Motivated Mompreneur

Playroom Before/After (actually in progress, lol)

2011-03-15T20:21:00.000-04:00

Here is a look at the kids playroom. I just finished organizing it tonight.

Before:

In Progress....


The Infamous Toy Closet :)

Got Chalk?

There is still so much to be done, the closet needs a door, lol, with that lock. I have some more pictures to hang, I need to go get another set of those adorable, cute, flag curtains for the other window, and I have lots of other ideas to work on as the kids grow. But for now, it is such a nice inviting space. I like hanging out in there. ;)

What we did:

Paint Obviously, new trim throughout. Painted an entire wall in chalkboard paint, tore up the carpet, and had the floors refinished. This is the one thing we did not do on our own. That and we will not be re-glazing the tub in the bathroom ;p There were no real major things to do in this room, no holes in the walls, etc. There was plenty of that in the other rooms. :)

Updated To-Do List.

2011-03-07T10:58:00.000-05:00

Here is the updated list on the to-do list As of 3/7/11. However, I also added more to the list. lol. It is really never ending and there is so much we never even makes it ON the list.

To-Dos

List of House To-dos! (can you say YIKES!)

Immediate To-Dos before moving in:

~~Wipe down all walls throughout~~ (~~kids room~~, ~~playroom~~, ~~dining room, living room, kitchen, bedroom, office, bathroom~~)
Drywall holes in living room
Drywall holes in bedroom
Tear out carpet in living room
~~Tear out carpet upstairs~~ and on stairs
~~Refinish hardwood floors in dining room~~
~~Decide if hardwood floors are re-finishable in living room and either carpet or re do the floors~~
~~Tear out carpet in kids room~~
~~Tear out carpet in playroom~~
~~Rip out tile in bathroom~~
~~Add drywall~~
Replace flooring in bathroom (in process)
Put ceiling fan in dining room
Paint Dining Room
Paint living room and hallway
~~Paint hallway closet~~
Paint entry way closet
Paint Kids room
~~Paint Playroom~~
~~Tear out wallpaper border in office (ugh, thank God it is just a border)~~ FIL actually did this one. TY!!
~~Paint Office~~Paint Bedroom (almost done!)
Put Ceiling Fan in office
Find Light Fixture for kitchen
build, paint, and install shelves for pantry. (we are converting the broom closet into a pantry)
Find a Stove
Decide on paint color for bathroom
Decide on blinds for bathroom
call around for tub reglazing quote
buy subway tile for tub
tile tub area
Vanity For bathroom
light fixture for bathroom
find mirror for bathroom

Replace all Trim throughout (kids room, ~~playroom, dining room, living room~~, kitchen, bedroom, ~~office~~, bathroom)
~~Caulk Trim throughout~~
Paint Trim all throughout (kids room, playroom, dining room, living room, ~~kitchen~~, bedroom, office, bathroom) 1st coat done, second coat needed
~~Replace all light switch/outlet plates throughout (kids room,~~ ~~playroom~~, ~~dining room~~, ~~living room~~, ~~kitchen~~, ~~bedroom~~, ~~office~~, ~~bathroom~~)
~~Paint upstairs landing~~ and built in bookshelves
~~Lay flooring in office - n/a hardwood redone~~
Carpet Upstairs including stairs
Carpet Kids room
Light for kids room
Light for playroom
Light for bedroom
Light for office
Replace doors throughout (b~~edroom,~~ office, bathroom, ~~kids room~~, hallway closet, entryway closet) My Dad just did these two tonight. TY!!!
Replace closet door in playroom
~~Carpet Playroom- n/a hardwood redone~~
~~Wash out all kitchen cupboards~~
Paint Bathroom
Paint Fireplace Mantel and ~~vent covers~~
~~Fix window ledge in living room~~
~~Paint Window ledge~~ and/or find a cushion
Replace Mailbox
~~Replace Locks~~
Window Treatments for ~~Living Room~~, ~~Dining Room~~, Upstairs Landing
~~DIY blackout liner for LR bamboo blinds~~
Blinds for ~~Kids room~~, playroom, and kitchen
Window Treatments for Bedroom
Shelves for office closet
Shelves for playroom closet
get fabric for ~~office closet~~, kids closet, bedroom closets
~~rip out drywall in bedroom under window and replace. (in process thanks to FIL)~~

Future To-Dos:

Laundry room in Basement
Add Basement Bathroom
Privacy Fence
Replace fireplace mantel and faceplate
Finish basement
close up 3rd door in kitchen
New Kitchen cabinets and layout
Stainless Steel appliances in kitchen
Raised Gardens :)
Seed backyard lawn
Landscaping- tbd

As of 2/19/11

To-Dos

List of House To-dos! (can you say YIKES!)

Immediate To-Dos before moving in:

Wipe down all walls throughout (~~kids room~~, ~~playroom~~, ~~dining room, living room, kitchen, bedroom, office, bathroom~~)
Drywall holes in living room
Drywall holes in bedroom
Tear out carpet in living room
Tear out carpet upstairs and on stairs
~~Refinish hardwood floors in dining room~~
~~Decide if hardwood floors are re-finishable in living room and either carpet or re do the floors~~
~~Tear out carpet in kids room~~
~~Tear out carpet in playroom~~
Rip out tile in bathroom (in process)
Add drywall and wainscotting in bathroom (no wainscotting, just drywall)
Reglaze bathtub
Replace flooring in bathroom
Put ceiling fan in dining room
Paint Dining Room
Paint living room and hallway
~~Paint hallway closet~~
Paint entry way closet
Paint Kids room
~~Paint Playroom~~
~~Tear out wallpaper border in office (ugh, thank God it is just a border)~~ FIL actually did this one. TY!!
~~Paint Office~~Paint Bedroom (almost done!)
Put Ceiling Fan in bedroom
Replace all Trim throughout (kids room, ~~playroom, dining room, living room~~, kitchen, bedroom, ~~office~~, bathroom)
~~Caulk Trim throughout~~
Paint Trim all throughout (kids room, playroom, dining room, living room, ~~kitchen~~, bedroom, office, bathroom) 1st coat done, second coat needed
Replace all light switch/outlet plates throughout (kids room, ~~playroom~~, ~~dining room~~, living room, ~~kitchen~~, bedroom, ~~office~~, bathroom)
~~Paint upstairs landing~~ and built in bookshelves
~~Lay flooring in office - n/a hardwood redone~~
Carpet Upstairs including stairs
Carpet Kids room
Light for kids room
Light for playroom
Light for bedroom
Light for office
Replace doors throughout (b~~edroom,~~ office, bathroom, ~~kids room~~, hallway closet, entryway closet) My Dad just did these two tonight. TY!!!
Replace closet door in playroom
~~Carpet Playroom- n/a hardwood redone~~
~~Wash out all kitchen cupboards~~
Paint Bathroom
Paint Fireplace Mantel and ~~vent covers~~
Fix window ledge in living room
~~Paint Window ledge~~ and/or find a cushion
Replace Mailbox
~~Replace Locks~~
Window Treatments for ~~Living Room~~, ~~Dining Room~~, Upstairs Landing
DIY blackout liner for LR bamboo blinds
Blinds for ~~Kids room~~, playroom, and kitchen
Window Treatments for Bedroom
Shelves for office closet
Shelves for playroom closet
get fabric for office closet, kids closet, bedroom closets
rip out drywall in bedroom under window and replace. (in process thanks to FIL)

Future To-Dos:

Laundry room in Basement
Add Basement Bathroom
Privacy Fence
Replace fireplace mantel and faceplate
Finish basement
close up 3rd door in kitchen
New Kitchen cabinets and layout
Stainless Steel appliances in kitchen
Raised Gardens :)
Seed backyard lawn
Landscaping- tbd

How To Find the Best Direct Sales Recruits.

2011-03-01T08:03:00.002-05:00

On Friday I challenged those of you building a Direct Sales team to be picky about who you enroll on your team.

I got lots of questions from people about how I decide...what questions I ask them, and mostly How do you know if someone will be a good business builder?

You don't really know. I don't really have a set of questions I ask them, per se.

What I DO do, however, is I kinda try to scare them away. lol.

I let them know that while Direct Sales isn't HARD work, it IS (a lot of) work!

I NEVER ever give someone the impression that Direct Sales, Network Marketing or MLMs are get rich quick schemes.

Instead, I tell them it is going to be hard, and there are times they are going to want to quit, and that they need to have a GREAT why! But I tell them that I WILL be there for them in all of these instances. I tell them that I will give them all the skills needed to do what they need to do.

But Ultimately, and here is where the kicker is... it is up to THEM to DO the work. You cannot force them, or pull them, or bribe them. THEY have to want it.

I always tell my team that I will not be calling and bugging them, that it is their business, and that if they have questions and want my help that they should come to me. I will work with those who are approaching me and asking for help, and following the game plan. I give those team members my attention. Anyone at anytime can have that full attention. I know life changes and things come up. Sometimes it is not a proper time to run a business. I do not want them to feel pressured, or that they have let me down. And whenever the time IS right again for them to pick up and work the biz, let me know. I'll be their biggest cheerleader.

And that is the bottom line! You can't expect something from them. You can't put pressure on them that they are going to be your next super star consultant and take you to the next level. YOU take yourself to the next level by going out and finding fabulous people to team up with.

Look, I am not desperate to have anyone on my team. And neither are YOU. Remember that.

Am I right for Direct Sales?

2011-02-25T10:52:00.000-05:00

It seems like in the Direct Sales industry, we are trained (or pushed) by our uplines to enroll or sign-up ANYONE who seems a bit interested in the business.

There really IS a reason behind this. Because Direct Sales has helped so many women come out of their shell and do something that they never thought they could do. And what an amazing feeling THAT is. To be the person who helps someone gain confidence, become successful, and realize they are way more than what they thought they were. But the truth is, Not everyone is right for Direct Sales.

It is true that anyone can do this job. No matter your past experience, your education level, your location, your size, your race, your background, or no matter how many or how little people you know. But it's not right for everyone.

Here is who it IS right for:

Someone who is MOTIVATED.
Someone who is trainable.
Someone who wants to better themselves through personal development (by learning, stepping out of their comfort zone, creating new relationships, etc.)
Someone who can pick up when the going gets tough and keep at it.
Someone who is not afraid to work, and work hard until they reach success.

Being in direct sales isn't difficult work. But it IS work.

We have all dealt with the consultant who just really isn't that serious about the business. To be honest, she gives us all a bad name. Sorry, but it's true.

Today, I challenge you. I challenge all of you who are out there building your team in Direct Sales, to be picky about who you bring on your team. Interview THEM, and see if they are a good fit for you, the rest of your team, and the business in general. If they are not. PASS.

I bet when you step up and bring only motivated, trainable, hard-working people on your team, you will see a big difference in the growth of your business. You will see your team-mates attitude and productivity sky-rocket. When you pass on your first prospect, you will feel like a Million Dollars. (p.s. this isn't about being mean to someone, or putting yourself up on a pedestal. This is about being real and honest, and making the choice to do what is right for you, your business, and your priorities)

Try it. Let me know how it feels.

Featured Mompreneur: Lisa Stone with Just Jewelry

2011-02-24T08:12:00.003-05:00

I did business with Lisa about a month ago. She posted a picture of a beautiful ring from Just Jewelry, and I just HAD to have it! :) I sent her a message and about 2 days later I was a proud owner of this ring.

Her customer service was amazing and she really is a joy to do business with, and she is just so down to earth and real.

So, it gives me much pleasure to introduce you to Lisa from Just Jewelry.

MM: Hi Lisa! So tell us a bit about yourself and your biz.

Lisa: It is such a pleasure to get to tell you all about my life and my great business with Just Jewelry...My Husband and I have been married almost 16 years and we have a wonderful Daughter who is gettting ready to turn 11 in about two weeks. Yes she is the only child and what we live for...lol..

I have a full time job at the moment along with my Just Jewelry business. I plan on quitting my full time job to be able to do Just Jewelry full time. My daughter will be a teenager very soon and I need to be home with her. I have dreamed for many years of getting to stay home with her and it is about to happen and Just Jewelry made that possible. I have been in direct sales for many years and until I found Just Jewelry I was never happy or successful at any of them. You truely have to love what you sell to be successful and I do love what I do. Everyday my business is growing stronger and stronger and a steady stream of new recruits are coming my way. I can see this as being my full time career in a couple months. With nothing in our catalog over $38.00 that is what people are looking for in this hard economic times and I can give that to them with Just Jewelry.

MM: So what attracted you to selling Just Jewelry?

I knew that in these tough economic times, that I needed to sell something that everyone could afford to buy and this was it. Even when money is tight women can find a few dollars to pay for Jewelry. Jewelry is something that makes you feel good and gives you that little extra happiness even when you don't have the funds to purchase more expensive things. When I was reading about the cofounders and how high their faith was and how important it was to the business, I new it was for me.; "What is on the inside is more important than what you wear on the outside".

MM: What is your favorite thing about your business? Just Jewelry has given me extra money of course to do extra things, it also has given me life long friends that I would have never met if it had not been for Just Jewelry. Also it gives me, "Me time"...We have a seminar once a year that me and my friends get together for a road trip to get away from the hustle and bustle of the world. We also have the opportunity to win some awesome vacations from Just Jewelry and that is what I am aiming for next year...I can't wait..Also we can earn the use of a company car.

MM: What are some tips I would give someone who is on the fence about becoming a work from home Mom?

Lisa: Enjoy your children while they are little and working from home gives you that chance to spend those precious moments with them. Just Jewelry is so inexpensive to get started that it would be the best business to get into. The business is fairly new and not everyone has heard of them. There is not a consultant on every corner. This helps with getting great customers. Everyone loves new products and especially with a price point like we have. You could be the first in your area. It is absoultely the best and the easiet thing that I have ever sold. I also have my team started with 11 wonderful ladies under me and they all love what we do. This is a company that when you call their corporate head quarters you actually get to talk to a real live people, and they will help you in every way that they can. When the economy was so bad the last few years Just Jewelry grew 400%. WOW that is an awesome growth for a new company.

MM: How long have you been in the business?

Lisa: I have only been with Just Jewelry for a little over a year but my success has been huge. The product quality is great, the price point is wonderful, customers love it, and JJ corporate office are like family. If you are thinking of becoming a stay at home mom please don't let fear slow you down. Jump in with both feet and everything will work out. Enjoy those babies, while they are still babies!

MM: So where can our fellow Mompreneurs and others get in contact with you if they have a question, or want to purchase some amazing and great priced jewelry?

Lisa:
Facebook page that is: Just Jewelry By Lisa

Website: www.itsjustjewelry.com/lisastone

You can email me at: itsjustjewelrybylisa@yahoo.com or lstone@itsjustjewelry.com

I would love to get you started and well on your way to becoming a stay at home Mom...Thanks and I have really enjoyed telling you guys my story.

I miss my kids...

2011-02-22T10:27:00.002-05:00

huh? You might ask? Let me explain.

On Saturday, I realized something as we were coming back from the new house late. The kids were at their Nanny's house. (my step-mom-in-law) And it was a bit sad when I knew we were coming home to a lonely house. (this is typical for Moms, I LOVE to have some time away from the kids, but when night-time comes, or morning time comes, I miss them.)

But I realized that Saturday night that I wasn't JUST sad that I was coming home to an empty house. I was missing quality time with them. And lazy days, and active days. etc. Since having this new HUGE project- aka the new house. I haven't been fully WITH my kids when I am with them. :(

I mean, yes we are still together everyday, pretty much all day. My StepMIL has been taking them almost everyweek, which, please don't think I do not appreciate that TREMENDOUSLY. (It is impossible to get a lot of work done at the new house with them around) But it wasn't even so much THAT that I miss.

It is going to a park, and just watching them have fun. It is quality time just laying and reading books, and just laying and snuggling. It is having craft time and spending time getting a craft idea together, and prepping, then watching them have so much enjoyment doing it. It is having our friends over for playdates, or going to playdates.

I haven't been able to do all of that. Because when I AM home, and not at the new house, shhhing them, and telling them to run off and do something, I am at our current house, researching things on the internet, packing the house, calling around about prices for refinishing the floors, reglazing the tub, etc. And when I am NOT doing something for the house. I am trying to get a couple minutes in of working my home business, and blogging, etc.

Not spending QUALITY time with the kids.

Yesterday was Monday, and I realized that I needed to slow down a bit and live in the moment. So I spent pretty much ALL day yesterday sitting on the couch. I only did the dishes and one load of laundry and cooked dinner. Otherwise, I just sat on the couch, and Cam graciously sat in my lap- usually with his head on my shoulder the entire day. He got off here or there and went to see what is sister was up to. But other than that, we hung out all day. Let's just say, I think it was good for the soul. His and Mine.

