Happy 2020 ~ Year of Good Health

Hello Readers!

I hope the new year is finding everyone well. 

I thought I would share my biggest resolution for the new year today. Trying to make myself accountable in all ways possible. Also, this could help someone else with the same issues or similar ones. Let me share a little back story first to show what brings me to this. 

Oct 30, 2017 I had my gallbladder removed after an ER visit two days prior. I never knew I had a gallstone and actually argued with people when they suggested it was causing my heartburn. All ultrasound test came back negative for Gallstones when they would run them. Imagine my shock when I was told not only that I had a Gallstone, but that it had probably been what was causing me issues since I was 17 to 18 years old. 

Had it removed and was feeling so much better. Well that was for the first 3 months or so. After that I started having pain in my right side again. Not the same pain as I had with the gallstone though. It hurts bad none the less. Went to the ER a few months after removal and was told my liver needed to be checked through ultrasound due to tenderness. Ultrasound was ran within a week and found my liver was enlarged. The year 2018 was nothing but mysterious health issues and symptoms all year. I literally did not get any relief until about Christmas time. Still no clue what all was going on and why that year.

2019 started out good and promising, kind of. My bilirubin was extremely elevated, but our new PCP sent me to a GI. Someone I should have been sent to the year prior. The old PCP however was a complete knob and went by what his iPad said. Oh, I forgot to mention that after removal I had lost weight. I got down to the 190 range and lost a size or two. I was feeling amazing. We were going to the gym in 2019, but had to stop after I ended up with an Achilles tendon injury. That is when I put my weight back on, and then some. I was unable to get up and move much. I sat all day in pain, eating ice cream and junk. We had very easy and not so healthy meals since my oldest son had to cook most of the time. 

I am back on my two feet, still having some tendon pain off and on. When I need to I rest. I also am back to square one with my back and neck pain since I lost Core muscles and my neck has tightened back up. One goal I know I need is to work on all of that so I can walk long distances again. It even causes me pain walking around the store at times. 

Oh, I also have been diagnosed with Fatty Liver. This diagnosis was given in November/December. I have to lose weight and get healthy so that is my resolution this year. By my follow up visit when I got my diagnosis test I had lost about 4 pounds from the prior visit in November. I had tried a plant based diet for a week or two before Thanksgiving. Since then I have tried counting calories and found I was falling short on nutrients I need. Searching the internet I found out Weight Watchers have made changes to their plan. I have always been curious about the program and with the 6 month plan I get a free month starting out. What the heck, I have nothing to lose, except for this excess weight. 

Saturday I started the Purple Plan with the new Weight Watchers. It is now being called My WW. I did an assessment which matched me with the plan. They have three various plans to choose from now. One is the green plan where you have higher daily points, but fewer zero point foods.  The next one is the blue plan. Moderate daily points and a few more categories of foods allowed as zero point foods. Purple plan gives you even less daily points (I have 18 daily), but the list of zero point foods is 300+ foods. I am already a person who will measure my food if need be just to make sure I am not getting too much. I know portion control is one of the areas I struggle in when not making myself aware. The other is choosing things I thought were healthy and actually are not. Or choosing items I don't think make too big of an impact, but actually are. 

So, like I said I just started on Saturday. I have not had the most perfect meals. I do tend to go over daily points allowed and dip into my weekly extras. I am not going to deprive myself while I adjust to a new way of eating. It's not even so much a new way of eating. It is just me giving up things that are too high in sugars more than anything. Most of my meals already are pretty healthy, just needed to be reminded what proper portion control is. So this morning I wanted to see if I have dropped any weight yet. I honestly didn't expect a change on the scale since I have still not been doing the best with my food choices. I did a happy dance when I saw I lost 1 pound so far. 

My goal I set is to reach 150 pounds. Starting this week I was 222 which is what I have been at since early December when I was weighed at the doctor. Before that I was 226 and kind of been stuck at 226 since mid to late Spring maybe. Possibly since Summer. I was back up to 210 - 215  just before my tendon injury. This was the weight I gained back since my gallbladder was removed. I really think this WW plan is going to be very beneficial for me. I plan on sticking to it for 6 months, since that is the agreement I signed up under. Even if I hit my goal weight before the 6 months is up I will do as a lot of people do. They stick with it to maintain their weight and keep themselves educated and accountable. So, here we go!

Have you ever used Weight Watchers, or a program similar to it? What goals do you have for 2020?

Until Next Time!

Goodbye 2019

Well, tomorrow is the last day of this year. Not just this year but this decade. 

The past two decades have been filled with so many health issues for me.

2001 I gained a great deal of weight. From that point pain started to set in.

I stopped being so active after depression hit me in late 2000.

Fast forward to 2017, I dealt with an Achilles tendon injury.

Dealt with another one this year.

2017 also is the year I had to get my gallbladder removed.

I didn't even know I had a gallstone, much less knowing it had been there for 20+ years!

Ever since the removal I have dealt with an array of symptoms.

Fatigue and liver pain being two major and persistent symptoms.

