Author: HairWeavings Editorial Team

This article is sponsored by QVC.

Spring is in the air, and QVC is here to help you transform your kitchen into the ultimate hub for delightful gatherings. The “Now You’re Cooking Week” is when they bring you a curated selection of kitchen essentials and stylish dinnerware to boost your spring entertaining game. Let’s turn your kitchen into a haven of delightful gatherings filled with delicious aromas, elegant table settings, and memorable moments.

Let’s celebrate good food, great company, and unforgettable moments this season!

Boost Your Baking Experience

Imagine the sweet aroma of freshly baked treats wafting through your home as you whip up delightful confections with Carla Hall’s Sweet Heritage Bakeware Set. This 3-piece stoneware collection not only brings charm to your kitchen but also boosts your baking game.

Set the Table in Style

Transform your Spring entertaining experience into a visual feast with the Temp-tations Floral Lace 12-Piece Essential Dinnerware Set. Honor the beauty of spring with this charming set that combines functionality and elegance. Whether hosting a dinner party or enjoying a casual meal with loved ones, these dinnerware pieces add a touch of sophistication to your table.

Indulge in Elegant Dessert Displays

Dessert becomes an enchanting affair with Valerie’s Set of 2 Graduated Ruffle Edge Cake Plates. Show off your sweet creations on these beautiful cake plates, turning every treat into a centerpiece. The graduated ruffle design adds a touch of whimsy to your table, making dessert time a truly delightful experience.

Streamline Your Cooking

Simplify your kitchen and amplify your cooking capabilities with Our Place’s Set of 2 10-in-1 Ceramic Nonstick Always Pans 2.0. These versatile pans not only reduce clutter but also enhance your culinary creations. The ceramic nonstick surface ensures a seamless cooking experience, allowing you to focus on enjoying the process and connecting with your guests.

Mix, Prep, and Serve

Add a dash of style to your kitchen with the Dash 5-piece Stainless Steel Mixing Bowl Set. They blend style and practicality, perfect for mixing, prepping, and serving.

Brunch Like a Pro

Impress your brunch guests with Chefman’s 12″ Round Stainless Steel Crepe Maker. Create perfect crepes easily, thanks to the non-stick surface and adjustable temperature control. Bring your brunch game to another level and create a memorable experience with this sleek and versatile kitchen essential.

Embrace the enchantment of spring entertaining by exploring these kitchen treasures and more on the Spring Entertaining Page. Make this season a celebration of good food, great company, and the joy of creating unforgettable moments in your kitchen.

Happy entertaining!

Let’s Have a Conversation:

Are you ready for spring parties? Are there new kitchen tools that you’ve been looking forward to acquiring?

Like most three-year-olds, patience is something my little granddaughter (J) has very little of. When she comes round to see us, within minutes every toy is out. Within an hour she has painted, pummelled play dough, played shops and been outside on her bike!

This is quite normal, but as they say – patience is a virtue, and we all need to develop it at some point in our lives. Without making a big deal of it, I mention patience to J and how important it is. I know she has taken some notice as she talks about it to her mum.

Patience Is a Virtue

Over the past few decades, there has been a new kid on the block – Emotional Intelligence/ Emotional Quotient (EI/EQ). In essence, EI is the ability to identify and manage your own emotions and the emotions of others. It has been found that EI is as, if not more, important than IQ for predetermining how successful in life a child may become.

Emotional Intelligence is in part about delayed gratification and an understanding that some self-denial can provide dividends in the end. One example of this is staying in and revising versus going out and partying – a difficult choice for many 16-year-olds.

Unfortunately, there is very little we can do about IQ, but luckily, we can help children develop a stronger EQ. Patience is a key component of EQ, so the sooner we foster this in our grandbabes the better.

Sow Seeds of Patience with Your Grandchildren

Two of the most enjoyable things for me to do are gardening and playing with the grandchildren; if you can combine them, then so much the better. I love getting out in the fresh air, being surrounded by the soft relaxing aroma of freshly turned earth and greenery. J, on the other hand, enjoys the garden for other reasons!

A couple months ago we visited a garden centre. She really enjoyed it! While we were there, we bought a packet of cress seeds; a children’s pack where seeds are sown on cotton wool and grow as if cress is the lawn of a house.

As we were planting the seeds, we chatted about what seeds are and how they contain all the goodness the little plants would need to grow. I showed her the seeds inside apples and pears and the stone from an avocado, explaining that they would also grow if we planted them. Of course, she asked if we could do just that.

Children Are Naturally Inquisitive

I got caught up in J’s enthusiasm, and we set to work with her mini gardening set. She took it all very seriously insisting on “writing” on the labels.

I never cease to be thrilled by the capacity young children have to find fascination in absolutely anything.

As grandparents, we can harness our grandchildren’s innate curiosity, helping to foster a love of learning. We are often impatient for babies to talk – and then regret it in the wake of all the “whys” that incessantly follow us around!

