Tuesday, October 26, 2010

It's been a while...

I believe I've lost a total of 12 lbs now. I also received my first bonus check and it more than covered this month's products, so I achieved that goal! Yay!

I have to admit that I get frustrated when things don't move as swiftly as I want them too. The last few months have been full of insane amounts of stress in my personal life and I am grateful that I have the 'cushion' of the supplements to help me with the stress. I know it could have been a lot worse for me, health-wise, so I'm trying to count my blessings.


I think there's something odd about doing Shaklee. People have such odd ideas of what it is and what you are trying to do. Family members, in particular, seem to just throw their hands up, roll their eyes, and start screening their phone-calls... so to speak. It's not like I talk on the phone :).

I think the biggie is that I want to help people, but I can't force them to take the steps that I know will help them. I can't convince them to do what's necessary for their health or lives. I can only be here for them and let them know I will do all I can to help.

After all, that's who I am, right?

One biggie product-wise is that I recently had to go on antibiotics and my baby ended up with bad yeast-related diaper rash. He's prone to it anyway. Getting myself back on Optiflora really helped and it has cleared up remarkably fast. Happy about that! My baby doesn't need a red bottom!

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Common Mis-perceptions and Myths about Shaklee

So, I have been around Shaklee my whole life and there are some pretty big misconceptions out there about how the company works.

1) "You make money off of me."

Actually, the company does give me a commission... points called PV... whenever someone I introduced to Shaklee orders. Interestingly enough, the person who is signed up for Shaklee also receives these points from themselves.

I don't make any money off of someone becoming a member. My commission is for a) Introducing people to the products and b) people I introduced ordering.

I am paid directly by the company, and orders are made directly from the company. I never see (or want) money from my Shaklee Family.

2) Shaklee is a pyramid scheme.

Shaklee uses a marketing plan called Social Networking. They were the first company to use this plan and have been watched carefully. They, unlike some other companies, have never behaved unethically.

The company works just as any other company with employees. The difference is that every little 'franchise' is an individual. They don't have shops, they don't go into malls, they only market their products through word of mouth.

Pyramid schemes are when people make money off of the people 'beneath' them at the expense of that person. Usually companies that have used pyramids charge very high prices for membership, as that is what people make money off of.

I don't make money off of memberships. I get commissions for product use. The memberships at Shaklee are very reasonable and include an immediate 15% off.

3) The products are expensive.

This one is easy to address. Do you remember how, in the news recently, there has been a lot of frustration about supplement companies lying about what was in their products? They could put that they had Omega-3 in them on the label, even if it was a minuscule amount of something that might have Omega-3 in it.

When it comes to health and supplements, what are you paying for?

With Shaklee you know immediately that every product has been researched, are balanced, and complete.

For example: The wrong blend of B vitamins can actually strip you of the Bs you need. So many companies will sell one B vitamin, saying it will improve your metabolism and energy. However, they fail to mention, that you need the right array of Bs to have that effect. Then people wonder why they still feel sluggish when taking those grocery store vitamins.

Shaklee does their own research and testing. They are very strict about every single product being in harmony with nature. I remember one year where the alfalfa fields next to theirs were crop dusted. Shaklee wouldn't use their fields, in case there was any minuscule chance that their crops were contaminated.

Quality and Trust are what you pay for with Shaklee. I know, without a doubt, that every order I make is with the best quality and effective products out there. That means a lot to me.


Don't forget that every product is guaranteed every single time. If it doesn't work for you (but it will) you can send it back. Not just the first time you use it. Any time.

This is a Family company that stands by everything they've worked so hard for.


If you have any other myths/questions you want addressed, just send them to me and I'll respond ASAP.

Thursday, September 23, 2010

For Fun and Prizes: Survey Time!

OK, So I'm a little bored, and I thought of something fun.

Fill out this survey (all the way and honestly). I will be picking a random survey to win (drumroll please) a free can of Cocoa MealShakes! Please don't tell, or my four year old will get mad at me :)

1) What is something about yourself that you love?

