Top 3 Simple Tips for Beautiful Bouquets

---

Top 3 Simple Tips for Beautiful Bouquets

“What are your best tips for making a beautiful bouquet? Mine never look as good as I imagine them in my head!”

I hear this question all the time!

You’re in luck - I have some simple, actionable tips that will help.

Over the past 7 years, I’ve crafted thousands of bouquets using seasonal blooms from our farm. When I first started, I’ll admit my bouquets were less-than-stellar (that's a nice way of saying it!) because I was trying to do too many things at once.

As is true with so many things in life… Simplify, simplify, simplify!

---

1. Choose a Color Scheme

Remember sitting in Art class learning about the Color Wheel and rolling your eyes thinking “This is so boring. Why do I need to know this? When will I ever use this?” 

You’re gonna use it now, friend. ;) 

The Color Wheel is a tool that helps you determine which colors look good together, depending on the “feel” or “look” you’re going for. 

Sticking to a recognized Color Scheme, instead of mixing colors together willy nilly, will create a cohesive, pleasing design. 

Of course, rules are meant to be broken, but if you’re looking for some guidelines to keep you on track, stick with a Color Scheme.

Color Theory can be complex, so here are a few Color Schemes that are simple and easy to use:

Complementary Colors: Colors directly across from each other on the color wheel. (Ex. Violet and Yellow)

Color Triads: Colors that form a perfect triangle on the color wheel. (Ex. Violet, Green and Orange)

Monochromatic: Multiple shades and tones of one color. (Ex. Varying shades and tones of pink)

Warm Colors: Reds, Oranges, Yellows

Cool Colors: Greens, Blues, Violets

As you can see in the sample photos below, I love to work with “Warm” and “Cool” Color Schemes.

When my daughter and I make our bouquets, we pull out all the “ingredients” (flowers/foliage) we have to work with, then divide them into “warm” or “cool”.

Then we lay out the “cool” color ingredients on the table assembly line style and make all the cool bouquets. After we’re done, we switch to the “warm” color ingredients and make all the warm bouquets.

---

2. FOCAL, FILLER, FOLIAGE

To simplify the bouquet making process, on our farm we assign every bouquet ingredient to one of these 3 categories:

1. Focal: The main flowers that capture the most attention.

2. Filler: The other flowers that compliment the Focal flowers (the vast majority of the bouquet is made of these ingredients).

3. Foliage: The greenery that creates the foundation for the Focal and Filler flowers

To learn even more about Focal, Filler and Foliage, read this Blog Post.

We like to divide a bouquet into roughly ⅓’s so that the overall mass of the bouquet is: 

• ⅓ Focal Flowers

• ⅓ Filler Flowers

• ⅓ Foliage

We find this simple loose formula, along with a well defined Color Scheme leads to a well balanced, pleasing bouquet. 

Focal: Dahlias

Filler: China Aster, Veronica, Celosia, Snapdragon, Strawflower, Lisianthus, Gypsophila, Statice

Foliage: Eucalyptus, Plectranthus

---

3. LIMIT THE “INGREDIENTS” in your “recipe”

It’s very easy to succumb to the temptation to add “a little bit of this, a little bit of that” to a bouquet… until you’re left with a cluttered, mish-mash bouquet that has no distinctive “flavor”.

The secret here is CONSTRAINT.

Instead of choosing 30 different flowers/foliage, CONSTRAIN YOURSELF and choose 5-10 flowers/foliage, and use them in multiples of 3-7 stems.

Why? The human eye loves pattern and repetition. Repeated shapes, colors, textures… all of these are pleasing to the eye and our brain can make sense of them. If a bouquet has no pattern or repetition, it looks chaotic and our brain doesn’t know how to process it.

