Project Dream Goes to Nashville

Last month (and beginning of this month) we traveled to Nashville for a week for the Shaklee Global Conference and were so happy to meet up with my Project Dream International Team! Project Dream is a group (team) of women who blog and market Shaklee products via our blogs. We're like family. I love these women, as I know you've heard me say before.

Directly following the convention I was so pumped about new endeavors that I promptly went on hiatus from here. :( So lame. Just as I was ready to get back to blogging (after a week break), I realized that my time limit to take the Certified Personal Trainer exam was in 11 days. I made the decision to pause from the blog and study my butt off and I don't really regret it, but I DO MISS blogging and interacting with y'all!!!

So I'm back now and I'm going to start off nice and easy with a little eye candy... feast your eyes on ... ME! j/k... sorta. Here are some of the absolutely gorgeous photos taken by Samantha Byers Photography in Nashville. This is only a tiny fraction of Project Dream, but it gives you a nice idea of how awesome we are.

(If you are every curious about PDI, go to our site and come to one of our Thursday night webinars. We love meeting fellow moms and bloggers! www.projectdreamintl.com)

 

Second from the left is Jaima from Ring Around the Rosies. She is a beautiful person and was so nice to have all of us over to her home to take pictures with a gorgeous Nashville backdrop and her husband prepped everything while she was at the conference, including finding a caterer for some Southern cooking. :)

This last picture is of all the PDI women, plus some friends and family, including Jacqui McCoy who you may know from Extreme Weight Loss or the Shaklee 180 site. Jacqui and her mom joined us for the night and they were so sweet and great/motivated business women to add to our team meeting.

Register now for our next webinar (held every Thursday) to learn more about PDI and find out if this amazing team of bloggers may be just what you have been wishing for. :)

Holt International: Child Sponsorship {Charity Sunday}

Someday soon I'll tell you a little story about how Kent and I became foster-parents, but first I want to tell you about another charitable act that I love: Holt International Child Sponsorship. We were first introduced to Holt at a concert about 2 years ago. They had tables lined up with pictures of children, who live all over the world, and need donations to provide for food, clothes, and a home. I was instantly drawn to a little girl named Lucille.

As a Catholic I was confirmed into the Catholic Church taking the name of a Saint. I chose my childhood favorite: Saint Lucy. Something about Lucy's story of courage moved me as a child and really stuck with me. This child, Lucille, from the Philippines seemed like a great way to honor my faith as an adult.

Of course you don't have to be Catholic to love Holt International! In fact, I'm pretty sure Holt isn't with any particular denomination- they're just Christian. James 1:27

You can choose a child from Holt's sponsorship page here. I know it might seem a little funny to be choosing the "golden" child, but it really keeps you interested. Every few months or so we receive updates on Lucille's health. Unfortunately, she has some very serious issues and will likely not be adopted. But the child you choose could be, so you can continue to choose new children over the years. One speaker at the concert even talked about how they sponsored a child for a while until they eventually felt a calling to adopt the child themselves, so they started the adoption process. Woah!

via Holt

You don't have to go that far, but you can help. We put Lucille's picture on our fridge. We sent her a card on her birthday, we tell our son that we are helping this child (planting seeds), and we pray for her. As our son gets older and we have more children, I hope to continue with this charity and teach my kids that these sponsored children are spiritual siblings in a way. I want my kids to learn how to pray for them and care about these children that they don't really know. Call it stepping blocks to a faith-filled life.

Since I know $30/month can be hard for many of us, I'd like to also mention Holt's Gift of Hope program. This can be a great program to teach kids how to save money for a goal. Oh that's hard! With a gift of hope, your family can work to save money year-round, pick out a gift together, and then celebrate the purchase together once enough money is saved. Having a goal to work towards may be more intriguing for some kids. :)

via Holt

Whether you donate with Holt or research to find someone else, I hope this gets you thinking of great charitable activities that you can be doing with your children, even as young as 1 and 2yo.

