My Grandma's Teacups

You  may be wondering why I am writing this series of posts on focusing on ourselves. Well I think it falls under the old adage of:


And it's true right? If we don't feel well, or are having a rough day it sets the tone for the entire house.

My husband tends to be the stern one in our household but if I get grumpy the kids know it's a big deal. It means they crossed some magical invisible line and they are quick to reassemble on the other side.

The purpose of these posts are in fact just to help us focus on little things that we can do to make sure our cup is just that much more full? fuller??

Transitioning from summer activities to the business of fall can be very stressful and added to that the beginning of shorter days and dreary skies it important to be extra kind to yourself (and everyone else if at all possible.) My plan is to share small things that we can do to boost our self esteem and overall demeanor.

It would be wonderful if we could all just go check ourselves in for a day of pampering at St. Anne's Spa. Realistically I doubt many of us have the time or the funds for such royal treatment.

So here is my quick tip for the day: Find a really great deodorant.

Seriously. You would not believe the difference you will have in your day if you find the right deodorant. There is nothing as distracting as wondering if you smell sweaty. These days it politically incorrect to douse ourselves in perfume so our deodorants need to be that much more dependable. I have tried the rollie type that go on wet and smell nice but make you feel like you need  to flap like a bird for the first half hour its on. I have tried the spray ons that I find don't last. I have used the clear gels that feel like I have jello under my arms and I have tried the white bars that I like but find that I am using them a few times during the day. Which I may add is strange because I don't usually work very hard and don't sweat much :)

My latest Buzzkit was from Secret.

 I use secret anyway so this was a good gig for me. It was for their new clinical strength deodorant. I don't get paid for sharing my opinion...which is just wrong....but that is for another day....I received a trial size sample. Guess what. The stuff really works. I used it this weekend. As you know I have been ill for the past few weeks and this weekend I knew I was staying home in y comfy clothes. I put it on after my shower Saturday and it was still working when I decided to get dressed Sunday afternoon. (Don't judge me...lol). Usually I would have reapplied my deodorant several times in that much time. I have a phobia of smelling sweaty. So if you are looking for a quick boost to your overall feeling of well being, I would suggest trying Secret Clinical Strength...I used the solid so I don't know about the gel one.



Find the little things that will help you feel your best....and be a good friend and share them with us.

Another Pinterest inspired post I know, but have you seen the cute ideas for teacher's gifts? There is still time to whip up these super cute gifts to thank your child's teacher for helping your child learn and grow. These gifts are really easy, super cheap but big on the Wow factor sure to make any teacher feel appreciated.







Crayon Candy Dish by Two Sisters Crafting

We all have those special men in our lives that require a card at Father's Day. Though our macaroni necklaces may have seemed cute when we were 5, there may be more appropriate tokens of affection for those of us that have grown up.

Here is my list of inspiring Father's Day cards from around the web. Be sure to click the links to get all the how-to info directly from the creators themselves.




Father's Day Train Card by Barb Mann

























Retro Cars by Marian













Gone Fishin by Nelia
























Cricut Card


















I hope this roundup gave you some ideas for all the father figures in your life. If like me, your father's day message needs special delivery to get to its recipient....here is a little inspiration for your heaven sent wishes.

I am so excited about my upcoming birthday. Did you get your invitation? Please be sure to RSVP.  Facebook Party Event

So I have been scouring Pinterest looking for an amazing cake to be the centrepiece of my birthday tea party and I fell in love with this one.

I have decided to hold my 40th birthday extravaganza online and you are invited to join me.

The theme for the party is a sort of Shabby Chic Mad Hatter Tea Party. Pull out your old fascinator from the Royal Wedding Celebrations a few years back. Dust off your boa and find your white gloves.

The party will be held February 9th, 2015 from 10-2. Please get some of your friends together for tea and take photos to share on the party page. I will be posting recipes, tutorials and pictures so that you can make the items from the party. I would LOVE to see you there. The hashtag for the event will be #40yearsofawesome and the FB link is https://www.facebook.com/events/898342846872622 Please RSVP so that I have an idea of how many people will be there.

We will be having some games and prizes too!