2) What is something about yourself that you would like to improve?

3) If you were to be granted three wishes and they all had to be for you, what would they be?

4) What three products in the Shaklee catalog look the most interesting to you and why?

5) Do You have a Dream? What is it?

6) What question(s) do you have about Shaklee that you're afraid to ask, because you think it might turn into a sales pitch? (Hello, this is me, you don't have to worry about that! Ask away!)

7) Would you ever refer someone who wanted to feel better or work from home to me? Why?

8) Did someone refer you to this survey? Write their name here: (They get another name in the hat for the drawing for the Mealshakes.)

Saturday, September 18, 2010

This Week, Stats

5'1 (hmm, I don't think this will change LOL)
130 lbs
Been sick this week. My hormones are being weird. I have not been having my period since I had my baby, so I think either that is coming back or I might be pregnant. Considering my IUD it's probably the first.
Factor in that I ran out of everything and no changes weight-wise this week. At least I kept it off!

Walked/ran: 1 mile

Regime:
Ran out of everything
Walked once

Been Sick, Boo.

I miss my Cinch and Vitalizer. Need to do enough work to be able to get them.

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Cinch Challenge!

Ok, here I am issuing a challenge.

1) Order a Cinch package *
2) Walk 3 times a week for 20 minutes, minimum (or comparable exercise)
3) Report to the Blog weekly on your progress, or post on yours and I'll link.

If you DO NOT feel BETTER and HEALTHIER I can send it all back and get your money back.


The challenge begins the day your products arrive. Notify me upon arrival and I'll help you keep track. You can either tell me how you feel every day, or once a week.

After a MONTH you will report to me how you feel.

There's no risk. If you don't like it, for any reason, just send it back. So, what do you have to lose... other than inches?

I Challenge You to Cinch it UP!

COOKIES!!!!

I really needed something last night, something salty and chocolatey and something... you know that feeling you get when you need something, but you can't put your finger on it?

So I threw together from cookies from scratch. I never EVER measure, but they turned out really wonderful, so I'm guesstimating quantities.

3 sticks of butter. (yeah, THREE, but this makes a lot of cookies :))
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 1/2 cups white sugar

Creamed together

2 home raised eggs
vanilla

2 Tablespoons Chili Powder
2 Tablespoons cinnamon
1 packet semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted
1 cup oatmeal
1 pinch and a little salt :)
Baking Powder
3 1/2 cups flour
1 package semi-sweet chocolate chips

Baked at 350 for about 10 minutes.

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Who Would You Gift?

I don't actually believe that anyone out there is healthy enough to not see improvement from the Shaklee products, HOWEVER, I have met and I am sure I will continue to meet, plenty of people who think they don't need them.

I know I need them.

So, that got me to thinking about all the people that REALLY need them. There is a little 25 year old girl that works with my MIL who recently lost her children in a car accident, and the kids were only there because she was about to get chemo. She has been declared terminal with cancer. Her mother was also killed in the accident.

If I had the funds, I would gift her with the products.

So, even if you would never get them for yourself, if you feel well enough that you'd never go there... who would you give them to, if you could?

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

This Week, Stats

5'1 (hmm, I don't think this will change LOL)
130 lbs
no migraines this week
Some back and joint pain thanks to peanut butter, which I am allergic to, and running out of vitalizer.
Better mood and energy despite very high stress levels.

Walked/ran: 2 miles

Regime:
Cinch every AM and Vivix (ran out of Vitalizer, BOO!)
Weight training twice, for 15 minutes each
Walking/running one day.
One full hour belly-dancing.

This was a VERY stressful time-period and I did not get the food/exercise I needed. Nicely enough, Cinch continued to help me lose some weight regardless of how much I was stressed and how inactive I ended up being.

The Peanut Butter has had huge repercussions. I know better than to go to foods I am allergic too, but I got upset and bored and ate a LOT of it. To this day I am still having body-aches thanks to this.

