Amber Jenkins

It's Been A While

2011-04-08T20:39:00.000-07:00

Hey All just wanted to let you all know that we had our baby on Jan 26th which is why I haven't been on in a while to blog. I'm back now so tune in for some exciting things coming up!

Why MLM’s DON’T WORK…Long Term

2011-01-17T21:17:00.000-08:00

A wonderful lady I know (Donna Stewart) wrote this article and I just love it! She is an awesome lady full of knowledge and I wanted to share what she had written.

The internet for those who are looking to "work from home" can be a VERY scary place, with all the MLM's and scams out their. My goal is that you will find this information helpful in your search. Enjoy and I hope you decide to follow me, as I really hope to help educated and give free training on how to find what you are looking for in "working from home."

I have had so many people come to me asking me if MLM’s work.

My short answer. No, definitely not long term.

Now, hear me out. I’m not saying Home Businesses don’t work. I’m saying any business that has an MLM business model will not work long term.

Question: Is there an MLM company that started in the USA in the past 30 years, that grew to 300 million in annual sales, and then continued to grow for each of the following 3 years?

Hmmmm? Interestesting question isn’t it. I have yet to find one MLM that meets that criteria.

Why? My theory: MLM’s have a poor business model yet hundreds of new ones pop up every day. (To replace the old ones that have gone under.)Some people will be successful. No question about that. But they are making serious money at the expense of thousands who do not and who will get hurt.

Another Question: If you are currently in an MLM, how many people are you willing to hurt to make money? Some of you may not even realize that you are involved in something that will hurt people and their families financially.

Most leaders that are in MLM companies have come from another and will eventually join another. Again, at the expense of hurting people for their own personal gain.

Now there are some MLM’s that have a product(s) like candles, skin care, Knick Knacks, Kitchen tools etc…and some have great products. However…can you build a long term residual income where you have a customer base that consistently shops month after month?

Then there are MLM’s where it seems just too good. Seriously, you’ve seen the emails and facebook posts right?

GET IN NOW!
SECURE YOUR SPOT!
PRE-LAUNCH
JOIN WHILE IT’S HOT
SEE HOW A 25 YEAR OLD…MADE MILLIONS
ETC…

Enough already! Below I’ve listed “some” MLM companies that are either closed, bankrupt, or on their way out. What MLM is going to be next? It’s just a matter of time. In my humble opinion, the business model does not work long term.