Here’s a sample bouquet “Recipe”:

Focal - 1 Lily stem

Filler - 3 Snapdragon stems, 5 Yarrow, 3 Ammi (False Queen Anne’s Lace) stems, 5 Agrostemma stems

Foliage -3 Baptisa stems

---

There are countless more bouquet tips, but again I want to emphasize:

Simplify, simplify, SIMPLIFY.

Once you master these 3 simple tips, you’ll be crafting your own beautiful bouquets in no time!

How to Support Your Cut Flowers in the Garden to Prevent Ruined Blooms

---

How to Support Your Cut Flowers in the Garden to Prevent Ruined Blooms

Maybe you’ve been there…

Your cut flowers are at their peak production and looking AMAZING!!! The stems are tall and straight and you’re days away from harvesting buckets and buckets of blooms!

And then… a summer storm whips through with 50+ mph winds. In just 30 seconds, your MONTHS of hard work is ruined as the plants topple over and smash into the mud.

*Sigh*

Can you tell this has happened to us more than a few times on the farm? ;)

Ok, here are a few things I know for sure:

1. There WILL be summer storms with damaging winds. This is not a surprise or a shocking event. In fact, it is to be EXPECTED.

2. Cut flowers plants that are not supported WILL crash during these storms… unless they are supported.

Thank goodness there are ways to prevent this from happening.

Today, I will discuss a few different methods you can use in your garden to support your cut flower plants.

If I’m being honest, I will tell you that I don’t like supporting my cut flower plants. No matter what type of support you use, it will slow you down when you’re harvesting… and quite frankly, some plants are a nightmare to harvest through supports and can become a tangled mess (I’m lookin’ at you, Scabiosa and Cosmos…). But it’s better than losing entire beds of plants to a storm.

Netting

Hortonova Trellis netting is a popular option for many growers. The netting can be used vertically for climbing plants or horizontally stretched over planting beds.

Pro Tip: Place the netting over the beds when you direct sow the seeds or plant the seedlings. I usually stretch the netting so it’s hovering about 18” over the ground. As the plants get bigger, they will grow up through the netting.

I recommend securing the netting with sturdy rebar stakes or t-posts. When we started the farm, we couldn’t afford t-posts and instead used plastic stakes… and they simply are not sturdy enough and the netted plants topple over.

---

Cattle Panel Support

While Hortonova netting has saved my butt many times, I’ve got no love for it. At the end of the season, it’s a tangled mess. We reuse it for as many years as possible, but eventually it will have to go in the trash.

One day, I saw a photo on Instagram posted by Cathy of “Miss Effie’s Flower Farm” in Iowa. Cathy’s husband, Cliff, created a brilliant solution for supporting her plants using metal cattle panel fencing from the farm store.

My husband thought Cliff was a genius and he started fashioning our own version of cattle panel plant supports.

The supports can be customized to fit your beds/growing area. Below is a video of how my husband bent the panels.

These supports are MUCH sturdier than Hortonova netting and I don’t find myself cursing as much when I’m harvesting Cosmos and Scabiosa. Ha!

But the real beauty of these supports is that they can “live” in the garden forever and don’t have to be “put away” at the end of the season. When I’m ready to clear out the beds, I just lift up the panel, remove the plants and put the panel back in place.

They are also very useful for early spring plantings. If you see that frost is coming, you can simply throw a sheet over the panel and protect your tender seedlings.

The only downside is the cost of the panels. We eventually want to phase out Hortonova netting completely and only use the cattle panel supports, but it will take us a few year to achieve that goal. In the meantime, we make more supports each year as our budget allows.

---

Corralling

For our Dahlias, we use a support method called “Corralling”.

There are lots of different ways to grow and support Dahlias, but this is what works for us.

We grow the plants in single rows that are about 12” wide. We then place t-posts at the corners of the long bed and then about every 12 feet down the length of the bed. We use polypropylene string stretched tightly around the t-posts to effectively “corral” the plants into the 12” wide bed. The string keeps the plants from toppling over into the aisle.

