What I learned in my first 30 days as a Scentsy consultant

It has been just over thirty day since I started selling Scentsy! So far I can say this is going to be an awesome ride. I have already learned so much; I have learned a lot about the direct sales business, about people and about myself. I am going to share some of what I have learned in my first 30 days as a Scentsy consultant.

This isn't going to be some formal list or a great big document about everything that is great about Scentsy. All this is is a small list of the most important things I have learned! 

- This whole Scentsy business is LIFE CHANGING!

- I love this company and they love me too! 

- DS (direct sales) is more of a people business than a sales business.

- Building relationships is key.

- I can come out of my shell! 

- There may be 10,000 consultants in your area but most of them are not working their business.

- You get out what you put in.

- This is fun!

- I now get paid for my much needed mommy time. 

- I can make a lot of money doing this.

- I made back my initial investment in less than 10 days (with only 1 party).

- Scentsy can sell itself (thats how great this stuff is)

- Scentsy wants me to succeed not just because they want money but because they want to empower people! 

Like I said this is just a short list of what I have learned in the past 30 days working with Scentsy! But let me be loud and clear I love this already! 

Pillow mats

For Christmas this year I made pillow mats for my 3 nephews. I found all sorts of tutorials on Pinterest but nothing that I thought was that great. I wanted to personalize these mats and make them totally awesome! Each of the mats I made are completely different and have my nephews names stitched onto it. (my wonderful friend Lyn helped me with this part!)

I originally planned on writing this post around Christmas when I actually finished the pillow mats. But then my computer was struck by lightening and I lost a lot of stuff!  Including my how to pictures for these awesome mats :( 

So I am going to try to explain the process without pictures. 

Materials (to make 1):

Sewing machine

two twin flat sheets (one sheet can be used however you will just have one color mat)

4 over stuffed standard size pillows

Okay now for my steps:

1. Cut the sheets length wise
2. pick your color combination and sew the finished sides together. This will create a large piece of fabric that can be folded length wise (kinda like a letter)
3. After sewing the top and bottom you will continue to sew horizontal lines creating 4 pockets for your pillows (the pockets will be like sham pillow cases)
4. Insert pillow!

co-sleeping kinda

I have been described as crunchy or a natural mamma but co-sleeping has never been my (our) thing. Sure we have woken up numerous times with one, two or three children sharing our queen bed with us, but we have never “co-slept” in its full sense. When our babies now 5,3 and 2 were little I always liked the idea but couldn’t get past being scared. And when my husband was deployed my then 4 and 1.5 year old spent most nights with me but those times were more out of circumstance. 

Flash forward a few years welcoming baby number 3 who is now 2. As I talked about in length here Cooper had a rough start. He entered into our world a bit underdone and subsequently spent some extra time in the hospital. He has always been a difficult sleeper waking up randomly during the night just to turn the light on or play. I have actually woken up to every light in the house on from this little man. He usually makes his way into our bed by the middle of the night. Now after months which have turned into years we have decided to bring his toddler bed into our room. 

Although we wont be sharing in any of these fun sleeping arrangements we are co-sleeping kinda. 

We finally decided to make the move to benefit the whole family. Cooper was waking everyone up at all hours with the lights he was turning on. And we figured he would be more comfortable and sleep easier next to mommy and daddy. 

Last night was the first night with Cooper in our room heres how it went: 

The little man went to bed perfectly. My husband laid him down around 8 and he fell fast asleep. He stayed in his bed until I got up for some water around 3 where he joined me in the kitchen. After a few big gulps Cooper went right back to his bed and slept till morning! Both of the older two are still sleeping! This could be a great thing! I truly loved having my "baby" closer to me. 

Sleepless nights creates lack of concentration

Why am I so interested in whats happening on My Little Pony? I’ll tell you why... It has been a rough start to the week. I’m not going to lie I have had little motivation to get going in the morning. We have had one sick kiddo after another. Last night I clung to the side of the bed while my 5 year old made her sneezy, coughing, booggery self comfortable. My husband slept like a baby! ERRRR being a mom. 

On a way happier and more positive note I made the most delicious treat this morning. Banana oatmeal cookies! 

