On All Our Minds

I'm hearing lots of joking with all the great food they're serving us at conference and all the excellent buffets in Vegas about women looking for the best diet pills. If only it were that easy, eh? Luckily I think all the walking I'm doing is helping to level out the effects of all the eating! And I'm sure all the water I was talking about drinking is working in my favor too. At least I hope so!

10 Random Things for Friday

1. I can see the Eiffel Tower out my window.
2. And the fountains at Bellagio too ;)
3. I can be chilly even in Vegas. Last night after dinner hubby wanted to go for a walk outside. I even had my light leather jacket on, but it was a tad brisk out.
4. I have nine minutes before I'm supposed to be at another gathering with some ladies from conference. I need to think of six more things quickly!
5. The best meals I've had so far have sadly been served as part of conference! We went to a decent Italian place last night that had awesome atmosphere (think hole in the wall), but I just didn't have much of an appetite. I made up for it at lunch today!
6. Now that I've thought about that, I'm getting hungry again. Tonight is our dinner with conference. They make a bunch of stuff using new products - yum!
7. We now have a line of savory products! A chocolate-fig balsamic vinegairette, a sweet n smoky chocolate BBQ sauce, and a cocoa rub. Yay!
8. I love the king sized bed we have in our room. Lots of room to sprawl! We could really use it when we share the bed with the three-year-old ;)
9. If I had the patience to deal with my memory card from the camera, I could show you pictures of the awesome chocolate creations I made yesterday - just wait!
10. I miss my baby girl :)

Not Here?

Because I've never really had skin issues, I don't have much knowledge on the subject. Are folks living in this drier climate less likely to need oily skin treatments? I anticipate this may be true, based on the stories you hear about English women having great skin due to the high humidity. I can only imagine how much humidity that must be, since Michigan is supposed to have relatively high humidity for the U.S., and I've never been 'dewy.' What's been your experience?

Look at Me!

I was so excited this afternoon! They started saying they were recognizing the consistency achievers. We already had ribbons on our nametags for selling $1000 each month since July, but now they were having everyone come up on stage and presenting us with a gift certificate for some logo clothing products from Lands' End. I turned to the woman I met yesterday and asked if she could take my picture when I went up there so I could send it to my husband right away (there was also a professional photographer taking pictures).

They went through two pages of names and I started getting really antsy! Then the announcer said, "Okay," and the slide with the names went away. I was afraid they forgot me! But then she said, "This next group doubled down and did at least $2000 each month." Finally my turn to join the group on stage - there were only five of us to have accomplished $2000 each month since July! Yay!!

Soft as a Baby's Bottom ;)

I don't know if it's the dry air in Vegas, all the water I'm drinking (which I suppose could be attributed to the dry air too), or the fact that I bought a new face cloth at the airport after forgetting mine at home, but I'm really not worried about acne solutions this weekend! My skin is clear, and even glowing with all the excitement!

A lot of times a drastic change seems to help my skin rather than harm it. Does that work for you? The first few days in a different climate, or with a new product, has me singing high praises :)

Vegas Trivia

from All Vegas Guide

• Fun Fact: A 1910 law made it illegal to gamble in Las Vegas. In 1931, a gambling bill was approved that made gambling legal again.
• Fun Fact: In 1946, Bugsy Siegel opened The Flamingo Hotel. Some say his involvement with that project is why he was murdered in 1947 at his mansion in Beverly Hills, California.
• Did you know? The working name for Mandalay Bay was Project Paradise until it opened on March 2, 1999.
• Fun Fact: In 1996, Wayne Newton celebrated his 25,000th performance while Siegfried and Roy celebrated their 15,000th performance.
• Fun Fact: Many of the first hotels on The Strip opened in the 1950's such as The Desert Inn, The Sands, The Riviera, The Dunes, Hacienda, Tropicana, Royal Nevada, Moulin Rouge and The Stardust.
• Fun Fact: In 1966, Howard Hughes begins his infamous stay at the Desert Inn. By 1968, Hughes purchases the Desert Inn after being asked to leave by Hotel management.
• Did you know? The Stratosphere is the tallest, free-standing, observation tower in the US and the tallest structure west of the Mississippi River.

Wordless Wednesday

Interesting Discoveries

Although I haven't mentioned it as much in the last few days, I'm still working on packing up my office. For now, it's mostly the stuff I don't use daily: some of my craft supplies, old communion invitations, crazy momentos, nostalgic old pictures....

I'd feel so bad throwing most of it away, but what will I really do with it, besides handle it again if we move again? It comes out to see the light of day for an afternoon and evening so I can reminisce and share with my husband, and then it promptly gets packed away again.

Wouldn't YOU Like to be a Chocolatier too?

Are you or someone you know looking for a part-time job, or a way to get out and socialize, or a great, confidence-boosting career? Check out Dove Chocolate Discoveries!

I've been an independent chocolatier with DCD since August 2008, and I'm the best boss I've ever had! I've had members of my team living in Michigan, Texas, New Jersey and Ohio - we've got no territories so I can work anywhere :)

You can start for as little as $49 (just through March), and you start making money with your first home party. And you're not paid in chocolate - it's cash, and it can be 45% or more if you sell at least $1,000 in your first 30 days.

