Good for what ails you!

It is that time of year...colds, flu, stress, chapped hands and lips, you name it. Let's face it, winter can be brutal! And our family is no different. I can't really attest to Arbonne's Get Well Soon supplement. It's got all the herbal stuff you find everywhere else. I guess my problem is that I wait too late to take anything that it is already full blown.

Right now, my biggest issue is stress and dry skin. I'm going to try some new products on their way. I'll have to let you know how it goes! I hate to admit it, but I've got a cold sore. And I know it's from stress. I purchased the herbal lip ointment in hopes that will help. I hate the fact that I should be rejoicing in the birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, and instead I'm stressing about wrapping presents, parties, and generally just trying to get it all done. I know in my heart that the remedy for this does not come from a tube of Arbonne, but rather from within. The hardest thing for me to do is to simply rest in the Lord and embrace the peace that comes only from Him. Call it stubborness, call it pride. I don't really know. It's sin for sure. I am grateful that my company provides so many awesome products to help so many people with various things, but I am ever mindful that it is God who provides and it is God who can truly cure what ails you! Have a blessed Christmas season!

Concealer magic

Well, my family survived my daughter's Nutcracker weekend. Many rehearsals and late nights last week pretty much knocked our whole family for a loop. We've all been under the weather and a complete lack of sleep did not help. I have to say, I've never been more thankful for a really good concealer. Sure, the eye cream helps....but the concealer....thank goodness! I wish I could figure out how to take good before and after pics!

Pampering for the sick and desperate!

I am still sick....yuck. Did I mention that I got an icky secondary pink eye infection on top of the yucky sinus junk? The antibiotic has definitely taken care of that and cleared it up, but I have been fanatical nonetheless with washing my hands. I've been making that more bearable by using the Shea Butter hand wash and lotion...since they are in the caddy together, it has been handy. Last night I was feeling so sorry for myself that I sat in bed and slathered my hands in the Shea Butter cream and then followed it up with the cuticle pen. Mmmmmm...my hands smelled nice. Arbonne has some really good products for colds and such, but I think even they can't handle this bear of an infection :-(

sick and sicker...

Well, no doubt about it...I am sick. I mean full-blown sick. I've got a horrible sinus infection that spawned a secondary pink eye infection. Nice. We have so much going on in December that I can't afford to be sick. The hardest part is the coughing. Last year I ended up separating cartilage from my ribs when I got sick. Somebody told me then to try Vick Vapor rub on the soles of my feet. Fortunately, Arbonne has an herbal vapor rub equivalent that is non-greasy, so I started trying that. I've been doing that the last few nights and again in the morning and it really does help cut down on the coughing so I can at least get some sleep! I now wish I also had the herbal vapor soak that you can put in your humidifier....

Detox Round Two

So this time around, my hubby is doing the body cleanse this time. I'm going to wait another week or so. So I will keep everyone posted on his progress. As for me, my hands are super dry while I deal with garlands and such...so I am bathing in the Shea Butter lotion right now. Yummy!

Top 10 Holiday products

So I just shot off an e-mail to customers because so many don't even know what a blog is...can't say I blame them since I am so very new to this! So here are the Top 10 products for holiday gifts based on sales (though I suspect that some may be hoarding products to pamper themselves rather than friends or family!!)

10. Shea Butter hand care duo - awesome gift; smells like frosting.
9. RE9 anything...enzyme peel is super popular!
8. Nature's Garden wash, lotion, fragrance mist : split preferences on Orchid or Jasmine
7. Detox Body Lotion and Massage oil: I guess my recommendation went over well.
6. Detox Salt scrub and mask (I suspect these are not for gifts!!!)
5. Pampermint set - it's a yummy gift!
4. Jasmine candles - they just smell out of this world and are beautiful!
3. Sky for Men wash and shave gel: lots of women buying this for their men...I guess it's a hint!
2. Intelligence hand and foot cream 5-packs - awesome gifts for teachers! Trust me, we wash our hands alot!
1. Aromatherapy and Ginger Citrus candles: they are almost sold out so hurry on this one!

Enjoy!

