Why I Have An At Home Business

I Do Not Belong To a Pyramid Scheme

A couple years ago I wrote a blog post about the difference between a legitimate network marketing business and a pyramid scheme! This week, one of my awesome team members and friend wrote this amazing post about the same thing. The best part for you is that it is much shorter than what I wrote! (each link is a different post)

_______________________________

There’s a crazy myth floating around that I need to clear up once and for all. 

I hope this doesn’t cost me any friends. (Maybe I’ll even gain some!) 😁 If this information somehow offends you, I’m going to put a link at the bottom of this post to an article posted by the United States Federal Trade Commission and you can see that I’m totally 100% on point with what I’m saying.

“Pyramid Scheme”

For some reason, this is a nasty stigma that cynical or uninformed people assign to others who:

– Have a home based business where they sell a third-party product
– Assemble and train a team of others who have chosen to do the same thing
– Earn income from both their own sales and the sales of some of their team members

Bottom line:

LEGITIMATE COMPANIES with a tiered payout and distribution structure are super-common, totally legal, and a fantastic, ethical way for companies to get visibility for their goods or services. It is sophisticated word-of-mouth “advertising.”

PYRAMID SCHEMES are illegal and get shut down by the government very quickly when they pop up. I’m going to paraphrase some of what is discussed in detail in the article at the bottom of this post.

So-called “pyramid schemes” promise members profits based primarily on recruiting others to join their program, NOT from selling any real goods or services to the public. Some pyramid schemes may sell a product, but they often simply use the product to hide the fact that the majority of the money paid out to participants comes from high buy-in cost for new recruits, not from end product sales to the public. Two things to be aware of that pyramid schemes are notorious for are (1) requiring new recruits to purchase a bunch of inventory up front that they won’t use and will probably not be able to re-sell and (2) money is made from the high sign-up fees of new recruits, not from legitimate product sales to the public. 

In pyramid schemes, the people at the “bottom” spend a bunch of money on high buy-in costs and (possibly) a lot of products that sit in their garage, while the people at the top collect from everyone below, selling hype, and cracking the whip on people to bring in more and more new recruits at astronomical buy-in fees. In order to make any money, the newest recruits need to go and try to get a bunch of other people to spend a fortune to sign up, rather than actually getting customers who like the product and want to purchase it. It is very high pressure with a lot at stake.

Pyramid schemes are few and far between and get shut down quickly by the FTC. By far the vast majority of companies with a multi-tiered distribution and payment model is are totally legitimate. In the article below from the Federal Trade Commission, there is an entire section about successful, legal companies that use multi-level distribution and payment models.

I’ve been working with in this type of business for nearly 15 years and it’s been AHHH MAZ ING. Not perfect, but really, really great.

✅ Yes, I have a home based business.
✅ Yes, I market a product that my family has benefited from and uses.
✅ Yes, I help other people learn how to do the business if they think it’s a good fit.
✅ Yes, I receive commission if I do my job well and the people I have taught are successful.
🚫 NO, I am not gullible, brainwashed, desperate, foolish, lazy, or part of a pyramid scheme.

The “pyramid scheme” accusation used to hurt me.
Then it would just annoy me.
Now it REALLY ticks me off.

Why does it tick me off? It’s not because I can’t handle a little social pressure. I’ve developed a thick skin and can recognize misinformed people the second they start talking. It ticks me off because it hurts people I care deeply about. These are men and women who are taking more control of their family income and working hard with legitimate and thriving companies who are getting shaken up unnecessarily by the biting comments of people who don’t have a clue what they are talking about.

I hope this informed and well-researched post will help these people as well as those who may have never taken the time to learn exactly what the difference is between an illegal pyramid scheme and a legitimate business with a multi-level type distribution and payment structure.

In my opinion, companies with a multi-tiered distribution and pay-out model are the next logical “evolution” of authentic, decent, and ethical marketing.

Please let me explain why.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

HERE IS THE ORIGINAL “FLOW” OF PRODUCT DISTRIBUTION:

In the past, MANUFACTURERS would create a product in their factories and then ship it to NATIONAL WAREHOUSES.
The NATIONAL WAREHOUSES would store the products until they needed to be shipped to REGIONAL WAREHOUSES.
REGIONAL WAREHOUSES would keep the products until they were needed as inventory in LOCAL RETAIL SPECIALTY STORES.
LOCAL RETAIL SPECIALTY STORES would put the products on the shelves.
CUSTOMERS would see company-produced advertisements in media and come to the LOCAL RETAIL SPECIALTY STORE to purchase the product. In most cases up to 60% of what the customer pays is simply to cover the cost of moving the products from factory to warehouse to warehouse to store and to pay for the advertisement. That’s a huge expense.

