You’re cordially invited to our first ever Christmas dinner! There were 15 people here in total (and 4 of them were under the age of four) so it was lively and our house felt full in the best possible way. Not only did we not set the house on fire, we didn’t even burn the ham. Cue the collective sigh of relief. Actually, although we’ve hosted Clara’s birthday party last year & the year before (oh yeah and our wedding) they were all outside – so this was the first time we’ve had a big inside gathering. I kinda went into it worried that we’d be bad hosts/wouldn’t have any fun, but it was truly awesome. Really. Not just saying that. We had fun pulling out a few simple and affordable stops to make everything feel festive without spending much money/time – and we even learned a few tips along the way (aw yeah, there’s gonna be a bulleted list up in here). In summary: it wasn’t that scary. Plus I got to break out my cloth napkins. Not gonna lie, I’m a giant nerd for that.
Oh yes, and that chandelier in the dining room is new so we have to spill those beans soon. In the meantime, let’s focus on the party. I played around with a few different centerpiece ideas (three different feather trees = too tall & face-blocking, a group of silver candlesticks = not enough color) before finally landing on this little trio.
Nothing was too tall to block the view across, but thanks to the little white feather tree, some fresh flowers (which John surprised me with after a grocery store run), and a very special homemade reindeer, it was casual, fun, and most of all meaningful for the family. See, that reindeer was actually made by John’s late grandfather, so everyone who saw it commented about how great it was to have him with us at the table.
And since the stuff in the middle of the table didn’t take up much of a footprint (our whopper of a round table is 72″ across) there was still plenty of room for all the serving dishes to be set down and for food to easily be passed around.
Maybe my favorite part, besides getting to use our cloth napkins (you guys remember Sue, right?), was something I literally whipped up in the last thirty minutes before everyone showed up: the DIYed “placecards.”
I thought some casual place cards to help people with seating might be nice (I like to be told where to sit at parties so I don’t commit some accidental faux pas and sit in the wrong place), so I plucked a few nice glossy leaves off the magnolia tree in our front yard, rinsed them thoroughly, and scribbled every guest’s name on one with a gold sharpie paint pen that we already had in our craft drawer. Total time spent: six minutes. Seriously, I looked at the clock.
As for how the seating worked, we had seating for eight people at our dining table (we alternated between white bentwood chairs that usually live in the living room and four of our normal dining chairs so everyone had some nice elbow room) and three more spots at the nearby kitchen peninsula, while the little kids sat at the kids table that we set up behind them. They even had little crayons and color-able place mats (thanks Dollar Spot at Target) which kept ’em seated for just a few minutes longer so we could all scarf a little more food.
Update: And as for the people at the peninsula, it ended up just being our 14 & 12 year old niece, who were happy to be at “the cool kid’s table” (John’s sister ended up tending to a restless one-year old, so she offered up her spot at the table to me since I had planned to sit at the peninsula to be near the kitchen and grab things for people). I just scarfed my meal at the table and then Katie came in and got to sit down and enjoy hers. Three cheers for staying flexible!
Here’s a better shot of the kid’s table (minus the last two chairs that we brought in right before everyone showed up). I think they had the best spot, right under the chimney. It seemed especially appropriate for Christmas.
Oh and in the “practical tip” category, I quickly jotted down this note for the hall bathroom since we have a dual flush toilet button (more on installing that here) which tends to confuse people sometimes. Nothing like a little note to make you confidently exit the bathroom instead of slinking out stammering “I hope I pushed the right thing!”
But now that you’ve seen the table all set up and ready for guests…. bring on the food!
Our family always does pot-luck-ish gatherings for major holidays, so John and I covered the ham, a few appetizers, the beverages, and some dessert while family members each brought along their specialty side dish (which meant we ended up with sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, homemade gravy, a cheese plate, and a yummy broccoli-cheese dish). Oh and see the platters and bowls? I set them all out when I set the table a few days in advance (it was easy to count what was coming and make sure we had the right container on hand for each item). Then it was just auto-pilot when it came to setting things out that night when people arrived.
