Simplicity Project #13

As I'm sure you could tell from my lack of posts this month, life has been a bit nutty lately. Hope is as busy as ever and so is mommy. Work has been completely overwhelming and I think I had my first anxiety attack the other day. But despite the craziness, I find myself able to grab on to the peace of Jesus in the midst of it all. Though needless to say, blogging has taken a bit of a back burner.

I am happy to report as a follow up from Simplicity Project #12 that I made $182 from the Encores and More Consignment sale. So all in all it was worth the work! I recommend you consign in the February 2010 sale. This was the first time I participated in the adult/home decor sale and I am surprised to say I got a bigger return on investment from that sale than the kid's sale.

This month I tackled my pantry. The pantry is the one area of the house that seems to get messy very quickly. With a toddler constantly running between my legs, I usually throw things on a shelf and slam the door before she can begin rummaging through the trash. It's become a little game I play. . .how fast can mommy put away the Cheerios before Hope comes to call? She usually wins. That little bugger is fast!

Here is the pantry before. . .


And after. . .


I re-designated shelves for different categories. Snacks. Hope's snacks. Baking items. Canned goods. Breakfast foods. Etc, etc. I purchased a few containers to hold cereal and rice so that they appeared more neatly on the shelves as well as used several bins I had on hand to keep things like baking items or taco seasoning packets in place. Now, the difference is nothing earth shattering but I can assure you, it's much more organized than it was before. It just feels good to know things have their proper place.

Who wants to place bets on how long it says neatly organized?

Mommy sells Mark.

So, remember when I was studying Proverbs 31 earlier this year? Well, I've continued to chew on that passage and actually found an interesting and practical book on the subject. The study breaks down the verses and covers all of the attributes of the Proverbs 31 woman and what that meant for her life as a wife, mother, homemaker and entrepreneur.

For months I've been considering the idea that the P31 woman did not have idle hands (she worked hard) and she worked out of her home, contributing financially to the household. Although the season for me to work from home is a bit down the road for us, I have felt compelled to get started with projects and endeavors that could someday allow me that pleasure.

A few months back my mom (who has always contributed financially to our household) began selling Avon. In an effort to support her (and because I am obsessed with makeup) I started trying different Avon products. I have to say, I have been pleasantly surprised with Avon! This ain't your granny's Avon anymore people! Just about everything I have tried is great and the prices are amazing!

Avon recently launched a new brand called Mark. Mark is their fabulous brand for younger women and includes products geared towards college girls. Mark is a lot like MAC makeup. Funky colors, high pigmentation, lots of lip gloss. To be honest, I have always wanted to like MAC products but actually have not. The eye shadow was too heavy for me and made my eyes tear up. The Mark shadows have the same great pigmentation but don't make me cry. And the prices are great to boot! You can get 2 shadows and a blush custom picked in a case for $22 total. $22 girls! Those same 2 shadows and a blush would cost about $45-$50 from MAC. You've got to give Mark a try!

How's that for my first sales pitch? Yup, you guessed it. I have found my momtrepreneurial endeavor. I am selling Mark makeup. Having worked for Clinique for over 5 years, selling makeup should come pretty easy to me. I realized how much I missed playing with lipstick and mascara and this is going to be so much better because with Mark I'm not a slave to the local mall!

I am really looking forward to diving into this business. With my mom selling Avon, I am excited we can work together to build our businesses. Both Avon and Mark have great products that are so affordable. And let's face it, now is not the time to spend lots of money on makeup. So many people are needing to cut back on different areas of their spending and mom and I are here to say. . .you can look great for less!

Check out my online store:
www.mymarkstore.com/jwolstenholm

And while you are at it, check out mom's too:
www.youravon.com/jgiglione

Even if you are not ready to purchase new makeup, go ahead and sign up for an account so I can send you emails about special deals. The great deal right now is FREE shipping with any purchase. Simply enter the code BACK2SKL at checkout.

I'll do some Mark posts from time to time, telling you about my latest makeup obsession and sharing fun tips. I hope you all think talking about makeup is as much fun as I do. I mean, come on. . .who gets tired of chatting about lip gloss?!

The Great Milk Debate

This week I've been doing a lot of research on the benefits of organic milk verses conventional milk. Most of my girlfriends feed their children organic milk exclusively which is something I have never had a strong conviction about. I trust these girls and their desire to provide their families the healthiest foods possible so I decided to do some research on the subject in hopes to find compelling evidence that I should be doing the same.

I am sorry to report I've got nothing. Most articles I was able to find on the web had outdated or inconclusive evidence. Most sources that claim the definite benefits of organic milk (and other products) are what I like to call health crazies. Of course they are going to say that. They are biased. Most other articles were on the fence about the subject arguing everything from the proof that organic milk is in fact more rich in Omega 3's to the idea that because organic milk is pasteurized at a much higher temp (450 degrees +) that there is no way essential nutrients could survive the process.

What I'm really looking for is a neutral source. . .say CNN or NBC News. . .that has done due diligence on either side of the subject. Someone who is obviously not biased who can convince me that organic milk is worth two and sometimes three times the price of conventional milk.

I would love to hear from any of you who know of such a source. I am completely open. I just need to know the facts. Please share if you have additional information on the debate. For now. . .I'll just keep praying over every cup of milk Hope drinks. . .and everything else she puts into her mouth for that matter. Because let's face it, nothing is as it seems with anything we consume.

Tweet Mommy

Well. . .I did it. I finally signed up for Twitter. Don't be fooled and think I'm excited about this. I work in the entertainment industry and I was tired of sitting in marketing meetings not having any idea what people where talking about. I kept calling them "twits" (seemed fitting to me) when I should have been saying "tweets". Duh! So I caved. I signed up so I can test ideas and at least say I'm keeping up with the trends.

If you have nothing better to do than read what I'm doing at any given moment, then follow me! : ) I'm @jwolstenholm.

How exhausting.