Please check out this link for more information, or leave me a comment and I'll get back with you soon!

Packing

I don't know how I can so look forward to a trip, even while dreading the packing! This time the trauma started weeks in advance, when I decided a new dress would be nice for the fancy dinner night. Really? I think I was less stressed when I was looking at wedding dresses!

After ordering and then rejecting two very different dresses, I dug out my old dry-cleaning pile from the back of the closet and selected two that still fit and looked good to take to the dry cleaners. Luckily we did that just in time - they just finished them this evening, and I've got to get everything packed tomorrow.

Do you think I've learned my lesson, and maybe next time I won't be up half the night doing laundry and hoping some clothes I don't recognize but do love will come out of the dryer? Hmm....

Random Tuesday Thoughts

So. Excited. To be going to Vegas!!! Both because it will be warmer than here, and because I'm really looking forward to all the fun stuff we have planned!

I think I'm understanding why bears hibernate for winter. Unless they're going to Vegas, that is.

Maggie is running around the house in plastic heels. It sounds like I've been invaded by the Stepford Wives.

My Facebook isn't working, and I feel oddly adrift.

Wow. I'm too tired/overworked/stressed to be random today! That's pretty low....

The Bionic Woman?

I was talking to a friend about Bioidentical Hormone Replacement a few months ago. I was totally thinking it had branched off from the Six Million Dollar Man or something, but it turns out to be much less intimidating.

What I found out was a lot more information for women than men, but the progesterone stuff they talk about for women in menopause? Yup - as simple as that. I actually found out that the same sort of treatments could be used for PMS too. Every time I threaten my PMS with serious treatment, it seems better the next month. I suppose that's another example of the power of positive thinking ;)

Congratulations!

And we have a winner for the CSN Stores gift card giveaway!!

Going the extra mile and posting about the giveaway on her blog worked out perfectly for Siteseer!

siteseer said...

I really want this one... I posted on my blog for two additional entries. Pick me Pick me

Congratulations and enjoy your prize!

Giant Ignoramous

I consider myself a reasonable intelligent woman. But please, don't ask me anything remotely complicated about taxes, blog conversions, term life insurance, or politics. I'm a firm believer that a person it best served by knowing their own strengths. The stuff I just list is not among my strengths.

Some of the things I enjoy talking about and feel confident sharing information on includes direct sales, my child, and some basic marketing information (this can be so broad, I had to clarify a bit). What subjects are YOU an expert in?

Sunday Stealing: The Ace Meme Part One

Today we ripped off a blogger named Ace of Hadeon from the blog My Heroes Have Always Been Scientists. Since it is 100 questions we will do it it in three parts. He stated he jacked this from Padme 18. But, it was probably stolen there as well. So, of course, that will be as far as we go. Tracing back our theft's thieves might take some time. Link back to us at Sunday Stealing!

Sunday Stealing: The Ace Meme, Part One

Cheers to all of us thieves!

1. ONE OF YOUR SCARS, HOW DID YOU GET IT? I have a scar on the inside of the middle finger on my right hand. I got it by putting my hand through a glass door. I missed the handle when trying to run out and meet my dad as he got home from work. I was probably six or seven years old.

2. WHAT IS ON THE WALLS IN YOUR ROOM My room? What is this, middle school?? Paint.

3. DO YOU SNORE, GRIND YOUR TEETH, OR TALK IN YOUR SLEEP? Not usually. Although I did snore when I was pregnant.

4. WHAT TYPE OF MUSIC DO YOU LISTEN TO? A lot of variety. I don't like most metal, though. Favorites include some industrial and gothic, some country, and some pop.

5. WHAT TIME WERE YOU BORN? 9:06AM

6. WHAT DO YOU WANT MORE THAN ANYTHING RIGHT NOW? I'm actually pretty content. Maybe some movie theater popcorn to go with my favorite show tonight?

7. WHAT DO YOU MISS? Nothing comes to mind.

8. WHAT IS YOUR MOST PRIZED POSSESSION(S)? There's lots of conveniences and things I like in my life, but 'prized possession' sounds pretty extreme.

9. HOW TALL ARE YOU? 5'8"

10. DO YOU GET CLAUSTROPHOBIC? Nah.

11. DO YOU GET SCARED IN THE DARK? Just nervous about what could be in the dark ;)

12. THE LAST PERSON TO MAKE YOU CRY? Myself.

13. WHAT'S YOUR WORST FEAR? Anything bad happening to my daughter.

14. WHAT KIND OF HAIR/EYE COLOR DO YOU LIKE ON PEOPLE YOU'RE ATTRACTED TO? Hair and eye color have little to do with it. I find a lot of different looking people attractive.

