Product & Recipe Demos: At Your Monthly Meetings

[DebPC]

Demos at MeetingsDo you do a receipe or product demo each month at your meetings? Do you do it or does a consultant do it?

 

[kcjodih]

I try to have a consultant do a quick demo or prepare a new recipe for us each meeting. Then a couple times a year we do a potluck type meeting so we can get different ideas for our shows.

 

[BethCooks4U]

I sometimes do a demo but usually have different consultants do the recipe. Sometimes they do it ahead of time and talk through it and other times they demo. My group doesn't eat - I KNOW! ...so there are some meetings where we don't even try to have food.

 

[janetupnorth]

CommunicationOk, I'm not asking for advice, just thought it'd be a good conversation to talk about with marriage.

I firmly believe this and selfishness and the two things that can break a marriage.

So, let's start a discussion on it...

How do you and your DH communicate? In person, e-mails, IM, phone, other?

How often?

How do you have "me" time with kids around or conversations without them hearing?

Do you keep things from your spouse or tell all? Including work items?

I don't do this but have a friend out in MA who once she got married, when she got home, her and DH would lock themselves in their bedroom for 10-15 minutes and have a quick chat about their day - no one was allowed to interrupt. When her mom came to visit, they still refused to skip this time and excused themselves (and yes, they were truly TALKING).

 

[imported_heat123]

Dh and I usually chat right before bed and when he gets home or at dinner. We never argue in front of the kids (which rarely happens anyways). I guess we chat here and there throughout the week depending on his schedule.
Never do I keep things from him or rarely should I say.

Communication or lack there of and finances I think can ruin a marriage.

 

[janetupnorth]

Dh and I usually chat right before bed and when he gets home or at dinner. We never argue in front of the kids (which rarely happens anyways). I guess we chat here and there throughout the week depending on his schedule.
Never do I keep things from him or rarely should I say.

Communication or lack there of and finances I think can ruin a marriage.

That's a big one too...I said selfishness because every couple I know having issues is always so focused on what they want/need/should have...expectations. If they focused more on the other person and changed their expectations a bit it would help.

(Granted this isn't ALWAYS the case, but a generality that happens quite often.) We are always trying to make the person into what we expect.

 

[erinyourpclady]

I truly think that as you age, personally and in a relationship, selfishness takes a back stage. There have been times in our relationship that either one or both of us have been more selfish. After 14 years together...and I mean that not quite literally as he is a US Marine, I feel that we have managed to find the middle ground between doing what we want for ourselves adn for the other. Does that make sense?
DH and I talk all the time......he is home for lunch for two hours everyday and with all our kids in school, we have those two hours to ourselves. We have always been very good about talking adn even when he is gone...we talk via e-mail or by phone when he can get to one.

 

[imported_heat123]

That's a big one too...I said selfishness because every couple I know having issues is always so focused on what they want/need/should have...expectations. If they focused more on the other person and changed their expectations a bit it would help.

(Granted this isn't ALWAYS the case, but a generality that happens quite often.) We are always trying to make the person into what we expect.

I agree, my SIL got divorced because neither of them were willing to give into what eachother wanted from one another sadly enough.

 

[urbnk8]

My husband does most of the talking in our house. I do a lot of nodding and uh-huhs. That's why when I get around other people, I talk their ears off. It's hard to get a word in around home. We do not have good communication. It's sad, I wish we did. There is definitely too much selfishness going on...not so much on my end, although I have my moments :angel:.

 

[crystalscookingnow]

My DH & I share everything. We talk during the day on the phone all of time. When he comes home for lunch, we share what's happened so far in the day. Both of us can tell when the other has something on their mind & we made a pact not to let the other pull the 'It's nothing' thing.

If we've got a child issue to discuss, we go into our bedroom & tell the kids to give us a few minutes. We've taught them that when someone else is talking not to interrupt.

 

[TwinGirlsMom]

It's called 'couch time' and we talked about it in a parenting class we took. I wish my husband and I would implement it because I completely support this idea. When he walks in the door it's all about the girls for the next few hours until they go to bed. We do have 'hug time' but it's not nearly as long as I'd like!

