One Chick's Journey

My Beach

2008-06-26T21:15:00.011-05:00

I have been super busy this summer marketing my business, but I wanted to post a quick blog to let you guys know I'm still alive. I haven't been to the beach yet this summer, but if I had been able to go this is where we usually go. It's called the kiddie pool at St. Andrews State Park. I highly recommend it to anyone....that doesn't mind a few SHARKS.

I can't really remember, but I think the sign may say:

Caution

Sharks Past This Point

The Need To OutSource

2008-05-28T12:44:00.004-05:00

I've got a headache, plus I'm feeling a bit drained at the moment. However, I'm excited because I just received an e-mail from someone saying she is very interested in writing articles and press releases for my website. She loves to write and is excited about the opportunity to make some extra $$. She also shares my drive and passion for business.

I've been putting off writing press releases and articles since my time is so limited. I could write them myself, but it takes me a while to figure out exactly what I want to say. I would rather spend my time (and I feel more useful) working on other areas of my business. As a result of writing fresh content being one of my weaker strengths, I think outsourcing the task is a smart option for me.

Summer Is Here!

2008-05-26T19:18:00.003-05:00

With Memorial Day weekend being the official kick off to summer, I'm looking forward to the next three months. My son finished his first year of preschool last Thursday so we'll be getting used to having him home every day. I'm not sure that it has sunk in that he wouldn't be seeing his classmates for a while. He also won't get to see his little girlfriend, a blonde hair, blue eyed cutie cause she is moving over the summer. So sad.

Business wise, I'm really looking foward to the next few months. I'm in the midst of the busy wedding season and sales are really picking up. I also enrolled in a very intensive program last Thursday that should work wonders for my business. I'll be learning from the pros on how to effectively market and grow my business. The program is pricey to say the least so I'm going to be soaking up as much information as I possibly can.

Fine Tuning My Website

2008-05-18T10:49:00.004-05:00

I just had my website reviewed by an authoritative company in the SEO (search engine optimization)market. This review was pretty comprehensive which was very surprising since it was free. I think my head is spinning from all of the information that I received. I have so many ideas of things that I want to do now to promote my website.

Looking at my Google ranking for many of my keywords, I'm delighted to see that I have moved to within the first 4 positions in the search engine return results. I was very happy to see that I'm now appearing in the #1 position in many cases. Now I have to focus on moving closer to one of the first 4 positions for two highly competitive keywords. It will take a lot of hard work, but I can do it.

One of the things my site review said was that I need to get a better Alexa and Technorati rank. I have heard of the websites, but I'm not very familiar with them. Educating myself on how they work is definitely on my list of things to do.

I was also told that I need to write press releases, ezine articles, and more blogs. I've known this fact for a while, but simply haven't had the time to do them. I'm thinking outsourcing may be the way to go. I know some bloggers use PayPerPost to earn extra money. If anyone is interested in writing some short articles and press releases for me then let me know.

I've Been A Very Busy Party (Favor) Girl

2008-04-26T19:48:00.008-05:00

It has been way too long since I've posted a blog I know. I have been very busy the last few weeks, filing my income taxes, sales tax, and corporate renewal paperwork, updating my MySpace, and updating as well as marketing my website, CherishedGiftFavors.com. I have also been working my butt off nonstop telling everyone I can think of about my wedding favors, party favors, and personalized gifts for any occasion. Sales have really been picking up for me and wedding season hasn't quite started. Needless to say I am thrilled!!

The last couple of weeks have also been stressful. For the last year I have enjoyed being listed on the first page of Google for my two main keywords. To keep my site looking fresh and more in line with what my competition is doing I decided to move a majority of the content from the top of my home page to beneath my product pictures. I also added some new content (content is king with search engines).

After I did that my home page was more visually appealing to my customers, but Google was not impressed. I kept my number two position for one of my keywords thank God, but Google kicked me to the top of the second page for my main keyword. I put the content I had before back above my product pictures and now I'm back on the first page again. It has taken me about 3 weeks to get back and I'm still lower in the search results than what I was before. Unfortunately, my sales suffered during the time when my website was kicked to the second page.

To attract more business anywhere I can get it , I just ordered signs for my car, post cards, and flyers. I happened to drop by a local bridal/gift boutique a couple of weeks ago to pick up a copy of a magazine that I advertised in and was blessed with the opportunity of meeting the owner. She loved my favors so we began talking. My favors don't really fit into her product line, but she happened to mention that her brides have a very hard time trying to find one the wedding accessories that I carry. I made up some flyers for her and she is going to start referring brides to my website. After I finish this post I will be spending my Saturday night adding the new wedding accessories to my website.

What Do You Use Your Dell For?

2008-04-05T12:53:00.001-05:00

Single For The Weekend

2008-04-04T19:35:00.008-05:00

Hubby and son are visiting his parents so I'm single for the weekend. I'm trying to make the most of my free time by adding many new wedding and party favors to my website. I've been working hard marketing and tweaking my website, MySpace profile, and my business blog for the last couple of weeks so I'm thrilled to be able to concentrate solely on my business for the next couple of days.

While I was getting my game plan ready for the weekend and eating dinner I started flipping the TV channels to see what was on. I came across a show on TLC called "I Can Make You Thin". Needless to say, the show caught my attention. I really want to lose some weight so I can get back to 110 lbs like I was just before I became pregnant..almost 4 years ago.

The show is about reprogramming your mind regarding the way you think about food. The host asked the audience and the TV viewers to think about a food (or foods) they crave. One(s) they can't resist. Like many people it is sweets for me. He had everybody close their eyes and think about a food that repulsed them. I hate liver and onions. I can't get past the smell of them cooking let alone trying to actually eat the nasty stuff.

After picturing the food in our minds, he asked for us to imagine taking a fork and eating a big plate of it.

While doing this, we are supposed to squeeze our thumb and finger on our left hand while thinking about the smell, the texture, and the taste of the food we hate.

Next he said to imagine the food covered in hair from a barbershop floor. I started feeling uncomfortable at that point.

It gets worse, we were then told to imagine it also covered with spit from a spittoon. OMG! I started gaging and my eyes started watering. With tears streaming down my face, he said to imagine our favorite food covered in the liver, hair, and spit. I almost threw up.

The next step of the exercise was to squeeze our right thumb and finger while thinking of a time in our lives when we were really happy. Perhaps while we were on vacation, at a party with friends, falling in love for the first time, or even enjoying a beautiful day.

The host said from now on when we crave a food that we need to squeeze our fingers on our left hand and think about it covered in something that repulses us. Then we need to squeeze our thumb and finger on our right hand and think about the thing that makes us the happiest.

I'm going to try it this week to see if it works for me. If you want more info on the show check out TLC's website.

I'm Pregnant

2008-04-01T22:54:00.002-05:00

As an April Fools' joke, my mom told my grandmother that I'm pregnant. My mom thought it was hysterical. I didn't find the humor in it....at all.

Happy Easter!

2008-03-23T10:43:00.004-05:00

glitter-graphics.com

I know I have been MIA for a while. I haven't had a chance to post lately because I've been busy freshening up My Space Profile and Cherished Gifts & Favors. I've added new pictures and lots of new party favors. My MySpace profile is finished for now and I'm hoping to have my website done in a few days.

Taxes have also kept me busy, but I finally took all my info to the accountant Friday so that is a huge weight lifted off of me! I'm thrilled to say the least.

Panama City Gone Corrupt

2008-03-12T22:29:00.003-05:00

The problems that Joe Francis has faced here in this good ole' boy town is wrong on so many levels. You may not agree with what he does, but he pissed some people off here and they were out to get him as soon as he arrived in Panama City. Two weeks later they got him.

He and his company were charged with taping 17 year old girls who lied about their age. It was against the law to tape them, but its ok for the state attorney to show the tape to Nightline. Hmmmm.

Of the many things he had to agree to in the plea bargain was to accept his seized car "as is". Interesting. The car looked in mint condition in the police photos. By the judge's comments it doesn't really sound like it is now. Strange, I wonder what could have happened to it?

He is also banned from coming back to the Florida Panhandle for 3 years. That sounds a bit strange too. How did the three years come in to play? Do you think he wants to come back?

Ick!!

2008-03-09T11:52:00.002-05:00

Spending my morning trying to clean up grape juice puke from my living room floor. It is not going well. The little one is sick and I'm about to be.

How is everyone else spending their Sunday? Please share, it may be a long day at my house.

Playing For The Crowd

2008-03-06T18:16:00.004-06:00

My son, sitting on the bar last Saturday night at Beef O'Brady's. He's already stealing the show at such a young age!...And hanging out in a bar...Like his father. Sports and beer on the weekends. I can see it now, much to my dismay!

Rainy Spring Break 2008

2008-03-04T13:12:00.003-06:00

Unfortunately for the Spring Breakers in Panama City Beach the weather is once again rainy. To make for an even better hair day, the wind is blowing like mad.
I think it is pretty ironic that Puddle of Mudd is performing tonight at Club La Vela.

The guys may be happy the weather is turning cold tomorrow because the girls on the beach will be freezing their asses off. Perhaps they will be looking for someone to keep them warm.

Spring Break 2008!

2008-02-27T13:08:00.008-06:00

Spring Break 2008 is here! I live in Panama City, Florida and we are well known for Spring Break. I thought PC Beach was trying to get away from the image of drunk high school and college students causing trouble, getting arrested, and killed after jumping from balconies, but I guess not.

As I am driving this morning I hear Club La Vela's radio ad announcing the Spring Break 2008 kick off party this weekend. I could care less. I'm 35 so I'm not really a part of the Spring Break crowd. Plus its still cold as hell here, so there is no way I'm gonna be in a bikini anytime soon.

Anyway, I'm listening to the lady with the sexy English accent (awesome marketing tragedy on La Vela's part) announce who is coming for Spring Break...

She says there will be guests appearances by;

top pop stars,

fashion models,

blah, blah, blah,

Victoria Secret will be doing a run way show (interesting..that is something new this year),

Maxim magazine will be looking for a centerfold model,

The Olly Girls will be making a guest appearance,

blah, blah, blah,

Playboy's The Girls Next Door will be stopping by on their tour,

blah, blah,

OMG! Did I just hear The Girls Next Door?? I love that show! I so want to go!

Hmmm...I might actually enjoy this Spring Break!

Update ~ Bridgette from The Girl's Next Door will be here on my husband's birthday. Happy birthday to me...I mean him.

The Twins Are Here

2008-02-22T06:30:00.002-06:00

Jennifer Lopez gave birth to twins this morning. A 5 pound, 7 ounce girl and a 6 pound boy. The US and Latin American rights of the first pictures are going to People and other international rights were sold to OK! magazine. People magazine reportedly paid between 4 to 6 million dollars for the photos.

The money is suppose to go to charity so hopefully a birth of a different kind will take place in giving some needy people new hopes, new dreams, and lots of help.

Rain, Rain

2008-02-22T06:27:00.002-06:00

Rain, rain go away! You flooded many cars at Starbucks and I had to take three detours just to get home today.

The Perks Of Being A Mommy

2008-02-14T18:47:00.012-06:00

I got this nice little present from my son today. So cute. I cried as I was reading it. Crazy I know, but it touched my heart.

Here's an up close look

Need Some Advice?

2008-02-11T19:53:00.001-06:00

If you are wanting some advice on love and romance then check out one of my readers new website, Baffld.com. All advice comes from the crowd, which seems to be getting bigger every day.

You can also posts questions on your blog for your readers to vote on and Baffld with keep track of the stats for you. Pretty Cool!

Susie Homemaker

2008-02-11T19:18:00.000-06:00

I rarely bake, but I decided to whip up some Duncan Hines brownies last night. Trying to pretend to be a good little homemaker, I served them straight from the oven to my little angel and husband so they could enjoy them when they were nice and hot. Next thing I know, my 3 year old comes walking in the kitchen and says "hey, what did you put in these brownies, they taste like dirt".

I then made the announcement that my husband can forget about the homemade cake that he (for some unknown reason) requested for his birthday next month.

All In A Days Work

2008-02-09T10:36:00.000-06:00

One of my customers is looking like a bad ass and keeping her safe inside the Green Zone (Iraq)

A Year Ago Tomorrow..