15. WHERE CAN YOU SEE YOURSELF PROPOSING? Proposing what? I plan on proposing Denny's for brunch tomorrow in the car.

16. COFFEE OR ENERGY DRINK? Cherry Coke

17. FAVORITE PIZZA TOPPING? Mushrooms

18. IF YOU COULD EAT ANYTHING RIGHT NOW, WHAT WOULD IT BE? Are you going to bring me that movie theater popcorn?

19. FAVORITE COLOR OF ALL TIME? Black

20. HAVE YOU EVER EATEN A GOLDFISH? I love the fishies cuz they're so delish-ies!

21. WHAT WAS THE FIRST MEANINGFUL GIFT YOU'VE EVER RECEIVED? I don't really know.

22. DO YOU HAVE A CRUSH? Probably Margene, but she's been getting sort of annoying.

23. ARE YOU DOUBLE JOINTED? No

24. FAVORITE CLOTHING BRAND? I'm too busy - is 'clean' a brand?

25. WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE FEMALE/MALE CELEBRITY? I don't have a favorite celebrity who is both female and male.

26. DO YOU HAVE A PET RIGHT NOW? Yes

27. WHAT KIND IS IT? Cat

28. WOULD YOU FALL IN LOVE KNOWING THAT THE PERSON IS LEAVING? Of course not intentionally, but I don't know that I've ever had a lot of say in it.

30. SAY A NUMBER FROM ONE TO A HUNDRED? (I did, but what's the question?)

31. BLONDES OR BRUNETTES? I'm a brunette.

32. FAVORITE QUOTE? It's all okay in the end - if it's not okay, it's not the end.

33. FAVORITE PLACE? Wherever I'm happy at the moment.

Ask Me Anything

I've heard that everyone loves to talk about themselves. Apparently I do ;) Besides doing it all the time on this blog, I'm also one of those people who fill out all the shopper surveys I get in the snail mail (at least if they pay the postage!).

The one I got yesterday had a few interesting questions about death insurance for the members of our family. I have to admit an eyebrow raised at that! I hadn't really thought about death insurance. I assume it has more to do with expenses incurred because of a death, but isn't that the same stuff life insurance covers? From the information I was able to find, I think there's Insurance Information Exchange available with experts to say what really works for a particular family.

Some surveys ask what I know, this one really pointed out what I didn't. Plenty of value either way, I suppose.

10 Random Things for Friday

1. After my chocolate show tonight, I'll be ready to just focus on VEGAS!!
2. I tried getting two different dresses from eBay for the fancy dinner night in Vegas - both dresses didn't fit at all as I expected, and now I'm back at square one, with a couple extra items in the charity bag ;)
3. Everyone is talking about Girl Scout cookies, so I've ordered them. But I don't want to just order them - I want to eat them! NOW!
4. Hey, you know what? I'm cold.
5. I talked to a woman working in direct sales who said she doesn't hold home shows for other companies. Really? Way to support the industry. Huh. Luckily she didn't suggest I consider buying her products either.
6. I hope it doesn't snow anymore today. Really, really, really hope.
7. It's supposed to be in the 60s when I'm in Vegas next week. Some folks coming from California are worried about how 'chilly' it'll be. Hahahahahaha.....
8. I'm trying to think of something having nothing to do with my chocolate biz, and I'm drawing a blank. That's kinda sad.
9. I tried to read a book last week that I totally couldn't get into. The fact that I just couldn't get into it made me feel bad. I love reading, and I love being able to get through books and start new ones. Not finishing one kind of leaves me disappointed in myself. But really? It must have been a pretty bad book, as I made it through the next one in a few days :)
10. I should cut my nails down, because the nails on my left hand are stubs, while the ones on my right hand don't look too bad yet. They should match, I think.
    

Getting it Done!

There seems to be a slight lag in some of the thinking surrounding job searches. People looking for work seem to flood the internet (and some of the entrepreneur sites I frequent), but when employers are looking for PHP Programmers, they seem to run an ad in their local paper out of habit from decades ago.

Many jobs don't need a live person sitting in your office. Perhaps you could find a PHP Developers or other technical person who worked from their location. You could save overhead, or even just save the cost of your help wanted ad by searching for those already out there looking for work doing exactly what you need!

The internet should be an employers first stop to find the exact help the need immediately, and at a great value for just a project or two, when you don't really need a 'forever' employee coming in each morning.

Ideas, Please!

There's a young man at our library who says Maggie is his best friend. He actually says this about several of the preschoolers. You can truly see him just light up when kids arrive to play with him in the children's area of the library, which includes a mini kitchen and a puppet stage.

But the young man is in his early 20s (23, I think). He is developmentally on par with a 10 or 11 year old, though. He used to sit in the mall and color in his notebook about Super Mario, but some of the kids made fun of him, so he started walking to the library every day instead. He would sit quietly at the puzzle tables in the children's area of the library, until his friends came by and they could all play. Sometimes it would be a few days without his friends, and he would be sad. Each day he continued to walk to the library around the time they opened, and walk back home when his dad got home from work around 3PM or so. He never ate at the library, because it wasn't allowed. The librarians invited him to eat in the break room with them, but he refused because to his 10 year old mind, rules are rules. No food in the library.

The problem for which I'm seeking possible solutions started around the holidays. The young man has been asked to sit at the other end of the library, down by the research area. He says it's quiet, and he's sad. He's asked the librarians to tell him whenever his friends come in, but of course that's not practical.

I'm not sure exactly why he was asked to move, but I would guess that an adult male playing with preschoolers made some parents uncomfortable. I really wouldn't want people to avoid the library for such a reason.