(Example: Nike factories in China MANUFACTURE millions of Nike brand shoes. They ship tens of thousands of shoes to NATIONAL WAREHOUSES all around the United States. They are then sent out to REGIONAL WAREHOUSES so they are closer to the stores that will eventually purchase and re-sell them. Nike LOCAL RETAIL SPECIALTY STORES in your local shopping mall place orders from the regional warehouses for a few hundred pairs that end up on their display racks. CUSTOMER sees a $5 million 30-second Nike ad on TV during the Super Bowl, and the next day goes to a LOCAL RETAIL SPECIALTY STORE to pay $190 for their new Nike shoes. Approximately $114 [60%] of this is to cover the cost of moving the shoe from factory to warehouse to warehouse to store… plus that snappy ad he saw during the Super Bowl. 👟💸)

This isn’t the most fabulous system, but it is generally pretty standard marketing. And of course this isn’t just for shoes… you can substitute most any other type of physical product out there for the Nike shoes.

1950s EVOLUTION OF PRODUCT DISTRIBUTION

In the 50’s and 60’s there was an evolution. LOCAL RETAIL SHOPS were replaced with LOW COST DEPARTMENT STORES (think WalMart, etc.). Now you could buy shoes, and hammers, and mayonnaise in the same store instead of going to a shoe store, then a tool store, then a grocery store. Among other changes, they centralized distribution and found low-price suppliers. This also cut out at least one step at the end of the distribution process, saving money for the end customer.

1980s EVOLUTION OF PRODUCT DISTRIBUTION

In 1983 and 1984 Costco and BJs were founded and there was another evolution. REGIONAL WAREHOUSES were replaced by these MEMBERSHIP ONLY BIG BOX SUPERSTORES. Sure, there weren’t as many of them as the large department stores, but for an annual membership fee, you were allowed to go directly into the warehouse to do your shopping. You could buy the same sorts of things that were available in the large department stores, but in larger quantity, with less packaging, and the cost was even cheaper because the products didn’t need to be moved as much. Plus, advertising costs decreased with this step as well. Instead of needing to market to everyone in the country, a company would only need to market to the people who happened to be members of the big box superstore (think about that little Costco flyer that is sent to your house once a month. A lot cheaper and targeted than Super Bowl ads.) 📦💵

2000s EVOLUTION OF PRODUCT DISTRIBUTION

In the early 2000s, online retailers like Alibaba and Amazon swept in, connecting customers directly with manufacturers from their PC or smartphone. Websites like Etsy also popped up and allowed people to sell their wares to other customers. This was a MAJOR breakthrough in distribution because suddenly there was very little advertising or distribution costs. And with Amazon Prime, shipping was really affordable to people who used their service on a regular basis. It’s no wonder that a couple years ago Jeff Bezos, owner of Amazon, became the richest man in the world! He understood that if he could find a way to connect customers directly with manufacturers he could turn huge profits—and it was incredibly scaleable. He could sell other people’s products for slightly less than would be charged in another brick-and-mortar store and make a mega profit, plus the profit from under-utilized Amazon Prime accounts really adds up, too.

AND HERE WE ARE WITH THE LATEST EVOLUTION… THE MULTI-LEVEL DISTRIBUTION MODEL

These companies have been around for a long time and many have been fine-tuned for decades. A handful of companies (I can tell you which ones) have totally nailed it. These are consumer-to-consumer businesses, marketing fantastic consumable products that are both timeless and in demand by the public. These companies have created a business model that encourages customers to not only be educated about and use their products, but also to have the option to be compensated for sharing their own experiences with others if they wish. In return for a referred sale, the company pays the customer some of what would normally be spent on expensive advertising or the cost of moving products from warehouse to warehouse. The part I love the most is that customers who want to create a higher income for themselves can be compensated for effectively teaching other customers how to share company-created information about the product as well as their own experience. Advertising dollars from these companies are not spent on a expensive psychology-driven, hypnosis-inducing marketing campaigns that utilize just the right colors, sounds, and carefully crafted marketing messages that make you feel an irrational preference to buy their stuff over that of a competitor. No—with this business model, advertising dollars are paid out to customers who really like the products, can offer their own experiences with other people, give an honest recommendation, and share in some of the profits if the person they are talking to decides to make a purchase. It’s totally win-win-win.