1Network.com
1st Family
1Voice Worldwide
A Better Chance PTY
A1 Internet Service
Accelerated Internet Income Strategies
Acheivers Unlimited
Act II Jewelry – Lady Remington
Active Business Solutions
Adora LLC
AdSavers
Advantage Neutraceuticals
Affordable Luxuries
Albert Konder Collection
AlpineV
AMERICA’S TEAM
American Freeway 100
AmeriKare International
AmeriLat
AmeriTalks
Annasa
ART & SOUL, INC.
Artistic Impressions, Inc
ASN (dba) AMERICAN SHOPPERS NETWORK
Assured Nutrition Plus
ATG TECHNOLOGIES
ATI (dba) ALLIANCE TECHNOLOGY INT’L
ATN
AWARENESS
B & F SYSTEM, INC.
BigSmart
BIMINI ESSENTIALS
Blessed Hope Communications
BODY ELECTRIC
BRIDAL ACCENTS, LTD.
BROAD POINT COMMUNICATIONS
BULLETIN BOARD
Call the Planet ( CTP )
CALLS FOR KIDZ
CAMBRIDGE
CAROLINA FINE COOKIES
CDBN (dba) CONSUMERS DIRECT BUYERS NETWORK
Celestial Harvest
Chantal B – Paris
CharityFirst
Chef Selections
Chef Specialties Company
Cherish Designs
Claudia Jean Collection
Claytime Inc.
ClickIncomes.com
ClubDepot.com
CoffeeFair
COLESCE COUTURE DBA: CAMEO
COOKIE LIFE
CouponsMan
Custom Corner
Cutting Edge Vitamins
CYBERGOLD, INC.
Darswinkle’s Delights
Dashyn Delights
DEBT FREE PUBLISHING, INC. / DBA: DEBT ZAPPER
Denali Health Sciences
DIAMOND CLUB OF AMERICA
DIRECT HOME SHOPPING CLUB (DHSC)
DK FAMILY LEARNING EDUCATIONAL PRODUCTS
Dynasty of Diamonds
E-EXCELL INTERNATIONAL
E-ZINE LIBRARY.COM
EARTH SAFE & WELLNESS TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
EASY MARKETING, INC.
EASY WAY INTERNATIONAL
EMPOWER NET
English Collectables
Entertain with Ease!
ENVION
Environmental Nutrition Network
EonDeck.com
EPIC Network International
ePlanetParadise
ESA-STAR TOUCH INTERNATIONAL
ESSENTIALS BLUE LINE COSMETICS LTD.
Etherea Aromatics
EverydayWealth
Excel Communications
Extreme Research Corp
F.A.I.T.H. Company
FAMILY INTEGRITY BUYLINE, INCL (FIBI)
FAMILY SOLUTION (THE)
Fantasy Inc
FAX BOX NETWORK
Finest Accessories Inc. (The)
FIRST STEP (THE)
FOR YOU, INC.
Fortune21
Fragrant Lemon Peel (the) TFLP
Free Card Matrix
FREE NETWORK (THE)
FREEDOMSTAR COMMUNICATIONS
FuelZone
Fun For Life Club International
FUTURE CITY.COM
FUTURE WORLD
GCMI LONG DISTANCE
Gemcap Equity Management
Geminet
Global Cause
Global Nutrition Network
GLOBAL VILLAGE MARKET
GLOBION
GMT (Get Moving Today)
Gold Entertainment
Golden Neo-Life Diamite International
GOLDEN NEO-LIFE-DIAMITE
GOLDEN NUTRITION
Good Books & Company
Good Nature Company
Great American – The Wholefood Farmacy
GREAT LIFE PRODUCTS
Greeting Cake Company (The)
GULF COAST NUTRITIONAL INC. (dba) NOAH’S ARK
HAND TECHNOLOGIES
HARVEST HOME CANDLES
Harvesting America
HEALTH & NUTRITION NETWORK
HEALTH DYNAMICS RESEARCH
Heart Warming Creations, Inc.
Heart Warming Goodness
HIGHER IDEALS
Highlights-Jigsaw Toy Factory
Holbrook Cottage, Inc
Holiday Magic
Hsin Ten Enterprise USA
I Deal In Travel
I-LINK WORLDWIDE, LLC
IDEA CONCEPTS
IDEAL HEALTH INTERNATIONAL
IDEAL SOLUTIONS INT’L
IDN-NU SKIN INTERNATIONAL
IEXALT FAMILY
IMOGEN CONCEPTS, INC.
INCOMNET COM (SIMPLE2 NET)
INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGIES CORP OF AMERICA
Integrated Synergy
INTELLIGENT NUTRITION SYSTEMS, INC
International Team Works
INTERNET 4 FAMILIES (I4F)
IONX RESOURCE
iPowerBiz
IT’S LIFE
JAPAN LIFE AMERICA CORP.
JET SET LIFE TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Jewel Way
Joielle
JS Homestyle
Just Add Guests
Kanosis
KAREMORE INTERNATIONAL
KASEY’S COUPONS
Kat’s Coffees
KIDZ BOULEVARD
KINETIC RESOURCE INTERNATIONAL
KINGS CHOICE
KINGSWAY, INC.
Kitchen Fair (Regal Ware)
KM.net 1/1/2005
L.E.A.P. (LIFE, EDUCATION & PROSPERITY, INC.)
Ladybug Garden Parties
Laga Designs
LAMETCO
Le Club Prive
LE NATUREL
Let’s Do Tea LLC
Lexli MD, Inc.
LIFE DYNAMICS INTERNATIONAL
LIFE LINK, LTC.
LIFE SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY
LIFE STYLES USA
LifeMist Home Products
LifesMiracle
LifeSpan International
LIFETEK CORPORATION
LIGHTHOUSE AMERICA
Longevity Network
LUXELLE INTERNATIONAL
LYC INTERNATIONAL
Magnus Enterprises
MARK I OF NORTH AMERICA
MARKET PLACE INTERNATIONAL
MARKET TO SUCCESS
MAXXIS 2000
Mayberry America
MIRACLE MAIL.COM
MLM BANNER EXCHANGE
MLM COMMUNITY.COM
MLM SEARCH.COM
MLM World News Today
MOUNTAIN GOURMET
Movie Club Plus
Muscle Dynamics Fitness Network
My Tax Man
N.A.T.A.L.
NANCI CORPORATION
NATIONAL BENEFITS & SERVICES
National Bodycare
NATIONAL CALLING CARD ASSOCIATES
National Companies
NATIONAL SAFETY ASSOCIATES (NSA)
Natural Air Products
NATURAL BODY LINES
Natural Health Trends Corp
Nature’s Gold International
NATURE’S HEALING AROMATHERAPY, INC.
NATURE’S VERY BEST
NATURES BODYCARE
NATURES WEALTH
NaturScience
NetmarkAid
NEURO-HEALTH (BECALM’D)
New Century Life
NEW LIFE TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
New Quest International
NEW RESOLUTION, INC. (NRI)
NSA
NTA (dba) NATIONAL TELECOM ASSOCIATION, INC.
NU BOTANIC INTERNATIONAL
Nutrition For Life
Oasis Lifesciences
OC Rebates
OceanCity Network
October Trading
ONE Group
ONE SOURCE WORLDWIDE NETWORK
ONE WORLD ONLINE
ORIGINAL SOLUTIONS INC.
Our Family Favorites
OXFORD SAVINGS CLUB
P.S. I Love You, Inc
PAINT BOX COMPANY (THE)
Pamper My Baby
Patchwork & Preserves
PetShop.biz
PetsParty
Phoenix Cookes
PixMeUp 1/1/2005
PlantMakers
Platinum Travel Club
Pola USA
Popular Club, Inc.
Power of Nature
PremierNet Plus
PriceNetUSA
Primebuy International
Pro-Ma Systems
PROFIT CENTRAL, INC.
prowealthSOLUTIONS
PTI
Purchase Plus Buyers
PurchasePro
Quiet Place for You
Quorum
R GARDEN INTERNATIONAL
RACHAEL INTERNATIONAL
REAL LIFE SOLUTIONS, INC.
ReferralWare International
RENAISSANCE FOR LIFE
Retire on Spending
RICH PLAN OF FLORIDA
RMC Group, Inc.
ROSEMARIE COLLECTIONS
Savory Naturals
SCRIPTURES
Sea Alive
Seaborne, LLC
SeAcai
SECURE INDEPENDENCE
Self Indulgence
SERENITY
Shades of Color
Shoppers Central
ShrimpUSA
SILVER BUYERS CLUB (THE)
SMART RESPONDER.COM
smartmall.biz
Solutions Immunity Enhancement
Sound Cafe.com
SOUND TRAVELS (div SOUNDS EXCITING)
SOUTHERN HERITAGE, INC.
Southwestern Company (THE)
SPRINGBOARD
SPRINGWELLNESS
STEAK BUYERS CLUB
Stella -n- Dot
Stoxrus
SUNRISE DIRECT
SUPRA/LIFE SOARING EAGLE VENTURES, INC.
Surfing2Cash
Sweet Berry Designs
Sweet Prairie Soap Company
T-Shirts with a Personal Touch
TALISMAN
TapCity
Taste D-Vine
TBN – The Benefits Network
Team Effort International
TEL-A-NATION
TERAFORMA HEALTH
Terra Mezzo
The Furnished Garden
The Topline
Total Life Changes (TLC)
TOTAL SUCCESS SOLUTIONS, INC.
Totally Tropical Interiors
TRADE EXCHANGE NETWORK
Traditions, Inc
TRAFFIC DIRECTORY.COM
Travel Legacy
Travel Promotions International
Travel Reaction
TravelMax International
Travelogia
Treasure Traders International
TRENDMARK INTERNATIONAL
Trilogy International
TruDynamics (Travel Dynamics)
UCS (dba) AMERICANS FOR CONSTITUTIONAL ACTION
UltimateMatch
Uni-Body International
UNIQUE OPPORTUNITIES, INC.
UNITED SUPER ACCOUNT PROGRAM
Universal Lifestyles
US DIAL1
US Health Advisors
USTELETRICITY NETWORK
VIRTUALLY FREE INTERNET
VISION QUEST WORLDWIDE, INC.
Vita Genesis
Vitacube
Vitagenex
VITALITY LABS
VITALITY LIFE CHOICE
VIVA MARKETING
Viva Toxic Free
Viviane Woodward
VOYAGER GROUP, INC. (THE)
WACHTER’S ORGANIC SEA PRODUCTS
WESTERN MARKETING
wfhTravel
WICKER PLUS, LTD.
WORLD GOLF CORP
WORLD NET INTERNATIONAL, INC.
World Wide Alliance Corp (WWA USA)
WORLD WIDE INTERNET MARKETING
WORLD WIDE LINK, INC. (dba) THEWWWLINK
WORLD X CHANGE COMMUNICATIONS
WORLDWIDE
WORLDWIDE NETWORK INCORPORATED (BETA SOURCE)
XPI Online
XtremeHealth Formulas
YOUNGER LIVING, INC.
Your Family First
YourNetPlus.Com
YouthFlow
ZeBlooms
ZENITH 4 THE PLANET

Quite the list isn’t it? Sadly, there are more.

