Product Review: Magical Unicorns

This is our sweet, very active two year old. Last week, she fell in the street (because her sister clipped her with her bike, but that's another story) and scraped her nose and chin on the road. Now, how precious is the picture on the left where her scab was in the shape of a heart?! The pic on the right was taken 5 days later. 

I'm not one to fear scars, but I wondered how the Arbonne Baby Oil and Baby Lotion would heal her nose and chin since they've worked wonders on other kids eczema, and my own kids' dry skin. I used to be a Neosporin girl ... like, I KNEW, for a fact, that it cured everything ... until Arbonne came around. 

Twice a day, morning and night, I put the Baby Oil and Baby Lotion on Parker's nose and chin. Just look at the difference 5 days later! The marks are almost gone. I'm impressed! When I looked up the ingredients in the oil and lotion it simply said "contains a magical unicorn!" Ok, it didn't say that, but it sure cured her scrapes like only a magical unicorn can do!

Here's the scoop! Again, every Arbonne product is all natural ...

• Arbonne Baby Oil
• Pamper baby's skin with essential moisture, thanks to this natural oil that softens and moisturizes delicate skin, while reducing redness and relieving itching due to dry skin.
• Recommended for: Babies, children, and adults with extremely dry skin.
• Usage: Daily
• Ingredients: Safflower seed oil, Apricot kernel oil, Sunflower seed oil, Soybean oil, Jojoba seed oil, Shea butter oil, and the list goes on of seeds and plant extracts. 
• Arbonne Baby Lotion
• A gentle lotion formulated for delicate skin that soothes, softens and conditions skin, helps to reduce the appearance of redness and relieves itching due to dry skin.
• Recommended for: Babies, children, and adults with extremely dry skin.
• Usage: Daily
• Ingredients: Water, Glycerin (a clear odorless liquid produced from plant oils, typically palm oil, soy, or coconut oil), Cetyl lactate (from palm or coconut oil), Isopropyl Palmitate (palm oil emollient), Soybean oil, Shea butter, and the list goes on. 

That's a picture of the Arbonne Baby Care Set. It retails for $85, but you can purchase each piece individually. Here is the breakdown:

• Hair & Body Wash - $16.00
• Body Oil - $20.00
• SPF 30+ Sunscreen - $26.00
• Lotion - $16.00
• Diaper Rash Cream - $16.00

If you would like to purchase any of these items, please contact me (morrison25@cox.net) so that I can get you the best deal!

Product Review: Mommy Crack!

This is a Fizz Stick, also known as Mommy Crack, if you ask my best friend! These precious jewels come in two flavors: pomegranate and citrus. They are AMAZING!

I'm a water drinker. Plain water. I might spice it up every once in awhile and have an unsweet tea with lemon. I'm crazy like that. So, when I first heard about Fizz Sticks, I wasn't impressed because I don't like "fancy" water. Then I tried one ... ok, it was the second one that got me because I didn't mix the first one with enough water and it grossed me out. My fault. But, on the second try, I was in love!

Fizz Sticks are a great way to "make" you drink your daily water intake and give you an added boost of energy. Doctors recommend that you drink half your body weight in ounces in water each day. That's a lot of water my friends. For me, I drink more than half my weight so I drink 30oz of water, then 20oz with a Fizz Stick (my treat for drinking the first 30 oz), and then finish the day with another 30 oz of water.

They are a great replacement item for Crystal Light, pop, coffee, Red Bull, Gatorade, Powerade, and the list goes on. They're good for you because they're all natural! Yup! They contain NO artificial sweeteners, flavors, or colors. The ingredients list consists of: citric acid, natural cane sugar, natural flavors, stevia, natural colors, and magnesium oxide. I was unfamiliar with the last ingredient so I looked it up.

• Magnesium oxide is described as a mineral used to prevent and treat low amounts of magnesium in the blood. Magnesium is very important for the normal functioning of cells, nerves, muscles, bones, and the heart. 

