How often do you have company?

[englishteacha]

We live in the boonies (actually, a bit northwest of the boonies). We don't have company often because most of our family and friends live quite far away. We've had company the last 3 days. My in-laws came on Sunday, my mom and brother yesterday, and right now I'm waiting for my sister and her family to stop by.

Between getting the house "in-law clean" and keeping everything neat and tidy, and working all day yesterday and today, I'm just tired and want my normalcy back. It doesn't help that we are the area crazy Christmas house with dancing lights, so as I type this about 20 cars are parked out front watching my house. (Did I mention I live in the boonies? I can't believe so many people have been showing up to see the lights!) Because the display uses so much power, I have to schedule my baking and clothes drying around it, meaning last night I couldn't dry clothes while I was baking brownies for my mom and brother's visit. (My mom and brother, and sister tonight, are coming to see the lights and visit. If we didn't have the light display, they probably wouldn't have come.)

So, how often do you have company? Do you mind it?

 

[DMickey28]

That's sooo neat with the light display!! We also live a bit far from everyone but we have visitors at least a few times a month. It also helps that we just moved back to the area after living away for 5 years and bought our first house!!

I had a friend up here last week, Wednesday through Friday and then tonight one of DH's old co-workers came up for dinner. My MIL usually seems to be coming up every other weekend or so for a day or day/night.

I LOVE getting visitors. It helps me keep the house clean, I like to cook for people and stuff.

 

[lizzyb]

Usually at least once a week. Lately with holidays we've hd compnay just about everyday.

 

[englishteacha]

I guess I'm frustrated because no one has actually been on time or come as planned. My in-laws just said, "We'll be there after 2," and arrived at 5. My brother's 2 kids were supposed to come yesterday with him and my mom, and they didn't (so I put the leaf in the table and made my poor husband find another dining room chair for nothing). Now it's 8:20 and my sister is still not here. An hour ago they were 10 minutes away having supper at McDonalds. Where the heck are they?

 

[happygirl]

I really hate having comapny. It makes me so uncomfortable. I just never feel like my house is clean enough or my food taste good enough

 

[Micca]

Once or twice a year. Most visits from DDs.

 

[MushyMushy]

I really hate having comapny. It makes me so uncomfortable. I just never feel like my house is clean enough or my food taste good enough

Same here. We've been pretty anti-social in the 15 years DH and I have been married, but we're trying to get better with it. It just really stresses me out to have people over! I feel like such a slob. Whether it's my house or myself, I will never be well put together.

We want to change and start being more social. My husband has started an acoustic group with a friend of ours, so they'll be taking turns at each other's houses... every other week we'll have to have company over. That's a nice way to ease into socializing.

 

[Joyciemc]

We do 'game night' with 2 other couples, taking turns at each house. We'll have the occasional party, too - I totally agree that having people over gets me to clean the house a bit more thoroughly. But company too often does get tiring!

My parents or future in-laws may stop by a couple times a month, but those are the most low key visits and they always either bring food or take us out! (I'm super lucky in the awesome parents AND future in-law department)

What I don't like is when people stop by unexpectedly- it always happens on the day the house is the messiest!

 

[LiLIrishChick63]

DH and i are both still pretty young(i'm 25 and he's 28) and we don't have any kids yet, so somehow our house turned into the "weekend party house" where everyone comes over to drink, hang out, play Wii, watch tv, etc.


i don't mind seeing friends and family but for a little while there it was EVERY Saturday and i started getting a little tired of it because DH and i couldn't make any plans for ourselves on Saturday's because everyone just expected we were having people over.

we finally told them that we're not doing stuff every weekend. we have people over maybe once or twice a month now.

my parents and DH's parents stop by occationally but they never stay really long so that's not a huge deal.

 

[Stitchfans]

That is the "joke" in our family that no one likes us. We seldom have anyone come over. Don't have many friends in the area and all of family lives either too far or a distance long enough to were they can't just drop in. Would love to have company just doesn't happen. People in my area are very standoffish.

 

[golfgal]

We have company quite often, heck, we are having company come today-Friday and we won't even be here . We are heading out for Christmas and they have a flight to DC on Friday and live 3 hours from the airport with bad weather on the way. They are going to come here today in hopes they will actually get to fly out on Friday.

We like having company. We are pretty casual and usually tell people to make themselves at home and help themselves to whatever. Our house is generally tidy but if you drop buy unexpectedly expect to see a pile of mail on the kitchen island and a few other things scattered around.

 

[emma'smom]

We love to have company come over....but it is a lot of work.

It takes a day to get it "company clean" (which includes doing things that should be done, but are sometimes overlooked like scrubbing the base of the pedestal sing in the powder room, moving the chairs to dust behind them, etc).

We have kids in and out all of the time (and their moms pop in and out).
With the neighbors (usually moms) popping in, I make no excuses---what you see is what you get. Otherwise, I would go crazy. I do try to keep the kitchen floor and counters clean so that the first impression isn't bad.

However, if we have a more formal gathering....that's when it gets company cleaned. We have Gourmet Club or host friends once a month or so. This month we had two different parties with a limited turn-around time---that was tiring!

We only have overnight guests occasionally. My parents finally moved to our town and they have a guest room--so we send all relatives to them. Our out-of-town friends stay in my dd7's room---but we're not on the way to anywhere and we're more likely to go back east then have folks come out here.

 

[MIGrandma]

If you mean to stay overnight, rarely. Our son comes occasionally, and my Mom spends Christmas Eve night, and the grandkids stay over sometimes but that's not really "company" I guess. I have a close friend who stays over a couple times a year too.

Day time company, again rarely. And again it's mostly family, and a few close friends. But people (here anyway) just don't visit back and forth like they used to.

Now in the summer when we go up north camping, we do have relatives and friends who come up to stay but they have their own camper.

 

[mtdevine615]

Where are you "englishteacha" we'll drive up and look at your lights? We'll even stop in with brownies so you don't have to bake.
Merry Christmas from a DIS friend down in Saco.

 

[KimR]

We have company 3 times a year - when celebrating my DDs' birthdays. It's usually just family so I don't mind. In fact, we just had a birthday this past weekend for my youngest DD, and I actually enjoyed it. I know what you mean, though. Sometimes I just can't wait for everyone to leave, especially if people are over who aren't family.