I will NEVER willingly go without Cinch, Vivix, and Vitalizer as a combo ever again. I miss it!

Dreaming Out Loud

So, my big dream is to be able to have my self-sufficient homestead. While having that, I want my kids to have every advantage of modern life. I don't want it to be huge, but I want to be able to expand.

I'm thinking:

10+ acres, most likely in Washington State.
A house (duh)
A barn ('nother duh)
Garden areas (multiple)
Pasture
Smokehouse
Underground cellar
Orchard
Poultry 'out' houses (separate from barn).

I want each type of animal to have its place. I also want to focus on heritage breeds that are dying out. (Which is why I turned to albc-usa.org.

With cattle, I was leaning towards Dexters, as they are gentle, small, and multi-purpose. However, they are recovering at an insane pace and are hugely popular now, so I have been researching other cattle breeds. Right now I am leaning towards Kerry cattle, or Milking Devon cattle.

With horses I have my passion-- which is Shires, but I also have a passion for the English Pony breeds. Dartmoors or Exmoors are a thought. However, if I can only do one breed-- Shires are critical endangered. And they are my favorite horse breed. Ever.

With pigs, I have a total obsession with Gloucestershire Old Spots pigs. They are amazing, with big old ears. They remind me of the illustration from Charlotte's Web, when they are at the fair and meet the HUGE hog they are competing against.

I would like to do some sheep, and my current interest is in the Leicester Longwool.

I want to have a variety of chickens, like the American Buckeye, and the Russion Orloff...

Ducks, I haven't decided yet.

Geese, I am between Pilgrim and American Buff.

Turkeys, I want the Jersey Buff.

Curious about what any of these are? Check out albc-usa.org.

Friday, September 10, 2010

Dreams: The House






I found my dream house today, and it was overwhelming to see how expensive it was all together. However, I started thinking. I don't need the entire amount for the house, I just need to be able to cover the down payment and the monthly payments without a hitch.

For that, I comfortably need about $4000 a month (more like $3700, but I like to round up).

Well, I know how to do that!

That's called an Executive Coordinator.

What it requires is:

100 personal volume in the company. (Easy Peasy, as this is just what I'm going to use anyway. 200 or more is more accurate for our personal use in this household.)

2000 group volume. (Which means, people like me doing what I'm doing. If you think about it, it's just 10 people switching a few brands, no biggie)

3 Directors. That means three people who want to do this as a business and have a group that has 2000 group volume like me. A Director is the lowest real rank in Shaklee and the average income for that rank is $10,629 for the year. Easy stuff, literally anyone could do that.

20000 organization volume.
Picture this-- so I have me, and my 2000, and I have 10 or so doing what I do. Or only a couple who are even better than I am at it. Considering I am doing this well with a social phobia, it's easier for people who actually TALK to people.

BUT the truth is, it's easier than that. I probably only need a few people, really. People who care about the environment, keeping themselves and their families healthy, and maybe a few people who want to do the business like I do.

The average annual income for this level in Shaklee is $56,760.

For me, that means I can get my dream house.

Interestingly, this is the level at which Shaklee covers car payments (car program) for a car whose monthly payments are between #325-$375 a month. That's a nice car! Think: hybrid!

Actually free cars are insanely easy to get, I'm just so focused on the house that I kind of never go there.

Do you want to see the worksheet I got all this from? It's a great little handout called Drive The Dream and it's great for seeing exactly what you would have to do to reach your goals.

I also have presentations on my website. There's no secret. It's simple, easy, and straight to the point. Social Marketing just means we talk to people and get commissions directly from Shaklee instead of the company paying for TV ads :).




Thursday, September 9, 2010

Just Realized...

With all the stress I have been under these past few days, the migraines should be hitting hard, but they aren't. I haven't had one since I started taking the products.

And I usually get them daily.

I'll take the reprieve!


The Things We Don't Talk About...

I came out of my last pregnancy addicted to soda, unable to lose any of my baby weight, and unable to go to the bathroom without caffeine (hence the soda).