2008-02-07T19:14:00.000-06:00

Anna Nicole Smith died in Florida, but more importantly my grandfather who I loved deeply, my biggest fan, passed away. I can't believe it has only been a year. It seems like forever since I have seen him and I miss him so much.

I think the first anniversary of a person's death is very important and I've had a special night with my family planned for over 2 weeks. We are going to eat his favorite food and I'm giving my grandma a personalized photo frame & memorial candle to mark the occasion. I had planned on it being a time to remember all the joy my grandfather brought to our lives. I also thought we all needed to be there for my grandmother on a very difficult day.

All of the sudden my family starts bailing on me tonight. My aunt & uncle who have been visiting are leaving tomorrow to go back to Illinois, my other aunt said she didn't know if she going to my grandma's tomorrow night after all, and my own mother decided to go out of town with her friend. Needless to say, I'm not too happy that everybody has more important things to do tomorrow.

I guess we all grieve in our own way.

It Is Just A Party!

2008-02-05T22:03:00.000-06:00

This really made me laugh. It is sad, but true. .

I'm still laughing at this video even though I have played it 3 times!

Trying To Keep A Smile On My Face..

2008-02-05T13:19:00.000-06:00

I am having one of those days...

I can see me drinking a glass, 2 glasses, perhaps a bottle of wine tonight after my little one goes to bed.

Horrible Customer Service

2008-01-30T13:08:00.000-06:00

I received an order today and needed to adjust the amount the person was charged for their order. I received an error when I tried to place another charge on the customer's card (yes, customer was aware of the new amount) so I called my credit card processing company, Authorize.Net to try to get some assistance. What I got instead is a recording saying the average wait time was 62 minutes! How is that even acceptable??

Here is a message from their "Live Help" screen.

"All agents are currently busy. Please stand by.
You are currently at position number 40 in the queue. We are experiencing high volumes today and appreciate your patience."

I tried to call them last week and the wait was 34 minutes. Luckily, that time I was able to take care of the situation myself.

When I have actually gotten through to customer service on previous calls I was told the wait time was down dramatically from what it used to be. What was it then? A couple of days???

Authorize.Net is a very popular credit card processing company which many businesses use. It truly amazes me they think they are providing their customers with excellent or even acceptable service when the wait time to speak to them is over an hour!!

If their call volume is so high then they need to hire more people!!

My Wedding & Party Favors

2008-01-29T20:17:00.000-06:00

This is what Emerald Coast Brides had to say about my plantable wedding & party favors in their Spring '08 issue that is on newsstands now.

"For a wedding favor that keeps giving to both the guests
and the environment, consider handing out something
for their yard or garden. All the guests would consider
the Decorative Daisy Seed, Wildflower Seed Favor
Kits, Plantable Wildflower Favors, Seed Balls, the Love
Bean, or Butterfly Gift Baskets, available through www.
CherishedGiftFavors.com, fun and useful."

The magazine is now sold in 18 states in stores such as Walmart, Winn Dixie, Publix, Books A Million, Borders, and many others that I can't remember.

I went to Publix last week and the found the magazine kind of hidden in the middle of the bridal section . I moved the whole stack to the front. Hey, I gotta promote my business!

SAG Awards

2008-01-28T12:56:00.000-06:00

What were they thinking??

I Want This!

2008-01-23T23:12:00.000-06:00

Love the coat that Felecity Hoffman is rockin at the Sundance. Too cute!! I want her shoes too!

Stuck Inside

2008-01-19T13:56:00.000-06:00

It is cold and rainy outside so my family is stuck inside all day. My hubby is hating it, but I think it is the perfect chance to de-clutter my house and start getting together all of my business receipts/sales info for my accountant.

I hate this time of year because of the work involved in compiling everything I need for my business taxes, but it is also nice to see how much Cherished Gifts & Favors has grown since 2006.

I'm looking forward to 2008 being a great year business wise. I'm in the process of adding my 2008 line of elegant party favors and personalized gifts to my website which will give my customers even more unique items to choose from for their special event. I'm also increasing the advertising that I'm doing in magazines and on the web. It should all add up to a very busy year for CGF, Inc. January has already been busy so I'm really excited about the upcoming wedding season.

My Drama Filled Morning

2008-01-18T12:44:00.000-06:00

It was a different kind of morning for me. I went to work for a little while then it was off to my son's doctor's appointment.

It is always a blast to sit in a pediatrician's office. I get to try to entertain my child while keeping him away from kids that are sick and if he is sick then I have the fun job of keeping him away from kids that are not. The waiting time to see the doctor is usually over an hour which seems like 5 hours due to the crying, screaming, and/or misbehaving angels that are stuck in the waiting room with you.

While waiting today I happened to overhear a conversation between a grandmother and teenage mother & her mother. The grandmother was probably in her 40's and stated that she was at the doctor today with her grandchild because her daughter was working. She asked the teenage mom if she was doing home schooling like her daughter was. The girl said yes and they started talking. The stories of the 2 teenage mothers seemed almost identical. Both had stopped going to high school and were trying to complete their studies at home, both had been cheerleaders, and both lost most of their friends when they had gotten pregnant. The grandmother pulled out a picture of her daughter taken at a dance. The only one she ever attended.

I felt bad for the girls. Their lives had completely changed in the last year. Their time should be spent preparing for college, attending dances, football games, and hanging with friends. Instead they are spent taking care of their baby, working, and dealing with problems that only adults should have to face.

One girl is now married so she is also responsible for keeping up a house while her young husband works. I really felt bad for the girls. In the blink of an eye their lives changed so much.

After finally seeing the doctor I walk out to schedule my son's 4 year old check up in June. As I walk up to the receptionist I hear one of the staff telling a customer in a firm voice the doctor couldn't see him right now because he was very busy. He was asked to take a seat and he would see him as soon as he could. I don't know what the situation was, but a few seconds later the lady helping me also told him to sit down. She then told him that if he didn't she was going to call the police. At this point there were a couple of other people in line behind me and we all had shocked looks on our face.

The staff was doing the best they could to handle the situation, but you could tell they were very embarrassed that it was happening in front of a packed waiting room. My heart went out to the staff because I work with the public too. Like I said, I don't know the history between the staff and the man, but it seemed like things had gotten ugly before.

Needless to say the doctor's visit this morning was an interesting one.

Oh The Power Of Makeup!

2008-01-17T19:18:00.000-06:00

I stumbled upon these celeb photos on Yahoo. This is what these ladies really look like. WOW! Not only do they need makeup, but a brush would help a lot too!!

Eva Longoria

Jessica Simpson

Julia Roberts

The Things I Do...

2008-01-15T18:44:00.001-06:00

I'm a pretty smart chick, but sometimes I wonder about myself. Why do I do the things I do?? Case in point, today I couldn't find my keys when I was leaving work.

I just had them an hour and a half before when I ran to the bank and to the UPS store across the street to pick up my business mail.

However, at 5:00 I found myself looking everywhere for them. I checked my purse twice, the office kitchen, the counter in the supply room, the floor by my desk, the top of my desk, on top of the file cabinet by my desk. They were nowhere to be found.

I started panicking. Another girl in my office was waiting on me to find them so she could leave.

I looked through my purse again. Then around my desk.

For some reason, I still don't know why, I decided to look in another place.

There they were!

I'm embarrassed to tell you where I finally found them.

I'm embarrassed for myself that I did it.

Of course, I'm crazy like that. When we were dating my husband called me his "Fruitcake".

So where did this crazy girl find her keys????

In my garbage. Yes, I said my garbage.

Hey, it is always nice to have a good laugh, even if it is at yourself.

My life is never boring let me assure you.

I'm famous for doing another crazy thing. Perhaps I will blog about it sometime. People who know me always get a good laugh over it.

Scary Moment

2008-01-14T13:04:00.000-06:00

While I'm sitting here typing away during my lunch hour I decide to have a Hersey Kiss while I'm blogging. I pop one in my mouth from a jar that a vendor gave the staff at Christmas.

All of the sudden it hits me that the Kiss I'm eating is crunchy. The more I think about it the more I wonder if it should really be crunchy.

What if something is wrong with the Kiss? Due to recent food scares with hamburger meat, spinach, etc. I'm a little worried.

I decide to eat another kiss to make sure that Kiss is crunchy too.

I pop it in my mouth.

It's not crunchy.

OMG!

I dig in the trash to find the wrapper of the first Kiss I ate.

I find it and then dig through my candy jar to find another one just like it.

The tag says its toffee flavored.

I pop it in my mouth and it is crunchy too.

Thank God!

I'm safe!!

The toffee kiss was really good too. Now I have to keep myself from eating another one since I've already had 3 in the last few minutes!

Bill Gates Is Funny

2008-01-09T20:04:00.000-06:00

Karyn is right. This video is pretty funny. For those of you who haven't seen it, enjoy!

The Little Things

2008-01-07T21:49:00.000-06:00

They say to be thankful for the little things in life. Today was one of those days when I was thankful for the little blessings that made my day brighter.

1. I found out my Grandma doesn't have cancer. (This of course is a VERY BIG blessing).

2. I finally got my new treadmill in working order. I broke mine about 3 weeks ago. Because I ate my way through the holidays I really need to start exercising again. I haven't done much since my surgery on Nov. 19Th. Bad Girl!

3. We were short staffed at work, but it wasn't a crazy, busy day.

4. I found my ring that I discovered was missing this morning. My grandma gave it to me 20 years ago and I usually wear it every day. Today I couldn't find it when I went to put on my jewelry. I was upset this morning, but tonight I discovered it hidden behind another ring in my jewelry box.

5. I thought January would be slow, but business has really been picking up. I'm spending this month adding tons of new wedding favors and personalized gifts to my website. I'm really excited about the new items for my 2008 line.

6. Lean Cuisine frozen dinners were 50% off at Publix today. $1.64 for lunch isn't bad!

7. I ran into a high school friend that I haven't seen in years while I was browsing through the frozen food section.

The little blessings throughout the day added up to a pretty nice day for me. Except for my Grandma's wonderful news the rest of the stuff wasn't monumental, but I'm grateful for them nonetheless.

Inflated Prices

2008-01-05T21:11:00.000-06:00

Hubby and I went to see National Treasure this afternoon. We don't go to the movies much, which I guess is a good thing since it cost us $17 to get in. We bought a large popcorn and 2 drinks and were shocked that it cost $15. To top it all off, the matinee movies now end at 1:00 instead of 5:00.

Crazy!!

I think we will stick to Comcast On Demand Movies and DVDs that we can watch from the comfort of our own home. Of course that is if we ever can find time to watch them.

Happy New Year!

2008-01-01T15:21:00.000-06:00

I enjoyed ringing in 2008 last night with my hubby and a group of friends. We all rented a hotel room overlooking the Gulf of Mexico and attended a hotel sponsored party. It was fun and very nice to get away for a night without our little one. To help celebrate the new year I got a new dress, a pair of boats, and tried a different look by getting my hair done with a Jessica Simpson clip in hair extension.

I loved how my hair looked long. I have been trying to grow my hair out for over 2 years, but haven't gotten very far. I'm even using a special shampoo for hair growth and taking hair, skin, & nail vitamins. My hair is very fine so it looks stringy when it gets too long. Plus I don't feel I'm very good at styling it.

I would love to wear my new extensions every day, but we'll see. The video on the website makes it look so easy to put them in. I checked out the comments on HSN.com & Amazon.com before I purchased them and many ladies seem to love them. I think Amazon had over 300 reviews and HSN over 66. We'll see how they work out for me. The thought of having pretty long hair without having to spend forever styling it sounds like heaven to me.

Hands Down She's Mother Of The Year!

2007-12-30T11:18:00.000-06:00

According to CNN.com a Dallas mother had her daughter fake an essay in order to score tickets to a Hanna Montana concert. The sponsor of the contest, Club Libby Lu picked the 6 year old girl's essay which began with the line "My daddy died in Iraq this year." Local residents didn't recognize the name of the solider mentioned in the essay and neither did the Department of Defense.

The mother has now admitted the essay was a lie. She stated in an interview "we did the essay and that's what we did to win. We did whatever we could to win."

The girl won a makeover including a blonde Hannah Montana wig, as well as the grand prize: a plane trip for 4 to New Albany, New York and 4 tickets to the sold out Hannah Montana concert.

The store is considering taking away the girl's tickets.