Most of the Dahlias we grow reach 3-4 feet tall, so we run a string line at about 12-18” and another at about 30-36”. Some Dahlias will reach over 6 feet tall, so those plants get a third string line to help them behave.  

We plant over 1,000 Dahlias each season and find this to be the most efficient method for us. You can certainly use Hortonova netting for Dahlias, but I hated harvesting through the netting so much (it was very time consuming!) that we switched to corralling.

Tomato Cages

If you are growing a smaller number of plants and want to support them individually, tomato cages are an excellent option!

Here’s a photo of a Dahlia I’m growing in my vegetable garden. Eventually, the plants will hide the tomato cage, but the cage will keep doing it job.

Be sure to set up the tomato cage right away when you plant the tuber/seedling, so that you don’t damage roots/tubers installing it later in the season.

To support or not to support….

Many people ask me ”Do I HAVE to support all my plants? Is there anything I can skip netting?

Well, it really depends on where you live. If you’re growing in an open field, yes, you will likely need to net/support everything. Nearly all cut flower plants need support of some kind. Just do it. You’ll be so glad you did when those storm roll through.

However, if you are growing in a protected area that is sheltered from wind, you might be able to get away with only netting some of your plants.

On our farm, we net/support pretty much everything except:

• Sunflowers

• Statice

• Zinnias

• Most perennials

My Favorite Seed Sources for the Home Gardener

---

My Favorite Seed Sources for the Home Gardener

---

One of the #1 questions I field on a regular basis is:

"Where do you buy your seeds?"

The Short Answer? EVERYWHERE.

Seriously, it seems like every store I enter, I'm drawn like a moth to a flame to the seed section. Do you know how many stores carry seeds in the spring?!? It's crazy. My family sometimes has to physically drag me away from those enticing displays. 

I can't help it!!! I buy seeds where ever I go - dollar store, grocery store, hardware store, Target... they are everywhere!

The Long Answer? EVERYWHERE. ;)

Ok, fine, so I'll try to narrow it down... a bit. 

Here are few suggestions I usually make before I give Seed Source advice:

1. Seek out seed companies that are located in a similar growing environment to yours. This not completely necessary, but it makes sense that if a plant variety does well in their trial gardens, it will probably thrive in YOUR garden. 

So if you live in the Pacific NorthWest, choose companies in the PNW. If you live in the NorthEast Coast, go for seed companies in the NEC. If you live in the deep South, go with companies in the deep south. You get it. 

2. Are you interested in saving your own seeds to use next year? Then you will want to seek out companies that specialize in "Heirloom" or "Open Pollinated (OP)" varieties. These seeds will save "true to type".

You should NOT try saving seeds from Hybrid varieties. You will know it's a Hybrid if you see the term "F1" on the seed description. Hybrid is not a "bad" trait - it simply means it's a specifically pollinated cross of 2 different plant varieties and the seeds saved from the resulting fruit/veggie/flower will NOT be "true to type". 

3. Are you going to grow your garden with only Organic methods? If so, you may want to lean toward purchasing certified Organic seed. Most Organic plant varieties are bred specifically to thrive without the use of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides and fungicides. But don't feel like you have to limit yourself to only certified Organic seeds. 

Given the choice, I will purchase Organic, but I'm not a stickler for ONLY Organic.

---

My Favorite Seed and Gardening Sources

Your Local Garden Center

In our neck of the woods (near Grand Rapids, MI), my favorite place to shop for seeds is Fruitbasket Flowerland (I hit up the location on 28th St., near US 131). They have a HUGE selection of flower and vegetable seeds, seed potatoes, onion sets, tubers, bulbs, etc. As a bonus, they have a highly knowledgeable and helpful staff. I look forward to my annual spring shopping trip.

High Mowing Organic Seeds

Located in Vermont, this seed company has been my trusted go-to source for vegetable seeds.

• Great selection, appropriate for home gardens, homesteads and farms.