Hello friends! My goodness how time gets away from me.  I had so many post ideas floating around in my head that I thought that I had actually posted them. This my fellow bloggers is why we are supposed to use editorial calendars right!
As you might already know I have been super busy getting my new studio space organized. The abrupt way in which I was forced to move into the space before Hubby had been able to finish it was a bit of a challenge for me (we will call it the flood of 2013). Now that I am cozily situated in the new space I am in love.  I thank my wonderful facebook pals for choosing such a wonderful cheery colour for me. The room is not 100% finished and so Hubbs was reluctant for me to post pictures but with this disclaimer that the room still needs trim and a bit of paint...a few ceiling tiles...a couple shelves and some artwork...he is agreeing for me to show just you...(my closest friends) my incredible new space. First I want you to see what he started with. Please keep in mind that we fostered some rather active children in the last decade.

Special shoutout to my awesome friends in our new scrapbook club! I have not laughed so hard in a very long time.

Visit Susan and Tristan  Susan's Dog Treats

My name is Trisha Burns and I started to sell Epicure products almost a year ago now as a way to earn extra income outside of my full time career as a Registered Veterinary Technician. I live with my husband and our 3 pets but are hoping to add to our family soon. I enjoy doing home tasting parties because I get to meet new people and spoil my hostesses!

I love that Epicure products are healthy for you by giving a low/no sodium, gluten and nut free alternative to store bought products. Epicure products allow me to be creative in cooking as all the products have so many uses.

We have several gift bundles available for gift giving this holiday season. The most popular by far is the Extraordinary Cheese Dip Collection with our baker (comes in white or aubergine). Our second most popular gift collection is our BLT dip that comes with a mini baker. I also offer Epicure gift certificates (must be redeemed through me to be valid).

My personal favorite items currently are the Chives and Bacon dip mix and the Onion Bacon Cheese ball. We use the Cheese Chive and Bacon mix in our eggs every morning. It also goes well on vegetables or made up as a dip for veggies or chips. The cheese ball is great as a cheeseball on crackers. I have it everyday as a snack!

Please feel free to contact me for any further details about any of our great products or cookware. I can be contacted through my website http://trishaburns.myepicure.com/ or find me on Facebook at Trisha Burns Independent Epicure Consultant. Make sure to like me on Facebook as I post our new specials and recipes. I currently am running a 12 days of Christmas sale offering gifts with purchases.

As you know I love all things vintage and rarely do I fall in love with something this cute and trendy. It does have the vintage vibe since it is an apron...but let me tell you...these are certainly not your Grandma's apron. Not mine anyway. They are so cute you will want to get one for all the women on your Christmas List. Emmanuella is a true artist with her sewing designs.

One of the best parts of Christmas is the time spent with friends and family. Sometimes though, once the New Year rolls around we get wrapped back up in our little cocoons and don't seem to find the time to be social. That is the very reason I love this next gift. Not only is it very trendy right now because of its appearance on TV but also because it is a good hook to remind your friends and family to reconnect with you in the New Year. Imagine this if you will, your sister opens her lovely gift from Steeped Tea on Christmas and is thrilled by the thoughtful collection of teas and accessories. Here is the plus, when she puts the gift away when the tree comes down she is going to think of you. I see lots of post Christmas bonding opportunities with this product. Aside from the warm and fuzzy aspect of the gift it is truly an ideal gift for almost anyone on your list. Spend some time perusing Kareen's website and discover all the wonderful products her company has to offer. If you happen to host a Tea Party in the new year, give me a call...you know I have my own Tea Cup! Better still I think I will see if Kareen is camera shy and we can post a Tea Party from my studio!

Wow, Christmas gift lists are daunting aren't they? I have been trying to cover all the possibilities for people not only on my list, but your's as well. This is probably the third Christmas out of the last 15 that I have not had an infant or toddler to put gifts under the tree for.  I know it is cute and sweet to load up on every cute baby toy around but honestly, they just don't get enough use. The baby can only use so many toys at once and they outgrow them so fast, you barely get the protective wrapping off it and they are moving up to more advanced toys. I suggest making a cute basket of baby products. The parents will appreciate the relief for their budget and baby will be just as happy with the box anyway. Fill the basket with age appropriate treats like organic baby food, baby cookies and tub time products...if you really feel the urge to include a toy...a rubber ducky is always in style. Check out my friend Deborah's product line from Arbonne for all your baby care products. While you are at it, make sure to check out the full catalogue to cross off the last few gifts and stocking stuffers on your list.

Deborah Tang: Arbonne

Past life: army reservist in an armoured regiment out west (four years), computer engineer in the public service (12 years)

Present: stay at home mom of four selling Arbonne

WHO AM I

I'm a new stay at home mom with four kids, and I say that because I've always gone back to work to my computer-electrical engineer in the federal government after each year of mat leave. However we are a military family and with four kids we decided to move the whole family together for this posting. I've also come to terms with all the things moms have to do all day and all night around the house, including shuttling kids to karate, swimming, and kumon etc. Fortunately I am their piano teacher!

