Healthy Family, Happy Family

Hi friends! Today's blog post is a little different from what I usually post. Usually, you see me posting funny stories about my kids or documenting our adventures with photos. I've even done some paid product endorsements from time to time. But this time, I'm telling you about some products we use in my household just because they are wonderful.

We are Melaleuca customers. Maybe you've never heard of Melaleuca--I hadn't, until our friend shared the information with us almost six years ago. That's right, we've been using Melaleuca for over five years!

Melaleuca is a private label company that was established in 1985 with just a few household and wellness products. Today, they offer 450 different products. They don't have big marketing budgets or do commercial advertising, which keeps their prices low. You pay a membership fee to sign up, much like a wholesale club. You just shop online for the things you used to leave your house to purchase! Read on...

Why did we sign up to use Melaleuca?

First of all, I was pregnant with the twins when we started our membership. The idea of online shopping and home delivery was so appealing to us! Anything to cut down on our trips to the store with three kids. You place your monthly order online, and it's delivered right to your door by UPS within 3-4 days.  Now, I know not everyone gets such good service, but my UPS man will even carry my package inside the house for me! Convenience!

Second, we have three kids and want to keep them alive. Melaleuca products are all chemical-free and safe for kids and pets to be around. You know what? They don't even have kid-proof lids on the cleaning products because they are non-toxic! In 30 years of business, this company has had ZERO insurance claims over safety. Chemical-free and non-toxic means safe for the kids, safe for Fergie and I don't have to choke on bleach fumes when I clean the bathrooms. Safety!

Why are we still using Melaleuca today?

We love the products! Honestly, there isn't one thing we've tried that we didn't like. Here are the things that we regularly use: vitamins, lotion, laundry detergent, dish detergent, first aid supplies, shampoo/conditioner, deodorant, essential oils, household cleaners, insect repellent....and more.

This is our most recent order below. So excited to try the new toilet cleaner--it's a brand new product! Melaleuca is always adding something new. 

Also, the company cares about the environment. Products without chemicals are easier on the environment and packaging is created with less waste; many of the liquid products are highly concentrated so you use less and it lasts longer.

I can't tell you all about the products in one post, so here are my TOP 3 (today). I'll post a few more later in the week, so keep watching. 

This is the Attain crave blocker shake mix. There are lots of flavors, but I'm a chocolate gal all the way. I mix it with milk for breakfast and it keeps the munchies away until lunch. It works!

This is Sol-u-Guard, one of the all-purpose cleaning products from Melaleuca. It comes in the concentrated bottle on the left, and you mix it with water in a spray bottle to use. This is a disinfectant with no chemicals! I love the way it makes my kitchen smell. 

This. This is my beloved Renew lotion. Let me tell you, I have super dry skin. Like, all the time--even in the summer. Renew is the first lotion that I've found to actually help me! I have relief from my dry, itchy, flaky skin all year long. God help us if we run out of Renew.

IMPORTANT! SALES PITCH! If you are interested in a membership to shop Melaleuca, please let me know. The membership fee is only $29 but through January, it's ONLY ONE DOLLAR. You only have a few days left to get the sale price. There is no risk, no contract and you can cancel anytime. You know me....I'm skeptical of everything. This is legit, y'all.  Let me sign you up today. You can even Google "Melaleuca" and you won't find anything negative at all, I promise.

Holiday Recap

We had a flurry of holiday activity that started with our (mostly) annual trip to Branson. We spent the weekend swimming, eating and playing at Silver Dollar City. It was way more crowded than I ever remember it being in the past, probably because the weather was beautiful and mild the day we went. The little kids and Nanny enjoyed all the kid rides. The big coaster riders had to sit out because of Lee's injury and TP wasn't feeling well. 

We had a quiet Christmas Day at home feasting and playing with all the kids' loot. We cooked the best turkey we've ever had, but I'm going to save that for another blog day.

My little Christmas miracle is that I finally got to set up my Dickens village, after storing it for nearly 10 years! I finally have room for a display and can trust my kids not to handle it or break it. My handy hubby repurposed an old wooden ladder for me to use as a display. It's so beautiful that I still haven't taken it down, even though the Christmas tree and decorations are all put away. It makes me so happy to look at it, that I may leave it up all winter.

For New Year's, we headed to Wynne, where we had our family Christmas and went to the Liberty Bowl for the Hogs vs. Kansas State game.

I picked the best photos of our holiday season to share. 

2015: Out with a bang!

Look! I'm here!

I think that the 4th Quarter got the best of me in 2015. All the prep work for holiday time in retail--Santa, events, sales, advertising---just wow. It sure left me with very little time or energy for blogging. And I still had to take care of holiday prep at home!

Things are certainly much different, and much slower, now. This is where I fill you in on all the drama that we ended the year with.  Let's see...

