I’m not terribly fond of all those “home parties” that have become so popular as of late. You know what I’m talking about…Pampered Chef, Tastefully Simple, Tupperware…that sort of party. Bleh. Now, I do have to admit I’ve hosted a few Pampered Chef parties myself – and invited hordes of guests that I knew would spend the big bucks so I, as the hostess, could get a bunch of free stuff. Ca-ching!! Yeah, I’m sly like that.
Anyway, as I was saying, I really, really dislike attending these parties. The main reason – I’m a talker (big surprise there, huh?) and I always get reprimanded for interrupting the consultant. Tonight’s little “home party” was no different. It involved food, wine, chocolatinis, more food, some good friends, more wine (almost an entire bottle by myself, actually) and lots of laughs. A bit too much laughing, apparently, because I was the receiver of many ‘evil eyes’ as the presentation droned on.
At one point I couldn’t sit still any longer…about 10 minutes into it. You see, I just cannot sit still long enough to listen to the spiel of the consultant. All I hear is “Blah, blah, blah, collection, blah, blah, blah, order, blah, blah, blah, shipping. And being my snarky self, I cannot help but bombard whomever is sitting next to me with lots and lots o’ commentary and sarcasm…which usually results in fits of laughter and disapproving stares. Yeah. Whatever.
So, tonight as I excused myself from the throes of the presentation and went to the kitchen to pour myself another glass of wine I started chatting it up with a few of the girls. We completely forgot where we were, started talking loudly (even louder than the consultant, oops) and then started laughing our asses off which caused the ENTIRE group of women to pause, turn toward us and give us all the evil ‘shush’ look. Oh, and did I mention that my Mother was there? Ha. She looked directly at me and gave me the wicked “Mom look”…which made us burst out laughing even louder. The girls and I ended up going to the other end of the house to finish our giggling and conversation. God, I love a good girl gaggle. But I sure dislike a hush-be-quite home party.
One cannot serve wine to gals like us and then expect us to hush! It ain’t gonna happen!
You sat still for a whole ten minutes? Wow! That’s 8 minutes longer than I can go without getting the fidgets!
Good for you!
How long did your mama last ’cause I’m guessing your apple couldn’t have fallen that far from the tree?? heehee!!
I know they were all looking at me thinking “geez, she’s a loud-mouthed, wine-chugging, obnoxious chick”. And I was thinking “Watch and learn, bitches, watch and learn.”
My mom actually made it all the way through…didn’t even budge from her seat. She’s polite like that. Me, not so much.
Unless it was a stripper consultant doing a strip tease, I would never sit for that shit.
Yeah, you guys are lucky that way…you don’t have to deal with these ridiculous home parties.
I was aggressively approached by a cohort to attend a “nuturition” party; I don’t remember how many times I had to say no to her.
She was easy to resist, knowing full well that all I was going to be presented with are over priced super potent vitamins that are “oh-so-much-better” than one can get at the local store. Probably some Nestle’s quick mix with a vitamin in it to loose weight on. Somehow it seems to me people don’t get it. You can’t loose weight on milk shakes. Why is it that the people who present these programs are always so over weight?
Go figure.
I hear you. Annoying, annoying, annoying. And would you believe I just got ANOTHER invitation to a similar party? Gah!
You little devil 🙂 I love this! I’m LOL just imagining you being soooooo bad! I have had a tiny handful of those parties for friends. Actually, one for my bff, one for my SIL who started to sell Silpada Jewelry, and one for my neighbor who started to sell scrapbooking stuff. All the parties I have had were to help a friend starting a new venture. I did that happily.
But these days, I have to be honest, I really resent being invited. I do not want to pay $cha-ching for a candle just because some old lady placed the sticker on there herself. I am not going to pay you $cha-ching for some powdered food that I can make myself. I am not rich nor do I intend on giving off that impression anymore. I went to a purse party for a friend too and spent $100- on a knock off. Now, I have a whole different attitude, I just say, flat out, “I don’t have the money so I wont be coming”.
I am getting old and crochedy, I think. But, that’s ok. It feels like I’m being honest with myself. And that feels good.
I’m one of those people who can’t say no…most likely because I’ve been guilted into attending. And yeah, I certainly don’t have the money to be buying a frickin’ $10 box of bread mix. Good grief. Do you know how much milk that buys? (Well, not much for me since the mini-me only drinks organic milk). At one point I was chuckling so loudly because I saw the ‘fill your pantry’ deal…which was $200. I was like, “Oh, yeah, sign me up for that – and does that come with a free bankruptcy filing?” $200 worth of powered, premixed crap. Um. Yeah, no.