As for where we got stuff, the serving platters/bowls were all from HomeGoods, purchased over time (I got 2 large rectangular dishes last year, 2 large square bowls the year before, etc). It was actually pretty surprising that we didn’t have to buy any extra serving stuff (the largest “dinner thing” we had before this has was eight people and we ordered pizza sans silverware – so it’s safe to say we’re no pros). But even things like the old green Pottery Barn runners have been ours for years (we used to break them out in our first house) and the little reddish cups were leftovers from Clara’s party. Use whatcha got, right?
Gratuitous bar-cart shot. Mad Men, it’s not – but it was fun to break out secret book project #5 (the cart) just for the practicality of serving up things like apple cider, ice water, soda, flavored seltzer, and wine (that got broken out after this photo was snapped).
We debated putting a tub of ice on the bar cart or even placing everyone’s glasses there, but in the end we just set the table with the cups at each person’s plate and left the ice in the ice maker and everyone seemed to have no trouble grabbing their glass, getting ice if they wanted it, and pouring themselves a drink. We must be a family of do-it-yourselfers, haha.
For dessert we had homemade cookies, ice cream, and an awesomely chocolatey yule log. Here’s Clara and her cousin John demonstrating that sharing holiday spirit. I love her chocolate-sauced face and how John opens his mouth while feeding her.
It wasn’t all place settings and food-scarfing. There was definitely a lot of kiddo fun, like this reading session in the corner of our living room (are Todd’s socks not fantastically festive?).
And Clara logged some quality time with her older cousin Jake.
We also exchanged presents after dinner. Here I am in the background beaming at John. It was awesome to have everyone over at our house. I was dorkily giddy the entire time.
Ah, the beautiful chaos of gift-opening. The kids were so excited about every last book, shirt, and toy that they received. It was very sweet.
And speaking of the kids, here they are all lined up on our couch. That’s Jake and Olivia on the left, Ben’s in Olivia’s arms, and then there’s Emanuel, John, and Clara. The fact that no one’s crying? Unexplainable. But priceless.
And since I promised you a bulleted list, here’s what seemed to work well for us when it came to prepping/hosting this dinner gathering:
- Food Plan In Advance. About two weeks in advance we planned the menu (in general, we prefer to break all bigger “projects” down into smaller bite sized tasks and tackle them over time – you know, instead of freaking out at the end and having to toss everything together in a mad dash).
- Set The Table Ahead Of Time Too. About two days in advance I set the table. Since I knew what we’d be serving and what family members would be bringing I could set out the right amount of large bowls, large platters, smaller bowls, etc (once again, doing this ahead of time was a nice way to check off some other boxes before the day of – and to help me sleep better knowing more had been accomplished).
- Remove Bad Bait. The morning of the party, I sifted through all of Clara’s toys for anything that might not be all-kids-friendly (ex: delicate dollhouse furniture that Clara’s gentle with but another kiddo might not be, anything big/heavy that could be lobbed at another child, anything that kids could fight over like one rolling cart that everyone might want at once). I tried just to leave things out that all 4 kids could play with together (like the big box of duplo leggos, Clara’s kitchen full of play food, and her train board – since they all have enough “moving pieces” for everyone to share).
- Lock It Down. All of those items that I systematically removed from play were shoved into the playroom, which is also full of other not-kid-friendly items like piles of furniture and accessories that are waiting to be refinished. Then, for peace of mind, John and I just locked the playroom door so no one could run back there and get hurt or grab those out-of-play toys while we were distracted in the kitchen or dining room. Worked like a charm.
- Allow For Last Minute Touches. In the final hour I added those personalized leaf place cards, so I was glad I had some time to putter around instead of not being as prepared in advance (which probably would have led to “why isn’t there more time?” stress when I couldn’t execute those last minute ideas).
- Take Precautions When You Can. We didn’t want to be hosts who worried about stains & spills, so we removed the rug that usually sits on the floor in front of the fireplace (nothing like a kid’s table sitting right on top of a light colored rug) and stashed it in the playroom. We also set out white & silver paper napkins at the kids table (not bright red/green ones) since a few helpful commenters explained how those can stain if people use them to scrub a spill in a rug, curtain, or carpet (the dye can bleed and make everything worse).
