Christmas and the In-Laws

[Smurfysmiles]

So...apparently my in-laws will be coming to stay with us for Christmas and New Years which is...a month and a half after the wedding, two months after just moving into the new place...and my first time having guests stay with us for more than a day or so especially family!

Needless to say I am a nervous wreck and would like any advice you have to give. We have a second bedroom to fix up as a guest bedroom and a second bathroom so that is good. We are thinking we will get a queen size air bed for the guest room since we cannot afford a bed to put in there just yet. Any ideas on other things to put in there? I''d like to locate an affordable tv to have in there for them and maybe a radio? I know the bathroom will be plenty stocked...mmm oh did i mention that we just threw out our dining table because we were going to save up for a new one, looks like we will have to find something to use in the meantime for Christmas dinner...Christmas dinner?! I''ve never so much as touched a raw chicken or turkey....HELP!!!!!

 

[Smurfysmiles]

Oh Thank goodness I found this!!! Hopefully it will help some other first time holiday hostesses too
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Five Tips for the First-Time Christmas Host

To many families, Christmas is the biggest holiday of the year – and the biggest gathering of guests. It can seem overwhelming if you are playing host to those guests for the first time. There is a certain level of responsibility given to the host. You may find yourself scrambling to clean the house, spruce up the holiday décor, prepare a mouth-watering feast and somehow maintain your sanity. Before your head explodes, take a deep breath, relax and read these five tried-and-true tips that will help you handle your hosting duties with ease.

1. Recruit help

One of the biggest mistakes rookie hosts make is biting off more than they can chew. You are supplying your home, but that doesn’t mean you have to supply everything else. Ask your family and friends to bring a dish to share. It is a completely reasonable request. In fact, your loved ones are usually eager to help you out (and show off their kitchen skills.)

Help doesn’t have to end with the meal. Ask your closest friends or relatives to help you prepare for your party the day before the event. Shoveling snow, cleaning, wrapping gifts and preparing some of the food the day before goes much, much quicker with a few extra sets of hands. You may want to be a superhero host, but even superheroes need help. (Think of Batman and Robin, Mario and Luigi and the Power Rangers.) Don’t get in over your head. Recruit some assistance to take some of the pressure off of yourself.

2. Stick with what you know

Another classic disaster occurs when a host tries out a new menu to serve at the Christmas feast. Watching holiday cooking shows and seeing delicious-looking meals pictured on those holiday cooking magazines in the grocery store aisles can give you an overdose of cooking inspiration. Wild and elaborate culinary ideas begin to brew in your brain, and you concoct a meal plan you know will be Martha Stewart-worthy. Try to restrain your inner Martha Stewart.

It’s best to stick with what you know. If you are foreign to the kitchen, don’t be afraid to ask for help and make stick with simple dishes that are difficult to mess up. If you want to try a new recipe, you must give it a test-run first. A recipe that looks simple on paper or on TV can go up in flames (literally).

3. Childproof your home

A child’s excitement during the holidays is contagious. Children bring extra cheer to Christmas gatherings, but they can also bring extra messes. You don’t want to spend your entire evening keeping the kids out of trouble or feel on edge every time little Bobby wonders near your expensive designer Santa figurine. Maybe you want to show off your designer purchase, but if you do, make sure it’s in a safe spot that is out of reach from little hands.

If you don’t have small children, it’s easy to forget to childproof your home. If you have children coming over, do a walk-through in all areas your guests might be to ensure everything is kid-friendly. All breakable items should be well out of reach and you shouldn’t have anything sharp or really small within accessibility. Childproofing your house before you play host prevents “oopsies” and helps you and parents relax and enjoy your holiday festivities.

4. Anticipate early-arrivals

If you are a procrastinator, the day you are a host is the day to break your last-minute habits. Inevitably, if you are running late on the big day, at least one guest will arrive early. This is especially likely if you have guests traveling some distance to come to your home, because traffic and flights can be unpredictable. Make sure you get all your primping out of the way early enough that you aren’t frantically getting out of the shower when your guests arrive. It is less awkward to be finishing up preparing the meal than answering the door in a towel and making your guest wait while you throw yourself together.