• They offer a good mix of Open Pollinated and Hybrid seed varieties.

• Ordering online is super easy.

• 100% Certified Organic

• Non-GMO Project Verified

Johnny's Selected Seeds

This Maine based company has a stellar selection. Johnny's not only offers great seeds, but also their website is chock full of valuable growing information. This is where I order the majority of my flower seeds, since they offer flowers varieties that are suitable as cut flowers (only some flowers are good for cutting/bouquets!). 

• Wide vegetable selection makes them the trusted source for many small farms, but also appropriate for the home gardener.

• Offer Hybrid, Open Pollinated and Organic choices.

• Fantastic selection of Herbs and Cut Flowers.

• Well known for their high quality growing supplies, such as seed trays, heat mats, plastic mulch, etc.

Territorial Seed Company 

Located in Oregon, this company offers a selection similar to Johnny's Select Seeds. I often find a few unique varieties that are not available anywhere else, like their "Yum Yum Gold" mini sweet bell peppers, which are AH-MAZING and some super fun tomato varieties. 

• Excellent selection of Hybrid, Open Pollinated and Organic seeds.

• Lots of unique cut flowers, peppers and tomatoes.

• 100% Non-GMO

• Easy on-line ordering

Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds

Ah, Baker Creek... their seed catalog is the stuff of dreams. *Swoon!* If you are looking for fun, unique or rare varieties, look no further. Jere and Emilee Gettle, the founders of the company, and their employees quite literally scour the globe as seed explorers, searching for new (or perhaps we should say ancient!), endangered and rare seed varieties. You must check them out! They are located in Missouri, but also have stores in Connecticut and California. 

• You get a free pack of seeds with every order. It's a fun surprise!

• GMO free seeds

• Supporter of heritage and heirloom seeds

• All seeds are Open Pollinated (so you can become a seed saver, or course!)

• Rare, exotic seeds that you won't find anywhere else, along with some familiar faces

Seed Savers Exchange

If you are really geeked out about seed saving, consider a membership to the Seed Savers Exchange, one of the nations largest "seed banks". Their mission is to preserve our diverse agricultural heritage. They are located in Iowa. 

• All seeds are Open Pollinated (obviously!)

• Non- GMO

• Many certified Organic options

• Offer "Certified Heirloom Varieties", which means they have been saved and shared by home gardeners for generations.

• Great selection of Heirloom tomatoes and peppers!

Grow Organic/Peaceful Valley Farm and Garden Supply

Located in California, Peaceful Valley Farm and Garden Supply is a homesteader's dream come true. They offer everything from seeds to gardening tools/equipment to cheese-making supplies to composters to dehydrators to beekeeping supplies! I could go on and on. Be sure to sign up for the email subscription service, as they regularly offer flash sales and discounts to their subscribers. 

• 100% GMO free seeds

• Certified Organic seeds

• HUGE selection of farming, gardening and homesteading supplies. Watch out! You're going to put EVERYTHING on your wish list!!! Ha!

• Good source for Organic garden fertilizer and compost

Prairie Road Organic Seed

In full disclosure, I have not YET purchased seeds from this company… but I got to know the owners over the winter and I love what they doing! They can expect as seed order from me soon ;)

My farming friend down the road purchased from them and was very pleased with the quality of the seed.

Theresa does a great job maintaining their helpful, easy to navigate website. It’s full of tasty recipes and tips to help you on your growing journey.

• Certified Organic seeds.

• Excellent customer service. You get to talk to the people who actually grow the seed!
  
  
  

Botanical Interests

Ok, I must confess one of the reasons I love this company is because of their great artwork/illustrations. Everything about their seed pack and products are beautiful and sure to make you feel joyful and inspired! If you live in the Grand Rapids area, be sure to visit Fruitbasket Flowerland, since they carry this brand in the store. Otherwise, their online ordering is simple. 

