Recipes

Appetizers, casseroles, and delicious desserts all your guests will enjoy.

Party Themes

Looking to invite your friends over for a night of fun, these themed parties will entertain them till the party is over.

Traditions

Creative ideas for instilling your children with memories to cherish for a lifetime.

Design

Looking to redecorate or need some inspiration. These are my favorite looks.

Gifts from the heart

Nothing is more personal than when you make a gift and share it with your loved ones. Here are some creative ideas.

Look for love

My thoughts on love and why you should always look for it. You never know when or where it will show up.

Thursday, April 30, 2009

Make $ the Scentsy Way


I adore these wickless candles by Scentsy.  They are my favorite gift to give to friends, family, and teachers. Recently I purchased The Patriotic Candle for the 4th of July decor in my home.  To learn more about the product and the business opportunity, I interviewed Lisha Platta, Lead Consultant for Scentsy.








30daysof: What is the product you sell and tell me a little about the company:

LP: Scentsy Wickless Candles is a home fragrance company that use warmers and scented bars to fragrant your home or office.  There is NO wick, NO flame, NO soot, NO smoke, so we offer a very safe alternative to the burning candle.  They use a 25 watt lightbulb to melt/warm the scented bars which are made of wax, maximizing the fragrance time in your home.


30daysof:  Why did you get started in this business? 

LP: Because it was a fantastic product no one had heard of and there were very few consultants in California! I was getting in on the ground level and knew success would be easy. The company is based in Idaho and just celebrated their 5 year Anniversary this year.


30daysof: Is there a start up cost? Describe the start up cost and what you need to do to qualify for promotion or revenues, trips, cars?  

LP: The start up cost is only $99 and that includes everything you need to sell! There is no stock to buy, so you are not spending your own money upfront.  When you join at $99 that includes a warmer, scented bar, room spray, car candle, 50 catalogs and order forms, literature and training as well as 80 scent testers to get started! You are completely ready to begin.


30daysof: How do you stay motivated? Books, quotes, people who  inspire, etc... 

LP: My motivation purely comes from the passion and excitement I get from my customers reactions to the product! You would be amazed how "smells" can really lift a persons spirit or mood and transform them into another place and time with that fragrance. 


30daysof:  What is your favorite product or the best selling product  (service) you offer? 

LP:  The best selling product are the warmers by far, with the scented bars. They are very affordable at only $30 and each scented bar is an amazing $5!!  The hot sellers currently (warmers) are the Safari Collection (zebra, cheetah, giraffe) as well as the Resaissance Collection. The nice thing is you are not replacing a $20 candle every time you want a new fragrance in your house or office... you just switch out the scented bar and instantly you have a new scent!


30daysof: What is your biggest challenge in marketing your business?  

LP: Don't need too...the minute people see it, or walk into a scented room and ask what's that yummy smell, then they are instantly sold on the product!!  My bathroom plug in warmer gets noticed everytime someone goes in there to use it and they always ask where did I buy it (and that strikes up a conversation about Scentsy!) Also, our warmers light up so they have a certain beauty about them.


30daysof: How do you get paid?  

LP: By the company (25% commission on up) and by my customers at 100% profit if I sell products I received at no charge.


30daysof: Is there room for advancement (growth)?  

LP: Yes...by the amount you sell and by introducing people to join your team!! That is what I am currently trying to do, since there are not allot of consultants in California yet. It's great exposure since the market has never seen this product yet!! 


30daysof: Who is your competition? Other companies that sell the same products or services? Why did you choose yours? 

LP: The only other candle company that would be considered competition would be Gold Canyon, although they offer only 7 warmers currently, and we offer around 40.  Their scented bars cost $6 and last for up to 20 hrs, while Scentsy scented bars cost $5 and lasts for 60-80 hrs. 


30daysof: How can someone contact you to learn more about this business? 

LP: At my website at www.scentsy.com/lisha by phone at (949) 636-4988 or by email at lishaplatta@gmail.com 

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Make $ designing inspirational quotes.

