The first time I met Raylene, I liked her. She had a straight forward honest attitude and a work ethic that I understood. I am sure there are times she doesn't have a smile on her face but it doesn't last, her cheeful attitude always returns. Now I know Romance Parties might not be your thing, but go ahead, enjoy this read and then decide. I didn't have the best opinion until I met her and talked to her about her business. I've seen how she connects to women, and really does more than just sell stuff. I think that is one reason why I really think she is the best at what she does. It isn't about what she is selling, it is more about educating and then selling. Anyways, if you want to host a party (free to do) then contact Raylene after finishing the blog. Grab a bottle or a dozen of your favorite wines, go pot luck style or create your own meal and invite your girl friends over for an evening of laughter. These make a great starter to a bachelorette party night. :)
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So you’ve never heard of a Pure Romance
party, or maybe you have but you’ve wondered why would someone do that? Here’s
a glimpse into my job, Pure Romance Consultant Extraordinaire. I’m RayleneTaskoski and I’ve been a Pure Romance Consultant for almost 6 years. Prior to
becoming a Pure Romance consultant I’d worked in many different fields: day
care, secretary, bingo hall worker, secretary, cocktail waitress, secretary,
poker dealer, secretary, valet driver, secretary, waitress, and, oh yeah,
administrator assistant (secretary). I had also tried my hand at Direct Sales:
Avon (age 18), Tupperware (19), Mary Kay (20), and Amway (25). I am also a Born
Again Christian since the age of 9 with a minister father (TV/Radio/Races, not
pulpit) and a wicked prude mom who is a nurse. I also have three children, all
girls, currently aged 13, 21 & 25, not that you’d know it by looking at me,
I barely look over thirty. [just let me keep believing it and we’ll be
friends.]
So,
how did I wind up a Pure Romance consultant? I went to a party. I had attended
a ‘sex toy’ party when I was 26 that was absolutely disgusting, vulgar, nasty
*shudder* gross, at least to me. It was another 12 years before I would go to
one of ‘those parties’ again. Well, I was bribed with Rum Runners to attend
that party but that’s neither here nor there. It wasn’t Pure Romance but it was
a damned site classier than the first one and I actually learned some things! It got
me thinking. I went home and told my husband, ‘what if a woman could be
educated about how her body works and why it works that way and how and why to
use these products without it being awkward or uncomfortable? I mean, it should
be fun and funny but not vulgar, right?’ and he said, ‘mumble mumble mumble go
find a company that does that if you think you want to do it.’ That was a lot
more than I thought that I’d get out of him! I went searching on the internet
for companies that and I fond Pure Romance and I knew immediately that this is
what I wanted to do.
People call us because they know that Pure Romance parties
are designed to make everyone feel as comfortable as possible. We strive to
entertain and educate you and your friends and hopefully that will empower you
to take that knowledge home with you and add some spice to your intimate
relationship … NOT to shock and awe you and have you rushing home to grab a
shower to get the ick off you! (like that first party I went to!) Honestly, a
properly done Pure Romance party should be appropriate for the hostess, the hostess’s
little sister (over 18, natch), the hostess’ mother, mother-in-law, all her
friends and feisty grandmother.
My favorite part of being a consultant is the
‘aha!’ moments that people have (and share, whether you want them to or not),
and when girls realize that they are not the only one who has this particular
issue! This keeps things fun, and funny…. most of the time. Sometimes there are
moments when you hit a nerve and a woman will have an
immediate reaction. I was talking once about our enhancement creams and talking
about the things that will cause low libido (stress, heart & blood pressure
medications, birth control pills, anti-depressants, etc.) and I looked right at
this woman and there were tears in her eyes! I asked her if she was ok and she
said ‘my doctor didn’t tell me that my blood pressure medication would cause
low libido!’ and I jokingly said, ‘did you just think you didn’t love him
anymore all of a sudden?’ and she started crying and said “YES!” That’s an
‘aha!’ moment that will I never forget.
At another party I met a woman who was just as stubborn as
all get out. She wouldn’t fill out the door prize drawing form, wouldn’t try
any of the products that I was passing around, sat with her arms folded
throughout the entire party. Sucked the life right out of me, I tell you. When
it came time to shop, she was the first one in the ordering room and I was not
prepared for what happened. She came into the room, closed the door, leaned
back on it and burst into tears. I was stunned. I had no idea what to do!
Usually the shopping room is for fun! And laughter! And Shopping! She turns to
me and said, “Six years ago, after I had my two boys, my husband decided that
we were done having sex. He just wasn’t interested anymore, he didn’t want a
divorce, he loves me and loves our family but he has no interest in sex. He
moved into another bedroom and we’ve had a sexless marriage ever since.” I was
at a loss for words. Certainly MY personality wouldn’t have stood for
that! She wanted a toy, but one that was
super quiet because she didn’t want him to know. I told her, “If I were you I’d
get the loudest biggest jackhammer toy I could find and look right at him as I
was heading into the bedroom and say YOU might be done, but I’M not!’” She
laughed and relaxed over the few minutes I had with her, but it made me realize
how meaningful of job I have.
I’ve had many women contact me weeks after attending a party
and thank me for saving their marriages. Just identifying an issue is enough to
empower you to change it. Realizing you’re not alone, finding out that there
are products to help, or just adding a little spice to a bland but otherwise
satisfying sex life can make a huge difference!
There is no ‘best time’ to do a party but my favorite time of
year to do Pure Romance parties is around February and March, because of
Valentine’s Day and TAX RETURNS! My biggest per person sales are around tax
time. I’ve had the craziest biggest orders during this time of year. I’m
talking orders around $400 - $500. That’s some big time romance right there!
