Are You Thinking About Buying A Gun, Ma'am? Part 1

I was seven, maybe eight years old when my dad forgot to put his gun away for the first time. We lived by ourselves in a small 2 bedroom home with minimal furnishings, so the gun stuck out like a sore thumb. I walked into the kitchen and there it was; cold, hard steel laying on the other side of the room. It was a Ruger GP100 .357 magnum. I recognized that it was a revolver from watching Western movies with him. I knew only two things about that gun: that you could pop the barrel out and spin it, and not to touch it. I knew that even in all of my curiosity that I was not to pick it up.

So I stood paralyzed in fear, as its trajectory blocked the path between myself and the kitchen, where a snack was awaiting. I stood there. Staring at it. Wondering if it could just accidentally go off. I pictured it firing by itself in my mind.

I was interrupted only by my Dad coming in from the garage, and he noticed quickly that it was out. He said, "Don't touch that, it'll kill you," in his stern voice. I remember thinking, I know, Dad.

I remember it like it was yesterday.

Later that evening I remember asking my dad why he had guns in the house. I told him I thought they were dangerous and that they scared me. He asked me why, and I told him I was scared because a gun could kill me.

At first he laughed! I was struck by the sound. But then he said something that changed my entire perception of guns.

"Not by itself, it can't. It's no different than a screw driver. It's just a tool, boo."

Less than a year or so later, I found myself out at the gun range with him, firing my first gun. This was preceded by weeks worth of preparation; I asked a lot of questions, he answered a lot more. He asked me questions to make sure I was listening. I felt like I got a crash course in gun handling and ownership before I ever had a gun in my hands.

He quizzed me. Where do you always point the gun? In a safe direction, until you're ready to fire. Where do you put your finger when you hold a gun? Never on the trigger, until you're ready to shoot. What do you do if you pull the trigger and the gun doesn't go off? Buy better ammo.. er, wait for 10 seconds for a misfire, and then discharge and reload. What do you always need to be aware of before you fire? What is behind your target. How do you... the questions went on. When I finally couldn't take it anymore, we went to the range.

Like a dance we had rehearsed, armed with a shot gun, protective eye wear and headphones, I prepared to stand behind the trigger and pull it for the first time. He was standing right behind me, showing me how I should position the gun, and warning me about the recoil.

"The gun should surprise you when it goes off. Center yourself, align your front and rear sights, put your finger on the trigger, and pull back slowly."

I did as he said, took a deep breath in and steadied myself, closed one eye and BOOM!!


Part 2 to follow.

Building A Home Based Business: Tips For A Strong Start

I want to start this post by telling you why I'm writing it. I love a good Monday meme more than most, and have been known to post one occasionally.

Classic.

However, yesterday as I scrolled through my Facebook feed while procrastinating on packing, the overwhelming majority of my friends had very few positive things to say about their Monday. That got me thinking: the problem is not Monday-the problem is your job! We only get one shot at life. This isn't a dress rehearsal for something greater. My friends, we are in the final act right now. Do what you love. And don't wait for tomorrow, do it today!

***

In today's modern age, many men and women are turning to the direct sales industry as a way to add quick flexibility into their monthly budget. The promises of being successful while running your own business pull on the entrepreneur that naturally lives in most of us. Four years ago when I went from working in full time corporate America to a stay at home mom, I was definitely looking for some financial independence, as well as some girl time. But thanks to my husband's job, I knew that the traditional punching the time clock wasn't going to work for us. We were at the mercy of his contract, and could get called to move at any moment. So I needed something that was going to be portable, wouldn't require me keeping an inventory, gave me an opportunity to earn some honey-don't-know money, and preferably something I enjoyed. I had been introduced to the direct sales world through a friend of my mom's, but I had no idea how to get started.

