It’s Happening!

If you’re a human (which most likely you are if you’re reading this), you should be dreaming. Not like asleep at night dreaming, like ‘during the day, consciously, hope and optimism feeling, make you weak in the knees, goal grabbing’ dreaming. I didn’t for a long time though. As kids we naturally do it. “I’m gonna be president, or an astronaut, or Pocahontas (just me?)”. And then someone tells you in high school or college that you can’t be a Native American hero and you stop believing.

But, the big but, is you CAN continue to dream as an adult. Is it harder? Sure. Do people think you’re a little nutty? Probably. But I’d rather be a little nutty than sad and settling. The good news is, I don’t want to be Pocahontas anymore. But I DO want to be absurdly happy. I do want to take chances and do hard things that make my soul smile.

Anyway, today was a good soul-smiling day. I got notification that I qualified for a Car Bonus thru Shaklee! I get extra money every month (on top of my check) to use towards a new car. I’ve been working for this for a while and it feels pretty dang sweet right now.

Here is the video I made

The crazy thing is, I’m not special. I mean ‘we are all special’ blah blah. But I’m no different than you or the next super awesome chick with a good butt… I just wanted it and took a chance. I dreamed and acted. You should too. I’ll show you the way. And then you can ignore me and do it your own way. The point is- it’s possible. Here’s the proof:

****I’m literally in the middle of creating my new website but it is not quite ready yet. Stay tuned. In the mean time, if you want to contact me, leave a comment below and we will get in touch!

Why I Started Caring about Green Cleaners

When I was first approached by a friend asking if I was interested in hearing about Green Cleaners, I had two (negative) thoughts:
1. I don’t care about cleaning, I hate cleaning, and I buy the good stuff from Target…
2. It seems complicated…

I politely (I hope) said that I was not interested. It wasn’t until another year went by when I changed my tune. The good news is, my friend asking me the question, made me pay attention to the topic. After that, it seemed like everything I read was about household cleaners, home environment, all the toxins we absorb, etc.

I ended up not only switching cleaners to a non toxic brand, I started selling them! I love them so much it is my goal to get them in every home that I can!

If you’re still on the fence about modern toxins and chemicals, it is time to get off the fence. Doesn’t your butt hurt? Here are my candid thoughts. This is a 3 min video I made today explaining my viewpoint.

Also, I have a lovely business partner that wrote a lovely blog on the topic already. No point in re-writing it… Check it out here.

So is it complicated? Yes and no. The switching of products couldn’t be easier. We sell a kit that has everything you need to clean (including the accessories). And it’s inexpensive and will last you ages!

The hardest part is disposing of the old, toxic ones.

BUT- I have a solution for that as well! Technically, two solutions.

1. For local peeps, friends, fam- I am hosting a Get Clean Party on May 22 at 1pm at my house. Come hear about why you should switch, get a quick tutorial of Shaklee cleaners, AND I will take ALL your old cleaners for disposal! That’s right, I will do the dirty work.
2. If you’re not local, and/or can’t come that day, you likely have a local resource. Google hazardous waste material and your location or check out the EPA’s website for info. Here is a link that might help.

Many of the cleaning products American’s use daily are lung irritants and some of the most common causes of household accidents. Does it make sense to clean a toilet with gloves on, and then let your child sit on that seat 5 mins. later? You shouldn’t need a hazmat suit to clean your home. Switch to organic, green cleaners that actually work!

Also check out our Get Clean Water Pitcher!

*** I am not a doctor and I don’t even play one on television. I am a concerned mama sharing what I personally use and believe in. I sell Shaklee products as an independent distributor.

What We Eat

I talk a lot about food and nutrition! And, subsequently, I get tons of questions like:
1. What do you all eat then?
2. What does that cost?
3. What do your kids eat?
4. What is wrong with you people??? 🙂

I made this video today after I got home from the store. I explain what a primarily Paleo family eats during the week. We already had a pretty well-stocked pantry so factor that in. Here is the link:
What We Eat

Love. Yo. Self

This conversation happened recently with my 4 year old daughter:
E: Mom, who in this room do you love?
M: I love you, Will, and me (husband wasn’t home I promise)
E: You love you? That’s weird!
M: Why is that weird? Do you love yourself?
E: Yeah, it’s just weird…
And then she moved on to wondering why I gave her the red cup because she wanted the yellow cup and when are we going to Nana’s again. 4 YO attention span, amiright?