I believe we should try to answer all those whys to the best of our ability. Experience as parent, teacher and grandparent has taught me that children process as much of your answer as they can and discard the rest. We have no way of knowing which bits they will retain, although often more than we think.

Learning Is Fun

Learning through play is something we hear a lot about and as grandparents we are especially well-placed to provide just that. Getting in touch with your inner child is a wonderful experience, opening up new horizons even after 60.

J and I thoroughly enjoyed our gardening. She took her cress seeds home with strict instructions to keep them moist and to look at them every day for signs of germination – yes, she loved that word! I was left with the avocado and fruit seeds after promising to look after them properly.

Within a week, the cress had fully grown so J and her mum had egg and cress sandwiches for tea.

Seeds Grow Slowly – Patience Is Required

Over the next six weeks, the avocado stone gradually opened until one day a half inch shoot had appeared. The apple and pear seeds stubbornly refused to show their heads so I put them outside. Monitoring the growth of the avocado kept J’s interest in the seeds alive.

Last week, a couple of tiny green shoots appeared. J’s interest and patience had been rewarded – one more step towards the development of a healthy EQ – and an even closer bond between Grandma and J.

Let’s Have a Conversation:

How have you tried to teach lessons of patience to your grandchildren? Are there particular interests that you share? How do you see Emotional Intelligence play out in people’s success? Please share in the comments.

It’s not easy living with digestive issues, food allergies, or intestinal conditions – waking up each morning wondering if what we ate yesterday will impact today; never knowing when and how our bodies will react to food, even food that is usually safe to enjoy.

It’s confusing, annoying, and sometimes depressing. It can often lead to isolation, or a reluctance to make plans, join others at restaurants or accept invitations to private homes for a meal.

Want to Know the Stats?

The statistics on how many women struggle with these conditions are staggering. According to the Center for Disease Control, 6.2% of women have food allergies and it’s estimated that more than 20% of the world’s population has some sort of food sensitivity.

Two-thirds of the patients diagnosed with Irritable Bowel Syndrome are women, and the exact number of those suffering without a diagnosis is nearly impossible to accurately estimate, but hovers somewhere around 20% of the American population, and according to the National Institute of Health less than 20% of those experiencing chronic symptoms seeks medical treatment.

Many women, like myself, have suffered for decades being treated for the symptoms, usually unsuccessfully, without ever knowing the cause – until finally being diagnosed with a condition with no cure. The only real relief on offer is a complicated restricted diet.

So, how do we live with chronic dietary issues and still enjoy an engaged, happy life? Here are a few adjustments I’ve made over the past few years that have helped.

Don’t Guard Your Condition as a Secret

Yes, it can be awkward to share the details, embarrassing even. But at least tell your closest friends and family so they can support you. Try to frame information in a positive dialogue about what foods are healthier for you and how to make enjoying a meal possible. Always try to answer questions as candidly as you can. I’ve found most of my friends and family are eager to help me and even seek out restaurants, recipes and products that fit into my diet.

Be Honest with Servers in Restaurants

I was thrilled the other day to be asked by a server if there were any dietary restrictions the kitchen should know about. Her question even came with the offer to make substitutions so that I could enjoy a dish without the dairy. They have made a lifelong customer!

If the server isn’t as forthcoming as this one, mention your restrictions and ask for assistance. Most hospitality professionals are aware of dietary requirements and are willing to accommodate their guests.

Let Your Host Know of Your Dietary Needs

When accepting an invitation to someone’s home, be honest about your dietary limitations. Explain that you can’t eat certain foods and let them know you are quite comfortable enjoying a portion of the menu, if they don’t mind.

I’ve also had guests with celiac disease bring their own dinner, so they could enjoy everyone’s company without concern, since my kitchen is not free of gluten.

Invite Others to Join You in Alternative Healthy Activities

We can enjoy common interests that aren’t centered around food. Make dates to work out, enjoy a hobby, go shopping or spend a day outdoors hiking, biking or sightseeing. There are so many ways to be together in which we can fully participate.

Be an Advocate – Help People Understand

There is so much misinformation and confusion around gastrointestinal disease, food allergies and the multitude of conditions that make up our population, we need to take every opportunity to educate and encourage others to be supportive. We don’t need to go into detail, but explaining our condition honestly helps dissipate the misconception that food sensitivity, allergies and stomach issues are just the latest fad.

Be Supportive of Others and Make the Connection

I’ve found there is a comforting connection that forms when two people within the same circumstance share their secrets, struggles and offer support. No one knows the life altering, time consuming and energy draining effects of living with these conditions like another who lives with them. Share information, your experience, creative recipes, products and resources and, perhaps most importantly of all, be a compassionate person who understands. You just might make a new friend in the process.

Life is still rewarding, social and enjoyable, we just need to be open to opportunities, be creative and always see what is possible.

Let’s Have a Conversation:

Are digestive issues part of your daily life? How do you handle them? Do they keep you from being social? What have you found helps you in social events or when visiting with friends/family?