Who Doesn't Like Free?

As I hit the last day of January, I reflect on the past month of my Tastefully Simple business. This was one of the best months I have had in my 2 years in business. I am attributing it to the hours I spent actually working my business. As much as I wanted to believe that the product would sell itself, that wasn't always the case. People want things, but most of the time they have to be told they want it, and that is my job, to consult you on what you want. A large portion of my full-time job is consulting, so I took those same practices and applied them to the TS biz. The picture above is what a guest at my mystery party is receiving. That is a ton of stuff - for FREE! Think about it.. get what you want, for nothing :)

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year..

this post is for Sunday, January 30.

is not tax season :) My afternoon was spent helping my husband get all of his expenses over the past year all figured out, in addition to mine. Since both of us are now independent business owners, tax season will be just that more interesting. I personally hate doing anything in regards to my taxes, but thank goodness we have an amazing tax accountant. Each year she has pulled us some great numbers - so as we all go in to this time of the year, I wish you all the same luck!

Almost a Lion

this post is for Saturday, January 29.

We like to kid that Sage, my parents dog could almost be a lion. Sagey loves to just lay on snowbanks right after she plows in to them - hence the snow covered face. She is a pure bread golden retriever who is such a free spirit. You pet her once, you will be stuck for forever having a hand on her head. I love to come home to my parents just to come back to my roots, see the slower pace of live and just enjoy the view of my parents surroundings. They live just outside of Breckenridge and the river is just a block away. Many times there is some sort of wild life either in the field in front of their house or literally in their back yard. It is so peaceful out there.

SUN!

This picture really does not do any justice to how awesome the sun was today. Usally when we have sunshine in this part of the year, it is bitterly cold. Today, the sun was out and it was over 30 degrees! I came home to the driveway blocked again with snow and ice, but this time I didn't mind shoveling it out since it was so nice out. I cherish days like today as it could be awhile before we get this again.

mmmm..

this post is for Thursday, January 27.

Today was the first day of Cycle 2 of the 17 day diet. For the past 17 days, my food choices were somewhat limited. The picture I am showcasing is our supper! The protein of choice is a very lean pork and it was so good! As I venture in to cycle 2, wish me luck!  To complete my evening, we took our dog for a walk and it was so nice not to have to wear 8 layers of clothes. The high temp for today was close to 30 degrees!

Tickets! Come Get Your Tickets!

Hot off the press are the 2011 Purses and Pearls event tickets! My co-chair and I met tonight and she brought me this wonderful stack of tickets! We are only 2 months away from our event. Purses and Pearls is a social and silent auction of purses, jewelry, and tons of other donations. The next 2 months are going to be busy! We are going to try for purses and any donations we can get.. sponsors too! If you want to come to the event, help the American Cancer Society, or even donate, let me know!

In the Sky.. Oh, so High.

this post is for Tuesday, January 25.

I don't really know what prompted me to put this picture for today, but knowing I didn't have anything really super exciting go on today, and didn't want to talk about the weather, so I thought a blast from the past would be fun. I did go grocery shopping today, but I felt showcasing a picture of myself skydiving in 2002 is a great photo moment. I think about this picture, and wow, that almost 9 years ago. I don't know if I should be sad or happy it was that long ago. Blasts from my past make me think of everything great in my life and the awesome opportunities I have been given. I hope the next 9 years are just as fun!

PS - this is a small town somewhere in Virgina. When I jumped out of the plane, I could see Newport Beach. Simply gorgeous, and I would definitely skydive again!

For Sale!

this posting is for Monday, January 24.

No, I am not selling snow! This picture is of our lot in a beautiful development on the East side of the city we live in. It offically went back on the market today, for the 3rd time.. You know the saying "3rd times the charm?" Well, I really hope that saying is true because we would like to move on from this piece of property and move on to the next things in our life! (not exactly sure of those yet.. but it will be something I'm sure!)

If you would like info on this piece of property, let me know, I'll send you to my realtor - she's awesome!

Loved You Yesterday..

Since the weather outside is.. yes.. below zero, 20 to 30 mph wind gusts and blowing snow.. I decided it was going to be one of those days to stay inside. Well, for the most part, minus the trip to Menards to get a new facet for the rental house. (whoo hoo, make it 24 hours befor something happened!)
With being inside, I thought it was time to put another quote up in the house. (uppercase living on canvas) I absoluitely love this quote. As many couples have their ups and thier downs, this quote says it all. Even whne you have a bad "couples" day, you are stil reminded that, yes, we still love eachother. And yes, I love my husband dearly! We plan on hanging this canvas in our bedroom, so we are always reminded of eachothers love. aaahhh. :)

See ya in a Year!

this post is for January 22, 2010.