I feel sorry for the little girl. This is the example her mother is setting for her. Plus she will probably lose the tickets and will have to go back to school after the Christmas break to be ridiculed by her classmates.

Hats off to the Mother. You are awesome.

Share Your New Years's Wishes

2007-12-30T10:43:00.000-06:00

This New Year's Eve, messages and good wishes from around the world will float down on Times Square when the confetti is dropped.

You can share your own message with the world by going to Wishing Wall Online. The multicolored message pieces will be mixed with over a ton of confetti that will rain down upon Time Square.

Pretty cool! I've already written one. If anyone wants they can list theirs here too. I'd love to hear them.

Tis The Season..

2007-12-28T21:28:00.000-06:00

Tis the season....for me to be sick. I ALWAYS get sick this time of year. Sinus pressure, body aches, fluid in my ears, sore throat. Ugh.

I've been the only sales/customer service person at work this week which hasn't made for the best week. Wednesday and Thursday weren't bad, but of course today when I was feeling like crap, we were busy. I didn't see the broadcast, but I heard from several customers that a local news station ran a story last night about an insurance law that changes Jan. 1. Either people didn't listen or the reporter didn't state the coverage will automatically be applied to every one's policy Jan. 1. As a result, I received lots of calls from customers freaked out that their policy wasn't up to date/legal/canceling/increasing. The terms they used varied from call to call. Awe good times, good times!

Luckily, we got off an hour early so I took my under the weather, grumpy butt home and tried to take a nap. I couldn't sleep so I ended up watching my first ever episode of Hannah Montana on Disney. I know she is all the rage with the tween set, but since my son is three I've never seen the show. It was a toss up between her and Oprah. I didn't feel like watching a show about unsuccessful suicide attempts so Hannah Montana it was!

Tonight to cheer me up, my son and I squeezed in one final time of driving around town looking at Christmas lights. Needless to say we are both upset Christmas is over. We both agree that is sad. Very sad!

The Things I Hear

2007-12-26T19:07:00.000-06:00

As many of you know, I'm an insurance agent while I'm building my business, Cherished Gifts & Favors. Today while reviewing a customer's auto policy he asked if his insurance was going to go up since he received a ticket in September. He was going 75 mph on the interstate when a cop pulled him over. He said that he knew he wasn't speeding so he took the ticket to court to try to get it waived. The judge let the ticket stand even though the police officer admitted his radar gun beeped while he was looking down so he couldn't say for sure that it had caught my customer speeding. He testified that it was possible that it could have been another car. My customer stated that he had a $450 radar detector in his car so if he had been speeding he would have slowed down before the cop's radar detector picked him up.

He explained that he fought the ticket because he knew he wasn't speeding. He then informs me that he had his cruise control set at 75 and was reading the paper when the cop pulled him over. Yes, he told me that! He was reading the paper will driving 75 mph! I was shocked! I couldn't believe that he was doing that. I also didn't think it was something you would tell your insurance agent. A few minutes, later I had to ask. Did he tell the cop and the judge too? Yes, he did!

My Neighbors

2007-12-18T20:51:00.000-06:00

The decorations look better at night. They are a real crowd pleaser. I've looked out my window before and seen tour buses parked outside my house.

I Have Presents Under The Tree

2007-12-12T21:54:00.000-06:00

I love looking at Christmas lights, watching Christmas specials on TV, and listening to Christmas carols, but I never look forward to shopping for Christmas presents. There are a few reasons why. 1). With my busy schedule, a three year old son, and building my business I don't have much time to shop. 2). I usually get a little overwhelmed with trying to figure out what to get everybody on my list. 3). I am a TERRIBLE gift wrapper.

However, this year, amazingly, I'm almost done with my Christmas shopping. I can hardly believe it! It is still so early! Well, for me it is! It all happened last weekend. In fact, I am still in shock that I'm almost done. I only have a couple of gifts left to buy and those will be easy (and quick) to pick up.

I have to say a special thanks to Bath & Body Works for having this wonderful little gift. The bag is so nice and since there are goodies inside it serves as packaging as well. As Karyn says "kick butt!". It was a deal too since the goodies inside would be around $50 if you purchase them separately.

I loved this gift so much I picked up 4 bags, one of them being for myself. I was trying to sneak mine in with the other presents since the season is about giving to others and not myself. However, my plan didn't work because a complete stranger that was admiring the bags too mentioned to my husband that I was buying one for myself. Gee thanks!!

Here's Another..

2007-12-06T17:33:00.000-06:00

Funny, But True

2007-12-06T17:30:00.000-06:00

Enjoy....

Ever Had One Of Those Nights?

2007-12-05T23:17:00.000-06:00

Now that's tired! I couldn't help but posting this pix. Just found him like that when I was headed to bed myself. He must have gotten out of bed, saw that I hadn't went to bed yet, and was too tired to make it back to his own bed. He is laying right outside his bedroom.

Its The Best Time Of The Year

2007-12-04T22:22:00.000-06:00

I love this time of year! Turning out all the lights so only the lights of the Christmas tree light up the room, decorating for Christmas, taking my 3 year old son to look at Christmas lights EVERY chance we get, and watching Christmas cartoons with him the whole month of December. Last year was a magical Christmas. I'm looking forward to another one this year.

Colin and I went out last Saturday to look at lights for the first time this season. We enjoyed it but, I was disappointed that more people hadn't put theirs up yet. Last weekend should have been the official weekend to decorate for Christmas if you hadn't already done so! My neighbors get so into Christmas that tour buses have stopped by their house. No kidding. I live in the back of a subdivision on a dead end street so imagine my surprise one year when I looked outside to see 2 tour buses outside my house.

MySpace Update!

2007-11-28T20:37:00.000-06:00

Finally got some help from customer service. I am now able to log back into my account.

Yeah!

So glad I didn't have to set up a whole new profile!

Hacked MySpace Account ~ Getting No Help!!

2007-11-26T14:07:00.000-06:00

Current Mood: PISSED OFF!!

Some jerk hacked my MySpace account sometime last week. I discovered it last Wednesday when I logged in. I was still on pain meds from my surgery on Monday so I couldn't think clearly on how I should handle the problem.

I had received a few e-mails from people telling me they were receiving strange messages from me so I knew something was up when I logged in. I was able to e-mail a few people back to let them know that it appeared someone had compromised my account. I think some of the e-mails made it to my friends, but then I got a message stating that my account had been frozen until I changed my password. I changed my password, however I was blocked from posting a bulletin to let everyone know my account had been hacked.

The next morning I logged in my account, and had a message from Tom that my account been hacked and would be frozen until I changed my password. I changed it again, and now I can't log into my account at all.

Since I was spaced out on pain medication, I thought maybe I didn't remember the password I used the second time I changed it. I have sent several requests to have my password e-mailed to me. Haven't received it yet.

I have also contacted customer service 5 times since last Thursday asking for help with my account. No response.

I have over 450 business contacts/friends on my account. I hate to have to start all over setting up a new account.

It sure would be nice to get some help from MySpace customers service!!!

On a side note, my birthday so far has sucked. I had planned on spending the day shopping for new clothes, but since I'm still not feeling like myself yet that little plan didn't pan out. It also rained most of the day. Ick!

But.... I'm 35 and alive so I have tons to be thankful, which I am!

My Black Friday

2007-11-23T20:36:00.000-06:00

Today wasn't the shopping extravaganza that I would have loved it to be, but it wasn't so bad either. My husband took me to the mall this afternoon so I was able to get out for a while. I haven't left the house since Monday and I was going crazy. Even though I wasn't able to raise my arms high enough to do my hair, I was able to put on make up which helped boost my mood a little.

We were only gone about 2 hours, but I was more than ready to get back home. After a little rest we went to our favorite hangout, Beef O'Brady's for dinner. Much to my delight two of my high school friends walked in and we got a chance to chat for a little bit. They both live in different cities so we have kind of lost touch over the years. It was nice to be able to catch up on what we each have been doing over the last few years.

On a side note, my pain meds are kicking in so I'm starting to feel really good right now. I'm hoping to get a great nights sleep starting in about 15 minutes. LOL!!!

P.S. I would love to hear how everyone else has spent their Thanksgiving weekend so please feel free to post a comment.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2007-11-22T21:53:00.000-06:00

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Mine pretty much sucked, but I knew it would since I'm recovery from surgery. I'm really upset that I can't go shopping tomorrow. I LOVE shopping the day after Thanksgiving when everything is on sale. Seeing all the commercials for the sales tomorrow plus the fact that I feel like a swollen balloon is getting to me. It also doesn't help that I haven't put on make up, fixed my hair, or left the house since Monday.

Oh well, I did this to myself. I turn 35 on Monday and I wanted to give myself a nice *big* gift. I still can't believe I did it. I'm sure I will be thrilled with the results once I recover, but right now I'm wondering if I have lost my mind. I've been trying to lose a few pounds, but right now I feel like I have put on 15 pounds in the last 4 days. Even my fingers are swollen.

On the bright side, I'm getting LOTS of sleep which is something I rarely get.

Happy Holidays!

2007-11-19T05:57:00.000-06:00

I am so excited the holidays are upon us. I love this time of year!! One local radio station is already playing Christmas songs. I heard them for the first time on the way to work last Friday. I was thrilled, then all of the sudden I started thinking about the wonderful Christmas we had last year. I had no idea it would be the last one with my grandfather. I cried all the way to work. I haven't been able to listen to a Christmas song since. However, I know that will pass. I have a 3 year old and he loves Christmas as much as I do.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving. If you go shopping on Friday think of me. My birthday is next Monday so I always celebrate by getting up early the Friday after Thanksgiving and hitting the stores. The weather starts getting cooler here in Florida so it is a great time to shop for clothes when everything is on sale.

I am having minor surgery this morning so I won't be getting together with family on Thanksgiving or going shopping the day after. It sounds like a bad time to have surgery, but I planned it this way so I wouldn't miss too much time from work.

My New Favorite Show

2007-11-08T13:19:00.000-06:00

I'm not really a big reality show fan, but I do like the new show Keeping Up With The Kardashians. They did 4 back to back episodes last on E!.

One of the episodes last night was about them doing a photo shoot for Joe Francis's (Girls Gone Wild) new line of swimwear. I live in the town that sent him to jail. He had no idea what he was dealing with when he came to Panama City. Like he says, it definitely is a good ole boy town.

Time Change

2007-11-05T20:38:00.000-06:00

I hate this time of year when we set our clocks back. I get off work and it is already dark outside. It makes you feel like you need to go home and go to bed. Plus people don't seem to be as happy during the winter months and we all seem to have less energy.

I guess I'm celebrating the time change and cooler weather by getting a sinus infection. I get them at least twice a year, but this year I'm getting sick a little early. Usually I get sick around the holidays so I feel icky for Christmas or New Year's Eve, sometimes both.

It came on me all of the sudden Saturday morning. I was feeling fine and then in what seemed like a blink of an eye, I started feeling like crap. I spent yesterday in bed and today I stayed home from work. I wasn't able to get an appointment with the scary doctor till 2:15 this afternoon so I didn't get much rest today. It didn't help that the painters started painting the inside of our house today so my husband, son, and I had to hang out in the bedroom most of the day while they worked.

Let me explain about the scary doctor. I have another doctor, but I always go to the scary doctor when I have a sinus infection. I know I can get in and get out quick instead of having to wait for what seems like hours to see the doctor like you do at most places. When I'm sick the last thing I want to do is hang out in the doctor's office. I named the doctor I used today the scary doctor because she has 2 big dogs. In her office! I don't like dogs, especially big ones.

One time I opened the door to her office and one of the dogs jumped on me. Not cool. I know they are friendly dogs, but I'm not a dog person by any means. Her office isn't very clean either. I'm really shocked at the condition every time I go in there. The only thing that keeps me going back is that I can get my drugs quick. When I feel bad that is all that matters.

Today I did have to wait about 10 minutes to see the doctor. Not bad at all compared to most doctor's offices. I know that a doctor is wh0 you go to when you are sick, but I was waiting in a small room with a really sick guy. He was coughing the whole time we waited. I heard him tell the nurse that he has been sick for 2 weeks with the flu. He then told her that his son has pink eye and a double ear infection and his wife and daughter have the flu as well. I was thankful that my family wasn't sick like his. However, I'll be honest and tell you that after hearing how sick his family was all I wanted to do was bathe in Purell as soon as I left the office.