I will be writing a follow up article about “True Residual Income” as well as the MLM “Guru’s” who have created ways to get fellow MLM’ers to purchase their training to help them build their MLM business.

Really?? You’re going to help someone become successful in something that is eventually going to fail? Perhaps they do this to earn more money for themselves and so that they have a list of people to promote the next venture they jump in to?

My personal goal is to educate people on the realities of having a real, lucritive, long term home business and to help to achieve whatever their goals might be.

So what did you think? I always love hearing your feedback, so please leave me a comment down below with questions, thoughts, or feedback. And (yes, here’s my call to action) please share this post with your Twitter and FB friends by clicking on the share buttons below. I totally appreciate it!! Thanks so much for spending time with me here today!

Here's to your Success!

Amber Jenkins

Your Favorite Organic Brands...Take Another Look

2010-12-19T12:56:00.000-08:00

Burt's Bees, Tom's of Maine, Naked Juice:
Your Favorite Brands? Take Another Look

Confident that you are buying good, socially conscious brands?
Find out the real story behind all that marketing money and store visibility.

By Andrea Whitfill
March 17, 2009

My first introduction to natural, organic and eco-friendly products stems back to the early '90s, when I stumbled upon Burt's Bees lip balm at an independently owned health food store in the heart of Westport, Kansas City, Mo.

Before the eyesore invasion of '98, when Starbucks frothed its way into the neighborhood, leading to its ultimate demise, Westport was the kind of 'hood I still yearn for. It was saturated with historically preserved, hip and funky, mom-and-pop-type establishments, delivering their goods people to people.

I was surprised more recently when I saw Burt's Bees products everywhere -- in grocery stores, drug stores, corner bodegas and big-box stores like Target and Wal-Mart. I thought to myself, fantastic; the marketplace is working, and good for Burt. He has made his mark, and the demand for his products is on the rise.

Needless to say, I was shocked when I recently found out that Burt's Bees is now owned by Clorox, a massive corporate company that has historically cared very little about the environment, but whose main industry is directly associated with harmful chemicals, some of which require warning labels for legal sale.

Clorox; yes, that's right -- the bleach company with an estimated revenue of $ 4.8 billion that employs nearly 7,600 workers (now bees) and sells products like Liquid-Plumr, Pine-Sol and Armor All, a far cry from the origins of Burt.

I now understood. The reason Burt's Bees products were everywhere was precisely because they now had a powerful corporation in the driver's seat, with big marketing budgets and existing distribution systems.

The story of Burt is a charming one gone bad. Burt Shavitz, a beekeeper in Dexter, Maine, lived an extremely humble life selling honey in pickle jars from the back of his pickup truck and resided in the wilderness inside a turkey coop without running water or electricity.

In the summer of 1984, Shavitz was driving down the road and spotted a hitchhiker who needed a lift to the post office. He pulled over and picked up Roxanne Quimby, a 34-year-old woman who eventually became Shavitz's lover and business partner. Quimby started helping him tend to the beehives, and that eventually led to the all natural-inspired health care products made with Shavitz's honey and the birth of Burt's Bees products.

Burt's story and very powerful narrative gave Burt's Bees products their legitimacy in my book. Creative entrepreneurs and knowledgeable consumers together working their magic; not the results of a corporate behemoth out to dominate the marketplace.

However, Quimby and Shavitz's relationship became 'sticky' in the late '90s for reasons unclear, yet probably having little to do with honey. Their romantic break up carried over to the split of their business partnership as well. In 1999, Quimby bought out Shavitz's shares of the company for a small six-figure sum. Quimby then continued, becoming phenomenally successfully and growing sales to $43.5 million by 2002.

In 2003, a private equity firm, AEA investors, purchased 80 percent of Burt's Bees from Quimby, with her retaining a 20 percent share and a seat on the board. In 2006, John Replogle, the former general manager of Unilever's skin-care division became CEO and president of Burt's Bees. The company was sold to Clorox in late October 2007 for $925 million.

Quimby was paid more than $300 million for her stake in Burt's Bees. At the time of that deal, Shavitz reportedly demanded more money, and Quimby agreed to pay him $4 million. Quimby now refurbishes fancy, swank homes in Florida, travels the world and buys massive chunks of land in her free time. Our bearded man Shavitz, on the other hand, now 73 and unchanged, continues to reside amidst nature in his now-expanded turkey coop, which still remains absent of electricity or running water.

The Burt's Bees story is disconcerting. I vaguely remembered long ago that one of my favorite ice cream products, Ben & Jerry's, sold out. Unilever (which also owns Breyers), the giant conglomerate with an estimated market cap of $50 billion and close to 174,000 employees, bought Ben & Jerry's in 2000 for $326 million.

I began to wonder about the other products I liked, trusted and respected for their independence and their social responsibility. How many were really owned by big corporations, who were going out of their way to hide the link between the big corporate company with the small, socially responsible brand? It didn't take long for my list of disappointments to grow and grow.

Upon first meeting someone, I can usually tell a quite a lot about them by the contents of their bathroom. The brand I see most often behind medicine cabinets of people I consider to be environmentally conscious is Tom's of Maine. What Tom's says to me about the person is that they are willing to spend a little bit of extra cash in order to take proactive steps to help green the Earth.

Well, no more. My bathroom assessments will never be the same. Tom's of Maine is owned by Colgate-Palmolive, a massive, tanklike company with an estimated 36,000 employees and revenue of approximately $11.4 billion. Its big products include: Ajax, Anbesol and Speedstick.

I am only left to wonder, is Trader Joe's, popularly known to showcase Tom's of Maine in its hygiene department, just as much in the dark about all of this as I have been? Or is Joe's simply another conduit for big corporate products?

As my curiosity grew, I took a little field trip to the grocery store with one of my friends to be a "brand anthropologist." "Let's get to the bottom of this," I said, aiming to check out all of the brands that I and countless other good consumers were buying in our efforts to support grassroots business and not corporate behemoths. Little did I know how deep the hole was going to be, and in some cases, how hard to find out who owns what.

Thinking Dairy

In the dairy section sit many flavors of Stoneyfield Farm Yogurt. I knew its socially conscious CEO, Gary Hirshberg, had created major organic brand recognition to become the No. 1 seller of organic yogurt in the United States, but since then Danone, the French conglomerate (which also owns Brown Cow), acquired a majority holding in Stoneyfield. This is the same Danone that had to recall large quantities of its yogurt in 2007 after it was found to contain unsafe levels of dioxins. (In an interesting twist, the still-active Hirshberg sits on the board of Dannon U.S.A. Unlike most of the early entrepreneurs, who took the dough and left the scene, Hirshberg is still involved. )

Meanwhile, I learned that Horizon Organic milk was bought out by the largest diary company in the U.S., Dean Foods Co., in 2005.

