Howdy! I’m Mauri, and I’m thrilled you’re here! I’m the Gatherer-in-Chief behind my blog, The American Patriette, where I hope to encourage you that you can change our country (and our world!) through the intentional act of gathering people together. I blog about all things related to family and hospitality in hopes of helping you find simple but intentional ways to cultivate your home as a place of gathering.
I’m a born and raised southern gal whose roots run deep in the heart of Texas and whose love for America spans from sea to shining sea. In addition to being a blogger, I’m an author and entrepreneur, wife to my wonderful husband, Aaron, Momma to my sweet and spunky daughters, Elizabeth and Juliette, and a grateful daughter of a gracious God. We live in our beloved Lone Star State with our best friend, Gipper, the most loyal dog you ever did see. Cooking, company, creativity, hospitality, and patriotism make my heart sing, and I hope to share that tune with you here on The American Patriette!
ABOUT THE BLOG
I created The American Patriette (pronounced “patriot”) out of a sincere belief that we can change our country – and our world – one home at a time. Really!
I grew up with a hearty sense of patriotism, and after years studying American politics and the issues our political system sets out to address, I’ve learned that the biggest chairs of influence reside not in our nation’s capital, but in our very own homes – around our dinner tables and in our living rooms.
Our 40th president, Ronald Reagan (after whom our faithful companion, Gipper, is fondly named), so simply yet so profoundly stated, “All great change in America begins at the dinner table.” This should give us great hope! There’s much more power couched in those of us occupying the wingback, reclining, rocking, and dining room chairs in our homes than we often realize, and the influence we harness in our homes may indeed change a life, a community, and a nation. What’s stopping us?!
Let’s be honest – we’re often short on time, short on money, and short on ideas to gather with our families and open up our homes for hospitality. That’s why I’ve created The American Patriette – to help me figure out how to maximize the time I have, get creative with my humble budget, brainstorm ways to spend intentional time with my family (especially around the dinner table), open our home to guests, and offer anyone encouragement who wants to do the same!
The heart and soul of this blog is to encourage family togetherness and intentional hospitality – the act of pursuing opportunities to use our [imperfect] hearts and homes to serve others (and to have fun doing so!). Whether you’re into the fine details of entertaining or feel as though you haven’t a “hostessing bone” (did you know that’s a real thing?) in your body; whether you feel like your house is a warm environment or a hot mess, I want you to feel right at home here as we all strive to purposefully use our homes for good.
C’mon! Pull up one of those chairs of influence, grab a cup of coffee or glass of iced tea, and join me in this adventure! I hope you’ll find resources here that empower all of us to recognize the difference we can make in our families, communities, and nation right from our very own doorsteps. Hop on over here to learn some details about what you’ll find on the blog.
A little bit more about me:
- I’m married to a high school U.S. Government teacher who loves bringing his subject matter to life for his students. Aaron would make any one of you want to go back and retake high school civics in his class. He’s brilliant, and he teaches me more than I’ll ever be able to teach him. He’s a proud veteran of the U.S. Army, an outrageously awesome dad to our daughters (and our dog!), and my resident dish washer when I make huge messes (all.the.time) in our kitchen.
- I love my daughters to pieces. I didn’t understand when people would tell me motherhood would be this fun. And challenging. And rewarding. And messy. And a wee bit crazy.
- I feel like I’m riding (and often driving!) the Struggle Bus most days (you, too? I’ve got plenty of room for you to ride along with me!), but thankfully, the grace of God reigns me in.
- I grew up going to Washington, D.C. and the Texas Capitol for 19 years with my dad for his job. It was our thing, and I learned a lot. That’s probably where my whole love (fanaticism?) of the stars and stripes & Lone Star State began.
- I used to drag my mom (really, my mom was thrilled to go) to Hobby Lobby, Michaels, and garage sales when I was growing up to shop for materials for my next art project. Both of my parents were supportive of my excessive desire to always have my fingers (hands, knees, toes) covered in some kind of paint or glue.
- I’m a proud Fightin’ Texas Aggie. I studied political science at Texas A&M and I love, love, love being an Aggie. Love. I also earned my Master’s in Theological Studies from Liberty University and my Master’s in Public Policy from Baylor University. I really like school, but I think I’m finished.
- I have every season of I Love Lucy on DVD. So does my dad. We also have 3 copies of every season taped on VHS from when I was growing up.
- I love puns – both intended and unintended. Sorry not sorry that you’ll endure a few (thousand) on here.
- Aaron and I have huge extended families, and we could squeeze them with hugs until they pop.
- Having people over to my house is one of my very favorite things in the entire world. I am constantly trying to learn better ways to love people and to welcome them into my home.
- My not-so-hidden talents include making messes in my house, starting too many projects, and using entirely too many words to provide detailed explanations. In other words, I’m not concise. And I just have to embrace that. Also, I have an impressive capacity for dessert.
- I am a child of God. I love that Jesus loves us absolutely, positively, astronomically more than we can ever fathom, even though we make mistakes and messes (and I often make really, really big ones). I take great joy in that forgiveness and grace, and Lord knows I need those more than anyone. I hope, more than anything else, that I share that same joy with you!
Wondering what to do next?! Check out my free Gathering Guide – a booklet of 22 practical & detailed tips for planning different types of gatherings!