Happy Halloween!

2007-10-31T13:20:00.000-05:00

Happy Halloween Everybody! I am so excited about tonight! I can hardly wait to get off work so I can take my 3 year old son trick or treating. He has so much fun and I love to see the little ones in their costumes.

I hope everybody has a great time tonight getting or giving out candy.

Remember to be safe tonight!!

Lunch Hour Happenings

2007-10-30T12:56:00.000-05:00

It is my lunch hour and I'm enjoying it by posting this ultra exciting blog. Not much happening today so I thought I would blog about it to give everyone an insight about how uneventful my day is. No complaints however, because sometimes uneventful isn't a bad thing.

I'm really trying to lose weight so I started my day by walking on the treadmill for 17 minutes this morning. I know fitness experts say your workouts should be 30 minutes, but I have limited time so I do what I can. Tonight I will do some legs exercises and a workout tape.

Breakfast this morning was a breakfast cookie. Pretty tasty and only 180 calories. Lunch was so so. On a scale of 1 to 10 my Lean Cuisine Vegetable Eggroll was a 3. I think I could have found a better way to use 310 calories. However, my little 130 calorie Jello cheesecake cup with cherries on top was really good.

I'm having a slow day business wise, but I just received a copy of the ad for the Spring 2008 edition of Emerald Coast Brides. It looks really good. The winter edition came out 2 weeks ago and according to the press release they sent yesterday it is flying off the shelves. I hope to get some good sales from the edition, but I'm expecting bigger results for the spring and summer 2008 editions when more brides are planning their wedding.

My fall wedding favors and accessories were featured in the current magazine so I'm thrilled about that. They once again did a whole page featuring only my products. Yesterday I was thinking about how good the page looked when I had a duh moment. If I'm getting free press I had better start taking advantage of it. I need to let my customers know that my favors, gifts, and accessories have been featured in 2 magazines. It adds to the credibility factor.

Instead of working on setting up my Amazon store I spent last night figuring out how to add the magazine pixs to my home page. I want to add a page that takes you to the products that were featured in each issue when you click on the picture of the magazine, but that will take a little bit of time. I really need to get my Amazon store set up ASAP for Christmas so I will have to work on the page later.

Unfortunately my lunch hour is almost over with. Back to work now for me. Yuck!!

Such A Wonderful Mommy!

2007-10-24T20:02:00.000-05:00

Some women are the motherly type. It is in their make up. They have dreamed of being a mother since they were little girls. Their children are truly blessed.

And then you have women like me. Perhaps we are missing the mother gene. We haven't always dreamed of being a mom. Somehow we found ourselves pregnant and realized we aren't the motherly type, but we do our best to be a somewhat decent mom to our little ones. We (and our children too) know we will NEVER be June Clever.

My son is 3 so he probably doesn't realize what kind of mother he is stuck with, but I'm sure he will find out in the next couple of years. Bless his heart. In case you don't know I'm from the south and all southern women are suppose to constantly say "bless your heart". I don't, but many do. Hmmm...maybe I'm not good at being a southern either.

Anyway, my little angel started Pre-K in August. His class is having a Halloween party next week and all the moms are suppose to bring something. I had to call the room mother this morning to let her know what I was going to bring. I know many of the mothers in Colin's class are stay at home moms. Most stay at home mothers are bakers, but I'm not a home maker and I definitely don't bake. When I called the room mother this morning I got her voice mail so I decided I needed to let her know up front that I'm not good at baking things. I didn't want her leaving a message on my voice mail that I needed to bring cookies, brownies, or something that involves baking.

The room mom calls me back a few minutes later and says "I hear you don't bake". I tell it is true, but add that if Publix's bakery sells it then I can bring it. I guess she wasn't confident enough in my ability to even purchase baked goods so she suggests that I bring the drinks and cups. I agree and then LUCKILY I stop myself before I say anything else. She then goes on to say that she doesn't like to really use themes for her parties (heck me either! I don't even throw parties, so using a theme is definitely out), but she was thinking maybe we could have orange juice and orange gatorade in keeping with the Halloween/autumn theme. Thank God she mentioned what beverages she preferred because (read the part above about the missing mother gene) for some reason I was thinking about bringing soda. I kid you not. I guess I was thinking about most of the parties I attend which are adult or family get togethers where sodas are preferred. The kids parties and kid oriented things are all new to me.

I'm so glad I didn't mention bringing sodas to the room mother. She would have been horrified.

I'm such a great mom! Along with my sodas maybe I can bring (store bought) chocolate cupcakes with chocolate frosting so Colin's classmates can ping off the walls. I bet if I did I wouldn't be asked to bring anything else the rest of year. Perhaps that is an idea. LOL!

I'm Back..

2007-10-23T19:13:00.001-05:00

I can't believe it has been a week since I last posted. Shame on me! I don't know what was wrong with me last week. First I was feeling blue and then I was exhausted. By last Thursday I was feeling drained mentally and physically. I went to bed by 9:30 or 10:00 3 nights in a row. That is so unlike me. I didn't even have the energy to do much with my website and I still haven't set up my Amazon Store. Grrr... I'm so far behind with my holiday business plans.

Feeling Blah

2007-10-16T21:46:00.000-05:00

I don't know why, but I'm feeling very blah and unmotivated tonight. I think I must be tired. I've had jury duty in federal court for the last 2 days and it has drained me a bit. I am a jury duty magnet it seems. I have been called 3 times for jury duty, but this is the first time that I've actually had to decide on a case.

I know there are lots of things I need to be doing for my wedding and party favors business, but tonight I don't seem to have the energy to do it. I can't seem to get into the groove for some reason.

Business News

2007-10-13T22:10:00.000-05:00

The wedding season is pretty much dying down now. I'm now focusing my time on gearing up for the holiday party and gift giving season. I have been adding new winter wedding favors and personalized gifts to my website, Cherished Gifts & Favors. This weekend I'm working on updating my eBay store. I want to get a lot of new favors and gifts added and then open up a store on Amazon.com next weekend. That is plan my anyway. I'm hoping I will have enough time to get everything done.

As I have mentioned before I have been working with a company for 2 months trying to make the inner pages of my website more search engine friendly. It has been a long process with some complications occurring along the way. My URL's have now been updated, but my products aren't displaying correctly. I hope they can get that fixed soon. Very soon.

I received my paperwork Friday for my corporation so I have to start Monday changing everything from my LLC. over to Cherished Gifts & Favors, Inc. If I get dismissed in time I hope to get almost everything done Monday after I have federal jury duty. If jury duty takes the whole day then I will have to spend my lunch hours the rest of the week switching everything over.

As far as advertising goes, I'm hoping the winter issue of Emerald Coast Brides will be out soon. I advertised in the magazine again because they did another feature page on my gifts & favors. We will see if I get any sales from the magazine with this issue. I'm not sure because I don't know how many brides will be planning winter beach weddings. When it is 40 degrees on the beach I don't think it would be a hot spot for weddings. I'm really expecting better sales from the spring & summer 2008 issues. I wanted to stay in the magazines good graces so I could get them to continue to feature my products in their magazine.

After reading a post on Jagular's blog, I signed up for an account on payperpost.com. As soon as I did they sent me a couple of e-mails wanting to help me with an advertising campaign. They said it was free. Cool I thought. They sent me another e-mail asking my objectives for the campaign, how much I wanted to spend on the it, what keywords I wanted to use, etc. I have never heard from them again once they found out my advertising budget. Oh well. When I get the time I will create my own campaigns.

A noisy night

2007-10-11T20:28:00.000-05:00

Oh what a night! My little angel was in a great mood this afternoon when I picked him up from his great grandmother's. He was anxious to get home so he could show me the little pumpkin that he got at Pre-K today. He started running towards the car and tripped, landing on the concrete. It was a bad scene! He skinned both knees and a finger. Boy did he cry. For like 30 minutes. Or more. I felt so bad for him. I tried everything I could to get him to calm down. Anyone with little kids knows that if they get too upset they throw up. Yikes! I had already been through that 2 weeks ago when he was sick. I didn't want to go there again.

Finally, the stuff I put on his scrapes and the magical band aids kicked in a bit. He was still pretty upset so I told him when he felt better we could do an emergency run to Walgreens to get some neosporin for his knees and to Taco Bell. He likes Taco Bell. Luckily for him and my ears it worked. The little angel is fast asleep now. He was so tired.

Mommy is now working on her website and enjoying the quiet.

My Friday Evening

2007-10-05T21:16:00.000-05:00

Since leaving my full time job today I have spent most of my evening working on my business, Cherished Gifts & Favors.

I started by sending an e-mail to my customer to let her know the shipment of favors that she has been waiting on for her son's wedding came in earlier than I had expected. While doing that I receive an e-mail from a lady from Oklahoma who saw an ad that I placed for my place card holders on Craig's List. She had thought of a creative use for my place card holders and wanted to let me know about it in case I wanted to use it as a marketing idea. I sent her an e-mail thanking her for taking the time to share it with me. She then proceeds to share 5 to 6 more creative uses for my place card holders. We end up chatting back and forth for a little while I'm processing an order that I received late this afternoon. It sounds like she throws a lot of parties and actually collects place card holders. While we are chatting she is browsing my website to see everything I have.

As I am e-mailing her, I get an order from someone who was shopping in my eBay store, Cherished Gifts and Favors.

As I am writing this blog, I am working with another customer via e-mail for favors that she wants to buy.

I love working with my customers to provide them with trendy, elegant wedding favors and personalized gifts for their wedding or party. This is how I want to spend my time. I can hardly wait till I can give up my day job!

Life This Week

2007-10-04T20:51:00.000-05:00

Life has gotten in the way of me blogging this week. My son has been sick and it has been a little crazy at my house. I think he is on the road to recovery now. I'm so glad! I have felt so bad for him and helpless because it didn't seem like there was much I could do to make him feel better. He kept telling me that he didn't feel good, but all I could do was give him medicine. He has had a fever for a week and has hardly eaten anything.

It breaks your heart to see your baby sick. Yes, he is 3 years old. We don't treat him like a baby, but he is still my baby. He will always be. I say to him that "Mommy misses the baby" and he say "but Daddy misses the boy." It makes me smile when he says that. I wonder where he comes up with some of the things he says.

My Favorite Things

2007-09-30T17:37:00.000-05:00

I must confess that I feel so good right now. I worked out and then I did my usual Sunday ritual of pampering myself. It is oh so nice!

My ritual starts with a microdelivery peel. It is a 2 step process, but it only takes 3 minutes. The first step is vitamin c crystals which smell like orange juice. The second step is peptides which gently heat up the crystals. My skin actually glows when I'm done.

After my peel I jump in the bathtub and cover myself in philosophy's old fashioned lemonade salt scrub. To say I absolutely love this product is an understatement! My skin feels amazing afterwards.

Next, I wash with one of several shower gels that line the rim of my bathtub. My favorite is lemonade, but the others are very nice too. I used to make my own shower gel which was the best shower gel that I have ever seen. I was lucky enough to have a supplier that sold an amazing base and I added various yummy smelling scents to it. I am so busy now with promoting and building Cherished Gifts & Favors that I no longer have time to make shower gel. I miss making it, but philosophy's shower gels are a nice substitute.

After my relaxing shower I cover myself in Philosophy's pink lemonade body butter. I love putting on body butter and lotion after using my salt scrub. My skin already feels smooth as silk and the lotion is just icing on the cake. I feel so wonderful (and smell so good) after I indulge in my Sunday ritual. If you haven't tried philosophy's products I highly recommend them.

I really needed my ritual to destress me today. My 3 year old has been sick on and off since starting preschool the week before Labor Day. My husband took him to the doctor Thursday, but he has been getting worse since then. This weekend has been really long and trying since he hasn't felt good. I hate seeing my baby sick.

A Special Thanks!

2007-09-26T20:45:00.000-05:00

Sending out a special thanks to Leigh Ann of Save Leigh Ann tonight for her nice contribution that gets me one step closer to quitting my job and closer to my vision for Cherished Gifts & Favors.

As she cleverly stated if only 28,999 people did the same as her then my dream of quitting my job and building my business full time would be realized.