What other options are there for a special young man like this to spend his days pleasantly, without potentially offending someone else? He's too young for adult day-care type centers, and doesn't have obvious disabilities, which would make him too 'healthy' for a center for special needs people. What else is there for him? If you have any ideas, I'd love to hear them!

Zzzzz.....

I hear about friends with insomnia. I remember when I was in college sometimes being able to stay awake for days. Now that I have a preschooler? I can't imagine needing the best sleeping pills. I found a box of sleeping pills packed away in an old desk as I was moving some stuff, and tried to remember needing them. Somehow now it seems that as long as I can keep myself awake, there's stuff to get done!

Thinking back a little further, I remember being a teenager and wanting to sleep in later than my parents. Someday, Maggie will probably get to that point. Then, I may take advantage of a little additional incentive to catch up on some of that sleep I've missed in years passed. ;)

Customer Service?

Earlier this afternoon, after dropping a deposit off at the credit union, Maggie and I decided to grab lunch at a franchise sandwich shop. This particular location was closed for a couple months last year, but re-opened in December and sent out some good coupons to get us back. They worked!

While we were there, the two people working the counter were nice. They made sure we had what we wanted, and they were friendly. As we were eating, the owner or manager arrived. His first priority was making sure the barstools were straight around the hightop tables while mumbling about keeping the restaurant looking nice. Really? Then he proceeded to sit at the front window and talk on his phone. The only customers during this time were Maggie and I, and an older couple. When the owner or manager finished his call, he went to talk to the two people working. He told them someone important (a COO or something from the corporate office) would be arriving the next day. He wanted to make sure everything look sharp and successful.

Personally, I think happy customers will serve him a lot longer than a spic and span location. He never once said anything to us or the other couple there. As we left, it was the two nice workers who wished us well. I would have been a lot more impressed with the restaurant's re-opening if the 'important' guy had ensured we were well served, or thanked us for choosing his restaurant. Is it just me? What would you rather have seen?

Don't Act Surprised!

When you come to a chocolate tasting party, don't be surprised that I don't mix in tips about the best fat burners in my presentation. It's chocolate, folks. It's fine, in moderation, and I'm willing to bet that even the strictest dieter tries some delicious chocolate from time to time. At least I hope it's delicious! If you're going to treat yourself, I'm of the belief that you may as well do it right!

I had someone tell me on a call the other day that she couldn't have a chocolate party because, "all my friends are dieting." I started chuckling and told her there's no way she could convince me that they weren't eating any chocolate at all. If you're going to splurge and treat yourself, go for the good stuff! A couple bites won't doom your diet.

Random Tuesday Thoughts

I just signed up with Paybox. I haven't taken a chance to look over the site much and see what that means, but they didn't ask for any more information than my email, and it already shows I have $25 on account! Woo-hoo! Come join me :)

I'm apparently so random today I forgot I was writing this and left my office for a while. Huh.

Be sure to enter my giveaway by January 22!

I'm hungry, but it's too close to dinner time to make popcorn. Maybe. Maybe not.

I have another phone call I haven't been wanting to make, but it's on today's schedule. That's probably why I got back to my random list - to procrastinate more productively ;) I'm supposed to call someone who requested information about becoming a chocolatier, but the first time I called, the person started out acting like they didn't know what I was talking about. This was within an hour of them requesting the information. They haven't signed up so far, so I keep following up!

Oh, by the way? I'm still pretty chilly. And today is supposed to be the warmest day this week. :(

If at First You Don't Win.... Try Again!! - GIVEAWAY CLOSED

If at first you don't win a giveaway on my blog - c'mon back! I'll try and have another one for you soon!

To that end, I'm very excited to announce that you could win anything here. I told a friend of mine the other day that I knew where she could get adjustable bar stools to go with her new table, or towels, or toys for her son, or tools for her husband...the list goes on and on!

CSN Stores has more than 200 different stores, with all different categories of merchandise! Go take a look - I'm guessing if they don't have it somewhere, you probably don't really need it. But since you do need it, they're helping one of my readers out. You could win a $55 gift card, good at any of the 200+ stores! I'll accept entries through January 22, 2011. - GIVEAWAY CLOSED

• To enter, just leave a comment to this post saying why you want to win, and what you might get with the certificate if you do win! (Be sure to include your email if you don't have a blogger profile!)
  
• Want two more entries? Promote the giveaway on your blog and let me know in an additional comment (please share your blog link).

CSN Stores is providing the giveaway gift card to whichever of my readers wins it. The gift card does not cover shipping. I am receiving your undying loyalty in exchange for posting another giveaway, right? Yay for honest disclosure :).

Tax Time?

I'm sure there will be plenty of posts about tax stuff coming up. Now that it's officially 2011, I've got to start getting my tax numbers figured out. There are lots of good reasons for doing it right. Not only for your refund (or if you have to pay, making sure it's the right amount!), but also because these are the numbers that contribute to your SSDI benefits if they're ever needed.

A few years ago, I was in a sticky wicket where I ended up unemployed and owing money to the IRS. They aren't as bad as people make out! I made payment arrangements, and stuck to the, and they never really gave me any grief. So remember when doing your tax stuff, do it all honestly and to the best of your ability, and it is generally for your own benefit in the end!

Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner!