2018 was filled with test after test and so many visits to various specialist.

No clue still if I was having mini strokes that year.

This year started with a new primary care doctor.

He is really good. Got a knot in my arm finally diagnosed and was sent to a GI.

Got diagnosed with Fatty liver recently. My husband was diagnosed with it early in the year.

Just so much illness and poor health as we close out this decade.

Even my youngest was diagnosed with scoliosis on his 12th birthday this year.

Middle child was diagnosed with a few things, but pro-activeness has corrected some.
His Pectus Excavatum can not be corrected, but it will be monitored.

He is doing fine though. His heart is healthy and not being pressed by his sternum.

That's a plus at least.

So the new decade and new year will bring new beginnings.

Or at least the start of being pro-active and bringing on new beginnings.
I am tired of the fatigue and pain.

I am ready to live life again. It has been way too long since I have truly been able to do that.

2020 I plan on transitioning to a Whole Food Plant Based diet.
I read it can help reverse a lot of health issues. I also read it can help prevent a lot as well.

Never in my life thought I would be going "Vegan-ish".
I say -ish because I am not giving up my honey.
I will give up my dairy and meats though.
Found out I am lactose intolerant this year anyway. I won't miss dairy.

My biggest thing is going to be sugar.
Since my gallbladder removal I seem to crave sweets a lot more than before.

That would be one of the big factors behind me gaining back weight lost after surgery.

All those nightly bowls of ice cream.

That and being inactive thanks to a tendon injury.

So 2020 will be a year of eating habit changes, lifestyle changes and getting active.

God knows I could seriously use the activity increase.

I hope all of you have a blessed and safe New Years Eve!
Happy 2020 and Until Next Time! 

Wait, Say What?

Y'all I am sitting here right now with my mind reeling. 

So, I have two cousins running for Sheriff in our local elections. I have no issue on who I plan on voting for, because I know both people's character. So, I am on Facebook today and I see a post. One of my cousins' wife had posted up about them visiting a local church. A lady came to my cousin and told him a young child had told her not to vote for him because he was not a Christian. I will add, this came from the lips of an 8 year old. Let that sink in for a second. My cousin's wife did not mention this fact. This fact was told to my mom, by the young lady's grandmother when she private messaged my mom harassing her. 

So, I shared a very personal story about me being raped, molested, sexually, mentally, emotionally, verbally and physically abused on my Facebook. I also shared that this man who people are attacking his character is the reason why my Rapist no longer stalks me. That this man is the reason why I was able to find my voice and heal from this hurt. He didn't even know about the abuse and rape. He only knew I was being stalked and harassed. He was the one who answered the call that night this creep was parking in my driveway and just sitting for 30 minutes. He was the one who showed up when I was having threats on my voicemail. He listened. He stood up for me. He did his job when everyone else told us there was nothing they could do about it. 

My grandfather called and had the other cousin who is running show up. He was wanting to have a report done up against people who lived next to his cattle pasture. They were trespassing, leaving gates open, cutting his fencing causing cattle to get out. He got told there was nothing they could do about it. He also got told to fix his fence then when he said they kept cutting his fence. 

Sorry, but the one who has kindness and compassion to listen is qualified. 

But with all of that aside... What really has my mind boggled is this 8 year old child.
The post simply stated what was told to them. It was followed with they do not fault this child. It was learned at home. The grandmother is attacking people saying this was not learned at home. Stated her daughter told the family at the dinner table she will not vote for said person because he has made bad choices. Personal choices at that I think it was. So this little girl, according to the grandmother, believed that meant he was not a Christian. For a child to believe that they have to be taught that. No matter how they want to look at it the child was taught this at home! She was taught to gossip and to believe if someone makes a bad choice they are not a Christian. She is not taught what it means to be a Christian and how no one is perfect. She has not been taught that her parents have made bad choices if she believes that means you are not a Christian. This child has not been taught how to be a true Christian. Yet now the grandmother and mother want to act as if the mother to the girl is being attacked. No one stated this woman is a bad mother, un-Christian, horrible person, ect... Not one single person. People praised my cousin who this was said about. People talked about how amazing of a person he is. How kind of a person he is. Not all of this other mess this woman wants to imply.

I truly feel for these people. They have to carry a lot of hatred in their hearts to have the kind of mindset they do. Victim mindset at that. They victimize someone else with hurtful negative words, but want to cry wah them. These people truly need some Jesus in their lives. 

So tonight as you say your prayers please include these lost souls. They truly need to seek out the true meaning of being a Christian and living a Christian life. 

Time Management for Mompreneurs

As many of you know we are a homeschooling family. I also have my own business that I work from home. So how do I find the time between family, schooling and life to run my own business? This was the exact same question I sat here asking myself a year ago. After a lot of googling and reading on tips I learned one thing. Schedules are key!

Father's Day Tribute

Hello Everyone!

Happy Father's day to all of you awesome dad's out there. Today I am remembering my amazing dad. He was my Step Dad, but I never thought of him as that. To me he was my dad. The one and only. Up until I was 21 he was the one and only dad in my life. Yes at the age of 21 my biological (sperm donor) showed up on my door step. That story is for another blog post. Today I want to praise the dad who was there for me. 