But, it is a little weird. It is something that isn’t talked about very often because it makes us uncomfortable. It is especially hard for women. Loving yourself ‘out loud’ makes women worry “am I coming across as conceited?”, “is this intimidating for others?”, “do all women hate me now?”, etc. And then there are the mommy martyrs out there acting like if you’re not miserable, exhausted, and depressed, you’re not trying hard enough.

IS it weird to love yourself though? I would argue that it is weird NOT to love yourself. You are the only you that has ever been on Earth, and you are the only you you get to be! What a travesty it would be if you spent your one lifetime not loving the only you you are! That was a little hard to follow but I think you get my point…

This doesn’t mean that every second of every day you love every single thing about yourself. You can love yourself and wish that you were a little stronger. You can love yourself and not love a part of your past. You can love yourself and be disappointed with the way you behaved that day. Really, loving yourself is like loving another person.

How do you treat the people that you love? With respect, kindness, forgiveness, understanding, etc. Do you treat yourself the same? Would you tell your sister ‘you look ugly today’? I certainly hope not. Would you tell your husband he was failing as a parent because he yelled at the kids too much that day? Not likely. So why would you say that to yourself?

Let’s do an experiment! Say the 2 sentences below out loud and notice the way they make you feel when you say them.

1. Of course I give my kids their vitamins! I love them and would do anything to keep them healthy!

2. Of course I take my vitamins! I love myself and I would do anything to keep myself healthy!

Or…

1. My kids are in soccer and baseball all summer long. It’s hard to find the time, but their health and fitness is my number 1 priority!

2. I make it to the gym and yoga 4x a week. It’s hard to find the time, but my health and fitness is my number 1 priority!

Gets a little squirmy feeling doesn’t it? It really shouldn’t though. Should you love and cherish your children for the enormous blessing they are? Of course! Does your life change and do you make sacrifices for them daily? Duh! But does your life cease to exist? No! Do you become less of a priority? You shouldn’t. Think about it this way… Does your first born become less important when your second child comes? No. There is just more love! All of the sudden your heart just starts pumping more out. That’s the amazing thing about love- we never run out. We just keep making more.

So trust me, there is enough for you. You might need to practice a little bit. It comes more naturally to some vs. others. But it’s there. Take yourself out on a date, buy yourself a drink, and treat yo self real nice…

This is Sally, be nice to Sally

This is Sally. Sally is a nice person. Sally is trying her best to make a great life. Be nice to Sally.

Okay, confession, Sally is not real. Today we are going on a fictional story following Sally on two possible paths. Sally 1 and Sally 2. But first- Sally’s background story.

Sally has always had a passion for ‘candles’. As soon as she was old enough, she always had candles burning, giving them as gifts, recommending new and exciting scented candles to anyone who would listen to her. To her, candles were not ‘work’ just something she loved. But, Sally had to grow up and go to college and get a real job. She decided to major in business and figure out what to do with that later. After college graduation Sally has to decide what to do. This is where our sliding doors, two-Sally-story begins.

Sally 1- she decides to take that new business education and open a new store in her home town. She has to take out more loans (on top of the loans she has from school) to pay for this- but it’s her dream! She is going to sell candles and other related items. She announces this to her friends and family. Everyone shows her an outpouring of love and support! Everyone wants to hear more about it, wishes her luck, and promises to stop in soon to support her business!

Sally 2- Sally wants to use her new business education and figure out a way to follow her passion for candles. She is considering opening a shop but doesn’t want to take out more loans and knows that it will be years before she makes any money. So, she does some research and finds a direct selling company that has the best, highest quality candles on the market and other home decor products. She can become an independent distributor for a couple hundred bucks. She can directly sell the products to her network and anyone else she meets. She announces this decision to her friends and family. She is surprised there is such a negative reaction. Some people seem curious and supportive, but it seems like everyone else is avoiding her. She even got a few Facebook comments like ‘oh great! Another one’ and ‘didn’t you just finish business school and THIS is how you’re using your degree?’ and of course- ‘isn’t that one of those pyramid things?’ Lucky for Sally she has pretty thick skin. She is going to stick with it despite the fridged response.