These high energy fizz sticks help promote alertness and enhance cognitive/motor performance, and also help promote endurance. These are great for athletes! Each stick contains 2 mg B6 (100% daily value) and 6 mcg of B12 (100% daily value). 

My best friend dubbed these Mommy Crack because she puts one in her water every day around 1-2pm because that's the time of day that most Mommy's want to crash! It's the universal nap time known around the world! This product will help you stay awake and be more productive, whether that's in the home or at the office or on the field. Everyone I've talked to has described the energy boost as a calm, focused energy as opposed to a jittery, hyper energy that you get from most caffeine sources. 

A friend of mine took the Fizz Stick to GNC in Broken Arrow to compare it to other products. After searching the store for awhile, she showed it to the worker and asked him if he had anything like it. He said, "no ma'am, we don't have anything that good!" Enough said!

Pricing: 

Each box contains 20 sticks and they retail for $32/box. Do the math, and that's $1.60 per drink, which runs you about the same price as a pop/coffee/tea which is filled with unhealthy ingredients. There are also discount options which would make the price $25.60/box ($1.28 per drink) or $20.80/box ($1.04 per drink). 

If you would like to place an order for this amazing product, please contact me (morrison25@cox.net). Arbonne has a great line of all natural nutrition products that I use on a daily basis!

Bargain Time!

This event is for you, IF:

• You like to find high quality items at low prices
• You're pregnant
• You know someone who is pregnant
• You have kids/grandkids (up to the teen years)
• You know someone who has kids/grandkids
• Did I cover everyone?!

The Broken Arrow Spring/Summer Rhea Lana's Children's Consignment sale is coming April 6th-12th. I seriously LOVE this event both as a Buyer and as a Seller. This will be my sixth time to consign with RL of BA and I can't stress enough how simple the process is! If you're new to RL and you would like to consign with them, then please click Here to learn more. If you've consigned in the past, then you probably already know that the database is open, but just in case you missed the news, you can click Here to start entering your items. 

What sets RL apart from other Consignment Sales?

• Consignors make a minimum of 70% (up to 80% with Referrals)
• When you refer three new consignors, who each consign at least 25 items, you will receive 75% of your total sales!
• When you refer five or more new consignors, who each consign at least 25 items, you will receive 80% of your total sales!
• Your items are guaranteed! Meaning, if you show up on Pick-Up day and they don't have an item that they should have, then you get paid as if the item sold!
• The average consignor makes around $280 per event!
• Personally, I made in the $300-$400 range last Fall!
• You can watch your sales LIVE throughout the day
• Online or on your Smart phone App
• The consignor fee is only $9.00
• Admission to the sale is always FREE, so tons of shoppers come through the door 
• Consignors/Volunteers are invited to the Pre-Sale on April 5th (before the doors open to the public)
• Your check is ready on Pick-Up Day, April 13th

What items could you Buy/Sell at this event?

• Easter dresses, sundresses, tank tops, shorts, capris, pajamas, swimwear, sandals, flip-flops, indoor/outdoor toys, baby equipment, furniture, DVD's, books, shoes, nursing items, teen clothing, maternity clothing, and much more. They will also accept lightweight jackets (no coats), lightweight pants, khaki pants, jeans, and long-sleeved shirts that are "spring like" in fabric and look.

New Location:

• This event has changed BA locations multiple times over the years, and that's a GOOD thing because they move every time that they outgrow a location! I'm excited to say that the new location for the Spring/Summer event is in the old Wal-Mart at 71st & County Line (193rd). 
• This location has a TON of parking and every item will be located in the same building. 

This blog is just a small bit of information about the sale, so please click Here to learn more about volunteering, marketing, donations, etc. 

Also, feel free to contact me with questions, or you can contact the owners of the BA event, Debbie (debbiew@rhealana.com) or Kristin (kristin@rhealana.com). Debbie and Kristin are amazing and they treat everyone like family. So, why not join the family and consign today?! 

I'll see you there!