Happy Sunday!

My Story: How I Monetized My Blog {Part Two} + MacBook Pro Giveaway

Last Monday I told you a little history about myself and how I became a professional blogger. I also mentioned at the end that I, of course, still need to make money to pay bills :)

Enter Project Dream International - I was first introduced to PDI by another blogger who I had been following for about a year. I read all about how she was building her own business by blogging. I was very curious!

Have you ever thought about doing affiliate marketing on your blog? Or adsense? Or reviewing products? Those are all ways that bloggers can monetize their blog and you'll hear tons about them at events like BlogHer and Bloggy Bootcamp, but what I've learned in the past year is that there is a better way to monetize that isn't talked about much.

Moms everywhere are opening up Etsy shops and investing in supplies to craft their jewelry, purses, prints, etc. Well, there is another group of entrepreneur moms who are also building their own businesses! That's what Project Dream International is- we're a group of women building our WAHM businesses together. :)

I don't know where you are in your life and career. Maybe you absolutely love your job and your blog is already making lots of money! But if that doesn't quite describe you and you want something to help you reach your dreams (vacation, college tuition, home renovation, etc.), you need to check out Project Dream.

Prior to partnering with Project Dream International, I was feeling very trapped in my 9-5, cubicle job. I thought I had reached my dreams, but was beginning to realize that I wanted more from life. I had also started blogging, but wasn't making much money on affiliate marketing and sponsorships. Project Dream trained me, helped me build my blog, and gave me real tools to make my new dreams a reality. Following my 4th layoff I didn't have to worry because I knew I had my blog and business to rely on. It has made all the difference in my life. Now I am a part of a community of amazing women who will forever be family to me! :)

If you would like to learn more about Project Dream International, go to our site here and sign up to receive the free webinar that explains even more about how we are making money blogging! :) And you are always welcome to message me with any questions. I see so many women with great blogs or obvious potential- they just need a little training and support. I love being able to help others learn how to make money through blogging!

P.S. Now that you are ready to get serious about blogging, you might want some good equipment! :) I'm a part of a really great giveaway going on at Pretty My Party for an Apple Macbook Pro! See the details below and enter to win!!! Good luck!

Rules: Giveaway is open worldwide to all participants age 18 and older. If the winner resides outside of the U.S. they are required to pay shipping. Everyone entering the giveaway is required to like and follow every business and blog participating. You will be disqualified from winning the prize if your name is chosen and you did not follow everyone on the entry form list. Giveaway is open until July 29, 2013 at 12 a.m. EST. One winner will be chosen randomly through Rafflecopter. The winner will be notified by email by hello@prettymyparty.com. Please make sure that email is on your safe email list and doesn’t end up in your spam folder. The winner will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. The winner will be announced on Pretty My Party on Aug. 1, 2013.
Disclosure: This giveaway is in no way associated with Apple or any of its products. Pretty My Party and those bloggers and businesses listed above receive no compensation to promote Apple products, including the Macbook Pro.

Prize: 13.3-inch MacBook Pro (model MD101LL/A)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

My Story: Becoming a Professional Blogger {Part One}

Oh yeah! I'm officially a full-time, professional blogger. You are my #o-uno work related care in the world. I love it!

My senior year of high school I had to make that dreaded decision- which college to accept?
It was College of Charleston (CofC) vs. Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) and I was torn in half. Short story- I chose CofC. CofC meant that I would be getting a Business degree with a minor in Political Science. I knew that from the moment I accepted. So my dreams of living a creative life, designing furniture, painting, and decorating were put to the side with SCAD. And I was okay with that and still stand by that decision, but it had its effects. Still, it was just another part of the process, the plan, life.

via (<- fantastic lifestyle blog, btw)

Fast forward to senior year of college, when I was first introduced to the Charleston Aerospace and Defense Industry. My eyes twinkled and heart skipped a beat- this is where I was meant to be. I was enamored with everything this industry had to offer from the smallest contract to the idea of working at the Pentagon.

