Words to the Wise

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A close family friend lost her battle with cancer this past weekend. These words reminded me of her because it was how she chose to live her life.
It's something we can all aspire to!

TEN WAYS TO LOVE

1.  Listen without interrupting. (Proverbs 18:13)

2. Speak without accusing. (James 1:19)

3. Give without sparing. (Proverbs 21:26)

4. Pray without ceasing. (Colossians 1:9)

5. Answer without arguing. (Proverbs 17:1)

6. Share without pretending. (Ephesians 4:15)

7. Enjoy without complaint. (Philippians 2:14)

8. Trust without wavering. (Corinthians 13:7)

9. Forgive without punishing. (Colossians 3:13)

10. Promise without forgetting. (Proverbs 13:12)

{{ CHECK IT OUT }}

Shea and Debbie from A Gilded Life are hosting a fabulous giveaway is for Melody Ross' Brave Girls' online course Soul Restoration I, which will begin on April 5th.  All you have to do to be entered to win is to head over to their blog { RIGHT HERE } and leave a comment THAT'S IT! 
Comments will be closed for this giveaway on Saturday, March 5th

at 9:00 CST, and a winner will be announced Sunday afternoon.

What Do YOU want for Christmas?

I know what I want.  I want to learn how to be more like this man- 'the companion of the forgotten'.  To me, THIS is what an angel on Earth looks like.  Watch it alone, send it to friends, watch it with your kids...just watch it.  Merry Christmas!

I ask you right here to agree with me ...

"I ask you right here to agree with me that a scar is never ugly.

That is what the scar makers want us to think.

But you and I, we must make an agreement to defy them.

We must see all scars as beauty. Okay?

This will be our secret.

Because take it from me, a scar does not form on the dying.

A scar means, I SURVIVED!

 In a few breath's time I will speak some sad words to you.

But you must hear them the same way we have agreed to see scars now.

Sad words are just another beauty.

A sad story means, this story teller is alive!

The next thing you know,

something fine will happen to her,

something marvelous,

and then she will turn around and smile."

From the book "Little Bee" by Chris Cleve

Shared with me by Jen

Helping Them Fight the Good Fight ~ Breast Cancer Pink Glove Video!

Super fun video made by Saint Vincent's hospital and staff to bring awareness to breast cancer. I love the pink gloves!

Sending pink hugs to everyone who has been touched by this horrible disease!

Waxing Philosophical

Count your blessings. Once you realize how valuable you are and how much you have going for you, the smiles will return, the sun will break out, the music will play, and you will finally be able to move forward the life that God intended for you with grace, strength, courage, and confidence. Each day is a special gift from God, and while life may not always be fair, you must never allow the pains, hurdles, and handicaps of the moment to poison your attitude and plans for yourself and your future. You can never win when you wear the ugly cloak of self-pity, and the sour sound of whining will certainly frighten away any opportunity for success.

Live this day as if it will be your last.
Remember that you will only find tomorrow on the calendars of fools.
Forget yesterday's defeats and ignore the problems of tomorrow. This is it. Doomsday. All you have. Make it the best day of your year.
The saddest words you can ever utter are, If I had my life to live over again.
Beginning today, treat everyone you meet, friend or foe, loved one or stranger, as if they were going to be dead at midnight.
Extend to each person, no matter how trivial the contact, all the care and kindness and understanding and love that you can muster, and do it with no thought of any reward.
Your life will never be the same again.

WAIT on the WEIGHT

For all of you who find themselves obsessing over demands on your weight (either up or down) during this New Year Resolution season...
Please read this poem my friend wrote:


Ten, tiny, perfect toes
perched on the edge
of a metal ledge

Large, brown eyes
stare ahead
at the numbers
that will tell her a lifetime of lies

She waits..

ten , tiny seconds
for the slide to stop
on her young girl…weight

WAIT!!!

For ten long seconds
my mind screams out…
Baby of mine
you sparkle, and shine!!

you're so much more than a number!!
spin on your toes
turn your back on the lies
your worth can not be measured!!

The scale can’t put numbers on all that you are
an old piece of metal can’t go up that far…

I look at the nurse and speak from my heart…
here is where medicine and love
will part

Don’t look at my daughter
and assign her a number,

speak her label out loud…
she’s so full of life
and I want her to know…
her number’s NOT what makes me proud!

She’s smart and she’s funny
caring and brave
independent and honest
and all that I must SAVE

For the world will measure her
the rest of her days
in numbers and letters
they will measure her ways

Soft brown waves
little freckled nose
Mommy will protect you
from what you need not know

So for today
this nurse and I will have to disagree
I spin my child
on the metal stand

turn her around to face me
big brown eyes…
ten tiny toes…

in this moment
my love is all you need to know.

Copyright 2008 Jennifer Phillips Wolsey

For the Girls

A friend of mine sent me this link. All women (especially mothers, teachers & women who have close contacts with girls) should watch this! Check it out,
here.

Adored Before Flash Cards in the Spotlight

I am so excited to announce that I created a set of my flash cards for Angela Shelton's new web show Stirring Up Trouble. The show is sort of Betty Crocker Meets Sex in the City. Old ideas with a modern (and fun) twist. You can view the 9 minute webisode free and again & again (which includes a divine $10 recipe for organic chicken that will last for DAYS)here.

The flash cards are being featured during the show and are available for purchase HERE!