I said "see ya later" to a house that I lived in for almost 8 years. Today was the day we handed over the keys to our new renters. For some reason, it was really easy to hand those keys over, but as I think back, there were so many memories shared in that house. I think because we know that the house is still owned by us, it didn't make it so hard. Our family has plans for the house in the future, but we're going to enjoy knowing it is in someone else's hands for the time being (except when issues arise.) I hope the new renters will have some great memories in the house, because it sure is a cute one!

Kettle-Bell.

At the point I am at right at this minute, I wish I was saying "kettle-korn!" :) I am almost done with the first cycle of the 17 day diet. So to reward myself of actually lasting this long on a diet, not cheating.. not even once.. and actually losing weight, I thought.. Kettlebell. Exciting, I know! These things actually work. A couple of summers ago I did training with a personal trainer and this is what we used. My husband gave me the weird look when I asked him to pick one up for me today, but when I got home and showed him the 1 arm in the arm lay down, get back up again without touching your hand on the floor, and repeat.. that strange look went away and somewhat of an impressed one took over. I'm not starting til Monday, so along with the awesomeness of the 17 day diet and knowing I only have a couple days left of cycle 1 - AND the new kettlebell to use.. here is to being in shape!

PS- 80 millionth trip to vegas is exactly 3 months from today.. and yes, I am super excited about it, because thinking of 75 degree weather on a.. yes, almost -20 degree day.. warms me up!!

Keys. Keys.Keys.

this post is for Thursday, January 20.

Keys. The can mean alot to a person. The keys in the above picture hold quite a bit of memories to me. On Saturday, the house that I lived in throughout college, then with my husband, is now going to be rented to a young couple. As I prepped the keys and labeled where each one went, it was like a flood of memories dating back over 8 years. My parents and I bought the house in 2003 and spent almost 6 months completely flipping it in to a 1950's on the outside/2010 on the inside. Many many memories were created and shared there. I haven't had to say "see ya later" to the house yet.. but the bittersweet symphony has already started playing.

So Many Scents

this post is for Wednesday, January 19.

The above picture is the many scents of Scentsy. I wanted my Mom to pick out some scents, so I borrowed a ladies collection who sells the products. It was so much fun smelling all of the scents and deciding which ones would "make the cut!" Needless to say our kitchen smelt pretty good for a couple of hours while we had them out. I currently use these products, but took the opportunity to add some more "smells" to my list of ones to get in the future!

Gettin' Wider!

No, this is not a dinasour, or large creature of sorts.. but it is something we have been waiting patiently for.. the street widener! The city was nice to our street tonight and decided it was time to widen it after the mass amounts of snow we have recieved. It was super cool watching the snow come out of its head, almost like when grain comes out of a combine in to a truck. (my dad is a farmer, so I have always loved watching this growning up) Never would I have thought that getting our street widened would make me excited, but having to pull over to the side about 500 down the road for the oncoming car so they can get through, gets old. 

Brr.

this post is for Monday, January 17.

You are reading that right. Yes, it is cold. But I do have to say, it has been colder than this. Today did not get this cold.. but tomorrow will be! Yes, tomorrow's temperature, with the wind, will make it feel about -35 F. Brr. I think they should stop showing the temp after 0 degrees, and make it say "cold." After 0.. it all feels the numbing of the fingers and toes same.

Pictures within a Picture

Have you ever wondered what is all in a picture? Ironic question knowing that today's picture is a picture of many pictures. I am a huge scrapbooker and I have been for many years. I do a scrapbook of the previous year, so the photos showcased in the picture, are a snapshot of 2010. As one thinks back to the year prior, how do you decide what memories belong in a book, and which ones will remain.. a memory? This is a tough choice for me each year, but to solve that problem, usually every event I partake in, gets in the book.
I am very excited to get scrapping 2010. I can almost guarantee that I will showcase my progress as the year continues!

Finding Peace in the Sky

this post is for Saturday, January 15.