"Enter the direct-selling business--small, lean, and incredibly efficient. As a direct-selling professional, you can choose from hundreds of fine companies that sell every product or service imaginable--from women's apparel to state-of-the-art nutritional products. In exchange for a minimal investment (most under $100), the company agrees to research, design, test, manufacture, store, ship, and in many cases, service its product-all at its expense. You, in turn, agree to become the company's "marketing department," acting independently to share the products and find new customers, who then become your clients. For every sale that you make, you are paid a commission ranging from 20 to 50 percent. As a direct-selling professional, you have the opportunity to work part-time or full-time and can expand your business enterprise by engaging and training other people, who also love the products, share their enthusiasm for the business, and gain new customers. For this you are paid additional bonuses." --Build It Big, written by the Direct Selling Women's Alliance

That's kind of a long quote, but it summarizes and explains the direct selling industry better than I ever could.  And I love the use of the term "marketing department." When you get a good haircut, do you not tell your friends about it? Or what about when you go to a great restaurant, and have great service matched with great food? You tell people! The direct sales industry is a way for you to get paid for recommending a product that you love. It really is that simple. And there are so many people that want to step into this industry, so team building is possible if you work your business!

The thing I find is that, like myself, most people would love the flexibility a direct sales opportunity would offer them. They just simply don't know where or how to get started.

After being in this business for almost four years, sitting through hundreds of hours of training, and implementing these processes myself, I've been given the opportunity to see what has and has not worked. And now I'm freely sharing that information with you. So here are my tips on how to start your home-based business off strong.

1. Know Who You Know

After you make your initial investment and purchase your company's enrollment kit, I want you to sit down and make a list of every person you know, and their best contact info-even people that you know would never be interested in your product. Input their information into your company's customer relationship management system. If your company does not have one, I recommend starting your own in Excel. This way you will have an organized spreadsheet with all of your customer information. If you ever move to a more formal management software, you can usually import from an Excel spreadsheet seamlessly.

2. Hire Yourself First

After you have written down who you know, it's time to set your launch party for a day or two after your kit arrives. This will be your premiere opening party where people can come by and take a look at your new venture, see you and the product, and catch up. Understand that the goal of this launch does not necessarily need to be sales. If someone wants to buy something, let them-but the overall goal needs to be finding hostesses. A lot of new consultants will try to set this up as an open house, where people can come by any time between a set hour. I do not recommend doing it this way, because you miss the opportunity to let people experience a demonstration. Again, this does not need to be all about sales. Here's why: Simon Sinek says that people don't by what you do, they buy why you do it. So your opening in your demonstration needs to include your "why". Why did you join this company? What purpose does this company fill in your life, and how will your friends supporting your venture add value to your life?

Let me give you an opening example of what I might say at my product launch party.

"Thank you all so much for joining me today, as I set out on a new journey that I am really excited about. A few weeks ago, I decided that {insert your why} we really needed to add some extra income to our family budget, {insert how your why impacts your life} so that we could afford to enroll the boys in more sports activities, and still be committed to paying down our existing debt. As my husband and I were talking about how to do this, I decided that it would also be nice for me to have a little independence of my own, and so I decided to go from a stay at home mom to a work at home mom. This business opportunity will give me the flexibility to still be at home with the boys, but simultaneously allow me to have an impact on our family finances. The reason why I chose this company is because {what attracted you to that business} their mission really spoke to me in how they aim to celebrate, encourage, and reward women and families. I've invited you here tonight because I know that you are going to love the product."

See what I did there? I have not told you a single thing yet about the product, but already you are sold, because I've sold you myself. When you're in a new company and you don't know much about the product yet, this is a great way to start. From here you can pass out your company's information, like a catalog or hostess form, with the goal of getting bookings for future parties. You may choose to highlight a few products in a demonstration, and if you do, pass them around. Put the product in your guest's hands, and let them touch it. If they're touching, they're buying. I also recommend playing a game. It lightens the mood and gives you the opportunity to put a free product in someone's hands. If you're just starting out and don't have a lot of capital, grab something from the dollar bins at Target or Michael's like a notepad or a nice coffee mug. It doesn't have to be from your company, it just has to be free.