Sally 1- owning your own business is hard work! She is loving what she is doing but she is working 60 hours a week and struggling with a social life. But, she has lots of local friends and family helping her by coming into her shop as well as spreading the word for her. Word of mouth marketing is a total boon for her business. Her parents are SO proud of their little business owner!

Sally 2- she is doing pretty well with her little business. She is off to a fast start and is even being recognized by her company. She is frustrated though because she still can’t convince her parents that this is a legitimate business. She has shown them the business model and has tried to explain the potential of residual income, but they don’t want to hear it. Dad even commented- why did we spend so much on college then?

Sally 1- she is doing pretty well now but is looking for ways to expand and reach more people. She decides to sell her products on-line too. She makes a website, starts a blog, and gets to work. What an entrepreneur! Everyone is very impressed that she is taking her small business ‘nation wide’.

Sally 2- things are coming along nicely for Sally 2. Her customers are happy and continue to support her. Occasionally they tell their friends too and she is getting referrals. Sally 2 also wants to expand outside of her immediate network. She creates a website, starts a blog, and try’s to spread the word. She tells her friends, some of them like her page but don’t really engage. She is seen as ‘another mommy blogger’.

Sally 1- Sally 1 starts realizing that other people and shops are interested in selling some of her products as well. They ALSO love candles! And since Sally 1 has already perfected the business model, it’s just smart to join her. Sally 1 welcomes new business partners. Why not? That’s smart business! Now she makes money on what she sells and she makes money on what her partners sell. And the partners get to walk into a successful business. Win-win-win. Wow- we are all very impressed with Sally 1!

Sally 2- a few people have noticed that Sally 2 is doing well and seems to be having a lot of fun in her business. She is always doing something fun and seems to have tons of free time and flexibility. She gets some new business partners and they model their business after Sally 2. Why re-invent the wheel? She announces her new partners on Facebook and still gets a luke-warm response. She hears that one of her friends said- SEE! It IS one of those pyramid things. Those things never work! People think that the new partners are suckers… People just ‘don’t get’ Sally #2.

Sally 1- carries on with her life, is totally happy with her choice, and loves the support she received along the way.

Sally 2- carries on with her life, is totally happy with her choice, and wishes she had a little more support along the way. But, remember, she has thick skin. She’ll be fine (more than fine- silly-happy)

BUT, Sally 2 is going to work really hard to change how people perceive her business. Sally 2 feels responsible for elevating the entire profession. You have not seen the last of Sally 2.

Valentine’s Day When You’re Parents

After almost 9 years of marriage, and 2 kids, Valentine’s Day shifts a little. It’s not all sunshine and rainbows and unicorn kisses. Sometimes, it’s sneaking away for 2 hours during the restaurant’s slow time and eating carbs and drinking alcohol. Just us?

We decided to go to one of our favorite local establishments. 1. Because they have an awesome beer selection! 2. Because they have really great food. If you are in Lake County and don’t regularly go to Firkin, I don’t know about you…

As we were there, reminding ourselves of how much we actually do like each other, we talked about how great it will be when the kids are in high school, and we can just do this whenever we feel like it (this is not where you chime in and tell me all the reasons why that is not gonna happen. Just let me believe this.)

We stuffed our faces pretty quickly with Warm Goat cheese in a spicy tomato sauce, Fried Oysters, French onion soup, and Spicy Pork Tacos. #notpaleo We enjoyed some Hopslam and some Affligem Blonde beer. Unbuttoned our pants and went to pick up the kids.

It was actually a beautiful winter day with snow falling as we ate. Now I have a fire going and I’m happy as can be. 9 years with Brent and I can’t wait for 9 more. A couple that drinks together, stays together…

My Relationship with Selfies

I have done a few posts like this previously: my relationship with hats, my relationship with lipstick… Today is my Relationship with Selfies! And, per usual, it’s complicated!

Like most people, when the youngsters (you know you’re getting older when you use the word youngster) started taking and posting selfies, I thought it was stupid. I would roll my eyes and make judgments. But, my thoughts on the subject are evolving right along with me and my journey.

My epiphany and motivation to write this blog came from my friend and business partner’s latest blog about HER journey. You should read it.