Moms, I want to hear from you... have you ever had anything so big going on in your life that you sacrificed quality time with your kids? What have you done to be sure you are spending quality time with your kids during crazy life moments?

New House To-Do List

2011-02-20T00:08:00.002-05:00

You all know we are working on a new house. But I think people don't really realize how much work this is. And the fact that hubby and I are doing it ourselves. With the help from some amazing family and friends of ours. But for the most part, we are doing it ourselves. The only thing we have had professionally done is the refinishing of our floors.

Around the beginning of December I created a to-do list. At that time I crossed off the stuff we had already done. You can see the original below the pictures. However, directly below is an updated version. I am finally getting around to crossing off what we have done up to this point.

So THIS is what I have been so busy on. And the worst part, is that this list does not really do all the work justice. There is so much more to it than I could ever get down on paper. The things that come up. Much of the prep work, etc. Like, before painting ANY of the rooms, there is mudding and sanding, then wiping down the walls, then priming THEN painting. I didn't put ALL of those steps in my to-do list. I think you get the jist! We are really in the final stretch now. Each day it looks and feels more like a home. EEEE! Exciting.

As of 2/19/11

To-Dos

Buh-Bye Ugly Pink Tile

Don't Mess with Maddie when she's working!


I matched the color to a print I bought in St. Lucia on our HoneyMoon.

Oops, an unplanned project. FIL is working on this one. :)

As of 12/1/10

To-Dos

List of House To-dos! (can you say YIKES!)

Immediate To-Dos before moving in:

Wipe down all walls throughout (~~kids room~~, ~~playroom~~, dining room, living room, kitchen, bedroom, office, bathroom)
Drywall hole in living room
Drywall hole in bedroom
Tear out carpet in living room
Tear out carpet upstairs and on stairs
Refinish hardwood floors in dining room
Decide if hardwood floors are re-finishable in living room and either carpet or re do the floors
~~Tear out carpet in kids room~~
~~Tear out carpet in playroom~~
Rip out tile in bathroom
Add drywall and wainscotting in bathroom
Reglaze bathtub
Replace flooring in bathroom
Put ceiling fan in dining room
Paint Dining Room
Paint living room and hallway
Paint Kids room
~~Paint Playroom~~
Tear out wallpaper border in office (ugh, thank God it is just a border)
Paint Office
Paint Bedroom
Put Ceiling Fan in bedroom
Replace all Trim throughout (kids room, playroom, dining room, living room, kitchen, bedroom, office, bathroom)
Paint Trim all throughout (kids room, playroom, dining room, living room, kitchen, bedroom, office, bathroom)
Replace all light switch/outlet plates throughout (kids room, ~~playroom~~, dining room, living room, kitchen, bedroom, office, bathroom)
Paint upstairs landing and built in bookshelves
Lay flooring in office
Carpet Upstairs including stairs
Carpet Kids room
Carpet Playroom
Wash out all kitchen cupboards
Paint Bathroom
Paint Fireplace Mantel and vent covers
Fix window ledge in living room
Paint Window ledge and/or find a cushion
Replace Mailbox
~~Replace Locks~~
Window Treatments for Living Room, Dining Room, Upstairs Landing
Blinds for Kids room, playroom, and kitchen
Window Treatments for Bedroom
Shelves for office closet
Shelves for playroom closet

Future To-Dos:

Laundry room in Basement
Add Basement Bathroom
Privacy Fence
Replace fireplace mantel and faceplate
Finish basement
close up 3rd door in kitchen
New Kitchen cabinets and layout
Stainless Steel appliances in kitchen
Raised Gardens :)
Seed backyard lawn
Landscaping- tbd

Taking back Toilet Time

2011-02-18T23:49:00.001-05:00

So I made myself a promise....I am taking back toilet time.

That's right, you heard me right. I. Am. taking back toilet time.

What does this mean, you ask? Well then, you MUST NOT be a Mom. Of two. And a Black Lab. Who ALL join me in our teeny, tiny bathroom each time nature calls.

So, it's official. I now go potty in quiet. Well, except for the pounding on the door by the little one standing outside of the bathroom. Calling "moommmmmyyyyyy" "WHAT are you doing?" "mommmy, mommmy, mommmmy, mommmmy"

Do you get to go to the bathroom alone? Come on be honest? And tell us, what is the one thing, pre-kids that you wish you could "take back?"

What kind of a story are you creating?

2011-02-18T08:21:00.001-05:00

Do you ever notice that some of the greatest stories you have to relive and tell come from times in your life when, well, quite frankly, life or things were tough.

Like, I was thinking today on my drive home about the time the power went out in all of like 3 cities, including the Detroit Metro area. I wasn't so fun to be without power for a couple of days, but it sure is a fun story to tell now-a-days.

There was also the time I was camping with a group of friends, and one of the guys in our group was taking his car into town because he was low on gas and wanted to fill up. I went with, because I wanted to get some cash out of the ATM, and well, we drove for about 4 or 5 miles before he never made it into town and ran out of gas in the middle of nowhere. The walk back was not so fun in some high heeled sandals and 90 degree weather. But well, it is really fun to tell now.

I try to remind myself of this at my point in my life. Some days seem SO stressful. I seriously wonder WHAT I am doing. There is so much going on with me moving our family to a new house. Living on one income that is a also a lot less than it once was. Only having one car, and to boot, this car happens to be a jeep, that I have to climb up into each time I go to load my kids in or out. The kids hardly even fit in the darn thing. They have to sit with there legs bent in order for us to put the seat in driving position. The ride is bumpy, and cold, and well, it is annoying.

In the midst of this, I work daily on my home businesses in order to create a career for myself that will bring my family financial security for the future, and time freedom to enjoy said family.

And it is craziness. But I know I am creating a great story for the future. I have no doubt in my mind that I will do these things I have planned...as painful (ok, a bit of an exaggeration there) as it may be now. Once I get there, once I make it, well, I think life'll be boring...and I'll be glad to have a story to tell.

A story about the struggle to get there. And I will tell it. And we will laugh. And cherish these times.

Featured Mompreneur: Jonah with BabaZoOBeE

2011-02-17T19:33:00.004-05:00

Good Evening Everyone, I am soo excited to introduce you to Jonah from BabaZoOBeE.

Isn't that the cutest name in the world? I agree, and after I hacked the name of her company up within the first 30 seconds of our call, Jonah quickly, yet kindly, corrected me and went on to explain how the name came about. I loved her company even more!

BabaZoOBeE is the nickname her eldest daughter, gave to her youngest daughter. Jonah started off calling baby number 2 Baba and baby number 1 took off with it adding all sorts of other funny endings, until BabaZoOBeE stuck for good. Jonah told me it seemed like a perfect name for her company when she started it.

And why wouldn't it be? The whole reason the company came about is because of Jonah's love and addiction to making Waldorf Dolls. It started just for her daughters, soon she was making them for her friend's children, and quickly realized in order to keep up with the costs for making these dolls, she must find a way to use them to bring some income to support her new found hobby. So a business was born! :) Of course, BabaZoOBeE sells more than just dolls. Visit her etsy shop and you will find, shoes, (aren't these shoes sweet?) diaper covers, toys (wouldn't this playfood just look adorable in my kids playroom kitchen?) hats, etc, etc. You HAVE to go check it out for yourself!

Jonah took BabaZoOBeE live in October 2009, but because of a family emergency, didn't get off to a full start until early 2010. Jonah just had her busiest Christmas Season ever. Her partner even had to take time off of work, so Jonah could pull full-time hours in order to keep up with the demand. I'm not surprised! Have you seen her work?

Jonah tries to re-purpose the materials for her products as often as she can. She sees no need to use new materials when there is so much material out there now, not being used. She spends her time trolling Salvation Armys, Goodwills, and other stores in her area that donate the money made from sales to those in need for materials she can re-use. She also gladly accepts donations from family and friends for materials they no longer use or need. And when she does use new materials, like for her crocheted hats and the dolls themselves, she of course buys all natural materials- locally purchased.

When I asked what advice she has for fellow Mompreneurs who are looking for a way to balance business with family and life, She chuckled to me "What is this balance you speak of"? I think we can all relate. Jonah shared with me that she works mostly evening hours. She even thinks working the business has helped grow her relationship. As a busy bee, the crocheting needed to keep up with sales forces her to sit down on the couch next to her partner and spend quality time and not get up and do other things. I personally think that sounds like good balance to me.

Some final words from Jonah before we ended the call were:

"Set a goal and make it one that's achievable to hit. My first goal was to sell 1 thing per week." she ended up doubling that.

"Set yourself around a network who supports you."

Thank You Jonah again for taking out the time to tell us fellow Mompreneurs about your business, and your advice for reaching success.

If you haven't already, be sure to check out Jonah's Etsy Shop here.

A Humbling Moment

2011-02-11T09:16:00.000-05:00

We've all had them, I'm sure. And mine, while very humbling, also happens to be a very embarrassing day. A real parenting low.

A couple weeks ago, my youngest threw his toy train for the umpteenth time that day. And I had just HAD it. He threw it, and it landed against the wall with a HUGE thug. I immediately grabbed his arm and pulled him to me. Got up real close to his little face, and with the other hand, I pointed my index finger really close to his nose and shook it around a bit. I put mean mommy face on and really showed my authority by yelling very loudly and with MUCH emphasis. "CAMERONALLEN. YOU. GO PICK UP THAT TRAIN RRRIIIIGGGHHTT NOWWWWW!!!" I yelled in what I was hoping was a very intimidating, terrifying voice.

To which my Son replied, crinkling up his eye brows, and shaking his little finger in the air "OKAAAY MOMMY, I PICK UP MY TRAIINNNN!" in the same level of yelling that I had used. Then, his little face went from the crinkled up face, to this bright, proud smile, as if to say "There Mommy, I did what you did, is that how we communicate now? Screaming at the top of our lungs.

I did what any normal Mom would have, I think. I let go of his arm, and I laughed my butt off. At ME, not him. (well, him too, it was pretty funny) But mostly at ME. For honestly, how dumb I must have looked. How dumb I must have sounded to him. He thought we were playing a game, or just being silly, looking like (pardon my french) dumb-asses. Ok, so that last word was obviously mine, not his.

But I did. Look and sound pretty dumb, I am sure of it.

Thank God for our innocent little children to give us those humbling moments of parent hood. I am sure it will not be the last time one of my kids helps to show me, in their innocent ways, how wrong I am, or how silly I look, or how ashamed I may feel about a choice I make.

Last week was one of them, and that very day I sat down and ordered 2 parenting books. I am working on self development in so many areas in my life, I can't forget to work on the most important job I have right now. Being a parent to two amazing kids.

A little extra calorie burn

2011-02-10T17:36:00.000-05:00

As you all know, we bought a house and we have been working on it. It had lots of holes in the walls, and it was really dirty, and needed fresh paint everywhere, flooring, etc. So I have been busy, busy, busy...

There is so much prep work involved, especially for an older house. So we have been sanding and mudding, and more sanding and priming and painting.

I have to admit that my workouts have been far and few between :( So imagine how happy I was when I stumbled across this post from Young House Love (my favorite house blog) stating that roller painting a room burns about 204 calories an hour. Yippe, cause that feels like that is all I do now-a-days.

If you have time, check out the Young House Love blog, I fell in love with Sherry and John and their house the first time I came across their blog. And it was all I did for days was read through their blog after my kids went down to sleep.

Featured Mompreneur: Sharon Blacknall with Kaching Kaching

2011-02-10T12:02:00.000-05:00

This week's Featured Mompreneur is Sharon Blacknall of Kaching Kaching. Now this is one company I have yet to hear of, so I was pretty excited to get to know Sharon and Kaching Kaching more.

I happen to think Sharon's tips for anyone looking to start a home biz is RIGHT ON. What do you think??

Sharon Blacknall, Kaching Kaching

Sharon, thanks so much for taking the time to give Mompreneurs the low down on you and your business. We are so excited to know you better. So tell us the good stuff, Where you are from, how many kids you have, what you do for fun, etc?

I have always claimed San Antonio, Tx as home because it is the one place I felt most welcome as a well travelled military brat. My Mom, sister and other family still reside there. Currently, I am in the process of relocating from Las Vegas back to San Antonio. This will represent a huge change for me, as I will not only be leaving a city I have resided in for 22 years, but both of my children (a son and daughter) have just moved out and decided to make Las Vegas home. Talk about getting all of your major changes done at once...whew!! Ironically, both me and my husband are military vets and one of our favorite past times is (don't laugh)...traveling! You'd think we would have had our fill of that by now, but I LOVE meeting new people and experiencing new things!

Now, tell us about Kaching Kaching. Kaching Kaching, a publicly traded company, offers eveyone the ability to have their OWN online retail store with over 1.3 mllion products, a Retail Mall with over 2300 major retailers and a Green Mall with over 11,000 green and organic products - all for FREE! No monthly fees, minimums or dues required to own a store. But, the BEST part in addition to having your own ecommerce center is the ability to earn cash back on every purchase made on your site! Kaching Kaching's goal is to become the first online chain of retail stores and your ultimate shopping destination. Simply amazing!

Why did you chose to work with this company over others? I have tried other direct sales companies in the past, but did not have the level of success others were experiencing. Kaching Kaching has been heaven sent because I finally have found a HOME and SUCCESS!  As a Broker with KCKC, I'm not trying to convince people to buy something they don't really want, change plans, etc. I am simply having the time of my life, giving away free stores and showing people how they can save, shop wisely at the online sites they are already using and put money BACK into their pockets at the end of the day. We are also offering the stores to churches and non-profit organizations as a way to raise money. Talk about a way to pay it forward and have FUN....this is it!

How long you have you been in business? I joined Kaching Kaching in Aug. 2010 and have never been happier with a company!

How do you balance family time with your business? I am truly blessed to have one of the most understanding and supportive husbands in the world. He is not only one of my best friends, but he is my business partner! We are in this together and plan our schedules according. My children are independent (but still my babies), and when they come by we can always find something to do together. After all, this is Las Vegas and fun is always around the corner!

What's one tip you might have for other Moms who are thinking of getting into the direct selling industry, or who are looking into starting a business of their own? Don't succumb to any of the "Big Four Dream Killers". "Fear, Pride, Ego or Doubt" are what stops a lot of people from succeeding. Do your research, find a business that fits your personality, WRITE down your goals or why, find a good mentor and then develop a laser like focus when it comes to your business.

What is your most favorite thing about being a Work At Home Mom, and what is your least favorite?  Being a Work at Home Mom gave me Time Freedom which is PRICELESS! I did the whole corporate management thing for years and suffered endless amounts of guilt over missing plays, games, etc. Even though the kids would tell me they understood, I always felt like I was cheating them. It wasn't until I started working from home, that they finally admitted they were so happy to have me available when THEY needed me, not when my job allowed. I've yet to find a downside about working from home except my dog Zorro doesn't get my jokes! :-)

If someone wanted to contact you, how would they go about doing so?  Call or text me at 702-461-0571; Email: sharon.blacknall@gmail.com   Go to my website and get a free store while there (click on get started then get free store) www.powerofecommerce.biz

Stop Calling Me! Or How to get the Direct Sales Lady to stop calling you.

2011-02-08T22:39:00.000-05:00

You know the one, the direct sales person you met at your best friend's last home party.

You were having a good time, you let your hair down, and you (gulp) put your phone number in the line on that darn door prize slip, and now, she keeps calling you!

I have tips on how to get this lady to STOP calling you.

Ready for it?

You sure?

Got Paper and a Pen?

Ok, here goes:

BE HONEST.

Let's take a look back to that night, and each time she calls and you speak with her.

That night, when she (ahem: did her job and) asked if you ever wanted to host a party, what did you tell her?

Did you say maybe, but not right now?

When she asked if you EVER in the future might think about becoming a consultant for the company, did you tell her No, or did you hem and haw, and not really give a straight answer?

When she calls you (which by the way is her DOING HER JOB) did you then tell her, that you really aren't interested in hosting a party, and that you just mislead her at the party?

No, you do what is easiest, which is be nice, and tell her you are interested, but not now, and whatever else it takes to get her off the phone and make a mental note of her number so next time it shows up on your phone you are sure not to answer the call. :)

I have been a direct sales consultant for many years.

I have been a direct sales party attendee for even longer.

I have seen this happen so many times.

I had a friend who complained to me that one of the consultants for a party I hosted kept calling her. At a later date that same friend attended another party I hosted and I overheard her answer to the consultant when she was asked if she might ever consider selling the product. She said, possibly. Possibly.

I know this friend, I know that she would NEVER be a consultant, yet instead of giving the lady an honest and straight answer, she said Possibly.

I am not dumb, and I know there are some bad apples out there, that make the rest of us non-pushy, hard working consultants jobs much harder.

BUT. I can tell you one thing for those of us who are just doing our job...

