Pumpkins!

Pumpkins! I love them! I love them in pie, breads, soups, curry sauce, muffins, cookies, shakes.....it's endless! And many of those things I have been enjoying lately with my family.

We went to the Pumpkin patch recently and got some nice pumpkins. Baking pumpkins taste SO much better in recipes then canned pumpkin. Here are some highlights of our pumpkin fest recently and a couple of our pumpkin treats. Enjoy!

Baking pumpkins are great for making some yummy treats.

I cut it in half, took out the seeds (which are also yummy when baked) and baked it in the oven for around an hour at 350.

I put the fleshy part into the blender with some water and pureed it.

We used the puree for all sorts of recipes including my favorite - Pie! Here is my 4 year old helping me make some pies.

If you have never tried homemade pumpkin pie with real pumpkin, then you need to do this - today! lol. It is the BEST!!!

I also made some yummy pumpkin shakes with pumpkin, Vanilla Cinch protein, vanilla extract, pumpkin spice, Cinnamon, raw honey and ice. Blend it up and prepared to be blown away! Tasty and healthy! Yum!!!

We also had a great time carving our pumpkins recently.

And today my 2 year old had a little party at his parent/toddler class. It was so cute to see the kids dressed up.

What is your favorite pumpkin recipe?

I hope you have a healthy and safe Halloween! Praying for all of you on the East coast.

Don't forget to visit me on Facebook soon! I have a Shaklee special running through Halloween night. 

Rebecca

Organizing the Garage

  Happy Thursday! Let's get organized! 

If you are just joining us, we have been getting organized using Jennifer Ford Berry's Organize Now book.  

 

It has some great info and tips on organizing various parts of our life and home. You can see past posts here:

Week 1 about Organizing Your Mind and Life Vision HERE,

Week 2 about Organizing Your Priorities HERE,

Week 3 about Organizing Your Schedule HERE

Week 4 about Organizing Your Cleaning Schedule HERE.

Week 5 about Organizing Your Personal Information HERE. 

Week 6 about Organizing Your Finances HERE. 

      Week 7 about Organizing Your Bill-paying System HERE.

        Week 8 about Organizing Your Receipts and Taxes HERE. 

Week 9 about Organizing Your Files HERE

                          Week 10 about Organizing your Magazines and Newspapers HERE.

                                               Week 11 about Organizing Your Email HERE

                                                Week 12 about Organizing Your Mail HERE

                                         Week 13 about Organizing Your Child's Toys HERE.

Week 14 about Organizing Your Crafts HERE.

Week 15 about Organizing Your Photographs HERE.

Week 16 about Organizing Your Purse or Wallet HERE. 

 Week 17 about Organizing Your Vehicle HERE.

                                                  Week 18 about Organizing Your Pet HERE.

Week 19 about Organizing Your Books, CDs and DVDs HERE.

Week 20 about Organizing Your Entryway or Mudroom HERE.

                        Week 21 about Organizing Your Family Room or Living Room HERE.

Week 22 about Organizing Your Kitchen Countertops HERE.

Week 23 about Organizing the Kitchen Cabinets HERE.

Week 24 about Organizing the Pantry HERE. 

Week 25 about Organizing the Refrigerator HERE.

Week 26 about Organizing the recipes HERE.

Week 27 about Organizing the dining room HERE.

Week 28 about Organizing the Laundry Room HERE.

Week 29 about Organizing the Bathroom HERE

Week 30 about Organizing the Medicine Cabinet HERE.

Week 31 about Organizing Your Child's Clothes and Closet HERE.

Week 32 about Organizing Your Child's Memorabilia HERE.

Week 33 about Organizing Your Child's Bedroom HERE.

Week 34 about Organizing Your Bedroom Closet HERE

Week 35 about Organizing Your Memorabilia HERE

Week 36 about Organizing Your Master Bedroom HERE

Week 37 about Organizing Your Jewelry, Accessories and Purses HERE.

Week 38 about Organizing your Home Office HERE 

Week 39 about Organizing the Linen Closet HERE.

Week 40 about Organizing the Basement HERE.

Week 41 about Organizing the Attic HERE.

This week we are working on the garage. This is actually my husband's department. He enjoys organizing the garage. Although we have a 2 car garage, it is tight getting our van and compact car to fit. So we had to be creative with storage space.