A kick butt soccer game and the truth about the Easter bunny.

I am going to start this post with a bit of totally awesome news!!!! Payton is totally rocking soccer. I just needed to find her motivation. Apparently, it was different than mine. When I was a kid and into my High school years my dad would have to yell at me get me mad and I would ROCK! It totally made me more aggressive. I know weird but hey thanks dad you made me a better player. This does not work with Payton she likes things... Before her game last night I told her if she scored two goals I would get her something special... SHE KICKED BUTT!!!! She scored twice, she was super aggressive, she actually ran, she was defiance, she asked for the ball, I am one proud mama. Not that I’m not always proud but I could tell she was putting in 100%! So we went out and got ice cream! 

Then I found out this happened...

My husband went on a walk the other day she asked him about the Easter bunny and he was honest... 

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My husband actually told her there was no Easter bunny and explained the real reason we celebrate Easter. Part of me wanted to kill him. Seriously, I was so so mad! I called him at work I gave him a piece of my mind then I got over the shock and then the bigger part of me totally understand stood . She's five I get that, and I totally want her to live a great childhood. Does it have to be filled with lies? And where does it stop? I am not ready to talk about the big man in red. But I don't agree with the Easter bunny.
What is a good age to explain these lies to your kids? Is it fair to let them find out from other kids? Where do we draw the line? 

What a beautiful weekend...

Oh how I wish I could start my post with that! It was cold this weekend. The cold however wasn’t the bad part the bone chilling wind that was the part that kept me indoors almost all weekend. So instead of boring you with a lame story of how we played board games and hide and seek with the kids I’ll tell you about my awesome trip to Cancun Mexico. 

I know random right! After returning home from a LONG deployment my husband was in much need of a vacation. I went along more than willingly. We were lucky enough to have my older brother and his wife join us on this awesome adventure. We don’t do typical things when on vacation. We didn’t go sight seeing unless you consider Walmart in Mexico a sight. We didn’t rent a car but rode one super sketchy bus after another. We didn’t swim with any really big fish but I did release a baby sea turtle into the wild. We didn’t use sun screen my husband became a lobster and required aloe. We didn’t go to the store and load up on practical supplies like water and food when the hurricane hit we got beer and snacks and hit the beach with our lawn chairs. We were determined to have a front row seat. Thinking back on it this may not have been the best idea, but hey we survived. We did go fishing and do dome really funny things. The sun was warm and the surroundings were breath taking. 

You might be wondering why I am choosing to write about a trip that happened months ago. Well, let me tell you. Right now as I write this the heat is pumping, I am layered in cloths and my toes are freezing! I am choosing to write about Cancun because it was warm and beautiful there. And maybe just maybe I can channel some of that warmth. 

We might just be living out of our car

It’s a good thing I love my car because in a few months that might be our residence.

All joking aside, my husband and I will be jobless and homeless come June and I’m getting scared. I gave up my good paying job almost 2 years ago to be home with the kiddos.  At first I wasn't sure if being a stay at home mom was for me. I had been working for a long time and I loved what I was doing.  It was however the best choice for our children. I’ve grown to love it. There are so many things I would have missed, like my boys fork feeding the dog their refried beans (no really this is happening as I type this). 

My days at home might be numbered. We are unsure of my husbands job situation after June therefore we both are looking for employment. Just in case. I’m sad about this. As much as I loved working in the past I hate to imagine my days not being filled with kisses and hugs. 

So in this time of uncertainty I have turned to the one thing that has been certain in my life, my faith in God. I find myself in a prayerful state more now than ever before. I am not praying for the things I want but for what he has provided, for wisdom in our next steps, and for the Lord to be with us during this journey. 

Today at MCCW (Military Catholic Council for Women) we listened to a song that puts our relationship with our savior into prospective.
The song What I need by Collin Raye here's just a bit of the beautiful lyrics. 

'Cause I prayed for strength 
And I got pain that made me strong 
I prayed for courage 
And got fear to overcome 
When I prayed for faith 
My empty heart brought me to my knees 
I don't always get what I want 
I get what I need 

Words that I believe we all need to hear sometimes. God may not always give us what we want he does however give what we need. I know many times in my life I have thought he's not listening. Now, looking back I don't think thats it I think I was reading what God was giving. 