WHY ARBONNE

The whole reason I got into beauty and cosmetics is that I don't sleep well with the four kids, and I needed something to take care of myself and hide the bags under my eyes! As well it's never too early to start thinking about anti-aging! Arbonne has the BEST vegan-certified, swiss formulated, botanically based products, made in the USA and sold exclusively by passionate Independent Consultants. We have what people are looking for with over 450 items in our catalog from skincare, bath and body, baby care to vegan protein shakes and vitamins and even shaving products for men! I LOVE to tell people about Arbonne because we are pure, safe and beneficial - no parabens, no SLS and no mineral oil.

I'm an Engineer with a Masters Degree in Physics and a music background, but I am a woman and I choose to buy the best and most prestigious products for myself and my kids. Sometimes people take a double take, like wow you're a rocket scientist, so why are you selling lipstick? Well that's exactly it, I DECIDED to take time away from my work regular work to be with my family and this is the perfect home business I can do on my own terms. It's like bring your kids to work day everyday!

The perks, wow imagine a job where I can claim my beauty products as business expenses and get a good discount. I also do mobile spa presentations, trade shows, online sales, deliveries and business meetings and recruitment interviews.

My top five favorites
1) ABC Arbonne Baby Hair and Body Wash - the first ingredient is water! Arbonne is SLS free and I really care about what I put on my kids skin, botanically based
2) Sea Source Hair Masque - keeps my hair soft and strong, like a conditioner but you keep it in longer before washing it out. I love the natural fragrance of sea botanicals especially the 24 re-mineralizing lotion
3) It's a Long Story mascara - I never wore mascara before I started selling it and now I love it. The formula helps lashes grow longer too, I feel it
4) RE9 Intensive Renewal Serum - vitamin and antioxidant rich, sea algae extract, apply before the day or night moisturizer
5)FC5 day cream with spf 20- I love the fragrance of five fruit cell technology - kiwi, strawberry, carrot, pumpkin and mango. mineral based spf
6) I love the vegan protein shakes, chocolate and vanilla. A great start to my day full of vitamins as well

Best Christmas gifts
1) Majestic Makeup Palette - for the perfect day to night look with all the colours you need
2) Sea Source Line - ocean botanicals
3) RE9 Corrective Eye Cream

One of my goals for this Christmas series was to try to use our collective purchasing power to pass the message to marketing companies and stores that we as consumers care about the products we buy. We want to support local businesses and companies that are working to improve the world we live in. Christmas is not about the gifts and packaging, it's about remembering to connect with those around us, to try to make life a bit brighter, a bit more loving. Christmas is about the calling that each of us what given at the birth of an infant, in a stable in Bethlehem more than 2000 years ago. So maybe we are only able to buy a few gifts this year. Thats ok. Think about ways to use those purchases to make a difference.

This company is one that I have just recently learned about. I have seen allot of discussion about it online lately, but as I researched it myself for this post I was very struck by the mission statement of Younique.

FEEL BEAUTIFUL.  LOOK BEAUTIFUL.  BE BEAUTIFUL.  INSIDE AND OUT!

This is a company that I can support. By empowering women we can change the world. That to me does not mean women should become like men, rather I think empowering women to know that they can be women and change the world is a great mission. Put these products on your list any of your female loved ones.


Younique launched in the US last November and has been on the rise since then! In fact, this month we have had over a million dollars in sales. Not bad for a company that's only a year old. They launched in Canada in June and have plans to launch in the UK & Australia in early 2014. They offer naturally based mineral cosmetics that are cruelty free and vegan friendly! Younique is one of very few cosmetics companies that actually lists all their ingredients. The products are amazing and the opportunity is incredible. They are the first direct sales company to rely heavily on social media for promoting and selling the products and our virtual parties are changing the way 'home' parties are done! To get started it is only $99(US)/$119(Cdn)

Our 3D Lashes have everyone talking! The results of extensions/false eyelashes without the risk or the high price! Why not take advantage of everyone wanting to get them?

Regal has always been on my family's Christmas shopping list. Even as a kid I remember my Mom ordering cards and wrapping paper, bows and novelty items. Do you have someone on your list that gets a kick out of the unusual? I have a few of those lingering on my list. Have a look at Regal's online catalogue.
They have so many cute ideas you will have a hard time deciding which are you favourites. I was thinking this would be cute for my "Handyman" around here. Shhhh don't tell him.