Good companies get in trouble when their representatives start going crazy and exaggerating or making false claims. We’ve heard about a few of them in the news lately. Thankfully, the companies who I have kept my eye on are really monitoring their partners to make sure that no one is over-promising.

If you’re personally not comfortable buying from someone you know, that’s totally fine. But please don’t cry wolf on our businesses. It’s not classy. If you are leery of “pyramid schemes,” I hope that this little exposé of mine sets your mind at ease. Chances are your friend on social media, or your sister, or your co-worker is just sharing a product that they really like and are not in a cult. 😂

Here’s the link with the facts on pyramid schemes:
https://www.ftc.gov/public-statements/1998/…/pyramid-schemes

Post written by Brian Roes on 7/16/19
#familylifetransformation

_______________________________

This is my story, this is my life! I have lived with many autoimmune disorders but I was never told that is what I was dealing with. After many medications and specialists a friend offered me nutrition. Slowly my life went from misery to victory. 

I still have days where I struggle but I am living life on my own terms. I am able to provide solutions to others who have a need for health and financial relief. I am able to help families who struggle to get nutrition into children get nutrition into them with ease. 

This is my story on how I found a solution that helps my health and our family. 

Signs You Could Be Missing That Help You and Doctors Detect Autoimmune Disease

I have talked a lot about the fact I have autoimmune issues. Yes technically they are diseases, I prefer to call them issues.

I have been following a blog: Her Unusual Journey and she has been dealing with and dealt things very similar to me.

Here is the thing I know there are others out there who suffer like I have and do from time to time still. Yet when I read it, see it, hear about it, I am still heartbroken. I would not wish the things I have gone through on anyone I know.

She recently wrote a blog titled, “Signs That I Missed In Detecting Autoimmune Disease” and it was spot on. Here is a part of what she wrote:

Hey Guys! Okay, so I know I’ve talked about this before but I had signs of autoimmune disease when I was growing up we ignored. If you have any symptoms of anything I recommend getting checked out before its too late-better to be safe than sorry. I am just going to go into some of the things I’ve experienced that are common with autoimmune disease. I read an article that brought me to this realization on evenbetterhealth.com

Fatigue
I’ve had major major issues with fatigue my whole life. I never thought anything of it other than I was a growing teenager or child. I mean 8 hours of sleep can’t even satisfy the fatigue I have. I am always always tired. Coffee doesn’t work, adderall doesn’t work. It’s for sure a major issue in my life because I have to nap constantly.

Muscle Weakness, Muscle Pain, & Joint Pain
I started having problems with this more and more as my autoimmune disease has developed particularly this year. You probably recall me talking about how I feel like I’m stuck in an 80 year old’s body–this is why. Also, when I was younger (and still now), I had this burning pain in my back when I was stressed and no one could figure out why and well all I can say is wooooowwww.

Swelling/ Inflammation
This is kind of new still. During my flares my right eye swells up so-that’s always good.

Susceptibility to Infections
Hahahahahahaha is all I can say. Lemme just tell you this year alone I’ve had multiple sinus infections, walking pneumonia, and regular colds. Whenever anyone sneezes or coughs on me I know I am done and down for the count.

I highly encourage you to go and read the rest of this amazing post! You see I have dealt with all of these things, for a long time. I never connected them to being related to a much bigger issue, like an autoimmune disease. I really thought and felt it was what adolescents went through. I never grew out of these things though, so I guess when I hit my mid-twenties I should have realized that something more was going on! Still didn’t catch on.

When I did finally start to reach out to my doctors and I did start to get diagnosed, I never knew the things I was being diagnosed with were actually autoimmune diseases. Not a single doctor said those words to me. It didn’t actually click and sink in that I had autoimmune issues until my general practitioner said she wanted to send me to an immunologist. Then a light bulb went off that maybe I had some autoimmune things happening.