3. Follow Up

Sometimes you will walk away from a party and not have any bookings, especially if you haven't asked for them. My favorite thing do is call and ask, "Did you get everything on your wishlist, or was there something else you wanted?" Most of the time they will say no, they didn't get everything they wanted. In my business, I have the option to offer them an item for free or half priced through hostess benefits, so I'll say something like, "Amanda, how would you like to get that product for free or half priced?" Duh she want's it for free. Call me when you come across a person that would rather pay for something than just be given it. This is a perfect opportunity to discuss when she can be your hostess and when she can take advantage of your company's amazing hostess benefits. Even if she says no, you've planted the seed for the future. No doesn't always mean no buy-a lot of times it just means not right now.

The follow up is everything, so you have to pick up the phone and do it. I didn't see a major bounce in my business until I started following up with everyone. The follow up gives you a 2nd opportunity to connect with that person. So ask them if they had a good time, ask them (if they ordered something) how they are using their product, and ask them if you can keep in touch with them via your "newsletter" or some type of online marketing. A lot of companies will do this for you, by sending out monthly marketing information with customer specials or sales. Asking them shows that you want their permission to contact them about this product. Most will say yes, some will say no, and that's totally cool too. You don't want to waste time trying to market a product to people who don't want it. If a person tells you no, it's a blessing, because you can move on to the next possible opportunity.

4. Buddy Up

Find a person who needs this opportunity that is a close friend or relative, and recruit them. Then make that person your business partner. It is paramount that this person shares the same drive as you and passion as you for your business, because you want a partner, not a project. This partnership will keep the both of you motivated and focused. Make a symbiotic pledge to each other in the beginning to work with each other through tough times, keep the other focused on a goal, and to always be looking out for the others best interest, and the two of you will both benefit from the relationship. Ideally, this person will be a recruit, but if you are having a tough time finding someone at first, ask an upline leader to connect you with someone in your area. In a larger company like mine, it's super easy to find someone to be a business partner. It's best if that person is proximal to you so you can attend company training together, but if it's long distance, that's fine too. The company is bound to have regional events and conferences you can get together at, hopefully once a year.

5. Deposit Into Your Account

I'm not talking about your checking account, but hopefully with a successful business you will do that too. What I'm talking about is with repeated, consistent encouragement. Owning your own business is hard. There will be days when you don't want to do this anymore.  There will be days when you don't want to do anything but lay on a couch and eat pop tarts all day. You've GOT to work through those days. Depositing into your emotional bank account will help you have less pop tarts in your pajamas days, and more traveling to party days. This is true for any business owner. My recommendation is to find a book, podcast or training within your company's resources that motivate you and have a day each week where you just get motivated.

My day is Monday. I always search for and plan to deposit to myself on Monday so that I have direction and encouragement for my business through out the week. And there are so many good speakers and podcasts out there. All you have to do is be looking for them. Some of my favorite books include, "The Compound Effect," by Darren Hardy, "Successful Women Think Differently," by Valerie Burton, and even a few positive encouragement books like "The Confident Mom" by Joyce Meyer. I mentioned Simon Sinek earlier-he has a podcast out called "Start With Why" that's fantastic.


So there you have it. My tips for a strong start. If you're in direct sales, I would love to hear your tips for a strong start in the comments! I love chatting with other people about their companies and why they're in this business.

Be well!
-C

The "Ready For Anything" Diaper Bag

Waaahooo, you're pregnant! Yayyy!

I think if I knew God planned for me to just be a work at home mom for the rest of my life, I would pop out kids like the Duggars. Okay, well maybe not that many. But the truth is I just adore babies. I love every sweet little wrinkly inch of them. Especially newborns. They're so cute and squishy and sleepy and cute.

I mean come on! Look at this kid!

Now that I have baby fever, let's turn this back to you. Waaahooo, your uterus is currently the one expanding. And this means you will be in the market for a diaper bag.

Whether this is your first kid or your sixth kid, you will probably want and need a new one. So here are a few tips from this handbag expert on how to choose the right one, and what goodies to put inside of it.

Your diaper bag needs to be functional.

Functional, meaning, the bag fits your exact needs. Those needs will differ slightly from mom to mom. Breastfeeding moms are not going to have to carry a ton of bottles, but you will need room for extra diapers, wipes, change of clothes, receiving blankets, and your changing pad, at the very minimum. So we aren't talking about a small bag here. And you will definitely want lots of pockets!! Formula mamas, you'll need to toss in a bottle or two plus some formula to go. You can put it one of these nifty little formula dispensers so you aren't carrying around an entire canister of your kid's powder.