Whether everybody sends me $2 to add to my business bank account or I build it alone, I'm holding on tight to my dreams and not letting go. This is America and dreams still come true!

Another Day Another Dollar

2007-09-25T23:30:00.001-05:00

After the stressful week I had last week I spent the entire weekend trying to relax. I usually try to unwind by pampering myself. The more stressed I am the more I pamper! The last few days I've really tried to focus on the pampering because I can tell my body is feeling the affects of my stress. I haven't been sleeping good and my back and shoulders are in knots from tension.

I didn't go overboard on the pampering this weekend, but I did indulge in long baths, 2 one mile walks with my son, 2 naps, and lots of exercise to loosen up my body. Sunday I tried to get my mind off everything by having lunch with my family at a beach side restaurant. It was a perfect way to spend an afternoon. The wind was blowing a cool breeze causing big waves in the water and a gentle breeze to hit my skin. It was so refreshing to look over the snow white sand to see the sun glimmering in the water. Ohhh how I enjoy living in a beach town.

My attempts to relax this weekend didn't seem to be doing much to relieve the tension in my back and shoulders. By Sunday afternoon I was really hurting. I came up with the brilliant idea of having my son walk on my back. He thought it was a lot of fun and it did wonders for the tightness in my shoulders. I was able to get a massage this afternoon which has also helped a little. Of course I always wait till my body is really in bad shape before I get a massage. As a result, the massage always hurts and I have to schedule another one for the following week in order to finish getting all of the knots out of my back. Today was no different.

Work has been really busy this week, but things seem to be changing for the better. A few new policies are in place (finally) so maybe the office will be a little less stressed from now on. I am trying to be optimistic that things will get better. The receptionist has decided to come back to work due to the new policies being in place. She is going to give it a little while to see if the changes will stick or if things will go back to the way they were. It is sad that it had to come to her quitting before any changes were made at the office, but that is how my office works. We have to take dramatic steps in order for any changes to be made.

Last year I had to inform my boss that I had 2 other job offers in order to get a raise. Of course it is all in the timing. A person had quit and if I had quit too the office would have been down to 1 person selling/servicing insurance. A licensed insurance agent is hard to come by so I ended up getting a $7,500 raise. It sounds like a nice size pay increase, but the office was so far behind in the pay scale that it really only increased my pay to what others in the area are making.

Florida has become a very expensive state to live in the last few years. I kept wondering why it seemed like I was struggling financially, then one day it hit me that my pay hasn't kept up with the cost of living in Florida. Gas, food, electricity, and property taxes have all dramatically increased, but my pay hadn't. My home owners insurance has also went from $450 to $3,700 in the last seven years even though I still live in the same house. No wonder it seemed like I didn't have any money left over with after my bills were paid.

My Personal Crisis

2007-09-20T21:14:00.000-05:00

I haven't posted much this week. Unfortunately work has gotten me down, mentally and physically. I hate when I let work get to me, but this week it has. A few months ago we went from 4 people to 3 at my office. My boss refused to hire someone to replace the person who left because he said business wasn't what it used to be. After the 4Th person left we were down to 2 sales & service people and a receptionist. The other sales & service person happens to be the so called manager and she has the cushy job of doing in service for the office/agent 2 days a month. I'm the lucky one who gets to do her job and mine while she is suppose to be doing the bills. I have no idea how in the world it takes a whole day to do bills, but that is what she gets each month. In addition to that she likes to take 30 to 40 minute bank runs to a bank 2 blocks away and she loves her hour and fifteen minutes to hour and a half lunches. It really gets fun when one of us is on vacation for a week.

Tuesday the receptionist who had been there for 10 years had all the crap she could take. It was just the 2 of us in the office and she was broke out in hives all day due to the stress. She had been threatening to leave for a long time, but only had the courage to do it Tuesday. She told me she was going to get her stuff after work and then leave a note on her desk stating that she couldn't take it anymore.

I'm so proud of her. She finally had the courage to do it. She is single and can always move back home till she gets a job. Normally I would be upset if someone didn't give a 2 week notice, but with Tracy I totally understand and support her.

My boss is trying to get her back, but I don't think Tracy is coming back. I wouldn't! He told her things would change, but I don't see that happening. I would try to be optimistic, but we have been down that road before when others have left and things have never changed.

All of the stress is truly making me want to leave too. I know my full time job is stopping me from building my business to the level I want it to be, but until Cherished Gifts & Favors gets bigger I need the income from my full time job. I am so frustrated because I have so many goals and dreams for my business, but at this point money is keeping me from doing them. If I were single I would do whatever it took to get the money I need to build my business. I am willing to live off credit cards until my business grows, but my husband is really scared of the idea. I know the idea isn't perfect by any means, but I believe in my business, myself, and my dreams. I'm ready to say the hell with my full time job and go for my dreams with everything I have in me.

My husband and I have discussed this issue on a daily basis this week. I am trying to hold off quitting as long as I can, but it gets harder every day. The stress at work has really gotten to me this week. My back and shoulders are full of tension and I'm mentally exhausted. Last night I didn't even have enough energy to post a blog or most importantly do anything business related. I just laid on the couch and zoned out. I rarely ever do that. It seems like a big waste of precious time to spend a whole evening doing nothing when I could be working on business stuff instead.

On the bright side, my husband said he will help me with my eBay Store this weekend if I teach him how to add listings. Wedding season is winding down, but the holiday season will be picking up soon. I need to have all of my personalized gifts and party favors listed in my eBay store before the holiday shopping season starts in a few weeks.

So Tired!

2007-09-17T21:08:00.000-05:00

I'm exhausted tonight. It was a long weekend. I know weekends aren't supposed to be long, but mine truly was. It was consumed by updating (long over due) my eBay Store and taking care of my son who wasn't feeling so good. I was up till 2:00 am Saturday morning working on my store and till 5:00 am Sunday morning with Colin.

Needless to say, I wasn't looking forward to going back to work today. Of course, I always hate going back to work on Mondays. I truly dislike my job more and more each day. It isn't a bad job, but I want so much to devote all of my time to building my business. It is a catch 22. I need to expand my business/customer base in order to quit my full time job, but my job takes up so much time that it is keeping me from building Cherished Gifts & Favors. If it was just me, I would sell my house, live off credit cards, whatever it took to achieve my business goals. However, I have a husband and son to think about. My husband isn't too keen on me quitting just yet, but I absolutely detest wasting my days away working for someone else when I have tons of business goals and dreams that I want to pursue. This is a daily struggle for me.

Expensive Date ~ Can I Expect Sex?

2007-09-12T20:15:00.000-05:00

I thought I would have the TV playing in the background while I work on my website tonight. Dr 90210 happens to be on E! and it is cracking me up. One of the doctors is going on a blind date with someone his adult daughter set him up with. He tells her that he is paying $1100 dollars for the date and he wants to know what he can expect in return. A kiss or can he expect sex? His daughter informed him that just because he is spending a lot of money on his date doesn't mean that he is entitled to sex. He protests, but she insists that money spent doesn't equal sex in return. I can't believe she is having to tell her dad that!

It gets better. He is taking his date to a restaurant where they will be eating food off a beautiful naked model. Ok! Is it just me or would that be a strange job to have? You have to look totally gorgeous and appear as if it is the most natural thing to have people eat off you while you are laying naked on a table. To make things even better what if your guests decide to start arguing or making out? You just have to lay there and smile. Since the Dr. is eating off the model can he expect to have sex with her too?

Fall Issue

2007-09-12T11:43:00.001-05:00

I just received an e-mail containing the ad & featured editorial displaying my fall wedding favors for the fall issue of Emerald Coast Brides. It looks so good!! And YES, they did remember to include my name this time! See my Aug. 1 post for info about the summer issue featuring my gifts.

The magazine is sold in 5 southern states and is available free on line and at various bridal shows. Walmart is picking up the magazine now which is big news around here! Southern folks love Walmart!

For anyone interested in seeing my elegant wedding favors and gifts, I mean getting a copy of the magazine, it will be available Oct. 15Th.

Hate The Tape

2007-09-11T20:00:00.001-05:00

I recently purchased a few new semi - low cut shirts that like to gap open a little and show my bra. I absolutely hate that so I decided to buy some Hollywood Fashion Tape to keep my bra hidden like it should be. After reading about Hollywood Fashion Tape on Daily Candy and Grown*Up Girlie it seemed like a great product for me. It was not!

It may have been me or it may have been the material of the shirt, but my shirt would not stay in place. Every time I looked down the tape was showing. I adjusted and readjusted the tape, but it was to no avail. I was able to keep the tape hidden for the first two hours at work, but then I got caught in a particularly embarrassing situation.

I had a client in my office when I felt my shirt come unstuck from the tape. I am in the middle of trying to explain why homeowners rates are so high in Florida when I see the tape clearly visible on my chest. I tried the best I could to pull my shirt over to hide the tape without trying to appear to obvious. It didn't work. I tugged and tugged at my shirt, tried to prop my arm on my desk, and mess with my necklace, but there was no hiding my tape. The couple at my desk pretended not to notice, but I am sure they were wondering why in the world I have tape stuck to my chest. LOL!

I finally made up some excuse to leave the room and went to through the piece of tape away. The other piece of fashion tape hit the trash a couple of hours later. I had had enough!

Fashionista and "with it" style girl I am not!

A Day In My Life

2007-09-10T20:06:00.001-05:00

The last few days at work have been really crazy. Last Thursday and Friday were the worst. It started on Thursday morning when my customer called to report a claim. She was confused on how the process worked, but still felt the need to tell me that I wasn't filing the claim right. I tried to explain the company's procedure, but me who has worked for the company for 7 years was incapable of doing it correctly. Ok, no problem. I tried to get past that issue and move on with the process of filing the claim. It was like pulling teeth trying to get her to give me the little bit of information I needed to file her claim with the claims office.

After finally getting the info from her and knowing I wasn't lucky enough to be done with the claim, she calls back and wants a copy of everything I wrote in the claim report. Sure, fine, whatever. I file the claim based on the info she gives me and the claims office handles it from there. If I entered incorrect info then she has the chance to clear it up with the claims office. Simple concept, but for some reason it wasn't simple in this case.

Overnight she leaves a message saying she is canceling her apt. to get her car fixed and will be in later to talk to me. I knew there was nothing I could do for her because my hands are tied after the claim is reported to the claims office. To try to prevent any further problems and to make things easier for her, I call the adjuster to let them know that she doesn't seem to understand the things I explained to her the day before. Sometimes people respond better to someone they think has some "authority" like an "official claims adjuster". The claims adjuster tried to help like I did, but my customer refused to speak to her when she called. My customer then proceeds to come into my office and speak to me like I am the biggest moron on this planet. She doesn't believe me that I ask the adjuster (the person she refused to speak to) to cancel her apt with the body shop. She demands to hear me tell the claims office the apt needs to be canceled. Lovely...

I call the claims office and get a receptionist (lucky for the adjuster who was at lunch) and explain that I have already asked the adjuster to cancel the apt., but the customer doesn't believe me. I explain the customer is being very ugly to me and insists that she hears for herself the apt has been canceled. I then tell the receptionist that I am going to put the customer on the phone. For some unknown reason the receptionist puts us on hold while I hand the phone to the customer. My customer then proceeds to accuse me of hanging up on her. She doesn't buy the idea the receptionist may have had to put her on hold to answer another phone. She keeps on accusing me of hanging up on the lady until I finally tell her that if she really feels that I have hung up on her then she is welcome to dial the number again herself and speak to the receptionist. Hey, if I am too stupid to figure out how to use the phone on the first call, then how in the hell can I be smart enough to get the women back on the phone so the customer can speak to her? About that time the receptionist comes back on the line. Yeah!!

As I listen to my customer talk to the receptionist for the next few minutes I calmly try to tell myself that I am where I am supposed to be in my life right now. I have no idea why I am stuck in this job that I hate instead of being able to devote my full attention to my business, but for some reason I am here. I have to tell myself this several times because by this point I am really PISSED. As I listen to my customer ramble on for a few more minutes I can tell that she isn't really making any sense nor is she making a very good case for herself as to why she felt she was getting bad service from me. She then hangs up the phone, but only before asking for proof in writing that her apt. has been canceled. That still makes me laugh since it was only apt. with the body shop. They don't charge you for not fixing your car. Plus, she could have called the shop herself to let them know she decided not to get her vehicle fixed. LOL!

