A few updates...

So I have a few updates today :) 

I am on a new website -  thanks to Tamra for the info!

http://www.homepartyhostess.blogspot.com/
http://www.homepartyhostess.com/pennsylvania.html

It's was only $20 for the whole year, so it was definitely worth a try!

I really need to get more organized in 2011 with this business - meaning keeping track of what I am spending, saving receipts, etc., and really treating it like a business so I can take full advantage of the perks of owning your own business!

One of the new people in my downline has posted my recipe on her website - I thought that was kinda cool!
http://www.betterthenthebest.com/

Oh some other exciting info! (well for me anyway) - I am just a few pageviews away from hitting 400 page views!  Hooray!  It's a nice feeling :)

The Do You Bake? catalogs are being released! Wooohooo!  I just placed my order for them.  I cannot wait to see them!  I think this will be a great asset to have - since that is pretty much the number one question I get - which is why I made up my own brochures :)  But this will be better!

Also new recipe cards are being released for Beer Bread Pudding - I must make that!  I will keep you up to date when I get the cards and when I actually make it!

The new mailer is going to go out in January... in Media, PA and NJ - 500 postcards total in a mailer!  I hope I get some parties or consultants out of it!!

Lastly - I still have to register for that event in March - the only thing troubling me is that with the bag inserts for 150 people, it will cost 170.00 to attend this event and have promo items in bags - that is such a chunk of money..... ugh.... but I really want to do it, I am just scared I guess.  What makes me think that it is good that it is a yearly function and they have had success before....  I am sure I will do it - it just makes me nervous shelling out that much money for a "maybe"  - but I guess this business is all about risks and sometimes you just have to take a leap! - keep your fingers crossed for me!

I really liked the quote below.... No more excuses in 2011.  You are unhappy? Do something about it :) Be incharge of your own life!

If you don't like something change it; if you can't change it, change the way you think about it.'
-Mary Engelbreit

WOW.... and we continue to grow!

So, I thought this week was going to be a slow week with all the holidays and people taking vacations and what not.... I was wrong! In the past 2 days, I have had 3.. yes, 3! new people join my DYB? team!

Let's give a warm welcome to Michele, Merri, and Sandy!  Welcome to you all - I am sooo excited to have you join our team and wish you all the greatest success in your business!

Such a great way to end the year and it gives me so much motivation for the new year! 

I have also missed writing... it is kinda like my diary that I share to whoever is listening and it is so nice when I do find out someone is reading :)  There is only so much my boyfriend wants to hear about DYB? - haha - so this is a great outlet and I highly reccommend anyone out there starting their own blog!  Email/message me if you do!

So Christmas was soooo nice and I had a great time spending it with both families!  I got some nice new things as well!!  I gave lots of DYB? gifts.... I got the new coffee and gave 3 out as stocking stuffers... now I just have to wait for the feedback.  The candles were such a hit for friends and family.... how could they not be though! They smell soooo good!  I need to stock back up on those! 

Some other good news, the owner of DYB? is starting to have weekly coaching calls for the leaders and I was chosen as one of the people to be invited on the calls!  I was really happy about that and can't wait to see what I learn and hpw I can develop my business for 2011.  We are also going to have "all consultant" calls starting in Feb.  Which is great! - The more info the better!!

Well, I hope everyone has a fabulous New Year's Eve and stays safe!  I am still not sure what we are doing - haha. 

"Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal."
- Henry Ford

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!

Well sorry to say that I never got around to making the Meatloaf and Mashed Potatoes...

Guess I'll have to wait to the new year!

Well, the next two weeks are really gonna be about the holidays and my boyfriend's birthday is tomorrow.... :) Busy, busy... I really wish I didn't have to work on Christmas :(

I will probably not be on here too much - but will be back on track for January!  Lots of great promotions coming up in January and hopefully, I will have 2 new members of my team!

I wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!  If you do not celebrate Christmas... I hope you have the day off and enjoy it as well!! :)

Here's to 2011!!

"We are made wise not by the recollection of our past, but by the responsibility for our future."
- George Bernard Shaw

Anger, disappointment, annoyed.......then ended the day HAPPY!

The title for today describes a few of the feelings I have had today.  I was so hoping that today, I would be writing good news and I would be happy and excited, but unfortunately that is not the case.  I finally decided to write after hiding in my bed from the world... lol.

