Rewarding Revelations and Signing Off!

Well, I guess it had to happen. This will be my last post...at least for a while. I recently had the opportunity to be a part of something so fun and inspirational. Arbonne has been working with the Extreme Makeover Home Edition show for about a year now. Each new house, they contact a nearby consultant who then organizes volunteers and donations to fill their house with personal products. Unless you've been living under a rock in the DFW area, you probably know they've just completed a house in Lancaster for a Dallas cop who is wheelchair bound after being shot in the back in a drug bust gone bad. I had the privilege of being in charge of collecting products for the 4 year old boy. Our group raised more than $10,000 in product donations in 5 days!

The show then invited our Arbonne group to come in and help out inside the house. We toted accessories from the garage to the house and I actually spent a good deal of time folding the dad's t-shirts, sitting on the floor of the shower in the blazing heat. We finally left a little before midnight when the next group was arriving to help out.

So what does this have to do with my business? Honestly, it was truly a humbling experience, meeting all these incredible volunteers who had been there all week, sacrificing sleep and time with their families, with the single purpose of doing something wonderful for this family. Every time I am out there representing my company, I am reminded of the privilege I have of serving others through my business. It made me remember that this is a relationship business. I had so much fun talking with team members and customers over the past days as I got donations for the family. My business is about getting out there, building relationships with others, and serving them the best that I can, whether they are on my team building a business or are just a customers who loves the products. It's not about posting random thoughts on products I like. My friends and customers already know what products I love and can't live without. Most know how much this business has and continues to mean for my family both personally and financially. But above all, the thing I value most about my business are the relationships. That's my focus. There's nothing particularly meaningful about this blog. It doesn't build or help my business. It's the people that I am surrounded by in this business that are meaningful.

I realized with this experience that God truly does use ordinary people to do EXTRAORDINARY things! I mean really - building a house in 7 days???? Are you kidding? When I saw what was going on, I was so amazed. But then again, I wasn't. God can do anything! So with that, I am signing off. God has placed so many amazing people into my life because of this business and I am truly blessed!

p.s. The house is beautiful...the rooms are amazing! I was going to post pics but for confidentiality reasons we were not allowed to take pictures, so all I have to post are some pics of the designers and all the products we had....and the outside of the house. you'll have to watch the show to see it all!!

Getting back in shape

We are finally back from the ozarks and boy am I ready to get this bod back in shape with better food! It's true what they say...garbage in, garbage out. When I eat terrible (you know, the funnel cakes and fries and pizza) not only does my body not function at its best, but my skin suffers as well. My detox cleanse should arrive in a few days, but my skin needed help now! I started my day with the RE9 deep pore cleansing mask. Now, as a rule, I hate masks because they simply take time I do not have, but I MADE time this morning! My skin immediately looked and felt better. I'm going to have to take some extra time to whip it back into shape, and once I finish the cleanse I'll do another mask. But it's a start!

Oy!

We are nearing the end of trip trek #2 (out of 3). This time it was to the Ozarks. More family, more fun, and more FOOD!!! Oy! I've eaten my body weight in everything bad from funnel cake to ice cream, burgers, to BBQ. The last few days I've altered my routine just a bit. Instead of doing the energy drink with fiber booster, I have been putting the fiber in a daily detox tea. I'm starting to feel much better. I'll start the full cleanse (which I do every 3 months for colon health since I have a family history of colon cancer and polyps) next week when I get back and this time Hubby is doing it with me! Woo Hoo!! Can't wait!

Healing Hands

I'm completely and utterly addicted to the FC5 hand cream. I love it. We just put in hardwood floors downstairs (hence the melting in Houston all last week!) and I came home to a dusty mess and nearly an entire downstairs needing to be unpacked from boxes. Needless to say my hands have taken a beating, as newspaper leeches the moisture from your hands. Not to mention the blisters I have from vacuuming every single shutter blade in my house. I have been slathering on the hand cream about every half hour. It's not greasy and my hands are quickly improving.

Now I just need to use the detox line to get the rest of the grime off...but that's another post.

Holy Cow and Thank Goodness!!

