Joanna Gaines Admits to a ‘Bad’ Hosting ‘Habit,’ Wonders If She’s ‘Always Been the Best’ to Guests

Joanna Gaines is reflecting on how she used to approach hosting.

The former HGTV star, 48, and her husband, Chip Gaines, appear on the upcoming fall cover of their magazine, Magnolia, in honor of the publication’s 10th anniversary. The husband-and-wife duo — who wed in 2003 and share five kids — each penned an editor’s note in line with the issue’s theme of mindful living, according to People.

In Joanna’s note, she wrote hosting has been “second nature to me, knowing how to shape and set the tone,” but wondered if she’s “always been the best host.”

“There was, still, something in me all too willing to call it a night before giving it a chance to wholly unfold. I had this bad habit of blowing out the candles on the table just before the wax would begin to drip,” she confessed. “I was also painfully aware of the work that awaited: the stacks of dishes on the counter, the pots and pans in the sink. All that needed to be washed, dried, and put away before I’d get to lay down my head.”

However, Joanna explained she came to realize that being in the moment makes for a better time with guests than worrying about what needs to happen next.

“Instead, whenever people are gathered around my table — whether it is a planned or an unexpected moment — I’ll pull out the candlesticks with no end in mind,” she wrote. “Instead of watching the clock, I watch the wax gather, then drip. I let it land where it’s meant to, and as for the evening, I let the same hold true.”

As for Chip, 51, he came to his own revelation about life in his editor’s note: “I don’t value the fastest route. In fact, I actively avoid it.”

“What I’ve come to discover over the course of these 50 years is that the finest treasures of the world are found in unexpected places, but a commitment to efficiency too often keeps us from experiencing them,” he shared.