I have dealt with cycles of constipation and diarrhea my whole life, mostly leaning on the constipation side of things. I have done everything I can, everything we're supposed to do, to get regulated. More fiber made me sick. Activia didn't help at all.

I wanted to get off of being dependent on soda, as I hate being dependent on anything. (Hello! My dream is a self-sufficient homestead!)

I gave up soda, and I didn't go to the bathroom.

For a week and a half.

Naturally, I felt horrible.

That was about the time that I decided I needed to get into the saddle and work from home with Shaklee. I got my Gold Ambassador kit in the mail, and I started taking Vitalizer and Vivix everyday.

And now I am, for the first time in my entire life, regular. My body is in balance and I'm not dealing with the chronic side pain and intestinal discomfort that has haunted me for as long as I remember.

So, even if it isn't exactly the proper thing, to talk about this kind of thing, it's been a huge change for me. It makes my life that little bit better, and I'm grateful for that.

Back in Gear

I have been really bad about getting in my exercise since this weekend. With all the stress around I sort of find myself shutting down and not getting physical stuff done, which makes me even more depressed.

The best way for me to deal with stress is to be more active.

So, last night I worked out for 20 minutes while my husband watched a baby who was screaming for me. He's one, he can deal without me for twenty minutes.

And today I worked out some again. I ended up doing 20 minutes of cardio while holding the same baby. Maybe it will count as weight training too, right?

As long as it doesn't get too hot today, I will walk to get my son at school. If it's hot I will have to figure out something else. I am just completely heat intolerant.

I know I can't let cranky kids or stress keep me from my goals. I need to use the stress to make me focus more and work harder, so that the stresses of finances and hating my body don't have to be on my shoulders all the time.

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Ode to Cinch

Cinch at dawn, bring it on
Cinch at noon, fat pants doom
Cinch for dinner, getting thinner!

I am replacing ONE meal a day with Cinch, taking my Vitalizer, and taking Vivix every day.

I'm not exercising as much as I should, I am living my normal life.

I love this :)

Guess what?


These are size SIX!

The fit isn't perfect, but, hey! I can put them on and button them without too much trouble :)

Head Games

My upline (who is also my mom, I mentioned I've been a Shaklee Kid all my life, right?) sent me this email, and I really liked it, so I thought I'd share:

I have found I move ahead faster when I play head games with myself. One example is walking mailboxes: the game is to walk one more mailbox a day each day, no matter what. I've done this several times and have ended up walking good long distances.

When we first picked up Shaklee again in 1996, I played a couple of games. First we were traveling and staying in campgrounds, so I decided to talk to 5 strangers a day, not about Shaklee but up to the point in the conversation where I asked them not only what they did but whether they were happy with doing it. Later when we were settled in our sabbatical location in a town where we knew no one, I decided to talk to one new person a day to see if I could get a business card or an appointment. We grew to director our first month there, our third month in the business.

I took this one stranger a day to the limit: when I went on a Shaklee trip that fall, I managed to talk to one new person at the hotel where all the Shaklee people were staying, and in the shuttle and so on. While all the other leaders were sitting in the cafeteria having coffee, I was out in the lobby looking for someone to get a business card from.

So head games have served me well. In fact, I can also say that without them, I tend to drift quite a bit, even when I have a big goal firmly in mind.

So I need some new head games for myself, and I thought I'd share what I've come up with as possibilities:

1. I will talk to X new people each day. Not necessarily about Shaklee, just talk to them.
2. I will talk to X people about Shaklee.
3. I will ask X Shaklee members for referrals.
4. I will ask X Shaklee members to order something new that they haven't tried before.
5. I will get X Shaklee members on autoship each day/week/month.
6. I will get a list of insurance agents / real estate agents / other and call X of them each day to try to set an appt to look at the Dream Plan.
7. I will have X new appointments each day / week.
8. I will go on a driving / walking tour of the businesses in my town / city and stop in at X of them each day to get face recognition.
9. I will pass X referrals to local business people that I have made for their services (example: your neighbor needs her carpet cleaned, and you tell the local carpet cleaner)
10. I will volunteer at an event where I don't know anyone (or very few people)
11. I will clean desks in X classrooms a day / week / month. (Thanks for the idea, Toni!)
12. I will call my members to ask who their insurance / real estate / child's teacher is and ask if I can use their name and tell their story X times a day / week / month.
13. I will ask my members if they know anyone who has cholesterol issues X times a day / week / month....