Whew! I'm still melting into daily puddles here in Houston. I stay out in the garage apartment and the air conditioner can't even keep up it's so bad. Right now it's only 93 but feels like 98 and the UV index is 10, which is very high. We went to Galveston on Tuesday. Man, the devastation was so apparent. But I digress. Anyway, you try reapplying sunscreen on sandy, salty, sweaty bodies. We were only there for two hours and even reapplied....we got fried on our backs. And I mean the painful, stinging kind. I felt like the worst mother in the world. Never mind my business, we've switched to SPF 70 spray on sunscreen. I could not handle seeing my girls' backs like that.

So anyway, what's this got to do with my business? What product will I post about? The SeaSource Detox Spa Body Gelee. Once again, this has proven to be THE BEST, bar none, after burn solution we've ever had. Not only is it not sticky, but it has prevented the dreaded "peel". The kind that makes you want to gag. My girls LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it! They like the way it feels, they like the way it smells, and I can feel good about putting it on their skin because there are no harsh chemicals in it. OBviously I would prefer not to get burned at all, but with kids, unless you live inside during the summer, are gonna get it one time or another. We LIVE at the pool in the summer and no amount of sunscreen or swim shirts or anything else will keep us completely protected unless we are in a full body suit, mask and hat!!

I'm melting here...

Ok this is almost ridiculous. I'm in Houston and it is literally 99 degrees today. It's almost never that hot here! It's been just as bad in Big D. Unseasonably warm for June! As much as I love the Revelage Day cream, I've had to switch back to te FC5 oil-free with SPF20. I felt like the other was just melting off my face. I realize, I'm really just sweating it off...haha. Still using the Revelage night serum and concentrated age spot minimizer, which is doing wonders for my overall complexion as I spend more time outside and in the sun. My face does not feel a bit oily or greasy after using the FC5 today, and we spent an hour practically melting during my kids' swim lessons here.

Oh it's ON!!

Alright - so I tried to come up with a catchy title...haha. So it's now summer and we spend ALOT of time at the pool. I've been super careful with my skin care and protecting my face. The revelage has been awesome! My face has gotten sun but not the uneven mess I've been getting with the horrible freckling. And it doesn't look dried out. The rest of my skin, on the other, not so much. I am so not a body lotion person. Not because I don't like it - I do! It's just not something I generally take time for. It's an extra step. But really, my skin is suffering from the chlorine. I mean, hello. Public pools have TONS of it!! Obviously, I have a few body lotions lying around the house, so my job over the next few weeks is to try them all out (again) and decide which one really delivers for summer "pool skin". It's the Battle of the Body Lotions (cue dramatic theme music - I mean hey, I've got to do something to make this seem more interesting than it really is!!!).

Pure, safe and Beneficial

I went to a meeting and training this morning....learned some awesome makeup tricks from Hollywood makeup artist Krista Embry (who uses and promotes Arbonne products herself). But the neatest thing was hearing from one of our Executive National Vice Presidents who happens to also be a cancer survivor. She had non-Hodgkins lymphoma as a child and is serious about her health. She gave a startling statistic that was published in a cancer journal. A little publicized fact is that more cancers are caused by personal care products (including skin care and cosmetics) than by cigarette smoke. Wow. I walked away with an even bigger belief in what I'm sharing with others, and I love knowing that i never, ever have to worry about what I'm putting on my skin or in my body. So for those reading that use our products - kudos to you! You are doing something wonderful for yourself and your family!

Energy on the Go

Well, as usual, May was crazy busy. It was all I could do to make it to the end of school. You'd think I'd be ready to kick back and relax. This is our first official week of summer vacation. My older daughter has a cheerleading camp down in the Park Cities, which is fun to visit since I grew up there but sooooo far from where we live now! I'm shuttling her back and forth all week as well as packing up my entire downstairs so we can rip up our floors in two weeks to put in hardwoods. Needless to say, I am short on time and really trying to cram it in. I feel like I did when we moved a few years ago!! I have to admit, the NRG Fizz tabs have really been my saving grace. I take one every day with the fiber booster anyway, but I have been working especially hard the last few days with a lot of physical labor and really have felt "inspired" if that even makes sense. I feel good knowing that I am consuming things that are safe and beneficial...but this is one time I am especially grateful for some extra energy so I can get things done. If you are in need of an energy boost, I highly recommend it!

