Go AVON!

I sell Avon. I have for over 20 years. I like the products, I like the Company. I found this article today and I like the Company even more! In addition, they do no animal testing, they contribute money to several worthy causes--Breast Cancer Crusade and Speak Out Against Domestic Violence are two examples. They support Go Green initiatives.  It makes me feel good to know we share the same values. 

"For the second year in a row, Avon Products, Inc. has been named one of the “Best Places to Work for LGBT Equality” according to the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s 2013 Corporate Equality Index (CEI).  CEI is the national benchmarking tool on corporate policies and practices related to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender employees." For the rest of the article, go to the Company's Avon Blog.

God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman...

I sell Avon.  It's my "second" job, although I've done it alot longer than I've worked at the grocery store.  I started it in College as a way to make some extra drinking spending money.  I quit when I got married to get free sell Tupperware. It didn't dawn on me that I could do both at the same time. I missed Avon because I really do like and use the products and I had all of the Tupperware I wanted, so I went back to Avon.  To be honest, at the time it was just so I could get a discount on the items I used. But I stuck with it and actually had a pretty good business going. Then BAM, the economy collapsed and so did my sales. I was ready to cut back anyway, a little burn-out, I suppose. Now that I'm interested it building it back up the Company decided to re-district. I got put into a group that is called "Trendsetters". It's the Company's way of predicting how sales will be and order for the warehouses accordingly.  See, we sell ahead of everyone else and I'm selling Christmas already. No one is interested in Christmas yet. But I'm playing Christmas music (even as I type this) in order to get myself in the state of mind to sell Holiday items.  Not sure it's working!

Sick Day

I stayed home today. I've had a cold all week, but I've always been one of those people who think if I ignore it, it'll go away. It didn't. I got up this morning with every intention of going, but I don't feel any better today than I did yesterday, and yesterday I was miserable. Hence, I'm using one of my sick days. I always feel so guilty, and I shouldn't. All I was doing was passing it on to my customers, afterall. And maybe it was a good thing I'm home because I just got some news that has thrown me for a loop. Not bad news, just something that is out of the blue that I didn't expect. Something that is throwing off some of my plans for the next month or so. I'm one of those people who process things a bit slow. I need time to adjust. And this feels like a BANG! Like the song says, "Life is what happens while you're busy making other plans"!

What'a Week!

Did I say in my last post that everything seems to happen at once? Oh, if I had only known....

I hauled my items to the Fair Friday evening and met the people I was going to be spending time with. It was really hot, but I enjoyed myself. Each day it got a little cooler until it actually became pleasant. My sales weren't what I wanted (in fact I lost money) but I enjoyed being on the Fair Grounds each evening and visiting with people. Then Wednesday night, after I had gotten home and had been asleep for an hour my Step-Dad called to say my Mom had fallen while untangling the dog's chain and he was taking her to the hospital. I got dressed and headed over. I got there about 11:45 and nothing had been done. And not much got done until after 2:30. The staff were all very nice, but there was only one ER doctor and things didn't move along at the pace I thought it should! They did X-Rays at midnight but didn't give her any pain meds until 3 a.m. She had to have 6 stitches in her head and she had a dislocated shoulder that they couldn't get back into place. They decided to admit her until a surgeon could look at her. At that point, almost 4 o'clock, I headed home so that my husband could have the car to go to work and I could get some sleep and make some phone calls for Mom. I guess right after I left, all hell broke loose! (I always miss all of the fun!) Miranda Cosgrove's bus was involved in an accident on the Interstate and they brought her, her mom and a few more of the injured into the hospital where Mom was. Mom said she heard the ambulances and there suddenly seemed to be alot of people, but she was out of it and didn't know what was going on. Now, I might add, even if I had still been there, I wouldn't have had a clue who she was. I waited on Reba McEntire once and had no idea who she was, but since everyone else was getting her autograph, I did too! Anyway, I went back at 10 o'clock, they were able to get Mom's arm back in the socket without surgery, and we took her home at 4:30. I wouldn't have known anything was going on except there was a girl that used to live in our neighborhood when I was a kid who was going room to room looking for Miss Cosgrove or her Mother because she had seen it on Facebook. And when I left I saw the Channel 5 News TV trucks in the parking lot. I heard there was more TV stations there later. To complicate my Wednesday, my daughter flew in Wednesday and her plane got diverted to Phoenix. We don't know why, but it was just another worry for the day. She spent the night in Indiana and then got a late start on Thursday and didn't get home until the evening. Friday we had the kids' oral surgery. It's so hard seeing your kids in pain! The good thing about doing it at the same time--they keep comparing pain and swelling! Yesterday, Saturday, was the final day of the Fair and I spent most of my day out there. I packed up and got home around 8 o'clock. If I set up a stand at the Fair again, I'll do it differently. I'm just glad the week is over!