After listing all qualified entries to the giveaway and having Random.org select a winner, Tim is the lucky one!!

Tim - I'll have EdenFantasys email your gift card as soon as possible - Congrats!

10 Random Things for Friday

1. Today TOTALLY got away from me. Yesterday felt like three days long because we did so much, today I feel like I haven't accomplished a thing!
2. I'm so grateful for friends who can help me out at the last minute.
   
3. Which isn't to say I'm not very grateful for friends who help me out with lots of notice! ;)
4. I finally fixed the grandfather clock today. It's been chiming an hour later than the actual time for a few weeks.
5. I need to get a few big ole storage bins from the store to pack up my office next week. It's so hard to decide what I won't need for an indefinite period of time.
6. I'm seriously bummed that the bag I usually carry my catalogs in broke last week. Now I've got them in two smaller bags, but there's no way I can make it into the party in one trip with things divided up like this. Hmm....
7. Maggie prefers to eat tater tots with a fork.
8. I've never been to a Premier jewelry party, and I'm planning to go to my first one tomorrow at hubby's cousins house. Any recommendations?
9. I finally got a new address book, but it doesn't have the little 'S' and 'R' boxes for holiday cards. I'm so disappointed I haven't even started copying addresses into it.
10. Hubby and I need to go to the comedy club before February 26. We have a gift certificate that expires then :)
    

Style New Year's Resolutions - A Guest Post

Guest post written by Claire Parks

I guess that lately I've kind of gotten comfortable in my personal style with my ballet flats, skinny jeans and cardigans. But when I looked through the pictures of myself over the holidays I realized just how boring and ho hum that look is and decided to make a New Year's resolution to change up my personal style.

I decided that I should try and transform my personal style by figuring out what all the celebrities are wearing and see if I can try and apply that to my own style. While I was doing that I came across some information about and chose to Getclearwirelessinternet.

One part of my style New Year's resolution is that I'm going to start wearing heels again. I have some really cute pairs but I got out of habit of wearing them. I think that just simply wearing those heels or some of my multiple pairs of wedges with my jeans and cardigans would be a nice way to liven things up. I just feel like I have so much better posture and more self-confidence when I wear heels or wedges.

Tick Tock!

Do you work best under pressure? Tomorrow is the last day to enter for my current giveaway!

I had a friend say she didn't need any of 'those' products. I'll tell all of you what I told her: It's not just stuff to hide from your kids! There are also candles, massage stuff, books and DVDs (I started to say videos - does that make me old?). My point is, there's a lot of different stuff available, and the gift card could be yours to spend as you wish. Go check out the site (without the kids looking over your shoulder!) before you say no way!

I'd like to do more giveaways - show me that you're all interested ;)

Confusing my Vacations!

My Vegas trip is in exactly two weeks. I'm excited, and stressed out about everything I want/need to accomplish before then. One of my side tasks lately has been trying to make sure I have everything I want to pack. I'm primarily looking for clothes for the conference, but in my head I keep thinking about when I've usually packed for warmer vacations. When we went on our cruise, or when I went to the Bahamas, I needed to pack things like marine binoculars for excursions. Won't exactly need them in Vegas, but they still keep crossing my mind. Maybe I'm subliminally hoping for my company to announce a trip while we're in Vegas! We'll see...

Really?

The roads were pretty icky earlier today when we headed out to Maggie's class a little after noon. I absolutely hate driving when the roads are icky, but luckily Maggie's class is only a mile or so away.

I was mildly annoyed when one road had an extra right lane for people turning in to the industrial businesses and an SUV decided they HAD to get around me. The driver started trying to accelerate past me when a light turned green, so I backed off and let her instead of screwing around on the slush covered road. Just a few driveways further, she turned left into the same place we were going. Of course I started guessing whose mom it might be.

(As a total aside, I had to wait for more traffic before I could complete the left turn, but once I got into the lot she was blocking my way by still trying to fit her SUV into a spot - go forward, back up, go forward, back up - you get the picture.)

We ended up walking into the building at the same time (good thing you got in front of me on the road, yotch!). Once we were all in the classroom, the conversation inevitably turned to the weather and the lousy roads that had started yesterday. She actually had the gall to stand there and complain about someone cutting her off yesterday. She had several stories about people who were in too much of a hurry for road conditions. Huh? I bit my tongue, but it really got me wondering - does she even realize what a rude driver she was being, to so promptly say the exact same thing about someone else? Ugh.

Ouch - My Brain!

All this training I've been doing for my business lately will be great on my resume if I ever want to do customer service representative work for someone else. Successful direct sales is essentially taking care of your customers (guests or hostesses) with no one else to pass the buck to.

I'm still blown away by one of the statistics I was provided with in training a couple weeks ago: 55% of customers stop buying because of company indifference or lack of contact. Are your customer service representatives effectively conveying your concern for your customers?

Random Tuesday Thoughts

I'm so brave! I just called someone I almost chickened out on. Last time I called shortly afternoon and she snapped at me that she was trying to sleep. I apologized and made a note to call her later in the day next time. Today someone said she was not available, but when I asked for a better time to call, they suggested a weekend. She originally contacted the company saying she was interested in more information - I'd love to give her the information and some free chocolate!