He taught me a lot about life and values. He taught me how to protect myself. He taught me that it's okay to be realistic as well as positive. He never treated me different. He also was raised a devote Catholic. He never treated me like I should be ashamed of my beliefs. He nurtured the fact that I was open minded. I was eager to learn about everything. He would buy me various books to learn. Even if it was topics that went against the Catholic beliefs. He was an amazing dad. 

There is one memory that stands out from the rest for me. I had just had scoliosis surgery. When I opened my eyes in recovery he was standing there smiling down at me. This memory stands out so much for me from many because he was there. A major moment in my life he was by my side as my dad. Everyone always thought he was my biological father. We had that bond. He treated me as his own. He was going to give me a pint of his blood for my surgery. He was excited because it would be like I was his own blood. It was heart breaking when we found out my blood type was actually RH negative instead of RH positive like him. In the end he still dedicated time to help care for me after I came home. 

This value has lived on in me to this day. The value to help others without expectation. He was a good person who helped those in need. I am proud to call him my dad. 

I also want to honor my husband. The father of our three boys. I would include a picture of him on my blog post, but he is not a fan of the camera. He has been there for me and our children through the years. No matter the curve balls life throws at us he is there pushing us through. He works hard to provide for his family. He teaches his sons to be strong young men. He teaches them value to be loving and kind. He teaches them to be strong. He teaches them how to treat a woman. He tells them to value their mother and always to speak kindly and protect. He teaches them to stand up for one another, because they will be all each other has one day. He is an amazing father who we value and love more than words can express. 

So, to all of the fathers out there, no matter what gave you the title of Dad, Happy Father's Day! 

Until Next Time!

Make Money | No Direct Sales Required

Hello Lovelies!

I thought how cool would it be to do a post on the topic of working from home. So, I browse social media a lot. I like to watch videos of various people. I love to learn from others. Today I saw a video with a lady who does Direct Sales. I have noticed this particular lady likes to create misconceptions. The reward she gets from doing this is either new customers or new people signing up under her. So today's misconception dealt with girls who use makeup bought in a store. She said these girls post pictures on Social Media showing their looks using Revlon and such. She said they make no money doing this and will never make money doing this. This is a huge misconception.

If you are passionate about cosmetics and/or skincare you can actually build a career around this. Do you have to be in Direct Sales to do so? Absolutely not! 

You can earn by:

1. Blogging - Buy the products you love and blog about them. They can be anything from products you get at a drugstore, Walmart or even Ulta. Blog about where you enjoy getting your beauty products from. Blog reviews about new products you try. 
2. Vlogging - This is much like blogging only done on video. Same concept. Share what you love, review, show where you shop... Haul videos are actually in as well as shop with me videos. Also beauty and skincare is really in as far as tutorials and such goes.  
3. Post Pictures - Hit Instagram, Twitter, Facebook or whatever other platform you enjoy. Share photos of your looks. Share photos of the stores you like to shop at. Share photos of what you buy. Just remember to be real with people. Don't swipe photos from online. Take your own photos and use original content. 
4. Live Videos - Some might ask, "Isn't this the same as vlogging?" Yes and no. You are doing a video log, but in live format. You can do lives showing products you bought online. Do an unboxing of what you just got. Talk about the products on live and interact with everyone. Do live makeup tutorials. 

This is just a few ways! So I bet now you are wondering how this makes you money? Build a following and get sponsors! It is called Influence Marketing. You provide people with valuable information. They come to trust your opinion and follow you. Your following grows and brands take notice. They then want to work with you, because you have the crowd they want to reach out to. They pay influencers for pictures with products, post featuring products and videos where the products are shown. Some influencers will simply state the video is sponsored by *insert brand here* and if there is a product show it at the start. They will also say a little something about the brand and product. Easy Peasy! So that is how you can make money in beauty without being a Direct Sales Rep! 

Did you enjoy this post? 

Want to see more like this in the future?

Let me know in the comments! 

Until Next Time!

Why I Left SeneGence | #LoveisLove

Hello Lovelies!

I have avoided writing a post of this sort on various occasions. After recent events and thinking I This post is not bashing the company.
wanted to share my story. I have actually seen other stories shared by many women through various outlets. So let me begin by saying this:

The company is not responsible for actions of Distributors. However there is Code of Ethics in place for a reason. 

So which company am I talking about? SeneGence

The company is amazing. The products are as well. Then what could possibly be my issue?

Let me start at the beginning. 

I joined the first time I believe it was September 2013 when they had free sign up. It was a company I had never heard of before. My way of thinking is, "Free? Sounds good to me. I'm not wasting money to sign up." So I signed up to check it out. 

My first sponsor was someone I had met through a homeschooling group. Within a few days I had already recruited 3 or 4 ladies to my downline. Well, a few days later my sponsor had a tantrum with me, because I said I didn't care for Netti Pots. This was in response to her telling me to use one for a sinus infection. So she had a tantrum then blocked me on Facebook. I contacted the company asking if it was possible to change sponsors by suggestion of another distributor. The company said they would allow me to deactivate and resign up while the free month was still in affect. They had told me when I did so to let them know my downline if they wanted to move could do the same as I did. 

