Counting Down...

Well folks, there are just a few hours left before the new year. I have thoroughly enjoyed this one and I hope many good things lurk in 2009 for us all. Like many of you, I have been thinking about new year resolutions and what I want to accomplish next year. I won't bore you with all of them, because there are quite a few this time around, but here is one you might be interested in...

...food storage. I have had a goal to get some kind of food storage going this year; we are woefully behind (meaning we have nothing—unless you count an extra bag of sugar and rice downstairs). However, on my way home from Idaho this week, I happened upon a billboard with this website: www.thereadyproject.com. Now this is the kind of food storage that my kids might consume. I might actually make headway this year on a one year's supply.

Anyway, I hope you all make some good goals. Keep moving forward (as Cornelius would say). See you all, next year.

Mary Kay and Me

So, I took the plunge and finally became a Mary Kay beauty consultant. Ha ha (I'm sorry, but this still seems funny to me). I joined, mainly because I love their products. I have gradually tried several MK products, and I have loved almost everything. I did not grow up a girly girl; I didn't wear makeup for the longest time and I didn't know anything about skin care. So now that I have found something I like, that is good for my skin, I am going to be a faithful customer. Plus, let's face it, I'm not getting any younger and my skin means a lot more to me now. Add in the fact that I am raising a bevy of beauties and it just makes sense to sell Mary Kay. I can get a discount on the products, and I hope to be able to teach my girls about skin care and makeup. So here I am, an independent beauty consultant (sorry, I still can't help but giggle when I say that).


This however poses a few problems. I do NOT like sales. I do not appreciate pushy sales people, and I certainly don't want to be one myself. I don't want to force something they don't want on people. Before I married Tyler, I wanted to go on a mission, but I worried if I could be a good missionary because I didn't want to be pushy, even then. Don't get me wrong, I realize the gospel has a much better product than Mary Kay, but I didn't know if I could "sell" it. With this new business endeavor, I am not naive as to what I am getting into. Mary Kay does a lot of business by referral. This means that they ask you to invite several friends or hand over their numbers so you can find more people to buy.


Um...this will NOT be me.


Instead I have another scheme—it's simple: I don't plan on making any money with this business. (Tyler is thrilled.) Come on, you know it's true, you don't make money as a salesperson unless you get referrals, and I don't really plan on taking part in that side of the business. I do plan on having some kind of business debut in January. If you ask me to do a facial for you or your friends I would be delighted. Other than that, call me because I won't be calling you.

Here's my Mary Kay dream:

To establish a base of clients who also enjoy the MK products and then have what they like on hand so they can count on me to deliver product whenever they need it. If people want to try products or play around with makeup, I would be happy to come over and show them what Mary Kay has to offer.


And that is it. I know—not very ambitious...but I value my friendships and my integrity. (Please note that I have met many salespeople who are very good at separating home and business, and a few who are not).


So seriously, if you are ever interested give me a ring, because I probably won't know unless you do.


You can also check out stuff online at my website— marykay.com/mcazier

p.s. With this business, I can plan my own hours, so naturally I am not planning on working on Sunday. Ironically, this post was written on Sunday, but I guess that is what happens when you procrastinate posting for over a month and then end up with nothing to do at your in-laws.

The Best Line of Christmas

As Robyn was opening the gift Ivory gave her:

"You were wrong June, she didn't give me a giant booger."

Mind you, there had been no allusions to the booger that I had heard of. June is obviously fulfilling her important role as oldest sibling.

The Stockings Were Hung...

As a child, I loved my stocking almost as much as I loved the gifts under the tree. It was also the one thing we could open before breakfast. My mother stuffed everyone's stocking, including her own and it wasn't until I was older that I found out that she just acted surprised when she pulled stuff out of her stocking. One year, we got her a humongous stocking and filled the whole thing for her, but in general, she was on her own. I'm not going to blame my dad, but come on...you couldn't manage to fill a sock with small gifts once a year?

