It's the season of holiday gatherings -- some will be low-key family dinners, others will be ritzy cocktail parties, some may be dull office Christmas parties. Although the food is certainly an important component, as are the gifts that will be exchanged, the people you will see will truly be the highlight of the event. Some of these people will be ones you enjoy and have longed to spend time with, while others are you're worst tinsel-bedecked nightmare. Here are snapshots from some of your favorite bloggers' holiday gatherings for you to enjoy! Let's take a look at some of the guests you are sure to see at your holiday gathering... whether you want to or not.
1) There's always a Guest Who Brings Infectious Illness. I always wonder if they're more worried about disappointing me by not showing up, or if they're just scared of missing out on epic appetizers, but in either case they need to keep that crap at home. The flu is the gift that keeps on giving, for sure, but it doesn't come with a return policy.
2) Who can forget the Drunken, Obnoxious Guest that you're sure to see. He's usually talking over everyone else, loudly making bodily function noises and inappropriate jokes... hopefully you won't BE this guest, but hey, eggnog makes me do crazy things, too. Just sayin'
3) The Guest That "Surprises" You With the "Gift" of Showing Up To Spend the Holidays With You... by staying in your house. They even brought their dog and don't mind if you walk him and buy him food! Oh by the way, they have several food allergies so they have prepared a grocery list for you to shop with for the duration of their stay.
3) Don't we all know those awkward feelings of annoyance and gratitude when a guest has unexpectedly brought you a gift but you haven't bought anything for them?! The Guest of Unexpected Gifts usually gets the closest, non-dusty thing in my home that I can grab to give them as their gift. So much stress and guilt makes me pray the cookies the guest brought me are gluten-free... because I will be stress-eating every single one after they leave.
4) Yikes! It's the Guest Who Has No Boundaries aka "Grabby Cousin Lou." There's always a guest that feels like it's appropriate to cop a feel or hug for several seconds too long and expect to get away with it because of the holiday spirit that's supposed to be running rampant. The other guests usually spend the night avoiding this guest and his mitts of terror.
5) The Guest Who Sleeps the Whole Time (or pretends to sleep) has the party situation figured out. They can feign sleep when they don't feel like talking and wake up in time to open presents and eat the deliciousness of Christmas dinner.
6) The Guest of Homework is the pariah of holiday guests... right up there with the flu and spoiled surprises. Teachers, if you want to be a guest at our fabulous holiday shindigs, just ask! You don't have to send home crazy projects like building a model of the Hoover Dam to remain a part of our lives.
7) Any Guest That Brings Wine (or Scotch) to the Host, is ALWAYS welcome! I can promise you that this angelic soul will be invited back every year, and probably a hug of gratitude from me that lasts a second too long.
8) We've all seen the Guest Who Doesn't Want to Be There. Heck, we've all probably BEEN that guest. This person has had more than her fill of hearing cheesy holiday toasts and people rattling off their kids' achievements. Someone cut the crap, get her a margarita and get the REAL party started.
9) The awesome Guest That Hides in the Bathroom With You to drink wine and get away from the guests that are creeping you out or annoying you. This is usually a good friend or a cool sister-in-law that's just as traumatized from some of the other guests as you are.
10) The Hell Raising Guests. You know, the guests that have hijacked your sweet little ornament swap gathering into a full-blown raging house party, complete with loud, drunken karaoke and people that you've never met before. The only way to get rid of these people is to call the police and report your own party for a noise violation.
11) Guests That Let Their Kids Run Wild. We've all seen them. They sit on the couch sipping eggnog while their darlings tear your Christmas tree limb from limb, literally. I'm not talking about the guest who is actually trying to control their heathens -- I'm happy to give them more eggnog because they NEED it. Also I've been that guest and it's embarrassing... and exhausting.
12) A Guest That Helps You Clean Up the mess from the party is invaluable, no matter if their actions are motivated by an cleaning compulsion, an act of goodwill or a way to to suck up to you for a future favor. After the other guests have left, leaving the shrapnel and carnage of wrapping paper in their wake, amid dirty dishes and wine spilled on the carpet, this is the guest you want at your side... I bet she'd even help you open the wine (or scotch) that the other awesome guest brought!
Although some guests are a pain to deal with, keep in mind that we've all probably been "that guest" at someone else's party. No matter how many guests show up at your gathering, I hope you make wonderful memories with your loved ones... and just remember, those awkward situations are the ones you'll be talking about for years to come.