Your diaper bag should be fashionable.

Choosing a diaper bag that is neutral will help it coordinate with many different outfits. I wear a lot of blacks, greys, and denim, and accessorize with colors, almost all year long. So for me, a black diaper bag went with pretty much everything. If this isn't a priority for you, then that makes it even easier. However, you're going to want to hang onto this diaper bag through out your little one's entire first year-so you'll need something that can make the transition through the seasons. It might be Fall now-but how are you going to feel about that bag next Spring? A timeless look like this one will keep you interested well into your babe's walking days.

The Zip Top Organizing Utility Tote & Littles Carry All Caddy in Black Links

Your diaper bag must be clean-able. 

With my first born, I went out and bought a beautiful, expensive, but beautiful leather diaper bag. I was convinced that leather would be the only quality that would last me the entire length of time I planned on using it. Unfortunately, I ended up spilling one of my son's medications in it when he was about 6 months old, and it stained the seams and inside of it bright red. Want to know a fun fact about leather? You can't get it wet. I couldn't wash it. Although the bag looked okay from the outside, it was sticky on the inside and it smelled absolutely horrid. I was so upset I wanted to switch to a plastic bag for a bit! And then I thought, how awesome would it be to be able to toss your baby's diaper bag in the wash every once in a while?! Well, with this bag, you can! When I discovered that this product, which is made out of a laminated nylon, was so easy to clean, it was a dead ringer that this was the perfect diaper bag.


Your diaper bag must be economical. 

When it comes to dollars and cents, the first year can be expensive. Believe me when I tell you that between doctor visits and paying your hospital bills, plus setting up a nursery with everything you need for a baby, you will be spending enough money in one year-on one person! So spare yourself a little in this department, and get something that is economical. I'm not at all saying to compromise on quality-you definitely want to get something that will last, too. But that doesn't mean it has to break the bank. You can get this bag for just $35. And believe me when I tell you that it will last you for quite a while! I have been using Thirty-One's utility products for almost 4 years now, and most of my bags still look like day one!

Your bag must be yours.

One thing that I love about bags from Thirty-One is the ability you have to make them your own. Not only can the outside of the bag be personalized, you can also add so many things to it to make it yours. One of my personal favorites is the large zipper pouch. I keep this inside my bag along with a mini zipper pouch for organizing! We have an LZP  in black chevron with "diapers & wipes" embroidered on the outside. This is nice because when my husband and I are splitting up for the day and he takes the baby, he can just grab my LZP and head out the door, and he doesn't feel like he has to carry my entire purse with him. It's also great when we drop little man off at church, I have another one with his name on it (just like the one below) and there's never a question as to which bag belongs to our little guy!

Well, there you have it, mama! Those are my recommendations for your "Ready for Anything" diaper bag!

And congrats to any expecting mama's out there! What are some of your must have diaper bag items?!

Mom Products I Can NOT Live Without

Hey y'all! So as a busy mom of two, I am constantly finding new ways to do things faster and easier. I am constantly trying to shave time off of meal planning, organizing, laundry, you name it. Sometimes, I feel like there isn't enough of me to go around. I know every mom says this, but I'm pretty sure both me and my husband would benefit from there being two of me! Ha!

But until then, here's a list of the products I simply can not live without!

1. Thirty-One Large Utility Tote

 If I had to bet my commission alone on our best selling product, I would place my chips in the LUT's corner. There is no reason for any mom not to own at least 5 of these things. From groceries to storage to trunk organizer to life saver, this thing does it all. Get one. That's all I can say.

2. Plum Paper Planner

I have been a planner girl ever since before I can remember. They used to pass them out to us when I was in grade school, and I think that's when my addiction started. I can not function without this thing. It has a section for everything-and what I love about PPP is that it can be customized to fit your needs. In 2015 I knew I was having a baby, so I ordered a baby tracking section in there. It's been great to have at little man's doctors appointments, I just jot down his stats and then I have them for my records to transfer into his baby book. I also added a "home" section, which has spots for projects and cleaning. There's also a section for my business, and a full 10 pages of contact information, so it's my address book all in one. I can not live without the thing, and would encourage you to try them as well!