Now fast forward to my present stocking experience. I do all the stuffing, naturally. Tyler has been fairly good about doing a stocking for me, but I can tell it is not his favorite thing. He tends to forget until the last minute and then scramble around for gifts to relieve the guilt. I don't feel this is what the season is about, but I am not about to stuff my own stocking and look surprised (sorry mom). So I have devised a new solution. Here is my new stocking:



Not bad, eh? I asked Tyler to put a gift card in it. Simply one gift card. He can purchase one at a different store each year and then I can go and get something I like. It still has the element of surprise, but all parties are satisfied in the end. It is genius I tell you. I think I am going to enjoy opening my stocking from now on, although I will miss the orange in the toe.

Nine years!

It is that blissful time of year again...

No, not Christmas. It is our anniversary! Seriously people, I remember why we got married in December, but it is truly a pain to try and squeeze in anniversary plans amidst the seasonal festivities. Not to mention, getting another gift and dealing with inclement weather. So we officially decided that we will celebrate in the summer from now on; I think we decided this while driving to dinner in a blizzard last night.

It was Tyler's year to plan and he did a good job of keeping everything hidden until the actual day (good job honey). We went and got massages—very relaxing. Then we went home and got the baby (it is hard to plan around a little one who eats every two hours). What with the snow, I decided it would just be easier to take her with us than worry about being back on time. We went to Bombay House (neither of us had been before) and it was so delicious. It was the perfect amount of food (I swear most restaurants are trying to feed an army with each plate), and the atmosphere was great; it helped that I went with a handsome, entertaining person.

We then went home again to put the baby to sleep (poor Tyler had made other plans originally until he remembered we had the baby problem) and then we were free for the evening. Unfortunately, his original plans hinged on the weather being fair—it wasn't. So on to plan B, shopping!!! I think Tyler knows that if he ever has to fall back on something, I am happy to oblige him and go shopping (okay, really he just loves me so). He told me he thought we should go shoe shopping. I mentioned that there were these shiny red pumps that wouldn't go with anything I owned, so maybe I should forgo getting them, but he reminded me that this anniversary was not about getting practical stuff. So, yay, I have red high heels! Um, the girls love them too.



He also chose another pair of 'practical' shoes for me. I like it when he chooses stuff for me, because then I know he likes what I am wearing. He chose a brown shoe, and I said,
"Are you sure about the brown?"
"Yeah, it matches your hair."
"What about the blue and white ones? They match my eyes."
"Well, you have more hair."

So we went with the brown.

We did some other shopping including some pink ties for Tyler. I personally love them, but he is hesitant to wear pink. But as all of us women know, real men can wear pink.



The evening was just fun. I have committed to at least another nine years with Tyler. We'll renegotiate after that. Who am I kidding? I am never letting him out of this deal. He is stuck for eternity. Sometimes we argue about who got the better deal, but I secretly know it was me; I lucked out for sure.

Love you babe. Life wouldn't be what it is, without you.



This was the first picture taken of us together, about 9 1/2 years ago.

Aspiring Beautician

Hair done today, compliments of June. The best part was that I didn't hear any complaining from the girls. I may have to put her in charge of doing hair permanently. Except maybe for Sundays...

Tyler struggled for the phrase, 'Trailer Park.' Come on dad, this is June's first hairstyling experience—go easy on her.

Happy Birthday to ...

Maleen mentioned that we went to the party the other night. She forgot to mention the BEST thing! We sang happy birthday to a friend.

Now before you think that's not very interesting, remember that this is me we're talking about here...of course it's interesting.

My good buddy...we'll call him Matt to protect his real name...is a little shy at such large parties. He does not like large groups and this one was a doozy: 200 employees plus significant other, plus catering staff, plus homeless people who walked in for a free meal, etc. I turned to Maleen and asked how many people would like to celebrate Matt's birthday. She reminded me that it was in fact not Matt's birthday at all (it won't happen until April). I reminded her that I was cognicant of this fact and that that was not the real objective at all—"How many people do you think we can get singing Happy Birthday?" I asked.

Then we started singing. "Happy birthday to you..." (10 people singing now).
"Happy Birthday to you..." (about 94 people singing now).
"Happy Birthday dear..." (about 387 people singing at the end of dear, about 13 mumbling out somebody's name, and I, of course, was silent.)
"Happy Birthday to you!" (the 387 people rejoined us).

Wonderful.

I love social experimentation. You never can tell what people will do--but you can make a pretty good hypothosis, then test it out!