Everyday as I walk downstairs I see a quote adhered to my family wall.  It reads, CHERISH YESTERDAY, DREAM TOMORROW, LIVE TODAY.   This constant reminder dissuades me from pettiness and inspires action in my everyday life.   Everyone has a favorite quote they live by but many times we can't remember what it is. Uppercase Living is a company that sells decorative quotes so people can transform their spaces into a reflection of themselves.  It is also a business you can make money your way.  I interviewed Wendy Pierson (WP), a representative for Uppercase Living to learn more about the opportunity.

30daysof: What is the name of your business?  
WP: Uppercase Living~vinyl expressions that are easily applied to walls or many other items to decorate your home.  You can very easily design your own personalized expression.  A great way to earn free product is to host an Open House.

30daysof: Why did you get started in this business? 
WP: I fell in love with the product and I knew I would regret it if I didn't promote it.  It is beautiful, fun, easy and makes your home more "you".

30daysof: Is there a start up cost? Describe the start up cost and what you need to do to qualify for promotion or revenues, trips, cars?  
WP: There is a start up cost.  Right now UL is offering the starter kits for only $99.  There is a requirement of $300 in quarterly sales to stay active.  It has never been a problem for me to meet this goal.  There is a 25% instant commission and also other promotions throughout the year including a cruise for those who are very motivated.

30daysof:  How do you stay motivated? Books, quotes, people who inspire, etc... 
WP: I am pretty much word of mouth as I do this part-time and for a little extra income....and fun too!  I usually try to have 1 party a month and generally get bookings from other parties.

30daysof:  What is your favorite product or the best selling product (service) you offer?  
WP: I love all the products.  They are great for every room in the house and also make great gifts.....Teacher Appreciation Week is coming soon!!

30daysof: What is your biggest challenge in marketing your business? 
WP:  I am not a go getter.....I prefer to let the business come to me from word of mouth.  I don't like to be pushy.

30daysof:  How do you get paid? 
WP: I get paid directly from the customer and then put the order on my credit card, minus the instant commission.  This has worked very well.  I have a credit card for my business so it is not linked to my personal account.  UL also offers a way for the customer to order directly off the demonstrators website and also for the demonstrator to accept credit cards.  There is a fee for these services.

30daysof: Is there room for advancement (growth)?  
WP: Yes.  There are several levels up the ladder of success.

30daysof: Who is your competition? 
WP: Other companies that sell the same products or services? Why did you choose yours?  None that compare to Uppercase Living.  UL offers more designs, more colors, and amazing customer service.  Also UL offers the customer a way to easily design their own custom expressions.

30daysof: How can they contact you or learn more about the company?  
WP: My website is http://wendypierson.uppercaseliving.net or my # is (951) 858-8377.  The catalog can be viewed on my website.  Contact me for any qestions or for any orders.


Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Make $ with Southern Living

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If you love decorating and entertaining in style then Southern Living at Home is a business opportunity to look into.  I interviewed Tasha Bantau, a 2 star consultant, to learn more about the business.

30daysof: What is the name of your business? 
TB: Southern Living at Home (AKA...SLAH) It is Southern Living at Home's mission to create a feeling of welcome, comfort, and beauty in homes all across America, while fostering the spirit of Genorosity in the lives of their consultants and their families.

30daysof: Why did you get started in this business? 
TB: That's simple, I just wanted the kit. SLAH has no minimums. You can simply by the kit and walk away with all that product. It wasn't until someone told me that they wanted to do a party that I even considered this as a business. Then I learned how awesome this company truly was. Most direct sales business make you purchase catalogs and other business supplies...not SLAH with every party you submit you get credits to purchase supplies and we just pay the shipping cost.