5. Enjoy your guests’ company

All the stress and planning that went into your holiday gathering can make you feel frazzled, and you forget to enjoy your own party. Once the guests have arrived, focus on what’s important: them. Christmas may be one of the few times of the year you get to see some of your loved ones. Don’t let your role as host get in the way of your role as a friend or family member. When all the planning is over with, relax and have fun. Don’t expose your stress. The most impressive hosts are the ones who can pull it off, make it seem effortless and enjoy themselves.

 

[Smurfysmiles]

One more useful article I found if anyone is interested
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It’s always the same isn’t it? You think you’ve got loads of time to get your house ready for Christmas and then all of a sudden it’s upon you. Where does the time go? Well since you know it’s always going to be the same why not be clever this year and get your house ready before the rush begins? Proper planning and good timing can mean your house will be ready well in time for Santa''s visit.

More Than Just Decorations
Getting your house ready for Christmas involves more than just putting up the decorations. At Christmas it''s possible to have guests popping by almost everyday. Relatives, friends and neighbours will be dropping in to offer season greetings and of course Santa will be needing his sherry and a mince pie, so you want to make sure your house is in tip top condition before they start arriving! And the preparations can start up to six months in advance.

Six Months Before Christmas
Six months before Christmas is the time to get any major renovations you need doing started. We all know what can happen when you’re getting work done on your home. What should take two weeks can end up taking two months! And you don’t want the builders in and the house in disarray when Santa arrives! So play it safe and start preparations earlier in the year. Six months before Christmas get the builders in and they’ll be out of the way by the time the first xmas card arrives.

Three Months Before Christmas
Three months before Christmas, while Santa is getting things organised in the grotto, it’s time to do the painting. You don’t want your xmas guests having to smell paint when they come in so getting it out of the way three months before means the smell will be gone by the time they turn up!

One Month Before Christmas
One month before Christmas - think about who''s staying or visiting. Be they relatives or friends, you''ll need to get the house organised for them and the start about making your house look festive. Here''s our list of things to do one month before:
1. Clean the House
You''ll feel better at Christmas if your house has a had a really thorough cleaning. Why not treat yourself and get a cleaning agency in for a day or two to do the job for you? Alternatively, set a weekend and allocate tasks to all the family, top it off in the evening with a meal out or a take away to celebrate the hardwork (and save on dishwashing!)

2. Prepare for Overnight Guests

* Air the spare room and give it a thorough clean
* Empty some space in a wardrobe for overnight guests to use
* Start to get your clean bed linen and towels ready - all the better if you can coordinate your washing so that matching items are ready at the same time!
* If you need to move your children around, start to make preparations now - move stuff out of their rooms early and arrange the bedrooms so both kids and guests are comfortable
* Give the bathroom a good going over, festive accessories can even make a difference here...
* Buy some travel sized toiletries and place in a basket for your guests to use
* Some people like a bit of space to get away from it occasionally so why not put a kettle with some teabags and coffee in the spare room?

Prepare for Drop in Guests
Hats and Coats - Make some additional space in your hall cupboard, utility room or a spare bedroom for visitors'' coats - you don''t want to spoil the impact of your beautifully festive house with coats draped over bannisters or heaped on a chair or coat stand.

Crockery - Keep some of your best cups, mugs and side plates separately, ready for drop in guests - that way you''re not worrying about giving great auntie Violet the mug with a chip in the rim and the Old Fart slogan emblazoned across the front.

Bathrooms - Change your hand towels more frequently (at least daily) and make sure you have extra toilet rolls where they''re easily found by visitors. Pot pourri or even better fresh flowers, can make a huge difference to the overall look of a bathroom.

Living areas - Place furniture where the Christmas tree will not get damaged and make sure Christmas cards are not placed so they can be knocked over by a gust of wind or an exhuberant guest. Make sure you have a plentiful supply of coasters so that hot drinks don''t spoil your furniture.