Aaahhhhh Part 2

So I was so impressed with the 5 in 1 massage oil from the spa line mixed with the lotion that I decided to read up more on the oil. It said you could put some in your bath, so I decided to give it a try. It was absolutely heavenly. My skin was so incredibly hydrated and soft afterwards. I was afraid I would feel, you know, kind of oily or greasy...but instead my skin felt the way it does after those hydrotherapy treatments at the spa. This will definitely be my new favorite thing for winter, when my skin gets so dry! And it made my bath smell wonderful to boot :-) I have never been a fan of oils before but I love, love, love this one!

Aaahhhhh.....

I had a really, really stressful day. I was definitely a bundle of nerves and stress by the end. Sweet Hubby is always so good about giving me back and neck massages. Tonight I tried out a sample of 5-1 massage oil from the detox line. I am really weird and picky about the consistancy of things that go on my skin. And in particular I am not a fan of oils because they feel so, well, oily. But because of the versatility of this product, we combined a few drops with the Spa body lotion and I LOVED it! Of course, I already love the relaxing smell...but this was heavenly. After massages at different day spas, I tend to always shower because I don't like the greasy icky feeling afterwards from what they use. Maybe I need to make the rounds and tell them about this! Now I want to try out the other uses for the massage oil...particularly the foot soak. But first I will have to buy the full-sized one! Fortunately, after all the orders from events this week...I have tons of $100's for $20 and can get my spa products for next to nothing. I've gotten a ton of my Christmas shopping done too!

Hallelujah!

I'm healed!! Ok so not quite healed. I'm a little bit stiff this morning, but I did one more round of the Arbonne muscle massage gel last night and the pain melted away. My back does not hurt at all this morning. Yea! And this is my day for my spa splurge, so I should be feeling great later! Since I did the mud mask earlier this week because my skin was desparate, I will just do the sea salt scrub, rescue wash, sea soak and hair mask....and then the lotion. And by the way, the Spa Set is 50% off this month!

Back pain update

Well, I had a pretty good night's sleep. While the Arbonne muscle massage gel does not get rid of the pain at the source, it definitely relaxed all the muscles around the one I hurt, thus drastically reducing the amount of pain I was in. Of course, after a day of teaching 4 year olds and leaning and lifting and carrying, I'm hurting quite a bit again. I'll have to do another round of the gel...it is definitely worth the 10 minutes of uncomfortable burn to have the relaxing heat - and it literally lasted all night. I wish it didn't smell like Ben-Gay, but I guess that is to be expected. Now if only Arbonne had something to give me a deep tissue massage to work out the kink in that one muscle :-)

On Fire!!!

So for whatever reason, I decided to take on yet another responsibility and help with publicity for the Nutcracker production that the Dallas Ballet Company puts on. My daughter is an angel this year and we are soooo proud - she is one of the few 7-year olds cast in that role. Anyway, I volunteered and figured I would just be passing out fliers in my area. But nooooooo....I spent the entire hour of her ballet class today hunched over stamping on fliers to go out next week. After stamping 800 of them, I tried to stand up only to find my back in knots. The drive home was excruciating and even a 30 minute soak in the tub and a glass of wine did not help. I pulled out the big guns....hubby put on the Arbonne Muscle Massage gel....Lord have mercy on me....my back is literally on fire! This stuff better work! I've used it before but never right out of the bath. Yowza!!! Seriously the pain of the burning feeling is so bad I forgot how much the muscle hurt!! I'll keep you posted tomorrow and let you know how this all ends up.

Positively Glowing

I rarely have the time to do the detox mud mask. It is admittedly not my favorite...it's messy and has a thermal fusion aspect that I don't just love. But my skin was screaming at me this morning and I took the time to slather it on. I make time about once a month for it. Lindsay always thinks I look like a green monster when I have it on. While I still don't love doing the mask, I must say, my skin is GLOWING!! I love the way it looks and feels after drawing out all the toxins and yucky stuff from deep within my skin. I always follow it with the rescue wash. Aaahhhhh....so nice! I am ready for the holiday open houses I am participating in this coming week!

