Week #3 of FAB Friday~ Giveaway!!!

If you're new to Fun And Balanced Fridays, then start HERE.

I've got week #3 for you, but I also wanted to go into a little more detail about one of the activities I did with Lily this week. About a month ago I had the opportunity of going to a Rhodes Bake N Serve class. I learned lots of fun things you can do with their dough. I got the kids activities book they have and I'm so excited to try out all the fun things in there. One of them was a ham and cheese piggy sandwich. It was so fun and simple to do, and Lily just LOVED making these then getting to eat them.  Here are the directions. Sorry the first page is cut off a little, I scanned it onto my computer and didn't have time to do it all over again. Anyway, where it say's "2 ho", that means "2 hours" incase you were all thinking you needed to ho's in order to make this :) I just bought a big bag of the frozen texas rolls from Costco, but you can find them at most any grocery store.

Rhodes Bake N Serve was so kind to offer this fun package to one 

of YOU! 

It comes with this Fresh Idea's cookbook, an apron, and a coupon for a free bag of rhodes dough ($30 value).

Here is one of the things you'll find in this book, they call them the 

Hallowieners!

The piggy sandwiches came from the kids Activity book, which is not part of the giveaway. If you'd like to purchase the book you can find it on their website for $14.95

If you'd like to win this giveaway, then leave a comment below and you'll be entered into the drawing. I'll be announcing the winner one week from today October 7th. For more chances to win, you can help us out by doing some of the following. Leave a SEPARATE comment for each thing you do.

• "Like" Rhodes Bake N Serve on Facebook.
• "Like" me too please :)
• Follow my blog 
• Vote for me on Top Mommy Blogs.
• Become an email subscriber, but only if you really want too:)

You can subscribe by submitting your email address in the top right corner. Be sure to look for the confirmation email sent by feedburner. Sometimes it gets sent to the junk folder by accident.

Click HERE to print the front. 

Click HERE to print the back.

Click HERE to print off the activities.

Why I Do What I Do

I remember as a little girl I would dream of having lots of money and imagine all the things I would buy if I was a millionaire.  I had big dreams as most children do. I was going to become a famous actress and have all the money in the world.
As we grow up, little by little our dreams become just that... dreams. Reality sets in, and you realize it's a whole lot harder than you thought  to be  and do the things you REALLY want.  After graduating high school I got my first taste of independence.  I started to realize there was NO TIME for creativity, with working all day just to make enough money to pay my rent, car payment, gas, food, ect. I remember thinking, this can't be what life is all about. There's got to be a way I can make lots of money and work less so I could have the TIME to explore my creativity and find out what I'm good at.  Well guess what? I did find a way, and my dreams HAVE come true.  My husband and I are actually MILLIONAIRES. Seriously, I feel weird saying it, but we really are considered "millionaires".  We made our first million about 2 years ago, and have now made 3 million dollars.  I don't tell you this to brag and say, yah look at us, we're so amazing and have lots of money. I'm sharing this with you because what we do and what we DID is something anyone can do.  My husband and I both don't have any college education, we're just average people who found a great opportunity.  I grew up extremely poor, and to be on the complete opposite end financially just seems too good to be true. We have no debt, money in the bank, and a huge retirement waiting for us. It's such an incredible feeling to be financially free. I was once buried in debt and it was an awful CONSTANT feeling of stress.
Yes, we ARE network marketers.  I understand the stigma that comes with the word "network marketing" or "multi level marketing".  Most people have dabbled in it in some way or another, and because they either lost money or didn't see success, they've developed a negative opinion towards the idea. You steer clear of anyone involved in it, avoid their phone calls, and probably even run when you see them coming. Well, let me just tell you something.  First of all, not all network marketing companies are created equal. If you've been involved in a network marketing company, and didn't see success, you shouldn't think they're ALL bad.  Pyramid scams DO exist, but it's your job to do the research before jumping into something head first.

Because of the cynical judgement given to all mlm companies, I wanted to offer up my side of the story.  I have an insatiable desire to be heard and understood, hence the reason I blog.  I feel like blogging gives me a chance to explain why I do what I do, and say what I say.  Everyone deserves a chance to be heard right :).
So anyway, back to my childhood dreams.  Even though reality hit and I learned that life is a lot harder than I thought, it still didn't discourage me from really living my dreams.  There was so much I wanted to do and learn, but working for the majority of the day didn't seem to be ideal for me.  I wanted more out of life, and network marketing seemed to lead the way to achieving these things.  I'm not saying that joining a network marketing company is your only way to make dreams happen, all I'm saying is that if you tried at something before, and failed, don't give up. Contrary to what most people say about mlm, success doesn't come easy, it's NOT a "get rich quick" business, it requires dedication, commitment, and should be treated like a real profession.
 You have to ask yourself these questions.