We don't WANT to call you. We don't just go around calling and bugging people hoping we can change a No to a Yes! We don't have time for that. We are Mothers, and Wives, and Friends, and Housekeepers and Business Owners. Our time is precious to us and our families. We are not desperate for ANY party as you may think. We want a good quality party, and more than anything, we want someone to be HONEST with us. That is really all we ask for.

You don't want to have a party? Great! We know where we stand and are more than happy to move on to the next person who DOES want to have fun with friends and get lots of amazing product for FREE and at a Discount.

When you tell us NO, we don't get off the phone and cry. We make a note, that you are a great customer, but not interested in a party and call the next person.

So please, spare US the phone call, and just tell us the truth.

Featured Mompreneur: Ronni Modlin, Independent Scentsy Consultant

2011-02-03T20:49:00.001-05:00

The Motivated Mompreneur finally decided to give Scentsy a try. I was so very please with the product, and the amazing customer support I received when I went through Independent Consultant Ronni Modlin. She was a pleasure to do business with and I really wanted to get to know more about her. And that is where my idea for featuring fellow Mompreneurs each week on this blog began. So here is what I wanted to know about Ronni, and I am happy to share with you!

MM: We'd love to get to know you better, so give us the low down on you. Where you are from, how many kids you have, what you do for fun, etc?

Ronni: I'm from Kincaid, KS - lived here since I met my hubby 9 years ago. Our 8 year wedding anniversary will be this year. We have four children. One I placed for adoption when I was younger - but still see her often. Two Daughters - Alexandria (11) and Dallas (7)

Two sons - Massey (9) and Andrew (5)

I do not work out of the home. I do photography for a living - but cannot do anything but outdoor photos. So I took on Scentsy to supplement that income. It has become something totally amazing!

MM: Awesome! Well, tell us a bit more about Scentsy:

Ronni: Scentsy is a company that produces safe wickless candles. The wax sits in the warmer and a light bulb warms it to release the amazing fragrance. Completely 100% safe. It’s a food grade wax. My children even put their hands in it - and it doesn't burn them!

MM: Why did you chose to work with this company over others?

Ronni: I shopped around with several direct sales companies - trying to decide if any of them would fit my lifestyle and needs. In fact I debated for quite a few months before signing up - as I am not really a people person. And my cousin finally convinced me. I have not regretted a moment of it since! I chose it because it seemed fun. Exciting. And it was a product I love to the core!

MM: How long you have you been in business?

Ronni: I signed up to sell Scentsy on Oct 25th, 2010 - so just over 3 months!

MM: How do you balance family time with your business?

Ronni: When my kids get home from school I take the time offline to help them with homework - and prepare for supper. When hubby is home - I usually try to avoid 'working' if I can - unless he's 'doin his thing'. And because all of my children are in school. I am able to work as I please during the day!

MM: What's one tip you might have for other Moms who are thinking of getting into the direct selling industry, or who are looking into starting a business of their own?

Ronni: For direct selling - make sure BEFORE you sign up - that you know who you are signing with. Regardless of the distance between you and your team - having a supportive team & sponsor is one of the key's to keeping you going - and having fun! For starting a business of your own - make sure it is something that you LOVE. That’s one of the reasons to start your own right? So you can love your job!

MM: What is your most favorite thing about being a Work At Home Mom, and what is your least favorite?

Ronni: Favorite thing - is I can work my own schedule! I can do work whenever *I* want to. I can work around the kids' sports, and the hubbys job. If I wake up and am having a cruddy day (as I have Fibromyalgia) - I can just choose not to work that day if I don't want to - and it doesn't effect me really.

MM: If someone wanted to contact you, how would they go about doing so?

Ronni:

They could call/text me at 785-448-8767

Email me at ScensablyWicklessRonni@live.com

Or they could check out my website http://LittleMomma.Scentsy.us

I also have a page on facebook - http://www.facebook.com/RM.LittleMomma

Workout With The Biggest Loser's Brett Hoebel

2011-01-20T13:38:00.000-05:00

I'm gonna be working out with The Biggest Loser's Brett Hoebel, and so can you!

Brett Hoebel is a Team Beachbody Trainer along with the likes of Tony Horton, Chalene Johnson, and Debbie Siebers. I have tried just about every Beachbody workout so far except for his, Rev Abs, and Leandro Carvalho's Brazillian Butt-lift. ;p

Carl had asked us Coaches to pick a program and commit to it for 90 days. I love my ChaLEAN Extreme and I originally decided to do a second round of that program since I never fully completed it the first time around. I was scheduled to start last night. And I went downstairs all in a workout frame of mind. AND I COULD NOT FIND MY DISK!!! AHHH, you can see how upset I was about this here. (add me as a friend while you are there!)

So, on to plan B, I suppose. And after learning that Brett Hoebel is in fact one of The Biggest Loser's mystery trainers, I took a better look at his RevAbs program and I liked what I saw:

Reveal Your Six-Pack
With Brett Hoebel's proven Abcentrics™ training technique, you'll learn to work your abs from six different angles, and to engage your abdominal muscles throughout your entire workout so every move counts. You'll build a lean, strong physique with a variety of lively exercises, including the acrobatic martial art known as Capoeira.

Here's what you get:

9 Workouts on 7 DVDs:

Abcentrics and How To Capoeira. Rev up your results by firing your abs throughout every workout, and learn Capoeira moves for full-body fat burning. (Approx. 35 min.)

Fire Up Your Abs. Calorie-scorching cardio combined with Brett's Six-Pack, the ab circuit that works your core from 6 different angles. (Approx. 40 min.)

Power Intervals. High-intensity cardio with intervals of lower-body resistance moves designed to rev up your metabolism, melt belly fat, sculpt lean legs, firm the glutes, and work your abs—all at the same time. (Approx. 30 min.)

Total Strength. Works all your muscles to build a lean, hard body and get rid of ab flab. (Approx. 45 min.)

Mercy Abs. The mightiest little ab workout you'll ever experience. (Approx. 15 min.)

Fat-Burning Abs. A fired-up routine of new ab and cardio combinations that burn fat fast. (Approx. 40 min.)

Power Intervals 2. Even more revved-up cardio and lower-body resistance moves to firm your booty and torch belly fat. (Approx. 30 min.)

Strength & Endurance. Build definition in your abs and everywhere else for a rock-hard body to match your rock-hard core. (Approx. 30 min.)

Merciless Abs. A fast and efficient shredding routine that makes your abs pop. (Approx. 15 min.)

You also get these tools:

RevGuide, filled with Brett's personal training tips and motivational secrets

Nutrition Guide, developed by a nutritionist with complete, customizable meal plans to fuel your body while losing fat

RevAbs Wall Calendar, which lets you know exactly what to do throughout the program, and helps you stay motivated by tracking your progress

Plus, get these 4 FREE bonus gifts to keep you motivated:

Rev It Up Cardio, an extra workout DVD with more fat-burning Capoeira moves
Anytime, Anywhere Abs, a guide to working your abdominals when you're away from home
Professional Fat Caliper, to measure your body fat before and after your RevAbs transformation
Plus FREE Online Support, to get 24-hour access to the RevAbs Web site, where you can chat with Brett and other fitness experts, and meet other RevAbs customers.

I get 9 Workouts for under $80, that's less than $10 a workout! And if I don't like the program, I have no worries, as Team Beachbody has a 30 day guarantee and I can get my money back! WOOT WOOT!

So, I am stoked, I ordered mine today. I can't wait for it to get here! If you wanna workout with Brett Hoebel, you can order through me, and save some moola on shipping to boot! WWW.FUNFITNESS.INFO click on "shop".

Let me know you ordered it too, so we can help keep each other accountable!

How to Set Goals for Weight Loss

2011-01-11T23:52:00.002-05:00

Here is a 35 minute audio on how to set (and reach) goals for weight loss! Take a listen when you have a minute!

Hold Up, Wait a Minute!

2011-01-05T12:14:00.001-05:00

So, last week, I blogged my plan for my 2011 1st Quarter Fitness plans. You can read that here.

I didn't officially start on Jan 3 as planned. And on Monday, I got back my Turbo Jam videos from a friend I had lent the to because I needed them for a fit club starting on Tuesday.

I was SOOO happy and excited to get my Videos back. I had not realized how much I honestly LOVE this workout! It is my Fav, Fav, Fav! And it got me to thinking, about what I really truly want and need to do to be successful.

So, at this time, I am changing my program BACK to Turbo Jam. And I will probably even mix in some CLX again, some Turbo Fire for when I want to beef it up, etc. But, the bottom line (and ok this is SOOOO cheesy) but Turbo Jam completes me!!!!!

I did the learn and burn portion of Turbo Jam at the new Fit Club I am doing, and it reminded me of just how much I love it, and that it really is a good workout! I can't remember the last time I did my Turbo Jam video. It's been a while.

So that's the plan stan, for now ;)!

Want to see the Turbo Jam infomercial that piqued my interest 4 years ago? Go here.
Know it is something you would love and ready to get started NOW? Go here to order.

Let's Hear from the Men. And Women, pay attention, this will probably help you figure out how to save your marriage

2011-01-03T12:29:00.000-05:00

I came across this article, and I am wondering, Men? Is this true? Is this what you want to hear?

I think it probably is. I remember before I was even married watching an Oprah where they interviewed a panel of men who cheated on their wives. I was so surprised and I made sure to file this away in my mind under VERY important things to remember.

Of the men interviewed, there were a decent amount, like 15 or so. Of ALL the men, they ALL said that they DID NOT cheat on their wives because:

They were not attracted to her

They were uber attracted to the other woman

There reasoning was- Listen up here ladies- their reasoning was because their wives were not attentive enough, their wives did not find THEM attractive, their wives did not appreciate them. Basically the women who they slept with, they all thought she was much less attractive than their wives at home, BUT this woman is a sense, idolized them. She appreciated them, she acted lovingly towards them. Yup, that's it.

I couldn't help but to think, ok, how easy is THAT. Chances are, their wives probably felt many of these things for their husband, but just did not SHOW that feeling.

Anyhow, so here is the article I came across on www.markmerrill.com and it lists the 10 Things Husbands Want to Hear from theirWives

. “I love being your wife.”

As simple as it sounds, husbands want to know that their wives are content in their marriage, and truly enjoy just being with them. When is the last time you thanked your husband for marrying you? Don’t just assume he knows. Tell him!

2. “You’re an outstanding father.”

Deep in the heart of every man is the desire to be seen as a hero—especially to his children. Specifically tell your husband why he is your kids’ hero. And, tonight at dinner, tell your children why he is so special.

3. “I’m really attracted to you. You are the man!”

It’s a myth that women are always more looks-conscious than men. As guys’ hairlines begin to recede and stomachs start protruding, they can become quite sensitive about their appearance. Never joke about how your husband looks. Tell him he’s “hot” and how attracted you are to him.

4. “I really respect the decision you made.”

When a man makes a decision, especially a tough one, he doesn’t want his wife being critical of it or questioning him about it. He wants to know that his wife is behind him and admires his ability to make good decisions.

5. “I know how important it is to live within our means. I’m with you on this.”

Your husband is concerned about the future of your family. So that means he is concerned about taking care of his family financially. Having a wife he can rely on to spend and save wisely is a tremendous comfort to him.

6. “I’m so grateful for your spiritual leadership.”

All of us are hardwired for a relationship with God, and many men want to be seen as the spiritual caretakers of their families. Encourage your husband in his faith and for taking his role as a spiritual leader seriously.

7. “You are so wise.”

Many men are born problem solvers and relish the process of thinking through something and arriving at a solution. This, incidentally, is why your husband is always trying to “fix” your problems when all you want him to do is listen. Recognizing your husband’s mental prowess and complimenting him on his intelligence will pay massive dividends to you. Emphasize to him that you trust his wise judgment.

8. “I appreciate how hard you work to provide for our family.”

There are many things in life that your husband cannot control, but one he can control is effort. It brings him great pleasure to work hard and see the results. To directly control, and be the man responsible for creating something from nothing thrills him. Encourage his great work ethic.

9. “Thank you very much for helping me with that.”

When a man serves his wife, he wants her to recognize it. A simple “thank you” is all he needs.

10. “I’m impressed with how you handled that situation.”

What do you think about these? Easy enough to do? I think so! Why not pick one today and say it to your hubby when you see him next. I often say #1, #2 and #8, but I am going to focus on making sure to use some of the others when it fits the situation.

Mel's Weight Loss Challenge: Biggest Loser Style

2011-01-02T18:57:00.000-05:00

Ok, I know the Biggest Loser thing is really overdone, but it is FUN!

Once I get rsvp's we are going to break up into teams and have some friendly, but fun, competition to keep us motivated!
...
This will require just about daily check-ins. If there is one day you miss, and you update us the very next day, that is cool.

There is a small entry fee, and there are prizes awarded at the end. I recently Fall Challenge and Third and Second place won $25 and First won $100.

Hopefully we will get enough entries again to have that amount, or more, paid out.

We are broken out into team, HOWEVER, prizes will be awarded this time on an individual basis.

I am going to be giving out prizes for:

Most Weight Lost.
Highest Percentage of Weight Lost
Total inches lost
and
MVP. This will be picked by me, and will be based on weight/inches, attitude, check-in amts, supporting others, etc. This is a total wild card.

Prize amts will be determined once there is a final count of participants.

~RSVP and money is due by Wednesday Jan 5th.
~Teams will be announced on Friday Jan 7th.
~Weigh In (via photo) and Measurements due by 1/7
~1st Weigh In will be 1/14 and will be every Friday till the final weight in on Friday April 1st. ( no fooling here, the fools will be those who thought you couldn't do it! suckas!)

Please invite family and friends, the more the merrier, and the more the prize money will be! :) :)

Participating in weekly challenges and checks ins a minimum of 3x's a week are required in order to win prizes. A photo of your starting weight must be, emailed, FBed, or texted to me by Jan 7th.

Any questions, please ask me. I can be messaged on facebook at Melissa Hughes Bufford, or email me at melissa.bufford@gmail.com

Happy Losing!

Ringing in 2011

2011-01-01T23:51:00.003-05:00

I don't think I could have had a more laid back NYE.

We had no plans, and no plans of any of our friends coming over either, which was unusual for us.

At 5:00 we got a call that my Father-in-law was coming over to get the kids for the night. Really? Sweet.

We were Freebirds!

We ended up meeting friends of ours at our neighborhood bar for a drink before they went to a party. Then we proceeded to Outback for dinner! YUMMM! This was our old stomping grounds.

We used to always go there and head up to the bar and find some empty seats and sit at the bar and eat dinner there. It is great service cause the bartenders are right there. Sometimes it can get cramped depending on who/how many people are sitting around the bar. But we'll just snuggle right in together and it is kinda sweet and romantic. And, to boot, we got to know the bartenders really well, and they even used to give us free drinks. **bonus**

We no longer know the bartenders well, as there is a high turn-over rate in the restaurant industry, and we haven't gone there regularly since before kids 3.5 years ago.

But, it was a nice relaxing dinner. We got to talk without interruptions, take our time eating, and I had two of my MOST favorite drinks ever. The Wallabee Darned. (calories don't count since it was NYE!)

It was nice to get to talk and hang out, remember, hubby has been working 14-16 hour days the past two weeks, with just Christmas off. So we haven't spent a ton of quality time lately, and well, hubby really isn't a talker, so when he comes home from work at 10:30 at night, I try not to talk his ear off :) Basically we snuggle for about 15 minutes, then I soon have to move over (and push him over) due to the severity of his snoring. (love you honey!)

On our way back from dinner, we went to the new house, and spent about a half hour sanding and mudding so we had a head start for tasks today. It was pretty hilarious, I was sanding and mudding in heels!

We stayed up late last night as friends came over on their way home from dinner after the new year rang.

I slept in till 11:00! Craziness. Then I went off shopping while he had some "guy" time at the bar with his buddies. I was a bit disappointed that we didn't spend the majority of our time sans kids working at the house, because we get SO much more done without them, but he has been working so much that I can't really blame him for not jumping at the opportunity to go work all day some more.

The house will be there, quality time and relaxation will not.

I then proceeded to do a TON of reading/listening to audio tapes today while taking down the Christmas Decorations. I listened to 3 audios from Chalene's CarSmart program.

I think it's been a good good night. (I didn't EAT Black-eyed Peas, but hopefully quoting them on New Year's Day might bring me luck?)

Setting 2011 Goals

2011-01-01T17:54:00.000-05:00

Ok, well here goes. Although I admit, I am a hesitant to post these, I realize that do JUST that- posting them- is the way to actually bringing them to fruition. And I am So. Serious. About 2011.

