Colleen Posted October 30, 2008 Share Posted October 30, 2008 This is a poll on Dana's (Danestress's) behalf.:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amy in Orlando Posted October 30, 2008 Share Posted October 30, 2008 I don't know what you mean by "people." I have an open rule - the kids can have any of their friends over on Fridays for dinner (that's usually our breakfast for dinner night). I love this rule because it rules out anyone asking "Can Bob eat here tonight?" It's cheap, the other kids think it's fun ... As far as other families and grownups for dinner, I'd say once every 4-6 weeks. Dh loves to cook out and he'll invite people for a football game or something. We provide the meat and basic meal, our guests always bring sides and beverages and desserts. Kids are always included so it's never a really late night. We've been doing this for years and it's been wonderful - even the times I really didn't want anyone to come over!!! I remember a houseful after Andy was born - I'd just had a c-section and was miserable. They came, they partied, they carried the baby until he got hungry and not one person bothered me. After that, I trust our group. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaik76 Posted October 30, 2008 Share Posted October 30, 2008 Very, very rarely. I think maybe two and a half years ago? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joannqn Posted October 30, 2008 Share Posted October 30, 2008 I don't know what you mean by "people." I have an open rule - the kids can have any of their friends over on Fridays for dinner (that's usually our breakfast for dinner night). I love this rule because it rules out anyone asking "Can Bob eat here tonight?" It's cheap, the other kids think it's fun ... As far as other families and grownups for dinner, I'd say once every 4-6 weeks. Dh loves to cook out and he'll invite people for a football game or something. We provide the meat and basic meal, our guests always bring sides and beverages and desserts. Kids are always included so it's never a really late night. We've been doing this for years and it's been wonderful - even the times I really didn't want anyone to come over!!! I remember a houseful after Andy was born - I'd just had a c-section and was miserable. They came, they partied, they carried the baby until he got hungry and not one person bothered me. After that, I trust our group. That sounds wonderful. Now, if only I could figure out how to do that here with no kids we know living near us and most of our friends being between a 15 to 45 minute drive away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chelle in MO Posted October 30, 2008 Share Posted October 30, 2008 Very nice of you, Colleen! I voted the "maybe once a year" option. We usually have one or two families over for New Year's Eve and the Super Bowl. We enjoy it when we do entertain, but just don't make a point of doing it more often. Chelle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennefer@SSA Posted October 30, 2008 Share Posted October 30, 2008 We usually have a group over for the opening of baseball season and a few other sporting events. That's about it for us when it comes to family get togethers at our home. As for the kids and myself, we grab a bite to eat a few times a month with other hs families for lunch at a park or on a rainy day at Chick-Fil-A. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fivetails Posted October 30, 2008 Share Posted October 30, 2008 I voted for 'once a week' - but it's not really like people would normally think about having people over to eat....I have a friend who is here all the time and basically if she's here at mealtime, she'll often eat with us. :) ..It's not a big planned thing or anything... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoughCollie Posted October 30, 2008 Share Posted October 30, 2008 Until I moved up here about 20 years ago, I made enough food at dinner to feed 10 people because so many folks were at my house during the dinner hour. It was fun having the place where our circle of friends congregated. I'd have big dinner parties a lot, too. Up here, we used to have people over for dinner in a casual way about once a week, until all my close friends moved to cheaper, warmer states. I like feeding people, so the more the merrier. I quit having dinner parties after the kids were born. I don't know anyone up here who has them, anyway. RC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sagira Posted October 30, 2008 Share Posted October 30, 2008 Wow, I've never had anybody over to eat in the three years I've been at my own house. Half the time the house looks too messy, dirty and disorganized to have people over, imagine eating. Maybe I should try it some time, when my kids are older! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angela in ohio Posted October 30, 2008 Share Posted October 30, 2008 About every other Sunday we have a family or two (or three) over after church. We also have events at our house that involve meals (often potluck, though, and not me cooking) a few times a month. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3lilreds in NC Posted October 30, 2008 Share Posted October 30, 2008 I said once every couple/few months, but that may have been optimistic. We just had some folks over a month ago so that may have skewed my perspective. Honestly, we have something going on at least 4 nights per week, so it's hard to have people over when we're running the girls somewhere. Plus I do have C.an't H.ave A.nyone O.ver S.yndrome going on in my house. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KAR120C Posted October 30, 2008 Share Posted October 30, 2008 I grew up having people over every single Friday (casually - not like a dinner party!), and I liked that... but we're not quite as orderly about it here. We go through phases of having people over a LOT and then phases of not so much. We only have six chairs... or seven if we pull in an office chair, so that limits the number we can have at one time. Usually we'll invite one or two couples at a time and let all the kids eat in the family room. Or we'll invite one couple who has no kids and DS stays at the table with us. I voted "every couple of weeks" which is about our average, but nearly every week we end up eating at someone else's house. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrothead Posted October 30, 2008 Share Posted October 30, 2008 I voted before I knew we were counting kids. I feed other kids a lot - sometimes daily. As for grown-up dinner party type things I have to go with about once a month. We have had two this month. On the 11th and yesterday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PariSarah Posted October 30, 2008 Share Posted October 30, 2008 We used to try for once a week, or every two weeks. Now it's gone to once a month, and some months we just can't get it together. It's usually quite informal--a couple couples (or a couple and some singles) and their kids, if applicable, nice dinner and dessert, usually nibblies and drinks before dinner (we often have the kids eat first). Even super-introvert that I am, I always have a great time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Marple Posted October 30, 2008 Share Posted October 30, 2008 When I was growing up, our home was the one where everyone dropped by - conveniently at supper time. My mom was so hospitable and always had a little extra even when it was just beenie weenies or macaroni and cheese. She never complained about it and consequently we girls grew up seeing my mom practice hospitality with a cheerful attitude on a shoestring budget. Consequently we girls love to entertain! And I know that it's not always about doing it fancy, rather about providing an open door and a cheerful place for others to come and enjoy an evening. We're a "more than once a week" family. My oldest is away at college and is having a bit of withdrawal because college life isn't as busy (other than studying) as home life was. He called the other night when we were playing a game with some other friends and said, "You have all the fun while I'm gone". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melanie Posted October 30, 2008 Share Posted October 30, 2008 We entertain friends about once a year (or even once every other year) because my husband is NOT a people person. It saddens me because I grew up in a very different sort of household, but I suppose once a year is better than never. Family members are different - when we live near family, we eat together as often as we can, which was usually once a week or so. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jugglin'5 Posted October 30, 2008 Share Posted October 30, 2008 About every other Sunday we have a family or two (or three) over after church. We also have events at our house that involve meals (often potluck, though, and not me cooking) a few times a month. We have a similar schedule. We often have people over after church, and have a midweek prayer meeting, potluck, at our house once a month or so, sometimes with as many as 50 people. We take turns at different houses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colleen Posted October 30, 2008 Author Share Posted October 30, 2008 I don't know what you mean by "people." I'm not asking on my own behalf. Dana wanted to do a poll with this question, but had some trouble figuring out how to do that. I imagine she's referring to actually having other families/adults over. We've been doing this for years and it's been wonderful - even the times I really didn't want anyone to come over!!! I remember a houseful after Andy was born - I'd just had a c-section and was miserable. They came, they partied, they carried the baby until he got hungry and not one person bothered me. Omigosh, that sounds horrid to me.:tongue_smilie: Another reminder that despite outward appearances at times, I am not an extrovert. Having other kids over every Friday night; people stopping by on a moment's notice; a houseful of folks just after I have a baby...Those kind of things would make me Very Not Happy.;) With regard to Dana's question, we used to have people over to eat at least weekly. The older the boys get, the more of an introvert I've become. I am so tired doing my job the last thing I feel like adding to it are more people, more food. I do still have folks over after church once a month, and my guys would be very happy if we did so more often. But especially during fall and spring soccer seasons, Saturdays are so full, I truly cherish that down time on Sunday afternoons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
myfunnybunch Posted October 30, 2008 Share Posted October 30, 2008 (edited) Thanksgiving. Only my family, and only because my house is the only one big enough for 20+ people. I hate having people over for dinner. I don't know why. ETA: I also didn't realize this counts kids/teens. My oldest dd has friends over often, and they're invited to eat with us if it's dinner time. Unless we don't have enough food, in which case we cheerfully say, "Not enough tonight. Bye!" :-) That doesn't happen often though, as we can usually make the meal stretch. Edited October 30, 2008 by myfunnybunch Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E_Edgerton Posted October 30, 2008 Share Posted October 30, 2008 Not often enough! With schedules it is so difficult to plan, invite, and then follow through with dinner dates. When things calm down here it will be more often. Hopefully. I love sharing dinner.:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kzdaisy Posted October 30, 2008 Share Posted October 30, 2008 I try to make sure once a month we invite a family over to eat with us.I love cooking for a crowd!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlockOfSillies Posted October 30, 2008 Share Posted October 30, 2008 I read it as, "How often do you people have to over eat?" I thought it had something to do with Thanksgiving and Halloween candy. :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amyable Posted October 30, 2008 Share Posted October 30, 2008 Once every few months, and even then it's only my parents. I don't think they "count" LOL. Maybe once a year we have a party (baptism, birthday, whatever) My excuse is that we are managing many different food allergies here. Our food just doesn't seem to be what I remember serving as "company food". Yes, I'm sure I could make two different meals, but....ummm, no. Maybe when the kids are older. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RebeccaC Posted October 30, 2008 Share Posted October 30, 2008 We don't. Our house is too small no dining room and the kitchen is very small. We have no dinning room table we eat on our couch which is just big enough for all 4 of us. We have met folks at the park and grilled out together but other than the teen boys eating in our breezeway snack food we don't have folks over. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracey in TX Posted October 30, 2008 Share Posted October 30, 2008 We have adult friends over a few times a year. Kids have friends over at least once/week. I voted for something in between the two! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
runamuk Posted October 30, 2008 Share Posted October 30, 2008 Not as often as we'd like. Our get-togethers tend to be informal - a bbq or a big pot of soup and some bread. We used to do the big holiday dinners when we were in Japan and invite all of the Marines over who couldn't go home. We had 14 guests one year! I love to cook and have people over - once or twice a month would be great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dragons in the flower bed Posted October 30, 2008 Share Posted October 30, 2008 For my own sanity, I should probably put a cap on entertaining once a week, but how can you turn friends away? It's not like I can go to their house instead, since I don't drive. We live near the downtown of our city, so many of our local friends are carless walkers, like myself. They stop in when they're on their way past my house. As well as reconnecting with us, it's a way to get out of the hot sun or the blowy snow for a few minutes. When a friend who lived outside of town took a job downtown, she came here for lunch daily. I like being available for my friend's emergencies, whether that be babysitting or a place to get away from a grumpy partner or just a place to hang out when stuck in town waiting for a store to open or something. Inevitably, during these visits, meals just happen. If we have enough warning to plan ahead, we potluck. It certainly motivates me to keep the house, not organized or even fixed up but at least sanitary and picked up. So I voted once a week, but it's often more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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