- That’s it! But there are tons of other awesome tips in the comment section of this post. Y’all are smart.
Hope you all had the happiest of holidays! Did anyone else host? What did you serve? Was there dancing and caroling or just eating and gift-exchanging? Did you break out the cloth napkins? Did your children spoon feed each other desert? Do tell.
Update: You can check out all of our favorite holiday decor finds here – many of which are under $15!
Krystle @ Color Transformed Family says
I like to go through my daughter’s toys before others come over too. It’s not that I am being rude it’s just that some times kids don’t know how to handle toys they aren’t normally around.
Anne says
What a nice day for your family! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! And was that Cars, Trucks, and Things That Go by Richard Scarry?? Maybe it just looks like it…. :)
YoungHouseLove says
Yep!
-John
Mary says
I love the dual flush sign! I did the same thing for my Christmas party–no one wants to be stuck in the bathroom trying to figure out how to flush.
Katrina says
Love the chandelier. Can’t wait to hear about it ;)
Debbie says
So kind of you to remove the breakable objects and toys that the baby could choke on. My husband and I take turning shadowing my son and daughter at family or friend’s houses. We never get to have very long conversions. It would be great to not say don’t touch that every 3 seconds. Sometimes we just stay at home because it’s so much easier.
Angela says
Just curious, but what did you use for chairs on the other side of the kids table?
YoungHouseLove says
My mom brought over a couple of spare toddler chairs since we didn’t have enough. They just hadn’t arrived yet when we took the photos.
-John
Needle little Balance says
I´m glad that it all went so well! I personally wouldn´t (and never have) set a table days in advance because where would we eat in while? :-) I´m also amazed how warm it must be at your place because all the kids can be barefoot. Nice.
Margie says
Glad everything went well. Do you guys have a “no shoes” rule?
YoungHouseLove says
We have a little mat by the door where we put our shoes and people usually take the visual clue and just follow suit. It was wet and rainy that day so I think people were especially kind about taking off their wet shoes :)
xo,
s
Josh Roybal says
OMG! You guys are too freakin cute! I love your blog and all your ideas! Keep up the good work…
Bella says
Yeah we had that Crazyness on December 21st too when we celebrated Christmas/Hannukkah/winter solstice with our friends. I was pretty surprised that our table was actually able to hold 10 people and leave everyone enough space to actually eat :)
I didn’t do a lot of planning. I simply made vegetarian lasagna for 8 people and gluten free noodles with mushroom/tomato sauce for my two gluten intolerant friends :)
worked out pretty well :)
unforunately none of our parents houses (let alone our 600 sqft apartment) is big enough for our whole family of 22 so we always celebrate in portions haha
Paula says
We, too, hosted our first ever Christmas this year. I was a little less organized but that is because though there were only 10 people instead of 14, they traveled to us (in Atlanata) from Ohio, Wyoming, and New Mexico – and stayed for 3-10 days. So it was a houseful for a while and A LOT of meals to plan for, cook, and serve, but it was AMAZING and I wouldn’t trade the experience. Like you, looking around and seeing everyone open presents in front of OUR tree made me a special kind of happy =) And the day after everyone left, I barely got off the couch for the entire day (except to wash 5 loads of laundry/towels/sheets). Glad your hosting was a success! Happy New Year!
YoungHouseLove says
Wow, that sounds like tons of work! So glad you also had that present-opening euphoria. So sweet.
xo
s
Ali says
Looks great – so festive and bright! And I like Todd’s socks. lol
Christine says
Everything looks happy and gorgeous! But what I love the most are those big smiles on the kids’ faces. Happy New Year to the Petersiks!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Christine! Happy New Year to you!
xo
s
Ashley says
Boat me! A sailboat in the Carribean
Angela says
Where did you out all the shoes that guests took off? I too have an entry directly into the dining room and I can’t figure out how to move the shoes so we’re not tripping over them. (do you say: hey everyone, take off your shoes then carry them to this other room so they won’t be in the way!) I see you were opening presents and sitting in the entry way but no shoes are seen. Where’d they go?