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Dear Payton

The idea for this post comes from my friend and fellow blogger Candace over at Hippie at Heart. She has written to her daughter Harper as a way of documenting and reflecting on where they are in their journey. When I read her first post, Dear Harper, I was inspired to do the same with each of my children. My Children are a bit older so there will be some reflection. I hope to one day share these with my children so they can see themselves through my eyes and know how much I truly love them.  

Dear Payton, 

You are an amazing child. You will forever be my baby. When You were born my world changed. I was scared. Alone. Heartbroken. Sad. But more than anything I was overwhelmingly happy. You came into this world a perfect baby weighing less than six pounds and small enough to fit into one hand. But you had legs. Oh girl you sure did they stretched on forever. When you were born I was so clueless on how to be a mother, you made it so easy. You healed me. 

Over the years you have grown so much. You have an amazing mind. So incredibly smart and loving. One of my favorite memories of you comes from the day we brought your little brother Preston home from the hospital. You loved him so much. The first night was a tough one he woke up a few times and each time you would come into our room and stand there ready to help. It was like it was your duty as his big sister to help. Things are a bit different these days. Your brother is almost 4, and in your eyes he’s just in your way. He loves you so much. He looks up to you and in so many ways he wants to be just like his big sister. 

You are an amazing child. I love being with you. Talking. Singing. Playing. Learning. I learn from you all the time. So much of me is afraid for you to get older. I know I will lose you. At some point you will want to spend more time with your friends than me. And some day you will not want to be around me at all. I’m guessing this will happen around middle school. And if you're anything like me it will last years. This breaks my heart. Just know I love you so much. I know you will do great things. 

You have changed my life so much. You have made me who I am today.  

I love you so so very much. 

Mom

It's okay

HappyThursday! 

We are over the hump and on our way to the weekend!!! This weekend shows little promise, bad weather and the flu is going around, but I will have daddy’s extra helping hands. 

As I am writing this I can’t help but want to get back into bed... afraid that I am the flus next victim. Some Thursdays I truly have to think about this post, reflect on the week we have had and all the reasons it’s okay because its Thursday. Today is not one of those days.

It’s okay....

to be an adult and secretly want your moms chicken soup. 

to plant the kids in front of something educational so you can get a little more rest. 

that I took way too many pictures during soccer practice this week. 

to want a new lens for my camera. 

to me slightly freaked out about our upcoming move. 

that this is my 10th move in the past 10 years. 

to hate my crock pot. It has to be close to 10 years old (was moms) and it over cooked 2 meals this week on low :/

to look at pinterest and want to barf. How in the world are people already thinking about St. Patties day! 

I have replaced my coffee addiction with hot tea for lent. 

I hope you have a great weekend! 

Weekend in rewind

Have I ever mentioned that I don't like the cold. That might be putting it a bit to kindly I HATE the cold. Having grown up in southern California cold weather didn’t come around all that often. For me cold is anything below 60 and even there I am not happy. My body seems to be programed for warmer weather. I think 100 sounds good even with the usual mix of humidity we get in the south. But the cold even at 60 is likely to keep me indoors. 

The Miller weekend was uneventful to say the least. My oldest was sick nearly all weekend. Which kept me indoors with her most the weekend. I secretly didn’t mind, it was in the 50s. 

She did make it to sell Girl Scout cookies with her troop for an hour but shortly after resumed her post; under a mound of blankets on the couch.  

The kids did dress up and have a dance party .

My older two tried to teach the little one how to jump. 

Yes, that is a little boy prancing around in a pink cloth diaper. 

How was your weekend? How do you handle cold/warm weather? 

Valentines recap and a sick baby

As I posted yesterday, not a big fan of the hallmark holiday Vday! I had a good day though. It was busy one of our busiest yet. Yesterday was filled with Tae Kwon Do, crafts, gifts, potted tulips (my hubby knows me well), cards, hand prints, and soccer practice. There aren't any pictures of soccer practice :( I forgot my camera and my phone was updating. 