• Non- GMO seed

• Great selection of Heirloom and Organic vegetable choices (and the occasional hybrid, but most are OP).

• Varieties are selected for home garden use.

• Large selection of flowers, many that make good cut flowers

Nature and Nurture Seeds

This Michigan based seed company offers a delightful selection of veggies, herbs and flowers. Some of my favorite tomato varieties, such as “Growing in Place” cherry tomato and “Early Detroit” slicer are sold here.

• Non-GMO

• Organic and Heirloom seeds

• Great for Midwest growers
  
  
  

Select Seeds

This seed company is 100% pure delight. Select Seeds specializes in flower seeds, with many unique and hard to find species. Their catalog is one of my favorites to explore!

• They sometimes offer free shipping on orders over $50 for early bird buyers.

• Shop by types, such as “Fragrant”, “Heirloom”, “Cottage Garden”, etc

Old House Gardens

This small company is located in my home state of Michigan (Ann Arbor). They specialize in rare, endangered and Heirloom Bulbs/Tubers. Their customer service is top-notch and their catalog/website is so fun to explore. A great source for hard to find:

• Daffodills

• Peonies

• Lillies

• Tulips

• Daylillies

• Irises

• Dahlias and more...

Your Turn!

What are your favorite sources for seeds and supplies? I would LOVE to hear about them. 

Have fun searching for seeds and dreaming about spring!

-Lori

All your burning questions about growing answered in one place

---

All your burning questions about growing answered in one place

When I started growing cut flowers in 2016, I had no idea what I was doing (just being honest!). After fumbling around on the internet for months, killing countless seedlings, growing a handful of sad looking blooms… I needed help.

Figuring out how to grow cut flowers was a LOT harder than I expected! So many variables! So many options!

Unfortunately, I made the mistake of visiting online groups/forums for advice. I quickly realized there were many people who were determined to prove that their way was the “best/only” way to grow.

There was too much “You have to do it THIS WAY or else ______” and the not-so-subtle tone of “I’m the expert. You’re not. Listen to me”.

It left a bad taste in my mouth.

I longed for a mentor who would listen to me.
Someone who didn’t try to give me a one-size-fits-all answer.
Someone who actually cared and wanted to see me succeed.

Someone who would challenge and empower me to become a better grower, instead of just giving me answers (because that’s not how we grow!).

Do you feel that longing too?

My longing for a mentor inspired me to become that person for YOU.

Today, it’s my joy and delight to mentor hundreds of cut flower gardeners in my online course, “Backyard Cutting Garden 101”. 

When you join the online course, you’ll learn:

• How to grow in your own unique climate and location.

• How to grow your skill level and confidence.

• How to grow beautiful flowers… and a beautiful life.

Watch the video below to learn more about the course.

If you’ve dreamed about growing cut flowers but you’re stuck thinking:

“I’m overwhelmed and I don’t know where to start…”
Or…
“I don’t have time to figure this all out on my own…”

Join me. You don’t have to do this on your own.

Are you going to make mistakes? Absolutely.
Are you going to kill some plants? Count on it.
Are you going to burst with pride when you see what you’re capable of? 100%

You’ll be guided, challenged and encouraged to approach every circumstance with a “growth mindset” : a belief that challenge is invigorating and failure means you’re making progress in the right direction.

We’re going to grow together, in every sense of the word.
Do you know how many people avoid doing what they desire because of Fear of Failure?

But not you. You’re brave. You’re determined. You’re willing to learn and step outside your comfort zone.

Join me. We’ll do this together and you’ll grow in clarity and confidence.

Take THAT, Fear of Failure.

In this course, you'll learn:

• MODULE 1: How to Choose the Best Cut Flowers

• MODULE 2: Planning Your Garden

• MODULE 3: Seed Starting 101

• MODULE 4: Digging In: Preparing Your Garden

• MODULE 5: Growing: Best Practices for Beautiful Blooms

• MODULE 6: Harvesting and Arranging

• BONUS MODULE: How to Grow Dahlias

• BONUS MODULE: Favorite Cut Flowers Deep Dive

• BONUS MODULE: Checklists and Guides, including a copy of my actual seed sowing chart.