This picture was taken yesterday morning on our way to my parents house. We were on Hwy 75, just south of Kent, Minnesota. The temperature was -7 Fahrenheit and since there was very little cloud cover and frigid temps, the sun is ridiculously bright. But what caught me off guard yesterday was the inverted rainbow in the sky. It was beautiful. These are the moments that I remember why I live here, as cold as it is, it can be beautiful.

This is not snow, more like ice..chunks.

This may look like a "small" buildup of snow from when the snowplow went through today, but its a "little" more than that. I came home to see an aprox 2.5 foot pile up of.. ice and snow chunks the size of your dinner plate. Now most would say.. get the snowblower out and blow it.. sure, if it would move. I stood on it and that "snow" didn't move. It was like having a mini-mountain at the end of our driveway. I must add, this "mountain" is not at the end of our driveway, it is about 2 feet in to the street from the end of our driveway. Our city has that much snow, that the plows no longer go to the end of driveways, they just do enough to have a path for about 1.5 cars.. you do the math :)

Snowflakes in my 7-up

this post is for Thursday, January 13.

I hosted a Tastefully Simple party tonight and meant to have 7-up as a beverage option, but forgot it outside. If there is one good thing about living in a place with snow and cold, its that we have instant refridgerators, right out side our doors. After 2 hours of being on our front steps, we brought it in to see "snowflakes" in the bottle, it was really cool. Snowglobe like :)

Crazy Dog

this post is for Wednesday, January 12.

It's the middle of the week and honestly, there isn't much going on. This was an eventful day. I was getting everything ready for my TS party for Thursday and the cord to my computer started on fire. Never would I have thought the cord could do such a thing, but it did and was just happy it didn't burn the 2 month old carpet! The above pic is our dogs favorite spot. She waits for us to play, pet, chase, everything, just waits. She is a blast. And then to end the night, a migraine, so after a shower and a migriane pill, it was night night.

Blurred Sunshine

In the middle of the winter, we all crave the sun! This picture was taken at 4:00 pm today. Even though it is a blurred sun, I'll take it. All day we had some blowing snow and blustery like conditions, so it hid our sun from its true potential. As many would see this picture and ask what it is, but when we see the sun only a couple times during the week, we crave it.

17 days..

this post is for Monday, January 10, 2011.

Today is the day. I am doing the 17 day diet. Above is food that my husband and I used to prep our meals for the day. As the end of the day approaches, I can say that the day has been good. I am very excited to see the results of myself! Then after the first phase of "17 days" it is on to phase 2. And I am super proud of my husband for joining me on this venture! Wish us luck!

"Welcome!"

Welcome. It is the word I hope you feel as your enter our home. My husband and I put this in our entry way this morning. It was an interesting project. I say that as I am only 5'3 and to get a quote above a closet door at that height isn't the easiest. I even brought out the step stool, but that didn't cut it either. Thank goodness my husband is 6'2!! This quote comes from Uppercase Living. I absolutely love their products and get them from my Mom, who sells them.
But as you enter our home and take a look around, I hope that you feel welcome. We hope that you can feel at ease here, you can create your own moments and memories here, just as we plan to do in the years ahead. So as we open our doors to you, Welcome!

Toys, Toys, Toys. And many kisses too.

This post is for Saturday, January 8, 2011.

My husband and I have an English Springer Spaniel dog, but since we moved to our new home in Mid-November, my parents have enjoyed her company while we unpack, get settled in and get over the holidays. We got her back last night (Friday) and it was like we had a toddler in the house! We don't have any kids, only "fur-babies." In addition to Dutchess (springer) we also have a Beagle, Luky, who is still at my parents. Luky likes to run and not come back, so since we don't have our fence until this spring, she is going to be a very spoiled dog at my parents.

The above picture is the pile of toys Dutchess has created for us. As we sit on the couch as a family at the end of the night, she is still ready to play! So after some throws, retrieves, kisses, catches, runs, sits, go's, and shakes, she is not settled down and ready to cuddle. And I honestly say.. I missed her, all 4 legs, bushy eared, stealth eyed, Springer she is!

Flashback Friday #1

A week in to this blog, I have decided that Fridays will be a "flashback" in to previous events in my life. For being 28, I feel that I have done some amazing things so far and why not show that! With that being said, here is to "Flashback Friday #1."
The picture above doesn't go to far back in time, only a couple of months. This past fall, my husband and I took a 10.5 day trip to Europe. My husband had never been to Europe prior to this trip, but I had when I spent 1 month in 6 European countries. Before we have children, I wanted him to experience places that I have been and to create our own memories. Above was one of the highlights of our trip, a picnic on the Eiffel Tower lawn. We had sandwiches, chips, real pink campaign, and tiramisu! It was such a fun afternoon to do what many in Paris do on a sunny day. At this point in time, I would love to be back there!

