Night Elf Posted December 13, 2016 Share Posted December 13, 2016 I hate hosting family get togethers, but I hate traveling more, so I offered my house this year. I chose this Saturday. My oldest dd came over this past weekend to help me deep clean the public areas of my home so all I have to do Saturday morning is wipe and tidy. I am providing the ham but am worried it's not enough, so I'm going to buy a rotisserie chicken as well. I am ordering the pies from the grocery store bakery which absolutely rocks. I'm making corn casserole and green bean casserole. I had to buy strong paper plates and cups but I bet $10 my mom brings even more. I even bought 3 new folding chairs because for some bizarre reason we only had one and I didn't want to drag office chairs out of storage downstairs because they're dirty. I own a large coffee maker but never use it so I'm worried about how much grounds to use to get a good cup. My mom has no idea either and last time we got together she made it so strong none of us could drink it. Basically, I'm a nervous wreck and wondering what I've forgotten. And how do I get these people out of my house in 3 hours. I can't last longer than that. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Outdoorsy Type Posted December 13, 2016 Share Posted December 13, 2016 In three hours get "a horrible headache that needs quiet". I've never used that one, but it sounds like it might be close to the truth, and people would understand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shiloh01 Posted December 13, 2016 Share Posted December 13, 2016 I hate hosting family get togethers, but I hate traveling more, so I offered my house this year. I chose this Saturday. My oldest dd came over this past weekend to help me deep clean the public areas of my home so all I have to do Saturday morning is wipe and tidy. I am providing the ham but am worried it's not enough, so I'm going to buy a rotisserie chicken as well. I am ordering the pies from the grocery store bakery which absolutely rocks. I'm making corn casserole and green bean casserole. I had to buy strong paper plates and cups but I bet $10 my mom brings even more. I even bought 3 new folding chairs because for some bizarre reason we only had one and I didn't want to drag office chairs out of storage downstairs because they're dirty. I own a large coffee maker but never use it so I'm worried about how much grounds to use to get a good cup. My mom has no idea either and last time we got together she made it so strong none of us could drink it. Basically, I'm a nervous wreck and wondering what I've forgotten. And how do I get these people out of my house in 3 hours. I can't last longer than that. How many people are we talking about? How many kids vs. adults? The only foolproof way I know of is to have a commitment that you have to attend so you can leave. There's no guarantee they'll leave. "Hey guys I have a meeting with the yada yada club president at 6pm." Or something like that. My group doesn't leave...even announcing end times. They go when they want to. I think if kids...people leave sooner; if adults, it just depends. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N910A using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twigs Posted December 13, 2016 Share Posted December 13, 2016 (edited) Don't you have somewhere to be 3.5hours after your get together starts? Best wishes Edited December 13, 2016 by Twigs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momto3innc Posted December 13, 2016 Share Posted December 13, 2016 I'd add rolls and something with the pie...either whipped cream or ice cream. Assuming you'll have cold drinks too? As far as getting rid of them, just keep a good flow. Eat fairly soon after arrival, after some clean up and digesting, have coffee and pie. Shoot for those two to be done in 2 hours or so and that's leaves some to hang out but no activity to go with it. Also have something you need to leave for if you need an excuse. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bambam Posted December 13, 2016 Share Posted December 13, 2016 Sam's Club has some nice sturdy Christmas paper plates. I agree with adding some rolls. Make sure to put a trash bag somewhere to collect trash. We usually put one over the doorknob of a little used and sorta out of the way door. Because the trash can fills up quickly. Is no one else bringing food? Good luck getting people to leave. Sometimes comments about how early it gets dark seem to help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hornblower Posted December 13, 2016 Share Posted December 13, 2016 Basically, I'm a nervous wreck and wondering what I've forgotten. And how do I get these people out of my house in 3 hours. I can't last longer than that. I've got your back! The introverts of the world need this party banner: http://lucasnorthlover.tumblr.com/post/154404823026 Just need to adjust the # to whatever time you want & post in prominent area near dining area :D 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fairfarmhand Posted December 13, 2016 Share Posted December 13, 2016 (edited) To get them to leave : Go put on your pajamas. Have you dh walk through in his underwear, scratching himself and yawning. "Boy, I sure am tired." Edited December 13, 2016 by fairfarmhand 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hornblower Posted December 13, 2016 Share Posted December 13, 2016 (edited) Is it a drip coffeemaker? Use 1 Tbsp of ground for cup for first 6-8 cups. Then for the next 6 I start paring back - I'd drop to 4. So 10 Tbs/12 cups. Flat spoon measures, not heaping. Have sugar & creamer set up. Do you have enough coffee cups? Cans of pop for cold drinks? Edited December 13, 2016 by hornblower 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoobie Posted December 13, 2016 Share Posted December 13, 2016 Run the coffee maker with no grounds and add a splash of white vinegar to the water to clean it if it hasn't been used in a long time. General rule of thumb is one level tablespoon of grounds per "cup" of coffee brewed. I put cup in quotes because it doesn't equal a fluid cup/8 oz. Coffee maker "cups" are 4.5-5 fl oz. So if you have a 12 cup coffee maker, you would use 12 tablespoons or 3/4 measuring cups of coffee grounds, and you will wind up with about 60 fl oz of brewed coffee. Most mugs hold 8-9 oz. I agree with adding rolls and maybe some fun, Christmas-y cookies. You could do hot apple cider in the crock pot. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 13, 2016 Share Posted December 13, 2016 To get them to leave, take their coffee cups, then start handing out their coats. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happi duck Posted December 13, 2016 Share Posted December 13, 2016 You can do it!! *shakes pom poms* I would buy fresh coffee and do some trial runs. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OH_Homeschooler Posted December 13, 2016 Share Posted December 13, 2016 My beloved, dearly departed uncle had a tradition we all came to expect. If we were invited for a party from 6-8, then at 8:00 he stood up and announced that it was time for everyone to leave. And everyone did. :) 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanaqui Posted December 13, 2016 Share Posted December 13, 2016 "Okay, I'm done. You all need to leave RIGHT NOW. I'm going to my room, and when I come back down you'll all be somewhere else." Oddly enough, this line works very well on my friends and family, but that's probably because they're used to me and recognize that I have a very strict limit to how social I can be on any given day before I lose it. (Also, my family and friends tend towards the broader autistic phenotype, so my suddenly hitting a wall in sociability is almost normal.) But seriously, it's okay to be direct, even if you do it a little more politely than that. "It's been great seeing everybody, but I'm getting seriously tired. Let's try to meet up again in the next few months, okay? I'll email you" or "Wow, it's getting late. I've got to get up early tomorrow, and I'm sure I'm not the only one. Let me walk you all to the door" or "Listen, I hate to be rude, but we do have plans and I'm afraid we have to send you all home" (you don't need to spell out that your plans are to take a long shower or to have fun adult times with your husband or to read a book). Alternatively, if your oldest daughter, your mom, and your husband can hold down the fort, you can leave at the three hour mark. "Wow, it's been so much fun guys, I wish I could stay but I have an urgent appointment! You guys enjoy yourselves!" and then you go off to your urgent appointment at the movie theater or bookstore or spa or whatever. I own a large coffee maker but never use it so I'm worried about how much grounds to use to get a good cup. My mom has no idea either and last time we got together she made it so strong none of us could drink it. I really do believe in being open and honest. "I'd love to offer you all coffee, but I'm just not sure how to make a good cup. I guess I don't drink enough coffee! I have the grounds and the machine and the filter and all. Anybody want to help? Just tell me how much coffee to put in for how much water, and I'll trust your judgment!" I mean, these are your friends and family, right? And it's not a super formal gathering, right? They won't mind a little bit of helping out if it gets them coffee. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garga Posted December 13, 2016 Share Posted December 13, 2016 Eat all the food early. People will leave after eating, usually. Don't be very interesting. They'll get bored and go home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baseball mom Posted December 13, 2016 Share Posted December 13, 2016 To get them to leave : Go put on your pajamas. Have you dh walk through in his underwear, scratching himself and yawning. "Boy, I sure am tired." I busted out laughing. My guys wondered what was wrong with me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Night Elf Posted December 13, 2016 Author Share Posted December 13, 2016 We're all adults now. My youngest is 18. Thankfully I'm not the only one providing food. Both my sister and mom are bringing dishes and mom is also bringing the rolls. I better call her and remind her though. At least the stores will be open so if she does forget I can run out. We'll have 10 people for sure, with a possibility of 12 if the others show up. The good news is that I live over an hour away from everyone so I'm sure they won't want to stay late anyway. I told everyone to come over at 1:00pm so I hope we're eating by 1:30. We have dessert while playing Apples to Apples which is after we get the kitchen cleaned. That's why I'm figuring 3 hours. I hope they all leave by 4:00pm because that means they won't get home until after 5:00pm and I'm assuming no one will want to be out that late. For daily use, I have a 4-cup coffee maker. I use 1 tbsp per cup on the outside of the coffee pot. I fill it to the 2 mark and add in 2 level tbsp. It's perfect for me. The larger coffee maker I only use when I host a Christmas party and it's either 10 or 12 cups. It hasn't been used in 2 years so I guess I should clean it and do a trial run. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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