I jumped in!

After thinking about it for a while I decided I may as well give it a shot -- I jumped in full force to doTERRA's essential oils and started my own website at www.mydoterra.com/laurenheadrick. I also started a separate blog for doTERRA and essential oils here: http://laurensessentialoils.blogspot.com/

It's been pretty fun so far, and I've been learning a lot. I'm at least enjoying the products that I now get at 25% off, so whether or not I sell anything, I can at least get a discount on what I use personally. I think a lot of people are probably very skeptical about using something like essential oils in their lives -- I mean it's literally like "selling snake oil." But I have seen firsthand the amazing benefits it can have, and if people are even a little bit open-minded enough to give it a shot, I know they will love it! That's what happened to me -- I fell in love with the product as I continued to use it! I am always looking forward to trying new products, making new concoctions, and testing them out. It's like arts and crafts but with natural products that smell wonderful! I love that I am drastically lessening the amount of harmful chemicals I use on an everyday basis. My skincare became all natural and organic now, and now my cleaning products are as well! I am feeling energetic and excited about all of the opportunity that doTERRA brings. Whatever happens with it, I'm learning a lot and I'm benefiting from the effects of the oils. If anyone is interested in learning more, let me know! I'm always happy to discuss essential oils and doTERRA with anyone at all!

Starting an MLM Business

I've been thinking a lot recently about starting my own MLM business that I can hopefully grow so that I can work from home in a few years when our family starts to grow. I know so many people who, at least outwardly, appear to be thriving at it. My cousin, my co-workers, friend, my best friend's cousin, and numerous facebook friends. They are always posting about the benefits of it and how wonderful it is to work from home, etc. I know I have to take all that with a huge gran of salt though, because, of course, they need to recruit people to sell the product so that they can make more money.

I am loving using essential oils in my life. I have read a lot about them and I use them for so many different things. It's a product I truly believe in and that I would enjoy learning a lot more about, using more in my life, and teaching people about. I have been looking at the two major companies that sell them via a MLM strategy and both have some upsides and downsides. I know of people who sell both, so I could always join as one of their team members, but I'm not sure if it's better to start that way or if it's better to just join on my own and start fresh , though that probably doesn't matter either way. Also, I go back and forth between the companies. Both seem to be very high quality. One is an offshoot of the other. The older company has a bigger product line but the newer one has better packaging. Also, for both, I'd need to invest about $300 to get started, and it seems like I'd need to spend about $100 a month to keep it going. I feel like I'd lose money initially, but if I work at it I could grow it enough to actually make a little money. I'm not looking to get rich or be a millionaire. I just want to make enough to pay the few bills I pay and have a little spending money. If I could do that and make even just $100-200 a week, I'd be happy.

So, I may be posting more about this as I continue to think about it and maybe get more involved. Every time I decide to jump in, I end up getting discouraged by something I read online. I wish someone who has done it would lay it out honestly and tell me exactly how they do it. I feel like you can't just rely on friends and family -- I don't want to become a pest to them in the first place, and I feel weird trying to sell to them at all anyway. But then again, it is something that I truly believe is a good thing and I think a lot of people could benefit from it. Decisions, decisions...

Product Review: Argan Oil Shampoo and Conditioner

It's been a while since I reviewed a product on here and I thought I'd bring that back since I was just noticing how soft my hair feels today. I have mentioned before that I'm trying to get away from a lot of the dangerous chemicals found in normal beauty products, so I have been experimenting with different products to try to find the healthiest products that still really work. This week, I tried Argan Oil Shampoo and Conditioner, made my Maple Holistics. I purchased them on Amazon.

Argan Oil Shampoo by Maple Holistics

Argan Oil Conditioner by Maple Holistics

I really love these products. My main concern was to try to find a shampoo and conditioner that are sulfate-free. Generally sulfate-free shampoos don't lather very well. This one surprised me. The first later wasn't very sudsy, but the second lathered really well! The other thing that impressed me was the smell -- it is fragrance free, so I didn't expect much, but this has a very light, clean scent. It's really nice - a little bit vanilla-y. It does have vanilla and honey in it, so no wonder. The conditioner has a similar scent - light and clean. I let it sit in my hair for about 3-5 minutes, and rinsed. My hair immediately felt soft. After my shower I towel-dried, and then blow-dried my hair as I normally do. I noticed it dried nicely, but I didn't full realize until today how nice my hair feels. Today, while I'm sitting at work I happened to notice that my hair feels super soft and isn't as knotty or stringy as it can get my this time of day. I hope this continues working this well because right now I'm completely sold!

Walking All Over Me

I feel like I need to be a little less easygoing at work. Overall, everything has been fine, but every so often, I feel like I'm being taken advantage of. I know, that happens to pretty much everyone who works ever, but it gets to me sometimes. I am the only employee in my group who is non-exempt, so I have to clock in and out in order to track my time. The others in my group forget this sometimes, and just do their thing. Foe example, on a holiday weekend, a lot of times, my boss will let everyone go early. She forgets though, that if I leave early, I won't get paid for time time I don't work. I would have to make up the time. If she would tell us in advance, I could make up the time beforehand, but usually it's a spur of the moment thing. Everyone else gets to leave without worry and I have to decide between 2 hours less pay or 2 hours more time.

Last week, we had 1 co-worker on vacation, and there was a day when another had to leave early. I go home at lunch every day to walk the puppy, so I had to be sure my boss was around to cover the department before I could go to lunch. My co-worker left and my boss stopped by to say she just had to drop something off at someone else's desk and she's be right back. I told her I was going to go walk the puppy when she got back. It was around 11:40 and I had to be back at 1 for an interview, so I really had to leave at noon to get my full hour. My boss didn't return until 12:20....I lost 20 minutes of my lunch because of the 1:00 interview (that she scheduled). So I just had to take it.