OK, that's a lucky 13 of them. You get the idea. Which ones do you like? What can you add to this list? Which games have you decided to play?

I am assuming you already have your goal in place, such as 'next rank by Oct 31', 'car by February', 'Bora Bora', 'iPad', '$5000 / month from Shaklee', etc. These head games are to support those goals. Dr. Shaklee said 'See the people'. These head games are there to help us do that without having to rethink what we should do each day.

Put a time limit on them, such as 'for the rest of 2010'. Or 'for the rest of September'. And see what it does. I guarantee your business will grow.

Stress Factor

Yesterday was a stressful day, like a 9/10 stress. I don't pretend to have a perfect life, or perfect finances, and everything seemed to be going wrong at once.

In the midst of all the madness I heard the cry of 'I need Peanut Butter NOW.'

That is not a normal craving for me, as I have weird blood-sugar issues when it comes to peanut butter.

My body insisted, so I had some whole wheat bread with peanut butter.

It tasted SO GOOD to me.

I don't know what was in it that made me crave it, but I am learning to listen to my body better.

And it fit well into my nutrition for the day. I had my shake and supplements, and everything balanced out just fine.

Today the stress is more manageable. My husband's check has finally been deposited after the long weekend, and it's a beautiful cloudy day outside. Things don't seem so bleak.

And this only helps me remember why I NEED this.

Oh, and I'm another pound down :)

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

It's Dream Day


Today I have really been thinking about the motivating Dreams that are behind the actions-- the whole reason why I am putting so much time and effort into making Shaklee work for my family.
I've talked about my little self-sustaining homestead a lot, but on days when I feel like I am making no progress, I like to go and really LOOK at what my dream would look like.

I research where I want to live and what it will take to live there. I research Milking Devon cattle (I want one), and shetland sheep and Dartmoor ponies. I go to ALBC and research the livestock that I want to be part of the conservation effort for.


I practice home-grinding wheat and making things from scratch. I experiment with homemade cheese and butter.

Then I am able to get my head back in the game, because this is what I really want. I would do practically anything to make it reality.

What is your Dream?

Monday, September 6, 2010

When it Matters Oh So Much

I have been offering fundraising to nonprofit companies, and really came across one that really grabbed hold of me to the point where I've been shaking and in tears. It really matters! I want to work with them so badly, to get funding for their company.

The company?

Isn't it just beautiful? To give people a new way to get their lives straight, to pull together, and have the tools they need to live a clean, normal, healthy existence.

It's for moments like this that I know I am doing the right thing with the right company. How else could I help an organization like this? This is something I believe strongly in.

I pray with all my heart that I am given the opportunity to help them!

Family First

I have so many goals for my family that really help me focus on what I'm doing. I pretty much set the dream (sustainable living) and then create a road map to how I'm going to get there. Each new level includes the one below it, plus the new goal.

1) Cover my Shaklee product use
2) Pay for gymnastics lessons for my sons
3) Cover rent
4) Pay off any debts we have
5) Pay off my husband's student loans
6) Be able to buy a house

At that point, we would be really close to being able to look for our small piece of land and get started, depending on my husband and whether he can transfer to the area we want.

I know that to do that I need great people to work with me, people who, like me, want to care for the planet and make a better life in a better world. I also need people to work with me who want to have better health and better bodies.

All this is a bigger challenge than it needs to be, because of my 'problem'. I have a social anxiety problem. It's why I pretty much didn't drive until this year, I rarely go into public, and I don't really talk to people that much. HOWEVER, I am trying whole-heartedly to fight this social phobia.

