Summer Social Retreat.

Last week I had the privilege of going to the Summer Social Retreat hosted by the wonderful April of Sweet Life in The Valley. She did a tremendous job of creating an event where we could all get together and meet with blogging friends--some old and some new and socialize in real life. The event was full of talented women whose blogs I love and many more women whom I had never met and was happy for the opportunity.

I drove up to Soldier Hollow with my friend, Gert from Chicken Scratches.


I hadn't had lunch yet because of my crazy day, just trying to get ready and up there and was so grateful to find some delicious snacks provided by Frito-lay and Quaker-just what I needed to take the edge off! We started off with Horseback Riding sponsored by Rocky Mountain Outfitters. My horse, Macaroni was much more interested in eating the flowers of the thistles than moving forward, but it was still a lovely time. We followed the cross country ski trails that were used for the 2002 winter Olympics. Cool. I also noticed there was a campsite next to the outfitters-so that could be a potential camping destination for the family...

photo by Gert

When we got back to the lodge we met up with all the other bloggers who had attended other activities like fly fishing and train rides. It was such a relaxing and comfortable atmosphere. April was definitely the Hostess with the Mostess for this event. Dinner was absolutely Delish! Western Community Bank stepped in at the last minute to fund the dinner when the caterer fell through and Shirley J's provided the sauce base for our pot roast--soooo yummy!

For dessert, I fell in love with The Chocolate's mini cupcakes--so cute and little and scrumptious!
To top off the evening April was like Oprah giving us all of her "Favorite Things" as swag to take home! . We got reusable grocery bags from Harmon's as our swag bags-and when you shop at Harmons and remember the bag you get a discount on your groceries. I already loved Harmon's and now I have one more excuse to shop there. Some of my favorite swag that I came home with were:

• Yes to Carrots Lip Gloss and Lip Tints. I especially liked the lip tints. I like the smooth way they go on and how they add just the right hint of color to my lips.

• Nuskin's Baobab Body Butter--has a light fruity scent and feels so good as a moisturizer. I have added it to my morning routine. (and I just love saying baobab!)

• Tangerine scented Badger Balm. Mmmmm! I love how this stuff glides on my lips and makes them soft without feeling greasy. I've started to put it on my heels too to soften them up--I think time will tell if that is working...
  

• doTerra Essential Oils. I go through phases of using essential oils and not using them. My mom and mother-in-law are both into natural medicines. In the starter kit we received there are lavender, lemon & peppermint oils--which can also be used in cooking! So far I have used the peppermint for my aching muscles-which it really helped to feel better! I was wanting someone to rub me down completely with the stuff! And we used the lavender to soothe a bug bite on my daughter. And I think it was the peppermint and lemon combined for my son's tummy ache--he didn't care for the smell, but he didn't keep complaining either. I am excited to try new ways to use these oils to help my family!
  

• Shirley J's Cream Soup Base & Sauce Mix. Apparently you can use this powder as a base for just about anything. It is shelf stable for up to 20 years so it is great for food storage. I am looking forward to using it in a recipe soon. Shirley J's provided the beef sauce for the pot roast and it was so yummy! So I have high hopes for the cream sauce. I'll let you know how it goes...
  

• Lastly I have to thank Jennifer Hoskisson of fotohok who took all the beautiful photos (since I forgot my camera) Otherwise I wouldn't have lovely photos to go with this post. Aren't her photos beautiful?

A humongous "Thank You" to April who hosted such a wonderful and fun event! I can't wait to do it again!

Thank You: Women For Hire!

Photo via Twitpic

Women for Hire is celebrating their 10th anniversary this year! Congratulations! Their founder and CEO, Tory Johnson, also just released her new book this week "Fired to Hired" I need to pick up a copy of that...

To celebrate they are holding all sorts of promotions this week! I got this information from their website:

1) Free Access to Tory Johnson’s Early Morning Seminar: For a limited time only, purchase a copy of FIRED TO HIRED and send us your e-receipt starting today until Friday, Aug 7 to receive complimentary access to the fall 2009 Women For Hire Early Morning Seminar of your choice. (Dates and locations include Dallas—10/13; Chicago—10/15; Atlanta—10/21; Washington, DC—10/29; New York—11/4.)

That’s a $20 value—yours free for supporting the new book! Send your e-receipt to book@womenforhire.com and indicate the city of your choice.

2) Free Online Webinar: Everyone who purchases FIRED TO HIRED receives complimentary access to an all-new 90-minute webinar hosted by Tory Johnson, featuring advice and ideas from more than two dozen experts. Watch the program online as often as you wish on your timetable. Send your receipt to book@womenforhire.com for login details.

3) Freebies for Facebook Fans: Become a fan of Women For Hire on Facebook for your chance to win the full FIRED TO HIRED playlist from iTunes. In the book, Tory includes 30 top tunes to keep your spirits up when the job search gets you down. Every day between Aug 3 and Aug 9, one lucky winner will be selected to win the full playlist---and she’ll boogie her way to workplace success.

4) Follow on Twitter for Great Giveaways: Follow Tory on Twitter – it’s fast, free and fun – to win a Flipcam daily from Aug 3 to Aug 9. She’ll post a question of the day and a winner will be selected at random and announced the following morning. Enter once every 24 hours for your chance to win!

So guess what I won this morning!? I won Tory's special edition Flipcam. I have wanted one of those for soooo long. I might even have to start vlogging! I want to Thank Women For Hire and Tory Johnson for this gift. You can enter too for the rest of the week! Tory is an amazing woman and I have had the opportunity to work with her wonderful organization, helping women, in the past. I am glad to see that she has been so successful in her endeavors! Thank you again Tory! I will love my new Flipcam!

GIveaway: Thanksgiving Point!