 

My father-in-law helped my husband build shelves, which has been so great for storing things up high. And we use hooks to hang things like bikes above.

 

 

 They also hung this peg board for tools with some shelving above it.

Since we didn't have a lot of space on the ground, we used what we had above and it works great!

This Week's Goals:

 

1. Take everything out of the garage and sort into piles: 

 

Toss, Things that will stay in the garage, Things that do not belong in the garage, Things to sell or donate, Things that belong to someone else.

 

2. After the garage is empty, put your car(s) in to see how much space you have. put tape down to mark the area where your car is. If you don't have a lot of space, consider hanging shelves and hooks like we have in my garage.

 

3. Categorize the things that will remain in the garage and find a good home for it. If you are not able to fit everything back in with your car there, consider getting rid of more things. Some people use an outdoor storage container or shed.

 

4. Go through your other piles and get rid of things that do not belong in the garage. Throw out things that are broken or rusted. Return items that do not belong to you. Donate or sell items (garage sale, craigs list, ebay, etc) that are in good condition but you do not use. Find a good home for the remainder of the items in another place in your home or basement.

 

 

Tips:

 

1. If you want more light in your garage, paint the ceiling with a light-colored high gloss paint. (what a great tip! I would have never thought of that!). Our garage door has windows, so we always have a good amount of light.

 

That's it for this week. Is your garage organized? do you have too much stuff in it?

 

Next week we will organize the yard and garden.

 

Thanks for reading! Please visit me on Facebook soon!

 

Rebecca   

 

Promoted! My mom's Story

I am super excited to share big news in my shaklee group! My mom and business partner was recently promoted to a new Shaklee 

FastTrack Director!!

What does that mean? Well, it is the first major promotion a person can achieve in Shaklee. She is now a business leader. And she will receive a $500 bonus and be recognized at a special VIP dinner in chicago at the Shaklee regional conference next month! She is also in qualification to earn an all expense paid trip for two to the New Directors Conference happening at company headquarters in the bay area of California! AND she has earned two tickets to the Global conference in Nashville this summer! Additional bonus options are available as she advances in the business.

My parents have been using Shaklee products for 37 years now! My mom has always been a distributor, but always casually sharing during her teaching career. Now that she is retired, she decided to start a business with Shaklee and is finding very good success in sharing products that we both love!

Our Shaklee team is quickly growing! It is really exciting, which is why I wanted to share our group's news with you. I know that some of you out there have considered starting a business of your own. But you wonder if you could do it. What it takes. What the right business would be for you.....

I am excited to share that ANYone can be successful in this business. I never thought I would do anything like this. But when you believe in the products so much because you see first hand how good they are and how they help your family, you can't help but share them. In sharing the products, you help other people get healthier. It's a great thing to be a part of and the bonus is that you get wealthier too! Cash, trips, cars - Shaklee has it all for who ever wants it! And we are the only company that as a FastTrack program where you can decide when you want to jump on it and earn up to 100,000 in 15 months!!! I saw many people earning these bonuses in Las Vegas at the global conference in August!!!

Shaklee is the #1 Natural Nutrition Company in the US. Our CEO, Roger Barnett, is a wonderful leader and visionary for the company and the future of it. Here's a quick clip of Roger explaining why he chose to invest his time and money into Shaklee and how this company and its products are making people healthier and wealthier and how it can help you reach your dreams too!

 The products are wonderful and not luxuries but things that we use and need every day. I have found that providing my friends and family (and their friends and family....) with quality products that they benefit from, a loyal customer base is established that continues to grow.

Shaklee offers:

Green Household Cleaners (super concentrated so they save money)
Cinch Inch Loss Program
Vitamin Skin Care
Anti-aging products
Whole food supplements for children and adults
Sports Nutrition
Pure Water Filters
Non-GMO & Gluten-Free products
And an awesome Earnings and Benefits Plan!

Basically, something for everyone!You can check out my website for more info.

I became a distributor in 2010. I had known about the products my entire life but my husband (who is a scientist working with natural products) and I really started paying attention to the quality and science behind the products a few years ago when we became parents. You can read more about that in My Shaklee Story post.