In addition to this, you also get:

• A 90+ page downloadable, printable workbook, packed full of growing information, reference lists and more.

• Direct access to me through the Questions and Comments section at the end of each Module. I personally read and address every question.

Watch the video for a “Behind the Scenes” view of “Backyard Cutting Garden 101”

NOTE: The “Questions and Comments” section of the course is my favorite part of “Backyard Cutting Garden 101”.

This is where I get to interact with YOU and answers all your questions. We get to go deep and specific together.

As much as I wish I could answer all the growing questions I receive via email and social media, there’s simply not enough hours in the day. Instead, I devote my energy to mentoring my “Backyard Cutting Garden 101” students and operating Three Acre Farm.

Have you ever wished you could (virtually) sit down with me and “pick my brain”? This course offers you the opportunity!

You have your very own flower growing mentor, right at your fingertips.

(Hmmmm… ok, I lied. My FAVORITE part of “Backyard Cutting Garden 101” is when my students send me all the STUNNING photos of the beautiful blooms they grew in their own backyard. I wish they could see my huge smile and hear me cheering out loud!)

Are you ready to grow? This is the invitation you’ve been waiting for.

Join “Backyard Cutting Garden 101” and let’s get started together!

Introvert's Guide to Healthy, Happy Holidays

---

Introvert’s Guide to Healthy, Happy Holidays

---

It’s that time of year.

The time on our farm when we can finally breathe. The time when we can rest. The time when we turn inward.

When my husband John and I were considering starting a farm business way back in 2016, one of our biggest concerns was how I, a hard-core Introvert, would be able to handle to constant stream of visitors, the demands of always being “on”.

When your place of business is also your home, any concept or notion of “privacy” or “personal space” or “down time” is often thrown out the window.

In true Introvert form, being around people for long periods of time has a draining effect on me. When I was a teacher, I loved every moment of teaching, but would literally collapse and want to curl into a ball every day when I was done.

Don’t get me wrong - I LOVE being with people, meeting new faces, making connections! My work brings me so much joy and I truly look forward when I get to meet and greet our farm friends, new and old.

However, I must be VERY intentional about creating time and space afterward to “recharge my batteries” so I don’t burn out and fall to pieces. For example, on mid-summer Saturday afternoons/evenings, after grueling week, you’ll likely find me here:

I need that time and silence as much as the air I breathe. I need a time to refresh and renew (by myself!), after being around groups of people for hours on end.

Maybe you feel the same way. After all, according to Susan Cain, author of “Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking” (an EXCELLENT read, by the way! I highly recommend it!), at least 50% of the world’s population identifies themselves as Introverts.

Hint: Here is a simple test to determine if you are Extroverted or Introverted. Of course, there are many different factors or situations, but it’s pretty straight forward.

Extroverts: Gain energy from being around other people.
Introverts: Lose energy from being around other people.

On our farm, in order to balance months of being surrounded by people, we find it vital to have the quiet winter months where we can replenish our energy and build up our “reserves” to do it again next season. We call it our “Hibernation Period”.

How to Thrive during the Holidays as an Introvert

As we approach the holidays, the Introverts start to panic a bit.

It’s not that we don’t enjoy being around our family!

It’s simply that social situation drain our limited energy. The constant parties and gatherings, on top of an already busy schedule, can easily push us past our breaking point…. causing stress, anxiety and exhaustion.

I clearly remember one Christmas when our children were very young. We had 5 separate parties/gathering to attend in less than 48 hours. Of course, we went to all of them because we were young ourselves and didn’t know how to say “No” and didn’t want to disappoint anyone.