Weigh 135
Read 24 Self-Improvement Books
Read 6 parenting/relationship Books
Complete Blogging Internship for Kelly McCausley
Get Certified in Turbo Kick AND Hip Hop Hustle
Teach 2 evening classes and 1 weekend morning classes a week
become 5 star Diamond Beachbody Coach
Create a successful Life Coaching Biz
Make our new house into a beautiful HOME
Pay for a house cleaner to clean my house on a bi-weekly basis :)
Pay cash for a used car
Start with 5 coaching clients a month and end up with 10 per month
Have over 5,000 twitter followers
Have over 1,500 FB page fans

I will keep you updated on how the progress goes. But you see, just writing these goals is one thing. The next step is breaking each goal down with a how-to. That is what I am working on next. I have to keep this list first and foremost on my priority list in order to make these actually happen. Also, I may possibly change these as the year goes on. These are not set in stone. If suddenly I realize that any or all of these goals no longer fit with my values, then I will change and/or redirect them. :)

New Year's Day Superstitions/Traditions

2010-12-31T13:35:00.001-05:00

What traditions do you have for New Years day? Or do you do certain things not for sake of traditions but out of fear from some of the superstitions out there?

After years of partying so hard into the New Year, and therefore sleeping in (usually accompanied with not feeling so well) and wasting the day away with laziness and bad eating, I heard about the superstition that what you do on New Year's Day set the tone for your entire year. Well, no wonder. This explains a lot! :)

It got me to wondering. What other things should I, or should I NOT be doing on New Year's Day.

So of course I turned to my trusty friend Google. And this is just some of the things I found.

At Midnight, be sure to kiss the one you love. The midnight kiss is said to keep you close all through the year.
Don't have empty pockets, or risk having empty pockets all year long
Make sure your cupboards are full, to ensure plenty of food all year round
Don't spend money on New Year's Day. Don't pay bills, or you risk paying out your money all year round
Wear new clothes. This will ensure you have plenty of new clothes coming your way the rest of the year
There are many food traditions for the New Year. But one I learned on Handy Manny is to eat 12 grapes. This will ensure prosperity for the next 12 months.
Spinach is supposed to be a good food to eat to bring prosperity as well. Double bonus, it's super healthy :)

If you partake in any of these traditions, or any additional ones of your own, share yours with us! Comment below.

It's almost a new year! MY PLAN (if you keep reading that far!)

2010-12-30T23:35:00.000-05:00

I love new starts and beginnings. I have probably wrote that before. But, I do, I do, I really do!

At this time of year I am always ready for Jan 1 to appear. Partly because when Christmas is over, I feel like, ok, let's get on with normal life. I love Christmas time, with the cozy nights, the beautiful lights, the excitement of gift-giving, etc. But when it is done, I am bored and ready to move on.

I have actually had my 2011 goals written out for over a month now. This is because between working on the new house, holiday stuff in general, and this being the busy time for Beachbody, I knew I would not have time/energy to be sure to have them all thought out this week!

I am still thinking of whether I want so publicly share these. There is always that worry, what if I put them out there and I do not succeed. Then I have failed. But do you know that the best way TO accomplish your goals IS to put them out there! So I probably will in the next few days. I already have them typed up and ready to print to hang in my new office. (p.s. have I told you all how excited I am to have an official, with door office again?)

What I am going to share with you right now is my fitness plan for the year. My very first goal is to weigh 135 pounds. I am doing what I was told by Brian Tracy and that is take your list of goals and circle the one goal that you think if you accomplish, will help you achieve all the other goals on your list. I KNOW getting to my goal weight will help me to be more confidant, put myself out there more, etc.

SO HERE IS MY PLAN:

Imma pull out the big dogs...

No messing around here....

(I know I just did the post about not need tools to lose weight. I swear it is true. But I also did say how I love to use/have tools, and that I think if you can afford to use them, than by all means do it. Well, I have just got my Beachbody business to the point where I am making enough money monthly to pay for the weight loss things I want to use. And I get an awesome discount on the product, so I am going to GO BIG OR GO HOME, and get smaller doing it!)

Drinking Shakeology Daily
Tracking Points with Weight Watchers Point Plus Online Program
Taking the Beachbody Slimming Pack, which is the ActiVit Metabolism Formula and the Slimming Formula supplements
For workouts I will be doing the P90X, TurboFire Hybrid.

Bascially, I get bored easily. I tried out P90X a few weeks back, and I really really enjoyed Tony Horton and the program. But I really think I will miss my Turbo too much if I just do P90X, and it will be good to have mix up of both the programs, and I have them both so it is an added bonus. I JUST found out that there is a hybrid out there. I was so pumped. I knew there was a TF/CLX, but did not know they combined it with P90X. I really enjoy and can see the fitness benefits of the HIIT portions of Turbo Fire.

I am so pumped for this. I did CLX last year and I was so happy with the results from that and drinking Shakeology. 23 pounds gone. But, this year I am going to make sure I do really with BOTH the working out AND the eating.

I have also learned something about myself, that I kinda really knew in the first place, but just paying attention to myself helps so much. I do not do well in the heat. (I know everyone tells me no one does, but just trust me, I think it is different.) So, i know I need to spend the next 6 months kicking butt in the workout department, so come July, I can just breeze by and do easy exercises like walking trails in Kensington, biking, swimming, rollerblading etc. One plus, is that our new house this summer will have air! Our last one did not. I hate getting so sweaty and then without having air it is like I NEVER cooled down!

Anyhow, that is plan. Do you have one? Leave me a comment with a link if so. I would love to see yours! Thanks for reading!!

The tools you need to get started losing weight

2010-12-27T12:04:00.000-05:00

What tools do you need to start losing weight?

Hmmm, let me think about this for a minute. I sell workout DVDs and an amazing healthy meal replacement drink....what do you think my answer is going to be?

I bet you think you know what my answer is going to be. You're probably wrong.

My answer is: "YOU DON'T NEED ANY TOOLS!" "YOU JUST DECIDE AND DO IT"

I am dead serious. It is about moving more and eating less. (I know, I am a genius!)

Now, tools don't hurt. And they may make it easier. And for a tech-tool liking type person, they surely make it more fun.

But, the only thing you need to lose weight it the desire to do something different, and the determination to get there.

It is comfort to have some tools. I myself, have tried and/or are currently using (and with much success) most of the "tools" out there. Some of which I happen to think are amazing. Bodybugg, Shakeology, Weight Watchers, Turbo Jam, CHALEAN EXTREME. (that is in caps for a reason).

But the bottom line is that, sometimes we use needing the tools, and not being able to afford the tools as a reason we can't achieve the goals we want. Well there are plenty of FREE things you can do.

Walk
Park in the furthest parking spot (yes even on the cold days)
Eat Less
Eat more vegetables
Drink more water
Drink less pop
borrow DVDs from friends not using them

There are so many, I could go on and on, and if you want more ideas, please feel free to contact me.

And if you can afford some of the DVDs I sell, or Shakeology, or a new treadmill, or to pay a trainer to work with you, then DO IT! But DON'T, please DON'T tell me you can't lose weight because you can't afford them. When you want something, you will find a way.

You LIKE Me, You really really LIKE me!

2010-12-27T10:58:00.002-05:00

If you haven't already...please like my Facebook Page.
Starting today I am doing fun daily challenges, and thought provoking questions.
Come on over and join in on the fun.

www.facebook.com/melissabuffordlc

The New Year is coming upon us....

2010-12-26T07:22:00.002-05:00

And what does that mean? That everyone is going to be thinking of what they will do in the next year to become healthy and well, skinny.

I hate that word actually. Skinny. Because skinny DOES NOT necessarily mean HEALTHY. Or STRONG. or FIT. And being overweight doesn't mean that you are not those things either.

I think once you focus on what is truly important, which is just being HEALTHY. That all other things fall into place. Don't skip the pop because you want to weigh a certain number on the scale. Skip it because there is no nutritional value in it. Don't get your butt to the gym because you want to fit into a certain size pants. Get to the gym because you will get STRONG and FIT by doing so.

Having your priorities set is really key to hitting your goals and becoming successful.

And the last and IMO most important thing to get, is an ACCOUNTABILITY PARTNER. This could come from a Trainer you hire at the gym. A friend who you take some fun workout class with each week. Or an online buddy you connect with everyday to stay on target.

You know yourself best. Figure out what you need to reach those goals, and make it happen!

Just Made: Stained Glass Jello

2010-12-24T11:58:00.002-05:00

You can get the full recipe here. I feel bad cause this isn't the first blog I saw this recipe on. But when I went to make it, I of course could not remember the original blog where I saw the great idea! :)

This was sooo easy peasy! I remember many years of watching my Mom make 7 layer Jello. I don't actually have a picture of hers, but looked exactly like this picture I found on the web:

It was work. It wasn't hard, but I remember it taking her all day to make. You literally have to let each layer mold before you can do the second layer. I actually forgot how cool this really does look. I was so impressed with the stained glass jello, that I forgot that the layered Jello is really just as cool!

Anyhow, here's how mine went.

You would have no chance of still being able to make the 7 layer in time for a Christmas meal, but you could certainly still get the glass block Jello made in time!

4 small boxes (3 oz. each) of Jell-O or store brand "gelatin dessert" in different colors. (I used lime and cherry for Christmas colors)

1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk (don't get evaporated milk)

2 envelopes unflavored gelatin

For each flavor, dissolve one box of jello in one cup of boiling water. Pour into a container and chill (overnight is probably best, but I chilled it 3 hours until firm).

After chilling the four flavors, cut them into small blocks.

Carefully mix the blocks in a 9 x 13 pan. I put a layer of plastic wrap down so I can easily pull the mold out and onto a cutting board to cut. (I will just cut off the wrinkled edges)

(how cool does that look? I Just wanted to run my fingers through it all day! It reminded me of the movie "Cloudy with a chance of Meatballs)

In a separate bowl, sprinkle 2 envelopes unflavored gelatin into 1/2 cup cold water.

After the gelatin blooms, add 1 1/2 cup boiling water and dissolve.

Add the can of condensed milk.

Stir and cool.

Pour cooled milk mixture over jello and chill overnight.

After chilled, cut into blocks or shapes and serve!

Finished Product:

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Get Fit 2011 Party

2010-12-23T20:28:00.001-05:00

What: Get Fit 2011 Party- a fun online party where you can earn tickets for a chance to win some Amazing fitness related giveaways!

When: Tuesday December 28th 8:00 PM EST

How it works: Be sure to LIKE my Facebook Page. At 8:00 EST I will start with a roll call to see who all is ready to start the fun. I will give directions on how we are going to play. Then I will ask Trivia questions to which you can find the answers on my website, and/or this blog. All the questions will be different. In some cases, I will award an entry ticket to the person who answers correctly first, in some anyone who answers correctly, and in some cases tickets for just commenting/liking, etc.

I comment with the winner, and then you get that many entries into the pot. At the end of the night I will pull tickets and raffle away some of the below amazing prizes. This is going to be FUN, FUN, FUN! :)

What's up for grabs: Some of the prizes* include, A Turbo Jam DVD, $10 Beachbody gift certificate (must be redeemed by Melissa Bufford), protein bars, shakeology packets, pedometer giveaway, AND MORE. I will keep updating as I add more prizes. A final prize list will be published prior to start of the party!

*Beachbody coaches are not eligible to win prizes.

RSVP here: http://on.fb.me/getfit2011

My Escape, AKA: A Shower

2010-12-23T12:40:00.001-05:00

This is a little late coming, but I still wanted to post it. Last week I did a challenge for us Stay-At-Home Moms to get up, shower, and get dressed. Everyday. I know many of you non stay-at-home-Moms might be thinking, what? Ewww, you don't shower everyday? Or they might not understand why we wouldn't get out of our pjs until right before our husbands come home. lol. If you don't get it, that is cool. This post just isn't for you then!

But I learned something over the week I participated in the challenge. I always thought I didn't shower cause I often didn't have the time. What I realized is that, that really isn't it. I mean, on the days I had to, I got in, got the job done, and it was quick. But, here's my secret...

Currently, a shower is like a mini-escape for me. Sad, I know. But true, oh so true!

I get in that shower, and aside from the amazingly hot water running down my body washing of the morning's syrup, or the applesauce that I didn't notice was wiped on the side of my face.... but it was quiet. (or at least drowned out to a dull sound that I could easily tune out).

I could think.

I could pretend I was child-less and back at the Sandals resort in St. Lucia. lol.

THEN come the knock at the door and the childs voice screaming MOOOOOOOMMMMMM!

Then I remember that it is SOOOO much better to use up my one and only escape now-a-days when the hubby is home and can deflect the interruption of a knock and a scream for me.

I quickly realized that THAT is the real reason I wait to take my shower when hubby gets home.

Well, that and the fact that when I pull out something like my make-up bag, suddenly my two children morph a couple additional arms and legs and they are on each side of me in my bag, fingerprints in my eyeshadow, running away with my Mascara. "BRING THAT BACK HERE!"

*sigh*

Stripes: I did it.

2010-12-19T20:36:00.000-05:00

Well, I did stripes in the office. I have always wanted to do it, but it really seems like a lot of work. But, I did it (just on one wall) and I LOVE THEM! LOVE THEM, LOVE THEM, LOVE THEM!

Anyhow, here is a small sneak peak!

Weekly Weigh In: -6.2

2010-12-17T09:41:00.001-05:00

Go Weight Watchers, Go Weight Watchers!

I started the Weight Watchers PointsPlus program last week. The Thursday after my Birthday to be exact.
This is the thing I LOVE about Weight Watchers: I feel like I CHEATED- All week. And I still lost 6.2 pounds.

So the day after my B-day (Thursday- my first day on program), I ate Nachos for lunch. And I had a second piece of my birthday cake.
Then, on the Saturday after my birthday I threw my sister a surprise b-day party, and I ate all sorts of goodies, and had drinks, cake, an amazingly yummy Buffalo Chicken dip, etc.

The rest of the week, I had a can of coke each day. (I love my coke, I really really want to give up the pop. but I have many many issues with that. So going from someone who could demolish a 2-liter a day, to a can a day, is a success in my book)

AND I STILL LOST over 6 pounds.

Now, the funny thing is that I kinda realized with WW that I probably haven't been eating enough the whole time. Most of the weeks, and then there would be a day or two that I would go all out eating a ton of bad stuff, which if you read my last couple of notes, you will realize means one thing: STORAGE.

When you are not eating enough, your body goes into starvation mode, and then when you DO eat- your body takes all of that and holds onto it, for when your body goes back into starvation mode.

One of the best things I did in the past year was to surround myself with, and then become a beachbody coach myself. (not even because of fitness and weightloss, but just self-development in general) But the one thing I have struggled with the whole time is the nutrition part of it. A lot of what Beachbody promotes is just too strict for me. I need some freedom and I need to feel in control and not restricted. on any diet.

Weight Watchers has always been the answer to that in the past. I have done it before and new it worked. But I resisted, because of what I had learned about eating, I felt as those WW made it easy to eat all junk. And that is not healthy. So I resisted doing the program again. I really wanted to do it on my own.

BUT, when they introduced the Points Plus program, I knew this was WAY more in-line with my new nutritional values. I knew that this new program would REALLY produce some weight loss for me.

It really isn't rocket science people. But you need to find the program that is right for you, and the thing that works best for you in regards to tracking. Cause it really IS all about tracking.

Anyhow, I'll be back each Friday to share my weigh-ins. (They won't be this long hopefully, lol)

So, I hope you will stop by to cheer me on each week, and keep me accountable.

Originally posted at www.facebook.com/melissabuffordlc

Get Fit 2011 Party on FB

2010-12-16T14:52:00.000-05:00

I am SOOOOO Excited about this!

I am going to be hosting a Get Fit 2011 Party on my Facebook LIKE page.

This will be a fun online party where you can earn tickets for a chance to win some Amazing fitness related giveaways!

All you need to do is LIKE my page: www.facebook.com/melissabuffordlc and then be on your computer at 8:00 EST on Tuesday December 28th!

Feel free to invite friends and family to come join in on the fun.

More details on how to play, how to win, and what the giveaways are, etc. will be coming soon!

So keep checking back!

Just a friendly reminder :) :)

2010-12-15T15:39:00.002-05:00

I try not to promote my business a ton on this blog. I want it to be a source of reference, and a place for my family and friends to come to get updates about our life.

However, this just NEEDS to be said right now. As I am sure you have realized, I am a Beachbody Coach. And therefore, I sell their products!!!! I work as an online fitness coach, and help everyday ordinary people (just like me) stay motivated to press play everyday and make a change in their lives.

With the first of the year soon approaching, everyone is thinking about what they are going to do to get themselves in tip-top shape this year. Beachbody will be running the most infomercials they have ever before this coming year. YIPPEEE! This means awesome customer referrals for me! But, I want to put it out there. If you see an infomercial, and you are planning to purchase one of their programs, PLEASE! STOP! Get online and go to my site instead. www.funfitness.info ORDER THROUGH ME! I get a nice little commission (Thanks Beachbody and Carl) and YOU pay the SAME price, but get ME as your go-to person for any questions, or motivation, etc. needed.