I deactivated and resigned under the upline my sponsor had. When my downline went to do the same we were told they couldn't. The reason being it would take away from the sponsor I had signed under. So my sponsor who did NOTHING instantly got 3 or 4 ladies on her first line due to me deactivating and moving to another sponsor. Those ladies needless to say did nothing and ended their distributorship. They did not want to make money for a woman who used me then blocked me.

So now I was under the new upline with no team. I lost what I had worked for which was very discouraging. I focused on trying to learn the business. I am a person who struggles with math. I tried making a post about the compensation plan to lure in new recruits. I was reprimanded by the Team Leader saying I had it all wrong. She tagged me on her video explaining it. I watched and took notes then corrected my post. She commented again even more harsh tone and told me to just remove the post. She told me I just wasn't going to get it. This discouraged me even more and was leaving a bad impression of the company.

I ended up going inactive, because I did not have the money to drop into stock. This is where this company makes it's money honestly. You are told to buy up stock so you get your 50% discount. You have to buy in the thousands for that discount. We were being trained to just get a credit card strictly for business use. Buy over a thousand dollars worth of skincare and cosmetics, which was not a lot with the prices on the products compared to other companies, then sell that and pay your credit card bill when you do. Here is the kicker though. You buy up stock of products, main skincare that sells, various lip and eye colors, there is no guarantee your going to sell that. In my case even if I had the money to buy that stock everyone I knew come to find out already knew about SeneGence. Most sold or already had a person they bought from. The other part of the people I knew were like me, Frugal without that kind of money to spend on skincare and cosmetics.

I have actually heard stories of women who bought stock monthly. They would place that one order and be stuck with products no one wanted to buy. Then there is the factor of if someone returns a product. You have to replace that product or refund their money. This is where it started to cost a lot of ladies money. The company will take back product, but you are only credited or given a new product to replace it. You do not get that cash back at all. So this is where many started to go into debt. We also were being trained to push product on customers. When you push a large bill on someone they are going to come back later wanting their money back. It's buyers remorse. They were pressured. Then then they think on it figuring they really don't need it, what they use now works fine and cost less. This ends up costing money for someone who really doesn't have the money to spend.

Then we were being told by our Team Leader to unfollow our friends and family on Facebook who sell for any other company. She said if we see their success with another company it will make us want to stray. Why would we want to stray if we supposedly will be doing so much good with SeneGence? That though to me was wrong. It goes against what the company is supposed to be about. It is about Empowering other women and people in our communities no matter what. It's not just to Empower the women within this company. Or to Empower someone if they have the same mind set, skin color, religion, ect as me. So that actually is set up for failure if you choose to not support friends and family because they are with another company. Really think about it like this. If you unfollow them how would you know if they start looking for a different opportunity? You miss out on that. Also how can you not support your friends, but expect them to support you?

So I went inactive and resigned up under an amazing lady and leader. The one I was under previously had gone inactive as well focusing on her family. So now under leadership of this amazing lady she was very supportive. Granted I was still under the same Team Leader/Crown Princess due to my leader still falling under this leaders dominion. My leader was a Princess and if she hit Crown Princess she would break off and have her own dominion. This means her team no longer would be making profit for her upline. Drama broke out because the Team Leader was sabotaging my leader. She was stealing recruits from her sending them to another woman in another state. She and this other woman also were getting girls on various teams kicked from the company. There is a rule in SeneGence that you can sell from various companies if you like as long as you are not ranked. I was not ranked and was safe to sell my Candles with my SeneGence. Other women who were low ranked were also selling Paparazzi Jewelry or Scentsy as well. So they kept contacting compliance who kept emailing the distributors. Either the girls would end up being removed from the company or they quit due to the bullying.

This time around I did give it a try, but as before I could not sell the products. People who did not already buy or sell the products did not like the idea of paying $50 just for a LipSense starter kit. I did not have the money to buy stock and stay active. I did not have the time to build a presence online to reach out to more people. My friends list was filling up with SeneGence distributors and various people wanting me to come to their companies instead of customers. There were no actual samples of lip colors you could buy to send to people. They did not make it easy at all for us to work the business totally online. You have to get out do demos and parties. No guarantee those free makeovers will make you money. I did makeovers a lot which still resulted in no sales. It was frustrating and that was actually starting to cost me money.

Now the products are great. They do as they say which is the makeup stays on all day. I did end up with complaints on the products which led to me not using as many. The skincare worked great for my eczema. I have very combination skin though. My combination is not normal and oily or normal and dry. Mine is dry and oily. They do not make products for this type of skin combination. So the result was my eczema was not dry, but my face was extremely oily. I started to break out bad from the products. The normal to dry products have oils in them. So I tried my son's normal to oily cleanser. It dried my face out bad, because it has alcohol in it. So the skincare was a no go for me. I even had to stop using the Climate Control on my face due to it being oil based. I had signed up for Avon again so I could get products at a discount. At this point I started using an Avon body lotion that was for firming skin.