On December 17th, Lee went to the doctor for what he thought was kidney stone pain, and got put on medical leave from work. Turns out he has a hernia, not kidney stones! The surgeon couldn't even see him until after Christmas for a consult. He's been off work since then, and set to have surgery this Friday. Say a little prayer that everything goes smoothly. He will likely be off work another four weeks at least.

The very next day, I found out that I was losing my job. I won't get into details, but there has been an ownership change at the mall and a lot of other people were let go as well. In nearly 20 years of professional work, this is the first time I've lost a job. It's very strange.

Talk about a bad week! Yikes.

The good news is that I was able to be home with these little turkeys while they were out of school for holiday break. We cooked, baked, had play dates and got ready for Christmas. It really was very nice.

Now it's time to find a job and get 2016 started off better than last year ended. Wish me luck!  A bonus? Now I have more time for blogging!

I Think I Might Be "Tech People" After All!

Last Tuesday, I attended the 2015 Northwest Arkansas Technology Summit, presented by the Bentonville-Bella Vista Chamber of Commerce and the NWA Tech Council. When I first heard about the event, I was sure that it was not a place for me. My mental image was that of people with pocket protectors and social skills akin to Sheldon from The Big Bang Theory. File me under "prone to stereotyping" again.  (shame)

 

The event was very well organized and full of more information than my non-techy self could process. It was great in every way! I was exposed to so many new ideas and lots of things that apply to my life: professionally, as a blogger and as a consumer. 

 

Nearly 1,000 people were able to come together and learn from people who are getting it right when it comes to blending technology with their businesses. People were welcoming and encouraged questions and offered explanations. I was able to join a group of my fellow Northwest Arkansas bloggers to help promote the event on social media in real time, which was also fun.

 

Professionally, I knew that I could take away some things that would certainly help me in my daily marketing duties...and boy, did I! Mainly, as much as the world has gone to digital and online shopping, there is still a place for brick & mortal retail in the world. People may go into a store only to pull up an item on their phone to purchase, or check out an item in person before they buy online. It's still our job, as sales professionals, to provide excellent customer service to earn the customers' trust and make them want to buy from us.

 

Customer service is universal in any business; in person and online.

 

Another big takeaway for me? The job opportunities! This gave me such hope for my kids' future! I got even more affirmation to challenge, encourage and show them the value of technology in their lives now and in the future. I want my kiddos to embrace it and go toward it. The possibilities are unlimited and will continue to grow as they do.  

 

Here are a few of my tweets from the presentations at the Northwest Arkansas Technology Summit.

The event will be coming back in 2016, so watch for information if you missed this one and might want to check it out! If I can learn from it, you can too! Let me know and I'll save you a seat.

What Does Leadership Look Like For Kids?

I am participating in a monthly awareness campaign with my fellow bloggers and friends in the Northwest Arkansas Bloggers group. Each month, we have a selected topic of focus to learn about, discuss and share with our readers. This month the focus is on leadership; particularly women in leadership roles and/or politics.

 

 

At this stage in my life, I think a lot about what leadership means in the eyes of my daughters. I want them to think, and to know, that they can do and be anything that they can imagine. I try hard to be a good example to them and to encourage them in every way. I want to introduce them to strong women who are doing good things in the world.

 

My older daughter is in third grade. I look around at the things she's already being taught in school, and I know she's way ahead of where I was at her age. Her school administration preaches the ideal of "I can't YET" instead of saying "I can't," when things seem difficult. It's written on banners in the school hallways and often recited aloud in the classrooms. I absolutely love this! So much so, that I find myself saying it at home when the kids want to quit or give up on a project, homework, a game, etc.

 

To me, that is perfect leadership. A leader is never a quitter.

 

 

Leadership didn't come easy to me, either. I was a shy kid. Like, super shy. I didn't really get my sea legs until the middle of college, when I was living in a house with 60 other dramatic young women. That will do it to you, for sure. I see a whole lot of myself in Big Sis: she's quiet, shy and just kind of blends in with the other kids. Gradually, she's getting more involved and interested in things at school and certainly in helping others.

 

This school year, Big Sis has joined Girls on the Run. It's an after school club for 3rd-5th grade girls, where they spend time learning about self esteem, self control, confidence and leadership. After the lesson, the girls hit the track to train for a 5K at the end of the semester. First, I'm thrilled that the school sees the importance of such a program that works on the mind, soul and body. Second, I'm beyond thrilled that Big Sis chose to be a part of it on her own, without my prodding! The 5K is coming up next weekend and I'm going to be her buddy runner.

 

Big Sis has learned so much as part of this group. In addition, it's given us the opportunity to talk about their lessons at home and lets me affirm to her how important all of these things are in her life.

 

To me, this is another example of perfect leadership. Girls need to know early that everything they do is important, whether it's related to their personal health or in the way they treat others. Affirmation = Confidence = Leadership. Right?