Going to the Fair!

The County Fair starts today and runs through next Saturday, the 13th. I was asked to share a booth with two other people that wanted to split the rent three ways. I haven't done the Fair for several years and since I want to build my online business, I thought I would do it. So after I agreed and paid my part, my daughter called and said she would be flying in on the 10th, and could I make her a dentist appointment to get her wisdom teeth out--they are bothering her. So I made the appointment, and it's on the 12th. So starting today, I am getting off work at 4 p.m., heading to the Fair Grounds and sitting out there probably until 9p.m. Her roommate is coming home with her, so I won't have to take off a day to go pick her up, but I'm still taking a day off for the surgery. While I was at it, I made the appointment for both kids--the son needs his out, too. And he doesn't want to wait because he doesn't want his wisdom teeth to shove his other teeth up "like yours did, Mom". Okay, he has a point! (What's wrong with buck teeth, anyway? It runs in the family!) Anyway, it's going to be a long week. Why does everything happen at once? On the up side, it seems to have cooled down a tad. Every year for the Fair, it seems to rain or it's so hot a person can't breath. I would prefer a little rain since I'm going to be sitting where there is no air conditioner!

How Bazaar

Aack! My feet hurt! One of the local youth groups hosted their annual Holiday Bazaar today and I had a booth. Even though I am used to being on my feet all day, I wore boots with a bit of a heal and it was a bit much for my old-lady feet! They usually do the Bazaar on Saturday, but this year decided to give it a try on Sunday. The first year they did it, it was on Sunday and the turn-out wasn't great. Everyone goes to Church, then home to dinner. And few people from other Churches seem to make it on Sunday. This is the Bible belt, after all. Small town, so 5 Churches for every bar! And altho I think Christians are essentially the same religion, they sure are cliquey! I really think I had better results when it was done on Saturday. I know different things need to be tried to keep it "fresh", but I hope they go back to Saturday next year. This is usually my biggest event I do each year and I don't have anything else lined up before Christmas. I usually do an Open House, but I may not even do that. I think I'm losing interest. Or maybe it's just time to try something new. Maybe I need something "fresh"!

Bah Humbug

I'm having a very difficult time getting into Christmas this year. We only put up half the decorations that we usually do (and I didn't even clean before we put them up--the shelves were pretty dusty!) and I don't have my shopping done. I'm usually about done shopping and wrapping by now. We don't buy for very many people and I'm done with the kids and the Husband, but I have no idea what to get for the few others I usually buy for. I think between the stress of trying to pay the bills on just my paycheck and all of the work I've been putting into my Avon business is just not leaving any time for anything else. My brain is a bit fried! Last weekend I had a booth at the LYF's Holiday Bazaar and today I'm hosting my annual Pre-Christmas sale. It started out strong this morning, but has died down. It didn't help that part of my last order didn't arrive with the rest of it, so I reordered and (naturally) ended up with a box full of duplicates! So it's another thing that needs taken care of. I love getting a 40 hour paycheck, but I sure miss my Thursdays off that I had for the 10 years before this one! It was nice to have a day to get things done. The daughter comes home next weekend--maybe that will lift my spirits!