3. Zipper Pouch

Just like the LUT, I probably have 10 Zipper Pouches stashed through out my house. There's one in my car with some random survivalist stuff in it like a box of matches and a flash light. Another one holds my range gear for my pistol. Another holds my baby's diapers and wipes. Another is for mail. You get the picture. I have a ton. Bottom line, they keep me organized, and I'm so glad they're only $15. Some of the earlier ones I have are still in perfect condition, and I'm super glad I discovered these.

4. Mason Jar with Lid & Straw

I made it a priority at the beginning of the year to drink more water and waste less plastic in 2015. Water is so, so, so good for you. Everyone knows that the body is made up of like 70% water-but it really is so vital to our organs in order for them to be able to do their jobs. Especially organs that filter, like the kidneys. It's obviously easier to drink water when you are carrying a jug of it with you. We recently went out and picked up some of these large mouth mason jars to fill a few areas in our life-for both drinking, AND canning salads. We bought the tall ones, but this picture shows the lid and the straw mechanism. With all of the talk about BPA and how many bottles of water American's consume in a year, I just decided to make the switch to glass. It's safer, easier to clean, and I can put my essential oils in it, which brings me to my final must have mama item.

5. Young Living Citrus Essential Oils

I used the term "citrus" to include any of those in the category-lemon, lime, grapefruit, citrus fresh, tangerine, and orange. Since I've been drinking a lot of water lately, I've been experimenting with adding a drop or two of these powerful EO's to my water. I can say, without a doubt, that they are having a profound affect on my body. Entering TMI zone. I refrained from ingesting YLEOs during my pregnancy, and I was subject to repeat UT and bladder infections.  These have to be treated with an antibiotic. I felt like I was on an antibiotic for my entire pregnancy-and what comes with antibiotics? Recurrent yeast infections. This made me miserable for almost the entire 9 months. Obviously under the care and direction of my midwife, when I finally popped out the little one, I asked her what my options were for treating these issues naturally. Everyone knows that using antibiotics repeatedly decreases their effectiveness. Recent studies have shown that they can also interfere and permanently damage good bacteria in the digestive tract. So I was ready to get off of antibiotics as soon as possible. I inquired about using essential oils as a way to treat them, by ingesting them internally. At first she was wary of me ingesting the oils-these things can and do enter the body in a way that a drug would, so it is of the utmost importance that anyone using them understands how they work. But after she did some research on them, she said I would be fine to put one to two drops in my water and to see what kind of affect it had on my bladder issues. During my pregnancy, I was coming back with a flora count of over 60,000, which indicated an infection of some type. After I started putting 1-2 drops of YLEO in my water, my counts were coming back less than 10,000. My midwife was astonished! She encouraged me to proceed with caution, but after I educated her on Young Living's Seed to Seal Guarantee, she felt confident in my ability to use them safely. So right next to my water jar, you will find an abundance of citrus oils. I encourage you to research essential oils before you start using them. Taking time to understand the chemistry can help you make the best decision on whether or not they are right for you! I do want to note that I do not have any experience with any other oils but Young Living, and I can not encourage you to ingest any other brand because I can not speak on their purity!

So that's it, mamas! What are your must have products right now? I've got lots of great things planned for the blog so please subscribe. As we move into fall, I plan to incorporate some giveaways. I would love to keep in touch with you!!

Be well.
-C

Tackling Learned Helplessness!

I pulled this over from a previous blog I used to write for. I was feeling a bit nostalgic this morning, and my son and I were practicing some writing, and he started his, "I can't do it," whine. I had to pull one from the memory book and help him through some learned helplessness. So I thought this might be useful for someone other than myself! 

***

By 8:00 this morning, I was in my usual spot at the local college-the tutoring desk in the Academic Support Center. I am in school there studying secondary biology education, and I happened to land a sweet gig helping people out with their algebra comprehension. And biology. And chemistry. And occasionally Anatomy & Physiology. And while I don’t know everything about these subjects, I’ve got a pretty good grasp on what’s going on in most of them. My favorite thing ever is to help students seek true comprehension of the subject. Except, 9 times out of 10, people don’t come to me for understanding. They come to me for answers.

