Disclosure: Dayspring has provided one copy of the book as a giveaway. I have not received any compensation for this post, nor have I received a complimentary copy of the book. Any opinions shared below are entirely my own.

“For many of us, inviting people into our lives and homes feels more like inviting judgment on our entertaining skills and stress on our already maxed-out schedules. But what if you knew that opening your front door had the power . . . to make an impact and leave a legacy with everyday invitations?”

Just Open the Door: How One Invitation Can Change a Generation

I’ve never felt like the perfect host. I live in a small home that’s far from perfectly decorated. My work-from-home job usually means that I blog first and clean later. I can plan an edible meal with my average cooking skills, but even then, I manage to cook things that people don’t like to eat. I’m introverted and rather unskilled in small talk. My kids are in sports and activities that seem to keep our schedule stretched thin. See how I can drum up dozens of excuses to avoid inviting people over? I’m beginning to learn, though, that maybe I’ve been trying to entertain – and instead I need to focus on genuine hospitality.

This month, the new book Just Open the Door released, challenging the way we think about hospitality. Author Jen Schmidt (Balancing Beauty and Bedlam) is a blogging friend of mine who has made hospitality a way of life – she can even make you feel at home in her corner of the internet! She truly has a heart for everyday, imperfect hospitality. Jen explains how hospitality is much more than entertaining or showing off your cooking and home decorating skills. It’s a chance to welcome people into your life and your home, even among the chaos.

I loved reading her personal stories that highlight friendships and flops alongside beauty and bedlam, along with practical tips, simple home decor, and meal ideas. She’s frugal, too, and will be the first to say that you don’t have to prepare anything fancy or expensive at all! Jen invites us to focus on hospitality, to trade our insecurity for connection, to model generosity to our children. And it’s already making a difference in my life.

When our friends were forced to move into a hotel after a water leak in their house, we wanted to invite them for a home-cooked meal. We put it on the schedule and, wouldn’t you know it, my oven died the day before. With the words of encouragement I’d read in Just Open the Door, I was determined to keep our plans. So we switched the meal plan to homemade pancakes on an electric griddle, and we ate even while the appliance repairman was at work in the kitchen. Was it crazy? A little. But no one really seemed to mind!

What about you? Have you been waiting until your home is just perfect to invite others in?

“Our home is a place where everyone is welcome, yet may I never wait until I’m ready to swing those doors wide open, because if I wait, it will never happen.”

Join the FREE Just Open the Door Online Book Club!

Would you like to embrace everyday, imperfect hospitality in your own life? The Just Open the Door online book club is a great place to start!

Beginning April 30, Jen will share a Facebook Live video at 9 p.m. ET every Monday in a private Facebook group. (Not on Facebook? Not to worry! The videos will be emailed every week during the book club as well).

Whether you’re a seasoned host looking for renewed inspiration or a nervous newbie not sure where to begin, Jen and her friends will give you their best practical ideas that are easy to implement! You’ll come away with tools for simple food prep, cleaning made easy, creating a welcoming ambiance with what you already have, and guiding meaningful conversations without a ton of stress.

Though they will be discussing the book, you don’t need to have read it to participate – and it’s free to join the club. Just click here to sign up! You’ll receive an email with instructions on how to join the Facebook group, where to get the book if you’d like to purchase it and more!

Giveaway: Enter to Win a Copy of Just Open the Door

Dayspring has provided one copy of Just Open the Door for me to give away to one randomly selected Bargains to Bounty reader! I know you’ll love Jen’s heart and encouraging words – I only wish I had enough copies for all of you!

TIP: Take a peek and read the first few pages of Just Open the Door here! (Click on the photo, where it says “look inside”).

Entries will be collected through Sunday, May 6 at 11:59 p.m. EST. The winner will be notified via email and given 48 hours to respond – be sure to check your email! The winner will also be shared in the Bargains to Bounty Facebook group as well as on this post (on the giveaway widget). Take a minute and enter to win this fabulous book using the box below – fill out the boxes and click on “begin”!