Also, as you hear friends talk about what they are planning to do in the coming year. Please send them my way if you hear them mention a Beachbody program, send them my information. Or send them to my facebook page.

Again, my info is:

www.funfitness.info
www.melissabufford.com
www.facebook.com/melissabuffordlc

Beachbody Products:

P90X
Chalean Extreme
Turbo Jam
Slim in Six
TurboFire
Insanity
Hip Hop Abs
Body Gospel
10 Minute Trainer

I got dressed today. Did you?

2010-12-15T12:15:00.000-05:00

The Deal with a Facebook "Like" or Fanpage.

2010-12-14T11:05:00.003-05:00

I just recently switched over to posting to a "like" page instead of my profile page.

BOY did that cause a lot of confusion with my family and friends. So, if you are reading this. I have sent you this way so you will understand my reasoning behind it. Or because you are a fellow Mompreneur and I want you to understand how a "LIKE" page will benefit your business.

The short story is that Google and Facebook joined forces in 2009. Which means that FB posts now show up in google searches. However, ONLY "LIKE" pages, i.e. for businesses or individually public persons, etc.

The other catch is that, to show up on Google's search pages, you must have a lot of activity on your "LIKE" page. Not from you posting, but from interaction with your "likers".

So, you want to have people commenting back on your posts. And "liking" your posts, in order for your page to show up in searches, and in your "likers" newsfeed. This goes for everyone. Ever notice that someone on your friend list is posting but you don't see it in your feed? This is because FB gives the limelight to those who have the most interaction on their posts. Kindy sucky, but this means that YOU (especially if you are a business) want to have a lot of interaction on your status updates so that you will appear higher in the newsfeed. Does this make sense?

So, think about this for a minute. You want to get a lot of "likers" and you want those "likers" to be commenting often on your updates.

So, you are a small photographer from Arkansas. Does it make sense to have someone from Michigan (who is likely to never use your services) like your page? YES! Especially if this person will comment often or like your comments. Why? Because then when someone from your area does get on Google and searches for Photographers in Arkansas....your page will show up in the results! Got it?

One other thing. For those of you who use your "like" page to just bark out specials over and over, and no one responds back. Your like page really does you NO GOOD! Sorry to be the bearer of bad news. Selling is really about relationships anyhow, so get your fans to interact with you. Don't just shout out from the roof top to them. Ask how they are doing today, what their favorite product of yours is, etc. Get them talking. They are then more open to listening to what you have to say anyhow.

As a recently certified Life Coach, and a fitness enthusiast, I created a like page for myself and not my business. Then I black mailed my family and friends into "liking" my page by threatening to stop posting on my actual profile. Not that I plan to sell to my family and friends. I want them to know what i am doing so they can keep me in mind if they come across someone who needs my help. But, really I blackmailed them, because they already love me. And they already interact with me. So, I knew that if I get them to come over, I will already have the interaction, just because they are my family and friends. So as my business grows, it will help people to "find" my page through the Google searches and the like.

I know this was a lot to take in at once. Please, feel free to leave me a comment on my wall if you have any questions. www.facebook.com/melissabuffordlc

Also, if you are looking to gain more "likes" to your FB page, join our Like me and I'll Like you back event on facebook. http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=182938548390082&index=1

Poll: To Paint, or not to Paint

2010-12-13T17:41:00.002-05:00

We have a bit of an eye sore in our new house.

The fireplace.

Are you ready for a picture?

Ok, here it is. Brace yourself.

Hubby and I knew when we purchased the house that SOMETHING needed to be done with this.

What- we weren't sure. And when- we knew it wouldn't be for a while.

We have no idea what the wall looks like behind the brick, and then we do not know what the flooring looks like underneath the brick either.

More research was/is needed.

Soon after we closed I posted a picture on a decorating forum and asked what people thought I could do with this short term to make it look better.

Someone replied to my post with a before/after picture of the Young House Love blog (my new favorite by the way).

THEIR BEFORE:

THEIR AFTER:

So, I decided to go for it and try it. Not with this yellow color, but another airy-beige color. Sandstone Cove tinted 50% by Behr to be exact.

So hubby was all for it. Then he told a friend who was like OH NO WAY! Etc, etc. So now, he is rethinking it. And so last night, he is all like "how bout we leave it for now and just paint the living room first." Ugh.

I totally get that Brick is some people's thing. And I totally get why some people think it is a bad idea. I messaged the author of the blog, and she reassured me that she has not had issues with smoke markings in the 3 years they had owned the house. And even if she had, I was fully prepared for having to clean it up, and even repaint a bit say, before we were entertaining or something.

But the other part is that, it was supposed to be temporary anyhow. If we were going to tear out all the brick anyhow, why not make it look pretty for a while, and even if it does turn out bad, we were gonna tear it out anyhow.

It really annoys me too when hubby agrees with me and then someone changes his mind to be a little daring about something, or about going against the grain. BUT that is another blog entirely ;)

SOOO the question here is:

Do you think we should PAINT THE BRICK, or NOT PAINT THE BRICK

Use the poll on the right side of this post to vote for your choice!*

**outcome to the this poll will not influence my decision one way or another. Infact, I am usually known to go against the grain in my stubborn fashion (passed down to me by my mother).

I almost threw a fit today.

2010-12-12T20:30:00.001-05:00

Honestly. Ha.

We (well, I) have painted one of the bedrooms in the new house now 6 times. Which totals 3 different colors. That in itself is depressing enough, but I thought I was going to have to paint this room a 7th time.

Luckily, I didn't have to.

First I chose colors for what was to be the kids room. Then hubby did his annoying rolling of the eyes, look at me like I am crazy, whole gig. Which made me re-think my original colors.

So I switched. And we painted. And I didn't like.

So I repainted. Then I ran out of paint. So I bought more. Of the wrong color!

Then, I changed my mind on what room this would be. Hey- it was before we would of had to paint the second coat of the wrong color that was supposed to be the second coat of the second color. (did you follow that?)

So the way I look at it, I saved us time. :) I won't tell you the way hubby looks at it!

Anyhow, I was doing the second coat of the third color today and it was coming out super blotchy. Which happened in the first room we painted. And only a third coat of the color fixed that. But luckily as it continued to dry, it did dry even.

Thank GOD! Both Hubby and I were ANNOYED with the thought of having to paint this room ONE. MORE. TIME.

But, I guess all is good. And another bonus is that, we both really like this (third) color. :)

SAHM Get Dressed Challenge!

2010-12-09T09:09:00.003-05:00

Ok, here it is. I'm starting a revolution!

Calling ALL Stay-at-home-mom and work-at-home moms! This is for us Moms that stay home all day. You won't get this if you are a working Mom, and there may even be some SAHMs who don't have this issue. But for those of us who are home most of the week, or work from home, or whatever it is that keeps us home most of the time, you will get this!

All next week, Mon-Fri we are going to get up and get DRESSED!

Do you suffer from staying in your pjs or other lounge clothes all day? No make-up? Hair pulled back in a ponytail? Not showering until after 3:00 pm?

Don't worry if you do. There are many other Moms out there in your shoes.

But next week, Mon Dec 13-Fri Dec 17th let's come together and show support for each other and get dressed.

How dressed you ask? Well, depending on where you were, we will do a little more. i.e. putting jeans on and a nice top will be good for me ;) And I am gonna do makeup and put on some earrings, etc.

Who's with me?

I am curious to see how much more energy we will have, how much more we get done. If we become better wives, mothers, business owners, etc just from putting a little effort into our looks while being home all day.

GO FROM THIS,

TO THIS! ;)

Pass this along! RSVP here: http://on.fb.me/hyBZgQ

Happy Birthday to ME.

2010-12-08T22:57:00.000-05:00

Hubby and I don't really exchange gifts. This is because we kinda go through stages. We usually either have money and buy ourselves whatever we want when we want it. (I know, not very fun) Or we usually are strapped for cash and therefore spending money on whatever our current need is.

Right now, we have the income coming in, but it is all going towards our house. So I got some booze and flowers from him.... so romantic I know. And he made me a killer Chocolate cake. Yum!

So, today I took the liberty to get myself a gift. And I didn't have to feel a bit guilty about it. Today I signed up for the Weight Watchers PointsPlus program. I haven't seriously done Weight Watchers since, oh.... 2005? Maybe even earlier than that.

I have gone back and forth recently about doing the Flex Point program. But I really truly feel like WW focused too much on processed foods. And that really wasn't matching up with my recent research and beliefs on a healthy diet. Then came the PointsPlus program, where fruits are now free. And now a 100 calories of Chicken Breast is no longer the same points as a 100 calorie pack of oreos! I feel like they have aligned themselves much more with an eating clean type of route. Bonus!

I am very happy about these new changes. Because, In the past year, I have gotten my fitness and workout levels all under control. But the one thing I was missing was the eating part. Although, I have come miles from where I was this time last year. I still have so far to go. And to get to my goal of "being hot again by 35" I need to get serious now about the eating part. I got one year to get down to business. That is PLENTY of time. I am not at all worried. I soo got this. I can feel it now.

So Happy Birthday to Me. Here's to another year filled with joy and laughter and happiness, and FITNESS and being strong and skinny!

Another sneak peak of sorts..

2010-12-08T08:41:00.005-05:00

In my kids new playroom they are getting this:

It's the newly organized toy closet from the Berenstain Bears book "The Messy Room".

The Berenstain books were my favorite to read to the kids I babysat as a teenager. They would pick other books and I would grab all the Berenstain books and beg them to let me read those.

Therefore, it only seems fitting that I would take my organizing influences from one of their books right?

So, yes, there is a big ol' closet in their playroom and shelves will be going up and everything will be neatly organized inside in labeled bins.

But because my crazy tornado kids could have this closet torn apart with every bin opened and the contents spewed throughout the room in .3 seconds, this closet is going to be equipped with a lock. That only parents will have the ability to open. MUWAH HA HA! (insert evil parent laugh here)

After Pictures to follow. Keep checking back!

Sneak Peak: Play Room

2010-12-07T23:15:00.001-05:00

I have been working my tail off (and so has the hubs) on our new house. And really, it doesn't really show it. lol. But it is REALLY, REALLY hard to paint/update an entire house with two little kids in tow. So it takes time. And I am trying calmly to deal with it. Some days it is easier than others.

Anyhow, in the kids playroom, I did an ENTIRE wall in Chalkboard paint. I used the Rust-Oleum Chalkboard paint brand here.

It was REALLY easy to apply, only took two coats, while my color on the other walls took 2. I did have to use almost 2 cans. Which means, I have some left.....and I have a bazillion ideas of where/how I can use the remainder up :) Many of which would probably NEVER fly with hubby! hee hee.

Anyhow, I can hardly wait until the entire room is done so I can do a proper reveal, but in the meantime, here is a pic of the kiddos enjoying it on a day we were over there to work.

sorry they are a bit blurry, I took them with my cel phone and didn't realize they were that bad. :(

P.S. I got the paint at HD in person for only $9.99 so it may be cheaper in store. Good Luck!

I am. At my wits end. With myself!

2010-12-03T15:26:00.000-05:00

I have been struggling on my weight loss/fitness journey. Since July 4th.

I know the date because we were on vacation, which wasn't the problem. We were camping and that can be very active. However, it was Hot. I hate heat. Actually, I hate humidity. I remember, I sat. I tried not to move. At all. to avoid feeling sticky, and icky and ew. I also ate and drank, I mean it was vacation, and I didn't go overboard or anything, but combining that with as little activity as possible, it is not a good mix. This is also when I stopped wearing my Body Bugg consistently. It made me hot and sweaty, and in the small camper, I would sometimes get it caught and it would pinch me, and ouch! I never really got back into wearing it everyday like I was.

After the 4th, it stayed pretty hot, and oh yeah, did I mention that I don't have air in my house? So I was not really in the mood to get all crazy sweaty when I never could ever really cool off again. So the workouts I did do, I was um, a bit easy on myself.

Then slowly the eating went a bit sporadic. I would be good for a bit, then have a little too much fun. I started gaining and losing the same 6 pounds or so. Seriously, for the next 3 months.

Now enter November/December. I don't have the "waiting till the first of the year" mentality AT ALL. But I have certainly become more and more lenient with myself. I have been VERY sporadic as it comes to working out. Maybe like twice a week I get a workout in :(

Now I am coming upon a wedding, where I should be enjoying myself, and all I can think/worry about is how awful I look in the dress I bought.

Let's look at the positives as I always like to do. Last night I put on my Christmas shirt I bought 2 years ago, that did not fit last year. It fits this year. I still get people telling me I look like I have lost. Even though I have gained some back, it definately has gone in different places and my fat to muscle ratio is still much lower than it was last year. I am definitely way more physically fit than I was last year at this time. (and we won't even talk about how I wasn't even at my worse yet at this time last year. It got so much more worse after spending my evenings in the hospital with my Father who suffered a heart attack- skipping dinners and getting a pop and a bag of cheetos to tide me over so I could rush out the door when hubby got home from work.) It was so bad come January 1 of last year that I really didn't go anywhere, wore baggy clothes, and even my closest of friends didn't see me cause I chose not to do things to hide how miserable I was.

So with that being said, I am still so far ahead of where I WAS, but I know that I could be so much further along than I am. I am trying to be patient with myself right now. I have a lot going on. The Holidays, and then we are moving. So I am in the midst of packing up our current house, and living in limbo, and spending a ton of energy on fixing up our new house (which needs a lot of work) and even the thoughts of decorating and the "extra" things I will do to make it feel like home!

However. I gotta get real! No more babying myself and making excuses for myself, I gotta get to it! And it all starts with the EATING! Eating is 80% of your weight loss success. I KNOW this, yet I still choose bad foods on a regular basis. What is wrong with me. I have no worries that I will get back into a great workout routine once things straighten out a bit. However, I do worry about the eating part, and that is what held me back all last year.

I'm gonna get this figured out. And you all will be the first to hear about it when I do! :)

Home Depot- My New Best Friend, and P90X Update!

2010-11-28T14:27:00.000-05:00

Wow, I have been to Home Depot so many times in the past two weeks, it is not even funny!

I am sorry for the far and few between blog posts. My life now consists of working on the new house, trying to keep this one picked up. Feeding/bathing etc my kids, and sleep. That is about it! I have been lucky enough to get in a workout here or there, but it is not easy. But I have to do it.

My Husband totally thought I was CRAZY for deciding to start P90X right now, with all the craziness of the Holidays, and then the new house. And he is right, I AM Crazy. But, I have realized that I might break. lol. But you know what they say, what doesn't kill ya only makes you stronger. Firm believer in that :)

And I realize that there might be times that I miss a workout in, or I may completely burn out, but I can't just push everything off and wait until the time is right. You gotta at least be trying and pushing forward.

So, yes, I might skip a workout here or there, but I am going to end up way better than where I would have had I NOT chosen to do P90X at all. So there!

And, I am glad I did, cause I REALLY like it! It is fun! And it is hard, yes! But, it is a change from what I have been doing. So I am enjoying it. I don't LOVE Tony Horton like I do Chalene Johnson, but he doesn't BUG me either, so it is all good. I have to say though, that I liked the exercises, and they are really tough, but totally doable for a girl! But the AB ripperX, uh, yeah, that KICKED MY BUTT!

But, I just try to keep in mind two things. 1.) I had TWO C-Sections in under TWO YEARS! So, of course my abs have some catching up to do. and 2.) My abs have come SOOO Far from doing Turbo Jam. I wouldn't have even been able to DO the ab workouts last year this time, or when I stared Turbo Jam in January....

So basically, I ROCK! lol! You all ROCK TOO!

Hope everyone had a great weekend and Thanksgiving! Did you score any good deals on Friday?? If so, I'd love to hear about them!

Melissa!

P90X Lean Schedule

2010-11-22T14:20:00.001-05:00

I am starting P90X, the Lean Version, which is more cardio.

Does it seem a little weird to start something like that in mid-November. It might be. But, why wait? I mean, really.

I have already written my 2011 goals out on paper. Then I switched the tense so that it is more positive.

Number 1 is I weight 135 pounds. Not, I am going to TRY to get to 135 pounds, not I wanna lose xxx pounds. But I WEIGH. Present Tense.

I did well in 2010. I am starting to slide back into old habits here round out the corner of the 2010. If I don't do something, I could possibly gain all my weight back before 2010 is over. I won't let that happen!

I need to do this now to make sure I don't gain back any more weight. I might as well do this now, because instead of going into Holiday Limbo where we put our lives on hold and wait to do everything until the first of the year, I am going to get a head start on all of my 2011 to-dos!