Around here we’ve started the weekend with a fever... My oldest is staying home today with a 101. Her brothers are helping her get better by watching cartoons in bed! 

Uneventful but good

Hello world it is MONDAY! I actually enjoy Monday. Monday is always the start of another week but for me it’s back to routine and normalcy after a weekend of no structure. 

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We didn’t do much this weekend but it was great. Payton and I worked on her Valentine box for school, we played board games, played at the Park, went to the farmers market (more on that in a minute) and played hide and seek. 

My little gal LOVES crafts so lets just say she was in heaven when her and I put together her Valentine box for school. She did a really great job. And other than some spelling I let her do most the work. Go me! 

Many nights before bed the kids will ask to play hide and seek. The game in itself is so funny/ Preston can’t stay quiet long enough to hide, Cooper points out hiding places and eventually the game turns into a man hunt for the well hid adults. Cooper is especially funny when the “it” person is counting, he counts too... (he does this during time outs too) 

Okay, on to the market. We are vegetable freaks in this family. We eat a diet primarily of whole grains and veggies and more than not we enjoy trying new veggies. That being said OMG collard greens were nasty! I really tried to like them. I kept trying to rationalize the taste with the nutritional advantages but I couldn’t do it. I’m not sure if it was how I prepared them but yuck! I have a few more recipes to try out and plan on putting them in my 15 bean soup tonight but Im not sure about these greens. 

Vegetarian collard green recipes now being accepted. 

Hello busy weekend with a milkaholic party!!!

We had a busy weekend. There was a beautiful sun rise, a birthday, a baby shower, and a date. 

I went out side Friday morning and the sky was on fire. Seriously, no joke the sun rise was probably the most beautiful I have ever seen. My photos give it no justice. 

There are so many things in my life that should show me the awesomeness of our Lord and our creator but I seldom look at them as that. However, the sight out side my window on Friday nearly took my breath away. Simply magnificent. 

As I previously posted here I no longer have a baby. As of Saturday he’s is now a big 2 year old. Sadly, enough with that my husband is no longer letting me call him the baby anymore. 

Cooper opened his presents all on his own this year which was quite a thing. He would get about half way done taking the tissue out only to go back and put it all back in. Opening his 4 presents took about 30 minutes longer than it should have none the less he was excited and loves his new toys. There was cake... but no pictures were taken not sure about that.

Sunday

My good friend Pauli and I hosted a baby shower for 3 pregnant mamas (1 couldn’t attend). The theme Milkaholic it was a fun and hilarious shower. 

Here's a sneak peek at the decorations!!! 

Than later that evening I took my lovely husband out on a date. This was a pretty big sacrifice for me... I am not a seafood lover but he is. So we went to an oyster bar. THere were no oysters ordered my food was actually pretty bad but my husband enjoyed his... Well except the part where we were reminded that you can’t buy alcohol on Sunday’s in Alabama. To this is replied “Alabama sucks” I needed that beer. LOL. But we did go for froyo after and that was great.

Aren’t these funny one so fun and playful the other so dark. 

So what did you do this weekend? And how do you like your froyo?

I have a favorite kid.

Yep, you read that right! I have a favorite kid.

Most parents aren't willing to admit it. They say things like I love them all the same yatta yatta. Yea I love my kids and I even love them all the same but still I have a favorite kid. And thats okay.

I have a favorite kid to have a conversation with. My oldest has always been “old” for her age. Able to carry and understand conversations beyond her years. I love talking with her. She shows and teaches me so much every day.

I have a favorite kid to snuggle with. My middle man has always been my snuggler. He has always been the first to crawl up in my lap and get comfy. The other two will occasionally try to lay with me but they are all feet and elbows. Preston just has a way of melting his body into mine.

I have a favorite kid to make me smile. The “baby” as I call him is so funny. Man that boy can make a british guard laugh. I think the best part is he doesn't even realize that he's so dang funny, he's just busy being him.

So yep there you have it. I put it out there for all the world to see I HAVE A FAVORITE kid.

So, now lets be honest do you have a favorite? Do you think your parents had a favorite?