Chocolate syrup was used for blood in the famous 45 second shower scene in Alfred Hitchcock's movie, Psycho, which actually took 7 days to shoot.

Fifteen days til I leave for Vegas!! Yay!! No one has a more fun job than chocolate!!

I want to put together a big old mailing for our January specials this evening, but I also want to download the first episode of season four of Big Love. I found out I can get it through iTunes! I think this is the first time I've been happy to have iTunes. There are so many spoilers out already about Big Love, as they get ready to televise season five. We don't have HBO, so I won't be able to watch season five yet, but at least I won't be learning something to ruin another surprise in season four every day anymore...

We had a great time at the Monster Truck Jam last weekend. It was a lot more fun than I expected. Our seats were awesome - we were in like the seventh row! That made it much dirtier than I expected. ;) Maggie never sits back in her seat, and you could see the dirt building on the back part of her chair - ew!!
Maggie like the Monster Mutt truck because it had ears and a tail (although it lost its tail after the first run). She didn't seem to respond to a lot of the event while we were there, but I think she was just storing it up - she kept talking about it the next few days.

Rock, Paper, Scissors...

I think I'm one of the last people to not have an htc desire android or other 'smart'phone. I'll never forget how bummed out the last phone sales guy was when we stopped in to get my latest phone. He asked what I wanted it to do - I told him it must make calls, and flip closed so my toddler didn't make calls. He listed a bunch of other things, hoping I'd latch onto one of them, but he never got to laundry or dishes, so I didn't bite.

Hubby says my next phone will be a smartphone, as he loves his Droid and thinks I would get a lot of use out of the whole GPS thing in particular. Maggie loves it because she frequently gets to play games when we're waiting somewhere like at a restaurant. When it's just me and her out for lunch, I have to tell her to use the crayons and the coloring sheet provided ;)

Drop Back and Punt

I'm feeling oddly ambitious this evening. I had a rough morning, with yucky sinus/cold symptoms, and actually went back to bed (erm...couch) for a while. But after my rest, a shower set me mostly right, so we made our regular run to the credit union and the post office, and even stopped to pick up a few groceries.

Tonight I sat down at the computer and figured I'd just work on straightening a few things and touching base online, and I ended up turning back to the sales course I've been working on. I did the first three days (of seven, so that is almost half!) right on time and in an outstanding manner! But then I hit a lull, somehow. I think it's in part because day six and seven are for intensive call-making. I feel pretty fired up about it lately (and have been making at least five committed calls a day, including calling all of my weekend party guests today to thank them for ordering), but I can't do it exactly like the course prescribes with Maggie around. The instructor says to make calls for 30 minutes, then take a break for one hour (or something like that). It's so precisely spelled out, and I don't see that ever working out with a pre-schooler around!

I know what I need to do is just dive in and do as much as I can. So I got a little more of the background stuff done today, and tomorrow I plan to finish up the audio lessons for day four, and start making my call list for guests and hostesses I haven't talked to in more than five months.

And by tomorrow, I mean after I get done with my freebie life coaching call in the morning (which should further clarify my motivation!), and then do lunch and have a little play time with friends. Hubby will be happy to hear I plan to get back in the game and make dinner too (instead of leftovers like tonight).

Hopefully re-reading this tomorrow will keep me on track!

Worries

I haven't mentioned it a lot here, but my husband and I are open to having another baby. Our common comment when people say we should have another one is that, "We're not trying not to."

I'm sort of afraid of fertility treatments or anything like that. Have my miscarriages been because my old genes are producing a baby with serious problems? Would I be tempting fate to have a baby when nature is essentially telling me no? I had my first baby outside of a hospital and was very comfortable with that experience. Fertility treatment seems like almost extreme medical interference - exactly what I avoided with our first child.

I'd be scared (and I'm sure just about anyone would!) to be faced with cerebral palsy or birth defects for my baby.

I don't really expect much response to this. I know it's all okay in the end, and it's pretty okay already, so maybe it's the way things are meant to be :)

Valentines Day Giveaway - REPOSTED - Just One Week Left!

See the original post and enter here: http://sweetdaisy.blogspot.com/2011/01/planning-ahead-for-valentines-day.html

In case you're wondering, NOW is the time to start planning for Valentines Day. Whether or not you've found someone special, you can make it a good day for yourself with a treat from EdenFantasys, and they want to help you with that!

From toys you don't want to discuss with your mother, to massage kits, oils and accessories, to books and videos covering every aspect of intimacy and romance (my mom reads this blog - I'm embarrassed to use the 's' word!) - you can find it all here.

What I especially love about the EdenFantasys website is the product reviews. Real people who have used the actual products and read the books for sale give their honest assessments. They talk about aspects of the products that I wouldn't even consider, and they have honestly influenced my purchases!

I encourage you to check out their site and see what might enhance your Valentines Day. And they're encouraging you too - they're giving a $50 gift card to one of the readers of my blog! I'll accept entries until January 14, 2011.

• To enter, just leave a comment on this post (click the word post to get to the right post!) saying why you want to win (but not necessarily what you'd buy! This is still a family blog ;) ).
• Want two more entries? Promote the giveaway on your blog and let me know in an additional comment.

