Can we have a 4th option: I'd love to but I live with a really unsociable type?

The only parties I have hosted in several years is my daughter's birthday party! I used to have casual get-togethers fairly often. Nothing fancy but lots of fun. I enjoy cooking for my friends. One of our best parties had some pretty bad food--it was the Experimental Tapas Party and all were welcome to bring an appetizer they'd been thinking of trying for a party but didn't have the time/cash to "test" first. Some were good and several were flops but it was a hoot all around.

Then I need a 5th option: I'd love to, but it just never seems to happen.

I need an option between 1 & 2: about once a month. Less often than weekly, but more than several times a year.

Who are these people hosting dinner parties every week, and why aren't we friends yet?

I answered mostly at major holidays, although recently I purchased a rather small home which has made it more or less impossible to have my extended family over at the same time. So, it isn't that I don't have the inclination - I really am lacking in space to entertain. Just a small living room, modest dining room and a kitchen on the ground floor. No finished basement for all the kids to hangout in either. I'm hoping that when my backyard gets renovated this summer that may change a bit. At least there will be room to relax outside with more than 6 people lol.

I live in a pretty tiny apartment with a very impractical kitchen for cooking large dinners... I lovelovelove throwing parties, but they rarely involve an actual "dinner". Instead I make a bunch of small hor d'oeuvre type things and set out a cheese board and a punch bowl... and maybe a couple pitchers of margaritas.

I'd love to throw a real dinner party this summer, though.

I'm in awe at Faith's comment that she has people over weekly and attends others gatherings once/twice a week as well. I'm exhausted just thinking about going out that much. Call me a homebody if you must but I live on the west coast and work east coast hours so I am an early to bed/early to rise kind of gal. Combine that with a husband who works a more normal schedule and a 3yr old daughter means that we host people just a handful of times throughout the year, holiday or not. As much as I'd like to, and given my anal tendencies, I just don't have the energy for much more than that.

@rosebud yes no kids in the picture YET - so interested to see how that changes things! (I can guess.... :) But most of my own dinners are fairly casual, laid-back, and end earlyish.

The post includes casual pizza party gatherings to fancy shindigs.

I have to say I'm one of those people that has people over ALL the time (including last night). I also probably go over to friends houses at least once a week. I think it's one of those things you gradually get into. If you don't have people over a lot I think it's overwhelming and stressful, but once you get used to having people over your house all the time you don't even worry about it. Also, people become used to coming over your house. You really have to let go of being OCD about the way everything looks, what everyone is supposed to do, making the PERFECT food, being the PERFECT hostess, etc.

Also and related - I LOVE my apartment and my furniture, decor, dishes, glasses, cloth napkins, etc. and I like having people over to use my stuff - that's why I bought it, right? I also love cooking and cooking for 1 person often is just a waste.

Plus, I have several friends with tots and having people over to your house and vice versa is just easier. Everyone can hangout and have fun, the kids can go to sleep in a bedroom, and it all works out.

I'm generally a messy person and I have a maid come every other week, but having people come over frequently REALLY forces me to keep my house clean.

I, too, am a 'less often than weekly, more often than several-times-a-yearly' person. How often I host also varies with the seasons. I teach and so don't have the time or energy to host dinner parties toward the end of the semesters. But during breaks and at the beginning of the semesters, I'll often have friends over once every 2-3 weeks.

I don't call them "dinner parties" but we do have other friends who have young children over for dinner about once every other week, more if one of us has a spouse out of town. There's nothing fancy about it though - it's the same fare we'd could every night with a few added plates and a chance to let the kids run themselves out in the back yard.

Pre-baby: Once a week at least!
Post-baby: Once a month if we're lucky!

Also, this is easier than coralling an active 2 and 5 year old at a restaurant! And if your friends also have kids, then hopefully they won't be uppity about a few dishes in the sink and some toys on the floor.

I love throwing "dinner" parties though they range from serve yourself left overs/pass the takeout chinese menu to a few courses served on the "good" china (do people who live in apartments have room for good china?)

in the past week I have attended a passover in CT, hosted an easter for 6 at my house (turkey, lamb, 2 type potato, bacon wrapped asparagus), brought a left over "takeout" easter v2.0 to a sick friends house (turkey mashed & gravy), a casual dinner for friends (chicken "ratatouille" over quinoa), 2 "cooking" nights where you grab whatever scraps I have decided don't make the cut for the "real" company been part of a potluck picnic (roasted veggies, grilled chicken, chopped caprese salad and salsa verde) in the park and then a passover for 12 (red &white horseradish, eggs, matzah ball soup, brisket, roasted chicken, potato kugel cups, roasted sweet potato coins, curried roasted cauliflower, balsamic green beans, chocolate caramel matzah and flourless chocolate cake)

that being said I think my boyfriend/ dishwasher has banned me from having any friends over till friday (when my parents arrive for a weekend stay...and we are making dinner friday night..brined stuffed pork loin?)

I have friends over about once a week. Sometimes I go to a friend's house and cook for a group of people. It's cheaper than eating out and most folk seem to enjoy it. Although--I do keep $20+ on hand to order-in in case it all goes wrong.

We have people over at least a couple times a month, as much as we can fit them in.

Hosted a small one last night -- a visiting colleague of my husband's. It was mid-week, and we were only back a day from vacation, so it was a bit frantic, but hey, that's life.

We have friends who throw dinners on the spur of the moment -- very casual, simple dinners, low-hassle. I still haven't quite gotten the hang of those (I need some more easy sure-fire menus that I can just knock-out for those... or a barbecue)...

I'd say once every two weeks; more near the holidays, less the rest of the year.
I don't know about the "kid" comments. I have a 14 months son, and I tend to entertain at home much more. We used to dine at restaurants quite often with our friends, but now, I find it much easier to entertain at home. My son is asleep, I have cooked maybe an hour in the afternoon, and my girl friends help me in the kitchen for another 30 minutes, which I find a lot of fun. I tend to host parties much more now that I am a mom !

I probably have people over for food anywhere between twice a week, to once every couple of weeks. I live by myself, so for me doing this is an easy way to see my friends all in one place and make dishes that aren't appropriate or worthwhile to cook just for myself. I often get kind of lonely living on my own; I love cooking, and I love making people excited and happy about food, so for me having people over for dinner is a totally relaxing and pleasurable event.

Once a month. And while it's soul-nurturing to eat and laugh with my friends and to revel in the relationships we've created with one another I have to say the VERY BEST PART of my dinner parties is sitting down with my new husband, having a drink and recounting - a little boozily- how much fun it was and who we're having over next. How's that for a run-on sentence?