I was glad I did sleep cause I got some great news after my nap!  So here is the story of my day.  :)

So today's event was coordinated by a Mom's Shopping Guide that distributes over 10,000 issues every 2 months.  I thought for sure people would come.... they didn't.  I got there around 8:30am (since I took a day off of work to go), and the room really looked good.  It was at a senior center and the room was filled with vendors (about 50), the Christmas music was playing and everyone was setting up... I was excited, and I thought to myself, "This is going to be a great day!"  - I got everything set up and the doors opened at 9am.  I figured it was early, and a Sunday, so people would slowly trickle in and then by noon it would be bustling.  It was a flop...  I think for the raffle the only people that won were vendors!  I was pretty bummed....  then looking around the room I see "HER" - for those of you who have been reading my blog remember a certain crazy vendor I had a problem with at a quarter auction for accusing my family of not bidding a quarter (ridiculous).  I saw her looking at me, but I didn't say anything...  didn't want to create any problems and she was all the way on the other side of the room anyway.  The event continued and was supposed to go to 2pm, but everyone was packing up by 1pm.  So I go out to start packing up my stuff back and as I am heading towards my car, I notice a scratch.... I get close to my car and see that there is a long scratch from the passenger door to the back of my car - a deep scratch obviously made by a key.  Then above the long scratch are a few zig-zag scratches.  I could not believe that someone keyed my car!!!!  I have no proof, but it seems pretty coincidental that she was there and now my car is keyed!  I don't have enemies and my car has Do You Bake? sign on it as well as my name.  I called the police and filed a report, but I had no proof it was her plus there were no surveillance cameras in the parking lot.  Needless to say, I was fuming!  Not only was the event a HUGE disappointment, but now I got damage to my car! 

I got home and just crawled into bed...  and hid from the world for a couple hours.

After my nice nap, I woke up to discover I had a new member of my team!  Welcome Michelle!! :)  I am so happy to have you aboard! and wish you great success :)  - That brightened my mood!!

Then, I got a order from my friend's mom for 6 mixes to give as Christmas gifts :) 

So although, more than half of the day was pretty bad, at least it ended well.  Christmas is right around the corner and then a whole new year is ahead of me.  :) 

Two good things that did happen at the event was that I got invited to another event in January.  Also there was a vendor there that sells amazing oils and vinegars.  (I bought some) We were talking and he does a lot of shows... I originally met him at the PA Food and Wine festival.  So he wants to add me on his list of vendors to invite to events he finds out about.  Which was pretty cool.

And you never know.... that's what I love and hate about this business.  You never know what the day is going to bring you... could be good or bad news.  Even today, such a roller coaster of emotions.  Which makes it exciting, but frustrating as well! haha

Tomorrow night, I am having a Do You Bake? dinner.  Meatloaf, Cheesy Garlic Mashed Potatoes and Garlic and Herb Biscuits.  YUM!!!  I'll try to remember to take pictures this time and I will post my mashed potato and meatloaf recipe. 

Oh and I just got an email from DYB?, looks like we are gonna have a little catalog in the beginning of 2011 - wooohooo :) Can't wait!!!

Well, I am off to finish my homework - ugh - I leave you with a quote.

"You can have unbelievable intelligence, you can have connections, you can have opportunities fall out of the sky. But in the end, hard work is the true, enduring characteristic of successful people" Marsha Evans

Getting ready for the last event for 2010

Well I didn't end up getting a chance to write yesterday as you probably have noticed... I had too much school work to do, plus I didn't really accomplish anything :)

So today I am getting ready for my last event for 2010.  I am baking Chocolate Chip Cookies, Italian Beer Bread and making a garlic dip for the event tomorrow.  I hope that a lot of people come and I can go out with a bang for 2010! Tomorrow is an early one, 9 - 2pm. 

We had some great updates to the website today!!  We are now going to carrying coffee and tea!!  I can't wait to get some...  I don't drink coffee, but they will be good for gifts and I have other people try them out to get feedback!  I ordered some today so I can get it before Christmas.  Looks like there is going to be a lot of products coming out in 2011!  Can't wait! :)

Plus, we have an amazing new consultant package...  I might have mentioned it before.  But all the info is up on the site now.

