Entertaining Ideas
KikiCohen
member
BFP #1 3/23/12 ~ EDD 11/29/12 ~ M/C 5/20/12 ~ D&E 5/21/12
BFP #2 10/21/12 ~ EDD 7/4/13 ~ Team Pink!
Dear Community,
Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Party planning differences between me and DH's family (vent)
Sorry, but I just need to get this out. DH's family drives me absolutely nuts when it comes to party planning. The most recent examples? There's supposedly a surprise birthday party for my SIL this weekend, but we've never seen anything in writing, just got a verbal invite from MIL. Asked FIL today to confirm a time (which we have yet to be told) and he said ask MIL. Seriously? The party is like 5 days away! And there's supposed to be a baby shower for another SIL coming up in November (it's less than 3 weeks away) and all I've received is a text from the hostess (another SIL) with the date, no time, no official invite. They are so last minute, it drives me nuts!!! There was a family wedding over the summer that invites weren't sent out until a month before the wedding and the shower invites for the bridal shower were sent out two weeks prior. I am planning a Christmas open house and wanted to get opinions on the two dates I had in mind. I carefully explained in my email to the family that I was just feeling around for dates. I get two very short and snippy emails about how that's too far away to think about and how they can't commit. Nevermind that I was only asking if they had set plans for either weekend. 
Ugh! Vent over.
Ugh! Vent over.
BFP #1 3/23/12 ~ EDD 11/29/12 ~ M/C 5/20/12 ~ D&E 5/21/12
BFP #2 10/21/12 ~ EDD 7/4/13 ~ Team Pink!
Re: Party planning differences between me and DH's family (vent)
Our Share of the Harvest:How a couple cooks from a CSA share. Pick Up Day Week 15
It happens. And yes, it's frustrating. My parents can be like thiswith more casual get-togethers ... they won't give exact dates or times for things and then they are amazed when we ask for more specific details.
I think your H should talk to them once and say, "We would love to attend family events but we need X days' notice, otherwise we cannot commit to being there." And if they spring something on you last-minute, don't feel bad if you can't attend. If they give you a guilt trip, just shrug and politely reply, "Well, I told you that I need advanced notice" and then don't discuss it any further. If they try to argue with you, just smile and walk away and let your H handle it.
For your own events, I would just send them a notice and say, "We're planning a party for [X date]. If you can't make it then, let me know at least X weeks ahead of time and I'll reschedule. But I can't reschedule it past [date X weeks ahead of time]." Or just set the date and if they can't make it, tough.
This is the kind of thing where you just need to make your own plans and then follow through. They can either cooperate and get together with you, or they can hem and haw about it and then run the risk of not seeing you. Don't put all the power entirely in their hands. People like this probably work better when you don't give them much of a choice ... some people just let everything fall to pieces if you give them too much freedom.
yay for venting!!
Yes, I feel your pain. DH's family plans everything at the last minute. I don't WANT to miss his family holiday parties, but we have to travel 4 hours to be there - it takes some advance notice, people! They have a Christmas gift exchange and we literally get the name of our Secret Santa recipient ONE WEEK before the party. All my other shopping is finished by Dec. 1, so it drives me nuts to have to fight mall traffic on Dec. 20. And it's too late to order stuff online by that point.
Please visit my blog The Party Hostess
My read shelf:
I am such a planner! My family knows I plan parties months in advance and they're understanding and just go with it. I can't imagine how frustrating it must be to be related to last-minute people. (Oh, wait, yes I can - BIL and SIL - I about lost my mind before their wedding lol.)
Maybe approach them when you're all together and casually ask, "Do you have any plans that you know of for Dec X or Y?"
My Pinterest
The Googlesites Paint Bio
Thinking of doing cosmetic updates to a dated home? These were our costs.
I FINALLY put my foot down about this issue this year. I was afraid to approach it b/c we could never afford to buy for everyone if the gift exchange was scratched completely. This year I decided I couldn't take it anymore and suggested we exchange names earlier. Thankfully, we're doing that this weekend.
BFP #1 3/23/12 ~ EDD 11/29/12 ~ M/C 5/20/12 ~ D&E 5/21/12
BFP #2 10/21/12 ~ EDD 7/4/13 ~ Team Pink!