iPad!!!

Hello all! Last night a dear family member gave us a brand new iPad as a gift and I could not be more excited!!! I have been looking into the iPads for a while but wasn't sure about the cost considering my husband and I both have iPhones. While I haven't activated it yet, I cannot wait to download some fabulous apps and movies on this thing! I found out that you can actually purchase a special case that hooks up to the back of a carseat so your kids can watch a movie in the car. GENIUS! There are so many uses and accessories for the iPad that I can now see that the price is totally worth it...if you have that money to spend. Any readers know of some great business or mommy apps, I would love your opinions! Remember, as a small business owner a tablet of any kind (as long as you do use it some for your business) is tax deductible and you can possibly claim it next year. So, look into it, because it adds some incredible portability to your business, and your life!

Even aside from the loot I've gotten while home in Georgia, this trip has been an incredible, incredible blessing for our family. We have spent some relaxing, quality time with all of our family members and got to see our dog, who didn't get to join us in Germany. When we go back to Germany on Friday I'm sure I'll be heartbroken to leave my beloved South and my family.

BUT starting next week, I will be giving you readers more and more tips on how to cultivate a successful direct sales business, while raising a family! So, stay tuned! :)

Fab Magazine; Had to Share!

So, any of my readers that know me personally probably know that I LOVE LOVE LOVE magazines. I read all types all the time. As I mentioned before, I will be making myself over for the month of September and so I wanted to share a particular magazine issue that was fantastic. The September issue of "O" magazine is all about makeovers and I literally read it from cover to cover. It contains makeovers for your finances, fashion, beauty, and health. I really loved the segment about the women who have lost hundreds of pounds. It was so inspiring! So, if you get the chance, pick one up so you can join me on my makeover journey!

Home Sweet Home!

Hello all!
I write you from my home in Atlanta Georgia! Praise the Lord that I get to spend some quality time with my family before returning to Germany. The trip took us about 3 days to get here and was quite a harowing experience with a toddler! I found that the carseat was a great thing to bring because my little man felt safe and comfortable in his own carseat. Also, we ended up doing much of the air travel in a fully loaded cargo plane...needless to say, it was uncomfortable.

Wow, I have really missed the states though...the people, the food, the shopping. Whoa! It's been intense in the best of ways. Business wise, I'm still maintaining hostess coaching from overseas. I've been doing so through the avenues of facebook and email, and it's been going great. Don't you just love modern technology?! Also, I had planned to do a home party here in Georgia so that parts of my trip are tax detuctible! Yay for tax deductions! The key is to keep track of everything which is a lot harder than it sounds. I'll be mailing stuff back to myself!

So overall this trip has been fantastic! Loving seeing all the baby stuff at Buy Buy Baby and Old Navy! More to come soon...

My little general getting ready to see Elmo at the USO Sesame Street show! I'm so thankful for all the USO does!

Traveling Thursday!

Hi again! I want to take today to talk about traveling, both as a mommy and business owner. Next week I will be taking several flights to get back to my sweet Georgia. And, I'll be doing so with my husband and two year old son. He's a busy little boy so I'm stressing out a little about ways to entertain him for possibly 12+ hours (likely to be much longer than that). I plan to take some surprise toys and books, as well as fruit snacks and other munchies. This trip will be quite a challenge! I would love other mommy tips for traveling long distances! As for my business, I will not be taking my laptop...I know, I know, it sounds like business suicide to be detached from the outside world for a while but I've set up a plan to make it work. During the actual traveling portion of my trip (i.e. flights, driving) I'm not going to attempt to check on my business or social media (so if you don't hear from me a few days next week, you know why). I will check on these things after I'm settled in back in Georgia. I am saving all important dates into my iPhone instead of bringing my actual agenda. This way I can still be reminded of important work without the extra bulk of my agenda binder. I plan on reading some business, and mommy, related books but I have put them on my ereader, even though I'm more of a ink-and-paper kind of girl. Just trying to cut down on weight and space in my bags. I DO plan on bringing my show jewelry but packed as tightly as possible and on my carry-on. I'm bringing it for two reasons 1) I will want to wear it with my fab summer outfits and 2) I want some of my back-home family and friends to see the pieces up close. It's always important for a direct sales momma to be prepare for success...even on the go! It's crucial to plan ahead since I will be gone around 3 weeks! I don't want to miss out on opportunity simply because I was unprepared. I am so excited about my trip though, and hopefully it will all go smoothly! I would love to hear some of your favorite tips on mommy travel and business travel!

Remembering

Today is August 3rd. And in my family, it is a sad, hard day. I think about and miss a beautiful big sister that I never met. I often imagine what it would be like to really know her and to have a sister. I wonder if she would have liked me, or if I am good enough for her little brother. I wonder if we would go shopping and be rivals on football game day. I wonder a lot. But there are some things I don't have to wonder about because I know and love her mother. I know that she had a kind sweet soul but fights like no other. I know she must have been the type to not take crap from anyone. I know that she had a giving heart and I also know with certainty that she is an angel in heaven right now. I know these things because her mother is all of those things, except she's an angel right here on Earth. I feel that my sister watches out for me and I feel it everyday. And so, I am so so sad today. I mourn someone that I wasn't blessed to know. I mourn the fact that I never knew her...but I know I love her.

Balance...

Balance should really be a four letter word because it usually makes people feel guilty, and because I hate to hear it. People have been searching for balance for centuries similar to the fountain of youth. And, in my humble opinion, I believe that balance does not exist. I started my direct sales business to add income (and sanity) to my life as a SAHM. Did I find "balance"? Well, sort of...I am the owner of my business. I truly choose when to work and when not to work. This, to me, is the biggest benefit in the type of business that I'm in. I stop working when my son needs me and I start working when it's convenient for me. I choose to do a lot of my business paperwork and emails late at night when my child, and husband have gone to sleep. When I do work during the day I try to involve my two year old as best as I can. This can include handing me catalogs to label or just sitting in my lap as I fill an order. I feel like this helps him to see me working and playing. I know that at this age he probably doesn't know the difference. But to me, it's building a foundation for things to come. There are many great tips for working at home with little ones. I have found a lot of tips in the Build it Big series of books.
If you're not familiar with these books, they are created by the Direct Selling Women's Alliance, or DSWA. It's a collection of tips and ideas from successful direct selling women. If you're in direct sales you should certainly check that out. Anyways, some of the tips I've learned from books and people are these:
- Create a space for your business so that your child can really tell when you are working and when you are not.
- Have special phone toys that you keep in your office (or space;my office is more like a nook)and pull these toys out when you need to log some serious phone or even computer time.
*I like the children's laptops by Vtech. I set it up next to my own desk
so he feels like he's doing something too. He's also learning from those
toys.
- Give rewards for good behavior during mommy's work time, fruit snacks work for my son...sort of.
- Most of all, and this is one I struggle with, make their time really their time. Try not to constantly check you email or phone for new business messages (or even facebook). Even babies know when your really paying attention to them. AND this is the tip that leads us back to balance...
Can you really balance it all? I believe no. And that's ok. To me, this business is all about priorities and not so much the "balance"...