Halloween aftermath

Well after the wine and pizza and copious amounts of yucky, sugary Halloween candy consumed, I was thinking I needed to do a detox of sorts, but was not in the mood to do the 7 day cleanse again just yet. I think I will save that for after Thanksgiving or else New Year's! So...I have been using our herbal colon cleanse once a week just to maintain health. Last night I decided to be more thorough and take the recommended two and drink a detox tea later. I'm already feeling much better. I have been recommending this as an alternative for people who are interested in the body cleanse but are skeptical or afraid to try it. This is a less expensive and milder option. Right now I am content to sit on the sidelines and silently praise God I am not doing the cleanse with Laura and her friend Jennifer right now!

Girly, girly

This business is making me girlier by the second and I love it! I just ordered the FYI shimmering body powder from the holiday teen line for my 7 year old daughter, who loves to play with all my Arbonne products. She has been loving the Jasmine Tuberose body powder, which has a hint of sparkle in it. She begs for mommy's "sparkly powder" so I thought she might enjoy this as her own. Unfortunately, I LOVE it and will have to confiscate it and maybe get another one. It has such a light and yummy smell to it and the sparkle would be a ton of fun for holiday parties. Plus, it comes with a bright pink powder puff in a super cute box. What more could a girl want??

Prolief RElief!

Today's the day...the beginning of my period. Post kids, it's definitely irregular. I never know when to expect it. Last month, I was not as good about using my Prolief Hormone Cream. The end result - not feeling so hot when it hit. It did not help that I was doing the body cleanse at the time either. Anyway, after last month, I pledged to be better about using it this month. Sweet Hubby can tell when I forget my "Happy Cream" so I was better at remembering this month....and I'm happy to say, things are MUCH better for me this time around. It's funny, I know how much it helps and makes a difference in cramps and headaches and other symptoms, and yet I'm not always good about using it. You'd think I would learn! All told, it's going to be a good day :-)

Top 10 Fall Favorites

OK - so I seasonally come up with a list of my favorite products. Here are my top 10 for Fall:

10. Jasmine Body Mist: I am not a big perfume fan but I love the light scent and hubby does too!

9. Arbonne ABC diaper cream: somehow my girls got tons of bug bites with the still-warm weather and this is our go-to cure for any itchy we get.

8. On the Town Gold Colour Collection lip gloss: there's not much color, but it is sparkly and tastes like peppermint...need I say more?

7. Jasmine Body Cream: I like this richer version of the lotion. When you do scent layering, it just smells heavenly.

6. Before Sun Bronzing powder: Now that my summer tan has faded, I can recapture that glow with a few easy brush strokes!

5. Pampermint Two-step: this time of year my feet get really dry and cracked...again with the peppermint - yum! It's even better if I get sweet hubby to use it giving me a foot rub.

4. Arbonne Shampoo with Tea-tree oil: alright - we have already gotten several notices from my daughter's school about cases of head lice. Tea-tree oil helps ward off lice so we are religious about using it! Lavender is also good :-)

3. Shea Butter Cuticle pen: my secret addiction. I don't have time for mani's but this certainly helps. The smell is so yummy that I find myself just sniffing my hands like a weirdo.

2. SeaSource Detox Spa Sea Soak: This time of year, with teaching and all the kids' activities...I am running all the time. Some days I am just bone-tired. Soaking in the tub with the sea soak is pure luxury and leaves me feeling awesome!!

1. RE9 Eye cream and About Face concealer: well in my book, these two are like peas and carrots. They just go together. I tried to take some before and after pics for just these two products but unfortunately we could not get the lighting right, or the angle, or the focus...you'll just have to take my word for it!! I would not be caught dead outside my house without these two products on my face.

You know you've got it good...

OK - I'm still new to this and sometimes accidentally post before I even write!!

So yesterday was a teaching day for me. They are always long days, especially when I go to the store on the way home. My mom arrived in town and it was just an all-around tiring day. Standing in the kitchen cooking dinner (which I normally love) was torture as my body, and particularly my feet ached. When dinner was done, I decided to treat myself mid-week to some spa pampering.

I mainly wanted to use the sea soak and the pampermint to help my feet. I used the foot scrub and the sea salt scrub in the shower and then hopped in a warm bath full of the sea soak....aaaaahhhhh. I must say that I felt amazing after the sea soak bath, but my feet were still killing me. I had to take matters into my own hands. I took the pampermint foot cream and solicited a foot rub from willing hubby!