When she finally leaves I truly feel sorry for her. She is older and confused. I know I was professional and did everything I could try to help her with her claim. She was unable to understand many of the things I tried to explain to her and she refused help when an adjuster tried to assist her. With that said it still made for a crappy day. I spent the whole weekend trying unwind and get myself in a better place mentally. Needless to say I was not looking forward to going back to work today. However, with each day I am one order and one day closer to turning my dreams for my business into a reality.

Web Maintenance

2007-09-10T12:05:00.001-05:00

Does anybody have any good recommendations for companies that offer website maintenance services? I need some work done on my website, Cherished Gifts & Favors, but can't seem to find a good company to do it. I am currently using a company that used to be really great. The company was located in Hawaii and had an excellent staff. In the last year one of the partners sold out and the company moved to Silicon Valley. The staff is friendly, but I can't seem to get them to do changes to my website in a timely matter. I'm currently waiting on changes to be done that I requested almost a month ago. Not very impressive! From my past experience and from what I have heard from other people and companies, good webmasters are very hard to come by. If you happen to be working with one, considered yourself VERY blessed.

I Need Help!!!

2007-09-05T21:07:00.000-05:00

Tonight I have encountered some big problems with Outlook Express. When I first opened up my e-mail I got a "receiving" message. That is normal, however to still be getting the message after 2 hours is not. I got out of Outlook Express, shut down my computer, got back into Outlook, and deleted tons of old e-mails in my "sent" and "deleted" folders to try to fix the error. Still problems. After 2 hours, I went to my e-mail account on line and went through all of my e-mail accounts. Turns out one of my suppliers sent me 2 e-mail newletters. For some reason, one was having a challenge getting downloaded to Outlook on my desktop. I deleted the newsletter and I was good to go. Cool!

THEN, I noticed my long list of folders looked a little shorter than normal. Somehow 2 of my folders mysterioulsy dissappeared. Two IMPORTANT business folders I might add. I didn't delete the folders, but maybe some how the contents of those two folders ended up in my deleted e-mails. I have spent the last 2 hours trying to figure out how in the world to recover those precious folders. Normally it is very simple to recover lost e-mails. You go to "tools" and click on a wonderful little option called "restore deleted e-mails". For some unknown reason I don't have that option in my Outlook Express. The "help" section in Outlook states it is there, but it is not. It is there in Outlook at my full time job, but at home it is not. PERFECT!!

Does any one have any clue how or if it is even possible to recover my lost folders? If so, can you please enlighten me how to do it? It seems like there has to be a way to retrieve them, but I'm at a loss as to how.

Weekly Update ~ Week 8

2007-09-03T22:33:00.001-05:00

Last week seems like a blur. I guess the long weekend has kind of thrown me off schedule a little. However, I hate the thought of going back to work tomorrow. Business is picking up, but I'm still not close to being able to quit my full time job. I had hoped to be able to quit on Nov. 26Th which just happens to be my 35Th birthday. Unless Oprah, another celebrity, or some other big event comes my way I'll have to keep working for a while. It truly sucks, but I'm doing everything I possibly can to build my business. I've been praying, promoting, and putting my whole heart into my business for the last 4 years; three of the years I was making candles, and for the last year and 5 months, Cherished Gifts & Favors.

In the past I've gotten really stressed because there is so much to do and it doesn't seem like there is enough time in the day to get everything accomplished for my business or my personal life. I finally made peace with it all and realized God made me the way I am. He gave me the dreams that I have, the entrepreneurial spirit, the drive, and passion for my business. Even though it can be a real challenge sometimes to do, I have begun to tell myself that at this time (for reasons still unknown to me) I am right where I am suppose to be in my life. I am doing everything I possibly can to build my business. The rest is in God's hands. He gave me the dreams and goals that I have for my life. I am working very hard to make them happen and he will take care of anything I can not do.

The People's Princess

2007-08-31T20:51:00.000-05:00

Ten years and I still cry...

My Crazy Monday!

2007-08-27T20:17:00.001-05:00

Had to share the events of my Monday with you guys. You may not think it was so funny, but I was cracking up almost all day.

The morning was pretty uneventful and rocked along quite quickly. I had an eye doctor appt. this afternoon so we closed the office for lunch. That is when funny stuff started happening.

First off, my co-worker and I were chatting away while dining at a Chinese restaurant. All of the sudden we hear a ticking sound. The couple that was eating behind us had left and the ticking seemed to be coming from their table. Tracy started getting really nervous and made the statement that maybe we should get out of there quick. We were discussed the idea for about a minute because nowadays you never know. All of the sudden the ticking stops and we kind of freeze. Tracy blurts out "Ashley, I love you". Then we both break out into laughter. Thank God it wasn't a bomb and thank God she loves me!

After I leave her, I head to my dr.'s appt where more funny stuff happens. I'm sitting there in the waiting room with about 15 other people when this guy in his early 60's whips out his cell phone. I guess he figures he might as well call his buddy since he has nothing else better to do. The funny part is that he seems oblivious to the fact that he is in a doctor's office. He loudly discusses his plans for the day, retells a story that he heard to his friend, then starts talking about how people down in Wewa (a country town not far away) love to eat. I feel like saying "hey, please use your indoor voice." The more I think about telling him that the funnier it seems to me. I kept wondering what he would say if I said it to him and how the other people in the lobby would react if I did.

After the loud mouth gets off the phone, I see a lady walk up to the receptionist and ask a question. I don't know if the receptionist actually said this or not, but I could have sworn that she said there was a 1 1/2 to 2 hour wait. The lady then says she is going to call her husband to let him know. I look around stunned to see if anybody else heard about the long wait. Either nobody did or they didn't care because I didn't see any surprised faces.

I go back to reading Save Karyn which is pretty funny in itself when my name is called. I begin gathering my stuff and when I start to get up I see an older guy walking toward the nurse. I think what the heck, that guy is pretending to be me so he wouldn't have to wait for 2 hours. When I get over to the nurse she is looking at him kind of crazy too. She sees me and tells him to go back to his seat to wait his turn. I just shake my head. Crazy!

Once I'm in an exam room the doctor comes in and gives me a big hug like we are long lost friends. He always does it, but it catches me off guard every time. When he starts examining my eyes he seems to get REALLY close to me. So close that his little light that he is using keeps touching my nose. It has already been a funny kind of a day so all I can think about is he is so close his lips are about 1/2 centimeter away from me. I keep thinking, what if he tries to kiss me. I know he would never do that and feel safe with him, but it has been a day and I have to do my best to keep from busting out into laughter while he is examining my eyes. It was really hard to keep a straight face. I did my best so he wouldn't think I was an idiot, but inside I was dying of laughter.

My crazy day ended when I got home and checked the mail. There waiting for me was a jury duty notice for federal court. I'm a jury duty magnet. This will be the third time I've been called. Some people never get called, but I'm a jury duty queen.

Weekly Update ~ Week 7

2007-08-26T20:11:00.000-05:00

I have no idea where last week went. It seemed to fly by. I can't believe that I only did one post. I think I wrote a few of them in my head, but never got a chance to post them.

Last week wasn't a terribly exciting week, although I did advertise on a couple new websites. Hopefully I will get lots of traffic from them. I also posted 24 ads on various classified ad sites and message boards. However, so far I haven't received any sales from them. I have periods like that. I then start to feel like I'm wasting my lunch hours posting ads for nothing, but the ads do show up in the search engines and my stats show that my site is getting traffic from them so I keep on posting.

I'm currently adding new fall theme wedding favors to my website and will soon follow with a few winter theme favors in the coming weeks. I'm also starting to think about the beginning of the holiday season so I need to focus on updating my e-Bay store with gifts for the holiday season. My e-Bay store keeps getting put on the back burner. I haven't updated it in forever. I know shame, shame! I just haven't had the time because I've been really focusing on getting a better search engine ranking for my main website, CherishedGiftFavors.com.

I'm going to keep this post kind of short tonight, because I want to add some more products to my website. I checked my rank on Google again and I've slipped to page 2. Yuck!! I noticed 2 new sites ranking ahead of me. I have no idea where they came from. I've never seen them before. One of them doesn't even have any text on their home page! My SEO company and various e-commerce newsletters that I read insist that search engines love a site with lots of words. Hmmmm...my home page is informative, theirs is not, yet they are ranked higher than me. I'll keep watching them in the next few weeks to see how they rank. I've heard of new websites getting high ranking at first them they slip in to never never land. It looks like the websites also sell only Kate Aspen's line. I sell a lot of their products too, but I sell other lines so I can set myself apart from other wedding and party favor sites. However, Kate Aspens favors are my biggest sellers.

Weekly Update ~ Week 6

2007-08-20T21:13:00.000-05:00

'It's About Time!' Let's Celebrate - Champagne Bucket Timer

Gotta be honest here, I'm pretty excited!!

Google "elegant corporate event favors" and "elegant corporate event party favors". Who do you see? ME!! CherishedGiftsFavors.com is ranked #1 on Google! My other keywords are doing really well on Google too. My hard work and $$$ are paying off. I just tightened up my keywords on my home page and then I paid a company to validate my website. If the company will ever get their act together and give me a quote I'm going have them do a Mod Rewrite on the inner pages of my website to help me get ranked better on Yahoo & MSN. Google likes me, Yahoo & MSN, not so much. Go figure since Google is the hardest search engine to get into.

As far as marketing goes, in addition to my normal weekly ads, I also advertised on a new website. I haven't heard anything else from them so I'll have to check out their website to see how they are doing. I was one of the first to advertise in their shopping section, but the price was really good so I decided to take a chance on them. Hopefully they will be able to drive a lot of traffic to their site very soon.

The magazine that I advertised in plus had a 2 page spread featuring my products has been out for about a month, but I haven't seen one single sale from it. Very disappointing.

I'm still working on my idea to promote my party favors and personalized gifts for corporate events. I will see how it all comes together over the next few weeks.

Don't forget to tell others about me. Cherished Gifts & Favors is really growing, but I still need all the help I can get in the marketing department.

The Roadmap To The American Dream!

2007-08-17T21:23:00.000-05:00

For those of you who know me, you know I enjoy being an entrepreneur. I get excited when I hear success stories about entrepreneurs that refused to listen to the negative people and instead went on to turn their ideas into multi million dollar companies. For that reason I absolutely love The Big Idea with Donny Deutsch. I happened upon his show on CNBC about 2 months ago and have been HOOKED every since! Anyone who needs to be inspired and wants to find out how others got their business started then I highly recommend you checking out his show.

One night you may tune in to see him featuring a segment on Cherished Gifts & Favors

Weekly Update ~ Week 5

2007-08-14T11:49:00.000-05:00

I'm in a major blah mood today and I'm not sure why. It could be because I checked my keywords Sunday night on Google and was quite pleased with the progress I was making. I was pretty much ranking on the first or second page for most of my keywords. This morning I checked to see if Google's spiders had crawled my site this week. The high rankings I saw on Sunday were from the 8/6 crawl. When the spider crawled 8/10 I dropped from #11 to #23 for my 1# keyword. Had the same result for my #2 keyword. That truly sucks! I'm trying not to let it bother me because that has happened before and then I appeared back on page 1 or 2 a week later. I tightened up my keywords and changed some of my text on 8/12. Hopefully that will help with the next crawl.

I could also be feeling blah cause I'm tired. I was up till 3:00 Saturday morning working on my website. I then stayed up till 11:30 Sunday night doing some more work and then got up at 5:45 to post 9 ads before heading off to my day job. I told myself that I was going to bed early last night, but I started catching up on my e-mails, processing orders, and updating my MySpace page so I didn't get in bed till 11:30 again.

On the bright side, last week I posted lots of new ads, freshened up my website a bit, added some fall wedding favors, and linked to a few new sites. I also came up with a idea to try to market my favors for corporate events. Until now I have been focusing my advertising $$$ solely on the wedding industry, but somehow I seem to get just as many sales from businesses planning corporate events. I want to capitalize on that market as well. If anybody has any ideas they would like to share on how to do this, I'd love to hear them. I'm sure Jagular has tons. I've been amazed at some of the creative ideas he has thought of in the past.