My mom and I attended the Shaklee Global Conference in Las Vegas in August. It really helped both of us turn our 'Shaklee Hobby' into a Shaklee Business. The statistics show that a person is 20 times more likely to advance in rank after they attend a Shaklee conference. It only took about a month for that to happen for my mom! I was so impressed by how many success stories I heard from people at the conference. People just like me and perhaps you! Many stay at home moms. It was inspiring and when my mom and I returned we went to work. Sharing more. Helping people get healthier and wealthier through natural nutrition. And one thing I really love is that I am not required to do parties, to hold minimums each month to keep my rank, etc. It is flexible to how I am able to fit it into my life. Love that!!
 


You may know that I am a board-certified music therapist. I put my Waterways Music business on hold when my husband and I moved to Indiana and started our family. Music therapy took me out of the home. There is always time to do music therapy when my kids are in school. But with Shaklee, I can contribute to our income right from my home right now. Right along side my 2 boys. And since Shaklee is a health and wellness company, it fit right into my business as a music therapist. And I am proud to say that I have earned a bonus check every single month since I became a distributor, with the exception of the first month. 

Here's a quick video explaining how the business works:

 

If you or someone you know is interested in earning an extra $500-1000 a month or more and start your own business, I would be excited to share the earnings and benefits plan with you to see if it is a good fit. I am looking for more motivated business partners on our growing team. Take a look to see how you can earn these FastTrack bonuses too. How you could earn a trip to the company headquarters for the new directors conference in California and to the global conference next summer in Nashville. How you could earn a trip on the Majestic Cruise Line to the Southern Caribbean in 2013! How you could earn a trip to Paris, France next year too! And a new car! Real people are doing this and our team, lead by lifetime Master Coordinators, Chuck and Joyce Hoffmann, are making these things happen too.

What are your dreams? Join Us! :)

Thanks for reading! Have a wonderful Day! Visit me on Facebook soon!

Rebecca

Organizing the Attic

  It's Thursday and time to organize! 

If you are just joining us, we have been getting organized using Jennifer Ford Berry's Organize Now book.  

 

It has some great info and tips on organizing various parts of our life and home. You can see past posts here:

Week 1 about Organizing Your Mind and Life Vision HERE,

Week 2 about Organizing Your Priorities HERE,

Week 3 about Organizing Your Schedule HERE

Week 4 about Organizing Your Cleaning Schedule HERE.

Week 5 about Organizing Your Personal Information HERE. 

Week 6 about Organizing Your Finances HERE. 

      Week 7 about Organizing Your Bill-paying System HERE.

        Week 8 about Organizing Your Receipts and Taxes HERE. 

Week 9 about Organizing Your Files HERE

                          Week 10 about Organizing your Magazines and Newspapers HERE.

                                               Week 11 about Organizing Your Email HERE

                                                Week 12 about Organizing Your Mail HERE

                                         Week 13 about Organizing Your Child's Toys HERE.

Week 14 about Organizing Your Crafts HERE.

Week 15 about Organizing Your Photographs HERE.

Week 16 about Organizing Your Purse or Wallet HERE. 

 Week 17 about Organizing Your Vehicle HERE.

                                                  Week 18 about Organizing Your Pet HERE.

Week 19 about Organizing Your Books, CDs and DVDs HERE.

Week 20 about Organizing Your Entryway or Mudroom HERE.

                        Week 21 about Organizing Your Family Room or Living Room HERE.

Week 22 about Organizing Your Kitchen Countertops HERE.

Week 23 about Organizing the Kitchen Cabinets HERE.

Week 24 about Organizing the Pantry HERE. 

Week 25 about Organizing the Refrigerator HERE.

Week 26 about Organizing the recipes HERE.

Week 27 about Organizing the dining room HERE.

Week 28 about Organizing the Laundry Room HERE.

Week 29 about Organizing the Bathroom HERE

Week 30 about Organizing the Medicine Cabinet HERE.

Week 31 about Organizing Your Child's Clothes and Closet HERE.

Week 32 about Organizing Your Child's Memorabilia HERE.

Week 33 about Organizing Your Child's Bedroom HERE.

Week 34 about Organizing Your Bedroom Closet HERE

Week 35 about Organizing Your Memorabilia HERE

Week 36 about Organizing Your Master Bedroom HERE

Week 37 about Organizing Your Jewelry, Accessories and Purses HERE.