Thirsty? Juices and Water

Next I ventured to the juice section. Drinking Odwalla juices was an expensive habit I had justified for years because of its healthy California brand. The ubiquitous refrigerators in thousands of stores should have given it away that Odwalla wasn't the small company it once was. It is now owned by Coca-Cola. Almost as soon as Coca-Cola bought the company, back in 2001 for $181 million, it stopped selling the fresh-squeezed OJ that had made Odwalla famous and popular among the healthy set. With its massive distribution system, fresh squeezed wouldn't last the days and weeks the juices are in transit or on the shelf.

Not to be outdone (although it took it a while), Pepsi bought Naked Juice in 2006 for $450 million, in order to compete with Odwalla. Smuckers, the brand we are told is the "brand we can trust", grabbed several juice mainstays from the health food store shelves: After the fall -- R.W. Knudsen and Santa Cruz Organic.

Turns out that Coca-Cola also owns Glaceau, the company once known for its "fresh new approach to bottled water that is inspired by nature and enhanced by science." Glaceau is the maker of Vitamin Water, Fruit Water, Smart Water and Vitamin Energy -- all bottled waters that are adorably marketed and loaded with sugar. It's no wonder Coca-Cola was slapped with a lawsuit in 2006 for making deceptive and unsubstantiated health claims in its Vitamin Water marketing strategies; they are selling glorified sugar water.

As for bottled water, egads! That's a whole article in and of itself. The scourge of bottled water, of course, is an environmental disaster on many levels, as corporations have moved in to take control of water local supplies, while some of the same companies and their mega advertising budgets have created a giant market for bottled water, with enormous waste from plastic bottles and giant carbon foot prints as water is shipped over many thousands of miles from Fiji for example, or Italy, when pretty much no bottled water is needed. Frequently, tap water is of higher quality and more closely tested than bottled water.

And as Michael Blanding notes on AlterNet, "In fact, many times bottled water is tap water. Contrary to the image of water flowing from pristine mountain springs, more than a quarter of bottled water actually comes from municipal water supplies. The industry is dominated by three companies, who together control more than half the market: Coca-Cola, which produces Dasani; Pepsi, which produces Aquafina; and Nestle, which produces several "local" brands, including Poland Spring, Arrowhead, Deer Park, Ozarka and Calistoga. Both Coke and Pepsi exclusively use tap water for their sources, while Nestle uses tap water in some brands.

The Breakfast Nook

Over in the breakfast aisle, my friend was a bit apoplectic when we learned that the "super healthy" Kashi cereals, the favorites of millions of healthy breakfast eaters, was bought in July 2000 for an "undisclosed sum" by Kellogg's, the 12th-largest company in North American food sales, according to Food Processing. I picked up a box of Kashi's "Go Lean Crunch" and searched every word; not one mention of the fact that Kellogg's owns them. That change was rally below the radar. In 2004, Kraft Foods, known for processed cheeses and Kool-Aid, bought the natural cereal maker Back to Nature. Kraft is a subsidiary of Altria, which also owns Philip Morris USA, one of the world's largest producers of cigarettes.

According to the New York Times, "Many of the alternative cereal brands are owned by larger companies, including Kellogg and General Mills."

"Cereals, like milk, are one of the primary entrance points for use of organics," said Lara Christenson of Spins, a market research group for the natural products industry, "which is pretty closely tied to children -- health concerns, keeping pesticides, especially antibiotics, out of the diets of children. These large firms wanted to get a foothold in the natural and organic marketplace. Because of the mind-set of consumers, branding of these products has to be very different than traditional cereals."

These corporate connections are often kept quiet. "There is frequently a backlash when a big cereal package-goods company buys a natural or organic company," Christenson said. "I don't want to say it's manipulative, but consumers are led to believe these brands are pure, natural or organic brands. It's very purposely done."

A little more digging shows that General Mills owns Cascadian Farm; Barbara's Bakery is owned by Weetabix, the leading British cereal company, which is owned by a private investment firm in England; Mother's makes it clear that it is owned by Quaker Oats (which is owned by PepsiCo); Health Valley and Arrowhead Mills are owned by Hain Celestial Group, a natural food company traded on the NASDAQ, with H.J. Heinz owning 16 percent of that company.

The Sweet Tooth

After the Kashi news, I wondered what was next? I didn't have to go any further than the organic chocolate aisle of my favorite deli to find Green and Black's organic chocolate was taken over in 2005 by Schweppes, the 10th-largest company in North American packaged-food sales. And even more surprising to chocolate lovers is that Dagoba Chocolate, which had a little cult chocolate following for a while, is surprise, surprise, owned by Hershey Foods.

There seems to be an apt analogy between the huge growth in the "naturalization" of packaged goods in grocery stores and supermarket aisles and the massive transformation of organic fresh foods. Organic farming began as a grassroots movement to produce food that was healthier and better for the land. But it is now a huge, $20 billion industry, increasingly dominated by large agribusiness companies. Furthermore, when the government certifies food as "organic," it has nothing to do with the original values of locally grown produce, workers being treated fairly, etc.

So it may cheer some to know that on the East Coast, McDonald's has served fair-trade-certified Newman's Own organic coffee in stores, while others may cringe at the words of Lee Scott, former CEO of WalMart, when he said, "We are particularly excited about organic food, the fastest-growing category in all of food."

"What's important to keep in mind is that these big corporations are getting into organics not because they have doubts about their prior business practices or doubts about chemical, industrial agriculture," said Ronnie Cummins, national director of the Organic Consumers Association. "They're getting in because they want to make a lot of money -- they want to make it fast." He said the companies couldn't care less about "family farmers making the transition to organic farms."

What does this all mean? One conclusion it is easy to come to is that big food companies and the stores and supermarkets that deliver their goods have stretched and abused descriptions of food until they are sometimes almost meaningless, and consumers believe that they are getting more benefits than they actually are. Consumers "walk down the aisle in the grocery stores' health and beauty area, and they're confronted with 'natural' at every turn," says Daniel Fabricant, vice president for scientific and regulatory affairs at the Natural Products Association. "We just don't want to see the term misused any longer."

On the other hand, Roger Cowe, a financial commentator states: "If you want to change what people consume on a grand scale, you have to penetrate mass markets. And you can't do that if you're a small, specialist brand stuck in the organic or whole-food niche, even if that means you are on supermarket shelves. It is a familiar dilemma: stay pure and have a big impact on a small scale, or compromise and have a small impact on a grand scale."

Some think that socially responsible business sellers don't lose it all when selling out. Both Craig Sams from Green and Black chocolate and the late Anita Roddick from the Body Shop ( sold to L'Oreal/Nestle -- one of the most vilified of multinational companies) have said that they believe that an acquired ethical company can influence its new parent to improve its corporate behavior.