That is when I looked up what autoimmune diseases were, what made them that, how they were treated, how they affect people and if you could get rid of them. At that point I realized that 90% of the things doctors had diagnosed me with were all autoimmune diseases. It was pretty heartbreaking. Especially since no one had figured out what was causing the overall body pain, swelling, infections and everything else that I had going on.

I am doing much better since I changed my eating habits seventeen months ago. I am doing much better since I started to flood my body with whole food based nutritional capsules daily. I never thought I could say that fruits, veggies, berries, chocolate and vanilla would change my life. And yet it has!

I can’t encourage you enough to go and visit Sydney and her extremely well written post about signs you may be missing! I wish that this post had been around when I had no idea what was going on! You won’t regret the time it takes to read what she wrote.

So this is me when I go out in public and illness is flying around. When I am sick or when the flu (stomach and lung), gastro anything, common colds or anything, this is how I look when I go out of the house. Having any autoimmune problems leads to needing protection. It is not fun, especially with glasses on. I tend to fog them up (anyone have suggestions for that?) and then I can’t see. Still if it helps save me from being down with an illness I will take it.

So this is how I used to look when I would get a flare up. Smallest flare ups for me lead to swollen eye, swollen nose and swollen lips. If I was really lucky I would also end up a swollen cheek. Thankfully it has been about twelve months since I have had swollen eye, nose, cheek and lips during a flare up. Not only did I hate going out in public but it was extremely painful. I didn’t think I would ever be so thankful to not have swelling on my face.

 

This was me, not at my worst with rosacea. Which come to find out is an autoimmune disease. My face would be red, swollen, full of pustules, and I called myself a reverse clown face. I couldn’t have my children kiss me or touch my face without pain. My husband would kiss me and I would be in tears. I would wash my face while I cried. It was one of the most miserable times of my life. My body didn’t look red like my face but the rest of my body was in just as much pain as my face was. I wasn’t happy, I didn’t smile, I cried most of the time and I had no idea how in the world I was going to continue living the way I was.

Autoimmune issues are real and they affect every part of your life. You may be missing signs that show you have autoimmune issues going on. Go read her blog. She may have something that opens your eyes and helps you talk to your doctor about what is going on.

 

Essential Oil Diffuser Recipes

I found both of these pages online. I wish I knew who they came from because I have been using them a lot and have been very happy with them.

I have not been the most motivated person lately. It seems there are just certain points I hit that struggle to keep on going. I know part of this is going on because of a low vitamin D and being anemic.

Still I got online and did some searching. While I love to create my own diffuser and roller bottle blends, I just wanted some that were tried and true.

So I found this sheet of Motivational Diffuser Blends online. I have used a lot of them. I don’t think there was a single oil listed on the sheet that I did not have.

I have used all of them at some point over the past couple of weeks. I am however particularly fond of the ones that have lime in them. I just love the smell of lime. It is so invigorating in itself!

I have also been using blends to help with relaxation and rest. I am tired but I struggle with getting to sleep and at times even staying asleep. So I have been playing with these blends for the night time.

Each and ever person is different. While some might work fabulous for one, it may not be the best option for someone else. So play around with what helps you sleep the best for yourself.

One of my favorite oils to use at night is Stress Away. There is just something so relaxing and comforting to me about that essential oil. One of my favorite things to do with it – put it on my wrists just before I go to sleep. Without even realizing it I tend to put my wrists up by my face and then inhale it even more.

Also have you ever wondered what is the right amount of time to actually take a nap? I do not nap often, I am thinking I might be better served if I did from time to time. Still here is a great little clip that explains the best amount of time to nap for certain situations!

I know when I do take a nap, often I end up sleeping much longer than I need or wanted to. Then I get up feeling worse than when I first laid down. So I should probably print this out and keep it next to my bed for reference!

I hope you have all had a great week and have a great weekend!

When You Realize There Is One More Thing To Eliminate From Your Diet

The healthier I get the more I realize there are things that are just not good for me. There are some people who are out there who can indulge in certain foods from time to time and they don’t have huge consequences. On the other hand I am seeing when I get things like dairy, I bloat and have intestinal issues for about a week.

Today we had Bible study here at the house. There is nothing that soothes my soul like a great talk with some of the best friends I have ever had. One was missing today but she had a really good reason. I indulged today in some white cheddar popcorn. I did it on Monday as well (another Bible/book study).