The eye shadow for me was not easy to use at all. I actually rubbed my eyelid raw trying to get the product to blend. They dried on me way too fast. I disliked it and the mascara. The mascara actually caused my lashes to break. I had a chunk in my lashes taken out from the mascara not wanting to come off. Even using makeup remover as advised it would not come off easy. So I stopped using their eye shadows and mascara. The only products I ended up liking in the end was the exfoliate, foundation and LipSense. Avon had a product I could get to use in place of Climate Control. It had the main active ingredient, hyaluronic acid, as Climate Control had. It did not have all the oils added to it. It had Shea Butter beads. It never broke my skin out once.

So after thinking long and hard I ended up giving up with SeneGence. I turned my focus to Avon which was a company I had success with in the past. I knew the products and loved the products. Also at this time when I decided to go inactive there was a few factors in play. The drama for one was unreal. I was trying to help the team build strong businesses online with stuff I was learning. I would make online fliers with my son's help and shared them with the team. Women from the other woman's team in the other state were taking what I made hacking it all up basically. I told them they could use the pictures, but not change them. It ruins the professionalism of something someone worked hard on if you take and use some cheap phone app to put your name and number across the center of it changing the pictures resolution. I know that is prob a petty thing to get urked over, but it was really disheartening that they would do that after I asked people not to. I never shared another thing with them so they started taking my work off of my page. Then they would paint over my watermark and info to put their information on it.

These girls also were trained to use other peoples content, as in other major businesses or photographers, without worrying about copyright. Basically they could do as they pleased. I did report some that I saw used Mattel copyright photos of Barbie for business purpose. I didn't report to Facebook, I went straight to Mattel. So I left and was gone for a good while after going inactive this time around. I was gone for 5 years before I decided I wanted to give it a try again. I did like the lip products and wanted to focus on selling just that. I don't care for the rest. I wanted to be on the same team as before, because it is local to me. I prefer having a local leader and liked the fact she did have a training center locally. The distributors have access to the training center to do demos, makeovers and parties. I was going to sign up through a lady I met before. I had asked the Team Leader if this woman was high enough up in the group, referring to which generation line she fell in the team, for me to be in the team. She lied to me and said no she was like on the last line of her team. I did not know this was a lie until after I signed up under the Team Leader.

So I signed under the Team Leader and instantly drama started. People were upset I signed under her and not one of the ones I reached out to. I reached out to a few who did not get back to me very fast. Then I found out about the lie soon after. That made me mad needless to say. I also got told she was stealing recruits from the lady I was going to sign under. Same thing, by lying to them. I attended one of the local events they were doing. Same thing as the first times I sold. No one would show up as my guest. So I was at this event alone. Met some great people though while I was there. Then I noticed things did not change at all. The team leader plays favorites. She raves over the ones who are dropping loads of money in, because that makes her money. See that is how they make their money and rank in this business. The girls buy stock and they get money. I again could not drop money in stock, because what I was expecting to have for that did not come through. So I struggled as I did before. No personal help from my leader at all. Instead I had her contacting me wanting me to help her with tech stuff. See she is an older lady who is falling behind in the tech age. The younger reps are speeding past her needless to say.

So yet again I went inactive. I actually left the team group prior to going inactive. See, there is one thing I can not stand. That is being told I am to use only the products of the company. Not happening. I also plan on working my way up to influence marketing. I don't want the company to limit me promoting or reviewing various products. After leaving, again, I am honestly thankful today I did. I am thankful I didn't get a good team going. See, last week the company posted a post in support of Pride Month. This Team Leader went on the company's post and blew up. Totally lost her s**t on everyone including the company. She then went to her own page and posted that these people have no morality. Used a bible verse talking against sodomy to prove she is right. Then people turned her words on her. They told her she was immoral and going against Jesus' words. Love & Acceptance! 

She flipped out over people not eating her garbage and asking for seconds. She deactivated her Facebook then took to Instagram. She posted a few things calling supporters mentally sick people. Another bashed the company and shamed them for supporting Pride Month. Her daughter took to the Pride post crying for people to stop. Her hurt her heart for people to be negative to her mom. That her mom hates no one and loves everybody. I am sorry but calling people names saying they are immoral and ignorant is not love. That is pure hate! Her family and her condemned people saying they are going to burn for eternity pretty much for supporting this sin. I even had her sister commenting to me wanting to know how my words could be true. See I kept telling her to read a Psychology book. It states in Psychology that people who fall into the LGBTQ+ community are born this way. It is not something they woke up one day and said I am going to be this. I told her that means God made them that way. God makes no mistakes. To be against God's children/creations is to be against God.