Tonight I'm going to try to force myself to go to bed early. I need to recharge so I can starting feeling productive again.

$$$

2007-08-07T23:03:00.000-05:00

Donate, Donate, Donate! Don't cha want to donate to helping me build Cherished Gifts & Favors into a worldwide distributor of elegant party favors and personalized gifts?

Donate $2. Donate $4. Heck if you got it and want to spend it donate $400. I'll dedicate any amount you give straight to my marketing fund so I can spread the word about my party favors and gifts! Brides, event planners, corporate party planners, and party hostesses will truly be grateful to learn about a website where they can purchase unqiue party favors and gifts at affordable prices!

Do it for me, do it for them, do it just because you can!

Times They Are A Changin!

2007-08-07T21:56:00.001-05:00

Ok, so I thought of this little saying last Friday night when I was discussing the future of Panama City Beach with my husband. We had been to a new movie theater at the beach and before the movie started we were subjected to numerous ads about planned communities and real estate investment opportunities that are currently in the works.

I have lived in this area my whole life and know how this town works. For many years it has been run by the "good ole boys" who turn away business and growth opportunities for PC so they won't have to give their employees more money or benefits. Panama City consists of mostly small family owned businesses. Keeping it that way, keeps more money in certain local families' pockets because their employees don't have the opportunity to seek a better job unless they want to move. HOWEVER, money is now being made in this town and it is from outside investors.

OMG we now have condos with parking garages. We've never seen the likes of that in this town before! Panama City Beach is finally getting a clue and taking some pointers from area towns such at Destin & Sea Side. Beach roadways are now landscaped. Shocking! You can see the changes and you can feel that a big change is in the air. It will be very interesting to see how it all plays out!

Why I blogged about this I have NO idea! Well, yes I do. I liked the title of my blog. HeHe!! Before I starting ranting, I was going to blog about how I can feel something big is coming my way too. I don't know how it is all going to pan out, but I do know I have been working my butt off for a long time in regards to building CherishedGiftFavors.com. I have spent every free moment I have had (and many that I haven't) on marketing, promoting, researching, networking, learning, and doing everything I can to make my dreams happen. My business is my passion! I love it! I get excited about finding new favors and gifts to offer my customers.

My goal is to give up my job and devote myself full time to building my business. It will happen. It is frustrating while I'm having to work full time at my current job, but I'm beginning to feel that wonderful things are coming my way. Nothing that I can truly pinpoint now, but little pieces of the puzzle are starting to fall into place. I've been doing a lot of networking myself, but now others are starting to network for me in ways that I wouldn't have thought of. So cool. I can tell times they are a changin for me! I'm very excited!

If by some reason you haven't checked out my website, then stop reading this post and go there now! Bookmark my site and spread the word about me to your friends and co-workers. I will be truly grateful.

Weekly Update ~ Week 4

2007-08-06T20:23:00.000-05:00

Last week was a busy week in some ways, but slow in many others. I wasn't able to do as much advertising which may have affected my sales. On a positive note, I was able to finish processing three big orders at the beginning of the week, but since they were from previous weeks I don't count them as sales for last week.

I'm still bummed about the magazine not mentioning my name in their 3 page spread. Actually I'm really disappointed. I've been waiting on this magazine to hit the stands since the beginning of June. Now it is the beginning of August and I find out my excitement has been for nothing. The lady I have been working with at the magazine should be back to work tomorrow so I'm going to contact her to see what she has to say about me not getting credit for my pictures and products descriptions that I sent to her.

I'm wondering how this week is going to play out. I paid a company $450 last week to validate my website. I've read in many search engine optimization newsletters that it is a good thing to do. Google's (where I get most of my business from) spiders can crawl a site without it being validated, but many other search engines can not. As of today I'm listed near the top of the second page for 2 of my keywords on Google, but I'm on the third or fourth page for the same keywords in Yahoo & MSN. Go figure since it is much easier to get ranked high on Yahoo & MSN.

Validating your website is supposed to clean up any code errors, but I still have a lot of errors showing up in the inner pages of my site. The company I hired said the errors showing up had to do with the design of my website and weren't important to the search engines. The changes were completed last Wednesday or Thursday. Google crawled my site on Wednesday and my page rank dropped from a 2 to a 1. Awesome!! I'm trying to increase my page rank not lower it!

Magazine Ad

2007-08-01T20:47:00.000-05:00

I finally got my copy of the magazine that I advertised in. The person I had been working with said there was a 2 page spread featuring only my products in a special section they did called "Bridesmaids Gifts". I could hardly wait to see the magazine. It was supposed to be out June 1st, but was delayed until the end of July. It turns out my gifts were featured on 2 full pages and 3 small photos appeared underneath the article itself. The magazine was going to be a wonderful way to promote my products free of charge. I was helping the magazine out by filling their pages and they were helping me out by promoting my products. A win-win situation for both of us. EXCEPT..my name & website addy wasn't mentioned anywhere in the article. Brides may like my products, but they won't know where to buy them.

I'm calling the magazine tomorrow.

Getting My Name Out There

2007-07-31T19:58:00.001-05:00

Sales are picking up and I want to keep the momentum going. In order to do this I know I must promote, promote, promote my business, CherishedGiftFavors.com!

One of my suppliers sent an e-mail today announcing their new fall/winter catalog that will be available to brides for the next 6 months. The e-mail said they plan on sending out over 10,000 bridal and 4,000 gift-giver mailings for the seasonal issue. A text ad containing my phone #, and wed addy is $300. A text ad containing the previous info and a logo is $500.

I must say my interest was peaked when I first read the e-mail. This particular supplier's line of favors are my best sellers. However, a ton of retail stores and e-commerce websites also sell their wedding and party favors. The sole purpose of my supplier publishing the magazine is to promote their line of unique favors. If I advertise in the magazine I wonder if I will get "lost in the crowd" due to the many other ads that will also appear in the magazine. Even though I sell some favors and gifts that are a little different from my competition all of the advertisers in the magazine are pretty much going to be selling the same stuff. I am wondering how many brides will look past the first couple of ads once they realize they can purchase the favors from any of the websites that are listed. I'm trying to decide if the magazine would be a good bang for my advertising bucks.

Weekly Update ~ Week 3

2007-07-29T21:18:00.000-05:00

Ok, I'm going tell you right off that this post contains some bitchin (only because I'm frustrated), but it also contains some positive stuff too.

It has been a busy week business wise. Sales are picking up which is awesome. Today was even busy which is a little abnormal. It seems most of my customers shop during the daytime Monday - Friday (I think when they are supposed to be working).

With the increased sales comes a bit of increased frustration. It seems some people have a challenge with entering their credit card info correctly. I spent Thursday & Friday working with a lady who said my shopping cart wouldn't process her order. I have no idea why. I asked, but never received an answer as to what error she was receiving. She wanted to place the order by phone, which is fine too, however, I can't take phone calls while I'm at work. I tried to e-mail her at lunch, but wouldn't you know it she responded just after my lunch hour was over so I wasn't able to call her to finalize the order. She sent me a few more e-mails later in the day, but never provided me with her CC# info so I couldn't process the order. I guess I'll try again tomorrow to get her order. The bad part is that she needs the order by Wednesday. I have no idea if it can get processed in time since the order is being drop shipped by my supplier.

This isn't the first situation I've had with customers having a challenge with placing their order via my website. A few weeks ago I got a phone call from a customer stating their credit card kept being declined. I e-mailed her around lunch time to ask if the billing info she was entering in my shopping cart matched the info on file with her credit card company. She assured me it was. I think she tried 2 or 3 times again after that to place the order. I told her that I would have tech support check into it and call her back to take the order over the phone. Wouldn't you know it, my cc processing company who has always been easy to work with was extremely busy that day. My son had an doctor's appt. so I spent the whole afternoon (after leaving work)on my cell trying to contact my credit card company. I finally got through to them around 5:30 p.m. They said exactly what I expected. My customer wasn't entering in the correct billing info. I e-mailed my customer back and within 5 minutes got an e-mail stating she had just moved and had not updated her address with her cc company. Things happen with customers which is cool. My frustration is that because I work during the day I can't immediately respond to a customer if the need arises. I know I have lost orders because of it. That stresses me out.

I can't let the challenges get me down so now on to the good stuff. All of my customers seem to find me through Google. This week I'm paying to have a company validate my website. I went to a site that checks to see if your website validates. If it doesn't then certain search engine spiders might not be able to crawl your site. My home page had 124 errors. I tried to fix it myself, but I kept screwing up my homepage.

Gotta go for now. As I was writing this post, I had some more positive business stuff happen. I don't know what is going on exactly, but good things are happening. Been praying, chugging along with my marketing, and have some people spreading the word about my business. I guess it is all adding up to wonderful things for me.

OK, back to BITCHIN! BITCHIN big time!!! I'm sitting here writing my post when I hear an e-mail hit my business addy in box. I think I have another order. NOPE!! I have 1,708 "delivery failure notices" in my e-mail. Looks like someone is spoofing my e-mail addy. COOL! Now I'm up to 2,041 e-mails. And now it is 2,091. It is 11:00 pm. I've got to work tomorrow and I have a ton of e-mails to delete before I go to bed.

On the positive side, I usually can't sleep on Sunday nights anyway, so I won't notice any lack of sleep I have from deleting the ton of e-mails.

Glad It Is Friday!

2007-07-27T22:03:00.000-05:00

I'm so glad it is Friday! It hasn't been a bad week. Not really even a long one, but I'm still very happy it is Friday. Over the last few months I have gotten into the habit of staying up till 3 or 4 a.m. on Friday nights working on things for my business, Cherished Gifts & Favors. Even though I have worked at my full time job all day, I still try to work into the wee hours of Saturday so I can get some things done. Tonight is no exception. I just finished hooking up my new router so I'm good to go.

Even though hooking up my router was fairly easy, I still feel like I need a glass of wine to mellow me out now that I'm done. One thing you will soon learn from me is that I get frustrated very quickly when it comes to anything computer related. I don't have a short temper unless I'm trying to do something new on my computer. :) Then watch out! Of course once I've figured out how to do the thing I was working on then I feel proud of myself for learning something new. In the midst of working on the problem however, I forget about the end result. It is a love - hate relationship is all I can say!

Spread The Word!

2007-07-24T20:18:00.000-05:00

Got a few minutes to spare? If so, cruise on over to my site and check out my line of elegant favors and gifts. Remember to tell others at the water cooler, the local bar, the mall, on the street, and even your hair dresser about the cool favors & gifts you discover. Talk about me everywhere! Help spread the word about my site. I will LOVE you for it!!!

Update To Today's Post

2007-07-23T23:07:00.000-05:00

Within seconds of publishing my last post, I received an order from one of the ads I placed yesterday. Yeah!! Feels so good when you see your hard work paying off.

Might be because it is late, but I'm in a funky mood right now. I would stand up on my chair and do a little dance, but knowing me I would fall off so I will just smile real big instead!

Weekly Update ~ Week 2

2007-07-23T22:08:00.001-05:00

I wasn't looking forward to today at all! It was my first day back at work. ICK! Spending my time like I wanted on vacation was a freedom that I long to have every single day! I have so much I want & need to do for my business, but have limited time to do so. I know working full time is stunting the growth of CGF, but right now I need the income from my full time job to pay the bills. In the mean time I do everything I possibly can to get publicity for Cherished Gifts & Favors.

This week I placed 28 ads in various places. I also tried to step up my efforts to get my name out there. This evening I met a photographer from a wedding message board that I belong to. As she said, networking is key. She is going to tell businesses that she works with about my website which is a huge blessing for me. She also happens to sale advertising for a magazine that markets to brides planning destination weddings. I'm toying with the idea of placing an ad in the fall edition of her magazine. I have to weigh the expense with the amount of sales I could possibly get. I just have a little bit of a hang up about it being a fall edition. It won't be out till Oct. 1 so I will have missed most of the fall weddings. However, I could get some sales from brides planning holiday & winter weddings. Hmmm... something I will have to give some more thought to.

Another thought I had about getting my name out there is to have a couple of nice tees printed up with my business name & website addy. I just have to think of something catchy for the tees to say. I could wear the tees on weekends while I'm out running errands. You never know who might see them, especially since I live in a tourist town. Got any suggestions for the tees, send them my way.

Magazine News!