Answers to a problem on their homework. Answers to a discussion in their online math class. Answers to a poignant question on a chemistry lab that’s designed to make you think. They come up, and they say, “Hey, I don’t know what this is asking me to do.”

-_-

“Did you read it?” I pry.

“Well, yea, but… I just don’t get it. This is really confusing.” This is often accompanied by them looking down, shuffling their papers, and generally trying to avoid any eye contact. Because if they know me, they know the next question.

“Let me see the work you’ve done so far.”

It’s my favorite thing to ask. Why? Because I love pointing out to them that they haven’t even attempted anything. They skim the problem, can’t come up with an immediate answer, and they immediately raise their hand, or run to me.

Where on Earth did this behavior emulate from? After much research (because that’s what I like to do when I don’t know the answer to a question), I have found that there’s actually a coined term for this: learned helplessness.

Psychologists and education experts are still weighing in on the origin of this state of mind that students get themselves into. The overall consensus is that at some point in the student’s life, they became conditioned under stressful stimuli: a challenging word problem, a hard math application, or something that requires multiple pathways to force a connection between two items. Pair this with a teacher who gives them all the answers they need, all the time, and they grow to expect it in every facet of their life. They stop developing their ability to problem solve. They give up before they even start to think, or try something. The problem is that it gets perpetuated when it’s met with a negative school experience-be it bad feedback from a teacher, intimidation from a peer, or repeated failure, it can lead students down the path to giving up. I see it every day, with students in every major, every age, every race, every gender. They give up and tell themselves they can’t, before they even begin.
I am only just beginning to understand the very fine line I must balance between helping too much and helping too little. Obviously student success is my number one priority-both personally and professionally. How do I help students and give them the answer they seek, but also show them the importance of comprehension?

Once again, I researched the information on what works best for unlearning learned helplessness. Here are some tips I found most effective, and I can’t wait to put them into practice.

• Accentuate the positive. Get to know the student’s strengths, and use these strengths as building blocks. Any compliment given must be genuine, so make sure you really know what type of learner your student is.
• Eliminate the weaknesses. Do not eliminate them by downplaying them, though. Deal with them head on, but do so in a tactful manner. If a student has a weakness in a particular area, address it. If she can’t add fractions, start talking about it. Use real world applications to take the focus off of the problem and more onto the concept.
• Go from familiar to new, using guided discovery. Ask students what preconceived notions the may have on certain subjects, and guide them into new material by challenging their theories. Ask them specific questions regarding the things they present, and let them come up with their own answers. If they ask questions in return, answer them with questions until you get something concrete to work with. This might seem like you are trying to be convoluting, but you are really just getting them to turn their brains on.
• Focus students’ attention on the goal of learning. If they are looking for the answer and you give it to them, they are not actively learning. Encourage them that it is okay to make mistakes, and encourage them that this is how they learn best.

If you are dealing with unlearning learned helplessness in your classroom, this future-teacher would sure love to hear your methods for handling it!

***

So there you have it. I'm not a "future-teacher" anymore, but this is what I would recommend to those who are!

Be well!
-C

How To Eliminate Odor In Your Shoes!

The fact that I'm blogging about this is one part humiliating and one part comical. It's humiliating because it's hard to go on the record and say that I have stinky shoes, which in turn must mean that I have stinky feet. But alas, some of my shoes stink. They really, really do. And I've married someone that has stinky shoes, and together we have produced children that have stinky shoes.

It's comical to me because I've finally found the solution to getting rid of this problem, and I am literally shouting from the roof tops, because I know a lot of friends who have this issue too.

Growing up in Florida, everyone knows what Sperrys are. I have been wearing Sperry Top-Siders since my junior year of high school. I remember my parents telling me that they would never buy me an $80 pair of shoes, so I basically got a job to raise money to purchase them myself. I can even remember driving to West Marine to buy them. And for about two weeks, they were the greatest $80 I had ever spent.