I'm receiving a gift card from edenfantasys for my objective review. Additionally, edenfantasys is providing the giveaway gift card to whichever of my readers wins it. Yay for honest disclosure :).

Get It Rolling!

Today I start doing chocolate shows again! I've been ramping up my phone calls and such for my business in the last week or so (since hubby went back to work and we're getting back into our old swing of things), but adding shows means adding back in trips to the credit union, thank you cards, and follow-up calls to people excited about their new purchases!

I've got some new ideas I'm going to try for thank you cards - I'll keep it a secret for now, but if the response is as good as I expect, I'll let you in on it soon!

Friday Fill-Ins

With everything else on my plate today, my creativity is being reserved for scrapbooking tonight! But I didn't want you to show up here and have nothing new to read! Enjoy Friday Fill-Ins!

1. It's 2011; I don't feel any different.

2. I like pickles.

3. Thankfully I have my adorable girl to keep me company and entertain me.

4. I try to appreciate all the best things in life.

5. I am so tired of trying, sometimes.

6. Fiesta bowl full of dip! Yum.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to scrapbooking, tomorrow my plans include a team meeting, a chocolate show and the Monster Truck Jam and Sunday, I want to watch Maggie have tons of fun at Benny's birthday party, and try to take some time to relax!

My Fabulous NYE Outfit - A Guest Post

Guest post written by Sheila Stepusin

This year for New Year's Eve, my husband and I are throwing a big party at our house. This has been the first year that we've had an empty nest, so I helped keep myself preoccupied by planning this party. Also, we thought that it would be a nice thing for our kids to do to stay at home for this party instead of being out where drunk drivers are on the roads.

I've been doing a whole lot of the planning online and even found a DJ for the event a few weeks ago. While I was online booking him for the bash, I came across this website Clearwirelessinternetservice.com and read through it a little bit. After some careful consideration, I decided to sign up for a home internet package through the website.

For my NYE style, I found this really cute cardigan with sequins on it that I think is going to look really festive and perfect as a hostess outfit. Also, I don't get to wear sequins very often in my regular life, so I'm taking advantage of that NYE privilege.

10 Random Things for Friday

1. I totally lost my head and went looking for a logo-y thingy for this today. Duh. There isn't one.
2. Maggie woke up crying last night because she didn't know where her earrings were. Yeah. Dream much?
3. I have the Great Space Coaster song stuck in my head. I don't know why.
4. Today is Old Rock Day.
5. Did you enter my giveaway yet? Go do it now! I'm thinking of having another one in a couple weeks, if the response is good...
6. I really, really try to live in the moment and not wish away the present, but I can't wait til spring. I hate being cold, and I don't like the mess of snow. Right now, for instance, the driveway could probably stand to be cleared of snow, but I despise being cold.
7. I haven't gotten anything together for scrapbooking tonight. I think I still have pictures sorted out from the last time I scrapped...hopefully I can find them!
8. I also have to get my catalogs and stuff together for my show tomorrow afternoon, and stuff together for training during my team meeting tomorrow morning!
9. Maggie really wants to open the new bag of frosted flakes we got at the store the other day, but I keep telling her we have to finish the fruit loops first!
10. I still have a pair of pants I got for Christmas that I want to exchange for regular length instead of tall (because I definitely don't want to hem!). I should write that into my plan for one day next week...
    

Are You Listening?

Our favorite thing (yeah, right!) to work on with Maggie (who is most definitely three years old) is listening. I've heard hubby telling her to look at us while we're talking so we know she's listening. This from the man who frequently doesn't respond or look when I'm talking! But, he makes a good point, even if he doesn't practice what he preaches ;)

Tonight the discussion was over Maggie picking up her animals and putting them on her bed (since she can't reach the net they go in, this is as close as she can get to putting them away). I left her putting them that far, and she wandered out to ask her daddy if she could watch something on TV. I think there was a microphone announcing my arrival in the room to her sweet brain. She said almost immediately, "Mommy, say I'm sorry...erm..um...Mommy? I'm sorry for not cleaning up my room." Good save, kid. I am not the one to say I'm sorry in this situation. Thankfully her apology was sincere this time, and we promptly picked up her animals and put them away together.

Wordless, well....

Okay, it isn't Wednesday and I have no real reason for this post, but I really like this picture hubby took of Maggie and I on Christmas Eve :)

Planning Ahead for Valentines Day

In case you're wondering, NOW is the time to start planning for Valentines Day. Whether or not you've found someone special, you can make it a good day for yourself with a treat from EdenFantasys, and they want to help you with that!

From toys you don't want to discuss with your mother, to massage kits, oils and accessories, to books and videos covering every aspect of intimacy and romance (my mom reads this blog - I'm embarrassed to use the 's' word!) - you can find it all here.

What I especially love about the EdenFantasys website is the product reviews. Real people who have used the actual products and read the books for sale give their honest assessments. They talk about aspects of the products that I wouldn't even consider, and they have honestly influenced my purchases!

I encourage you to check out their site and see what might enhance your Valentines Day. And they're encouraging you too - they're giving a $50 gift card to one of the readers of my blog! I'll accept entries until January 14, 2011. - GIVEAWAY ENDED :)

• To enter, just leave a comment to this post saying why you want to win (but not necessarily what you'd buy! This is still a family blog ;) ).
• Want two more entries? Promote the giveaway on your blog and let me know in an additional comment.

