So this will be my first time hosting 30 people aprox. for christmas. Our house is well kinda small at 2400 sf, our kitchen dining area is just about 800 sf if that. I know my family is more then happy with helping but I also know that too much help in the kitchen is almost worse then non at all! So how should I divy up the duties, I was thinking two to help prep food, then two to set up tables and food (actually set up tables to eat on not just put plates up) two to help cleanup food, then two for helping with dishes. And then one or two to help take down tables, and then a garbage person. Am I missing anything. Does this just sound crazy? help how do I keep them from asking me every few minutes "where can I help, What do you need done?"
I think I would probably just ask for help as I needed it. Like: "Jim and Bob, can you please bring the tables up and set them up for me?" Or "Mom and Sue, can you help me with some prep in the kitchen now?"
I don't think I'd have a signup sheet or anything like that.....just my opinion.
And people generally pitch in when asked specifically, right?
Good luck!
Make a written list and start lining out the completed items. When the helpers arrive, they can take a look at the list themselves and take it from there...provided they are self motivated.
For parties, I always like to line the trash with 3 bags. That way when the trash is ready to be taken out, your helper can pull the top liner and you don't have to worry about lining the trash before the next wet gooey glop of food is tossed in.
I just put up my kids dry erase easel in the corner of my check list of things I needed to get done. If any one asked what they could do all I would say is choose something you'd like to do off of the board and erase it when it's done.
I was going to try to assign duties until the first guest arrived and thought and voiced that it was rude and sat down to be entertained instead of helping. So let people do what they like best, or if no one offers you know what you still have to do without forgetting that you still have the rolls in the oven and the gravy in the small crockpot in the laundry room(see I have had issues when I have not made a list). We have approx 30-60 people depending on if people need to come or not. I open it up to friends, family, and anyone I may know or family may know that is spending the holiday alone or with just their children. So everyone brings a dish to pass of their favorites and I do the meat, mashed potatoes and dessert. We use paper plates as I and no one should have to do that much clean up. Everyone takes home their container as is. So I have only the roaster and the big pot for the potatoes to really clean up.
Have you asked people to bring things like side dishes, deserts, drinks etc? If food arrives pre- or mostly prepped it will keep the number of chefs in the kitchen down.
Don't worry about space. I've had more than 30 people to dinner at my 1300 ft home. (It's very well laid out) Help will work itself out, no worries. One tip: If you can, put drinks and snacks somewhere besides the kitchen and dining room. It will help to keep everyone from clustering in one area.
I always hated this part of the day!!! I would make a large poster size list of things that need to be done. Then people can pitch in and help what is on the list. Cross them out once complete (or if another completes it they can cross it out ).
A side note, my mom and aunts are super organized and very controlling. I always got sick at Christmas with all the stress of who is doing what and this needs to go there and stress stress stress. just relax as much as you can after the meal and have fun. your stress goes on to other people. its not about having the mag setting. i only say this because your question has a bit of stress into it. if this is how your feeling keep calm and carry on ;D
The sign up sheet sounds awfully close to the sign up sheet for elementary school parties.
Do what you can ahead of time (some prep, table set up) and feel comfortable delegating when guests ask "how can I help". You can gauge how it is going and make adjustments.
Set up the tables in advance (Only with table cloth, wine or water glasses, and a very small center piece, salt and pepper), then your guests can sit where they want unless you have planned a seating chart—you can make name tags. I suggest having a designated children’s table.
Do as much prep work as you can, as many days in advance (without compromising the quality of your food) If you need help with that, ask your friends or relatives that are close by
Set up a bar area, your husband can serve the drinks…It’s not a good idea to have an open bar with that many people
Put appetizers and napkins on the coffee, end tables, and bar (Don’t serve too many or too heavy of an appetizer), so people will enjoy the dinner more
Serve dinner buffet style, plates first, salad, sides, entrée, (wrap the silver ware in napkins, in advance)
Clean up: Have a lined can ready, If there are older children (12 and up), asked them to clear, scrap and stack the dishes (unless you trust them to load the dish washer—if you have one---I don’t in this apt). With everything scrapped and stacked, the clean up will go smooth, after your guests leave or the next day. If someone insists on helping with the dishes....let them.
This way everyone, including you and your husband can enjoy your Christmas dinner.
I've never been that organized! I've had that many people in that amount of space and I did most of the work myself. I've found it easier if people just stay out of the way! Clean-up is a time when more help is good.
I remember getting together in my grandmother's house with about 40 people in a house 1/2 that size. My BFF hosts a spring celebration of about 25, in a kitchen that is about 120sf, with no dinning room. and it always goes smoothly.
Whenever I get together with a group of people, there are never any assigned duties. You can set up the tables way in advance of any guest arriving. The same goes for the food prep. As the day goes on you should have people asking if you need any assistance, when they ask just assign them a duty.
I suggest that you're making this too complicated. My family frequently had dinners with this many people. It got to be routine that the hostess would assign tasks as people arrived in the kitchen if the guest didn't just jump in to doing what obviously needed doing.
I suggest, since this is the first time for you, that you, as you're already doing, write down a list of things to be done. Then when someone asks what they can do assign them one of the tasks. You'll know as time goes by where you need the extra person and when you can just say you have it under control and send them off to the living room.
How many you need for each task depends on who is doing it. You will know when another person would be helpful. And for some things, such as setting up the tables you can have more than you actually need to do the job. One child can put out napkins, another, silverware. etc.
We had "supervisors" too. When there was nothing that needed doing, a person could talk with the person doing the job. Getting dinner on the table is a part of visiting and having fun.
I suggest that you can play it by ear and it'll work out just fine. The moms in the group will know what needs to be done and will most likely just slip into place if you come across as relaxed and willing to let others participate. We never had too many people in the kitchen even tho no on assigned tasks per se.