As a senior with limited extra curricular activities besides wasting 4 years on a stupid boyfriend and an equally dull GPA, I was willing to work at the bottom of the bottom to prove my worthiness. I'm not a traditional-test-taking type of gal. I fail multiple choice every time. But give me a computer and some random new software everyone else is taking classes to learn- I'll be testing (applied knowledge tests) as an expert in an hour or two. I always knew I could prove myself, if I could just get my foot in the door.

So I set out on my job hunt before graduation. I knew every defense contracting company in a 30mi radius of Charleston. I even attempted to go door-to-door with my resume, which is near impossible since you can't get into most offices without badges and can only talk to the receptionist in the others. I joined all the defense related clubs and networked like there was no tomorrow.

Still, no dice. I broke down in August 2008 (3 months after graduation) and took a job as an assistant at an insurance agency. Gag me. It was awful, but it was something!

Lay-off One

Then in February 2009 I was laid-off a few days before Valentine's Day and my birthday. Either me or the office manager had to go and since she was the boss' girlfriend, I lost. ha.

After the most miserable 6 months of my life on unemployment, I got a job hostessing part-time for the restaurant that was going to cater our wedding.

So there I was hostessing downtown just 2 weeks before my impending nuptials. I don't think Kent and I brought home even $500/month between us. I was still applying to at least 10 defense jobs per week, calling anyone's number I could get, and attending all the networking events I could find. I was not the most scholarly candidate and these companies get to pick from the best!

Finally my break- September 2009- I overheard a diner talking about a company that I had just applied to that morning and I told his waiter to make him pay upfront. {so sneaky!}
I hurried to seat a table and ran back and took a chance, asking him if he worked for that company. He replied no and I was momentarily crushed. When I explained why I asked, he said the most amazing words I'll never forget... "Oh well you don't want to work for them! You want to work for Lockheed Martin!"

HOLY CRAPOLA!!! I had never even applied to a job at Lockheed. LM is the #1 defense contractor in the world. They get the top pickings of the world. I was in heaven.

We exchanged information and I literally jumped up and down through the restaurant squeeling. LOL. It just felt like such a break and like somehow this was my moment.

And it was, but it took a while. Contracts are up and down and it's a complicated industry to be a part of. So after much patience, I finally began working at my dream job in April 2010.

I loved working for Lockheed Martin. The Charleston office felt like a small, family business while still having all the perks of being a part of a large company.

Lay-off Two

But like I said- contracts are up and down and our project ended up with a different company a year and a half later. I was laid-off for the 2nd time. So to the new company I went. :( Thankfully still working on the same project with the same people.

Lay-off Three

From there it was pretty downhill. That project ended and I was essentially laid-off again. I found another project to work on (under the same company), but that went very downhill.

Lay-off Four

One day you're rearranging your life to travel for the project on no notice and the next minute you're being laid-off because the customer (i.e., the government) has changed the goals and you aren't needed now. This was by far the worst lay-off. It broke my heart. I'm not going to go into all of that though. So if you are counting... That makes 4 lay-offs in 4 years, or 3 in 2 years.

via

I was done! Cooked! Crispy! Turn me over! Put a fork in me! Ain't ever going back!

So in May of this year, I found myself back to where I was as a high school senior- Do I choose business or creativity? Thankfully, I'm choosing both this time around. I've postponed looking for a new job, partly because I don't even know what to do now.

I had a dream in college to work in IT (computers) for a big defense contractor and I was so blessed to have made that come true at such a young age. But now I have to let go of that dream and start building new ones.

Go confidently in the direction of your dreams,

 live the life you've imagined.