There was no joy that Christmas. Just exhaustion, stress and crying (mostly me, but the kids were crying too).

Since that year, we’ve worked hard to create healthy boundaries around the holidays, so it can truly be a time of joy and peace.

Even if you are not an Introvert, chance are someone in your family IS, so respecting their needs and limitations is a true gift to them.

Here are a few strategies that can help!

Healthy Holidays for Introverts

1. Know Thyself: Hey, go easy on yourself! There is nothing “wrong” with you. Remember, 50% of people feel the same way you do - they just aren’t talking about it, because the extroverts are ruling the conversations. ;) Ha! Now, don’t use your Introversion as an excuse to sit there like a stick in the mud. You can CERTAINLY learn skills to help you enjoy social situations more… and you might even find yourself looking forward to them! But please… be kind to yourself (and your fellow Introverts!).

2. Keep your hands busy: This is a great trick to keep you calm and collected. Offer to help your host/hostess. Be in charge of kitchen duty. Be in charge of serving. Give yourself a role to stay relaxed. You’ll find that conversation comes more easily and naturally when your hands are busy, instead of sitting around awkwardly. Our family loves to work on puzzles during parties/gatherings. I know - it sounds weird, but it’s become a tradition that everyone looks forward to… and you’ll find all the introverts gathered around the puzzles chatting happily!

3. Minimize stimuli: Many Introverts are more sensitive to stimuli that extroverts. Some, like me, may even fit into the category of HSP’s (Highly Sensitive Persons). Bright lights, loud noises, crowds… all of these can be a nightmare for Introverts. Try to find a quieter, less stimulating place at the party. Move to a different room. Hide in the bathroom for a few minutes to regroup, if needed. Recognize the very real effects of this stimuli, such as: buzzing in ears, increased heart rate, eye twitches, desire to get up and move, feeling as though your brain can’t absorb anything else… which leads us to our next strategy…

4. Have an escape plan: People, if you have kids that need to go to bed or babies that need to nap, use that as your escape plan! Or maybe you have dog that “needs” to be let outside and you need to go home because of that. It’s wise to discuss what time you want to leave with your loved ones, so you know there is an end in sight. Maybe you just go for a short walk or “breather” if you can’t leave quite yet…

5. Practice self care: During the holidays, it’s important to take care of yourself so YOU can be at your best. Prepare yourself. Get enough sleep. Don’t stay up all night on a Netflix binge. Limit alcohol, sugar and caffeine. Make time for exercise or take a walk (by yourself, ideally!).

6. Come prepared: When you are attending a gather that you KNOW will mentally exhaust you (like your spouse’s work party or a party where you don’t know many people), it’s helpful to come prepared with some good open ended questions that will mitigate the awkwardness and get other people to do the talking. ;) Questions such as “What do you like to do in your free time?” or “ How did you meet ______ (the host/hostess of the party)?” or “Tell me about your family!” or “What’s your dream vacation?”.

7. Find Your Safe Person: Remember, 50% of people feel the same way you do. I bet you can find someone to connect with and you’ll probably even enjoy it! Just look for another quiet, lost looking person, sit down beside them, steel your courage and start making conversation (using one of the questions above). Some of the best conversations of my life have started this way!

8. “How Can I Love and Serve Someone Today?” This is a great thought to think before you walk into a crowded room. It takes the focus off yourself and shifts you into a mindset of being intentional about impacting someone else. How can you encourage or uplift someone else? Who knows… Maybe there is someone in that room who could really use a listening ear.

   
   
   There. Are you feeling better already? I am! After employing these strategies the past few years, I can honestly say that I look forward to holiday gatherings… and I also look forward to my time of “recharging” afterward. ;)
   
   Try out one or two of these strategies this holiday season and let me know how it worked!
   
   Now, I’d love it if you’d tell me: How do you handle the holidays as an introvert? Do you have any words of wisdom to share?
   
   Thanks in advance!