3 Things I learned from having awful roommates

So here's the deal, we lived with these people for...oh sets say about 6 months on a one year lease, we eventually managed to have them sign us off the lease and sign someone else on. I've learned so much about myself and others that I felt the need to share.

1. Living with someone who doesn't share your political, religious, etc. beliefs really limits how open you can be in your own home. No matter how accepting of other people you are, when you can't do or say anything about those things without offending someone, it can make you feel kind of trapped. Not only did our roommates have different morals, but their beliefs made it hard to feel normal in our own home.

2. Some people can't accept how abusive and unhealthy their relationships are, and will even project their unhappiness onto you. This is one thing I was NOT expecting. John and I have been together for almost four years, a disagreement or a misunderstanding is not the same as being unhappy, as many times as I tried to explain to them that we just like time to ourselves to relax and distress that ONE disagreement John and I had shortly after moving in defined our relationship to them. They spent the next several months telling us how "concerned" they were and was less than kind about us getting engaged. They even went so far as to ruin John's proposal! It's obvious between the nitpicking and all occasional hitting and controlling attitude They took toward each other it was anything but a happy, loving relationship.

3. Never compromise when it comes to your home and well-being. Compromising about the dishes is one thing, but we should never have moved in with a smoker  (I'm allergic), even though they promised to be careful about it, it wasn't worth it. They weren't and I suspect that most people will stop trying at some point. Our compromise ended up putting us in a dangerous situation, we had to move out with no warning and we were very close to involving the police. There were often moments where we felt unsafe and it eventually escalated. As much as you may want to help someone else in a crappy housing situation, and as bad as it sounds, look out for yourself first!

That's all for this post,

xoxo

Courtney 

Mary Kay Parties- Do's and Don'ts

Over the past few years I've done a couple of posts on Mary Kay. Mostly just talking about the experience as a whole, However after a few parties I've learned that there are some tricks to having a successful party that doesn't end in being harassed by a consultant for several months on end to buy more products.

Photo Credit: Cyndi (The lovely, Mary Kay Consultant)

DO- Be direct about what you're looking for, and NOT looking for, If you want a relaxing afternoon playing with makeup and you're not too interested in skincare, TELL the consultant when you're figuring out plans.

DON'T- Expect not to get a sales pitch, this is their job, selling products to consumers, It doesn't make it totally gimmicky if you find the right consultant, they should respect it if a guest doesn't want to buy something.

DO- Look around for consultants. It's okay if you don't like your first consultant, I've been in contact with three, two of those live about 2 hours away from me and they were both really flaky, unfortunately those just didn't work out, The third consultant has been amazing, she's worked with me around my schedule, as a good consultant should,

DON'T- Host a Mary Kay Party with the intention of not buying anything. The reason I say this is because at that point you're wasting a sales representatives time and product for nothing, a Mary Kay party is meant to give you a chance to try items and find something new or different to buy. The whole point is so you can try it before you buy it.

DO- Make food and have refreshments available for yourself and friends. You're going to be hanging out for at least a couple hours, if you do it mid-day or evening chances are you're going to get hungry or thirsty.

DON'T- Be offended if your consultant doesn't eat anything you've prepared, it's actually common for them not to, I'm not entirely sure, but I was told by one they weren't allowed to. That being said if you know the consultant well or you're friends with her she might still eat your food.

DO- Try your best to have access to a sink or two. They give you things to wash off with but I've found with skincare trials it's easier to use a sink.

DO- Tell them about any skincare concerns or allergies BEFORE the party. That way they can take those things into consideration when she's choosing products to bring.

DON'T- Be offended if a friend of yours isn't interested in going to a Mary Kay event. I'm very fond of my third and final consultant, she isn't pushy and doesn't bug my friends, she's respectful, if you're certain of these things you can mention that to your friend, but they may not be up to dealing with a sales pitch.

DON'T- Be afraid to tell the consultant "no". Be polite, obviously, but you don't HAVE to do anything you aren't comfortable with, if you think a product will break you out, say "no thank you, I have sensitive skin and I'd rather not risk it". If they push, just tell them no and they'll get the hint if they're respectful. Some consultants may also ask you to provide information of other friends and relatives, this is a sales technique, they are looking for new consumers. If you don't know anyone who you are certain would honestly be OKAY with you giving their information to a rep, don't do it, again, just politely decline.

DO- Ask about promotions and discounts in advance, sometimes they will do special promotions just for you, and each independent consultant does her own thing, so it never hurts to ask.

DO- Ask questions about the company or products if you have concerns. A good sales rep should be knowledgeable and be able to give an informed answer.

DO- Take these parties at face value. Just enjoy playing with new products and hanging with friends, and if you're up for it, spoil yourself.

For this next party I'm doing it as a gift to my bridesmaids for being my friends and supporting me through a tough time, John and I have been through recently. I've made a point to work out a deal with my consultant (after a different person fell through) to purchase gifts for all of them at a steep discount ($15/ea for two full size products, a travel size, a makeup bag and some samples).  She's actually also giving me a personal discount of 30% off any products I purchase.

Sorry for my absence, I know it's been a ridiculous amount of time since my last post, I've had one heck of a few (or six...) months. However I am happy to say we have been able to resolve the situation and posts should finally get into a regular pattern, or at least more consistent.

xoxo
Courtney