For once, I looked like everyone else at the boat ramp, and our high school. It's crazy how we desire to be a part of the "in" crowd during our youth, isn't it?

But then, BAM. No one told me about the wicked smell that would follow. And any Floridian who has worn their Sperrys through an entire summer full of boating knows exactly what I'm talking about.

Let me just be clear here. My Sperrys stank so bad even my parents got involved in trying to unstank them. They quickly became "outside" shoes, so they could "dry out" overnight, per my dad. And before long, it was so bad you could even smell them when they were on my feet.

"Put dryer sheets in them," they said. "The wetness will absorb the fragrance and it'll smell less," they said.

It didn't.

When I got to college, friends offered suggestions.  "Use baby powder." Nope. "Gold bond." Not hardly. "Odor eaters." Maybe if I use the whole box. "Put them in the freezer in a plastic bag. It'll kill the bacteria." Didn't even touch it and it ticked my room mates off that those stinky shoes were near their ice. "Put deodorant on your feet." I tried it, and it made my feet terribly sticky.  "Wash your feet." Umm, I was already doing that, but I guess I could scrub harder...

Nothing helped. I tried everything. The money I spent on other products trying to keep my Sperrys in good smelling condition would have been enough to buy another pair of Sperrys. And eventually, that's what I did. I bought another pair of Sperrys and said good-bye to my first pair, not because the soles were wearing out or because the leather was splitting, but because they stank.

And again, two weeks into it, I found myself navigating familiar roads. I knew that before long, those adorable Bluefish Mariners would find themselves facing the same fate; evenings spent outside because they stank up the entire kitchen, and eventually the trash can.

 

I was at a loss. For a long time my Sperrys became boating only shoes. No one cares about what your feet smell like when you're on a boat. I figured they were called "boat shoes" for a reason.

But now, those days are GONE! I'm back to wearing my Sperrys almost every day, because I finally have a tried and true method for eliminating the smell. Friends, I'm here to inform you that it's not you. Okay, that might be a little too generous. For some of you, it's not you. It's the bacteria that traps itself inside your shoe. Think about it-the warm, dark, wet leather environment creates the perfect little petri dish for bacteria to move in and set up shop. THEY are what is causing the stink! So no amount of ADDING materials to the shoe is going to get rid of them. You have to change the shoe's environment so that the bacteria either die or leave.

Get ready, because I'm about to change your life. Introducing, the MaxxDry SD Boot, Shoe, and Glove Dryer.

Stock photo, from Amazon.

If I had to guess I would anticipate that someone north of the Mason-Dixon line invented this product. But by God, everyone in the South needs one. Via silent thermal convection and little bacteria seeking missiles, this thing eliminates odor causing bacteria and even promises to extend the life of your footwear.

How did we find this thing? My husband came home from work saying his coworker was raving about his boot dryer, and that he had to get one. He works in industrial construction where steel-toe boots are a necessity. Mix that with 100 degree Texas heat, and it's not hard to see how the man's boots could smell. He went on about it for weeks, so finally I caved and ordered one for him for Father's Day. It started with him putting his boots on it. After a few days, he told me that the smell in his work boots was completely gone.

I didn't believe it, not for a second. I had it engrained in my brain that nothing on Earth could remove foot stench as bad as ours. I was wrong. My husbands shoes smelled like the day they came out of the box again. Like leather. It was a miracle!

So naturally I grabbed my Sperrys and stuck them on there. About 2 days later, and between alternating with my husbands boots, the smell in my Sperry's was completely gone.

The great part about the boot dryer is that it is completely silent and doesn't emit any excess heat. We keep ours plugged in and have had it for about a month now. There is almost always something on it-my shoes during the day and my husbands at night. The process doesn't stink up our foyer either.

Eventually, the boot dryer will be relocated to our garage or laundry room (when we get one!). But for now, it's earned it's place right next to my entry way table, and that is where it will stay for the time being.

That's it! No more baby powder, no more deodorant between my toes, just me and my, err, my husband's boot dryer!! And my amazing smelling Sperrys (and ballet flats, and walking shoes, too), of course. Enjoy!