1. Is this something I'm EXTREMELY passionate about? Have I seen personal results with the product, do I have a story to share.
2. Is this going to cost me a lot of money to get involved with? Can I afford it? (never go into debt when joining a company).
3. Do I know the compensation plan? Is it lucrative?
4. Do I have the TIME to devote to this, and am I WILLING to put forth the effort it requires? As a mom, I've seen success first hand by devoting just 10 hours a week.

When I first started up my blog, I made a list of things I wanted to write about. One of them included, "Business women- Success IS possible!"  I don't think I'm so great and have ALL the answers, but I do think I have a lot to offer.  I want to help you see success in your own business, what ever it may be.  Isagenix is the company I chose after considering all the questions above, but I understand that everyone is different, and you have to find what you're passionate about. My passion is health and weight loss.
We all know that money is tight these days, and I bet you've been considering going back to work, or trying to come up with a way you can contribute to the household income. Here's the first step, find what YOU are passionate about, ask yourself all the questions above, and get started. Forget about all the times you've failed in the past, keep your eye on the goal, pick yourself up and try again.

source: thank you google images

There have been many things I've tried in the past, and have failed miserably, but we just have to realize that it's all part of being successful.  We've got to keep moving forward towards our dreams. One of our greatest examples of someone who kept pushing through despite all his failures, was Abraham Lincoln.  Born into poverty, he was faced with defeat most of his life.  Here's his road to the White House.

• 1831 - Lost his job
• 1832 - Defeated in run for Illinois State Legislature
• 1833 - Failed in business
• 1834 - Elected to Illinois State Legislature (success)
• 1835 - Sweetheart died
• 1836 - Had nervous breakdown
• 1838 - Defeated in run for Illinois House Speaker
• 1843 - Defeated in run for nomination for U.S. Congress
• 1846 - Elected to Congress (success)
• 1848 - Lost re-nomination
• 1849 - Rejected for land officer position
• 1854 - Defeated in run for U.S. Senate
• 1856 - Defeated in run for nomination for Vice President
• 1858 - Again defeated in run for U.S. Senate
• 1860 - Elected President (success)

It's all about balance ladies. You CAN make this happen. You've just got to get your priorities straight, figure out what's most important to you, and plan out your day.  If you find that you're overwhelmed and don't have enough time in the day to do it all, then it's time to reevaluate. Figure out what you can do without. It may mean cutting out you're favorite shows on the DVR, or spending less time on the computer. What are you doing today, that will get you where you want to be?

Week #2 Fun and Balanced Friday!

 Fun And Balanced Friday's is all about our 52 Weeks Of Balance project, if you're new to this, then start HERE!  All you do to play along is share any pictures, videos, or just do a follow up post with how your week went using each weeks schedule I share. Feel free to change it up a bit to fit your lifestyle and share any tips and idea's you'd like to add.

<br /> <a border="0" href="http://www.wannabbalancedmom.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n120/dragonfly101201/Crystal-FAB-Button.png" /></a><br />

Click HERE to print the front.

Click HERE to print back.

Click HERE to print activities.

And don't think I forgot about the giveaway!!! The winner is...

CARRIE!!!!!!!!! From The 5th Girl!!!

MARRIAGE IS ALL ABOUT COMPROMISE

You all may be surprised to know that my husband LOVES animals. So much so, that he hopes to fill every bit of empty wall space in our house with these lovely animals.  I on the other hand, need a bit of persuasion before giving in to this new idea of interior decorating. So, we've learned to compromise.

It all started with THIS...

For this...

Then he got this...

And said I could have this...

Trip to Hawaii (it's in the works).

We both were happy with the outcome, and learned a new found tactic to get what we want. Soon after that, Sean got an itch for another one, and I really wanted a new couch. So we welcomed this fine fellow into our home.

We traded in our red couch, which looked great in the room but not the most comfortable for watching movies.

For this one! I'm so excited about it because it is probably THE most comfortable couch EVER!!! It came with 4 built in recliners, and the best part about it was the PRICE!!!

We got it for only $1275!!!  Even during the Labor day sale at the local Ashley stores, the cost was $1650.  
I have some exciting news! Through recent networking with the owner of the Ashley Furniture Homestore in Logan, UT.  YOU too can get unbelievable savings on your furniture purchases from the Ashley Homestore in Logan when you PICK UP your orders yourself!   We also got a swivel chair which was $445 on sale locally.  We got the swivel for $299.  So we saved $521 off the Labor Day Sale Price! 