There is a lot of self doubt out there for women, mothers, people that are in the business I am in, and -I guess- just human beings in general. We are always worried about what people are going to think about us. What will they say?!? I used to never wear lip stick because I thought other people might think it looks stupid. Well that’s stupid! My lipstick only effects me and the people I am kissing. If you don’t like it, that is an issue for you to work out. Same with my career choice. I am doing something, that for some reason, makes people uncomfortable. Same for me when I first made the leap. But now I’m locked in, sure of my choice, and comfortable wearing it around town.

What does this have to do with selfies?!?

Well, before if I took a selfie, I felt like I had to justify it in some way. Or, apologize for it. I worried that other people would be mocking me or rolling their eyes behind the safety of whatever screen they were seeing me on. But I’m evolving.

I take selfies for lots of different reasons. Sometimes it’s because I’m trying to show what I am up to or what I’m using and loving. Sometimes it’s because I want to be in a picture with my kid. I will NOT be the mom who looks back at pictures from the past and is missing from the memories! I will be there front and center with my family. Sometimes it’s because I think I look nice. Moms especially know how hard it is to make yourself look nice when you have so much on your plate every GD day.

But most of the time, it’s because I’m happy. I’m happy that my body feels happy and healthy. The happier my body feels, the more it shows in my face and on the outside. I am happy with where I am at in my life journey and I feel like it is shining out of pores! When you work really hard to get comfortable and happy and hopeful and peaceful, you want to show it and share it. I lived a life of self doubt and worry and insecurity (still do sometimes); I don’t want to anymore. I want you to come with me too. We waste so much time worrying and not enough time taking care of ourselves and taking chances and taking naps and taking hikes and taking selfies!

Btw- I DID feel pretty stupid taking all these pictures in the parking lot at Starbucks before I came in to write this! Wonder if anyone saw me??? Guess how much I care though?

Healthy Paleo Dinner, with Bonus Breakfast

This week I was really trying follow the KISS method- keep it simple stupid- when it comes to our food. I am in the middle of a Shaklee ReSet to get over some cravings and lose some bloat. I am trying to eat as clean as possible so I’m sticking to clean, Paleo meals.

One of the things that is tricky about eating this way is the amount of prep time the meals take (not to mention the price). BUT- if you play it smart, you can get double the meals out of half the prep.

Here’s what I bought:

From these ingredients, I am going to make 1 dinner and 1 breakfast for a family of 4 (with some leftovers)

Dinner: Stuffed Peppers
-ground turkey
-onion
-cilantro
-bell peppers
-crushed tomatoes
-spinach
– seasonings from pantry
-coconut oil from pantry

Breakfast: Egg ‘muffins’
-9 eggs
-ground turkey
-onion
-cilantro
-spinach

How did I do it?

I browned the turkey with an onion, seasoned with salt, pepper, onion powder, minced garlic, cumin, paprika, and oregano (use what you have/like). After the meat was cooked through, I separated the meat 1 part for egg muffins, 3 parts for stuffed peppers.

For the PEPPERS- leave in pan, add tomatoes and simmer for a bit. Add cilantro and spinach, mix in. Put the mixture in partially cooked peppers (boil for a few minutes), and bake at 350 for 10-15 mins. Add cheese if you’re not ‘strict’ Paleo.

For the EGGS- let meat mixture cool a little. Mix the eggs with spinach, cilantro, splash of water, salt, pepper. After the meat mixture is cooled, add to egg mixture. Pour mixture into non- stick pan (like in the picture) or silicone muffin cups. [This would also work in a greased pie pan- I call it egg pie!] Bake about 20 mins at 350. Inserted knife should come out clean.

That’s it! So simple and inexpensive!

Busy and Blessed

I am busy. Like most of you, my day is full of activities that start first thing in the morning and go into the early evening. I also find that I am often at a loss when asked ‘so what did you do today?’ I mean, I was busy all day and can barely remember what I did. I thought it would be fun to capture this info as a ‘snapshot’ of my current situation. I still have the traditional ‘day job’ but also have my ‘side hustle’ that I am growing. Oh, and family and stuff….

Wednesday, February 3rd, 2016

7:10am- wake up time! Good morning world. I usually lay here for a few minutes before I go wake the kids up. this is one of my ‘late days’ at work so I have the first half of my day pretty open. I usually check my FB, email, IG, etc. to see if I need to respond to anything right away. I check my FitBit to see how I slept. And I chug whatever water I have left over in my night-side cup.