It will just make work... interesting... :)

Sunday, September 5, 2010

B U R N


You know in the movie My Big Fat Greek Wedding how the dad always uses windex to cure anything that might be wrong? We all laughed, right?

But I grew up with Basic H and I assure you that every mosquito bite on vacation, every minor burn or sunburn, and every blister from hiking got a dose of Basic-H on it to kill the sting or drain the blister without resorting to popping it.

I love cooking, so I've had a lot of minor little burns in the kitchen. I always just went to the sink, dropped on a few drops of Basic H, and went on with my life. I never really thought much about it, it was just how I grew up.

When I was twenty I was making donuts while home alone. I had a big pan of oil heating up on the stove, and I left it on for too long.

Before I knew what was happening it combusted into huge flames.

I hate fire (earned naturally with some rather pyromaniac-ish people in my family), but I knew I had to do something right away. I couldn't burn down my parent's house. Instinctively I picked up the pan of burning oil to get off of the heat. The lighted oil sloshed over the edge of the pan and over my right hand.

Honestly, I screamed. It smelled like cooking meat. I was terrified, but again, I was not going to be the one who burned down my parents house. (If that was going to happen, it was going to be one of the pyros!) I grabbed the pan lid, threw on, somehow got out the back door and threw the pan as hard as I could out on the heavy gravel in the back.

It looked like an explosion with the burning oil flickering like a bonfire. I remember the horses staring at it in the dark as if they were watching fireworks, with their own version of 'Oooo' and 'Ahhh'.

I then went into the kitchen and got all the baking soda and salt I could muster. In the end I actually had to resort to flour as well (it was a LOT of oil). BTW flour does not put fire out well.

Only when I was sure the fire was completely out did I have a moment to look at my hand.

It was gruesome. In a splash pattern I had one big burn that looked to have gone straight through the skin and fat down to the muscle. It was all fried and gone. Many smaller burns surrounded it. It looked for all the world like a meteorite and all its little pieces had imprinted themselves into my hand.

It was ugly.

I was home alone. I didn't drive at that point, and my nearest family was on the road between Tucson and Salt Lake City.

Besides, I didn't want to go into the ER. I hate hospitals.

So, I did the only thing I could think of. I'm not saying it was smart. I just did the only thing I thought I could.

I filled a bowl with ice, water, and a heavy dose of Basic-H. I soaked my hand in there until the sting was mostly gone from the burn and I couldn't stand the cold anymore. Then I carefully put straight Basic H over the burns.

When it started hurting bad again, I repeated the process.

I decided to leave it open to the air. Over the next few weeks I left it mostly uncovered, save for when I was working with the horses or at the University.

I couldn't use my right hand. The biggest burn was a good 2 inches long and a little wider than that, all on the fleshy part above my thumb. I was scared that I was goi
ng to lose the range of motion in that hand. For the duration of my healing process I wrote (badly) left handed, and just prayed that one stupid accident hadn't put an end to all of the things I really enjoy doing right handed.

It formed a kind of weird-looking skin over it, nothing really like a scab, and then that came off and I had a crevice in my hand with new angry-looking pink skin.

I resigned myself to the scar and worked on getting the range of motion back. I had to stretch the burned area carefully everyday, but slowly I got it back.

I really hated that scar. It seemed to scream at me that I was an idiot for what had happened.

Honestly, once I stopped wearing the bandages, people stared at my hand.

It was healed now, and I was grateful. My hand had been saved, so I really had no right to hate the scar so much.

But I did. A lot.

So, now that the skin was there, even if it was thin and fragile, I started treating the area with Enfuselle's C & E at night. I put a pea-sized amount all over my hand every night and then covered it up (once I discovered that the dogs would lick it off when I was sleeping if I didn't.)