This woman started spewing ignorance. She wanted to know if that is true then what about these few scriptures that speak against homosexuality. Each scripture presented to me I read. Each one was not about homosexuality. I pointed that out to her and she flipped out. She had to start praying for me, because I am going to burn for eternity. Good thing I don't believe in the same hell she does. So this homophobic rage really hurt a lot of people in the company. Many girls actually are leaving the company due to this. I told them not to leave. Simply start complaining that something be done. This goes against Code of Ethics. No matter how big this woman is in the company she should be held to the same rules. She needs to be reprimanded and let go. She did this on the business page! She did this where customers can see! Just because the comments are deleted now does not mean anything. The company apologized for caving to her hate resulting in the post being changed from a Pride post. They changed it back and issued an apology. This woman has stated she is not sorry at all for what she did or said. She thinks she is right and everyone else is wrong. She thinks the company she makes loads of money through is wrong and has people actually against the company! How does that help her build her business? Also she has zero issue taking money from homosexuals and signing Lesbians up to her team. See this makes her money which is all she is worried about. Her top priorities are herself, money and fame.

Oh and another bombshell. She tells people these products she uses is what keeps her looking young. Her business is based on lies. She gets Botox done! There actually is a young distributor who openly admits she gets Botox for preventative. She does it to prevent wrinkles the skincare helps keep her skin healthy and looking good. This girl, while being honest, has ranked highest in the company. She broke records. She has higher sales in a month than my old team leader. My old team leader thrives on lies. She keeps her demographic small and suffers from it. She now talks bad about the young lady who has broke company records and another young lady. Reason? Because they are successful within the company and get sponsorships. See they also do the Influence Marketing. One of them actually comes up on Google as being a famous blogger. She is well known. My old team leader can not stand that. So to the team leader I left behind, I really hope you get right in your heart. Stop preaching about worldly possessions trying to make it about homosexuality and those who support them. Stop trying to tear others down. The reason why these girls are so successful is because they are educated in the business. They are open minded, they love, they support, they are REAL! They don't only support within one small area. They don't just support those making them money. They support and empower everyone. They do for their community. That is what true leadership is about. So #GetEducated and open your mind up.

So, with that being said this is why I left SeneGence. These actions are why I will never put another SeneGence product on my face. Not until this woman is removed from the company. This is why no matter how much I love these amazing ladies I made friends with I can not support their businesses. It lines the pockets of a woman filled with hate and contempt. The day the company does what they should have done last week is when I will show support for those who were under this woman. I support love and acceptance. #LoveisLove

Until Next Time!

Negative People

Hello Lovelies!

I hope everyone is having a beautiful Monday! I personally have been expelling more negative people from my life. It was painful, but needed to be done. I expected way too much from siblings who were complete strangers. So, here is some back story.

I was born in East Texas in the late 70s. My mom ended up leaving my biological father when I was about 7 months old. I have 4 half siblings, that I know of, from my biological father. I am my mom's only living child. Oldest born was my half brother Mark who died at birth. Second is my half brother Robert, living. Third my half sister Tina, living. Fourth my half sister Midge who died at the age of 3 months. Her death was ruled to be from SIDS. I did not meet my biological father until I was 21 years old. He showed up in my life expecting me to change my name and everything. He was never there for me. Also only reason he even showed up was because he had 4 years left to live. He contracted Hep B from a dirty Heroine needle. He wanted me to be his nurse maid after 21 years of not being in my life. He only made the effort to see me TWICE before he passed. Those two times were the first time we met and once when I was pregnant with my oldest son. He never showed for my wedding, him or my brother. Neither showed for my son's birth like they promised. I have seen my brother twice face to face. He stayed 4 days with us once when his at the time wife threw him out on the side of the Interstate. My sister I have seen a few times. She used me years ago then threatened me after she couldn't use me anymore. A few years ago when again she couldn't use me she threw me to the side. Both consider me to be a goody two shoes, because I have not spent my life in jail and prison. Both of them however have. Neither has held a marriage and my sister lost her kids. My brother has no kids. I have been married for 17 years to the father of my three children. So because of this fact and them not knowing anything about my life before meeting them they trash me. First time meeting both siblings face to face was at our dad's funeral. I was 24 or 25 years old. This was YEARS after our dad found me. Neither bothered to see me prior at all. My relationship with my brother has mostly been through letters while he has been locked up. Since 2010 he has been in prison more than free. This time around has been the longest stretch of freedom he has experienced. 

Now that the back story is told... Tonight I finally had to just cut ties fully with my brother. He has lied to me since being out of prison once. Probably still is. One thing though I could not ignore was him telling me "Don't be judging" when I made a simple statement to a stupid Facebook meme he tagged me on! I never once judged! This "man" sits back with our sister putting me down for being "too good" and in their minds not living a hard life. They judge me constantly and judge my life because they don't know a single thing about me or my life. But he wants to tell me not to be judging! What caused him to claim I was judging? He tagged me on a meme of Jesus stating no one knows what he is talking about. I commented and said "Actually I do know, but most do not." Not a single judgement given. But he said I was judging. So, I lit into him and told him I was done with him just like I am done with our sister. No more. 