30daysof: Is there a start up cost? Describe the start up cost and what you need to do to qualify for promotion or revenues, trips, cars? 
TB: The cost for signing up is $199 plus tax (no shipping). You get over $600 worth of product plus all your business supplies (catalogs, order forms, training materials,etc...) oh and ME, as your fabulous trainer! SLAH is very generous with promotions...once you hit your first $1000 in sales you become a qualified consultant which means you get to start earning commission off anyone you recruit. After that its very simple to start promoting higher with more recruits you get as long as they are active ($500 in sales a month). With SLAH you don't earn a car, you earn cash! I recently earned my first incentive trip to Cancun, everything was paid for. I only spent money on the excursions that I wanted to do off property. We stayed at the all-inclusive Cancun Palace Resort. To earn that trip all I had to do was earn 13,000 points between January 1 - April 30. Each $1 = 1 point and each recruit = 1000 points. SLAH gave us the opportunity to earn double points in February where each $1 = 2 points and in March each recruit was 2000 points. That made it really easy for me to get this trip. 

30daysof: How do you stay motivated? Books, quotes, people who inspire, etc... 
TB: We have a great bunch of women in SLAH that keeps up motivated really well, they include us on conference calls where we meet SLAH consultants all over the US and they buddy us up with others so we have our own personal cheerleader. Our group recently read The Energy Bus what a great motivator this book was. It really is all about our positive energy that determines if we will exceed in everything we do.

30daysof: What is your favorite product or the best selling product (service) you offer? 
TB: Almost every customer wants the Entertaining Bucket and Stand, so the best way to earn it is through hosting a party to get a % of your sales towards FREE products!

30daysof: What is your biggest challenge in marketing your business? 
TB: I work a full time job in Orange County so it's hard for me to really market well in the area that I live in.

30daysof: How do you get paid? 
TB: Anyone paying by check writes the check to me so I collect my commission right away. If they are paying via credit card then SLAH will direct deposit the commission into my bank account.

30daysof: Is there room for advancement (growth)? 
TB: Totally! It's all up to you...what you put into your business is what you get out of your business.

30daysof:  Who is your competition? Other companies that sell the same products or services? Why did you choose yours? 
TB: I had made purchases with SLAH back in 2002 and loved the quality of the product, in fact my husband told me that if I was buying anything else from direct sales companies he only wanted me to purchase through SLAH because of the quality that was good enough for me! Princess House has started selling some similar items so I guess that would be our competition.

30daysof:  What is the best way to contact you to learn more? 
TB: Your clients are welcome to call me via cell at 714-742-8274 or email me at Livingsouthernca@aol.com. Of course, they are welcome to look at my web site www.southernlivingathome.com/SoCal to see the specials for the month for hostess and customers. I live in Corona but I'm willing to travel...I've done parties in Long Beach and all the way down to Chula Vista.

Friday, April 24, 2009

Spinach and Artichoke Quiche

I purchased this Spinach and Artichoke Parmesan Dip from Costco as an appetizer to bring to a family function. I was surprised to find a delicious quiche recipe on the back of the label. Since I always have a Trader Joes Pie Crust in my freezer (for Chicken Pot Pies), this dish was primed to be served. 

What you'll need:
-9 inch pie crust
-1 cup cherry tomatoes
-5 eggs
-1/4 cup milk
-1 cup spinach & artichoke parmesan dip
1) Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.  2) Beat the eggs with the milk.  3) Add cherry tomatoes to the egg mixture and pour into the pie shell.  4) Dollop Spinach & Artichoke Parmesan Dip by the teaspoon into the egg mixture. 50 Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes or until eggs are set and golden on top.

Bake the quiche in the evening and store in the refrigerator overnight.  Simply heat and serve in 2 minutes.  Great breakfast for the kids before school.

Enjoy!






Make $ with acai.

Many of you have driven by a car that has the sticker on the back with the words MonaVie applied to it.  Or a person who is glam'd up with this companies name all over their hat, their shirt, jacket and even on their jewelry.  MonaVie is a juice drink featuring the acai (/ah-sah-EE/) berry.  I interviewed numerous people to share the business module and product information.  The interview featured is from Jean and Steve Schulte (JSS) who are extremely passionate about sharing MonaVie.

30daysof: What is the name of your business?
JSS: We are Steve & Jean Schulte - MonaVie Independent Distributors
We have a BOTTLE OF FOOD...19 Superfruits - each hand picked for their superior nutritional value - with the #1 Superfood in the world - the Acai Berry being the CROWN JEWEL!  Combining the BEST of Science and Nature, this singular nutritional beverage is packed with a broad spectrum of phytonutrients and antioxidants to help you feel and look your best!