BRCA: Keeping A Tiny Piece of Me

Yesterday's appointment led us back to the Breast Specialist. We came full circle. My journey started with her in early Feb and since then I've had an MRI, met with a Plastic Surgeon, and met with my OB and scheduled the full hysterectomy (which will be next month).

While sitting in the waiting room, I picked up a devotional Bible that was on the table. Have I mentioned that my doctor is a Christian and that her office is covered in scripture and uplifting messages? I always feel at ease in there, even if I do have to flash my boobies every time I go in. Anyway, the lesson that I opened to was about Wisdom ...

• "Wisdom comes when we examine the experiences God gives us and discern what we have learned from them. Nothing that has happened to us should be wasted. Because it is sometimes painful, often we do not take the time or effort to discover the reason for the "gift" of our personal experiences. When we do not learn as we should, we stop growing ... Perhaps we should try writing out what we have learned about God, ourselves and life, during and then after an important experience. This increases our individual capacity to learn greater lessons and gain deeper wisdom."

What a great lesson! I know without a doubt that God has a plan for my life, so I will embrace this experience and I will learn as much as I can along the way. I will gain wisdom. I will document what I learn in this blog, and I will share it with others so that someone else will know that they are not alone. We all have a unique journey. We all have a story to tell.

So, back to my boobies (come on, when else is it appropriate to say that?!) ... I made another important decision yesterday. I chose to schedule the double mastectomy and breast reconstruction to significantly reduce my chances of developing breast cancer (I'm at 87% right now). Whew! I said it. I made THE decision. I'll be honest, that was a hard one. I know it needs to be done to secure a more healthy future for myself, but actually admitting it was huge. I'm not sure why this was such a big hurdle, but from day one it was hard for me to speak out loud that this needed to be done. Now that I've jumped that hurdle, it doesn't seem so bad. I only have about 999,999 more hurdles to jump. 

TMI Zone: I've spared you from the following discussion, but the time has come so please stop reading if you don't want to hear about my nipples. Yes, I said nipples. After meeting with the Plastic Surgeon two and a half weeks ago, I was told that I could not keep my nipples. I assumed that I couldn't because of the risk of developing breast cancer in the nipple tissue so I was ok with this news. I was then given two options for "fake" nipples; either tattoos or something I'll call the "twisted nipple" for lack of a better word for this horrendous sounding procedure. So, since that day, I've been trying to decide on tattoos or just going with "Barbie" boobs. I was pretty much settled on 3D tattoos (yes, there is such a thing) because I wanted to look "normal" for my girls. However, yesterday, the Breast Specialist said that I can keep my nipples if I choose to because the risk of cancer is very low. What?! Seriously?! I felt a sudden rush of relief that I didn't even know needed to come out. Finally, I was getting the option to keep something when so much is being taken away! I get to keep my nipples! I'm not going to lie, it will be nice to look down when all is said and done and see something familiar. Something that's still mine. WOOHOO!

So, here's where we stand:

• I get to keep my nipples!!! Oh, wait, we just discussed that.
• My follow-up cancer screening will be MRI's, not mammograms. The MRI's are mainly to check the implants, but double as a cancer screening so essentially a two for one. 
• Honestly, I was a little concerned with the mammogram popping an implant. Oh the things I've thought about these past few months. I could entertain you!
• I will have to start taking Estrogen pills right after the hysterectomy. I asked if I was feeling fine if I could stop taking them, and she said that I'm advised to take them until age 50 because I'm having the hysterectomy so young and bone loss will be a big factor when I'm no longer producing my own hormones. Geez! One thing leads to another. 
• I found out that my breast expanders will have ports, which will be the access point to fill them every 2-3 weeks (after the 4-6 week healing time). Although, two ports and multiple drains doesn't sound fun, it's a small price to pay for my health. 
• I'm now waiting for the doctors office to call and schedule the surgery. The Breast Specialist and Plastic Surgeon will work on me at the same time so they'll have to coordinate a day that works for both of them. 
• Let's do this!