 

Here is a worksheet she brought home from Girls on the Run a couple of weeks ago. I want to frame it or maybe just hang it on the fridge...or on a billboard.

 

 

 

Just like any mom, I want my baby girls to grow up to be great. I want to see them be successful and happy, above all else. I can't wait to see what their future holds...stay tuned.

 

 

 

That One Time We Went to the World Series!!!

 

 

 

Let me tell you, it’s a beautiful thing when a husband and wife share the same interests. You never know, it just might lead to a spontaneous mid-week road trip!

 

But first, let me start at the beginning. You see, I’ve loved baseball my whole life. In a state that bleeds St. Louis Cardinals red, I grew up rooting for the Atlanta Braves with my daddy, mainly because all of their games were broadcast on TBS. Easy access, you know. I was a fan way before Chipper Jones took the team to the top…back in the heyday of Dale Murphy, Ron Gant, David Justice, Fred McGriff and Brian Jordan. Oh, and I loved me some nutty John Rocker.

 

I was the girl who sat alone in the sorority house basement watching baseball playoffs in the mid-90s when the Braves were killing it.

 

Before inter league play, I barely knew there was an American League.

 

Fast forward some years when I met a guy who didn’t speak my language. You see, my boyfriend was an AL guy. Sheesh.  I even took him to St. Louis to a Cards/Braves game on one of our first dates, hoping to convert him. And what happened surprised us all…

 

 

 

 

I married him anyway and he converted me. It took some time, but I think I’ve turned into an AL gal. This guy who stole my heart also took me to Kansas City, to the most beautiful baseball stadium, to introduce me to his favorite team. Over the past 12 years, we’ve sat through opening day temps below freezing, we’ve been to games with more ushers than butts in the seats and we’ve dragged our three kids to a game that was standing room only (NEVER AGAIN).

 

Even better, we attended the 2012 All-Star Game and Home Run Derby in Kansas City, which has definitely been the sports highlight of my life thus far. This was also Chipper’s final All-Star game, and I might have cried through most of it, but I can’t say for sure.

 

I might be a girl, but after getting to the All-Star Game, the biggest remaining thing on my bucket list was to get to a World Series game. I’m sure that we would have laughed if anyone had suggested, even five years ago, that the KC Royals would be in the WS, which would give me the most logistically convenient path to attending a World Series game. 

 

 

 

Being the most excellent wife that I am, I bought AL playoff tickets for Lee in 2014, because I knew he’d waited almost 30 years to see “his team” end their cycle of loserness. I was also happy to cheer them on, but I wanted him to soak in the moment. I gave up my ticket for mommy duty (regret), and he took off to enjoy a couple of days in KC gorging on baseball and BBQ.

 

So, when fate took the Royals back to the Series this year, we knew we had to get ourselves there. We debated all through the playoffs—to go or hold off for the WS?  We held off, in hopes that we could get a hold of some tickets—beg, borrow, steal or take out a bank loan. We talked ourselves into heading to KC for Game 1 vs. the Mets, but changed our minds last minute due to the awful weather forecast. Of course, this ended up being the game that went FOURTEEN INNINGS.  Sigh. Oh well. We made arrangements for childcare and I took two days off work so we could head to Game 2, WITHOUT TICKETS.  What???  I know, probably the most impulsive thing I’ve ever done, but so glad we did.

 

 

 

We got to KC in time to have a little tailgating time with several thousand other blue-clad, die-hard fans, most of them already having tickets in hand. Once our burgers were finished, with a pocket full of cash, we started the walk to the stadium in hopes that someone would have mercy on us. Let's just say, that mission was not accomplished. You see, the poor, down-trodden, overlooked Kansas City Royals from the past are none of that anymore. They are champions and the fans have multiplied! There were easily another several hundred other people with the same idea as us, and as unlucky as us. Nobody was selling tickets at all. We hung out until after the second inning then took off toward home. We stopped along the way to watch the game and have dinner and talk about what might have been.

 

We aren't sorry that we tried. We had a lovely adventure together and used the long ride home to plan our ticket procurement strategy for next year. Challenge accepted.

 

 

 

 

Conversation With My Kids

I realize that I haven't written a post in over a month. I guess things got a little crazy at the Bramell house in October. The twins took their first kindergarten field trip and got their first report cards, then Halloween! There's a lot to catch up on.  All in good time...but first:

 

 

 

 

 

On the way to school the other day, Girl Twin wanted to talk about music.

 

Her: Sometimes songs on the radio make me cry.

 

Me:  Why?

 

Her: They are so beautiful, I cry.

 

Me:  Which ones? (I really wanted to know!)

 

Her:  Not the jammin' ones. Just the ones that sound like whistling.

 

OK then.

 

 

That girl. Sometimes she's still such a baby, and sometimes, she's so grown up. I am glad that she appreciates the beauty and emotion in music, even if she couldn't really articulate it.