Really isn't a loss to be honest. I don't hardly talk to him or our sister. Only time he talked to me was when he was in prison. No one else wrote him or bought stuff on commissary for him. My husband, mom and I were the only ones. But oh well. He can depend on the family he claimed was not his family any longer while he was behind bars from now on. Life is too short to allow people in who want to tear you down for doing good in life. Jealousy is an ugly thing and remember you guys... It is their problems not yours! 

Until Next Time!

Where Has Time Gone? | The Wendy C Life

Hello Lovelies!

Today I have sat and thought about the past and future to come. It still is sinking in that 2020 will be the first year my oldest son can vote. Time has flown by way too fast. This July marks my 40th birthday. I honestly do not feel like I am almost 40. I feel the same as I did when I turned 21. I feel like I closed my eyes for a split second and missed so much. I hate that feeling.

So, where has life gone? 

Honestly, I do not know. I guess focusing so much on things outside of just living whisked it away. I miss the days of being a kid. Everything was so simple. So many memories were made. My focus was actually on simply living. Maybe I need to go back to living as if I was a child again. Making memories without a care in the world. I miss being able to do just that. You know, I think that will be my new life goal. Just live life and create many memories.

It actually makes me feel bad. My oldest son will be 17 years old this Fall. His childhood is gone. Was he able to create many memories? Did my issues keep him from being able to place focus on just that? I often wonder if his memories bring thoughts of a happy childhood. Memories of fun, love and family. I know his hasn't been filled with many thoughts of steady childhood friends. The only steady he had through the years has been his brothers. He is so shy with people. He does enjoy meeting new people though. He loves to learn from them. 

Same goes for my younger two. Do they have happy childhood memories? My middle son is about to be 14 years old in 4 months. My youngest will be 12 only five days after my birthday. They still have some time left in their childhoods. My youngest still holds tight to his childhood all the way down to the love for Paw Patrol. I have never forced my kids to grow up. I want them to hold on to those little things for as long as possible. We are also a family who still believes in the magical things like Santa Claus. Why should we force the magic out of their lives the second they hit double digits? What harm does it do to believe in something special? 

So, my thoughts for today... Why do we have to grow up? What law out there says we can not stay young? Yea our bodies age, but it is really wrong for us to just enjoy. To create memories and live like we did as children? Absolutely not! 

Until Next Time!

Product Review: Grove Collaborative, Mrs Meyers & Method | Natural Green Cleaning

Hello Lovelies!

Hope everyone is having a beautiful Saturday.

April was a crazy month for me so I never got around to doing my review video.

I thought I would do my product review here on the blog instead.

So, here goes!

Let me review ordering through Grove first.

The ordering process was super easy.

When I placed my first order it gave me suggested products to reach my minimum $20.

I also received free VIP status for two months.

That means I have a $15 minimum order amount for the 'shop now'.

Also means I get free shipping.

Grove did forget one product in my box which was the Floor Cleaner Concentrate.

I contacted them right away through Twitter and it was ready to ship that day.

They also gave me a $5 credit for the inconvenience.

I did however have to wait the full shipping time as I did when I originally ordered.

I received the missing product about 3 to 5 days after the rest had arrived.

Also for the company being a "green" company I did not like one thing.

The floor concentrate was a very small tube.

When it was shipped to me it was in a box that was huge compared to it's size.

It also was wrapped up in a load of paper.

This to me is a lot of waste for them being a green company. 

The prices on products looked to be the same as they are with a lot of chain stores.

Now the products:

I am going to cover the Mrs Meyers first.

We got Mrs Meyers Dish Soap, Hand Soap and All Purpose Cleaner.

All three were in the Rosemary scent.

Absolutely love the smell.

The dish soap is amazing!

I was using Dawn prior because our children use plastic dishes.

The Mrs Meyers dish soap suds up very well.

It also cleans the plastic dishes very well.

Even when they get a little greasy.

The hand soap also is a favorite.

It has olive oil and a few other things in it which keeps hands from drying out.

The all purpose cleaner however was the star of the show.

It cleaned everything from my stove top to my microwave.

I will also add I have teenage boys so these cleaners were put to the test.

These products also deodorizer very well!

The smell of Rosemary with fresh air blowing in through the windows...

It made my home feel fresh.

Something that is hard to accomplish after winter.

The next product I am going to talk about is the Method products we tried.

I ordered the Method Laundry Detergent and Scent Boosters.

We got these in Beach Sage scent which smells amazing.

I have heard people talk about the other scent but not this one.

The scent boosters call for two caps which are not big.

We ended up cutting it down to one cap full.

They smell amazing and do their job very well.

The detergent also smells amazing.

It cleans the laundry really well also.

This soap works really well in cold water as well.

The laundry came out very clean and deodorized.

With other laundry soaps our clothes did not seem to come out as fresh.

Not so with this.

This is going to be one product line we will keep in stock.

The other products we got were the Grove Floor Cleaner.

It's scent is Orange and Rosemary.

Absolutely love the smell of it.

It cleans very well.

We use it on our living room tile with our Bissel Spray mop.

It also works great at deodorizing.

It came with a glass spray bottle.

I really like the spray.

