I LOVE being pampered

This weekend I went to the Spring Launch training meeting to learn about the new Pampered Chef products coming out in March.  It was a fun and super exciting meeting, and being there just reminded me of what a blessing my Pampered Chef business is. Here are just a few of the MANY reasons I LOVE owning my own Pampered Chef business:

1. I can be at home with Bird!
2. I make my own hours (Instead of working 9 to 5 five days each week, I only work 5 to 9 two days a week).
3. If I put in overtime, I earn extra money. I get to decide how much time and energy I put into my job.
4. Support is always there if I need it! I have such a sweet and godly mentor, Diane Clayton, who helps me  with every aspect of the business.
5. I get paid to cook & party! It's so nice to have a few hours to myself to build relationships with ladies in my community (and get paid doing it!).
6. Promotion is always within reach. If I set goals and work hard, I can and will build my business!!
7. My PC business has put me into contact with some wonderful women that I now count as good friends. I would never have known them without PC!!
8. I have a stronger sense of self-confidence! I've always been a pretty confident person, but owning my own business, setting my own goals, working hard and then immediately reaping the benefits has given me a sense of confidence I didn't even realize I lacked!
9. Free products! The company is incredibly generous, and gives us opportunities to earn free stuff all the time!
10. Free travel! PC offers the opportunity to earn free trips throughout the year. I have set a goal and am working towards earning a FREE trip for Jacin and me to Nashville this fall and Las Vegas next summer. :)

Owning my own PC business has been such a blessing. What about you?

Bird Update

So it's been A WHILE since I've blogged. The first few weeks of pregnancy #2 have been kinda yucky, so I've spent a lot of time on the couch or in the bathroom. BUT I'm feeling much better yesterday and today (knock on wood), and Bird is doing SO MANY new things, I figured I'd better record them somewhere before I forget.

Just over the past few weeks, Bird's vocabulary has exploded! He has words like play (pay), go, bath, night-night, paci & tat-tat (which he wants to carry around all day long), eat, tractor, cat, dog, outside (side), book, bye-bye, hello (ello-ello!) and lots more that I can't remember right now. His first phrase was "see it!" He loves to play with his tools and explore forbidden areas (like the bathroom and my bedroom). He enjoys finding small things to put down into the heat/air vents (and he currently has pulled one vent out of the floor and is carrying it around. Not good.).

Overall, he is sweet and cuddley in the mornings and wild and crazy in the afternoons/evenings. In the mornings, he will cuddle with me on the couch while we watch the news. After lunch & a nap, there is not a lot of sitting still.  A week or so ago, while I was vacuuming, Bird got a new value-sized bottle of baby shampoo and poured it all over his fully-clothed self in the middle of the kitchen floor. I found him sitting in the middle of the soapy puddle, rubbing the shampoo on his dry hair, mumbling "bath, momma. Bath." At night after dinner, he likes to run around in circles until he coughs up his dinner.

He loves his dog, but it's a tough love. Today I caught him hitting Rascal over the head with a newspaper while yelling, "HiYa!" Thank goodness Rascal is patient. I just don't think he's going to have many brain cells left.

And there was more I wanted to include, but pregnancy brain has gotten the best of me. And Bird is wrestling with the blinds, about to tear them off the windows. Whew! I'd better go.

Tis the Season

I really can't complain, because Bird has been SUPER healthy this fall/winter. Especially compared to last year when he had numerous ear infections, several stomach viruses, RSV, and a perpetual cold. This season, so far, it's only been a cold. But ohhh the snot!!! Poor Bird had a fever, cough, and lots of green snot for about 4 days this past week/weekend. And of course the plethora of snot and frequent coughing leads to throwing up. Yuck. Today, though,  the fever is gone, the snot has slowed down and the cough is better... but now my nose is drippy, I'm sneezing my head off, and I sound like I'm in a barrell. Thanks for sharing, Bird! Oh well. Tis the season.

The toddler and the toilet

So last week I had the bright idea that I could get the bathrooms cleaned while Bird watched The Jungle Book (which he watches at least twice every day). After turning on "The Book" as Bird calls it, I started my least favorite chore by pouring cleaner in both toilet bowls. As I was returning from a quick papertowel run in the kitchen, I found Bird in the bathroom elbow deep in the toilet bowl. He was swirling the water around, soaking wet, and having a GREAT time. What a great helper! :)

Fall Fun

So I'm a bit behind... sorry.
The last weekend in October, we went to the lake with Mom and Dad. We had fun just being together. We sat in front of the fire, watched football, played outside, and walked around Downtown BlueRidge.

When we got home, it was Halloween! We carved a pumpkin, Bird dressed up like a giraffe, and we took him to a few houses for candy. And oh my goodness, he LOVED the candy! He ate 2 mini Snickers bars and a sugar cookie in one sitting!

Last weekend I worked a vendor table at the county schools' Holly Jolly Market. It was a long time to sit, but it was definitely worth it. I signed a new recruit and booked several parties!

This week, Jacin has been working 12-hour days with head-to-toe hives and Bird has been cutting some back teeth. Whew! And I can't believe Thanksgiving is only 2 weeks from today!! C R A Z Y !!!

Pumpkin Patch

This weekend Bird and I were in Gwinnett with Meme & Big Daddy for a wedding shower. It was a busy weekend, but we were able to fit in a quick trip to the Pumpkin Patch.

And just for kicks.... here's a pic of Jackson Bird at the Pumpkin Patch LAST YEAR.

Fall-Like Weekend

This past week has been pretty laid-back: errands, housework, playing with tractors, and naps. This weekend we went to an outdoor wedding, and it actually felt like fall!!

Here are a few pics from this weekend:

 I can't wait to go to the lake in a few weekends to see the leaves and eat caramel apples!