Itch relief

Along with a bit of sunburn from the weekend at the ranch, we all got chewed alive by bugs while we fished. Yes, we used OFF bug spray. And no, it really did not work all that well. Anyway, when I first started my business I had heard that the Arbonne baby diaper cream worked well on bites. I can assure you we put that theory to the test! And while I may look a bit silly with patches of white on my ankles, it really does work well. I don't like calamine because it's runny. I like knowing that I'm still using pure, safe, and beneficial to treat the bites on my family. Eventually it gets too hot even for bugs. But in the meantime, here's to safe and effective itch relief!

more sunburn

Well, we just spent the weekend at the ranch. The kids literally spent all day yesterday outside down at the lake fishing and canoing. I got the faces with sunscreen but it was super cloudy and I totally forgot my younger one had on a sleeveless top, so of course, with her pale skin, she got burned. I think we'll be getting a lot of use out of the seasource line again this summer. My girls love the body gelee and BEG for me to put it on them! As for me, I continue to be pleased with the results of the SPF 30 Revelage day cream. love, love, love it! Having a spa night with friends to share all my goodies!! I am off to the salon with daughter #1 for mani-pedi's! I love treating her to them at home with my shea butter set, but this will be her first professional ones!

Soothing Relief

Soooo...both my daughter and I have some random patches of sunburn. I mean really, try getting an 8 year old to stop riding water slides long enough to sufficiently reapply sunscreen. Me, I guess my only excuse is not being able to reach certain parts of my back and missing a bizarre spot on my foot. Oh well. Anyway, I posted before about the Seasource Spa Body Gelee. It is seriously the best sunburn relief we have ever used. Not sticky, very soothing. Obviously I'd prefer not to get sunburned at all (and I would LOVE if Arbonne would come out with a spray on sunscreen!) but if I'm going to get those patches because of missed spots, this is definitely good relief!

You know, it's funny. i've been posting for about 7 months now. Sometimes it feels redundant or inane. I mean, after all, it's only some products. I know that most of you don't post comments...or at least not on the blog, since you have to register for that. But I love the feedback I get through your e-mails or when I see you in person. Thanks for reading my blog! I'm so glad it's inspired some of you to try some new products, and even more, I'm thrilled that through my blog you've found some products that really have benefitted you or your family!

Awesome Protection

Today was Hawaiian Falls day for my older daughter. They shut down the water park for our lower school and it is truly a blast!! This was the first time for me to try out the new REvelage Day moisturizer as a sunscreen for my face. I've always hated sunscreen because it is so heavy and greasy. Anyway, this offers SPF 30 and spreads really well. Since it is a moisturizer and not a sunscreen, it's really light. I applied before going and reapplied once during the day. It offers absolutely amazing protection. No burn, no freckling. I am super excited. This is the best my face has looked after being in the sun!

Of course, after getting cleaned up I did find all the other spots that I missed with my sunscreen (incidentally I use our Save Face and Body SPF 30...it's not my favorite. I prefer our baby sunscreen instead because it is not greasy and has no scent, but we are out and my order has not come in yet). Our detox spa Body gelee is absolutely the best after burn stuff in the entire world. It's not sticky but still cools and soothes and hydrates. I've got some pretty funky lines on my back...*sigh*

Amazing this time around

Ok so I have been much more diligent the last several months in using my hormone cream...I do it every morning without fail! This month, I literally did not have any cramps when my monthly present came. I did not even realize it. Usually I am crabby and get pretty much the only headache I'll have all month, and I did not even have that! I've used it off and off for probably a year, but have never been good about using it daily. Boy does it make a difference! I'm sold!

Outside the Comfort Zone

So last weekend was a time for trying new things. Some sweet friends of ours decided to take us out for sushi. I have to admit, the idea was not all that appealing. I have never, not once, desired to try it. If I'm going to shell out the cash, I want my food COOKED! Still, we agreed to go to Ra up in Plano and try it out. Since we were being so adventurous, I turned in our new catalog to the makeup, where they now have tips for creating two looks. I'm not one to wear much makeup, but I decided to go out of my comfort zone and try out the smoky eye look. It gave me step-by-step instructions on what to use and how to apply the products. I must say, I looked smokin' hot. I did not even look like me. Sweet hubby loved the look! Won't do it all that often because I felt a little self-conscious, but I was glad to try something new. And I was glad to have instructions on how to do it...just like I was glad for someone to tell me how to order, what to eat, and how to pick it up with those blasted chop sticks! Haha.