This morning....feet still sore but at least my heels don't look as dry. Is it appropriate to wear slippers out shopping??

Keep those product testimonials coming :-)

You know you've got it good....

From Drab to Fab in under 4 minutes!

One thing I have heard repeatedly in my business is that they just don't have enough time to do all of the RE9 steps....or use eye cream.....or a scrub or peel....

OK - for all the doubters who think that they just don't have time to take care of their skin....

I decided to time myself this morning as I got ready for school. Granted, I did the RE9 facial scrub and hydrating wash in the shower, but I did the following routine in less than four minutes:
toner, serum, eye cream, moisturizer, Wrinkle filler, Makeup primer, Concealer, loose powder, bronzer, blush, eye shadow, mascara, lip saver.

and honestly....the skin care portion took less than a minute. This weekend I plan to take a sequence of pictures and post them...kind of a before and after so that everyone can see the difference the products make for me. After all, I'm not getting any younger. If sweet hubby is going to keep his trophy wife I'll have to work at it :-) Seriously, you know I totally believe in the superiority of the RE9 line if I am willing to post pics on the blog of me without ANY skin care whatsoever...

And as for a detox update,
I have kept the 3 pounds off and even lost an additional pound this week. My thoroughly cleansed body was so happy at what I had done. Unfortunately, when I went to Bunco last night I had TONS of candy, and then pizza tonight. *sigh* I'll drink a detox tea for myself :-) What can I say, I'm not perfect. Thank goodness Arbonne can make up for my dietary shortfalls!

Quite a few have tried the detox. I must admit I chuckle at the ones who incredulously told me it tasted pretty bad. Honestly, if it tasted like a DQ shake we would all be detoxed and incredibly healthy!! And then there are those who groaned about the side effects. Seriously - it's a body cleanse. What do you expect??? I had to do a hard-core cleanse before a flex-sig procedure when I was preggers with my second. Same routine as if you were having a colonoscopy. SOOOO not fun! But because of that, I was absolutely prepared for the worst and this did not even come close. I was telling someone today, it is totally "doable". The taste, the side effects. Notice I don't say it's yummy or fun...it's just doable. But how I felt when I was done was so amazing that I would absolutely do it again!! Stay tuned for those pics!!

RE9 eye cream - one customer's story

I'm still new to this whole blog thing, but I love being able to share stories about the products with a bigger audience....

This past weekend my friend Tracy e-mailed me from Colorado. She's been a wholesale consultant for a few years now, using the products. She was telling me that the weather has gotten much colder and drier and that it takes a toll on her skin. One evening she looked in the mirror after not having used the products all day and she nearly screamed when she realized she looked about 10 years older. She was low on eye cream and her husband commented that she'd better reorder it ASAP!! 15 minutes later, after her daily routine of wash and toner, serum, eye cream and moisturizer, she said she instantly looked 10 years younger! She was telling me she doesn't splurge on clothes or "things", just her Arbonne, and that as long as she has that, she always looks good! Thanks Traci for sharing your story with me!

I too am a big fan of the eye cream. For several years I had used it incorrectly and did not get the full benefits. I have very oily skin and many times it just felt too heavy, and I ended up wiping off what I thought was "excess" cream. I eventually switched to the Intelligence eye cream but did not feel like it was doing enough for the lines around my eyes. I switched back to the RE9 eye cream and decided to not wipe off any extra, no matter how it felt. I made a startling discovery. The nanosphere technology that the delivery system is based on really does work. When I left the eye cream on, within 2 minutes it was completely absorbed into my skin with no greasy residue or heavy feeling. YEA!!! I have seen a definite difference in the lines around my eyes now that I am letting it do it's job!

Detox cleanse Final thoughts

I woke up this morning and was soooooo glad to not be slurping on the cleanse thing first thing this morning. I could just enjoy my coffee! A note to those who try the cleanse...I guess I did not think about the fact that I was still drinking it all day yesterday, so it was still doing its job. I had celebrated finishing the cleanse by having beef fondue with a few rich sauces and a glass of wine (from one of my favorite bottles hubby has ever brought home - Mad Housewife! Even better than the Mommy's Time Out wine he brought home that I also like. Seriously, these are real wine names!). I paid the price. I guess it was a bit too much after a week of cleansing. OH well - lesson learned and I still feel great!