I got news on the Rice-A-Rama, rice maker today! WooHoo!  Looks like it will be shipped out right after Christmas.  Which is great cause I was getting impatient! haha - I want to try them :)  I also got news that more rice mixes will be added in the 1st quarter of 2011. 

OH! In January, I am going to have a postcard go out to a new mailing.  The women that put on the Quarter Auctions I like are putting together a direct sales pamper pack - kinda like ValuPack.  It will go out in the mail and hopefully find me more customers and leads.  It's a local quarterly publication.  It launches in January and since I have been a vendor with them a few times, I get the first round FREE!  I got the postcards ordered from Vistaprint.  So hopefully it does well.  We shall see.  I have to figure out my advertising for the new year soon....  I might do some with the event am doing tomorrow.  I want to see the guide they have as well as how successful the event is also. 
 Determine never to be idle. No person will have occasion to complain of the want of time who never loses any. It is wonderful how much may be done if we are always doing."
- Thomas Jefferson

Back to school :(

Well, classes started again :(  So that will take up a little more of my time.  It will get even worse in January when I take up 3 more classes.... right now I just have one.  But, I have come to realize that there are plenty of hours in a day if you use them wisely.  I hardly ever watch TV anymore and that does free up soooo much time.  I also cut down on my video game time... which is harder than TV - haha.  But little sacrifices are worth it to have success.  But, I do enjoy learning.  I am getting my Master's in Criminal Justice and my 2nd Bachelor's in Psychology. 

So my goals this week are to have my profile pages up on linkedin and merchant circle. 

There was a huge spike in my blog over the past 2 days... not sure why, but I am not going to complain!  It's nice to see that people are reading this. :)  I am hoping that 2011 will be full of lots of info as well as what I learn.  I am excited for the new year...

With the help of Jen (from DYB), I am going to have flyers put in all the goody bags that will be given out at the big event in March.  I am hoping this one brings lots of sales, consultants and parties!  I still have some time to plan... hopefully the rice makers will be ready to go for that one as well!

There is another event in Feb., but I am not sure if I want to do it yet.  You have to buy tickets to sell to people to come and that's seems like just more work.  What if I can't sell them all??  I have to think about it.  It is more geared towards fashion and cosmetics, so I am not even sure if DYB would do well after spending all the money to be a vendor. hmmmmm......

Some great news today... looks like I am going to meet the qualifications of both categories for the 60-day blast off with Do You Bake? - I am pretty excited since that was a goal of mine form week 1!  Next goal = trip to Bahamas! :)

We have a new consultant promotion that started today which is AWESOME!  If anyone was thinking about joining Do You Bake? - now is the time.  We have some awesome promotions going on for new consultants!  Message me if you would like some more info! 

I am placing an order for some new products that I haven't tried yet - can't wait!! 

I have returned :)

It is good to be back home... even though I was only away for 2 days.  I had a great time and learned a lot - but I did miss my Do You Bake? business - but I did learn a lot of things that I can use for Do You Bake as well as get some motivation.

Some news....

I finalized the contest that I will have going on this January through the Sales Moms Direct Sales Network.  The prizes are going to be pretty sweet - including our new rice maker and rice mixes!  I hope it get s a lot of entries.  I get to keep all the leads collected from the contest so that should be good for future sales (I hope).  I figured I would try it since it is free and all - plus I get free advertising.  And anyone who wins will love the products - of course!

There is a new website that just started to list new direct sales companies on one site.  I am now listed on the site :)  http://www.homeshowdivas.com/ It is very new - so we shall see what happens with that.  They had a facebook promotion for their launch - so I got free advertising.

I made our vanilla cupcake mix and pumpkin cupcake mix today :)  - Came out delicious as always! My boyfriend's mom is having a broker's open house tomorrow, so I will be supplying the cupcakes :)  She will have a sign out that shows I provides the desserts as well as my business cards and brochures.  Hopefully some people will think of me in the future :)  I only made 48 mini cupcakes and the rest (about 15) regular size cupcakes (which I never made before).  The regular size cupcakes came out soooooo good!  Everyone in the house was happy when I said the regualr size cupcakes were extra and they could eat them! haha

I leave you with a quote...

"There is one thing that 99% of "failures" and "successful" folks have in common - they all hate doing the same things.  The difference is successful people do them anyway.  Change is hard.  That's why people don't transform their bad habits, and why so many people end up unhappy and unhealthy." - Darren Hardy