Maybe you should too! Contact me if you want help with this!

Happy and Healthy Thoughts!
Melissa

Here is the P90X lean schedule I will be doing. This is so I have it online when I need it :) I have been using my blog lately as kinda my to-do list, have you noticed? lol!

P90X LEAN PHASE 1:
Weeks 1-3:

Day 1 – Core Synergistics

Day 2 – Cardio X

Day 3 – Shoulders and Arms, Ab Ripper X

Day 4 - Yoga X

Day 5 – Legs and Back, Ab Ripper X

Day 6 – Kenpo X

Day 7 – Rest or X Stretch

Week 4:

Day 1 – Yoga X

Day 2 – Core Synergistics

Day 3 – Kenpo X

Day 4 – X Stretch

Day 5 – Cardio X

Day 6 – Yoga X

Day 7 – Rest or X Stretch

P90X LEAN PHASE 2:
Weeks 5-7

Day 1 – Core Synergistics

Day 2 – Cardio X

Day 3 – Chest, Shoulders and Triceps, Ab Ripper X

Day 4 – Yoga X

Day 5 – Legs and Back, Ab Ripper X

Day 6 – Kenpo X

Day 7 – Rest or X Stretch

Week 8

Day 1 – Yoga X

Day 2 – Core Synergistics

Day 3 – Kenpo X

Day 4 – X Stretch

Day 5 – Cardio X

Day 6 – Yoga X

Day 7 – Rest or X Stretch

What is a #FAIL?

2010-11-22T14:12:00.000-05:00

That would be me. Failing at Nablopomo :(

I made it to the 19th. But then, life got in the way. We worked day and night at the new house, so needless to say, no post were made on Saturday and Sunday. Oh well! I don't do these things to stress me out. I do them to have fun. And it was. However, I do still plan to try to post as much as I can for the rest of November.

The World's Most Boring Post

2010-11-19T22:42:00.000-05:00

Ok, this is what, day 19 straight of posting. I'm sorry, there are going to be some boring posts, and this will be one of them :(

But, I am so up to my knees in trying to figure out what to do with my new house, and keep sane at the same time.

My mind is beyond blubber. BUT, I think I am going to have a kidless day and night tomorrow. :) That will make for some great work time, at the new house and to just sort and think about things in my head.

My goal (If we are sans kids) is to get the two main floor bedrooms painted. Hubby laughed his a$$ off when I told him we should be able to do it. I am still feeling quite hopeful.

So that's that! My post of today. Hope you all have a great weekend!

Walk Through

2010-11-18T22:09:00.001-05:00

We did a walk through of the new house today. OH. MAN. It's been a while since we have been in there. And while the sheer amount of painting seemed to be a lot. I've been thinking this the whole time feeling like it is a lot to do. But then, over the past few weeks that I have NOT been in there, I started kinda thinking "Oh, it's just painting" But it is NOT! There are so many little things before we can even get to painting. Oh, and the past owners were, um, pretty dirty. Man, after just going around touching the walls and such, I was my hands and you would have thought I had been leafing through a newspaper. EW! Can't wait to get in there and CLEAN!

But there are holes in the walls- big and small. And just a lot of other things that in order to really get a finished look, we will want to do. I left feeling SUPER overwhelmed. Then we stopped for dinner at our favorite bar. During dinner I ended up getting this massive headache. I was not sure if it was from my poor eating choices as of late (more on that later) or because of going into the house and facing the fact on all the work! lol!

Ahh, anyhow, I took 3 aspirin and laid down for an hour. Feeling a bit better. Enough to get out here and post my blog. I actually thought I might not make it through NaBloPoMo because of how I was feeling tonight! But here I am YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Help a Girl Out!

2010-11-17T15:26:00.002-05:00

So, I entered this contest a while back and today is the last day to vote!

Please help me win a NEW KITCHEN- or at least new appliances! I would LOVE LOVE LOVE you all forever!!!!!!!!!

(here was my original post on it)

You can get a chance to win, by helping ME out!

I entered to win an updated Kitchen with Kitchen-Aid.

Would you PUHLEASE help me out by going online and voting for ME!!!???

You are entered to win a Kitchen-Aid Stand Mixer each time you vote. How can you beat that?

You do have to register, but once you do it, you can go back daily and vote without having to register each time!

I truly appreciate the support. The link to my Kitchen (and don't laugh) is here:

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/dap_10153_12605_DAP_Kitchen+Aid+Sweeps?dest=gallery/entry/%3Fentry%3D431f9aa4-b802-4514-8df6-f1020b948124

Tip to stay sane: Date things when you open them.

2010-11-16T08:02:00.001-05:00

Just a quick tip to help you stay sane on a regular basis!

Date items in your fridge when you open them!

I keep a sharpie in a little basket on my fridge, and when I open something I put the date on top. This has saved me from racking my brain to figure out when I opened that sour cream, yogurt, etc.

At first it took a bit of thought to do. Now, it is as natural as opening the thing. :)

Also, it saved me money with my egg beaters. I could have sworn I opened it several days earlier. When I actually looked at the date and counted back- it was only 3 days before. I would have thrown it out before and opened a new one, when really they were still fresh!

Good Luck to all Hunters on Opening Day

2010-11-15T20:15:00.000-05:00

I do believe today starts the Opening Day of Hunting Season here in Michigan.

Please be safe out there!

Cam's already in training thanks to Papa Don:

I have Absolutely NO Idea where she gets this weird-ness from!

2010-11-14T01:08:00.000-05:00

I JUST can't figure out WHERE my daughter gets her silliness from. Dad? Any idea?

Stop and Smell the Holiday Roses!

2010-11-13T08:47:00.000-05:00

I am not sure WHAT made me think of this, but a couple days ago I was thinking that I am pretty sure that around this time last year on Facebook I was BEGGING for snow! And I was getting all kinds of obscenities as replies from my fellow Michigander friends. :)

This year, I am not so feeling the happy snow-wishing thoughts I did last year. Infact, I was kinda thinking more like "Darn cold freaking weather"

But last year at this time I was such a different person. My life consisted of playing Farmville on Facebook. I seriously used to sit and calculate which crops yielded the best profits. And I used to write down the exact minute my crops were ready to harvest so I can make the most money possible. I also had favorite TV shows for each night of the week. I also ate all the comfort food I wanted. I also was just really happy to be home cooped up with my two babes!

And I was fine with being snowed in. More reasons to stay in, play farmville, watch TV and snuggle under a blanket to hide all of the extra fat I had on me. (and put more fat on)

Now, I try to get outside to be active with the kids on a regular basis. No more farmville, I gave that up for working out and meeting other inspiring active people on Facebook. No more watching TV (I still do watch Biggest Loser and Sons of Anarchy) I traded that in for reading inspirational and motivational books on a nightly basis.

I also was not running a home business at this time last year. I also did not just put an offer in on a house, ~~wondering~~ stressing about if we were going to get it! Then, getting it and ~~deciding~~ stressing about which colors to paint which room, what floor coverings to get for each room, etc.

My how things change in a year time. I can only imagine how amazing things are going to be at this time next year!

How many rolls of toilet paper have you lost?

2010-11-12T10:22:00.001-05:00

Here's what my morning consisted of. You're jealous, I know!

But, I can't really complain, because other than cleaning THAT up, within an hour of getting out of bed

Coffee was Made (and drank)

Kids were Fed!

Egg Whites Eaten

And Pasta was cooked for kiddos lunch today!

Blog Posted. Check!

A huge huge funny!

2010-11-11T17:54:00.001-05:00

This isn't very appropriate. And I really WANTED to post this on facebook, but I held off. I have no idea why, but I AM going to share it here. I think because I feel like FB comes into your personal space, whereas, here, on my blog, YOU are coming into MY space, so you must want to hear the inappropriate stories. True? No. Well then stop now and go back to where you came from. :)

Still here? Ok, you've been properly warned.

This morning I said something I NEVER EVER could have imagined would come out of my mouth as a parent. It is soo funny to me, that I have been quietly giggling about it all day.

Today, I was sitting at the kitchen table looking over the Cost Co coupons that came in the mail and drinking my coffee. And these are the words that came out of my mouth!

"Ohhh, NoNoNo, we don't chase people with our peni$!"

No seriously! I said those words. To my Son. Who had just taken his diaper off and was proceeding to taunt his sister by chasing her around the house with his body arched out so that his peni$ was the first thing that would touch her if he actually caught up to her. She was running and yelling "No Sam! I don't like your Peni$"

OY VEY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I mean really! Welcome to my life! But it makes me laugh. Cause really, what ELSE can I do!

And THIS is exactly why staying home is PRICELESS!

Room for 2?

2010-11-10T20:02:00.000-05:00

We are moving. To a new house. A bigger house. Obviously we will be painting, and recarpeting, and re-finishing floors all throughout. But I have a big dilemma. I want to put the kids in the same room. Hubby is completely opposed. I usually get my way :) But, there is a teenie-tiny part of me that thinks maybe it isn't the best idea either. So I hesitate.

Here's why I want to do it.

I want the kids to have a playroom.
I want toys contained to one room, and not scattered all over the floor of their bedrooms.
I plan to put shelves in the playroom's closet. And have most of the kids toys in that closet. And have key for the door of said closet. Muwahaha!
I want to have the fun of decorating a playroom
I want the playroom to be be a place for them. A place where imaginations could run wild, a place that exudes creativity.
I want a place that they can go to and completely destroy with other kids their age when we have our friends over.
I want their rooms to be just dressers and beds.
I want all of their like items in the same place. i.e. while dressing, I go to one dresser to get socks for both kids, the closet to get both kids shoes. Not into one room for shoes, another room for shoes. Etc. (I am looking to make my life more simple. I think this would help a lot!)
I want the kids to bond more and think they will by sleeping in the same room.
I plan to have the kids and I on a schedule and do not think them waking up at the same time will be such a big deal. Although ususally now, Maddie is up before Cam.
I think this will make the shift to a new house easier on the both of them to be in the same room.
One room is 15 X 19 and the other 10 X13- how do you decide WHO gets the bigger room?

Reasons why I think maybe we should listen to DJ

Sometimes the kids fight and I separate them into their own rooms. It wouldn't be fair to have one or the other in the TOY ROOM! lol
Sometimes they fight and I don't want sharing a room to cause more frustration.
I also think it would be fun to decorate a room for each kid.
I think what if I don't follow the schedule I have planned (which is pretty likely, lol) And then they are either keeping each up or waking each other during the night, or earlier in the morning than they normally would.

Do you have any experience with this? What worked for you or did not work for you? What would you do differently? Or if you do not have experience with it, do you have an opinion either way?

Me: Size 2

2010-11-09T14:36:00.000-05:00

I swear I could just be a size 2 if it wasn't for the eating!

I enjoy working out, being active, etc. But, um, the eating thing....ya, I ENJOY that too!

I stared on this journey back in January. I cut back on my eating and changed a few of my habits. I lost 23 pounds, and that is all. I know that is not bad. And I have kept it off, so that is really good. But, I should have/could have lost 53... or 60!

But, I love food. Oh, and I love Coke. And I love to indulge with a libation with my hubby on the weekends. I realize my goals are so easily attained if I could just be strict with myself for a little bit. Why can't I be strict with myself just a little bit? Why?

Because it is so much more than just about food! This starts my series of blogs on eating and weight loss. So keep checking back to see what I have to say about it. This is gonna be good. And real.

Amazing Women.

2010-11-08T08:12:00.001-05:00

Do you surrond yourself with amazing women? I try to. Do you stop and take the time to really truly listen to those older women around you? I do.

I think all women need to find a support system of women of all ages.

Those younger, to help you stay fresh, hip, and young feeling

Those your age, who can truly relate to where you are in your life right now

and

Those older, who can relate to once being in your shoes, and tell you it will all be ok once you make it through.

I am very lucky to have my niece around me to remind me of the fun loving, girl I once was. I have enough close friends I can count on one hand to help me through all the things I am going through right now. Then, I have been making friends online with some women who have a bit more experience with life than I currently do right now. I love that.

Then yesterday, I went to a bridal shower. It was the shower of the fiance of one of my hubby's close school friends. I also went to school with him, and college and know him well myself. I had never met his family. Although I had heard plenty of stories. Maybe that is why I felt so comfortable with them. But I went over to talk with them some after I ate my plate of food. And wow, what an amazing time. His sister, niece, sister-in-law, Mother, and Aunt were at the table. So the age range went from 10 - 70+ ( i know his mom is in her early 70's and I am not sure about his Aunt). But really out of the blue, they started commending me for staying home with the kids and talking about how hard they know it is. Ummmm, I kinda looked back behind me when the conversation started...like, Do I have a sign on my back? Then I kinda wipe my forehead, like does it say on there "stressed out Mommy" HOW did they know? lol!

I know how they know! They've been there. It's a thing with other women who stayed home. They don't need a sign to know what it is like. They don't need it written in ink on my forehead to know there are struggles and difficulty. They JUST know. Kinda like the post I wrote here about how my Mom just KNEW when something was up!

It was empowering to say the least! I was nearly in tears most of the time I was speaking to these women. I wanted to surrond myself with them on a regular basis. It reminds me of when my friend who moved to Texas comes into town. Her family is just such a FAMILY family. I love it. I love being around her family and her. It seems so wrong they moved away right as I was finally started MY family. (but that is a whole 'nother blog topic!)

His Aunt was the sweetest lady. She had this little small voice, so I had to lean in real close when she would talk to me. But she would reach out and hold my hand and say, "I Just want to tell you one more thing about how important it is that you are home with your children" then she would go on to tell me the story.

I kept thinking how amazing it is. It seems like God put these women in my life to tell me things I needed to hear at a time I wasn't aware I needed to hear them. But afterwards I realized I did!

Do It! Just Do it! Do what the hat says!

2010-11-07T19:13:00.001-05:00

And yes you have to read backwards...it is a shot from a webcam. "DO MORE"

Post No 6

2010-11-06T22:06:00.000-04:00

Ok, I swear you guys, I will be posting better content in the next few days. Promise, promise, promise! :)

I had a great day today. Did some errands, cleaned my Dad's house. Went to dinner with my Dad and his friend Nancy at our fav lil' restuarant/bar in our neighboorhood.

Tomorrow I am going to a shower and Monday we are having a Toy Story 3 movie date with friends. I am super excited for that. We have popcorn ready and some other fun, yummy snacks and treats!

I really hope you all are having a great weekend!

Happy Healthy Thoughts!

Melissa

I gotta question for you...

2010-11-05T22:17:00.002-04:00

NaBloPoMo Day 4

2010-11-04T22:50:00.000-04:00

Tonight I got home from getting my hair done in Ann Arbor. I went to dinner afterwards with my friend.

I get very tired sitting out on the couch with the hubs. So in to bed we go. We start snuggling and I am really comfy, I slide further down into our Sleep-by-number bed (the best bed EVER made, btw!) with the mattress fitted all around me. I am just about to drift into la-la land in his arms and "OMGIGOTTAPOSTABLOG" is what I blurt out! I kinda even broke from his hold as I said it.

Then I sat for a minute. Is this silly? To get up out of my comfy bed to go turn the computer on and blog? I don't even really have anything I can think of talking about. So there I sit listening to my internal dialogue..."to blog, or not to blog?" Over and over.

Luckily for me my hubby has been with me long enough now to not even flinch when I hop out from under the warm covers to go and blog. But, what won out was my thought of, "I can't miss the 4th day of NaBloPoMo!" lol!

Anyhow, I promise to make tomorrow's post much more interesting....and earlier in the day :)

Win A KitchenAid Stand Mixer

2010-11-03T22:57:00.000-04:00

A boy and his balloon

2010-11-03T20:12:00.000-04:00

I think one of the biggest challenges in parenting is watching your kids go through disappointment, or hurt. No matter how big or small.

Tonight we went to Buffalo Wild Wings for dinner. It was kid's night. They had someone there creating balloon animals. The balloon artist, Jon, made Cameron a sword complete with the cutest lil' sword belt to put it in. :)

Of course, he got to us on our way out. While Jon made a butterfly for Madison, Cam played "sword" with the boy at the table where we were standing by who also had one.

When we get to the car, there is no way DJ can put him in the car seat with a balloon wrapped around his waist. So he had to take it off. Cam was NOT happy. He was devastated. Then to top it off, during the struggle to get the balloon belt off his waist, it popped (Just the belt part, not the sword). Oh my did the little guy cry. And it was the saddest cry I have ever heard. He even held the belt part out to me, with the limp balloon falling over his hand and down to the floor.

It just about broke my heart. This is when you want to go and give the guy all the money in your wallet to make your kid another darn balloon belt. But you don't. Not cause it wouldn't be worth it. But because, you need to let your kids experience disappointment in life. As much as that would be the easier thing to do. It would make you feel like a Super Mom or Super Dad, they really are benefiting MORE from you letting life happen to them, and helping them to just deal with the disappointment. Even if it breaks your own heart.