Others are not so positive about this turn of events. Judy Wickes from the Social Venture Network describes corporate takeovers of socially responsible businesses as "a threat to democracy when wealth and power are concentrated into a few hands." And David Korten, in his book, When Corporations Rule the World, explained how sustainable business "should be human scale -- not necessarily tiny firms, but preferably not more than 500 people -- always with a bias to smaller is better."

It is clear that so-called organic brands are a rapidly growing portion of the consumer dollar, and that every major food corporation has invested deeply in buying these already-established brands.

Marketing strategies have been fooling us to trust that the niche brands continue to be small, environmentally conscious businesses that combine ecologically sound practices with a political agenda to put products out on the market under a business model of "the Greater Good."

In fact, they are frequently cogs in the giant corporate wheel. I like to refer to this "other" business model as "We've Been Had." It is time for we, the consumer, to question how much the ownership and neglectful marketing of these "pseudo" responsible brands warrant crossing them off our shopping list.

And it is time to find products more in tune with our values, which include thinking small. At least until they, too, get bought out by some large conglomerate.

This article can be found in whole at http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_17306.cfm

What's on my mind: The Nativity‏

2010-12-11T20:36:00.000-08:00

What's on my mind: The Nativity‏: "A Nativity Scene was erected in a church yard. During the night the folks came across this scene. An abandoned dog was looking for a comfo..."

Getting things done in HALF the time.... a life law that is amazing....

2010-12-11T20:28:00.000-08:00

Have you ever heard of the Parkinsons Law?
I bet most of you haven't, and I bet that a handful of you have a new window open to google it right now.
Well, let me tell you about this simple law, that when applied can double your productivity without doubling your efforts.

You see the law is simple...
"work expands to fill the time available for its completion,"

So-if you allow yourself a month to complete it a specific project it will take you one month for it's completion. You know the old adage, you get ten times as much work done the day before vacation than you get done in any other day. Why? The Parkinson Law- when you give yourself a limited time to complete something you get it completed in that time.This simple law that when practiced, can actually help you get the same amount of work done in much less time. It’s something I’ve been applying in my business and family life for quite some time now… And today, I thought I'd share it with you!

Keep this law in mind every day when you fill out your day planner! Don't give yourself unnecessary time- and you will be amazed at what you can accomplish.

Weekly Wisdom – The “F” Words!

2010-11-30T10:54:00.000-08:00

Have you ever heard the term, “The Fear of Failure”?

Fear and Failure. The “F” words.

Sadly so many people go through their lives without achieving what they really want because they allow this “Fear of Failure” to stand in their way.

This is kind of ironic since failing is almost always a requirement to enjoying success.

Here are 3 reasons why “Failure” is a GREAT thing!

Inspiration:
If you tried to achieve something a 2nd, 3rd, 10th or 100th time without success, this can be a strong motivator to continue on and say “I am going to accomplish it This Time”

Humility:
We all have times when we have achieved some successes and our ego can get in our way. A failure can sometimes bring us back to reality and back on track to moving forward.

Learning:
When you were a child, how did you learn to walk and talk? Did you just wake up one day and were walking and talking? Of course not. It took day after day of trying, failing, learning from mistakes, and trying again. As adults we sometimes need to remember the lessons of our childhood. As children, we don’t take failure personally, and just continue learning and adapting until “mission accomplished”.

If you are not failing, you are not growing and will miss out on great opportunities to succeed!

I suggest going to bed each night and asking yourself: “Did I fail today?” If so, CONGRATULATIONS! Analyze why, think about what you could do differently and try again with a new plan!

Do not “Fear Failure”! Expect it, be excited for it and be willing to learn from it. Failure is the way to achieving success in all areas of your life.

I would love to hear YOUR stories of how you failed in some area and how you were able to learn from that to succeed.

Please share you comments below.

To YOUR Success,

Amber Jenkins

MLM’s DON’T WORK…Long Term

2010-11-01T20:42:00.000-07:00

Thanks to a great gal I know who wrote this:

Do MLM's Work?

Her short answer. No, definitely not long term.

Now, hear Her out. I’m not saying Home Businesses don’t work. I’m saying any business that has an MLM business model will not work long term.

Question: Is there an MLM company that started in the USA in the past 30 years, that grew to 300 million in annual sales, and then continued to grow for each of the following 3 years?

Hmmmm? Interestesting question isn’t it. I have yet to find one MLM that meets that criteria.

Why? My theory: MLM’s have a poor business model yet hundreds of new ones pop up every day. (To replace the old ones that have gone under.)Some people will be successful. No question about that. But they are making serious money at the expense of thousands who do not and who will get hurt.

Another Question: If you are currently in an MLM, how many people are you willing to hurt to make money? Some of you may not even realize that you are involved in something that will hurt people and their families financially.

Most leaders that are in MLM companies have come from another and will eventually join another. Again, at the expense of hurting people for their own personal gain.

Now there are some MLM’s that have a product(s) like candles, skin care, Knick Knacks, Kitchen tools etc…and some have great products. However…can you build a long term residual income where you have a customer base that consistently shops month after month?

Then there are MLM’s where it seems just too good. Seriously, you’ve seen the emails and facebook posts right?

GET IN NOW!
SECURE YOUR SPOT!
PRE-LAUNCH
JOIN WHILE IT’S HOT
SEE HOW A 25 YEAR OLD…MADE MILLIONS
ETC…

Enough already! Below I’ve listed “some” MLM companies that are either closed, bankrupt, or on their way out. What MLM is going to be next? It’s just a matter of time. In my humble opinion, the business model does not work long term.

