and they bring everything home with them including colds or the flu We’ve said this before and we will say it again, making your own medicinal preventative is quick and easy You only need two ingredients: garlic and honey Cloves of garlic seeped in pure, raw, organic honey, will help prevent illness and quickly knock out anything coming on
Separate about a 10 to 12 garlic cloves and place them in a 32 oz glass jar
Pour honey over the cloves to fill up the jar
Cover with a lid and ring and stir once a day
You will see the mixture begin to slightly bubble up
After about 12 hours, the mixture is ready
Take one tablespoon a day to avoid sickness, or begin taking immediately at the first signs of coughs or sneezing
Does not need refrigeration
Last Chance DiningAlFresco
Dining outside with friends has simply got to be one of the best activities we do. When you have perfect weather, open air, and a scenery that only nature can provide, everything else is second best. There is a sense of freedom in an open space that nothing else can compare to.
Next Page: Top Left: Chocolate tea cups for dessert - Amazon $22/32 pieces. Middle: Glass domes with cake stand for bug resistance - Home Goods, $29.99/each. Middle Right: Autumnal gift bags for guests. Bottom Right: Heirloom Silver Tea Pot adorns the centerpiece to tie in the tea theme.
Page 69: Chocolate dessert cups filled with homemade chocolate mousse topped with raspberries and chocolate shavings.
Happy Monday
By Isabella Peshewa
Giving out of love for the purpose of encouragement
Happy Monday! Or perhaps it’s a different day when you read this
I must confess, however obvious it may be, I did not come up with the words happy or Monday Shocking, I know However, I did start a small project called Happy Monday Avid readers will recognize the term but let me introduce you to the concept that birthed it
Jumping straight into it, I’ve had depression for essentially my entire life. If you have depression, or have experienced it for a period, you know sometimes it’s hard to even get out of bed. I constantly had to be on the move because I was working two jobs, going to school, and running two ministries Day in and day out, I was just dull inside I was speaking to a friend of mine at the time who was also depressed, and I started to think about what I dreaded the most about everyday life (stay with me, I promise we get to the ‘happy’ part soon)
What I came up with was not something I could do anything about, I mean no one likes paying taxes, right? Okay, I’m kidding, but seriously taxes are a bummer I accidentally stopped paying attention to what I didn’t like and started paying attention to the people around me Someone cue Dolly Parton’s 9 to 5 because Mondays are what kept coming up It seemed like the universal fact of humanity was that everyone hates Mondays Listen, I get it Mondays are a return to the daily work grind and is what rips us out of our weekends But hear me out here, what if instead we looked at it as a return to kindness? A fresh start for a new week, for a new happy.
One Monday I was at work, about to go for lunch, when I got the idea to go get a friend of mine a cup of coffee. I knew what she liked already so that part was easy enough I drove to her workplace and gave it to her She began to tell me how awful her Monday was going but how this turned it around
This isn’t me bragging, please c’mon on This is a reminder that a small act of kindness can literally change the world, perhaps just one Monday at a time I started doing this every Monday and my mother, who was very excited about this project, also started doing it The point isn’t just kindness to someone you know, it’s kindness without bounds It’s kindness that doesn’t always look like a coffee or a gift, maybe it’s volunteering Maybe it’s cooking dinner for those in need Get creative with your kindness Everyone needs it
Happy Monday won’t cure your depression and it’s not supposed to What Happy Monday is, and will always be, is a simple reminder to get outside of yourself, your depression, your terrible Monday, your ‘whatever may have you’, and intentionally do something positive for someone else. I mentioned earlier how Happy Monday was a small project that started with only me, just one person but it’s so much more than that now. I wouldn’t say small could even describe it now If you’ve been a part of Happy Mondays for a while now, I thank you
If you’re new, what are you waiting for? Come sit with us and let’s get back to kindness
Isabella Peshewa, lives with her dog in NC. She loves reading, writing, podcasts about true crime, and wondering about things she’ll never have an answer to. For instance, did Adam have a belly button?
Happy Monday can be as simple as picking up Starbucks.
Helpful Tip
Stress free
Holiday guest check list!
If you’re looking for a quick cleanup list for unexpected house guests, this is the list for you!
Living Room and Dining Room
Declutter
Dust furniture
Vacuum/sweep
Light Christmas tree
Light candles
Kitchen
Quickly declutter all counters
Spray and wipe down cabinets, stove/microwave,
Damp mop floors
Bathroom
Spray down sinks, counter, toilet and tub
Clean mirrors - go back and wipe down everything you sprayed
Spot clean floor
Put out clean towels
Guest room
Declutter room
Vacuum and do a quick dusting
Change bed sheets and pillowcases
Add a basket, or tray, with snacks and water Bottles Remember guest towels
Hospitality Tip
Be sure to take a moment to enjoy a local restaurant or coffee shop during the holidays. We love the Maybourne in Beverly Hills Delicious food and a lovely atmosphere