While weight loss was not my goal of doing this cleanse, I did lose 3 lbs. and my jeans are not as snug this morning - yea! And I know that others who are currently doing the cleanse are losing weight as well. I have heard anywhere from 2-11 pounds! I capped off my detox week with a 30 minute pamper session this morning with the other detox products. I did the sea salt scrub, the sea soak, rescue wash, hair mask, and re-mineralizing lotion. It was so worth it! I highly recommend the detox program complete with body cleanse for anyone who wants to: 1) jump start weight loss 2)gain more energy and just generally feel better. If you want more info on detox, I'll be happy to share!

To wrap up my first real attempt at blogging, I will try to post on different products each week. Some I use all the time, others only as needed. If you have a story to share about an Arbonne product that works for you, e-mail me and let me know and I may post it here! Or if you already are a blogger, feel free to post your success stories on my site. Thank you to my new blogging friends for their encouragement :-) One thing I love, love, love about my business is getting to meet new people! My life is always richer for it!

Detox 7 Day cleanse journal

After having several customer purchase the detox 7 day body cleanse, I thought it was finally time to give it a whirl. I have to admit I have been terrified of trying it. I'll always give you the honest truth on our products, and this was one product I was not only skeptical to try, but a little bit scared of as well... My two biggest fears going in: that it would taste so bad that I would literally gag....and that it would be excruciatingly painful. Neither was a great prospect for me, so I begrudgingly decided to start it. Here is a truncated version of my thoughts on it: *warning* not for the faint of heart!!

Day 1: Well, fear #1 is relieved. It does not taste that bad...kind of like really weak tea. Not that I want to drink this stuff all day every day, but at least I did not gag. Other than having to pee alot and feeling like I am floating from drinking so much stuff, it does not seem all that bad. I've decided to maybe schedule my yearly dr. appt. while doing the cleanse next time...I always have trouble peeing in the cup and this would certainly take care of that! Of course, it is only mid-morning...kind of wondering when it will kick in?
Evening: well, I discovered when it kicked in. Right about the time I was stuck in rush hour traffic with Macy trying to get to Nutcracker rehearsal...nice.

Day 2: *sigh* I am trying to remember what possessed me to do this in the first place. I might have to check out the Arbonne diaper cream...ugh. It says you can do this once a month. Who in their right mind would do that??? Still not bad drinking the stuff...it's the aftermath that stinks...literally!

Day 3: OK today is A LOT better. Thank goodness. When it says cleanse, it means CLEANSE! But today is better. The moderate discomfort of yesterday is back to mild today. Still think some stock in Preparation H might not have been a bad idea. I haven't had this much trouble since childbirth!!

Day 4: My first day having to teach while doing the detox. It has not been too bad. I am chuckling at the moms that started their detox cleanse today though. I am glad I got past those first two days!!

Day 5-6: Feeling good. Almost no bad side effects now, though it is definitely still cleansing. Have not been drinking sodas and actually don't miss them. I've been trying to stick pretty close to their diet recommendations and I think that helps too.

Day 7: Just finished slurping down my last ounces of the 7 day cleanse! Woo Hoo!!! I made it! I am not sure how much weight I have lost but know I have lost at least a few pounds. I actually feel great! I have a ton of energy - so much more than I have probably had in the last few years. They say detox will help with stress and fatigue and I can definitely see a difference. I still don't think I could possibly do this once a month, but could see doing it every 3 months. If you can make it through the first few days, I definitely think it is a worthwhile product!

Diving right in

I can't believe I've started a blog! I've always secretly made fun of people that have blogs....and yet here I am. Most of my friends know that I recently celebrated 3 years in my Arbonne business. They also know I am fanatical about our products and that I love sharing them with others. I love being able to help people find products that make a difference in their lives. And I am always brutally honest about what I think of our products, both new and old. Some I love, some I don't. Some have literally changed my life. I am about to finish up Arbonne's 7-day detox body cleanse and have been journaling my thoughts about the experience and thought this would be the perfect opportunity to share my experiences with and thoughts on our different products, and give customers an opportunity not only to see that, but also to post their own personal stories as well. One of my favorite things about this business is hearing what others love! So here we go....