 
For the next 60 days you can visit @FurnitureWarehouse.com and buy using our special discount code and you will get a special unadvertised discount of up to 48% off!
Here is the coupon code: escobargroup
Just enter the code in the coupon code field when checking out to get the discount.
Hurry while this great offer lasts. Click here @FurnitureWarehouse.com and start shopping!!
If you cannot pick up the furniture in Logan UT, then the original pricing does apply.  That pricing is competitive with other online furniture dealers and does include shipping.  Please still put in the coupon code so that our new friend Bob (owner) can see that we referred you.
I'm such a fan of Ashley Furniture. We now own quite a bit of their furniture. We have their dining room set.

Her'e a better picture of it directly from the site, so I know they are still selling this particular one.

And we also have their bar stools.

Okay so anyway, back to my lesson on marriage. Just give your husband what he wants and you can get what YOU want. Sounds easy enough right?

Oh, and don't forget to enter my giveaway! You could win all this!!!! I'll be choosing the winner on Thursday!!!

Week #1

Click HERE to print front side of meal plan.

Click HERE to print the back side.

Click HERE for Activities

52 Weeks of Balance

Introducing the new Wanna Be Balanced Planner!!!
Here are all the details on how these binders work, please feel free to email me if you have any questions or requests.
crystal@wannabebalanced.com

This binder was made for the desperate housewife, striving to find balance among the constant chaos of motherhood.   You'll be compiling 52 weeks of meal plans, grocery lists, activities to do with your kids, house projects and more.   It comes with 3 full months and you'll be able to buy additional months as you go.  
Go HERE if you'd like to purchase one.

What you'll get:

• 52 Weekly overviews, with a "To Do" list provided for each day (notice there are only a few lines, this will keep your day simple without making you feel like you have too much to do).

• 2 markers, one permanent, and one wet erase.

• The first 3 months of meal plans and grocery lists (you can buy each additional month for $8)

I've tried several times to have weekly menu's complete with grocery lists, but have failed more often than not. So I decided to make REUSABLE ones, a full years worth. That way I’ll never have to do it again! I figured it may take some time to put it together but in the long run it will save me time AND money. These meal plans include breakfast, lunch, and dinner, making meal time much less time consuming.  I'm going to compile these all, and add as much variety as possible for a whole year. I’ve noticed I’m spending less time and money at the grocery store and used up EVERYTHING I bought. I've found that sometimes I get a little too ambitious with eating healthy and buy all this fresh produce without any real plans of what I'm going to make.  They usually just end up going bad before I get the chance to eat them.  A little preparation goes a long way. Also, I've been really bad with the whole breakfast and lunch thing for the kids. They usually have the same thing every day, and it's all due to my lack of planning. So now I'm excited to be introducing more variety into their diet. You'll notice I don't share entire recipes for most of these. This is what google is for.  I do this ALL the time now. For example, steak, if you're looking for a good marinade, just google "steak marinade" and see what pops up, and what ingredients you already have, or just add it to the grocery list. So simple!

• Over 25 different activity ideas to do with your kids.

Before we go any further, I must tell you that I am half OCD half ADD :)  Well, not really but I'd like to think so.  At least it'd give us all some kind of explanation to this madness.  Creating these 52 weeks will cure my sickness I think.  If I have something new to do and eat each day, then perhaps it will take the monotony out of the daily motherhood grind.  I'm really bad about taking the time to do fun activities with the kids. My problem is simply lack of planning and idea's.  I've realized that if I just plan ahead a bit, then each day I can dedicate at least an hour or so spending quality time with my kids doing something creative and fun. I'm going to provide a list of four activities each week. You can plan them on days that fit your schedule by adding an activity from the list to your weekly overview. These activities may not be age appropriate for your kids, but at least you'll have something to go by.  Most of these activities fit ages 2-8.

Here is a list of the first 4 weeks of meal plans and activities to give you an idea of what they look like.

Week #1

Week #2

Week #3               

Week #4

• A reusable list of house projects.

I've put together a list of house chores in order to get things done one project at a time. Pick ONE thing from the list and work on it over the course of the week. Thinking about all the things you need to do around the house can be quite overwhelming, we all know that the list of house projects is NEVER ending. Not only do we have constant dishes and laundry to keep up on, we also have to periodically do things like, organizing drawers and closets, getting rid of old stuff, cleaning out the car and so on.

The key is to not give yourself TOO much to do on any given day, that's why my goal is to pick only ONE item from the list. Give yourself an allotted amount of time each day, even if it's only 15 min. Set aside that time to tackle those chores one at a time.



Monthly
I've come up with a small monthly list  that consists of only 4 things. You can obviously make your own, but here is my list if you need an example. I figure I can do ONE a week.

