To feel irritated by invites to Pampered Chef parties?

[WashwithCare]

or tupperware or candles parties or Usborne books or whatever it is this time...

Yes, I know I could politely refuse, but I always end up feeling obligated to go, because it is my neighbour, or DD's best mate's Mum, or the Mum is feeling weepy or looking for some sort of specific favour from me...(usually canapes)....

So there I am, again, on one of my rare nights out, and I'm not sipping wine and eating olives in a fashionable bar whilst discussing politics - I'm sitting in someone's kitchen, listening to a lecture about the quality of the wax, whilst the display of hand painted candle holders flickers away in the corner. Then although there is apparently no obligation to buy, I will then feel obliged to spend 20 minutes dicussing the quality of the hand painting/perfume/ingenuity of this AMAZING kitchen gadget before orderng £35 "worth" of stuff I could have bought in IKEA for £3.50.

If people want to throw a party, why not just buy a wine box and a packet of peanuts and invite people to talk to each other. They don't even have to clear up before hand - I wouldn't mind. Remember, like we used to when we were students?

AIBU?

I know Humbug.I was as rough as a bear's arse for days.Nearly did me in.

my P chef friend gave me a brochure today they are doing 30 percent off stoneware. i should start a thread " how a pizza stone changed my life...." i am bloody evangelical about the things. they are overpriced but good quality and my friend needs the help. agree w cakeywakey go for the booze and chinnwag altho don't go to the ones that I'm not interested in eg Virgin Vie

Took dc to a 45 min gym class and whilst waiting we were all captive audience to another parent's Pampered Chef demonstration. She was painfully keen and hard sell; it was really awkward.

I went to one PC party and got a flexible silicone pastry mat which really is great - the pastry doesn't stick and you can lift and invert the whole thing to put a piecrust in place. If you have to go, and feel the need to buy, this is truly useful.

But one of my good friends runs PC parties and I declined her invitation, as having been to one I figured most of the stuff is a ripoff. One of her small daughters - who I think wishes mummy didn't go out working in the evening - solemnly told me that her mummy stole off people by making them buy things they didn't need, which if you knew the lady in question is quite hilarious, a nicer and more honest person you couldn't find, but maybe the child had a point.

also the corn cob knobs are worth buying just for the name... but they are also one of the cheapest things u can get and u can put them in the corn before u cook them, then cook them and they go cool quickly so can handle.

so would suggest if u like the other people going to the party, go, drink as much as possible and buy the knobs. a good night out for less than £3. and a sweetcorn solution thrown in

so would suggest if u like the other people going to the party, go, drink as much as possible and buy the knobs. a good night out for less than £3.

Such exccellent advice in so many situations

I can also recommend the PC 'concertina' icing/piping device for decorating cakes, abolutely brilliant!

"got back to car telling kids 'The horses aren't very well today."

also lol at the knobs for £3 advice

@ moondog. I had a simialr experience at toddler group (I mean, had had a heavy night before, not got hideously drunk at toddler group)

I had a horrible time at an Ann Summers party. I just soooo didn't need to know about my neighbour's cock ring. Shudder.

Err, so YANBU, OP.

Why do peopel need to share such info? (ie cock ring and wearing thereof)

It's not the law to go. Just be 'busy'. They'll soon get the message.

Lol at 'sipping wine and eating olives in a fashionable bar whilst discussing politics' Woooo!

I always wonder what a "pampered chef" is. I mean, two strange words to put together. Surely a pampered chef is one that gets to sit down and have a rest, not one that gets more cooking stuff to do more fucking cooking with!

YANBU. My MIL invited me to an Ann Summers party - and like a loon, I went.

It was fun but I had the dubious pleasure of knowing she knew everything I ordered was for me to use with her son. More than a little strange.

She didn't place on order in front of me - lovely though she is, it was something of a relief

Oh I'm even more of a mug, my friend had a partylite candle party; I couldn't go but for some stupid reason asked to see a catalogue, thinking I could buy something cheap and support her. I did initially look on the website but they didn't show prices on there. Why on EARTH I didn't realise at that point I was doomed I do not know. But I blundered ever trustingly on. It's wax, right? How pricey can it be?

Well fuck me those are expensive candles.

Saw one I liked - hurrah, thinks I, I'll just get that one, it can't be that mu...£75!! SEVENTY FIVE POUNDS!!! For that I'd like it to light itself and cook and serve dinner for two as well please...

Bought the cheapest decent looking thing I could find - set of 2 filled glass votives for £15 (still a ridiculous price but by this point I was whimpering over the catalogue at the dining table weighing up the option of just never seeing said friend again so as not to have to hand the catalogue back without ordering, and then fifteen pounds seemed a stingey price not to pay for a friendship to continue). So I paid, and cursed my stupidity, but consoled myself that in a few short weeks at least people would waft around my house in a warmly scented glow.

They arrived and they smell disgusting.

Honestly.

They're hiding in the wardrobe in my spare room and whenever I open the door they try and kill me with their vicious scented evil.

I don't know what to do with them. Too expensive to give to charity, too embarrassing to give to anyone else!

I wonder if they'll deter gnats if I put them in the garden next summer? Otherwise I think I'll have to just seal up the wardrobe and sell the house furnished to someone with no olfactory bulbs.

Sigh.

You are all spineless. Just say no that you can't come. or go, enjoy yourself, but don't buy anything. I had a lovely time but never bought anything.
You complain, but the truth is you area coward who is unable to politely say no.
Are you all unable to say no to your children aswell ?

YANBU at all! I feel your pain. I chuckled knowingly to myself when I read your OP.

If you really want Pampered Chef stuff why not just buy off their website?

i want an invite!

Oh lawks am so ashamed as had been labouring under the misapprehension that I knew my way around a kitchen, but what exactly is 'stoneware'. Is it quite literally pans made of stone?

most goods at parties like this are completely overpriced. SO, you have 3 options:

1. don't go
2. go, don't buy anything (hardest option)
3. admit that you have naff all else to do and go, spend at least £20 on stuff you don't need but hey, not a lot of money for a fab night out

Actually, there is a 4th which I've observed far too often:

4. go and whatever happens spend more than anyone else

I went to a jewellery party and overheard the consultant totting up the spend. I said to the host "blimey, you've done well with people spending £250+"; she said " actually that was just my order....." so really, you don't have to order anything

Lol Fleecy - The thought of going to an Ann Summers party with my MIL makes me feel v queasy

YANBU - I've done my time in enduring all those painful PC, Tupperware, Phoenix cards, Weekenders, etc, parties - it's all massively over-priced, which is isn't surprising; how else would the host and consultant get their commission and/or free products? I don't begrudge them of that, I'd just rather shop on the high street.

oops, should just have said - isn't surprising