The results were astounding. Truly amazing. I don't remember the time frame anymore for how long it took, but I do know that right now, when I look down at my hand, the only way I can tell where that burn was is because the grain of the skin runs slightly different in that area. The skin is still thinner there, but I don't even think about it anymore. Most of
the time I can just forget it ever happened.

But it did happen, and I honestly believe that Basic-H saved my hand, and that C & E saved my dignity.

( This picture was taken only a couple months later, if you look VERY carefully at my right hand you can see what was left of the scar. What is left now is pretty much impossible to capture on camera.)

Saturday, September 4, 2010

This Week, Stats

5'1 (hmm, I don't think this will change LOL)
132 lbs
no migraines this week
no back pain
no joint pain
Better mood and energy

Walked/ran: 7 miles

Regime:
Weight training every day for 15 minutes
Walking/running almost everyday
When hot, did pilates, yoga, and belly dancing (LOL)

Still have enough milk for my son. Feeling good, not over-doing it.

In Harmony With (My) Nature...



When I was sixteen years old, I bought my first horse. I named him Pacem (aka Dona Nobis Pacem). He was a three year old chestnut arabian colt. When I got him he was very skinny and his coat was rough. My trainer repeatedly told everyone that visited the barn that he was mine and that he had 'the worst coat in the barn.'

Once he was fed up enough to handle it, I started giving him a mixture of bran with a blend of Shaklee's soy protein powder, alfalfa, calcium, Vita-lea, and B-complex. I mixed it with water and he would go crazy over it, licking the feeder clean and nickering for it every day.

After only three weeks, my trainer started pointing out the 'best coat in the barn'.

Pacem was allergic to fly spray, so I turned to Basic-H as a solution. This made his coat even shinier, and he was never pestered with flies.

Shaklee is all about being in tune with nature and nurture. For me, all of this is what makes Shaklee the company for me. My big dream in to own a self-sustaining small farm, where we can produce our own water and energy, raise animals, make jam and cheese, and still have all of the niceties of modern life.

I would be using the Shaklee products for my farm anyway, so why not make it part of the dream? And better yet, the part that helps make the big dream come true?

Thursday, September 2, 2010

A Milestone

So, I love shorts, knee shots, because I live in, what I commonly refer to as, Hell's Armpit. It's hot here, and I do NOT do heat.

Believe me, if I loved my husband any less I would NOT live here.

So, shorts.... yeah, they're my favorite coping mechanism. I only have a few pairs, as the budget is tight, and when things stop fitting I pretty well have to cope.

I have these uber-cute army-green knee-shorts that I love. This particular pair of shorts has two buttons across the top, which has been nice, because I was using them in a loser position because of my ultra-soft squishy belly.

Well, no more! With little hope I tried them on this morning and buttoned them up... properly! They don't dig in, they aren't uncomfortable, and they FIT!

Not bad for completing my first whole week!

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

'Doodad' Dreams

Doodads are objects we don't NEED and are usually insensible for purchasing as they're not essentials and don't pay us back. For example: Shoes are essential. Twelve pairs of expensive shoes are doodads. Or, for the men, that giant flat-screen TV is a doodad. (Sorry)

There are some doodads that make good goals for me, as I am very sensible financially, so it's my 'bribe' to work harder.

My doodad goals:

* A piano for my boys, so I can teach them the basics
* Gymnastic lessons for the boys
* Be able to put a down payment on a house
* A Gym membership for my husband
* Being able to buy nicer quality (organic) food to feed the family better

What are your doodad dreams?

My Shaklee Number Quiz

Are you a(n):

0) No interest

1) I love the products and using them. I am a customer/ would like to try the products, I hear they are great

2) I have used and love the products and I want to cover the cost of my products by sharing the products with a few friends.

3) I love the products, and I want to have an income beyond the expense of my products.

4) I love the products, love the business, and I want to make a career!

If you answered 3 or 4, how much do you want to be making a month?
How much a month would make your dreams come true?

For me, $1000 a month would make a HUGE difference, but at $5000 income a month my husband could work from home and we'd be able to live my dream of owning a small farm. What is your dream?