7:15-8:15am- total whirlwind! Everyone needs to eat and get ready for the day. I made the kids breakfast, made my ‘bullet proof’ coffee, smoothies for me and my hubs, got my son’s lunch ready, and helped my daughter get dressed. They were both ready for school and now mom can put some pants on. (apparently it’s frowned upon to drop your kid off at preschool w/o pants..)

9am- Kids are off! Both kids are at school. Normally I would be on my way to the gym by now but I didn’t finish everything I needed to this morning so back to the house. Luckily the preschool is IN the neighborhood.

9:30am- Prep done! Tonight’s dinner is prepped and in the slow cooker. This is a must since I will not be home for dinner. This helps my husband do all of the other after hours stuff on his own- homework, pajamas, teeth brushing, packing lunches, etc. Off to the gym. Took my Shaklee version of ‘pre-work-out’. Performance (healthy Gatorade), B Complex (energy and mood), and an Energy Chew (they are seriously amazing). I’ll save most of the performance for after my workout but I drink it on the way to the gym as well. I’m off!

11:15am- Done with gym! I had a great workout, listened to some sweet jams, showered, and now I am off to my newest Business Partner’s house! I normally like to shower at home but today- this was easier. I had a limited amount of time. BUT, I brought all of my Shaklee shower stuff with me because it is all I use.

12:30pm- Lunch! Quick lunch with my husband at Portillo’s. This was random and lucky! Normally our schedules don’t cooperate. And, yes, Portillo’s is known for their beef and Chicago dogs, but today was a salad day.

2:45pm- I had to get a little work done (day job stuff), but then I sat with my book (dream job stuff) for 20 mins. because I have been going hard all day. Threw in a load of laundry because now that my husband and I have been working out more, we have twice the laundry! Prepped lunch #2 of the day to bring to work. It needs to be fast, portable, and something I can eat/drink between clients. Since my schedule is weird, I do 4 small meals during the day. I haven’t even started my work day and I’m over 8,000 steps.

3:30pm- Work! I am at work for the next 4-5 hours. I have 4 back to back massage clients. Even though this is ‘work’, I’m happy that I get to help people feel better at this job too. It’s pretty darn rewarding.

8:21pm- Done! I got home from work just in time for my good night kisses and stories. I had my teeny dinner while listening to a conference call, and finished the last of the laundry. Now, I get to SIT with my book and a glass of whisky. I will be asleep in an hour- no doubt. Tomorrow starts at 5:45am and I really like sleeping.

Thanks for joining me on my lovely day! I am blessed to be this busy but to also have this much FREEDOM in my day and life. That is what it’s all about for me. Being able to design my days, and therefore my life. Thanks for reading.

Candysbrain

Power Protein Balls

My daughter came up with the name for these because she thinks they give you special super powers. But, she’s 4 and still thinks the moon follows her around, so no promises…

These are our go-to snack, breakfast on the go, and special treat for the kids. I love that they are healthy and wholesome and easy and versatile. My kids love that they are delicious! And, they are made with the World’s Best* Protein Powder!

The recipe honestly changes every single time I make them because I just use whatever I have in the house, but the image above shows the ‘base’.

I love to add quick oats, unsweetened coconut flakes, chocolate chips, dried fruit, etc. They haven’t turned out bad yet! And your kids can help because they are so easy.

You can make them nut-free by using Sun Butter (hey Basher)!

You just mix all the ingredients and roll into balls. Put them in the fridge for 30 mins to set and then enjoy. Keep them in the fridge. I’m sure they’re good for a week but ours have never lasted that long!

Why Shaklee protein powder?
Our protein is non-gmo, gluten free, lactose free, no artificial anything, low glycemic, and kosher! Not to mention- it has pre and pro-biotics in the powder. No one has what we have! And they make the most delicious smoothies/protein shakes!

*I am an independent distributor for Shaklee. I make money on sales from the links provided. I believe that Shaklee has changed my life for the better and I like to talk about it on the internet. 🙂 We do have the best, most comprehensive nutrition plan in the world. I can actually say that! We got it approved thru legal because we really do.