My family Loves Thanksgiving Point. We have gone there since the kids were little. We love everything about it. Farm Country. The Dinosaur Museum. The Gardens. The Ice Cream. The Deli. And On and on. My kids are always begging me to go there. This month they are doing 2 buck Tuesdays and you know we will be there along with all the other people! Right Now Vanessa of I Never Grew Up is giving away a Family pack of 4 to visit EVERY venue of Thanksgiving Point for free! The Children’s Discovery Center, the Farm Country AND the Museum of Ancient Life! Is that Amazing or What!? We have 7 in my family but if more than half the family is taken care of we are in good shape! My kids would think this was the greatest to win. So if you are in Utah, You should definitely check this giveaway out!

Giveaway: Downeast Basics

Do you ever feel like your wardrobe needs a facelift? I know I do. I am always on the look out for new cute dresses and tops. And right now April from Sweet Life in the Valley is hosting a giveaway for Down East Basics. She is giving away an Empress Top and a Once Upon a Time Dress to one lucky reader. I love both of these so much and could definitely see them as an asset to my wardrobe. Go visit her site for deets. This giveaway ends midnight Thursday July 30th 2009.

Oatmeal Banana Picnic Cake

For #gno tonight we are talking about summer dishes. Here's another use for bananas other than bread (special for @designmama) It comes from my dear college roommate Ximen:

1 cup oatmeal
1 1/4 c. boiling water
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1 1/3 cup flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1/2 c. shortening
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1-2 over ripe bananas mashed

Mix ingredients together and cook in a 350 degree oven for 35 minutes.
While cooking prepare topping:

1/2 cup butter
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 cup coconut
1/2 cup nuts chopped
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla

Mix together and sprinkle on top of cake broil for a couple of minute til golden. Enjoy!

Giveaway: Reliable Steamboy T1

***expired***
I used to have a steam cleaner--I loved how it cleaned. It was a Shark brand--The only problem was it broke down and the company sent me a replacement which then broke down again once the year warranty was over. I would love to see if the Reliable cleaner is well, more reliable. 5 minutes for Special needs is hosting a giveaway for a steam mop go check it out! The contest ends July24th! Good Luck!

For Good...

For the past 12 years I have worked for the most amazing company. I found them when I was newly married and my husband had been diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Immune Deficiency Syndrome. We were both working at the time but I felt an urgency to look for a second job. I didn't know why at the time but my husband ended up being so sick that summer that he was unable to work at all and my second income would become a huge blessing. Through my job search, I found Career Step. The owner was Andrea, a single mother with a beautiful 5-year-old daughter who was often in the office with us. Sometimes I wasn't sure whether I was supposed to play with the boss' daughter or "work." I quickly came to understand the vision she had for her business and that was to help women take care of their families by offering them the training to become medical transcriptionists like she was. Her skills as an MT allowed her to provide for her daughter and be there for the crossroads in her daughter's life. Not only was she committed to helping the students of her program lead a better life, she wanted that for her employees too. As her employee, I always felt valued and appreciated. When my first child was born, I was able to continue working from home. She encouraged me to put my family first and as I did I was able to have the time to accomplish all my work responsibilities as well. I felt so blessed and lucky to have such a rewarding job. I felt comfortable bringing my children any time I needed to go into the office--in fact it was expected that they would be by my side. Andrea created a team of loyal and hard-working employees. When the company would reach milestones she would throw huge appreciation parties. When we were small and there were a handful of employees, I remember our first appreciation bonus being a $50 gift card to a local upscale restaurant. As the company grew so did her parties-- The last party she threw for her employees involved flying them all out to Los Angeles, putting everyone up in a hotel, paying for admission to the Disneyland Resort and enough Disney Dollars to cover food expenses for the day. I believe there were close to 100 employees. Her generosity inspired us to work harder and be better and we believed in her and her vision.

Her daughter has just recently graduated from high school. Andrea is remarried and has 3 little ones at home and she has been ready to spend even more time with her family. She was looking to find the right people to carry on her vision. Thinking she had found them she sold the majority share of her company earlier this year and we all had high hopes of the company continuing to progress while upholding the Andrea's vision. However, it quickly became evident that these new owners and management were only concerned with one thing--the bottom line. Morale within the company was low as employees started to feel unappreciated. Every summer that I have worked for Career Step I have known that I could put my children's needs first and still get my work done, but not this summer. This summer I had the feeling that I was not allowed to put my family first and even though no one ever came out and said that, it was certainly the "vibe" that emmanated from our new management--who seemed to have their own families on the bottom of their list of priorities. I woke up every morning praying that I would do what I knew to be right. If I stayed true to the vision I could be at peace with myself no matter what the outcome.

Last week I was abrubtly "let go" from the company and the only reason I can think of is we had philosophical differences. I believed in what the company used to stand for but now they seem to be on a different trajectory. I was told that they no longer needed my position, but I was over social media and web 2.0 marketing, work that they will continue pursuing. I feel so sad, like everything Andrea worked so hard for over the years has been destroyed in a matter of months. I feel hesitant about sending people to her amazing product afraid that they will not receive the same quality students once received. My heart breaks because of the direction I see the company going and I feel that it does not fit the vision of helping students or employees. In my eyes, it is only money driven. I wish the company the best. I truly hope that it does succeed and that Andrea's vision will resurface. I hope that they will continue to offer the quality training they have in the past. But all I can do now is hope...

I have always felt that if you do good for others good will come back to you. When Andrea was at the head of the company, I felt like so much good was coming back to Career Step. I can't complain about my time at Career Step. I am so happy that I was a part of it. I can't even number how many times my association with this company has blessed me and my husband and our five children. I will always be grateful for the time I worked there, but now I am grateful to move on.