YoungHouseLove says
We have a little mat by the door (in the laundry room where people come in) where we put our shoes and people usually take the visual clue and just follow suit.
xo,
s
Elesea says
It’s beautiful! We love hosting things at Villa Russo (that’s what we call our little apartment) but I’ve never hosted so many! Looks like everyone had a great time, Happy New Year!
YoungHouseLove says
Happy New Year to you too!
xo
s
Laura says
The children are beautiful! That is the best part. Your whole family is very blessed.
Kat says
My husband and I too hosted his family get-together on Sun and I was probably just as giddy as you. You can read about it here. http://www.mapleleavessycamoretrees.com/2012/12/festivities.html
Thanks for sharing your helpful hints. People who aren’t as organized as you, *cough, me, cough* can really benefit from those tips:)
YoungHouseLove says
Aw, you’re so sweet. Thanks for the link! Looks awesome!
xo
s
Vanessa says
Happy New Year, John, Sherry, Clara, and Burger! My husband got me your book for my birthday! Can’t wait to do some projects and get inspired!! Hope 2013 brings you happiness, joy and many more DIY adventures!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw, so glad! Hope you love it!!
xo
s
Elizabeth @Food Ramblings says
Love the bulleted list!! What a great family holiday!
jenny says
LOVE the bright colors and the leaves used as name cards is lovely! :)
Maria @ Inspiration Affirmation says
I have to say — I really love how realistic you both are with your blog. You continually remind all of us to use what we have and make it work — that is the best decorating/entertaining/design advice. It’s refreshing and really awesome to read a blog by people who have amazing taste and acquired the things they have in a way that is normal for most people — i.e. collected over time. I love it! Basically, thanks for being awesome bloggers who we all can relate to!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Maria! That’s so sweet of you to say.
xo
s
synapse says
xmas dinner: cod fish with cornbread on a bed of slightly fried sliced potatoes (cod fish is a typical meal for xmas dinner here in portugal, but is normally served just boiled with veggies).
xmas lunch: chicken breasts with honey, spinach and pears, with a honey mustard vinager sause, served with mashed potatoes
nye dinner: turkey breasts fillet stuffed with mozzarela cheese and spinach, served with fried sliced potatoes.
all recipes were done for the first time. we like to try new things, putting a different twist on the tradition. we were 8 at the table. no kids. and then there were the desserts, brought by the mothers. yum.
decoration wise… we went more natural this year. well, the (fake) tree has been the same since we moved in 2010, with the same ornaments, but we changed the rest a little. i used glass jars and fir tree branches and grey and white yarn from ikea to give them a twist. walnuts, chestnuts and cork bottle stoppers were used to fill the jars/vases. simple and nice :)
when i upload the pictures, maybe i can share…
YoungHouseLove says
We’d love to see them!
xo
s
synapse says
so in the middle of january i share my xmas table. seems ok?
the table:
http://estrelinha2.no.sapo.pt/xmas12_table.jpg
details from around the living room:
http://estrelinha2.no.sapo.pt/xmas12_details.jpg
the food:
http://estrelinha2.no.sapo.pt/xmas12_food.jpg
i liked the result, even with no imagination nor proper time.
YoungHouseLove says
It looks awesome! Thanks for sharing the links.
xo
s
Chrissann says
As a native Richmonder living in NJ, I just gasped out loud when I saw the basket of White House rolls!
YoungHouseLove says
Mmmmmmm, they’re so good! I think they need to be sold at every grocery store in America.
xo
s
Emily @ twopurplecouches says
Congrats on such a successful holiday party! We hosted my extended family for Christmas dinner (10 people; no small children), as well. I was pretty nervous about how it would go down, but everything was great! Our “work with whatcha got” moment – we do not have a formal dining room table, and our kitchen table is way too small for 10 people to gather around. So we borrowed two rectangular folding tables and classed them up with some Target paper tablecloths and home-made centerpieces! And it was great! I totally agree with your prepping/hosting tips – I had as much food as possible prepped, and the table set a day or two before. Much less stressful :) Happy New Year!