Do you know that with all the people that sell Regal in this country I had a hard time tracking down a rep. They must all be running around trying to get those Christmas orders in. I had nearly given up hope of including regal in Gift List..or my shopping for that matter, when fate put me right beside Bonnie at craft sale last week.  Let me introduce you to my new friend Bonnie.

Bonnie Staniforth: Regal Independent Representative
Im a single mom with 3 children..2 boys and a girl..all a handful.I decided to become a  Regal representative because I can set my own schedule and put in as many hours as I want. I love that it does not take time away from my children. I love selling  Regal products because they are amazing and even sometimes bizarre. They have many products that I had not even heard of before signing up with Regal, but would love to try.


My top 3 suggestions for gifts would be: Flashlights buddies...they are so cute.
 
Visit Bonnie: Regal or on Facebook Avon and Regal by Bonnie

In September I was at a craft show at the Royal Canadian Legion in Belleville and across the hall from me there was a vendor with the yummiest looking display. From where I was located I could not quite make out what they were selling but it certainly looked good. Around lunch time I decided to go look. The vendor was selling a product that I had never heard of called Sunset Gourmet.  Lemme tell you the mixes and kits that they had were mind boggling. When I was starting to do the research for this series I knew that I needed to include this particular company. You could actually do all your Christmas shopping for grown ups right here. Seriously, check out some of the mouth watering treats.



Luckily a lady that lives not to far from me actually sells Sunset Gourmet, so I asked her to represent the company for my series. (See how much I love you...I hooked you up with the goods.)

Sunset Gourmet products offer convenience, affordable foods, gourmet flavors, and simple meal ideas. Incredible ideas for everyday meals and gourmet gatherings.

Nothing beats a personalized gift for that hard to buy for someone. Last year I decided to give glass etching a whirl and decided Christmas was the perfect time to try something new. Well, I was wrong. I made so many flubs on my gifts that I could have paid to have them professionally done three times over. Though I love to dabble in many types of arts and crafts, I have firmly decided that glass etching was a one time event. When I am in need of some personalized glassware for a gift Carrie is on my call list. Her beautiful designs will make you glad that this is one DIY job that you wont have to do yourself.

I am a mother to two beautiful little girls who are 1 and 3. They are the reason I started my business. As my maternity leave ended we realized me going back to work wasn't right for our family. I have tried a few direct sales businesses but didn't enjoy them as much as I do making my own items. My girls keep me fairly busy but on my down time I enjoy doing crafty things to keep busy.

My husband and I have been together for 11 years, married for 2. My family are great supporters in me starting my own business and offer great encouragement. Our plan is for me to be a stay at home mom as long as I can.

Although I am a regal and avon rep, my home business Mommies Craft Boutique is my main focus. I have many ideas of new handmade items to come. I welcome custom orders and requests. Although my main items are focused around girls I am looking to expand and offer items for boys as well.

I started making hair bows and tutus for my girls as something to do. From there I decided to offer my items for sale and started my business. I am happy to say the response I got was great.


Contact me today to place an order or visit
www.facebook.com/mommiescraftboutique

Christmas Gift Ideas Series

Just today I was on Twitter and someone said "Time to stop counting the months, we are down to weeks until Christmas". Weeks! Honestly I have not even started my Christmas shopping. I do however know what I am intending to buy for most of the folks on my list. This year I am trying to purchase the bulk of my gifts from independent business owners. Walmart gets the majority of my business all year so its only fair that I try to support small business with these year end purchases. I have some really fabulous small business owners that I am going to share with you. You can do your Christmas shopping in your jammies this year. The great part about this is that these ladies are so incredible you are going to want to continue doing business with them year round. Grab a cup of tea and let me introduce you to your new best friends.

Do you ever have a Monday morning where you open your email and find something that puts a smile on your face immediately? I did today. I received an email about this really cute video put out by a pediatrician (Dr. Jay Gordon, FAAP) to encourage kids to eat there fruit and veggies. Why does that make me smile? You have to watch the preview. My little man is off at jk today but i can't wait to show him this.  I know he will be chomping away with the other cuties.  I haven't seen the full movie yet but I can't wait to get my hands on it.  I thought I would share the preview with you so that you could check it out with me.  These little veggie eaters have almost inspired me to go grab a chunk of broccoli....almost....but I am sure my kidlet will take less convincing.