Target Trippin'

2010-11-02T21:20:00.001-04:00

Today I took both kids to Target (pronounced Tar-jay in my head) so we could get our copy of Toy Story 3.

Maddie has been waiting for this day for a while now. Every time she saw the commercial on TV she would say, "Mommy we hafta get that movie" I kept explaining that it was not out yet.

Of course, with the two kids in tow, there is never a dull moment in a Target Trip. Here are a couple of my favorites.

First, we stop to get popcorn. I usually switch up the drinks I get them. Sometimes they get a juice box, once they got those organic milk boxes- they were on clearance. (and no they were not expired, lol) And sometimes I let them get Hi-C from the fountain. Tonight Maddie was begging for Pop. I was trying to talk her into Hi-C. But I thought, what's the difference, the Hi-C isn't any more healthy than pop. So I tell ask her if she wants RootBeer, as she was pointing to the Coke. She agreed on the Rootbeer. I give it to her and as we are strolling away, she is exclaiming very loudly "MMMM, I LOVE BEER!" "THIS BEER IS SOO GOOD" I loudly reply "It's ROOTbeer Maddie!"

Then, I had someone stop and talk to me. After that I skipped over a couple things that I had on my list. So we were almost finished but I had one more item to check off. I am half saying it under my breath, but half letting the kids know why we were headed back into the middle of the store. I say "alright, we just have to go over and get Daddy some underwear and then we are good to go!" To which Maddie replies (again, loudly) "Yeah, Cause Daddy Doesn't have underwear!" Right Mommy, Daddy Doesn't have any underwear!!"

I am not sure how many shades of red I turned, but I just kept walking, not looking any of our passer-byers in the eye and say "Well, he HAS underwear Maddie, he just needs some more"

Oh, life with a 3 and 2 year old is NEVER dull!

Well, it's official!

2010-11-01T20:05:00.002-04:00

This is the first official post that starts off NaBloPoMo. What's that you ask? Well, you can always check out www.nablopomo.com for the full scoop. But basically it is a bunch of crazy bloggers who think it sounds real cool to commit to blogging for 30 days straight. I mean, as if, blogging on a weekly or monthly basis isn't hard enough. As if, the middle of November doesn't start a crazy Holiday season or anything. We decide to add MORE to our plates in the name of "creative blogging". I partially think it is just another thing to add to my plate to help me procrastinate on all the "other" things I should/could/would be doing, if I wasn't committing to blogging each day.

I have done this nablopomo a couple times before. I only have successfully completed it one time. However, I have every reason to believe that I will succeed again this time. :)

But, this is all the post you get for now. You know what they say... slow and steady wins the race. I am saving my energy for a hot post for a later time. So till then! Happy November. And good luck to all those other "crazy bloggers" who are up for this challenge too!

Happy Blogging!

How to get started losing baby weight

2010-10-29T08:49:00.000-04:00

I have had many people ask me "What do I do to get started losing my extra pregnancy weight?" A month or so ago I had placed a poll online asking "What is your biggest challenge when starting a weight loss program"? 42% responded "Getting Started"

My answer to this question...(are you ready? I'm about to give you the million dollar answer!!!) The answer is "Just get started" This weight loss thing really isn't brain surgery, ya know!

But, I can totally relate! I GET it! It is hard. I think most of us truly know HOW to do it. We know the rules. Move more, eat less, eat better quality food, etc. Sometimes you feel stuck, and you don't know where to start.

But, all you have to do, is DO it. Just do it. You don't need to get any fancy equipment, or wait a week for it to be Monday again, or For a new month, or maybe you ordered a workout DVD online, don't wait for it to come in to begin. Begin now!

Take babysteps! Park a little further away from the door. Take stairs instead of the elevator. Go for short walks. Get the junk out of your house! Add in an additional serving of vegetables into your day. Substitute fruit for a snack.

As my fitness mentor Chalene Johnsons says "IT's a switch people! Just turn it and get going!" It couldn't be further than the truth.

I like to think of it as the "fit person switch" Flip that switch on, and BAM, you are a fit person. Believe it. Just get up and go. Tell yourself you are a fit person, and act like one. A fit person drinks more water than soda, a fit person plans out their workouts to make sure they get them in. A fit person tracks what they put into their mouth during the day. Just flip the switch and act like the Fit person you are!

(I promise you it really IS that easy! Promise!)

How to save money on groceries w/couponing!

2010-10-28T19:33:00.002-04:00

I am certainly not a pro at the couponing scene. Nor, am I a die-hard. But I will share with you what I know and the resources that I use to fake it :)

For starters, here in the Metro Detroit area we are so lucky to have the Bargains to Bounty blog. Even if you are not in the Metro Detroit area, you still might have similar sales in your area....but what I would do is do a search online to see if there is someone in your area who runs a blog similar to Bargains to Bounty.

You can go to the Bargains to Bounty site to find all the info a beginner couponer needs, (and the abbreviations and lingo used that is helpful to understand) but I am going to just give out some basic pointers on what I have learned so far.

For Starters:

Subscribe to your weekly newspaper. Mine is the Detroit News. Be sure to get the Sunday Edition.
For a while, it will feel like you are not doing anything with these coupons, or finding good deals. Hang in there and just be sure to save them each week! You might even think about getting two subscriptions, or if you are out on a Sunday picking up another paper just for the inserts.
If you have family and friends who get the paper, and do not use their coupons, have them save them for you- all of them!
Don't pre-judge your coupons! There might be some coupons that you are certain you will NEVER use...KEEP THEM anyhow! There was a brand of cleaner that I would have never purchased, but because I had saved the coupon, Target actually GAVE ME A DOLLAR to take that item out of the store! (I KNOW, right!!)
Until you get a good collection of coupons going, you might not see as much savings as you thought you would. Be patient and just keep following direction.
The premise of how couponing works is you do not buy something when you NEED it (that is when it will cost too much) You buy it when there is a good deal, and stock-up on it until you NEED it! :)
So, again, at first you might be purchasing things you don't currently need, trust me on this one and hang in there. Once you start getting items for free, you will be hooked!

Organization Ideas:

When your paper comes, grab out the circulars, and search for 3 inserts.
The three are Red Plum, (RP) Smart Source (SS) and PG (proctor & gamble). There is not always a PG insert, but almost always both RP and SS.
Get a sharpie and write the date on the front of each of the inserts, i.e. 10/27. Be sure to do this on all 3.
Get a binder. I have those clear page covers...I am drawing a blank right now....they have the 3 holes in them, and they are see through. I hope you get the idea.
I also have tabs. I write on the tabs, SS, RP, PG, Other.
I have several of the clear page cover thingys after each tab.
Place each of the inserts into their respective page cover.

I just do the above each week without thinking. I do not spend time clipping coupons until I need them. This saves time, and for me, a mess. I find it easiest to organize this way. However, I realize that not all systems work for everyone, so search for one that works for you. :) You can search on the internet for others options if you are at a loss on how to best do this.

Before shopping each week, I will check each of the following sites to see what deals I can get.

www.bargainstobounty.com

www.iheartcvs.com

www.iheartwags.com

My Suggestions:

Start saving coupons right away, and ask Family & Friends to save theirs for you.
Go to the above sites on a regular basis and just read to get an idea of how this works. (or the sites for your area)
Ask questions. You can find me on Facebook: www.facebook.com/melissabufford or Twitter: www.twitter.com/melissabufford or ask one of the site owners as well!
Just have fun! And start to track your weekly grocery bills before you really get into the couponing so you can see how much money you have saved!

GOOD LUCK,

Melissa

The God Box

2010-10-26T00:11:00.000-04:00

I read the most amazing article today. While out shopping with the kids, I picked up the most recent "Real Simple" Magazine. I was interested in the Fall decor and recipes in the magazine. As I was eating lunch I flipped through it and came across a very touching story, that is now one of my favorites.

It is about a woman whose Mom just recently passed. This Mom had a secret weapon, a God Box! Right off the bat, I love this idea! It is a very unique idea, yet something so simple. But as the woman described her Mom, she just sounded like such a wonderful, amazing person, very similar to the type of woman and Mom that I would like to become. But the part that really tugged at my heart is how the Mom left such a legacy for her daughter through that God Box. Whenever there was a problem in the family, they would go to their Mom for her to write a little note (basically a prayer) for their Mom to place in the God Box. Of course, after the Mother passed, the author (daughter) went to find her Mom's God Box. What was shocking however, was that there was not just ONE God Box...there were over 10! And they were all filled to the brim with prayers written on misc, tiny scraps of paper. The daughter NEVER imagined that there were so many boxes! And as she read the scraps of paper her mother had written, in her handwriting, (until your Mother passes, you have no idea what emotions finding a piece of paper with your Mom's handwriting on it can bring forth) she really had a huge insight to her Mother's love for her.

In the author's own words "In the God Boxes, she had left a 20-year love letter to us in hundreds of pieces." There were huge things to little things, to everything her daughter had confided in her, she asked for help from God in the God Box. She also put in letters of thanks when prayers were answered. And the biggest tear jerker for me, was that she placed many pieces in the last boxes as she got sick asking God to help find a cure for her disease, and to help ease the pain, much of which her daughter had no idea the extent of her suffering.

I love the idea of this box for so many reasons. I love the uniqueness of a way to pray. I have always believed in God and prayed to him and thanked him for things. But I don't believe so much in organized religion. I have always enjoyed having my own relationship with him and not being told by someone HOW that relationship should go. Ok, Ok, let me get down from the soap box. But, I also love the gesture, and the idea of just giving up a prayer to God, and just letting it go and giving it up for him to handle. I love the fact that when I am dead and gone, it is one last chance for me to leave a big huge, gigantic HUG behind to my children and family who remains. I am going to start my very own GOD BOX! DJ is going to hate this. Because I am going to be saving these boxes for the rest of our lives, and he hates clutter! lol! However, if he outlives me....I bet he will appreciate them then! ha ha!

Anyhow, the article is from the November 2010 issue of 'Real Simple' and it was written by Mary Lou Quinlin. Try to find the article if you can to read it. I do not do it justice! ha ha!

Meet My New Coaches

2010-10-25T19:23:00.000-04:00

I just recently signed three new amazing Coaches to my Beachbody Network in the past week and a half.

They are all so unique and all are on different places in their fitness journey. I would love for you to meet them!

First, Melissa Austin.

Melissa is an amazing Motivated Mom just like myself. She has the funniest blog title and stories ever. She also has a great weight loss blog where she helps others stay motivated to get going when the going gets tough!

Check her out: http://diaryfatmom.blogspot.com/ and http://crayoninmydryer.blogspot.com

Next, is Cindy Clarke.

Cindy is a caring, wonderful giving Mom and Grandmother. She also works full time AND works 3 other businesses with her husband on the side. She is just adding Beachbody into that mix. I LOVE motivated, workaholics like myself! Check Cindy out: http://cindyseesit.blogspot.com/

And last, but not at all least is Sheri Mitchell.

Sheri is a fun cheery person who has been brightening my days on social media for a few weeks now. She is about to make an amazing huge step in her life, and is bringing Beachbody along her journey with her to get herself to the healthiest state she can.

I will let Sheri tell you her story in her own words at her blog: http://extrememeltdown.wordpress.com/

When you have a minute check all of these fine ladies out! Anyone of you can help you work towards your fitness goals, or help you start your own fitness business, just like them!

Yummy Monday

2010-10-18T09:21:00.001-04:00

This post is copied from Chalene Johnson's blog over at www.turbokick.com

Yummy Monday – Apple Cinnamon Yogurt Pancakes

by CHALENE on SEPTEMBER 10, 2010

As seen in Turbo Fire, Fuel the Fire

Serving Size: 4

Ingredients:
1 egg
1 cup plain nonfat yogurt
1 Tbs. vegetable oil
1 cup flour
1 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
3 cups apples, peeled and sliced
2-1/2 Tbs. honey
Nonstick butter-flavored cooking spray

Direction:
Combine egg, yogurt, oil, and 1 Tbs. honey in blender until smooth. Sift together flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Add to yogurt mixture and blend. Spray griddle with nonstick butter-flavored cooking spray and heat over medium heat. Ladle mixture onto griddle to make 8 small pancakes. Cook pancakes for just under 2 minutes each side. Top each pancake serving with sliced apples and drizzle with remainder of honey.

Nutrition Information per serving:
Calories: 267
Protein: 7 g
Carbs: 51 g
Total Fat: 5 g
Fiber: 2.5 g

Serve with ½ cup 15 or 2 % cottage cheese

Nutrition Information per serving:
Calories: 90
Protein: 12 g
Carbs: 4 g
Total Fat: 2 g
Fiber 0 g

YIKES! I just had a revelation!

2010-10-17T18:13:00.001-04:00

I just realized something today. Maddie is 3. They start kindergarten at 5. I have 2 more years of her being home with me all day. I freaked right out. As I thought more and more about it, I started to feel like I was going to throw-up just like I felt the night before I was getting ready to start my first day back to work after having her. Just like I used to feel the first year after my Mom's death when my mind would slow down for a little bit and it hit me for the 15 hundrenth time that she was gone.

It made me realize, that although we are always together, I want to start making that time more...well, memorable. Now, as someone who lost their Mom who stayed home all the time with them- I now know that no matter if you forget those memories or not, when your Mom is leaving those world, all of those memories, even the ones once forgotten come flooding back. The good, the bad, the everything*.

So, I know I do not need to make the time more memorable for HER. I need to make them more memorable for ME!

Have you THOUGHT about becoming a Coach?

2010-10-17T14:45:00.000-04:00

NOW is the time to do it. It was just announced that Beachbody is waiving the $39.99 start-up fee to become a coach! You can start a biz for FREE! That is amazing. If you have been thinking about it, what is stopping you now? Get going now! www.funfitness.info

Sometimes a girl just needs her Mom

2010-10-17T01:02:00.001-04:00

You know, sometimes a girl just needs her Mom. Just to be there. Just to be.

After my Mom died, there would be times when things would come up that would be troubling me that I would miss her SOOO much. Times when hubby and I would fight. Times when things might not be working out with a friend. And it was then that I would miss her.

It used to puzzle me that I missed her during these times. The reason it puzzled me is, because I almost NEVER EVER would go to her for advice about those things. I wouldn't normally tell her about any of my troubles really. We were a close family, but my Mom wasn't my best friend in those ways.

But what I JUST realized, what I JUST figured out, is that although I didn't TALK to her about the issues, although I didn't ask her opinion, or advice on what to do, I always went to her. I would either call her for no reason, or I would just go over and sit on the couch and hang out and talk about little things.

But here's the comforting part whether I was talking to her on the phone, or sitting in front of her, she was my Mom and she KNEW I was upset. And I knew she knew. And she knew, I knew, she knew I was upset. And she knew not to ask my why, or what was up. She just talked. And I knew she loved me, and although I either figured out my issues on my own, or I went to a friend for advice, I still always just got so much comfort that she was THERE for me to go and hangout with- and THAT was comfort.

Fit Kid Friday

2010-10-15T12:07:00.001-04:00

Well, here it is! Mompreneur and Ready, Set...FIT!'s first Meme, Fit Kid Friday.

Every Friday I will be posting a picture of something my kids and I did to be active this week.

Did you know that Kids today are less likely to be active or physically fit than kids of past generations?
Did you know that for the first time life expectancy of today's generations is LESS than that of their parents generation?
Did you know more kids now-a-days are obese and plagued with Type 2 Diabetes than ever before?

We need to help create a habit for our kids to move more, eat better, and be aware of our health. Please help me spread the word by participating in this meme and post a picture of your kids being active each Friday and link back here.

For now, just comment with a link to your Fit Kid Friday Post. I will be looking to add a mr. linky in the next few weeks!

This is the kids and I on the track a couple of days ago!

Mommy Dilemma, what would you do?

2010-10-14T17:01:00.000-04:00

So obviously my daughter was going through a growth-spurt today. Sometimes her stomach is an endless pit. As soon as she got up this morning, she asked for Eggs. I told her No and made her pick between Oatmeal and toast. She ended up having toast with apple butter. Then she had leftover mac-N-cheese, two yogurts, popcorn, & a piece of cheese. This is all random I know, lol.

Now here is the deal with the Eggs. The day before last I made both the kids scrambled eggs to eat. I made a big batch as I do this to save time, why not cook once and get two meals out of it. Needless to say, neither kid eats the eggs. Next day (yesterday) pulled out the eggs again, and they did eat some, but certainly wasted a lot of the eggs too. So then comes today, I am SOO not making them Eggs that they didn't eat the two days before. I don't want to waste my time or the food.