2 Chronicles 20:15, 17 - "do not fear or be dismayed at this great multitude; for the battle is not yours but God's ... This battle is not for you to fight; take your position, stand still and see the victory of the Lord..."

More of THESE!

It's COLD outside today. I mean cold! We had snow and sleet all day yesterday followed by more snow last night. It's 12 degree's with a windchill of -1. It's March 3rd for Pete's sake. Where is Spring?!

Needless to say, school was cancelled and we're all stuck inside. I love having extra days with my sweet Kindergartner, and our 4 and 2 year old, but today started off rough. Because of the weather our TV wasn't working. So, after four phone calls (with screaming kids) to the cable company (I just needed 5 minutes of TV babysitting so that I could shower and not worry about the girls getting into something), they're finally sending out a tech ... tomorrow. 

• Side note: I pulled a muscle in my chest on Saturday night while coughing. Who does that?! Just imagine feeling that with every cough, and virtually every move you make. It's not pleasant.

Of course, while moving the TV to give the cable rep our model number, I strained the muscle again. Ouch! And, I was suppose to take my car in today to be repaired because of the wreck we got in a few weeks ago during a snow storm. I called to reschedule that for next Monday since it didn't seem wise to be driving in the same kind of weather that got us in a wreck in the first place. All of that being said, I needed an attitude adjustment.

After lunch, my 4 year old sweets-addict asked for a sucker. I concurred since they all ate a good lunch. My 5 year old opted for nothing, and my 2 year old wanted everything in the bag. While she stood there, not even looking at the candy, I said "how about these" while getting a roll of Smarties. She grabbed the dishwasher handle, jumped up and down over and over, and said "Yes! These! These! These! I want these!"

I laughed because she didn't even know what "these" were, but she was so excited to get "these." She just wanted them because she knew they were from me and she TRUSTED me. And then it hit me, that's exactly how we should TRUST Jesus. Often times, we don't know what "these" things are in life that He will offer to us, but we should TRUST that He knows what's best for our lives and allow ourselves to jump up and down with excitement, saying "Yes! These!"

Thank you, Lord, for the attitude adjustment that came from simply picking out a piece of candy for my 2 year old. I am blessed!

• Jeremiah 29:11 - "For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
• Proverbs 3:5-6 - "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. 

Clean Eating Challenge: February Results!

Click Here to read my January Team Results!

On Feb 28th, my team finished their month long Clean Eating journey, and we had some strong finishers! I'm very proud of each person's dedicated journey. There were some struggles (like giving up coffee) along the way, but in the end, lives were changed!

Team Results:

• I had 13 people give me their weight loss results at the end of the month. Those 13 people lost a total of 77 lbs! My team member with the highest weight loss percentage was 6.15%!
• I had 7 people give me their inches lost. Those 7 people lost a total of 34.75"! My team member with the highest inches lost was 8 inches! 
• These are the kind of results that you see when you don't give up!
• The weight and inches lost seem to be what everyone wants to hear about since those are visible changes, but what about the changes that you can't see from the outside? Keep reading. You will be amazed!

Team Testimonials:

• "I lost 3 lbs and 1.5 inches" - This came from a team member in her second month of the journey, and she's continuing into March!
• "I'm walking slowly on the treadmill, and I no longer have stiff muscle pains in the front of my legs, and the pain in my hip and knee is so much better. I'm thankful!"
• "I am an avid runner and was interested in 'kicking it up a notch' on the nutrition side (thanks to the eye opener statement of 80% nutrition and 20% fitness). So, I accepted the challenge. But I experienced results I didn't expect! I have struggled with cystic acne for over 15 years and through this challenge, I now have clear skin!" 
• Not to mention, she lost 8 lbs!
• "I've experienced lower blood pressure, no headaches, and I no longer feel my heart murmur when I lay flat on my back. It used to feel like my heart was doing flips inside my chest when I would lay down, but now that my blood pressure has lowered, I no longer feel the murmur."
• "I lost 10 lbs and I started late on Feb 8th!"
• "I learned to love protein shakes and rice chips and gluten free pasta. I learned that I don't really need refined carbs and sugars to be satisfied. I learned that it's ok NOT to have potatoes with every meal. I learned how to bake all kinds of gluten-free snacks and found that almonds and coconut make everything better. I learned to like hot tea in place of my evening glass of red wine. What I missed: coffee. I'm definitely taking coffee back, but not in excess. One cup in the mornings before my workout is enough. I lost a few pounds, a couple of inches, and I gained some willpower over cravings." - From a CPA (this is a stressful time of year)
• "Not only are my blood sugar, blood pressure, and arthritis greatly improved ... I have been on a 3 year schedule to check my colon. Without giving too much information, I will tell you that I received a good Colonoscopy test result. I only had one polyp where 3 years ago, I had multiple polyps. I talked to the nurse when she called to check on me. She said my good eating was what helped. The fiber in the shakes and in the food we eat is making a big internal difference. I figured something was up when I was told last time to come back in 3 years (commonly you test every 5 years). I wasn't told then, but was told this time that having multiple polyps puts you in the high risk category to develop colon cancer. Now, I have been taken off the high risk notice and don't have to test again for 5 years! The benefits just keep showing up with this Life Change we have made in our eating habits."
• "We joined the gym again and we love going!"
• "We can't imagine going back to our old habits. We are ready for March, our 3rd month using Arbonne products and eating clean."
• From another team member who works in an accounting office (it's tax season my friends) - "Last week was terrible! I fired one employee and the other one called in three days so I was working triple duty. And working 8+ hours on Sunday for the past three weeks. Just three more Sunday's to go. I can't wait for March 15th, corporate tax deadline. I just have so much stress right now, but I have been sticking to my shakes twice a day and the dinner menu that was provided. I feel good about what I'm eating. Also, I haven't gotten on the scale in about a week, so I'm not sure what I weigh, but I need to get new jeans ASAP! I'm thinking I'm down at least two sizes!"
• "My most dramatic change has been my 'mommy tummy' that I have struggled with since baby #3."
• I saw pictures. The mommy tummy was replaced with a nice set of abs!
• "I lost 8 lbs. That's 28.5 lbs since January, and I'm continuing into March."

These are amazing results that all came about because these individuals decided to change the way that they eat, to say No to things that don't fuel their body, and to say Yes to a much healthier lifestyle that will continue on for years to come. YOU can achieve these same results! These are moms, dads, employees, stay at home moms, retiree's, etc. The only difference between them and you is that they simply said Yes. They were ready for a change and they went for it, and you can't deny those results. This Clean Eating Challenge is LIFE CHANGING. So, what's holding you back? I would love to talk with you about this challenge if you're ready to hear more. Please contact me anytime (morrison25@cox.net). 

I truly feel like I hold the Key to saving people's lives. That may sound extreme, but when you hear that blood sugar is lowered, diabetes is under control, blood pressure is lowered, heart murmurs are no longer felt, colonoscopy's come back clear, weight is lost, inches are lost, etc ... well, then there must be something to this crazy thing called Clean Eating. 

I'm putting together teams each month to go through this challenge. Each team member is given a four week menu and shopping guide, is included in a full support private facebook page, and has access to a nutritionist. 

I will also work with you to make this challenge fit your budget so please don't hesitate because you "think" it's expensive. There are multiple discount options with Arbonne! When my husband and I went through the challenge in January (and I continued into Feb), we actually came out ahead financially because we cooked every meal at home and saved a lot of money by not eating out ... or grabbing a cappuchino here and there. 

April Team: I'm putting this team together right now and I would LOVE for you to join me! The kits take 5-7 days to ship to your door so don't wait until the last minute to join. If you live in the Tulsa area, I would love to come to your house to share this program with you, your family, and your friends. I will never push someone to buy if they are not ready. I just want the opportunity to share this experience with others so that they can benefit as well! And, there's some pretty awesome host rewards available to you as well!