The Best Western Is Next Door: Addressing When Guest Have Overstayed Their Welcome

"I can't even shower for work on time in my own shower." My friend said storming out of my bathroom. She had to use mine because once again, her roommate's boyfriend is inhabiting their place. His visits became staycations. Although her roommate pays the same portion of the rent, they have a whole new person basically living with him that they have not agreed on, and whose stay has had an impact on their utilities. I understand wanting your significant other around and as an adult, you should have freedom in your home. I also understand that guest overstaying their welcome can be overwhelming, inconvenient, and impacts how freely you move in your home. Whether you want to admit it or not, you censor yourself around the company. Your boundaries are modified when they are staying in your home. It may be an awkward conversation asking someone to leave or cut back  on their visits but it is a necessary conversation. Here's where to start. 

I Ordered Salad. I'm Not Helping You Pay for Your Surf and Turf and Cocktail : Group Dining Etiquette

You are 3 shrimp appetizers and four martinis deep and now you're trying to split the bill evenly among the 3 of us. You are not slick. Stunts like this will revoke your lifetime invitation to go out to eat with your family friends forever. I hate that I have to visit this topic but it is apparent that it is needed. We are going to discuss Group Dining Etiquette. Make sure you share this with whoever needs this.

There's Nothing Flattering About Your Stalking

She got that man whipped" are some of the comments I've seen when Chris Brown found it necessary to harass his ex-girlfriend Karrueche once again via social media. A 5-year restraining order doesn't stop this man and there is nothing flattering about it. After years of disrespect and taking her for granted, some people feel as though that the fact that she still crosses his mind is somewhat a compliment to her. His complicit fans choose to skate past his violence towards women, including her, and rather address that he still has love for his ex and that's all that this is. They also feel that his stalker behavior is an indication of how great a woman she is. However, the truth is that yes, she is a great woman but this behavior has nothing to do with that. It has everything to do with the fact that he has lost his control of how she feels about him and his ego is bruised.  He cannot handle rejection. 

Your Auntie is a Hater: Jealous Family Members and How to Move Around Them

After enjoying a relaxing bike ride, you decide to check up on your mom on your way home. You’ve been getting a lot of sun and exercise in, and you’re only 10 lbs away from your weight goal. You are loving every minute of this journey. The best thing to top off the day is a little quality time with your mommy. You walk into her house and in the dining room, you see your mother and her sister seated, with a mug of tea in both of their hands. Your mother raises up from her seat to warmly greet you. Your auntie raises up to greet you as well with "Damn, you get bigger and bigger every time I see you. You better slow down on that sodium! Your Nikes are cute though". You look down at your Apple watch and that 563 calories you burnt today begin to feel like nothing. You've lost 20 lbs but not the excessive criticism and back-handed compliments from your aunt. Your mother jumps to your defense but you can't help to be irritated by the fact that this is always your experience with your aunt and it has gotten old a long time ago. That irritation is all too familiar to those who have jealous family members. Jealous family members express their envy in several ways. Unfortunately, not everyone is going to be happy for you and this is how you move around them.

Mixed Signals Mean "No"

The best way to deal with mixed signals is to not deal with mixed signals at all. Save your time. Believe me, I know that it is easier said than done. When we like someone so much and they are giving us mixed signals, we tend to mainly pay attention to the good parts. "I know he hasn't called in a week but he eventually did and told me Hey beautiful, I missed you. If he didn't want me then he wouldn't have even bothered." Sound familiar?

Coffee Can't Be Your Only Source of Happiness

Coffee is amazing but if that's the highlight of your life then clearly some changes need to be made. That's exactly what I had to tell myself when at one point, a large Hazelnut Iced Coffee from Dunkin' was the only thing putting a smile on my face. After a hard session of analyzing and being honest with myself, I wrote down all the things that were draining me. I then wrote down changes that I knew I had to actually implement into my life if I wanted to be happy again.  Here are some of the changes I made.