So this past weekend, after a week of clean eating, my stomach was really flat (as flat as you can get when you are fluffy). I could see a huge difference. By Tuesday after having the cheddar popcorn the night before, I was bloated in a massive way. It all of a sudden hit me that the only thing I had really added back was the dairy.

It was a sad moment for me. In March of 2016 of eliminated gluten. I am not 100% gluten-free because I have cross contamination in my home. But I do not eat gluten products myself anymore. I have gotten used to not eating gluten. I have eliminated a lot of the gluten products in my house but there are still a few things I let the rest of the family eat. So to realize that I have one more thing that I must eliminate was a little heartbreaking.

I have been doing a really good job and feeling better. But when I realize that a lot of my current issues are due to choices I am making, I have to stop it. I know what being in pain is like. I know what feeling better is like. So how can I intentionally make choices that bring the pain on?

Still today, without thinking about it, I ate more white cheddar popcorn. Not only that, I ate some caramel almonds, some yogurt almonds, and some chocolate almonds (all powdered, all with dairy). Before I sat down for dinner, I looked like I was even more fluffy than when the day started. Then it hit me again.

DAIRY

So here I am, having to make an even more adjustments and being even more conscious before just putting something into my mouth. Not only will this be an adjustment for me, it will be for the external family and friends. I have zero issues skipping out on eating something but others take offense to it if I choose not to partake in meals offered.

My family and my husband’s family have a hard time accepting that I choose not to eat certain things. They feel as if they have to make things I can eat. I personally do not expect everyone/anyone to change what they cook or eat to accommodate me. If I am worried I won’t have anything to eat then I bring my own food that I know I can eat.

You see I have a lot of different autoimmune issues. Each one of those issues comes with its own diet to follow. Sixteen months ago when my family and I started to flood our bodies daily with fruits, veggies and berries those diets slowly changed for me. I was able to start slowly adding things back in I had not been able to eat for a long time.

It was wonderful being able to eat tomatoes, onions, garlic, lemons, limes and anything else I really wanted to. I could pick out any apple to eat instead of only a few that are more low acid ones. It was like I was a child seeing her presents for the first time on Christmas morning and then opening those presents and seeing everything she had put on her Christmas list. It was that amazing!

There were a few things though I had questions about still. I was doing my best to keep our family off processed foods, I was working on eliminating gluten, I was iffy on the whole dairy thing and then one of the biggest ones was how did I go about replacing sugar with a more natural sugar. Once I started flooding my body with the whole food nutrition on a daily basis tossing the gluten wasn’t a bit deal.

I didn’t crave it like I used to do. I wasn’t really eating many processed foods at that point. My family still does but my consumption was down to maybe 4 times a month. Dairy I had no idea how I was going to eliminate that one. As a matter of fact I crossed that off my list of eliminations and figured if it really was a problem I’d get to it later.

How was I going to replace sugar with something more natural? I wasn’t certain. But I started with looking around trying to figure it out. Everyone has their own opinions on it. I have been doing mainly raw honey (local farmers) and real maple syrup. It has been doing a really good job actually.

I have fibromyalgia. I have rosacea. I have psoriasis. I have endometriosis. I have interstitial cystitis. I have sjogren syndrome. I have raynaud’s phenomenon. I have reactive arthritis. We were about to start testing for mixed connective tissue disease and started testing for eosinophilic esophagitis but some insurance complications came up.

Autoimmune issues come with pain, inflammation from pain, and each one has its own diet plan (like I said earlier), many prescriptions, and so many tests and doctors that I can’t even begin to describe it. On top of that comes exhaustion, depression, anxiety, self-consciousness, and more emotions that you may not even be able to describe.

It is not easy living a life that most don’t understand. I avoided people. I didn’t want to be friends with people really because I couldn’t be the friend I should be. I was not happy. I tried to pretend but I didn’t do a very good job I am sure. I cried a lot. I lived in bed a lot.

I am sure you are getting a general picture to what I was like. How anyone could love me, I am not sure because I didn’t even like myself.

But things changed in February 2016 when my husband and I decided to start the children’s health study with our purchase of our fruits, veggies and berry capsules. We were going to feed our children for free, for up to four years. Why not? I mean we had tried everything at that point. What if this was the last thing I ever had to do to feel better? What if this was it?