Amazon, Sperry Top-Siders, nor MaxxDry paid me for this endorsement. But they are more than welcome to if they would like.

5 No Fuss Baby Shower Games

I can remember my first baby shower like it was yesterday. I remember being so terrified about having a baby. When the day came for my shower, I remember being both excited and nervous.

It wasn't like it was the first shower I had ever been to. I remember going to several with my mom, growing up. They were always so much fun-all the girls gathering together to help bless the new mama. There was always so much excitement and anticipation of how much mom's life would change once the little one arrived. And depending on who was invited, there was usually a dash or two of unsolicited advice.

I still remember the nerves. Nevertheless, it was a good time.

These days baby showers are getting changed up. I helped throw my first co-ed baby shower a few days ago. I anticipated that the men would be congregated around the grill, away from all the women. Because of this, my husband and I wanted to make sure we threw a good party. Due to a series of unfortunate events, we were getting involved sort of last minute. So I had to come up with some stuff to do, and quick!

Games were always a big hit at the best showers I can remember. So together he and I brain stormed some easy, no fuss games. We had almost everything we needed to play these games in the house already, and the things we had to purchase cost us less than $10. Talk about no fuss!


1. Don't Say Baby! 

This one is a classic, but so much fun. Grab a clothespin-one for every party guest, and pin it on them when they come in. Tell them they aren't allowed to say the "B" word. The goal of the game is to collect the most clothespins from all the people who say "baby". So when someone says "baby", who ever hears it or is closest to them gets to take their clothespin, and keep it. If a person has collected 5 or 6 clothes pins and they say "baby", they lose all of them.

This is played until the end of the party. The guys don't usually get as involved with this one, but they will get a kick out of two girls fighting over clothespins-no doubt. These were under $2 at Walmart.

You know what caused me to lose this game at the last shower? Calling my husband, "baby". That's what I get for trying to be romantic.

2. Guess The Infant Food 

Remember, don't say baby! See, you would have already lost your pin.

Grab a couple of jars of baby food and peel the labels off. Number them, and give everyone a piece of paper. I created a little cardstock answer sheet for all the guests to write on, but it's totally not necessary. The guests then have to guess the baby food flavors. Some people go as far as making guests taste the foods, but I think it's less hassle to leave the lids on and give the jars to mom at the end. Give them a point for every one they get right. Some of them are blended, like Beechnut's Apples and Pumpkin. I gave them a point for every flavor they guessed correctly.

My husband loved this game. He wrote carrots for everything that was orange in hopes of getting at least one right!

3. Number Two Goo

Grab a handful of newborn diapers and melt various chocolate bars down into them. Snickers, Rollos, Reece's, etc. Guests get to guess what chocolate bar is in the diaper.  Who ever gets the most wins.

4. How Big Is Baby?

You definitely will lose your clothespins on this one. And you might have to force the guys to play. My husband looked at me when I explained him the game and he said, "This is a trap." This one is super no fuss. Most places like Walmart or Hobby Lobby sell a ribbon that is specific for this game.

Unless you have like 40 people playing, you should only need one. The object is to have people cut how big they think baby and mama have grown, and the closest one without going over wins. I usually let mama judge this one, too.

5. Empty The Bottle

This one is for the guys. Grab a couple of the cheap dollar store bottles, and fill them with liquid. We choose beer. The guys have to empty the bottle by sucking on it how a baby would-through the nipple. Eventually one of them will realize that they aren't getting anywhere, and will bite a hole in the nipple. You can let this guy win, and then watch in amusement as the rest of them unscrew the lid and finish the rest of the drink. In reality, this game exists so you can take some photos of grown men drinking off of a bottle.

That's it! Most showers that I've been to have played between 2-4 games, plus "Don't Say Baby". 

No fuss!

There's also games like, "Who Knows Mommy Best" which usually generates a lot of laughs, and a fill in the blank nursery rhyme game, but I like to keep the games that require a lot of writing to a minimum. Otherwise, you have to bring paper and pens for everyone, and they will need a hard surface to write on. If it's a close knit group, you can also have them bring a photo of their baby picture for another fun game where everyone guesses whose picture belongs to whom.

Good luck, and have a happy shower!