Freckle Juice

When I was little, I remember reading a book called freckle juice. In it, the character is willing to try anything to get rid of freckles! I've always had freckles....and never really minded them. However, in the past decade, not only have I gotten increasingly more freckles, I've dealt with discoloration and hyper-pigmentation. NO matter what kind of sunscreen I put on, I get a mask of sorts every summer. And it literally takes the entire rest of the year to fade, and it never really does completely. So needless to say, I was anxious to try out our new line of products specifically for age spots and discoloration.

After using it a week, I am absolutely thrilled! Mind you, it's not freckle juice. My freckles are still there, although I do believe they are lightening up. But the noticeable difference is not my freckles, it's my skin tone underneath those freckles! That is where the dramatic difference is! My skin tone is most definitely evening out and the discoloration is going away. For the first time in a long time, I felt comfortable going to teach WITHOUT any kind of powder to even my skin out. I guess the true test will be this summer when I am outside ALOT. But the day moisturizer has SPF 30 and I love the way it feels on my face. Very light and my skin looks brighter and healthier than it has ever looked!

So I'm not as impressed with the new acne spot treatment. I think it probably will work better for things that have already broken out, but not for the ones that are under the surface and just beginning. Mine is going away....just much slower than I thought.

Cleanse Trick

I forgot to let y'all in on a little secret. For those that have tried our cleanse, it is admitedly not the yummiest thing in the world. I personally don't mind the taste. I don't really think it has a taste. Anyway, just to try it out, I decided that when I mixed the bottle with the 32 oz of water, I would subsitute about 4-5 oz. of my sugar-free crystal light drink (it's actually the Target Generic of CL but the flavor is yum-o and I use it every day with the Pomegranate NRG and fiber booster anyway). It flavored it up a bit and actually tasted so much better that I found myself drinking it much faster and was finishing it before noon....so of course I suffered the consequences a bit those first two days until I learned some self-control. Anyhoo....for those who found the taste less than their Baskin Robbins ideal, it's just a little trick. I don't think it breaks any cardinal rules of detox or anything...haha.

New Product Update

My products came in yesterday and of course, I've been "testing" them out. The acne line has been reformulated and they've added a spot treatment that is extra strength! I've been using it on what I call an "undergrounder"...you know, those stress bumps that never quite surface?? Well it's finally drying up!! Woo Hoo! And I've been using the new Revelage products. The studies they sent us said it takes a few weeks to really notice a lightening in freckles, age spots, and discoloration. But I do love the way the products feel...very light with absolutely NO scent, so it won't compete with my favorite RE9 and FC5 products, which they are meant to be used with. I am very excited about these products and can't wait to report back on the results! It's perfect timing with summer coming up! And I'm also excited that our company is choosing to offer the shea butter hand and body wash/lotion duo all year round! It was such a huge seller at Christmas and just smells absolutely yummy!!!

Cleanse Final Post

I made it through my 3rd cleanse....it was great. Other than Day 2 it was a breeze and I feel great. I started back on my regular routine of Pomegranate NRG drink with fiber booster. This is really the big test...choosing to NOT eat the goldfish and other snacks my kids have and sticking with cheese or a few nuts. The eating has been great and I always feel so good when I finish a cleanse. I have not weighed to see what I lost, but then again, most of y'all know I don't do it for weight loss anyway...just colon health and overall wellness! As long as my clothes fit fine, that's usually my barometer. I did start Wii Fit up again and did the 10 minute hula hoop...man am I sore! Now, I just need my new products!

Day 6 - the Light at the end of the tunnel

It's Day 6 (out of 7). It's going great! I have not had my kids' goldfish or any other type of processed flour or sugar all week, so naturally I feel really good. The bigger challenge will be keeping it up afterwards. We are having friends for dinner tonight and will do tilapia on the grill and bacon-wrapped shrimp, mashed cauliflower and wilted spinach - yum! With strawberries and cream for dessert. If only I could eat like that all the time :-)

My new products are on the way....can't wait! My blemishes from doing the cleanse are starting to subside but I'm still anxious to try the acne spot-treatment. And of course, I am very curious about the newest anti-aging products...I am all about being proactive!!