Weekend wrap up

We always have good weekends. But this weekend was GREAT. This weekend I am able to measure that based on our little ones ability to stay awake past 7.

January and the lake not really two things that go together very often but hello Alabama wonderful weather. We had a beautiful 70 degree weekend.

On Saturday we all including the water loving pup took a trip to the lake. The kids played in the water, we ate, we played and Astro swam. After we got back home we ate some more then set up the camp fire. No no marshmallows we all just sat around and enjoyed each others company. It was the perfect end to an amazing day.

On Sunday Daddy, the older two and Astro took another trip. First stop the archery range where daddy and Preston got some practice in. Preston's practice however had little to do with a bow and arrow but rather his ability to go potty on a tree. After finishing up there they took another trip to the Lake where they played and Astro swam. She’s one tired pup.

As I sit here writing this I feel so thankful to the Lord for all the wonderful things he has provided me. So truly blessed.

It's Thursday... It's okay

For some reason this is one of my favorite guided posts to write. There is something really fun and eyeopening about saying it's okay this is how it is and this is how I feel. So without further ado:
It's okay...
to take a break, step back and reexamine everything.
to maybe consider Alaska as a choice of places to live even if I've been against the very idea for years.
to be stressing about our next PCS which wont be till the summer.
to just want a break from it all.
to say you're sorry say your peace and let it go.
to be so super excited for a lunch date with a special little one this weekend.
to completely change your homes color scheme.
to be so excited about reading a book you find it hard to put down.

Merry Christmas to yours

I can hardly believe that we are already at the eve of Christmas. Where has the year gone, where has the holiday season gone.

I am blogging away from home today so I am making this short but I wanted to wish all of my readers a very Merry Christmas! I hope everyone is enjoying their families as much as we are. I can't wait to check out all the pictures I've been taking! Again, Merry Christmas!

Here are some pictures of the kids doing holiday crafts. A very special thank you to Miss Pauli and her wonderful mom for providing us with the trees.

These trees were awesome.

Payton

Preston or spiderman

An early visit from Santa

Things may go quiet around here for a few days… I hope not but we shall see. Just incase I wanted to squeeze in this last post before we hop in the car and head up to Tennessee.

We were lucky this year! I talked to Santa and he agreed to visit our house early so we could spend “Christmas” morning together in our home before going to visit family.

Santa came on Wednesday night after we were all fast asleep. This year was especially fun. This year we had two little believers who totally knew what was up. Our youngest is almost two so he didn’t quite get it, but he sure did help unwrap and play.

Payton man I wish everyone could see this kids face. In her stocking she got a Barbie pop star DVD (I’m sure we will be watching this in the car today). I don’t think I have ever seen this kids eyes so big, her face so bright and for the first time in her life she could barley form words all she kept saying was oh my, oh my, its its.

All Preston wanted for Christmas this year was a blue soccer ball and boy oh boy was he excited to see not only a soccer ball but also a basketball and football. Boys and their balls you couldn’t make him a happier boy. He also got a scooter and some action figures and animal planet dinos (we all had a blast reenacting Jurassic park).

And Cooper well he just had a good time. He helped unwrap the first 2 or 3 presents. He then went off and played with them and came back to help with a few more along the way. ( I had the older two unwrap most of his)

We had a beautiful day! The weather wasn’t great but the rain stopped about 3 and we took the kids outside to try out their new stuff. I wish everyday could be just like that one! The kids were so happy and so thankful.

Weekend wrap up

We had a wonderful weekend. After everything that happened Friday I really don't have much to say.
On Friday when my oldest got home from school all I could do was hug her and hold her. She thought there was something wrong but I just needed her to know how much I love her.
We had a low key relaxed weekend.Our weekend was filled with love, fun, and the sun!. We played A LOT this weekend. We had the pleasure of watching the most beautiful baby girl.

We played cards with the kiddos

Were pretty sure we have a little card counter on our hands. As we were playing Payton was memorizing what cards everyone had. (a daunting task considering we were playing war)
We spend a solid 4 hours outside yesterday. God love Alabama weather.

Sometimes you just need to post pictures of really cute kids…

Tomorrow if you visit my blog this is what you will find:

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