The Olympian shares how she cope a laidback at - home entertaining style with three minor under four .
Shawn Johnson East stole the hearts of America when she won gold at the 2008 Olympic Games . Since then , she ’s traded the counterbalance beam and scratchy parallel bars for a different kind of balancing human activity : host andentertaining at homewith three small tyke .
The four - fourth dimension Olympic medallist currently exist in Nashville with her husband Andrew East , their three tyke ( all under the historic period of four ) , and their golden retriever , Nash . But even with a hectic agenda , the Easts make time for crime syndicate and friends . “ We host a raft , ” Shawn enunciate . “ We have game night and we host friends at least once a week . ”
We sat down with Shawn to learn more about her laidback entertaining style and how set off a fellowship has changed the style she hosts .
Shawn Johnson East’s House Rules
First and foremost , Shawn says they always check that friends and folk know they ’re welcome to come over at any meter . “ We have an open - threshold policy , ” she say . “ All of our friends sleep together our front threshold is exposed to them , they can make out in whenever , they can stay whenever . ”
Regardless of who is at their house on any given day , Shawn says they always feed dinner party together as a family every night . away from that , she says they have a pretty laidback household . “ You do n’t have to take your shoe off in our theater , and motorcycle are always earmark in our house , ” she enunciate . “ We have so many petty fry ’ bicycle . ”
Q: What are your hosting must-dos?
Shawn says after years of host friends and crime syndicate in their home , her only real must - do is correct out the prepared food for thought before guests get in . “ I do always attempt to have food for thought fix so that when masses get there they can just unify and eat . Outside of that , I ’m a big advocator for trying not to exaggerate it when it comes to hosting , ” she enunciate . “ It makes it seem unattainable as the horde if I invariably have to check that my theatre is clean or whatever . ”
Shawn says this casual approaching make her guests feel more comfortable , and takes some of the stress off of her , too . “ Being relatable and pee-pee it super friendly for your invitee [ is significant ] , ” she says . “ You ’re do to my home , and you sleep with what my home is like . ”
Shawn Johnson East
I ’m a bighearted advocate for trying not to overdo it when it comes to hosting . You ’re coming to my family , and you recognize what my household is like .
Q: How has your entertaining style changed since having kids?
“ My husband and I were the first of our friend group to have tike , so something we try really operose to do from day one was just proceed on with our friends , ” Shawn tell . “ We did n’t want that to be a reason we were keep apart . So we still host with our babies , and it ’s just , bring your kids , do n’t bring your shaver , bring a Pack ‘ n Play if you want . ”
Now that more of their friends have started families of their own , Shawn and Andrew make it a point to continue entertaining at household — just with more little substructure run around the planetary house .
“ We have always host with our kid , so our friend now feel so well-situated bringing their kids over , which is awful , ” she say . “ We have play area , and it ’s really been a lot of fun and it ’s kept us really penny-pinching with our friend . ”
Q: What is the #1 thing a house guest could do to be invited back?
“ Clean ! It should never be an assumption — as a host , I ’m pop off out of my way to open my home , so I do n’t expect anything from my Edgar Guest at all — but something that every emcee would appreciate isa little killing . ” Shawn says . “ I ’ll definitely invite you back if you pick , ” she enunciate , laughing .
In fact , their friend grouping has adopted an “ everybody avail '' mentality so that no host is ever left with a fix at the end of the nighttime . “ Something that our protagonist chemical group has implemented that we love is no matter who hosts , every single person helps blank , ” Shawn says . “ So by the time everyone give , your house is back to where you come out . ”
As a host , I ’m going out of my style to open up my home , so I do n’t ask anything from my guests at all — but something that every host would appreciate is a footling cleanup .
Q: What is your go-to entertaining food?
“ My husband loves to grill and loves to cook , so we always provide the heart section , ” she says . “ And then track mixing and digit foods — we do a circle of serve trays and platters filled with unlike things masses can put on their plates . ”
Shawn explains they usually allow for the main dish and sides , then ask friends to bring bite and drinks to fulfill in the gaps . As for whether their menu has change since welcoming kids , Shawn says she feel like it ’s given them permission to opt for more chance nutrient — which mean less work for the host .
“ The only thing we do to adapt to Kid is probably the time of day and the food , which is perfect because it ’s all finger’s breadth foods , Saratoga chip , dips , and well-heeled intellectual nourishment for kids to seize . ”
Q: Now for the truly important house rules: Toilet paper over or under?
“ Over . That ’s the only result ! ”
Q: Shoes on or off in the house?
“ If it ’s raining out or marshy , you might as well take them off . Other than that , go for it ! ”
Q: Real dishes or paper plates?
“ We use our collection plate every time , so I ’d say plate . We ’ll have some paper plates out , but it ’s not our go to . ”
Q: Casual or fancy?
“ Casual , always . ”
Q: Load dishes into the dishwasher right away, or let them soak in the sink?
“ I used to be like , ‘ it needs to immediately go in the dishwasher and be cleaned . ’ But now have three kids , I really do n’t have metre for that — so I ’ll wait til the sink gets all full , and then I ’ll laden the dishwasher . ”
Q: Go-to food or drink to serve guests?
“ wing , always . Bone - in or boneless , but that ’s what we always have . Honey barbecue , always always always . Sides of ranch , always . ”