1Network.com
1st Family
1Voice Worldwide
A Better Chance PTY
A1 Internet Service
Accelerated Internet Income Strategies
Acheivers Unlimited
Act II Jewelry – Lady Remington
Active Business Solutions
Adora LLC
AdSavers
Advantage Neutraceuticals
Affordable Luxuries
Albert Konder Collection
AlpineV
AMERICA’S TEAM
American Freeway 100
AmeriKare International
AmeriLat
AmeriTalks
Annasa
ART & SOUL, INC.
Artistic Impressions, Inc
ASN (dba) AMERICAN SHOPPERS NETWORK
Assured Nutrition Plus
ATG TECHNOLOGIES
ATI (dba) ALLIANCE TECHNOLOGY INT’L
ATN
AWARENESS
B & F SYSTEM, INC.
BigSmart
BIMINI ESSENTIALS
Blessed Hope Communications
BODY ELECTRIC
BRIDAL ACCENTS, LTD.
BROAD POINT COMMUNICATIONS
BULLETIN BOARD
Call the Planet ( CTP )
CALLS FOR KIDZ
CAMBRIDGE
CAROLINA FINE COOKIES
CDBN (dba) CONSUMERS DIRECT BUYERS NETWORK
Celestial Harvest
Chantal B – Paris
CharityFirst
Chef Selections
Chef Specialties Company
Cherish Designs
Claudia Jean Collection
Claytime Inc.
ClickIncomes.com
ClubDepot.com
CoffeeFair
COLESCE COUTURE DBA: CAMEO
COOKIE LIFE
CouponsMan
Custom Corner
Cutting Edge Vitamins
CYBERGOLD, INC.
Darswinkle’s Delights
Dashyn Delights
DEBT FREE PUBLISHING, INC. / DBA: DEBT ZAPPER
Denali Health Sciences
DIAMOND CLUB OF AMERICA
DIRECT HOME SHOPPING CLUB (DHSC)
DK FAMILY LEARNING EDUCATIONAL PRODUCTS
Dynasty of Diamonds
E-EXCELL INTERNATIONAL
E-ZINE LIBRARY.COM
EARTH SAFE & WELLNESS TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
EASY MARKETING, INC.
EASY WAY INTERNATIONAL
EMPOWER NET
English Collectables
Entertain with Ease!
ENVION
Environmental Nutrition Network
EonDeck.com
EPIC Network International
ePlanetParadise
ESA-STAR TOUCH INTERNATIONAL
ESSENTIALS BLUE LINE COSMETICS LTD.
Etherea Aromatics
EverydayWealth
Excel Communications
Extreme Research Corp
F.A.I.T.H. Company
FAMILY INTEGRITY BUYLINE, INCL (FIBI)
FAMILY SOLUTION (THE)
Fantasy Inc
FAX BOX NETWORK
Finest Accessories Inc. (The)
FIRST STEP (THE)
FOR YOU, INC.
Fortune21
Fragrant Lemon Peel (the) TFLP
Free Card Matrix
FREE NETWORK (THE)
FREEDOMSTAR COMMUNICATIONS
FuelZone
Fun For Life Club International
FUTURE CITY.COM
FUTURE WORLD
GCMI LONG DISTANCE
Gemcap Equity Management
Geminet
Global Cause
Global Nutrition Network
GLOBAL VILLAGE MARKET
GLOBION
GMT (Get Moving Today)
Gold Entertainment
Golden Neo-Life Diamite International
GOLDEN NEO-LIFE-DIAMITE
GOLDEN NUTRITION
Good Books & Company
Good Nature Company
Great American – The Wholefood Farmacy
GREAT LIFE PRODUCTS
Greeting Cake Company (The)
GULF COAST NUTRITIONAL INC. (dba) NOAH’S ARK
HAND TECHNOLOGIES
HARVEST HOME CANDLES
Harvesting America
HEALTH & NUTRITION NETWORK
HEALTH DYNAMICS RESEARCH
Heart Warming Creations, Inc.
Heart Warming Goodness
HIGHER IDEALS
Highlights-Jigsaw Toy Factory
Holbrook Cottage, Inc
Holiday Magic
Hsin Ten Enterprise USA
I Deal In Travel
I-LINK WORLDWIDE, LLC
IDEA CONCEPTS
IDEAL HEALTH INTERNATIONAL
IDEAL SOLUTIONS INT’L
IDN-NU SKIN INTERNATIONAL
IEXALT FAMILY
IMOGEN CONCEPTS, INC.
INCOMNET COM (SIMPLE2 NET)
INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGIES CORP OF AMERICA
Integrated Synergy
INTELLIGENT NUTRITION SYSTEMS, INC
International Team Works
INTERNET 4 FAMILIES (I4F)
IONX RESOURCE
iPowerBiz
IT’S LIFE
JAPAN LIFE AMERICA CORP.
JET SET LIFE TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Jewel Way
Joielle
JS Homestyle
Just Add Guests
Kanosis
KAREMORE INTERNATIONAL
KASEY’S COUPONS
Kat’s Coffees
KIDZ BOULEVARD
KINETIC RESOURCE INTERNATIONAL
KINGS CHOICE
KINGSWAY, INC.
Kitchen Fair (Regal Ware)
KM.net 1/1/2005
L.E.A.P. (LIFE, EDUCATION & PROSPERITY, INC.)
Ladybug Garden Parties
Laga Designs
LAMETCO
Le Club Prive
LE NATUREL
Let’s Do Tea LLC
Lexli MD, Inc.
LIFE DYNAMICS INTERNATIONAL
LIFE LINK, LTC.
LIFE SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY
LIFE STYLES USA
LifeMist Home Products
LifesMiracle
LifeSpan International
LIFETEK CORPORATION
LIGHTHOUSE AMERICA
Longevity Network
LUXELLE INTERNATIONAL
LYC INTERNATIONAL
Magnus Enterprises
MARK I OF NORTH AMERICA
MARKET PLACE INTERNATIONAL
MARKET TO SUCCESS
MAXXIS 2000
Mayberry America
MIRACLE MAIL.COM
MLM BANNER EXCHANGE
MLM COMMUNITY.COM
MLM SEARCH.COM
MLM World News Today
MOUNTAIN GOURMET
Movie Club Plus
Muscle Dynamics Fitness Network
My Tax Man
N.A.T.A.L.
NANCI CORPORATION
NATIONAL BENEFITS & SERVICES
National Bodycare
NATIONAL CALLING CARD ASSOCIATES
National Companies
NATIONAL SAFETY ASSOCIATES (NSA)
Natural Air Products
NATURAL BODY LINES
Natural Health Trends Corp
Nature’s Gold International
NATURE’S HEALING AROMATHERAPY, INC.
NATURE’S VERY BEST
NATURES BODYCARE
NATURES WEALTH
NaturScience
NetmarkAid
NEURO-HEALTH (BECALM’D)
New Century Life
NEW LIFE TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
New Quest International
NEW RESOLUTION, INC. (NRI)
NSA
NTA (dba) NATIONAL TELECOM ASSOCIATION, INC.
NU BOTANIC INTERNATIONAL
Nutrition For Life
Oasis Lifesciences
OC Rebates
OceanCity Network
October Trading
ONE Group
ONE SOURCE WORLDWIDE NETWORK
ONE WORLD ONLINE
ORIGINAL SOLUTIONS INC.
Our Family Favorites
OXFORD SAVINGS CLUB
P.S. I Love You, Inc
PAINT BOX COMPANY (THE)
Pamper My Baby
Patchwork & Preserves
PetShop.biz
PetsParty
Phoenix Cookes
PixMeUp 1/1/2005
PlantMakers
Platinum Travel Club
Pola USA
Popular Club, Inc.
Power of Nature
PremierNet Plus
PriceNetUSA
Primebuy International
Pro-Ma Systems
PROFIT CENTRAL, INC.
prowealthSOLUTIONS
PTI
Purchase Plus Buyers
PurchasePro
Quiet Place for You
Quorum
R GARDEN INTERNATIONAL
RACHAEL INTERNATIONAL
REAL LIFE SOLUTIONS, INC.
ReferralWare International
RENAISSANCE FOR LIFE
Retire on Spending
RICH PLAN OF FLORIDA
RMC Group, Inc.
ROSEMARIE COLLECTIONS
Savory Naturals
SCRIPTURES
Sea Alive
Seaborne, LLC
SeAcai
SECURE INDEPENDENCE
Self Indulgence
SERENITY
Shades of Color
Shoppers Central
ShrimpUSA
SILVER BUYERS CLUB (THE)
SMART RESPONDER.COM
smartmall.biz
Solutions Immunity Enhancement
Sound Cafe.com
SOUND TRAVELS (div SOUNDS EXCITING)
SOUTHERN HERITAGE, INC.
Southwestern Company (THE)
SPRINGBOARD
SPRINGWELLNESS
STEAK BUYERS CLUB
Stella -n- Dot
Stoxrus
SUNRISE DIRECT
SUPRA/LIFE SOARING EAGLE VENTURES, INC.
Surfing2Cash
Sweet Berry Designs
Sweet Prairie Soap Company
T-Shirts with a Personal Touch
TALISMAN
TapCity
Taste D-Vine
TBN – The Benefits Network
Team Effort International
TEL-A-NATION
TERAFORMA HEALTH
Terra Mezzo
The Furnished Garden
The Topline
Total Life Changes (TLC)
TOTAL SUCCESS SOLUTIONS, INC.
Totally Tropical Interiors
TRADE EXCHANGE NETWORK
Traditions, Inc
TRAFFIC DIRECTORY.COM
Travel Legacy
Travel Promotions International
Travel Reaction
TravelMax International
Travelogia
Treasure Traders International
TRENDMARK INTERNATIONAL
Trilogy International
TruDynamics (Travel Dynamics)
UCS (dba) AMERICANS FOR CONSTITUTIONAL ACTION
UltimateMatch
Uni-Body International
UNIQUE OPPORTUNITIES, INC.
UNITED SUPER ACCOUNT PROGRAM
Universal Lifestyles
US DIAL1
US Health Advisors
USTELETRICITY NETWORK
VIRTUALLY FREE INTERNET
VISION QUEST WORLDWIDE, INC.
Vita Genesis
Vitacube
Vitagenex
VITALITY LABS
VITALITY LIFE CHOICE
VIVA MARKETING
Viva Toxic Free
Viviane Woodward
VOYAGER GROUP, INC. (THE)
WACHTER’S ORGANIC SEA PRODUCTS
WESTERN MARKETING
wfhTravel
WICKER PLUS, LTD.
WORLD GOLF CORP
WORLD NET INTERNATIONAL, INC.
World Wide Alliance Corp (WWA USA)
WORLD WIDE INTERNET MARKETING
WORLD WIDE LINK, INC. (dba) THEWWWLINK
WORLD X CHANGE COMMUNICATIONS
WORLDWIDE
WORLDWIDE NETWORK INCORPORATED (BETA SOURCE)
XPI Online
XtremeHealth Formulas
YOUNGER LIVING, INC.
Your Family First
YourNetPlus.Com
YouthFlow
ZeBlooms
ZENITH 4 THE PLANET