Fasttrack Goals

From the Shaklee Members' Page


Flash FastTRACK Bulletin!

We are opening up FastTRACK eligibility to everyone who has not been a Business Leader more than 2 months during July 2005 through June 2010. You are considered new for the purpose of FastTRACK as of July 2010. Make sure that you are a GOLD Ambassador:

You must promote to Director by Oct 31st, 2010 and hold that title for 3 consecutive months including month of promotion
You must promote to Senior Director by Jan 31st, 2011 and hold that title for 3 consecutive months including month of promotion
You must promote to Coordinator by Apr 30, 2011 and hold that title for 3 consecutive months including month of promotion
You must promote to Senior Coordinator Jul 31st, 2011 and hold that title for 3 consecutive months including month of promotion
You must promote to Executive Coordinator by Oct 31st, 2011 and hold that title for 3 consecutive months including month of promotion

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Day Three on 'Mama's Bootcamp' :)

Today was my first 'tired' day of chugging through things. For the last three days I have run/walked at least 2 miles on top of doing weight training and monitoring my food intake on Spark People. For the last week until today I'd been feeling great.

And it has nothing to do with my regime of diet and exercise. I'm coming down with a cold.

I'm not shocked. The boys have all been dealing with it off and on for about a week. Usually I'd be much quicker to succumb.

All in all it's not so bad. I'm just a little stuffy and slower today. I still managed my 2 miles AND I did some Bollywood dance workout (which was ridiculously fun, especially when my youngest crawled between my legs and I danced my feet around him :))

It was also HOT again today, which always slows me down, so I only ran the length of the street, instead of running at least once around the park as I usually do. (Nothing too exciting-- that's 3/10ths of a mile!)

I'm keeping up with my supplements and I've even found that when I forgot to take my Zoloft the other day, I didn't realize it until it was bedtime, and that was only because I was mentally going through my day, not because I was cranky, which would usually be the case.

No serious allergy or joint issues thus far. Yay!

Sunday, August 29, 2010

This is Me

I am me, meaning the me that I am in this moment, the ever-changeable, maleable person on the road to who I can be.

I had a wake-up call in my life recently, in which I realized that, if anything happened to my husband, I would have no way to support my family. With this in mind, I decided to start living more actively and to become the me-to-be.

I am a nearly-thirty year old stay at home mother of three young boys. I have food allergies and auto-immune issues. I have unresolved questions about my health that I have put on the back burner because I can. I always put everyone else first.

But it's time to make a change. This is my diary of that change. This is my place for goals, short time and long-term.

Stats, as of a week ago:
5'1"
135 lbs (soft baby weight)
Food issues and migraines, no energy. Very sedentary.
Chronic back pain
No job or income of my own


That was a week ago. Since then I have jumped feet-first into becoming a Gold Ambassador with Shaklee, a company that I have been around my whole entire life as a product user. I have started taking Vitalizer everyday as well as Vivix.

The day I started taking Vitalizer I started feeling better, more clear headed. I started remembering things better. I am breastfeeding my youngest son and I know that I am nutritionally depleted.

Vivix has helped with something completely unexpected, for me, it took care of the swelling in my back. Then, when I twisted my back while nursing my son, I heard a loud CRACK and I could feel it twist back into place. Since then I have had little to no back pain. As I have to carry my baby around, that is really nice not to have to worry about.

With my new-found energy I logged into Sparkpeople.com. I love that site, it keeps me organized and aware of what I am and am not doing. For one, I drink way too much water.

I also keep track of the exercise I am starting to have the energy for.

So, goals for September.
1)Find three people who want to be Gold Ambassadors like me
2)Do my bloodwork and allergy testing
3)Run at least three days a week and weight train every Mon, Wed, Fri, Sat
4)Eat well and keep my milk up for my son, while not over-eating
5)Switch all my household cleaners, etc, to the green products at Shaklee.
6) Help ten people feel better like I do.