30daysof: Why did you get started in this business?
JSS: Because we wanted HEALTH AND WELLNESS in our lives on a LONG TERM BASIS and knew our family wasn't eating the 7-10 servings of fruits and vegetables we are supposed to be getting each and every day we started drinking MonaVie - and were SO COMPLETELY blown away by our own personal results we knew we had to share it with others!  I  had Cancer 8 years ago and NEVER wish to get it again...and I fully appreciate and understand the power of ANTIOXIDANTS eliminating FREE RADICALS in our bodies - which are the pre-cursor to cancerous cells.  My main goal has and ALWAYS will be to help people get HEALTHY  both physically AND financially for those who wish to create an additional income stream!  The WELLNESS Industry is the LARGEST sector of industry right now and within that SECTOR the primary driving force is the Functional Food Category or Functional Beverage Category. 
 
I saw HUGE opportunity mixed with a much higher purpose of helping bring a tremendously healthy product to market worldwide.  Initially, we started to share MonaVie to just try and "earn our product for free".  Needless to say....it went WAY beyond that very quickly!  In just 18 months, we've created an additional income stream that matches my full time corporate career annual salary!  And we've created that.....PART TIME!! This is passive, residual income that will bless our family for many years to come!  Now we get the privilege of showing others how to create that for themselves!
 
30daysof: Is there a start up cost? Describe the start up cost and what you need to do to qualify for promotion or revenues, trips, cars?
JSS: The TYPICAL start up cost is a $39 Enrollment Fee and whatever product you purchase at wholesale.  As a MonaVie Stimulus Package - the Enrollment Fee is WAIVED so you can put that into your Product instead!  If you want to be a consumer.....you just need one case per month per adult in your household.  For less than $4.00 a day...you can get the equivalent of 13 servings of fruits and vegetables from an antioxidant content in just 2 oz. twice a day!  MonaVie is a great VALUE....it's always there and ready for you - pour your shot and it tastes great!  If you were to TRY and eat 13 servings of fruit a day - you would no doubt have waste and fruit you would have to throw away due to it "going bad".....you don't have ANY waste with MonaVie!  It's quick, it's easy and it's a value!  Exactly what people want and need! 
 
If you want to build a business.....we have bulk order options that allow you to greatly reduce your cost on a per bottle basis to anywhere between $20-32 a bottle.  You can order 3, 6 or 12 cases to get your business launched and have "no lag" time in being able to put product in people's hands when they say "YES".  

30daysof: How do you stay motivated? Books, quotes, people who inspire, etc...
JSS: I read and listen to alot of motivational authors and speakers!  A few of my favorites are Jim Rohn, John Maxwell, Mark Yarnell and Joyce Meyer.  Leaders are readers......and investing in ourselves and in our ongoing personal development is an important aspect of my personal philosophy!

"Success is neither magical nor mysterious.  Success is the natural consequence of consistently applying basic fundamentals."  Jim Rohn

What we think about, we bring about....so feed your mind positive messages and surround yourself with positive people!  It's infectious!  We become our environments!!  
 
30daysof: What is your favorite product or the best selling product (service) you offer?
JSS: My favorite product is the MONAVIE ACTIVE juice!  It's an amazing whole food that has made a world of difference in my health and my family's health!  I also have to say the MonaVie Gel packs in individual servings refrigerated or frozen are GREAT for  traveling!! (Kids love it too!) 

30daysof: What is your biggest challenge in marketing your business?
JSS: Finding ENOUGH time to make ALL the visits and calls to EVERYONE I know and LOVE to share this AMAZING product!!

30daysof: How do you get paid? 
JSS: First of all - MonaVie has the FINEST Compensation Plan in the Industry!  MOST Network Marketing Companies payout only 10-15% of total profits to their Distributorship.  MONAVIE pays out 50% of the GROSS profits on a weekly BASIS - every week for the past 4 years.  