Quite the list isn’t it? Sadly, there are more.

I will be writing a follow up article about “True Residual Income” as well as the MLM “Guru’s” who have created ways to get fellow MLM’ers to purchase their training to help them build their MLM business.

Really?? You’re going to help someone become successful in something that is eventually going to fail? Perhaps they do this to earn more money for themselves and so that they have a list of people to promote the next venture they jump in to?

My personal goal is to educate people on the realities of having a real, lucritive, long term home business and to help to achieve whatever their goals might be.

So what did you think? I always love hearing your feedback, so please leave me a comment down below with questions, thoughts, or feedback. And (yes, here’s my call to action) please share this post with your Twitter and FB friends by clicking on the share buttons below. I totally appreciate it!! Thanks so much for spending time with me here today!

Hope you enjoyed!

~Amber Jenkins

Would You Agree that Owning a Business is the Best Way to Get Ahead?

2010-10-27T02:23:00.000-07:00

The truth is, most people that are in business for themselves are the people who have built the biggest fortunes and have created great lives.

Sadly most don’t have the means, entrepreneurial spirit or know-how to do it.

Think about it for a second. Suppose you wanted to start your own business, let’s say a retail store. What do you need to have in place to do it?

◦Huge Investment of Cash
◦Money for building and/or rent.
◦Money for inventory/product.
◦Employees
◦Payroll Staff
◦Management Staff
◦Ordering Staff
◦Computers
◦Racks etc. to hold products
◦Cash Registers/Debit Machines
◦Legal Department
◦And the list goes on…
What if you could start your own successful business for $29 and everything was already in place for you.

What if:

◦You had access to hundreds of consumable products backed by 25 years of research and patents that were better and less expensive than the competition?
◦You had access to millions of square feet of manufacturing and distribution facilities?
◦You had access to millions of dollars worth of computers to handle payroll, orders, taxes etc?
◦You had access to a payroll department and a legal team ?
◦You had access to hundreds of employees to take orders and service your customers?
◦You had access to a research and development team and sales literature that was already in place?
◦Your customers purchases every month? They came back and shopped month after month after month?
◦Everything was guaranteed?
◦You could build your business to the size of thousands of dollars of residual income each month?
◦It was proven over and over again that anyone regardless of age, sex, race etc. could achieve incredible success no matter when they started?
◦You could see the average annual incomes of current business owners as well as the average time it takes business owners to achieve them?
◦All you had to do to build your business was to promote the products/company and set up customer accounts?
◦You had all of that, and your only investment was some of your time and $29 (that was guaranteed) ?
It amazes me why anyone that really wants to make some positive changes wouldn’t jump in with both feet and create a great life! Or at the very least learn everything they could to make an educated, informed decision.

Shhhhh…do you hear the door of opportunity opening?

Some Do, Some Don’t.

Which one are you?

To your success,

Mom’s Weekly Wisdom – Oct. 24th, 2010.

2010-10-24T20:41:00.000-07:00

Mom’s Weekly Wisdom is dedicated to all Moms Everywhere!

Being Moms we sometimes forget to stop and take a moment for ourselves.

This weekly post is dedicated to reminding and helping moms to do just that!

Come Back Every Sunday for Mom’s Weekly Wisdom!

I hope you enjoy it and find it helpful in some way..:)

This week’s post is about a great book I read years ago called ”The Four Agreements” by don Miquel Ruiz.

The Four Agreements offer a powerful code of conduct that can rapidly transform our lives to a new experience of freedom, true happiness, and love.

I came across it in my library the other day and remembered what a wonderful book this was for me and my family and still is today.