Guess what? It was it! It has helped in ways I never thought possible. My daily pain levels of 10 plus are down to 4-6 daily. My red, reverse clown face that made me cry when I washed my face or my children kissed me is pretty much gone. My pustules that made me hate looking in the mirror are about 90% gone.

Those I things I never thought I would reach. Those are things I had given up on long ago. I cried daily and I hated it. I don’t cry often anymore and rarely do I cry from pain anymore.

So for me to realize that I have one more thing I need to eliminate, it is a bit disheartening but in the grand scheme of things, I am okay with it. It will take work because I have to go back to reading packages more carefully. Soon I will know what I can’t have.

It is a price I am willing to pay so that maybe that 4-6 daily drops to a 3-5 daily!

Taking A Week Break

I may post here or there but I’ll be back next Monday. 

Cancer, Health, Overall Wellness

I wish I could say that my eating habits were perfect and I only made good choices. But I am not perfect. There are times I make really poor choices. Like today, I really wanted a sweet treat and so I ate marshmallows. While it isn’t an overall bad choice, my body doesn’t do well with processed sugars anymore. It probably never did well but I made the choice to not associate it with my poor eating habits.

I have been flooding my body daily with whole food nutrition (in capsules) and it has changed my life. I know what happens when I make poor choices and yet I still make them. Tonight my body is rebelling from my poor choices earlier today. It is crazy how fast the processed sugars now affect my body. It is what happens when you remove them from your diet.

I thought I was a healthy person. I ate my fruits and veggies each day. I had all of my servings. So why wasn’t I healthier? Because I was still making unhealthy choices. I was still eating junk food. I was eating a lot of processed sugars. I was eating a lot of unhealthy carbohydrates (cookies, cakes, bread, etc.).

Not only that but I wasn’t eating a variety of fruits and veggies. I was only eating a few of each and that isn’t enough to help your body be healthy. Each fruit, veggie and berry has its own phytonutrients  that work with its own organs of the body. It was no wonder that my body was still in a broken state. It was no wonder that when I started taking the whole food nutrition daily my body started to heal and get better.

Cancer seems to run in my family. If I continued on the path I was, I was pretty certain I would end up with cancer. There are a ton of people in my life who have cancer. I wish I would reach out to them and help them. I have something that would help but just like me, they are skeptical and don’t get it yet.

It isn’t always easy to make changes, especially when it comes to our health. We just want to eat what we like. We want what tastes great. Which is one reason that I talk about think about one change at a time. Add just the good stuff and maybe when you start to feel a little better from the goodness, you will then start to make other changes.

I am not perfect but I am focusing on balanced living now. I wasn’t when I first started. Do you live a balanced life? It isn’t always easy, like I said earlier. Have you ever heard about the healthy living revolution? It is exactly what it sounds like!

It is a focus on changing your life so that you are getting healthy. Making healthier choices. Moving more. Getting enough sleep. It is about changing your life. Thinking about one simple change at a time. There is no point in overwhelming our bodies, our minds and our lives with trying to change everything at once.

Trying to make a complete overhaul is a perfect way to give up on everything. At least for me. I used to go into something 100% with trying to make changes. It was an all or nothing mentality. It would work for a while and then I would give it all up. It was just to much for me.

It has been sixteen months since I started making changes in my life. Guess what? I have been making slow changes and each change I have made I have kept going. I am still not perfect but I haven’t given any of it up. To me that is amazing.

In the past sixteen months my life has changed. Here in Michigan it has been raining for the last three days. Do you have any idea what would happen to me prior to rainy days before I started to make these changes? Let me take  you through the basics:

• My body would
•  start to ache, especially my hands, shoulders, elbows, knees, feet, thighs, hips and neck.
• I would barely be able to move without being in pain that was a 10+.
• I would attempt to do laundry (basement) and my knees would give out.
• I would attempt to do dishes and I would break cups, plates, glasses and anything else glass in my sink because I would not hold onto it.
• I would not be able to hold a brush or comb to take care of my hair and would need my daughter to pull my hair up into a messy bun (because a ponytail would show it was uncombed).
• I would attempt
  to vacuum and give up because I wouldn’t close my hand well enough to grip the handle.
• I would attempt to cook and would either drop the food from the oven while taking it out or putting it in. I would end up burning the food because I didn’t have enough hand strength to stir the food in the pans. Little Caesars was a best friend to me (as long as someone else would go and get it.