There’s also no ‘best night of the week.’ Everyone wants a weekend party but
truthfully my highest attended and highest sales parties are Monday’s and
Thursday’s. I find on weekend parties people will find other things to do
rather than show up to your party that you carefully planned, decorated and
shopped for! [rude, right?!] But their boyfriend or hubby decides they want to
go out and it’s ‘later’s baby’ to you!
While food and decorations don’t have to be extravagant at a
Pure Romance party, sometimes hostesses will go full on theme crazy! Phallic
shaped balloons, candy, cookies, lollipops and, of course, cake. After one
particular bachelorette party, the Maid of Honor cut me a specific part of the
cake to take home…. Two perfectly round balls. I went home and set it on the
counter and my husband came out and asked what I had there and I told him it
was a piece of cake from the bachelorette party. He says, ‘that’s an awfully
strange shaped cake…’ as he went to cut a slice. I said ‘well, honey, it was a
bachelorette party … what part of the cake do you think that was?” As he
realized what he was slicing into, the look on his face was priceless!
Ideally, it’s best to do a cocktail hour before the official
start time to get your guests there and primed with some light snacks and a
signature cocktail so that the consultant can get started right away. Keep the
food in a separate area because barbecue chips and strawberry lube don’t taste
that great together! Leave the bulk of your food until after the party to keep
your guests busy while each person takes turns in the private shopping room. My
favorite apps are veggies and dip and any hot cheese dip. Unfortunately, I’ve
also recently discovered that I’m lactose intolerant so those dips are just
torture for me now. Even just chips and salsa and a bottle of soda is
sufficient. There’s no need to break the bank.
Themed cocktails run the gamete with “Pink Panty Droppers”
being a popular choice (there are multiple ways to make it. As far as I can
tell, if it’s pink, they’re calling it a pink panty dropper!) Anything with
Gummy Vodka is popular too! I’ve got one hostess who always had a big bottle
for the party and she sneaks a smaller bottle into my tote for me to take home.
She knows I won’t drink at the party but I love me some Gummy Vodka, LOL. Keep
it simple though and keep your guests hydrated! Having them drink too much too
early can lead to some embarrassing moments! An overly inebriated guest might
be funny (and, Oh Lord, I have seen some funny ones!)… but it nearly always
leads to poor sales and less credit for the hostess.
If you’re looking for a great bachelorette get together or activity
to do on a Girls Weekend, consider doing a Pure Romance party. Pure Romance
party is the perfect excuse for you and your friends to relax, catch up, have a
few laughs, and even act a little silly. Not only is a Pure Romance party is
completely free but it’s a great way to get free product for your bachelorette
to take on her honeymoon! And because you only have to be over 18 to attend,
this is the perfect event for when part of your bridal party isn’t old enough
for a pub crawl!
If you’re looking for a small intimate gathering for your
bridal party (less than 5 attendees), a Pure Romance party may not be your best
bet. Not that small parties can’t be fun, but with a Pure Romance party, the
more the merrier. This is one time to let out all the stoppers when it comes to
inviting … and encourage guests! Remember, the bachelorette is the big winner
here. Not only will she get a percentage of the retail sales towards her own
shopping spree, but a smart consultant will also let her friends buy her things
from her wish list so she can use her hostess credit on the items she’s keeping
secret! And be sure to make the Pure Romance party the main event or have it be
much earlier in the day before a planned outing. Having everyone skip the
shopping room to get ready for going out doesn’t mean much hostess credit for
our bride!
So what does my family think?
My girls and husband have never had a problem with it. My dad, the
minister, has always believed in what I do. After watching me do a presentation
for the SECT Women’s Network he told me that he thought that this was my
ministry. I agree. It took my mom a lot longer to come to grips with it. It was
the day after my one year anniversary party, I told my mom she either had to
come see what it is that I do or keep her mouth shut (she kept saying “that’s
disgusting!” every time I would talk about my job). She came to the party and
the next day I called my dad and asked what mom thought. He said “she said you
give factual information in an amusing way and she’s really proud of you.”
Well, what more could you ask for?
The lodge is located less than 2 minutes away from the Pittsfield's General Store, restored with classic ice boxes (I wish I had grabbed a photo of them), a wine cellar, goodies and THE place to grab a quick lunch or amazing dinner. After picking up a bottle of local Vermont wine, I checked into my room (the Lamb). I fell in love with the rustic window, my view and the sound of a river passing by and the amazing slate shower. I also couldn't help but notice how warm the rooms were, I guess this is a spot where the geothermal system makes complete sense. 
You know it is going to be a great night, when you are able to sit down at a custom farm table, enjoy wine, a delicious dinner & talk weddings. Our dinner was provided by the General Store, they do caterer the rehearsal dinners, newlywed brunches and more. The building is the perfect spot to take over with all of your guests and enjoy coming together. The next day was spent touring all the different style barns and lodging that the couples and families could enjoy. Even though I could have slept in, I couldn't help but get up early, enjoy the views, the Vermont cold morning and cup of coffee before anyone else. While at the breakfast table, I listened to a sweet couple, there planning out the final details of their big day, well big weekend. There is something special about knowing that everyone is going to come together and spend a few days relaxing, celebrating, partying, all because of your love. 
As a planner, I LOVE to see a crew that really knows their space, but also enjoys the space they work in. Working with couples is more than a job to everyone I met, it is their life and I of course connected with that. Riverside Farms is a place where you can plan a New England style wedding any way you would like. There are numerous barns to pick from, lodging of all sorts for your guests and wedding party and you can spend a whole weekend, or longer just enjoying it all. Not only can you use the barns, but you have fields to pop up a tent, or sit 
