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....