What have I just done <wail>

[GlaikitFizzogOnaNeepyLantern]

I've just invited my entire family (in laws too) for christmas

DS was born in April so we said then we'd have Christmas at oour own house 150 miles from where we are from and all our family. Originally it was my parents and brother that were coming, DSis was going to her boyfriends. All good there then.

Sadly, FIL passed away in July so it would just be SIl and MIL on their own for Christmas, so DH has invited them down too. My DSis has since split with her BF so will be coming now too.

They will all have to stay overnight, we have a spare room with a double bed and sofa bed in the study so thats DMum DDad SIL & MIL, DSis and DBro will have to be on the sofas in the living room.

Our dining table only sits 6, my kitchen is tiny (but hopefully will be a new kitchen by Christmas with a new oven).

I feel ill thinking about how I'm going to manage it all. This will also be the first christmas without my mums mum and dads dad so I can see it being a high emotion day anyway, throw in me having to cook for 8 adults and deal with a 8mo DS. DH will b great I already know that, but I am the cook here

I need coping strategies please!

Great advice from everyone. I'll be following and making notes .

I wanted to be at home this year so everyone is coming to me, including my sister's inlaws - eventhough my sister and BIL are going away.

Luckily, everyone is fairly local but my mum, step dad and other sister will probably stay on Christmas eve and possibly Christmas night too.

I was all set to do a buffet style Christmas dinner but I think it's going to cause too much hassle with the older generation so I'm delegating.

Mum has already offered to bring a cooked turkey - which is great because I have the tiniest oven in the history of ovens so don't think I'd fit one in it!

My sister's Mil has offered to bring things too so I'm fairly calm about the whole thing.

I always do mashed swede as one of my veg as it's easy to cook and mash ahead, put in dish ready to go and reheat in microwave while you're dishing up. Same for peas too. Zap them enough to defrost, then reheat at last minute. Your emergency chairs should also be at a completely different height to the rest to add comedy effect!

oh yes, miss- matched emergancy chairs!!!!! Ideally, one should be an office/computer chair, so that person can have no end of fun rolling themself across the room to get something from a sideboard...

The swede mash is a good idea! Not sure if I'm hosting Christmas or MIL is this year, DH is failing to call and have that conversation (it's his parents, it's his job!)

oh and OP, get everyone hammered, then it won't matter!

I remember big Sunday lunches at my aunt and uncles, they used to sit at least three people on the sofa on cushions, with the table pushed up to them. Other odd seats were the piano stool, and someone perched on the arm of an armchair! But it was great fun.

Your friend wouldn't be prepared to let anyone stay in her home, would she?

Ok, you need a heated buffet server off amazon, it keeps all the veg and stuffing, pigs in blankets warm while you do the turkey. I had one last year and it is fab. You just fill it and plonk it on the table Its a round one, cordless so looks ok on table. You can get rectangular ones too.

Secondly if you have any travel lodge near by see how much rooms will be and farm out the more social guests, that way there is less to do at breakfast.

Cook two turkey crowns, not as long to cook. Buy ready prepared stuffing, pigs in blankets, gravy, yorkshire puds, pre-prepared vegs etc. This is not the time to be frugal and do everything from scratch.

I have learnt from my previous christmas dinners and will be going out for a meal this year. Just me and dh.

I would agree with buying some of the ready-prepared things, especially gravy, stuffing, bread sauce, cranberry sauce etc (unless you are making it all in advance), though I think vegetable preparation is something quite easy to delegate. You can get some really good "fresh" gravy from the chilled cabinet in supermarkets and it saves a lot of grief at serving up time (and this is advice from someone who quite likes making gravy). In my opinion, Christmas is not the time to prove what a great/inventive cook you are - it's a time for family to have fun together sharing food and drink ( and sharing the load, so yy to delegating!).