Finally, my schedule is 8:30-5. My co-worker sometimes would schedule interviews at 8, and I would work 8-4:30. I don't mind doing that, in fact I prefer it; however my coworker just did this to me for tomorrow without asking me first. It's gotten harder to get here at 8 with puppy stuff to deal with in the morning, but I'll do it. I just wish I had been asked first. I feel like people just walk all over me and figure I will be flexible with whatever, so no need to even consult me. Anyway, just needed to get that all off my chest. Thanks, internet! Have a great day!

Sears Update

So we did get our fridge this weekend, but not without more hassle and trouble from Sears. I will never buy from there again. We received our time slot as 8:15-10:15am, luckily enough. And even luckier -- they showed up right around 8:30 -- so it didn't mess up our vet appointment. But that was pure luck. So, the delivery guys came in, took one look at our fridge space after they pulled the old one out and said they could not install the new one. When we asked why he said because there is no shut off behind the unit. We explained to him that the salesperson told us that would be fine. He told us in the store, that if the shut off is in the basement, they won't shut it off, but we can shut it and they'll install it. That was not true. I asked what we need to do and he said we need a plumber to install a shut off for us. I was livid at that point because I was not ready to pay for a plumber to come out on the weekend, without an appointment, and do that. Sears should have paid for that if that was what I needed, after the run around they have given me from the start.

So, after a lot of back and forth, we told him to just leave the new fridge and my husband installed it himself. The delivery guy told him how to do it but refused to touch it. Instead, he took pics of the setup to cover his a@@ and prove that he didn't touch the installation. I am angry at Sears for misleading us after already screwing up our delivery. Now, unless Sears makes this right by offering a discount for our troubles, I will never go there again and I recommend to anyone reading this that you go elsewhere as well. I have never dealt with customer service that was so inept and unhelpful. Goodbye Sears....I never shopped there and now I really know why.

All I'm Asking for...

I'm so frustrated. Last week, our old refrigerator started leaking. For the second time. The first time it happened was right after we moved in. We have a home warranty that we got as part of the sale, so we figured we would use it! Unfortunately, that was a big hassle. The repair people took forever to come out. Of course they can only come from 9-4 on weekdays, so my husband had to work from home to wait for them. When they came, they told us they'd have to order a part. That took almost a month to come in and then it was another few weeks until they could come back out. The second time, my mom came over to wait for the repairman. And, he came in and refused to install the part -- he said the part we had was actually better than the new one, but they only had to go through the part-ordering part so that the warranty would cover it! So shady!! Then, he 'fixed' the fridge and it was fine....until now.

So, now it's leaking again. Worse than before. I eventually want to replace our appliances anyway, so I figured, let's just take the easy way out and buy something new. That will be so much less hassle, right? Wrong. We shopped around like crazy last weekend and finally settled on a stainless steel model from Sears. The price was right, the size was right, and they could deliver Friday (today), which was the day my mom was planning on coming over to walk our puppy anyway to help me out. Everything was set -- we had the perfect fridge, and the perfect price, and the perfect delivery day. Last night, I was starting to empty our fridge after I got a call from Sears saying they didn't have a delivery window yet but they'd call back after 7 and let me know. Then, at 6:27, I got the next call from Sears -- there has been an "unexpected delay" and they need to reschedule and speak with me immediately. I was yelling" No, no no no!" at the horrible pre-recorded message. So I immediately called the number they provided. The man on the phone said pretty much the same thing. There is a 1 day delay and the fridge will come on Saturday. No explanation. No price-discount for my trouble. No nothing! He just said they'd call again tomorrow with the delivery window. I was pretty pissed and just said that it better come on Saturday.

Saturday is not really the best day for this. I had plans. We have a vet appointment for the puppy at 10:30 and we were supposed to have friends over for lunch. Now I have no idea what time the fridge will be here. I have to cook a lunch with no fridge somehow. And I can't plan anything because they don't tell you the delivery window until the night before. And, who knows how many "unexpected delays" they can have? I feel really frustrated and like there's nothing I can do but take it. I think it's not fair that it's ok for them not to honor their commitment. What would happen if I decided I didn't want to honor my commitment to pay for the stupid thing? I really feel like they should give me something -- any discount! Just something to compensate me for this experience. I am not happy with Sears and at this point, unless they do something to make me happy, I will never shop there again. And I will tell everyone I know not to either. (hence, this blog). So much for avoiding hassle by buying new. I can't win. All I'm asking for is what I paid for in the first place. You can't do that now, so make this right.

120 vs 190

I'm talking about calories. Specifically, calories in my morning yogurt. The normal yogurt I eat each morning is either Fage or a store brand of fat free Greek yogurt that is 120 calories. It is 3 weight watchers points plus (not that I track so well these days...but it's always in my head). I recently discovered the Chobani Flips yogurts that range from 190-250 calories. I have only let myself try the 190 ones, I won't venture above 200 for yogurt, but the 190 calorie ones taste so much better. They would be the equivalent of 5 points plus, which is way more than I would have ever had for breakfast on my 26-points-a-day-plan. But I enjoy it so much more. If it filled me up more, I would easily opt for the 190 calorie yogurts, but they seem to last the same amount of time.

Anyway, that's my yogurt rant. Speaking of food - yesterday I was proud of myself for planning ahead and cooking dinner for tonight in the slow cooker while we ate last night's dinner! I made simple enchilada chicken with 4 chicken breasts that I put in the slow cooker with enchilada sauce and some leftover salsa. I let it cook on high for 4 hours and shredded it up before bed. Now tonight I'll reheat that and sauteed it with some onions and peppers and we'll have fajitas! Easy! Just wanted to share that super-quick-and-easy recipe. Have a great day everyone!