The Four Agreements are:

1) Be Impeccable With Your Word - This means avoiding gossip, lies, empty promises and other ways we cause problems with our words. Say only what you mean, and realize that you can cause damage if you’re not careful with what you say. Use your words to love, teach, uplift and inspire.

2) Don’t Take Anything Personally – It’s important to remember that no opinions are truly objective; we all have our biases, ‘filters’ through which we view the world. Because of this, we shouldn’t take anyone else’s view of us or our actions as entirely accurate; when someone says something about us (or anything else), they’re really saying something about themselves and how they view the world.

3) Don’t Make Assumptions - Much stress is created when people assume they know what other people are thinking. Remembering to really try to understand others and discuss before jumping to conclusions, can go a long way toward preventing conflict.

4) Always Do Your Best – To do the best you can at any given moment, you’ll have no regrets. Some days, your best isn’t as good as other days, and that’s okay. As long as you put an honest effort into life, you will have nothing to be ashamed of, and will not ‘beat yourself up’ over a less-than-stellar performance in retrospect. This behavior can help people acheive more progress toward their goals, and prevent unecessary feelings of regret.

Although it can sometimes be hard, remembering and choosing to live by these 4 simple concepts can make for a very enlightening day, week, year and life.

Enjoy a fabulous day!

Have you thought of your Retirement?

2010-07-19T19:03:00.000-07:00

The Employee Benefit Research Association recently released it’s 2010 Retirement Confidence Survey. This survey gauges the attitudes of working-age and retired Americans. Here are a few interesting facts from the survey:Many working Americans have little or no savings set aside for retirement. 27 percent of workers report having less than $1000 in savings, 43 percent say they have less than $10,000, and 54 percent have less than $25,000 set aside for retirement.One of the most alarming statistic is that more than 54 percent of workers say that they or their spouse have never tried to calculate how much money they will need to save for retirement. Of the 46 percent that have, 14 percent have only guessed at what their calculation might be.Have you calculated ho much you’ll need to save in order to retire?Here’s an example:Your last years Income = $100,000
Estimated number of years you’ll be working until you retire = 20
Percent of Salary will you need in annual income after you retire = 80% – $80,000 per yearThe estimated amount that you would need to save (each year for the next 20 years in order to have $80,000 a year to live on in your retirement years. …… DRUM ROLL PLEASE….$27, 955 Per Year – Which is $2, 330 MONTHLYAre you currently saving that each month for your retirement?? Or even half that??Starting and having a “Real” home business that can generate a residual income is truly a great way to earn a great income and to create long term security for you and your family.With that being said, if you decide that a home business might be a viable option for you, be careful in your search. Feel free to subscribe to my 12 Success Factors for my best tips and advice in your search.To Your Success!

Stepping out of my comfort zone

2010-05-20T17:25:00.000-07:00

I'm trying to step out of my comfort zone in all aspects of my life. It's not easy and some days I think maybe not today but then I think about my goals and dreams. My dream to lose the weight that I put on with my now almost 2 year old, my dream to make a better life for our family. I may be scared sometimes or just plain don't feel like it but when I make myself I feel better. Someone once said if everyday you had to eat a live frog, then you would do that first. You wouldn't want to put it off, so I think of that and get whatever I need to do done.

Went to a funeral yesterday

2010-05-16T18:14:00.000-07:00

I went to a funeral yesterday, one of my husbands friends dad had past away from a heart attack. As we were sitting there in the church I was watching my little guy play with a car that I had brought to keep him occupied thinking to myself how proud I was to be his mom and how lucky I am that I get to share all the moments in life with him. I sat there in my seat just looking at him and I couldn't help but think is this what Dale(the man who died) felt when each one of his 4 boys were born? How excited he was to have kids as I am and how quickly life goes by. He was 78 years old and I'm sure to him life flew by. Maybe he didn't do all that he wanted to do in life and maybe he did, as I had never meet him personally. I sat there this whole time watching my child behave so well and thinking to myself what all I want to achieve in my life and how there is no time like NOW! What am I waiting on? Today is gone and tomorrow is soon to start, what shall I do tomorrow to change not only my life but the life of my family?

New car

2010-05-12T19:00:00.000-07:00

I'm so glad I work from home with this great team of moms. Yesterday I got to go and get my first new car!!! Yay!

Great Quote

2010-05-11T11:29:00.001-07:00

Character gets you out of bed; commitment moves you to action . Faith, hope, and discipline Enable you to follow through to completion.

Zig Ziglar

The Essence Of A New Day ~

2010-05-11T06:03:00.000-07:00

This is the beginning of a new day. You have been given this day to use as you will. You can waste it or use it for good. What you do today is important because you are exchanging a day of your life for it. When tomorrow comes, this day will be gone forever; in its place is something that you have left behind...let it be something good.

"What a great way to think of each new day! We are all so privileged to have today. What will you do with yours?

2010-05-10T19:41:00.001-07:00

Check out my boys:

http://www.slide.com/mscd?bnc=bnc&pxcid=UowHsHDEvo9Qs9BTK7h5EY2jRQzsuoP8dcZ_HA7ZYZBNFHU6nTYoG3x_iQ2newNm&nc=1

Every Day is a Gift

2010-05-10T19:32:00.001-07:00

Excerpt from:Every Day is a Gift, by Barry Gottlieb"If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion."~The Dalai LamaWhat does "True Abundance" mean to you?According to Wikipedia, the definition of abundance is "the opposite of scarcity." I believe true abundance is not measured by what you have; rather, it is measured by what you give.In our culture, it seems that most people are caught up in their "need for greed." Perhaps this is why so many people struggle to find their happiness, and why over 25% of the people in our country suffer from anxiety. We live in a culture where we are taught to judge a person based on what they have, rather than on who they are and what they contribute to society.I was very fortunate to have met a professor that changed my whole way of thinking. I was one of those people with a, "What's in it for me" attitude when I started his class. By the end of the semester though, my philosophy and my attitude had changed. Forever! This is what I learned:"You can have anything you want in life, if you will just help enough other people get what they want."~Zig ZiglarI challenge you to focus on this philosophy for an entire month! Here are some action steps that will help you stay focused on this incredible gift:ACTION STEPSGratitude. Every night before you go to sleep, recite aloud at least ten things for which you are grateful.Forgive. Let go of the past. Forgive those who have hurt or angered you. Stop carrying this poison around with you every day.Love. Be sure to tell those people in your life who mean so much to you that you love them and appreciate them.Donate. Go through your closets. Anything you haven't worn or used in the past year, box it or bag it and take it to a place where those who are less fortunate will benefit from your donation. Get your children involved!Praise. Make time to praise. Look for and recognize the good in others.

Trying to Figure this all out

2009-10-12T20:58:00.000-07:00

So I was on our team call tonight and they mentioned starting to blog. I don't know anything about this so we'll see how it goes! Wish me luck!