I like the fact they give you a glass one instead of a plastic.

The spray bottles I believe are sold separately.

The cleaner and spray bottle were both free products I got with my order.

I also received two walnut scrubber sponges.

These I opted to use for cleaning my counters and such.

The reason why is because I got a scrubber brush with suds up crock.

Absolutely love the crock.

It has a whimsical wildflower print around it.

Helps save on soap usage as well.

I had amazing suds using this and helps save on soap waste.

The last product I bought was a Bon Ami powder cleaner.

I did not really get to use this one as of yet.

It is supposed to help deodorize as well as clean.

Is safe to use on pots and pans as well.

I am considering trying this on my copper pans.

So did I like the products?

Yes!

Did I place a second order first of the month?

No.

Why?

Because I actually want to check out more in store.

The site is not the easiest to shop through if you do not know exactly what you want.

Or for me it isn't.

I also do not want to pay for a year of VIP to get free products and free shipping.

I can purchase the same products from Target.

We actually are thinking about trying the Method brand dish soap and cleaner.

I want to see how it compares to Mrs Meyers since we enjoy their laundry products.

So over all I do recommend Mrs Meyers and Method for sure.

Grove has some really nice exclusive products as well.

The prices are good and if you enjoy shopping online this is amazing for you.

Products: 5 stars

Website: 4 stars

Shopping Experience: 4 stars

Until Next Time!

#RustonStrong | Aftermath of April 25 2019 Tornado | The Wendy C Life

Hello Lovelies!

I hope everyone is having a blessed Monday.

Our life for the past few days has been filled with shock.

So let me explain why I have lacked on posting past few weeks.

Past few weeks we have had some pretty bad storms.
Days when I have a chance to record a video it would storm.
Loud thunder and all that fun stuff.

So, Wednesday night of this last week we had a chance of thunderstorms.
They were supposed to have started earlier in the evening I think.
I am not totally positive on that though.
My husband got home from work around 11-ish pm.
He was napping in his recliner while I watched tv.
Around 1 something our phones started going off.
Mind you we are not expecting real bad weather.
I don't even think we were under a tornado watch.
When they were doing the warnings on tv they didn't even have a Tornado Watch up.

The first warning we received was not even for our town.
We get the warnings for south of us a lot, as a precaution.
We watched the weather report on it discussing what we should do.
For 30 minutes they kept talking about how this rotation was weakening.
Then suddenly they said it was tightening back up.
Come to find out the one that was going to hit West of us did weaken.
The one that hit Ruston head on formed as the other was weakening.

They said it traveled a path through Ruston of 6.68 miles.
It was a half a mile wide, around 1000 feet (10 football fields).
My biggest pet peeve of all during all of this has been one thing.
Ruston as a community was devastated...
But news medias has been all about Louisiana Tech.
I am proud of our University, I really am.
I do not think however the Community itself should be overshadowed by Tech.
A mother and her 14 year old son passed away.
They were not on Tech campus.
Businesses were tore up in a severe way.
Again, not on Tech campus.
Not even by Tech campus.

The neighborhoods that got hit took the brunt of it all.
There was damage  to some dorms, but they were not lost like many homes.

Also, we seriously need to teach the Tech students what Tornado Warnings mean.
I have seen some post and videos of the students watching at windows.
Some even went outside and went to go back to sleep!
I will add back to sleep with windows at their heads.
We need better shelter provided for some areas.
I don't mean a shelter to go to afterwards.
I mean a place to seek shelter if your home is old or a mobile home.
A storm shelter!
We do not have a storm shelter in our town.
Not that I know of.
We also need to improve the siren system.
We live on the outskirts of city limits.
The sirens go off and we do not hear them.
I have to be awake and listening to hear them.
Also, they use the same tone for every thunderstorm that blows through.
They need to use a different tone for Tornado Warnings.
That way people will take notice and act immediately.
Too many people think, oh it's just another thunderstorm and go back to sleep.
Not everyone has their cell phones on at 2 am.

So with that being said.
The community has been amazing in the aftermath.
I have seen people volunteering helping out in anyway they can.
My 91 year old grandfather even got out with a chainsaw helping with clean up.
People have also been getting out passing out waters, Gatorades and Powerades.
Tons of items needed have been donated to the Recovery Center at the Civic Center.
It is really nice seeing people helping their community so quickly.
People who have worked storms like this even said it has shocked them.
Our small community has come together and did so much in only 4 days.
The schools were able to open back up today.
There is still a long road of recovery ahead...
But the clean up, rebuilding the power grid, Fiber lines and all has been fast.
Most areas around we see lose power for weeks.
That is from something less minor than this.
I think they said yesterday 80% of the power within the city is back up.
Our internet has been going in and out some.
We were actually without cell service, home phone and internet for 2 days.
This has been a time for patience for sure.
Mother Nature forced people to be present.

So, I am very proud of Ruston as a community.
I am proud of the people who came into our small community to help.
It has been a huge team effort.
I can see a lot of growth continuing for Ruston in the future without a doubt.

#RustonStrong

Until Next Time!