Find Extra Storage Space
Gifts and food preparations are discussed elsewhere on this site, but part of getting your house ready will be finding space to store the extra things you''ll have around. Empty a cupboard - preferably one with a lock on it - in your bedroom (or somewhere you can access it out of sight of prying eyes) in which to store Christmas presents. It''s also handy to do the same with food: clear out a kitchen cupboard and start buying food with a long use by date early in December or even late November. Similarly, make a start on using up food from your freezer, there''s bound to be something there you won''t need over the Christmas period so use it now and make some space for Christmas food.

Christmas Decorations
Now - it’s time for the fun stuff, the decorations! Start shopping for decorations now. Decide on your theme whether it be winter wonderland or Santa’s grotto and go in search of cute or classic ornaments and creative crafts. You could start making your own decorations and get the kids involved in some arts and crafts.

Look for the perfect tree and plan what kind of lights, ornaments and decorations you’ll put on it. Go for a classic, traditional theme of green, gold and red or maybe something a little more modern for example silver and blue or lilac and white. Play around with colours and make sure you add a little of your own personality into the design so your decorations are truly your own.

Little DecorativeTouches
Small touches like candles, vases, pine cones, fruit bowls, fresh flowers, holly sprigs and tealights can finish off your rooms nicely. Fun stuff like singing snowmen, reindeers with red flashing noses and cuddly christmas toys are considered tacky, but you know the kids love them - so why not put some in their playroom if you have one, or the downstairs toilet''s another great place!

Preparing for Christmas needn’t be stressful but timing is key. Start your preparations early on and make sure you plan what you need to do and when. Being prepared will help you to have a much more enjoyable Christmas with your friends and family in a house you’ll be proud of. You’ll be more than happy far Santa to drop by when you know your house is in tip top condition and is beautifully decorated for the xmas holidays.

 

[TooPatient]

Great articles.

The 2nd one was so nice and organized. If only it worked out that way....

I have a system similar to the 2nd article. Okay. So I TRY to do like the 2nd article. But life happens.


Here is what I have learned:

Clean the best you can. Try to organize your stuff and put things away neatly. Stick to foods you are comfortable cooking.

The day of --
Your house will never be as clean/organized/decorated/etc. as you had been planning. There is ALWAYS more to do. Before people start showing up, take a few minutes to just sit and relax. You''ve done what you can. More likely than not, no one but you will notice the little stuff that didn''t get done.

And remember - even the tidiest looking house and calmest looking hostess has a closet where she shoved the last bits of clutter just before you got there.

 

[Smurfysmiles]

haha thanks toopatient, that does sound like what ill do, shove everything leftover in our bedroom closet haha

 

[Keepingthefaith21]

My in-laws live far away and visit much more frequently than I''d like

When it comes to hosting dinner - something DH and I have been doing for years now - I always have little assignments for each mom. I know my mom is fantastic at mashed potatoes so I will ask for her help with those. DH''s mom is great with salads so I will ask her to make the salad. It makes them feel like they are participating and it''s a good time for the three of us to spend some time just the gals. We always clean up together - one clearing, another rinsing/loading the dishwasher and we all chip in handwashing the pots and pans that are too big for the dishwasher.

When they come for a week plus at a time I always contact them a week or two prior to their arrival and see if they have any visits lined up with friends and family in the area. I always find a clever reason to question this - such as letting them know I have a commitment on a certain day etc. that way they are encouraged to make their own plans. Although I always welcome my in-laws to our home, it''s nice to have some space during their stay.

One of the biggest things for you and DH, in my opinion, is to make sure you are setting aside some alone time for each other. Even if you leave your in-laws at home while you two sneak out for dessert or coffee someplace. Although you are hosting family, you still need some down time. Do not be afraid to ask for it or plan for it.

I was a nervous wreck the first time we hosted Christmas dinner - so to minimize my worries I bought a prepared spiral ham. All I had to do was heat it up. It was a hit and I realized I am much more comfortable entertaining than I thought. This year we are up to a 25lb turkey for Thanksgiving dinner which we are hosting - it just takes getting past that first attempt to make you realize you can handle it! Oh and as far as seating goes - we actually rented a banquet table and chairs from a local party rental store before we had our dining room set. Once you dress it up with linens, you''d never know it was a plastic folding table.