YoungHouseLove says
Really smart!
xo
s
Lesley says
Looks lovely! I can’t believe all of the eagle-eyed readers who notice the smallest things in the background… the pictures on the wall, the new pillow… really!
Anyway, I have always wanted to ask something, but some of these shots make it a must now. Why do you put your tree in the dining room instead of the family/living room? When I saw everyone crammed into essentially your front hall I really got curious why you wouldn’t have it in a room with more space and seating to enjoy the gift opening.
YoungHouseLove says
The funny thing is that we had every expectation that we’d open gifts in the living room (we also have a tree in there, it’s just our special tabletop tree) but I think since we all ate in the dining room and everyone dropped their gifts there it just organically turned into us on the floor. Seemed to work out, even though I’m the first to admit that it looks all crazy and cramped! Haha.
xo
s
Courtney {a thoughtful place} says
So I am late to the party, but I Love seeing how other people host a big group. Our house is cozy so always fun to see the arrangements. And I have hit up those dollar store placemats many a time to keep lil’ ones busy longer. Fantastic centerpiece with the trio. The color is great.
Jacqueline says
Looks lovely guys! I love seeing other people’s Christmas dinners.
The note on the toilet surprised me… I didn’t realise people got confused by dual-flush, but here in Australia ALL toilets are dual flush and have been for quite a while so I guess we are used to it!
Look forward to seeing what 2013 brings for you guys! Happy New Year!
YoungHouseLove says
I hope America catches up!
xo
s
Kirsten says
Love the pattern on the ceiling created by your new light! Happy New Year…I just got your book as one of my Christmas presents and I live in the Netherlands so now you can say that your book has gone off the continent!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks so much!
xo
s
Amanda says
I love the shot of everyone at the table and the blonde girl has her napkin like a bib! Your gatherings always look so fun!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, Emily cracks me up in that picture!
xo
s
Linda says
Is it weird if I ask you to ask your SIL Emily where she got that color block Tee? Love that combo!
YoungHouseLove says
I asked her that day! J Crew. So cute, right!
xo,
s
Carolyn says
Was your Yule Log from the Rachel Ray Magazine? My sister tried that yule log recipe this year … mighty tasty!
YoungHouseLove says
It was from a local bakery that we love here in RVA, but the Rachel Ray one sounds awesome.
xo
s
Bethany says
About a year ago, we switched to using all cloth napkins, all the time. Decided it was a waste of money and trees to go through 2-4 napkins/meal/person (apparently we’re messy). Stocked up on some when on sale at Target/Pier 1 etc, and have used them ever since. Since we also have a toddler, they get tossed into a small metal trash can at the end of the day with bibs, washcloths, and dishtowels, leaving us with a full load at the end of the week. It’s been great, and I think I’ve purchased one package of paper napkins all year long.
carrie price says
Loved your note on the dual flush toilet! We recently installed one as well and had many confused guests at our nye party. I’ll have to remember to leave instructions next time!
LoveLoveLove the new llighting line btw!!!
Lisa @ Floating Along... says
Lovely!! We host friend gatherings for Easter and Thanksgiving, and enjoy being the guests at Christmas :) Love all your hosting tips, I couldn’t agree more!
Melissa Ricci says
Hey Sherry!
Do you ever have relatives or friends make rude comments to you about something? I recently held my son’s 2nd birthday and my MIL goes “your guests don’t have drinks” in front of EVERYONE (even though I already offered drinks and they declined). Any tips? I’m pulling my hair out! Haha
YoungHouseLove says
Oh no! I have always wondered how I got so luck with the inlaws (I couldn’t have built a better family in photoshop) but we definitely get our fair share of advice from well meaning folks on the internet, does that count? Haha! My best tip would be to truly think if there’s any truth to what they’re saying (you can learn from things even if they’re said in less then friendly ways) and in your case if there’s not (since you had already offered) I’d try not to let it get to you. Maybe a quick joke about how you already asked but they wouldn’t take yes for an answer will squash it in her mind and if you try not to dwell it’ll hopefully be out of your mind soon as well.
xo
s