How High Can You Go?

I wish that when asked.. how high can you go.. I was talking about an airplane, or building, or something more fun that.. snow. As I write this post, I sure hope it is one of the last ones in regards to my least favorate 4 letter word, snow. The snowbank that is in the picture may not look that big, but remember, I am across the street. This snowbank is about 15 feet high and is at the intersection of the only road in and out of our development and a major road. Thank goodness most people on the main road are usally turning on to our street, so when we pull in to the middle of the street, the likelyhood of getting hit is pretty low. (I hope!!!)
It's January.. we could have this weather for a good 3, 4 months yet.. I pray its the lesser!

A Gravely Walk

This is what we walk on to get in and out of my work. It once was a sidewalk, then it was an iceskating rink, now it is a gravel road. I took this picture not for the gravel, but to showcase the layers of snow from the past month. It's like a layered cake.. only snow isn't as fun/sweet as cake, it's cold. And I am not going to lie, this stuff is hard to walk on. Needless to say we don't dawn heels in this part of the country on a daily basis - yes we wear them in our destination, only to put our flats on to walk on this stuff.

Coming Back to Life

this post is for Tuesday, January 4.

This is plant. Plant is my plant at work. It is actually my 2nd plant and was inherited because my bestie moved across the pond, so now it is mine. I neglected plant for a a couple of months, then about a month ago, I put plant in the sun, plant came back to life! It is a huge joke around the office that I kill plants. But I am determined to keep plant alive!
PS, today is the first day that I was out of the house in almost 5 days.. wow, 1. tons of snow. 2. I am a person that likes to be out and about.. not in.. I needed to get out, even if it was "skating/driving" to work :)

Organizing the Resolutions

Resolutions. Have I ever kept one - no. But 2011, I have a few that I think I can keep. The above picture is of my before I had all of my Tastefully Simple business stuff organized, and the lower is the after. I get sooo excited when I can empty a tub or box and things are put away or organized. My resolutions for 2011 are:
1. Get our new home completely organized. Top to bottom, know where everything is and neatly organized.
2. Lose weight for that 10 year reunion. I know this one is totally cliche.. but hey, what the heck, we all dream, right?
3. Cut the miscellaneous spending. With a mortgage that started on the 1st.. the extra dollars each month probably go to that lovely 4 letter word we all love.. d.e.b.t. My husband and I only have debts in student loans and real estate, and knowing my personality, I hate having to "owe" anyone.
Stick with me this year, and we'll see how my "3" are going :)

Living in a Giving Community

This past fall, a family in the city that my husband and I live in was selected for ABC's Extreme Home Makeover. The house that was built was 1.5 blocks away from the home we moved from this past fall. Because it was so close, we visited the build often and my husband even helped with the carpentry part of the build. So many of our friends and family took part of this event and it was great to see the completed project tonight. My picture is of when the EHMO bus was coming in to Moorhead on Hwy 10. (sorry for the dvr bar on the bottom, I wasn't sure what picture I was going to use today, but after the show, I realized how great of a community I live in, so I thought it would only be appropriate to showcase this today. The picture is of my TV.)
I have lived in Moorhead since I moved here to attend my Ala Mater, Concordia College, which gave scholarships to the families in tonight's show. As much as the weather puts a dark cloud over this part of the country, it really is an amazing place to live. The people, honestly make it a great place to live.

Snow. Lots of Snow.



Happy New Year! Since I live in what most think is the frozen tundra, I felt it would be appropriate to start by blog off with a picture of the most common subject in conversations – snow. For the past couple of days, we have experienced 40 mile an hour wind gusts mixed with freezing rain and snow. To commemorate the sun shining on this first day of the year, I choosing my first picture as a snowdrift. I am really hoping that 2011 isn’t going to have any more of these large drifts, as I don’t think that I am in the only one in this boat. PS.. I almost broke out the ice skates to get my mail this afternoon, as my driveway is literally ice covered, but the good ole Ugg slippers held me up well.

Here is to an amazing year, one snow drift at a time J