Angela is an amazing actress, screenwriter, comedienne and is oh so funny. She is also a childhood sexual abuse survivor and is the author of a documentary seen on Oprah called Searching for Angela Shelton, you can see more of ithere.

Make time to check out the show and 'about Angela' she is someone we could all learn from. Overcoming obstacles? HA! No problem-o!
xoxo
Melissa

Betty Crocker, Meet Carrie Bradshaw

Cool New Show Debuting in September-Be sure to check it out. Its called STIRRING UP TROUBLE....sort of a 'Betty Crocker Meets Sex In The City' with Angela Shelton. Check it out here.

FORMALDEHYDE ON MY HEAD?!?!

Just found some information in my 'turning eco-chic' travels... I was pretty shocked about it & I thought I would share it with you.

Formaldehyde in common household products

Is there any better reason to choose Shaklee products? You can be sure the safety and HEALTH of your family is Shaklee's goal! Shaklee shampoos, conditioners, vitamins, handy wipes, children's vitamins, DO NOT contain formaldehyde, and, as stated with the GetClean household kit, it's about the toxic ingredients NOT contained in Shaklee products:
no napthalene, no kerosene, no formaldehyde, no phenol, no creosol, no lye, no hydrocholoric acid, no sulfuric acid, no petroleum distillates, no benzene, no ammonia, no paradichlorobenzene, no sodium hydroxide, no butyl cellosolve, no phosphoric acid, no chlorine, no phosphates, no nitrates, no borates, no animal testing, biodegradable!

I recently attended a lecture by an ENT Specialist (Medical Doctor), Dr. Benjamin Asher, and he provided the following information regarding products that contain formaldehyde or FRP's which can cause eczematoid-type dermatitis, headache, or symptoms of asthma. He pointed out that aspartame converts to formaldehyde and children are particularly sensitive to this compound. Some products that were listed in an article from Pediatric Annals 36:1, January 2007 were:
These contain formaldehyde:

Shampoo: Avon Kids 2-in-1 Super Gentle Shampoo for Normal Hair, Avon, Dove Shampoo, Extra Volume, Unilver, Johnson's Baby Shampoo, Softwash Baby Shampoo, Kissably Baby Soft, Johnson & Johnson

Conditioner:
Avon Kids Super Gentle Conditioner, Detangler, Avon, Dove conditioner, Intense Moisture, Unilever, Nizoral A-D Non-medicated Daily Conditioner, Janssen Pharmaceutica

Hair Gel:
Avon Kids Super Gentle 2-in-1 Soft Styling Gel, all hair types, Avon, Dove Shape & Lift Volumizing Gel, Unilever so multiplicity discipline smoothing gel, Innovative Styling Options

Baby Wipes:
Huggies Natural Care Baby Wipes, Unscented Kimberly-Clark Huggies Newborn Baby Wipes, Fragrance Free, Kimberly-Clark Pampers One-ups, Baby Wipes with Aloe, Alchohol Free, Proctor & Gamble

Vitamins:
Flintstones Children's Complete Multivitamin Chewable Tablets, Bayer; Centrum Kids Complete Vitamins, Chewable Tablets, Wyeth, One-a-Day Kids Scooby-Doo Multivitamin plus Calcium, Chewable Tablets, Bayer

Stop by and visit my new favorites:
www.shaklee.net reference member ID WD07579 to receive a discount

CALLING ALL MOMS~Green is the NEW Pink

I wanted to share something I recently became passionate about the hard way. I know we have a lot of moms here and thought it was important to bring this up. I have asthma & allergies, my kids have asthma & allergies. I always tried to keep the house very clean because I knew that this would help alleviate their symptoms. It actually made them worse. I did some research like all moms do and I found some startling information....The sprays/powders/aerosols are not only terrible for the kids and their breathing (almost all household chemicals on the mass market contain immediate respiratory irritants) but it is also terrible for the environment (all those plastic bottles and cans in landfills). This affects all of us - not just the 1 in 16 children who have asthma.

This was recently featured on Oprah. On Oprah's 11/5 show all about "Staying Young," Oprah and health consultant Dr. Mehmet Oz enthusiastically discuss the benefits of the non-toxic, biodegradable Get Clean products! AND On November 20, 2007, on her famous "Favorite Things" show, Oprah describes the Get Clean Starter Kit as "the perfect gift for someone who likes cleaning and also likes to help the environment."

I discovered a way to buy the products from myself- I am NOT a salesperson but rather sharing this information with you. I have tried a new line of products (that has been available for 50 years unbeknownst to me) and they really work!
I want to offer anyone who shares my concerns a FREE sample of the laundry soap or the household cleaner FREE of charge[/color] (just pay $2 for shipping on the cleaner or $1 for the laundry soap)

I am getting the word out there to all moms of kids who have allergies or asthma or moms who just want to help the environment while making their home safer at the same time. No worries about your child becoming poisioned from these products...they are all natural.

I am starting a campaign for all my fellow shabby moms called GREEN Is the new PINK. You can join me for free or pay $20 for a lifetime membership and get 15% off all products for a lifetime. www.shaklee.net/melissabolton
REMEMBER: You buy from yourself (not me) and it is shipped to you (not me) ...no pressure- just get what you need to make your home safe.

I am happy to answer any questions you may have on this topic. Thanks for taking a minute to think about making a healthier change for yourself, your kids and the environment.

~Melissa
www.shaklee.net/melissabolton