 

[TwinGirlsMom]

DH and I talk at least once during the day while he's at work. He's not a big phone person and he also likes to concentrate on work so I try to respect his time and not call him. He does know that I like to communicate at least once during the day so he will call me when it's a good time for him. We IM each other also.

I don't tell him every single detail about my day...mainly because he doesn't care to know details. He is interested in generalities and, of course, if it's a big deal to me then I tell all and he is all ears. I also have to ask a lot of questions to get the details out of him! Who did he have lunch with, what did they talk about, how are certain clients doing, etc... Both of us are not huge talkers but we do keep that line open for the betterment of our marriage!

 

[jrstephens]

We email back and forth a lot during the day. At night we rarely have alone time. We do try to go out to eat together about once a month alone. Speaking of that, it is time to go before the month is out! Luke does go stay at my parents some so that gives us alone time too.

We do great at communicating until footballl season hits and they we are a little disconnected b/c he is so busy with the season. Right now with be being pregnant and feeling like CRAP AND SICK I can't talk much, haha!!! We tell each other everything -rarely leaving even the smallest thing out.

We rarely argue. And is we do, it is rarely anything major. Usually small stupid stuff that doesn't even matter.

I do know there are times we do not talk as much as we should, but then I guess we all have that. And every once in a while is not as bad as all the time like some couples I know.

 

[imported_lkprescott]

We try our best to communicate. We use f2f time and emails when it's something we need the other to 'digest' before talking further about. I think sometimes though, DH wants me to read his mind and just KNOW his expectations and that's become a divisive issue lately. To him, talk is great, cuddling is fine but his desires for... more and his expectations of when this should occur have really put a hiccup in our relationship. It's really the only thing we fight about. *sigh* to him sex is love and well, all the other things I do for him to show love just don't count... he wants me to want him like he wants me and well, I'm just not built that way, I guess... or I'm broken... or he thinks every other married guy out there gets it WAY more than he... or something... *shrug*We always have catch up time though when he gets home from work. I always ask him about his day, even if he doesn't reciprocate... we have dinner as a family unless I have a PC party to do then I have dinner made for them to sit and eat together... during the day if either of us are having a particularly trying day or feeling detached from the other we use email... we met online so email is a natural fall-back form of communication. I'd love for him to spend more time with the kids and as a family but when he's feeling 'unwanted' *see above* then he spends all his time down in his office in the basement and I'm left with the house and kids... frustrating to say the least, which is why we're starting up counseling again this week actually. His solution is to keep even further away *not divorce though*...

 

[janetupnorth]

I don't have time to type a lot - just taking a quick break but it breaks my heart when I see people do this (shelter from the other). I have a couple of good books somewhere at home that DH should read if he would. You aren't broken, you are just wired totally different! I hope DH can understand that and that you show love in non-physical ways. I'm glad to hear you both are going to counseling for that. I'm glad he's willing to work on it. Hopefully he can learn to love and serve you in the way you desire and need your emotional needs met and that in turn will make you more excited about him in various ways. I hope it goes well!

 

[imported_lkprescott]

Thanks Janet. I'm glad he's willing to work on this too... it's hard to feel that all my other efforts are discounted because he's not getting what he counts as love. I'm the uber-responsible type too... which doesn't help. Counseling is later this morning actually... should be interesting. While he does acknowledge in words that we're wired differently, that disappoints him and he wonders how much longer he can take me wired as I am... yet he doesn't want anyone else. Men are so weird sometimes. I'm sure they say the same of us. LOL...

 

[imported_lkprescott]

Well, counseling went great. We agreed I'm doing too much and am simply too pressured for any down time let alone with him... he's agreed to do more with the kids and the house to help get the pressure off me and we're starting a 'honey do' list of sorts. So I don't have to be drained by the prospect of all that needs doing while he's off having fun on his computer. More balance.. more communication.. we shall see how it goes!