Yesterday I realized this:

I have vacuumed, done dishes and folded clothes today. Then it dawned on me that today has been a rainy day. Sixteen months ago I would not have been able to accomplish any of those today without awful pain and consequences. So thankful for the ability to flood my body with nutrition now!

Do you know how amazing this is? I didn’t lay in bed making my children bring me peanut butter, jelly, and the bread so I could make them a sandwich to eat. I was up and I was active. It is because I have finally taken control of my health. I am not perfect and I still have bad days but I am so much better even on my bad days.

Our health, our wellness, our ability to protect ourselves from illness, autoimmune issues and even cancer really comes down to how we treat our bodies. What we put in our bodies, what we put on our bodies, what we breath in and if we move or not all makes a difference.

I am not saying that you can prevent everything but if you could prevent when it started

would you? If you could live a longer life before serious things showed up in your life, would you? I know I would.

There is a woman who I had the privilege of watching talk and learn from a couple weekends ago. She is amazing with her knowledge. She has a PhD, RD and specialized in Oncology Nutrition.

She is going to be speaking on Sunday, August 6, 2017. If you are interested in hearing this talk, please send me a message. I would love to pass the information on to you!

This is our one and only life. You want to be able to enjoy it your way. Yes sometimes that means not being able to indulge in everything you want all the time. That just means you get a healthier life, a longer life, a life you get to enjoy with your friends and family.

 

 

We Are Buying a Tower Garden

We are pulling the trigger and getting ourselves a tower garden! Wonder how the tower garden works? You can watch this short video that gives an overview:

http://juiceplus.dropmark.com/340746/8000760

We have decided it is time to start really saving on our grocery bill! Have been contemplating this move for 16 months now. Before it didn’t make a ton of sense because it was just pretty much myself and ADam who would be eating the fruits and veggies. However since we have been taking our capsules and chews their tastes are changing!
Here is a video with actual customer reviews:

http://juiceplus.dropmark.com/340746/7760325

Are you wondering why a tower garden is a better choice verse a traditional garden? There are five researched back benefits to aeroponic gardening.

1. Tower Gardens can increase yields of up to 30%
2. Plants grow up to 3x more quickly
3. Tower Garden uses up to 98% less water
4. A vertical design requires 90% less space
5. Pollution and pests are less of a problem

If you would love to read the whole article where this has come from click here!

One nice thing is that with it being summer, I can stick it outside for the rest of the warm weather. Then in the winter we can get the lights on and move it indoors.

Have you ever just been so excited for something? It is almost like I’m a little who can’t sleep because Santa is coming to leave presents under the tree!

Are you looking for a way to help your grocery budget while still eating healthy? Do you love to garden but hate the weeding and getting dirty (I do!)? This could be the perfect solution for you!

Are you worried because you live in a small space? We have talked about that here in our house as well. However we know it isn’t that big. In the winter we are going to put it in the kitchen at the end of the cupboards. I have a couple friends who are in apartments who have them in their living rooms in the winter and then our on their deck in the summer.

I can’t wait to start sharing photos of the growth from our own tower garden!

Small Update With Photos

I am tired. Jack David had his surgery. The past week has been a blur. Yesterday evening I noticed something was off with him. He took a nap, woke up and we had some serious issues. Behind his left ear he either had an infection, cellulitis or a blood clot. So we took off to the ED (I seriously hate calling it ED and prefer ER). He has been admitted for cellulitis with possible MRSA. They are treating it with an antibiotic that will take care of both.

Thought we were going to be going home today and instead we are here until at least tomorrow. Praying we get out of here tomorrow or we are going to have some serious issues with child care stuff. Sometimes things work out just right, seeing Jack is off work for the holiday, it is really helpful. 

In Tears 90% Of Today

No sleep last night. He is miserable today. Have made up a roller bottle for him with some lavender, melrose and peppermint mixed with coconut oil. He isn’t eating much. He hates his pain meds. He threw up his antibiotics. 

Took a two hour nap and woke up with headache. 

Exhausted and thankful he kept his JP down. 

Going to attempt to sleep while I can. 

Brain and Body Break

Been working long hours to get prepared for my middle sons open house. 

Having a chronic pain autoimmune flare up. 

Taking tonight off!

See you tomorrow.