• Have a girls night! Go to dinner to catch up on all the girl talk, or go see a chick flick.
• Plan a daddy daughter date or mommy daughter date. This will give Sean and I some special alone time with each child to do something fun.
• Do some kind of service project and have Lily be a part of it. I want to teach her about the joy of serving others. For example, take someone dinner, offer to watch your neighbors kids, run an errand for a friend who's sick, you get the idea.
• Get together with another couple. I've realized that once you start a family you begin to see your friends less and less. So, I figured I can make an effort to stay connected with friends by planning a double date, or inviting them over for dinner or BBQ once a month.

Daily
I know some of you might be MAJORLY against having a daily schedule, but you have to keep in mind that having a daily schedule does NOT mean you have to stick to it perfectly everyday.  Like I said before, it's just there to be your guide. You've got to PLAN when you're going to work out, PLAN when doing an activity with your kids will work for everyone, and PLAN when you're going to have special alone time to ponder, pray, study, meditate, whatever it is that helps you grow spiritually. Planning out your day just ensures that you'll have the time to do all the things you hope to.  Things to consider:  naps, school, homework, sports events, ect.  I posted my daily schedule a while back, you can see it HERE if you'd like. Also, I understand that each day is different, so just do the best you can.

•  A reusable daily planner where you can jot down your routine, just designate certain times of the day you plan to do the important things.

Marriage
Contrary to popular belief, having a healthy marriage is a HUGE part of staying in balance. When the wife aint happy, nobodies happy, and the wife aint happy when she's failing to make her marriage a priority.  I admit, I'm guilty of forgetting about my husbands needs, and I'm not just talking about sex, although we all know that plays a MAJOR role in a mans happiness.  Men are such simple beings. They have only 3 major needs. To be appreciated, food in the tummy, and sex. As apposed to us women who have.. oh gosh,  I can't even count, let's just not even go there.
So my goal here is to be sure to plan a weekly date night, as well as focus on some things I can do to let my husband know I appreciate him.  I heard somewhere that when you're taking the time to serve  one another in your marriage, your less likely to be so critical of each other.

More on this coming soon!

Excercise

I've got quite a few ideas as far as work out routines go, and like I mentioned before, I have a slight case of ADD, so I do really well when I continually mix things up :)

More on this coming soon!

Purchase your planner HERE!


And a BIG Thank you to Natalie @Nattie Sue Designs for designing the templates for me.

Doing Some De Cluttering ~ Giveaway!!!

Before I reveal to you the first week of my 52 Weeks of Balance, I wanted to do a giveaway.  So, because of my obsession with DE CLUTTERING, I've actually found some great things around my house that have NEVER been used, or just barely used, and thought I'd offer this whole bundle of stuff to one of YOU!!!

I've mentioned before that I love to get new purses about every 3 or 4 months, so this purse is in perfect condition. I bought it for $60, used it for a few months and now I'm ready for a new one :)

This hat is so cute, but I forgot I even had it. Never even been worn.

I hardly wore this cardigan.

Never been worn earrings. 

Never been worn.

Never been worn, as you can see the tag is still on it. Bought it for $15 at American Eagle.

Hardly been worn.

I did wear this one a lot, but it still looks brand new :)

Okay, well here are all the perfumes I wore while pregnant, now I get nauseous every time I smell them. These were all my favorites at one time. Pregnancy can sure do some crazy things to ya.

• Juicy Couture Hair Shine Mist ( I really loved this stuff, you just spray it on your hair, and it makes it smell nice and gives it a great looking shine).
• Ralph Lauren Romance perfume
• Cucumber Melon Bath and Body Works body spray.
• Juniper Breeze Bath and Body Works body splash.
• Victoria Secrets Love Spell Shimmer perfume.

I barely used any of these.

Cookie Lee Necklace set, complete with ONE earring :) Okay the one earring is a joke, but I'm giving away the necklace that I hardly wore, lost the other earring somewhere.

This is a great book. I already read it so now I'm passing it on. It's called Cool Communication from conflict to cooperation for parents and kids.

I think all these things together is worth around $200!!! Not too bad eh. If you'd like to win this full package of stuff then leave a comment below. I'll be selecting a winner using Random.org and contacting the winner via email. So be sure to leave your email address if it's not public in a profile. 

Now for any additional comments you can help me by doing some of the following. Leave a SEPARATE comment for each thing you do.

• Vote for me on Top Mommy Blogs (you can vote once per day and leave a new comment each time you vote).
• Become a "LIKER" of my Facebook Fan Page. Leave me a comment on my wall.
• Blog about this then leave me the link to it with your comment.
• Grab my button and add it to your sidebar.

Thanks so much everyone!!!!