I'm receiving a gift card from edenfantasys for my objective review. Additionally, edenfantasys is providing the giveaway gift card to whichever of my readers wins it. Yay for honest disclosure :).

Random Tuesday Thoughts

I'm cold (I told you I'd say it more than once!).

I am so steeped in business lately - determined to keep everything going in the right direction, and pick up the pace! Then today I heard about someone relatively close to me who earned a suite for conference, and a limo ride to and from the airport! It's fun to watch someone close achieve in a big way - and next time it WILL be me!

I got a really cool day planner for this year. The artist that does it is Anne Taintor and they're pretty much retro with dark humor captions. I'm amused every time I open it up.

My office is actually looking moderately better. Today I cleared the clutter from a folding table that was in the middle of the room, then put the table by the stairs to go to the basement. Go, me!

Speaking of random, here's how Maggie came out when we told her to get ready for bed. She'd had a little help from us getting her PJs on, but then she added the tote bag and the infant-sized beach hat. I didn't grab the camera fast enough - the first place she went was up the 'steps' (her stool) to the 'stage' (the coffee table). After a brief twirl on her catwalk, she was back on the floor with the rest of us mere mortals. That's our girl!

Her imagination is astounding to me every day. I can frequently hear her mumbling to her imaginary friends in the other room. Yesterday at Pei Wei, she was playing tag with her imaginary friend (stress on the 'ar' in her pronunciation) in the handicap stall in the bathroom while I...well...did what the room was intended for! When I told her it was her turn, she said her friend would touch her back and say, "Tag," and then she would be done. Okay!


I may actually make it out for an evening of scrapbooking on Friday! I keep forgetting that means I should get some supplies ready....

Love Chocolate?

Dove Chocolate Discoveries has extended the special $49 Sweet Smile business kit! You can start your own chocolate business for just $49! The kit comes with:

Products

1 Chocolate Martini Mix Bottle
1 Box of Cinnamon-Dusted Almonds
1 Truffle Fudge Brownie Mix
6 Chai Tea Packets

Printed Material

1 Welcome Packet
25 Fall/Holiday 2010 Catalogs
50 Order Forms
FREE Professional Web Tools
(includes 60-day trial of website, e-newsletter & e-promos)

If you just do your own show for your friends and family, you would make more than you spent and have products left over!! If you sign up in January and do just two qualified shows ($200) in your first 30 days, you will also get the spring kit $140 value) for FREE!!

Please think about whether this would make your financial life easier (and more fun!) or if it might help out someone else you know. I can work with anyone in the 48 contiguous states (sorry, we don't do business in Alaska or Hawaii yet), and I do reward for referrals as well.

There's more information at my website, or feel free to comment and I can contact you with more information (my comments are moderated by me - if you include personal information I will not publish your comment, but I will receive your information :) ).

Another Fun Day

Sometimes a fun day can be defined by just sitting around in your PJs playing video games (and we've certainly had our share of these lazy days during the last week of break!). Today, we had a relatively low stress day.

Hubby had to do some work for his contract job, but Maggie and I got time to chill out and read some books before we did a little shopping (just groceries). Once we got home, we had a quick lunch (and gave hubby a little more work time) before Mimi and Papa came over!

Maggie was thrilled to try on all of her princess outfits with Mimi. I tried to play along too, but Maggie sent me away. I can't complain much - a few minutes of time to myself are always welcome! I was allowed to join in with their PlayDoh games for a bit before I got to working on dinner. I started a pot of chili and some parmesan biscuits before sitting down for my turn with hubby's new video driving game. First he gave me a super slow car, and I didn't even finish the race! Then he gave me a super fast car on the same track and we all had lots of laughs since I never used the brake or even slowed down! I earned a trophy (on hubby's profile) for his first car rolled over - hahahahaha.....

All in all, it's been a pretty fun day, and now we're going to take a break from games for a few and watch Toy Story 3 - which I haven't seen yet!

BRING IT - 2011!

I am fired up this evening! Yesterday I signed up for a sales tele-seminar which includes action items and accountability. It's to Jump Start Your Business from a Complete Standstill in January. One of the first things I thought of when I signed up was the fact that I made a special effort to not start my January with my business at a standstill! Last year in January I had only two bookings, and they were for the last two days of the month. This year, I've already got four bookings for January, and three of them are confirmed with guest lists. I'm also already committed to attending Dove's conference at the end of January, and I earned our special cooking class with Jin Caldwell - I'm super excited!

So my point being, if this tele-seminar can really offer a jumpstart to people with business at a standstill, how awesome will it be for me, with my business already on track for January?

As a part of my prerequisites, I'm encouraging anyone with their own business, especially in direct sales, to make an investment in themself and sign up for this tele-seminar! Join me in making this the best year yet!
And if you don't have your own business to jumpstart yet but want to, take a look at the great opportunity with Dove Chocolate Discoveries - I'd love to talk more with you about the great things it can do for your finances, your confidence, and the fun you'll have in 2011 and beyond :)