- Henry David Thoreau

I'm choosing to do that with you. My blog readers. I love blogging because I get to network with so many different types of women and build my Shaklee business by helping families become healthier. Win! I'm able to spend more time with my boys and I even have time to workout now. This is what I've been yearning to do for the last year, but had been SO afraid of taking the plunge. As much as the last lay-off broke my heart, I know God is the one who orchestrated it. He knew I was too afraid so He gave me a BIG push!

I'll be back next Monday with Part Two: How I Monetized My Blog. This new dream I'm working on is amazing and I'm loving every minute of it, but it still comes with bills. :)

Now I really want to know- What is your dream? Have you ever reached a dream and then had to move on?

You Can't Airbrush Self Love

Today's post is very near and dear to my heart face. You can't airbrush self love. And that goes 2 ways... You can't airbrush yourself so much that you suddenly love the way you look (not really) and you can't airbrush away self love if you truly do have it. I touchup my pictures in Picmonkey and I feel no shame for it! I can get rid of the bags under my eyes, smooth out my skin, and brighten my hair in seconds! Still, there are two flaws pointed out to me by two not-so-smooth guys, that I can never/will never get rid of. Want a laugh? Read on!

"You Got the Thing On Your Nose Fixed!"

The first flaw was pointed out to me by an ex-boyfriend just after I had nose surgery for a deviated septum. No matter what celebrities say- surgery for a deviated septum does not change the way your nose looks! That is plastic surgery.

So there I was, finally healed and able to go on a date and the first thing he said was, "You got the thing on your nose fixed!" Um... what? What thing? Apparently, all these years I had actually had a little slant to the tip of my nose. I never knew till that moment and it had, in fact, not been fixed! Jerk, burst my perfect-nose-bubble. LOL.

"EW! What is that!?!?"

The second flaw was so ungracefully pointed out by my husband. Every now and then it comes up and we start laughing all over again.

We were talking one night, when he leaned in and exclaimed, "EW! What is that!?!?" He was pointing to a freckle. He apparently had never noticed it until that moment and was convinced alien poop had landed on my face and that was the correct way to notify me. hahaha. It's just below my left eye, next to my nose. I had never really paid any attention to it before. Naturally, he burst into nervous laughter and apologized a million times. I was not the first victim of him blurting out things, so I knew he meant no harm. But in the end there it was- this giant freckle of a flaw shining bright in the almost-center of my face.

It's not nearly as cute as the mickey mouse freckle I get on my bottom lip in the summer, but you can't cut freckles off so what's a girl to do?

Fast forward a few years, many nights of frustration with makeup, many pictures torn up for showing too many chins, and far too many bad thoughts soaring through my mind on an almost daily basis. There I was sitting on our couch in the most perfect light of the day and I started to wonder what I looked like.

Do you ever look in the mirror and see one (beautiful, glorious) thing and then see a picture of yourself later and want to cry?

I do all the time. So with nothing else to do with this free-time, I decided to start snapping pictures with my phone.

What I found is that the closer I got, the more I liked what I saw. I got goofy with it and took pictures of me fake laughing, smiling big, turning to each side, yawning, etc.  

How does the world see me when I do this _____? 

In the end I feel that I have a new appreciation for myself and my face. So my nose is a little slanted, oh well. And I kind of like that freckle. I kind of like all of my freckles. They make me who I am. I am beautiful.

Go do it! You know you want to. :) Grab your phone and snap some close-ups. You are beautiful.

New Beginnings

Hi there! Welcome. :)

My goal here is to give moms a momentary break from the laundry to take in something beautiful and refreshing.

A few days ago I sat down and asked myself "Why?" and came up with a long list of "I believe..." statements. In order to continue on happily as a mother, a wife, a business owner, a woman, I needed to know my purpose. My why.

Having a list of whys has been very freeing to me. So it's time to start over. To build a new blog full of all the things I love, whether that's a family adventure, a date with my husband, a thought about life, or a new project on our home. The list could go on and on... I look forward to this new beginning and I'm happy to have you along with me!