"Be Our Guest!"

"Be our guest. Be our guest. Put our service to the test!"

Or.... Not. 

We all know and love the lively hosts of Disney's Beauty & the Beast. Unfortunately, we aren't all as good as Lumiere and Ms. Potts. Most of us can't afford to play host 24 hours a day. So when you invite guests to stay at your place, keep in mind that they aren't just going to be staying in your home. You have roommates and it's their home too. They can't be responsible for entertaining people they don't know. Just like we have to be considerate of our roomies, so should our guests be aware that their choices affect people around them. 

For starters, don't take everyone by surprise. The worst thing in the world is coming home to what should be your private space, and finding a complete stranger sitting on your couch. "Um... Excuse me Sir... Who are you?" If you want to have someone over, whether it's for dinner or a whole weekend, clear it with people first. For all you know, your roomie has to get up at 5am for a big exam, and it's not a good night for people to be making lots of noise in the living room. Group texts make avoiding this problem super easy. You know the whole. "Don't ask for permission, ask for forgiveness" concept? Yeah, no. Not when it comes to the people you're living with. That's just asking for a fight. 

Once you've gotten the ok for the guest to come over, ya gotta talk etiquette with them. There are few things that frustrate people more than a rude visitor. So help your guest out. Brief them on the general rules of the apartment, so they know what to expect. Show them the trash can and the dishwasher, and let them know how they can help keep things tidy in the communal areas. And if they're staying overnight, show them what stuff is yours- ESPECIALLY in the kitchen. Let them know that the delicious chocolate chip cookies in the cupboard don't belong to you, and by extension them. "Unintended thievery" isn't really acceptable.

It's also always best to inform your guest if there are any "off limits" areas. For example, I am very particular about who sits on my bed. Call it picky if you must, but my nightly slumber is very important to me. One day, I remember coming home and a roommate's guest was not only sitting on my bed with a beer in hand, but had tons of clothes draped on it. (This roommate no longer lives in the apartment) It wasn't my roommate who was being disrespectful of my stuff, but because it wasn't explained that the bed space was private, I ended up having to ask the guest to get off my bed.  #awkward 

In a nutshell, your roommates should be willing to let people hang out at the apartment. Having friends over is fun and it can be relaxing to just enjoy your living space with a guest! But make it easy on the roomies to say yes next time you ask.

Bathroom Etiquette

Five people. One bathroom. Yes ladies and gentlemen... One shower. One toilet. One sink.

Talk about a tough scenario. I wish I could tell you that sharing a bathroom always works out, but there have been too many times when I've gotten home late from work, had to pee SO BADLY, and someone else was in the shower. And I know each of my roommates would say the same. For anyone else in a similar situation... I am truly sorry.

But, its a fact we have to deal with. So instead of just complaining, we tried to come up with a system that would cut back on issues. We have the "ask first" policy in our apartment. If we're about to jump in the shower, we simply check in with the roomies to see if anyone needs to use the bathroom before we take it over. This is considerate for others and it also makes it so you don't have to feel rushed during your nightly routine. We've also found its helpful to split up who showers when. Two of us tend to shower in the morning, two at night, and one SUPER late at night. This rotation keeps the hot water allowance spread out, and leaves the bathroom available more.

Then there's the issue of having three girls who all (yes we admit it) need a mirror in the morning. But there's a super easy solution to this. Throw down $20, go to Target, and grab a door mirror! Now, I can just do my hair and makeup in the bedroom instead of needing the bathroom space for twenty minutes. Easy, convenient, efficient. Problem solved.

Now lets get down to the dirt. Literally. There are so many little things that can make a bathroom disgusting. Its really not cool to put everyone in that situation. Girls I beg you, do NOT leave your long, nasty hair strands in the shower drain. Guys, for the love of God, remember to flush. Seriously. And we've all been guilty of leaving a huge glob of dried toothpaste in the sink basin. How do you deal with this? It's actually really easy... don't do it. A person who can't clean up after themselves isn't responsible enough to be paying rent. I know, I know- you grew up with a mom who took care of all that for you. Too bad. Your roommates aren't your parents. So buy some Lysol, take out the trash bag, and learn how to properly wipe down all surfaces. Your roommates will appreciate it and you might find that a clean bathroom makes you feel better too!