Week 38 about Organizing your Home Office HERE 

Week 39 about Organizing the Linen Closet HERE.

Week 40 about Organizing the Basement HERE.

 

 

 

 

 

This week it's the attic. Since we don't really have a functional attic that we use in my house, it's another easy week for me. But maybe not for you. I know my parents have a pretty big attic and lots of stuff gets put there over the years. Is that you too?

 

 

 

This Week's Goals:

 

1. Put the items in your attic into four piles. 

 

Toss. Sell/Donate. Someone else's item. Keep.   

 

2. Throw out things that need to go. Make a plan to return items that belong to someone else. (this could be an older child who has moved out of the house). Donate or sell items that you wish to do this with. 

 

3. Categorize your Keep pile. Be sure that you really need to keep everything in this pile. If not, give it to someone who will appreciate and use it.

 

Kid/Baby items and toys

Clothes

Holiday Stuff

Memorabilia or heirlooms

 

Make a zone in your attic for each category to keep it organized.

 

4. Be sure to take items out of the attic that can be damaged by heat. 

 

 

 

Tips:

 

1. Secure poles to hang seasonal clothing in the roof slope between the rafters. Be sure to put the clothing in zippered garment bags.  

 

Do you have an attic? What do you store there?

 

Thanks for reading. Be sure to visit me on Facebook soon! :)

 

Rebecca  

Natural Cleaning Part 5 - Dish Detergents

We've made it to the 5th and final Natural Cleaning post - Dish Detergents!

The last few weeks I have shared how I clean my house naturally.

Part 1 was about my favorite household cleaner.

Part 2 was about my favorite scouring cleaner.

Part 3 was about my favorite germicide.

Part 4 was about my favorite Laundry products.

My husband and I de-toxed our home a few years ago and now use only three non-toxic cleaners for the whole house! It's so great to reduce and not worry!

So today it's Dishes!

Who likes to do dishes? Yeah, me neither. But of course we all have dishes to do. Unless you can afford to have someone do them for you. Or have a really great spouse or roommate who does them all of the time. Wow, wouldn't that be nice?

If you have read my past posts, then you can probably guess that I use Shaklee's dish detergents. Shaklee is the #1 natural nutrition company in the US and something I have known about all of my life as my parents have been using their products for 37 years now! The dish detergents are wonderful and like the other products I talked about, very concentrated so good for the budget too.

I love the Dish Washer Automatic Powder Concentrate. It works really well. You only need 1 scoop (2 tsp.) in the dispenser cup. In hard water areas you may need more unless you have a softener.

Cleaning Credentials:

Natural

Concentrated

Biodegradable Surfactants

No Phosphates

No Chlorine

So it is complete safe for you, your family and also the environment! Love it!

Side note: Once a month or so, I add a little straight Basic H2 Organic Super cleaning concentrate into the rinse aide in my dishwasher. This helps to sparkle up my glasses beautifully!  

 

For doing dishes by hand, I love the Hand Dish Wash Liquid Concentrate. This is a pretty amazing product as you only need a few drops per sink load and maybe a drop or so on your sponge per dish. I use this awesome and washable microfiber sponge. They say it's an exercise in restraint and it is if you are used to a ton of suds. I know many people feel that suds equal clean. But that really isn't the case. Too many suds can actually be bad for your pipes (both in the kitchen and laundry room). I like to put about a tablespoon per cup of water into a foaming bottle. Works great!

I love the light fresh scent of this product. And it is so gentle on my sensitive skin.  My parents have been using it for 37 years in their house that does not have a dishwasher! I know, I can't even imagine not having a dish washer!! So they use this product every day and do you know that they have only had a plumber to the house one time?! It is a degreaser so it will keep your pipes clean. No more use for toxic drain cleaners. Awesome!!

Cleaning Credentials:

Nontoxic

Natural

Hypoallergenic

Biodegradable surfactants

No Phosphates

Like all of Shaklee's products, these come with a 100% money back guarantee. And members or distributors save at least an additional 15% always. If you are interested in any of the cleaners, you may want to take a look at the various Get Clean Kits. You would spend $3400 with other cleaning products to get the same amount of clean with the Get Clean Starter Kit because the products are so concentrated!!

Thanks for checking in. I hope these posts have been useful to you. Stop by and visit me on Facebook soon!

Have a great day!

Rebecca