So around 11:45 I tell Maddie it's lunchtime and she again asks for eggs!!!!! I again tell her no and explain why, that the days before they wasted the eggs. But at the same time, I feel bad not giving in to her request, because obviously she is a hungry camper, and it's not like she's asking to eat something like popcorn, or candy, or any other kind of junk- it's Eggs. She then asked for Peanut butter and Jelly, which she scarfed down and asked for another sandwich! Lol.

So what would you have done? Would you have made her the eggs?

Free Download from Chalene Johnson

2010-10-12T12:19:00.002-04:00

I just got this link via twitter from Chalene Johnson. This is aweseome stuff. Go download this soon, I am not sure how long this will be out there!

RT @chalenejohnson: Would u like my personal instruction on how to keep a to-do list? Free! http://ht.ly/2S0fa

Be Honest. Is it REALLY pregnancy weight?

2010-10-11T19:47:00.001-04:00

Alright, let's be honest here. Not to anyone but yourself of course. But tell me you. Is it REALLY pregnancy weight? I started to notice a trend while I was pregnant with my first. I don't remember how I took the poll, but I did ask many people. If they were the same size now as they were after their first, second, or third child. It was a pretty overwhelming response that many women were actually smaller after they had kids, than they currently are. So it is not so much the pregnancy that puts the weight on us, as it is just mother-hood in general.

I think as Mom's we let everyone's needs go before ours. We start eating less healthy foods. We nibble off the plates of our kids. I have been guilty of all of this. And this is true for me right now too. Or it was in January of 2010 when I started this journey. It wasn't ALL pregnancy weight that I had to lose. It was post pregnancy weight. Post pregnancy being inactive. Post pregnancy eating whatever I wanted. Post pregnancy taking a taste of my kids meals, snacks, etc.

I'll admit, sometimes I like to let people think it was pregnancy. "Oh, I had two kids in under two years. Yah, it wreaked havoc on my body (which it DID, but how long can I keep this story up?) Instead I want a story that goes something like this:

"Oh, yeah, I had two kids in under two years. But I work out and take care of myself and that is why I am a size 6." ;)

That' a WAY better story to tell, don't ya think? Don't settle. Come join me, and get hot again!

Yummy, Meatless Monday

2010-10-11T10:19:00.001-04:00

Ok, so this week we are meatless AND yummy!

Black Bean Salsa

I have made this recipe several times in different ways- i.e. lemon in place of lime juice, not cumin, just garlic powder, and it comes out sooo good everytime!

15 oz can black beans

12 oz can whole kernel corn

1 – medium tomato (but I was lazy and I just used a can of rotel tomatoes with green chiles)

1- Small red onion

¼ cup lime juice

1 tsp cumin powder ( I accidentally used ground cummin, I am not sure if there is a difference or not)

Drain and rinse beans and corn. Combine in a medium bowl with diced tomato and onion. Mix and add line juice and cumin.

R U READY?

2010-10-10T21:15:00.001-04:00

You have to be ready to get fit and healthy. It might take some time to get to the point where you are truly ready. But, the way I feel about it is WHY WAIT? Don't wait till January 1st. Start now, and feel amazing in the little black dress at this year's Holiday party.

Contact me and we can get you started!

The time is now! Today, not tomorrow!

What IS a Mompreneur

2010-10-08T13:31:00.000-04:00

In my Opinion, (not really sure how much that actually counts) I think EVERY Mom is a Mompreneur. Especially Stay-At-Home Moms! The definition of a Entrepreneur is: someone who organizes a business venture and assumes the risk for it.

I guess Motherhood isn't exactly a business venture, but it sure is one heck of a venture. Definition of venture: proceeding somewhere despite the risk of possible dangers.

Most of us when deciding to become Mothers certainly know there are risks involved. But we proceed anyway. Don't cut yourself short, being a Mom is the hardest job I have held so far in my life. It is a very rewarding one. But, running a house with 2 little ones takes a lot of determination and hard work and for that, give yourself a huge pat on the back! :)

Being Perfect is NO fun!

2010-10-07T20:07:00.001-04:00

My nephew posted something on his facebook that reminded me of a time my Mom (gone now 2 years) said something really funny. Then it got me remembering all the times my Mom did something funny, or silly, or stupid (in a good way) and it made me think. I hope I am just a silly and stupid at times that I will create things for my kids and family to tease and joke about once I am gone.

I know so many Moms/Parents who try to be so "perfect". I mean, how non fun is that! I just want all of those Moms out there to know... when you are gone, your kids are not going to be talking about how you kept such a perfect house, or how you always threw the perfect party, or were dressed perfectly, or had them dressed perfectly. They are going to remember the time you moved the furniture out of the way so you could have Dance Party USA in the house. They are going to remember the times you took them sledding and tumbled head of heels time and time again down the hill.

So be yourself, and GO HAVE FUN!

The Best YOU

2010-10-05T10:23:00.002-04:00

Remember, don't try to be better than anyone else, just try to be better than you ever thought you could be!

A Little Yummy Monday Treat for you!

2010-10-04T10:16:00.001-04:00

Happy Monday! Let's make it a Happy, Healthy One!

Great way to start of the week. (this isn't meatless like I mean to do on Mondays, but doesn't a woman have the right to change their mind ANYTIME!)

Almond Chicken Salad

This is a perfect light lunch, or great for a snack. My Dad got this recipe from the place where he is doing therapy because of his heart attack.

Almond Chicken Salad

1 8oz can of pineapple tidbits (juice packed)

1 15 oz can of Mandarin oranges

2 c diced chicken or 1 10 oz can of white chicken, rinsed and drained

1/4 c Miracle Whip Light

1/4c non-fat plain yogurt

1/4c slivered almonds

Open cans of fruit and drain.

Place chicken in medium bowl with fruit

Mix Marcle Whip and yogurt together. Fold into fruit and chicken.

Gently mix in slivered almonds.

Yields: 4 cups

Serving Size: 1 cup

Each serving provides: Calories: 315; Fat 10g; Saturated Fat: 1.3g; Fiber 1.4g; Cholesterol 72mg; Sodium 195mg; Protein 30g; Total carbohydrate 25g.

This recipe came from Lickety-Split Meals for Health Conscious People on the Go! www.Zonya.com

Wanna be a Happier Mom?

2010-10-03T20:57:00.009-04:00

Ever since I got to that point where I realized I had a choice- a choice to be happy or a choice to continue down the path I was on and possibly go into a depression, and keep making un-healthy eating and exercise choices for my body, I've realized there are 3 key areas I need to work on to have complete happiness. I think any women can relate to this- you tell me what you think.

Three Key Areas for Mom's Happiness:

~ Health and Fitness
~ Organization within the home
~ Self-development.

I think these areas are important to improve in order to be the best Mom you can be and an overall happy Woman. If you work on these areas, your life will start to pick up and things will fall in place in all areas! Now, notice, I didn't say you needed to have these 3 areas in your life in perfect working order. I just said you need to start working on it. I have found you don't need to be your goal weight or the perfect size for you to feel good about your healthy eating and exercise program. Your house does not have to be in total organization and neat all the time. You do not have to know exactly what you want and when, etc. You just really have to be taking baby steps to get to where you want to be. To get to the best you you can be.

Try these little steps and see how your life starts to pick up in all areas!

- Drink 10 more ounces of water than you usually do.

- Move your body for 10 minutes more each day. If you currently do nothing, turn the radio on and dance
your heart out for 10 minutes. If you currently walk 30 minutes, walk 40 instead.

- Drink one less can of pop each day, eat one less cookie, one more vegetable, etc.

- Pick one spot in your home that bothers you and just organize and/or clean it for 15 minutes each day.

- Pick a self-improvement book and read just 10 pages each night.

To stay home, or not to stay home, that is the question

2010-10-01T13:50:00.003-04:00

3 years ago now I was returning to work after having my first child and being home with her for 4 months. For those of you who knew me back then, I am sure you can remember my torment on whether to stay home or not. I really knew the answer. I HAD to stay home. It was such a powerful overwhelming feeling. But, I didn't WANT to stay home. Or at least, I didn't want to leave my job, and a career in advertising that I loved. I really DID love my job. I loved going to work everyday. I loved working on projects, and the feeling of accomplishing a project. I got a high off of having a crazy deadline to meet, and working late hours. Then, I had my baby. Suddenly, I realized I had a new job, and new place in this world. To be a Mom. What a great complete feeling it was. I soon realized that I really didn't have to give up my career. As a friend told me, just think of it as me "putting my career on hold". There are some people out there who can go back. I am not saying it is not hard for them, and I don't think bad of those who look forward to going back, or those who have a hard time doing it, but do it anyhow. But, I was talking on the phone today with a Mentor of mine, and she said it best. "I couldn't go back, I was a wreck! I needed to be with my children. I didn't care if I had to be poor, I had to be with them." I totally related to that thought. And I don't think everyone can. I remember when going over the pros and cons, one day I thought to myself that I would rather be living on the streets so I could be with my baby all the time, then to be away from her all day and live in a nice house and have nice things. Might sound a little crazy to many, and others, like my Mentor, will totally get it.

I have been home now for 3 years. I don't always love every minute of it. It gets stressful, and I still on a regular basis miss my old job, and the stops to Starbucks on the way into the office, friendly office chat each morning with co-workers, and believe it or not, I totally would LOVE some days to be forced to take a 45 minute drive in a car, by myself, no one to control the radio station or care how loud I crank it, even with crammed and jammed traffic all around me! But I know it truly was the right decision for me. Have you had to make a decision to pick mommy-hood over a career? Or are you currently facing this issue now or in the near future? I would love to hear your thoughts and stories!

LOVE Michigan in the FALL!

2010-09-27T23:11:00.000-04:00

Many reasons, but here is one of my top reasons!

APPLE PICKING, and BAKING, and EATING :)

House Keeping

2010-09-23T00:32:00.000-04:00

Just an FYI, this blog will be under construction for a little while as I update the format and layout etc. I cannot wait to reveal my new blog design to you! So you might see things changing from time to time, pages being added without any content at the time. Please be patient. I will still be posting blogs, and I will be sure to let you all know when the new blog is finalized and ready for the Grand Opening ;)

Thank you to all of my readers! I love connecting with you on here!

It's all in the confidence!

2010-09-15T20:21:00.000-04:00

As you all SHOULD know, I am a Beachbody Coach. I am not in perfect shape, I am not yet the fittest I have ever been, but I am on a journey, and surrounding myself with people who inspire me and who have like goals. No one is perfect. I love the journey I am on. I like that I was once skinny- not necessarily fit, but I was skinny in the past. :) And then I graduated from College, and started going out and indulging too much. Lots of drinks, big dinners at many a fancy restaurant just because I could. Not to mention, I worked as a print buyer in the advertising agencies. We were wined and dined by printers and mailhouses all over the place! Muffins, and bagels, and long lunches at amazing places! Brownies in the afternoon, and after work social hours. Combine all of that with the usual work place birthday celebrations and the results are well- disasterous! Then add two pregnancies in under two years! That certainly took it's toll on a body already bulging at the seams!

Even with all of the above said- WHO CARES! I love me! I honestly do! I somehow really lucked out when it came to the confidence card. I know many people who assume a girl looking at them is judging and looking at their faults. I assume she thinks I am really cool and wants to be best friends! lol! I am half kidding! But really, I think part of my self-confidence has to do with the way my parents raised me, and the other half my personality. My Mom NEVER dieted or commented on her looks or weight. At least not around me. I later found out that she was infact often concerned with her extra weight. I later learned that she had once been addicted to diet pills. I had NO idea! Then there was my Dad who just never really commented or said one thing or another in front of me. Meaning, he never cared if I looked completely silly when I dressed myself, nor did he even make ANY type of comments in front of me about women. He was my Dad. Not a regular person, you know! I later found out that he is actually IS pretty regular when my sister's at the time Husband alluded to the fact that my Dad not only swore *gasp* but regularly used the F word! My Sis and I both were shocked- "What, Dad? No WAAAY!" Giggle- we thought only we did that! *double gasp*

Then there is me! Just who I am. The truth is, I pretty much like EVERYONE! I think people are great, I love to meet new people and make new friends everywhere I go. I mostly only think good thoughts about people (unless they are really weird. And I mean REALLY weird! :)) So, because I am usually thinking only happy thoughts when meeting people, I assume other people are doing the same thing. Just like I think the paranoid people I know, think people are thinking negative things about THEM, because they are usually thinking negative things about others!

So, there you go- all of this compliments of my Psychology 101 class at CMU. (Dad, do you feel good to know what all that money got ya!?) Kidding, really, I have gone through many stages in my life. I quickly realized that it was not really COOL to like people and always think good thoughts of them. So I went through a stage when I first got into college, and then again when I graduated from college that I pretended not to like people, and I sighed and rolled my eyes about people! But it really wasn't ever me! But I tried to make it be. My best friend who I sometimes think knows me better than I know myself, just recently told me that my strength was meeting people, and getting people to open up, etc. I had to just chuckle inside, thinking that is my STRENGTH? Cause I am totally always trying to hide that part of me. That is just HALF of how I really want to be!

After having kids I had a big desire to be the REAL me! To really truly find out who the real Melissa IS? Because as much as I have been embarrassed about being the real me in the past, the truth of the matter is, I want my kids to like people. I want them to be confident, and be nice to people, and not make them feel bad about themselves. So I have no choice but to let the real Melissa shine so that my daughter and son learn to be true to themselves. My daughter is already that annoying kid who yells, "HI! HI! HI!" when someone bikes down the road in our neighborhood. She is truly in so much wonderment when the person isn't bellowing back "Well HELLO new friend!" And I smile, cause I love that she is EXACTLY ME, and that she has no idea WHY in the world this new person isn't as excited to meet her as she is to meet them!

So back to the reason I am writing. I am going to scream it from the rooftop. YES I AM A BEACHBODY COACH, and NO I AM NOT PERFECT, But I don't care, because an additional 50 pounds on me isn't gonna stop me now. I love who I am, and I am proud that I went through all I did, because guess what? The average person can relate to that! And I love for people to be able to relate to me, and me to them. And that is THAT!

Happy Healthy Thoughts!
Melissa

Ready Set, Fit is hosting another Give-a-way!

2010-09-14T14:37:00.001-04:00

Ready, Set, Fit! is hosting another Give-a-way! All you have to do it LIKE Ready, Set, Fit! on Facebook (www.facebook.com/readysetfit), then update your status Tagging Ready, Set, Fit! in it telling your friends to come over and check out the page, and get a chance to win themselves!

The giveaway starts NOW and runs until 3:00 pm on Thursday. You can tag/post once daily for an entry each day.

The winner will be randomly selected and will win a $10.00 iTunes Giftcard! A vlog will be posted Friday Morning with the winner.

Good luck!

Well, it's been a while!

2010-09-13T11:54:00.000-04:00

It has been a while since I have posted. Life just kinda gets hectic! I had a great weekend! Leave me a comment and tell me how yours was!

I have been working on a Weight Loss Challenge with my Team SOS Fitness Coaches, that I am so excited to be a part of. It is going to ROCK the house! I will be sharing details about this challenge here on my blog in the next couple of days. Be sure to come back to check it out!

I also, have joined a few Challenges on my own. I have been running challenges, but of course not really participating other than as the organizer. So I decided to join a couple of my own. Both of them running Sept- Dec with prize money that will be rewarded in December. Right before Christmas, how awesome is that! I just have a really big feeling that I am going to win at least one of the two! Hopefully the one with the biggest prize pool ;)

Here are the tools I am using to win these challenges I am participating in! Currently doing the 3 day Shakeology Cleanse again. Today - Wednesday. Then from there I will be following Tosca Reno's Eat Clean Diet Recharged program. You know that eating is actually 80% of your weight loss success. I am also doing the weight circuit portions of ChaLEAN Extreme and doing the Turbo Fire Program. Oh yeah, I am all over this thing! But honestly, the real reason why I feel confident that I am going to Crush these challenges, is because for the past few weeks, I haven't been obsessed with eating, or working out, or weight loss. Instead, I have been working on ME. You know, the INSIDE! The important stuff. I have been reading a book about how to properly care for your husband to have an amazing marriage. I have read a book on a women's relationship with food. I have been taking the time to do things for ME that make me happy. And guess what? All of that has set me up to be a happy healthy person inside, and that is really where it begins! So, here I go to Crush these challenges, Crush my business, and Crush life in general!

Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner

2010-09-01T22:35:00.001-04:00

And the winner of the iTunes Gift Card Giveaway is:

http://12seconds.tv/v/MHWSF

Please message me your mailing address!

Thank you to all of you who participated. Don't be sad if you didn't win, there will more opportunities this month to win more stuff! :)

You Gotta Set 'em. You gotta write them down!

2010-09-01T21:19:00.000-04:00

Business AND Personal!