 

[MakingTheGrade]

I would just try to get a quality air mattress, those can be pretty uncomfortable after a night or two. They seem cushy and soft, but your back pays for it in the morning, lol.

Also, it's a nice gesture to stock up on drink/snacks that you know they like or that they often have at home. For example, I stock up on diet coke and fresh fruit when my parents visit, and make sure to have instant coffee and tea around when the in laws visit. They appreciate the small comforts that they are used to having on hand at home.

 

[meresal]

Do you have a place called "The Dump" or something similar. It is a wholesale furniture place that is only open on the weekends and they sell mattresses at DIRT CHEAP prices, and they are brand new. I would recommend just buying one and getting it over with, or could you ask for it for Christmas? A cheap air mattress is good for a night or maybe two, but to get one that is nice for a whole week, you might end up paying almost the same amount as an inexpensive regular mattress.

Also, re: the tv. Just remember that you will have to get a converter if you don''t plan on having cable hooked up to that room.

 

[MakingTheGrade]

Or if you have a friend with an account with Sams Club, Bjs, Cosco, some of them sell mattresses for pretty cheap!

 

[jstarfireb]

I''m always a fan of Chinese take-out for a holiday meal...seriously! But if your in-laws aren''t so casual, a pre-cooked meal like Keepingthefaith suggested would work.

For the bed, it may depend on what you''re planning on doing with the extra room. If you want to use it for anything other than a bedroom, consider getting something like a decent futon as opposed to a real mattress. An air mattress would work, but I think they''re pretty uncomfortable. I''m not a really large person, but I always manage to sink down to the bottom of those.

 

[havernell]

Date: 11/9/2009 7:30:53 PM
Author: meresal
Do you have a place called 'The Dump' or something similar. It is a wholesale furniture place that is only open on the weekends and they sell mattresses at DIRT CHEAP prices, and they are brand new. I would recommend just buying one and getting it over with, or could you ask for it for Christmas? A cheap air mattress is good for a night or maybe two, but to get one that is nice for a whole week, you might end up paying almost the same amount as an inexpensive regular mattress.


Also, re: the tv. Just remember that you will have to get a converter if you don't plan on having cable hooked up to that room.

Or even try Craigslist, Freecycle or local thrift stores to find people getting rid of bed frames and new mattresses that they couldn't use and for gently used dining room tables too. I kind of agree with meresal that if you can manage to find a bed now somehow, that would be best. I'd forgo buying a TV for the room if it meant being able to afford a bed now (but I don't really think you need the TV anyway...) I would, however, get an alarm clock-radio for the room.

I'll also echo KeepingTheFaith, and say I also think that you shouldn't feel like you have to entertain the in-laws 24/7 every day. They can hopefully find things to do on their own some days (will you and your FI be working any of the days they are there anyway)? I'd plan a few nice outings you can all do together, but other days gently suggest they explore the area on their own a bit.

Good luck!

 

[honey22]

Make a few casseroles/pasta sauces etc that you are comfortable making ahead of time, so cooking will be a breeze (and tasty!).

Ditto on the matress only if you can really afford it. No one wants family to go into debt for their arrival.

Place clean towels on the bed and I always place a few nice choccies too.

Put toilet spray in the toilet!!!!!! Nothing worse than going to someone elses house, smelling up the loo and not having air freshener!!! Think of how you would feel in this situation.

 

[lulu]

Speaking on behalf of in-laws everywhere, let me just say that air beds are very uncomfortable. Getting up to go to the bathroom at night is a big pain. I''d try to get a bed frame and an inexpensive mattress-they''ll appreciate it.

 

[SarahLovesJS]

Eeeeeeek! Just wanted to get you some support Smurfy. My in-laws won''t be visiting for a long, long time. We''re still working out when we''re going to see them over the Holidays.