WEEKLY we get paid every FRIDAY.....we call it GOOD FRIDAY in MonaVie!  We get an email notifying us how much MonaVie is depositing to our Mona-Visa card!  

Right now in America.....an extra $500 a month can sometimes be the difference between a family keeping their home or losing it.  We show people how to create that additional income stream coming into their household with this amazing home based business!  And whether your goals are an extra $500 a month or $5,000 - it's all possible!  We are living proof of that!


30daysof: Is there room for advancement (growth)?
JSS: ABSOLUTELY!!  There are over 300 M people in the US and only about 2 M people thus far consuming MonaVie and only 7% of that figure actively Distributing it!  MonaVie was founded in 2005, and is just 4 years old - and proud to be a Debt Free Company with the profile of a Fortune 100 company.  MonaVie reached the $1 Billion mark in sales in just 3 years - thus making it the fastest growing Network Marketing Company of all time. Faster to the $1 B mark than Amway - which comparatively took them 11 yrs - with a vast product line.  The Management Team is a team of EXCELLENCE!  Our long term goal is to be a $20 Billion Company in 20 years.  At this pace...that won't be a problem!!

30daysof: Who is your competition? Other companies that sell the same products or services? Why did you choose yours?
JSS: When we looked at the Functional Beverage Category -we realized this was the LARGEST sector of the Wellness Industry.  The Functional Beverage Category is a $50 Billion market sector (including MonaVie, Red Bull, Gatorade, Monster, etc)  We felt MonaVie was superior due to it's HIGH antioxidant AND phytonutrient components. It was a HEALTHY beverage that packed much more "punch" than the competition!  There are 11,000 Baby Boomers retiring everyday.  They all want to be healthy, active and stay looking and feeling young!  What if YOU knew what 1 Billion people worldwide needed?
1) We particularly LOVED the fact that the primary Ingredient was the #1 SuperFood in the World, the ACAI BERRY from the Amazon Rainforest.  

2) MonaVie holds the PATENT called the "Opti-Acai Process" that allows them to LOCK in 100% of the nutritional value of the Acai Antioxidants thru a patented freeze drying process.  Other companies spray or air dry their Acai only capturing 2/3 of the nutritional value.  

3)  MonaVie is the largest purchaser of Acai from Brazil - thus allowing us to get the PREMIUM fruit. Acai is the #2 Export from Brazil next to wood.

4)  We were completely impressed with the Five Star Opportunity of MonaVie!  The Right Product, The Right Timing, The Right Management Team, The RIGHT Compensation Plan and The Right Cause - The MORE Project which stands for "MonaVie Operation Rescue" which was founded to hep disadvantaged children overcome their circumstances and become self-sufficient through education and training.   


30daysof: How can they contact you or learn more about the company?
JSS: Please contact us so we can share this AMAZING product and opportunity with you!  We welcome your phone call or email and promise you will be impressed with our commitment to providing outstanding service, Leadership and support to our team of consumers and Business Builders!  
Get in touch with me so I can share the Opportunity with you either over the phone or in person!  You can check out my website at www.mymonavie/jeanschulte

Steve & Jean Schulte
Corona, California
(951) 898-9317 home / (951) 642-3396 cell
email:  TheAcaiAdvantage@prodigy.net
website:  www.mymonavie/jeanschulte



Thursday, April 23, 2009

Turn a hobby you love doing, into a business you can do!

I interviewed over 30 different business owners to learn more about how to make $ doing what they love.  As I await all the interviews, here are links to some businesses many people are supplementing their income with.  


Other businesses I interviewed included the creators of products, a wedding coordinator, a money making blogger, a capital marketing start up group, a photographer, and a florist.  These interviews will be posted as I receive them.  

NOTE: It is not my intent to promote any business or person through April topic...making $ your way. These links go directly to the website and do not include a distributor link.  The interviews are meant to inspire and to inform people of the various opportunities to help supplement an individuals income. The interviews will provide a distributor's contact information in which you can contact them to learn more. As with any goal you want to achieve, ultimately it is up to the hard work and passion of the individual person.  

Tatata!