You Can’t Trust the Holiday Company Pot Luck

The gingerbread cookies in the break room, candy canes at the front desk, and paper snowflakes taped to the walls are the corporate signs of year’s end. This normally activates the work holiday season. This time ushers in a more ‘laxed environment and plenty of opportunities to get together outside of the conference room. Some companies have organizational-wide lunches where they can recap the year in a “fun” way by showing a slideshow of employee photos. Other places throw a holiday shindig where the liquor is plentiful and the impending shame is permanent. But when individual departments and smaller businesses want to celebrate, sometimes they’ll throw a holiday pot luck. It says “Hey, we’re festive but we have this pressing meeting at 2:00 and people will start taking their vacation time next week so we don’t have time to do anything else” but that never stopped anyone from signing up to bring in a dish. Now this sounds all well and good, but there are many reasons why you might want to avoid the company potluck.

Pot lucks invoke test foods.

Folks LOVE to try a new recipe when there is an opportunity for many people to test it. That is exactly what that pumpkin quinoa soup is. And if you try it, someone will be staring at you to see how you like it. Don’t let it taste bad either. Your microexpressions will be on full display for the whole team. But on the flip side, it could be good and potentially a new recipe to add to your cookbook.

You don’t know how sanitary your coworkers really are.

Yea, it really boils down to that. You don’t know if Valerie has a cat that likes to walk across her counters as she prepares her cranberry apricot stuffing. Or if Jeremy washes his hands after he leaves the men’s room. These people that you interact with daily could keep dirty kitchens and unhealthy lives. Do you really want to risk getting sick because Hannah with the constant pet dander really wants you to try her artichoke casserole?

So unless you can really vouch for your coworkers, I would avoid going in on the pot luck. But if you must partake in the free lunch, get sample size portions and grab enough napkins. If you don’t like something you ate, cover the rest of the plate as you throw it away. You don’t want to be rude. You can also bring in a lunch that you can eat before the pot luck. That way, you’re too full to eat too much. There are polite ways around this, people.

But not every pot luck is a bad one. Do you have a work pot luck experience?

Credits: Roland Tanglao

How Long is the Talking Stage?

After getting out of a good relationship, it was not that hard for me to recognize surface fools. I call them surface fools because their intentions were very obvious and even in the most vulnerable of states, I was not that desperate or weak to cave into temporary attention.

Then, I met #him.

He was charming, easy on the eyes, and great to be around. He captured the attention of everyone in the room. He was that guy and I felt extremely lucky to be the one he was talking to. I mean, I was the girl talking to that guy. Until I found myself still talking to him a year later. He didn’t want to be confined by the labels of a relationship and so it took almost 18 months for me to woosah and be set free.

I know a girl who met this guy through mutual friends. After bumping into each other at said friends’ gatherings, he finally asked her out on a date. She accepted and thus began a short courtship. For reasons only the Maker knows of, the two stopped talking after less than two months.

So, how long is the talking stage?

It is as long as you make it.

Talking is just a period of time where you and your potential significant other see if you two are really interested in each other enough to exclusively date. Think of it like pre-algebra and being his girlfriend is algebra I. Get it?

Talking is not permanent, nor does it prohibit one from seeing other people. My personal belief is that talking should not continue beyond three months—if the two of you have been regularly seeing each other (read: going out on dates) and conversing, then both of you should know whether or not this is worth pursuing on a more intimate level.

Where many of us (myself included) go wrong is when we allow ourselves to act exclusively with someone we are just casually dating or talking to. The second we allow him into more intimate areas of our lives (hey, that doesn’t just mean sex), we open the door for complacency and stagnation. Like the expression states, why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free?

If you have been talking to someone for a long time and want to see where it is going, just ask him. Chances are, he is just fine how things are. He probably won’t escalate the relationship because there hasn’t been a reason for him to do so. He might be quite comfortable in your lap of luxury.

But if you just started seeing someone, notice his words and mannerisms as you two date. Don’t be afraid to ask him what his intentions are. Most relationship-minded men (I’ve noticed) are quite upfront and bold about wanting a defined relationship. They usually don’t say things like “we’ll see how it goes.” Pay attention to what and how he answers that question. It could reveal a world of stuff you might want to avoid.

So if he answers that question the wrong way, be strong enough to break it off with him. It is okay; there really is someone else out there.

Good luck!

Cute Work Flats for the Business Casual

Television shows and movies often present the working woman as a snazzy dresser in her tailored suit and power stilettos. But that is not always the reality. Some of us prefer comfort over stunt. And many jobs are now ditching the stuffy business environments for open office spaces, collaborative areas and even casual attire every day. If you’re one of the lucky few that works in such a place, embrace it. And by it, I mean flats. You don’t have to look like your auntie either—there are many cute work flats that compete with the baddest heel. Don’t believe me? Check a few of them out:

Did any of the shoes tickle your fancy? Or do you have a pair of flats you love? Please share!