2007-07-21T20:46:00.000-05:00

I spoke to an advertising rep at Emerald Coast's Brides yesterday to get an update on the status of the magazine. The magazine was suppose to be available for brides June 1, but the publication date got pushed back to June 15. It is now the middle of July and I haven't seen the magazine or any business from it. I found out yesterday the magazine is just now being distributed. I'm eager to see how it affects my business. I would love to be tickled pink from the amount of sales that I get from brides seeing the pictures of my gifts & the ad that I purchased.

The magazine will be given to brides at bridal shows, bridal boutiques, and they can request a free copy by visiting ECB's website. The magazine will also be available for purchase in 5 states along the Emerald Coast (Gulf Of Mexico). The advertising rep told me copies were sent to Books A Million & Borders Thursday. I'm pretty excited about that. I didn't realize it was going to be available in such big retail stores.

Another really cool thing is the magazine has a 2 page spread featuring only my products in a special section entitled "Gifts For Bridesmaids". I can hardly wait to see it. The rep said they want to work with me again for their fall issue. Yeah!!

To top off our vacation, my husband and I celebrated our 11 year anniversary yesterday. I was telling him about the magazine at dinner when I lost it. Just out of the blue it hit me. It always seems to happen that way. The grief seems to blind side me when I least expect it. My grandfather who passed away in February, was my biggest fan. He said I was going to make a ton of money one day. In fact, he thought I was already very successful. It always made me smile when he said that. He was 92, but I so wish he could have lived to see me build my business to the point of becoming a worldwide distributor of elegant party favors and gifts. Thinking about the magazine coming out made me very sad that I can't show it to him. I thought about that a lot today. It brought tears to my eyes every time I did. Of course now as I writing this, I can hardly see because of the tears. I still can't believe he is gone.

A Lazy Day!

2007-07-20T23:19:00.000-05:00

Spent the afternoon at Gulf World Marine Park. Had a blast! I haven't been there since I was a child. My son loved it too. He also loved the different shows they had...for about 5 minutes. Then he wanted to move on to something else! At least we got 5 minutes out of him. Last year when we took him to the local zoo he enjoyed seeing each animal, but after 30 seconds he was ready to move on to the next one. My husband said it was a very expensive 30 minute experience!

Beach Bum

2007-07-18T22:16:00.000-05:00

Today my husband and I took our 3 year old son on his first boat ride. He loved it! He even cried when it was time to get off the boat. After our day playing in the sand and surf we went to a well known beach night club for dinner. It is a family restaurant by day and a night club in the late evening. I had planned on entering the wet t-shirt contest, but we got there a little too early. :( LOL!!

It was so nice to be able to watch the waves rolling in as we had dinner. There was a nice breeze blowing in from the Gulf of Mexico and my pina colada went down sooo good. It really was a beautiful evening. It is sad how I live in a coastal town, but my family is usually too busy to enjoy the beauty around us. However, I'm working hard to change all that!

My business is working hard for me too because it made money while I spent the day being a beach bum! SWEET!!

Not A Stree Free Day

2007-07-17T22:28:00.000-05:00

It is funny how time doesn't really mean anything to you when you are on vacation. You can come and go as you please. No schedules. You might even get to enjoy a nap or two or feel like you actually have a chance to breathe.

I am on vacation this week and yes, I have a big smile on my face as I write this. Of course, vacation for me just means I don't have to go to my full time job that I truly dislike. I still have been very busy this week with CGF (Cherished Gifts & Favors).

Today was spent trying to get all my paperwork together for my sales tax that is due ASAP. I always wait till the last minute, because I hate doing it. Any free time I have I would rather spend marketing or updating my website. Of course, some things have to be done.

I would have much rather spent today digesting Jagular's last few posts, doing some additional networking, and spending time with my son. Even on vacation, I don't seem to get to spend enough time with him.

Yesterday I purchased a girlie pale yellow hat with a Superman Logo on it. I smile whenever I think about it because for some reason I act like I think I'm Superwomen. I somehow (and quite) often fall victim to the idea that I can do everything! My crazy thinking usually just results in me putting lots of pressure and stress on myself. I am so looking forward to the point where the profits from my business will replace the income from my full time job. In the meantime I spend the day at my job visualizing myself in my business office spending my day processing orders, expanding my business, and learning new things about competing in the every changing world of the internet. Business is definitely picking up, but it still isn't at the point of where I can quit my job. It is a vicious circle for me right now. I need the income from my full time job, but my business also needs me full time so it can flourish. Hence I always feel like I need to be superwoman so I can try (or at least attempt) to get everything done!

Weekly Update ~ Week 1

2007-07-15T13:29:00.000-05:00

Here's my first weekly update on what I did this week to help build my business:

*Advertised on 3 new websites
*Exchanged links with 5 new sites and 2 new blogs
*Did some networking on MySpace
*Renewed 3 new ads on various wedding related sites
*Did some networking for this blog
*Updated my MySpace & business blog. I sooo have to do that more often!! My goal is 3 times a week.
*Posted 32 new ads on various free websites though out the week.
*Hooked up with 2 new suppliers
*Applied a volume discount to a few more of my products
*Added some cute new products to my site

I also have paid ads running in Celebstaff Magazine and Emerald Coast Brides from June till August as well as ads on additional websites that run throughout the year.

All of my hard work has been paying off. I got 3 orders that I know came directly from ads I posted this week and I will get an order shortly from a contact I made on MySpace.

On a personal note, it has been a nice quite weekend. My son and husband have been out of town so I have spent the entire weekend working on networking and updating my website. There is still a ton of stuff I want to do, but I have been able to accomplish a lot since they have been gone. I have been looking forward to this weekend for weeks. I knew it would be a time I could get a lot done for my business without feeling guilt about not spending time with my family.

Last but not least, I tried a new workout video. For some reason I am addicted to "The Girls Next Door"! I saw an episode where they were making a work out video and I thought about buying it. Amazon had great reviews about it so I ordered it. Let me just say Holly, Bridget, and Kendra kicked my butt this weekend!! I don't mind working out, but I usually get so wrapped up with working on business related stuff that I never get a chance to. I needed a tape that would motivate me and I think I found it. Hopefully I'll be looking good again real soon!

Remember to add me to your list of favorite blogs and tell everyone you know about my website. I need publicity, publicity, publicity!! Thanks in advance!!

Here are some cute favors that I just added to my website:

This is too cute!

2007-07-14T09:35:00.000-05:00

I know there is a better way to do this, but right now I don't have the time to do it. I will add it to my list of things (that is really piling up) to learn how to do later! I hope you can view this video cause it is soooo cute! I have no idea how they made it . So Cool!!

Technorati Profile

Sick Day!

2007-07-13T19:22:00.000-05:00

I am slowly making my way out of the fogging state that I have been in. Spent the whole day in bed feeling pretty green. Don't know if it was something I ate or what, but yuck. I'm feeling a little bit better now so I decided to get out of bed for awhile. Don't know how long I will last. I have a rare bit of free time this weekend so I need to get some work done. I had planned to spend the next few days adding a ton of new products to my website. I'll see how it goes. At least with my laptop I have the option of working from the comfort of my bed. I rarely do that, but tonight it might be a very nice option!

Sooo Tired!

2007-07-11T23:16:00.000-05:00

I'm exhausted tonight. I've had too many late nights working on my website and trying to network with other businesses. That's my life now, but I know it is worth it. I tell myself it is only temporary. All of my hard work and long nights will pay off in the end.

I was so tired I actually went to bed at 8:30 tonight. That is amazing for me! I woke up a few minutes ago and decided to check my e-mail for orders. A potential new supplier e-mailed me their info. Talk about some really cute party favors! I was impressed. However, I already have so many new favors to add to my website this weekend. I know I won't have time to get to them all. I really hate that, but I'm excited about having 2 whole days to be able to work nonstop on updating my website. Oh the things I could do for my business if I didn't have to work as an insurance agent full time. One day. One day soon it will be that way.

Okay if I plan on having a marathon product adding session this weekend I better get some sleep now.

Cool Quote ~

It is astonishing how short a time it takes for very wonderful things to happen.

--Frances Hodgson Burnett

A Bad Date. A Very Bad Date!

2007-07-10T21:09:00.000-05:00

Over the weekend I decided to stop by Books A Million while I was out running errands with my son and husband. It was a lofty idea, but I was determined to be brave and go in the bookstore. I really wanted to pick up a bridal magazine to check out the latest trends in wedding favors and get a few inspirations for my business blog. Normally going in a bookstore doesn't take a lot of guts, but remember I have a 3 year old (he's normally a very good child) and Books A Million has a train set for children to play with while their parents shop. If you have a small child I don't need to say any more. If you don't then let me explain. The train is wonderful because it entertains your child while you read a magazine, book, whatever. The train is a nightmare when it comes time to leave!

Like I said, I truly had reservations about going into Books A Million, but I somehow put aside my anxitey. However, while I was there briefly scanning the magazines my thoughts drifted back to a few weeks ago. I lost my mind that week and told my son that I wanted to take him on a special date. No daddys allowed. I thought it would be fun if I took him for a treat and then to Books A Million. My son could have fun playing with the train while I treated myself to a latte and checked out the latest bridal magazines. I talked to my son about our "special date" the whole week. Just Mommy and Colin. We were both looking forward to it. All was going well on our date UNTIL it was time to leave. My sweet little angel went crazy. First he cried, then he ran. I mean RAN! Down the aisles he went with me trying to chase after him with 2 thick magazines in one hand and a hot latte in another with me dragging my purse behind me. At one point I couldn't even find the sweetheart. I finally caught up with my Husband's son back near the wonderful train set. He stood smiling, half laughing at me. I stood glaring at him. I grabbed him and walked back to the magazine section. I knew it was getting ready to all fall apart and there was no way I was going to be able to hold him, my latte, and try to purchase my magazine all at the same time.

We made it to the magazine section which just happens to be (much to everyone in Books A Million dismay) all the way in the back of the store. About the time I put the magazine back on the shelf, my little angel disappears and some unknown creature takes his place. He breaks into a tantrum like I have never seen before and lucky me, I'm his mother. I litterally had to drag him kicking and screaming at the top of his lungs through the entire store and then had to force him into his carseat once we got to the car. Needless to say it was a very bad scene for him when we got home.

So here I am this past weekend wanting to buy a magazine. I knew I wouldn't have a chance to buy it at another time so I decided to be brave and go for it (my bravery was in part because I had my husband with me as back up). I picked up my magazine, met up with my family at the train set, and told my husband I was going to check out before things got ugly. He didn't seem to believe me. I casually strolled up to the cashier, did my business, and then strolled back towards the train section again. Halfway there I heard crying. I reconigzed that cry. I make it back to the train where my husband stood consoling my son. I smiled thinking back to the day of our "special date". Boy was I glad I had alreay purchased my magazine! And lucky me, it lead me to a new supplier for my business.

Its Monday!

2007-07-09T21:48:00.000-05:00

Oh yeah it is Monday! The first official week of my blog. I'm excited. I hope you are excited. Lets be excited together and share our excitement with others. Ok enough excitement. Like I said it is MONDAY. But, even for a Monday I'm still pretty excited. Only 4 more days till this weekend. I've got a very big weekend planned. I'm setting aside the whole weekend for adding tons of new products to my website. I have so many cute new favors and a few cool gifts to add. I can't wait to share them with my customers!

If you haven't already you must check out my website. If you are getting married, throwing a party, thinking of throwing a party, know someone who is throwing a party, or needing a hostess gift cause you are attending a party, then check out my website! And don't be shy, tell others about my site as well.

If you like my blog or like my website, or both then show your love by helping me build my business. Check out my "Support Ashley's Dream" page for more info on the ways you can help out!

Speaking of ways to help out... this is how I helped out my business today.

1. I advertised my business on a new website.
2. I exchanged links with 2 new websites.
3. Did some networking on MySpace.
4. Posted a link on a blog written by an entrepreneur I hooked up with on MySpace.
5. Renewed 3 ads that I have on a bridal message board.
6. Added my links to 2 wedding resource websites that sent me an e-mail invitation.
7. Spoke to a potential new party favor supplier. They have some awesome stuff!
8. Deposited 3 pennies that I found at the gas station into my business account.. Hey it all adds up! Remember that if you want to send me money. Every little bits helps!!