Hi 2,
It would have been even funnier if y’all had been sniffing helium.
the Grit
Oh boy, now that’s an idea. Thanks. Can I blame it on you when I get booted out of the next party?
I’m with JavaQueen on hating to be invited to those types of parties. However, I do like the chance to get out with the girls, have a little wine and a bunch of socializing. Why is it that we women just don’t have a party for no reason? Just a get together with no thoughts of sales or spending involved? I think we need to start some movement here or something. A wine tasting party? A paint color picking party for before you are about to renovate one of the rooms in your house? Anything like that? Or a to watch a chick flick? I dunno. I’d go. 🙂
I loooove to get together with my girls. I am fortunate in that my close circle of girlfriends get together at least once every other week for drinks. We alternate who’s house we meet at…we bring our own drinks and munchies and laugh our asses off all night. No boring presentation, no exchange of money, no math, just good girly fun!
Friends of mine have the occassional wine tatsting at their cafe near me. The first time they invited me, I was like “Sure, why not? Wine with other patrons of my friends cafe? What could possibly go wrong?”
Well, during the wine tasting (good wines by the way, I was especially fond of the Pinot Noir that night) the guy representing this small winery based in Maine, interrupts everyone’s fun by starting up a slide show presentation about the atrocities in Darfur, then begging for donations to a group he was heading to help bring awareness about Darfur.
I think that right there, thats the definition of a ‘buzz kill’.
I have nothing against political activism and the horrors that are taking place in Darfur are nothing short of genocide, but umm…wasn’t this supposed to be a wine tasting???????? No where did any of the literature say anything about tossing a few bucks this guys way to help bring awareness about Darfur nor was there anything saying I was going to be subjected to scenes of dead bodies while I’m downing pate and other horsdoeuvres….
My friends have invited me back for wine tastings since then and I have politely declined….
Good God, didn’t they realize you were supposed to enjoy the wine…not regurgitate it?
People don’t invite me to those kind of parties any more. They know better. The only parties I go to are the ones with Rum and diet cokes and drinking games.
I’m quite sure after these last antics I’ll be wiped off the invite list…or so I hope! Bring on the rum and cokes and games!
nope I’m not invited to those parties either. The first candle party I was invited to I came close to setting the curtains on fire..I’m pretty sure booze was involved there too!
I hate those speeches. Just tell me how much the shit costs and let me decide what I want. Dont’ tell me how it won’t melt or discolor cuz I got a ton of melted discolored shit sitting in my cupboard to prove that theory wrong. Oh and don’t try backing over the tupperware rock and serve cuz I can tell you from a drunken experiment IT WILL CRACK..it will BREAK and it will bust the hell up!
I’ve got tastefully simple or whatever the hell that stuff is spices from like 5 years ago still sitting in my cupboard (is that shit still good?)
Oh my gosh I’m so wanting to attend one of these parties with you…cuz we would bust it!
Ha. You came close to setting the curtains on fire! I love you! It sucks because you always feel obligated to buy the products. And the more I drink, the more amiable I am to spending the money. Damn, if I added up all the crap I’ve bought from those types of parties over the years…shit, I probably would have enough money to buy a frickin’ new car!
If I get another invite you are SO coming with me!
Man I hate those parties! Hate them b/c I’m too cheap to actually buy anything and I feel guilty when I don’t. Now I just make it a point to give a loud and clear NO when invited. But you make it sound kind of fun, so maybe the key is to be loud and cause a rukus.
I highly recommend attending and causing a ruckus. Also, it’s a good way to ensure that you won’t get invited to another one!!
I used to sell tupperware. I want to know how they even do any business now with all the knock off crap at walleyworld? I’ve got a buttload of the cheap crap from there that does NOT discolor. I’m still not going to back my van over it to see if it will bust but at least it’s keeping it’s quirky color!
Hi 2,
It would be far from the first time I’ve been used as an excuse, so fell free 🙂
the Grit
This was so funny. I hate those anal-retentive consultants. Your bad behavior would have been so much more fun to watch:) The other chicks were all just jealous.
It’s much more fun being bad. And…nothing like getting reprimanded by an anal-retentive consultant!
I agree with you Java Queen. It is an insult to be invited to these parties, and really has a way of discounting friendships.
Door knocking is no longer appropriate in most neighborhoods these days. The party factor is the slight-of-hand corporations with product to get around that. It’s the only way these companies who can’t get flooring space at retailers can compete. Also, the guilt factor of not-buying, or not having a follow-up party that makes it really truly tactless.
I’d rather shop online, watch it on television and spend twict the money of a party with my real friends.