At This Second

Social Network Etiquette

2009-06-15T14:07:00.001-04:00

At this second I am very upset that people would advertize their business on my blog post. I recently posted a video demonstrating a complete skin care regimen and how little time it takes to do each day.
I also posted this video on several other social networks. The other day I am notified that someone made a comment on my page so I looked. I could not believe what I was reading. At first she indicated that she was happy that someone finally had done a video like mine and how she liked it. But then she went on and introduced herself and her company. She is a skin care consultant and was promoting herself, her company and her products. This made me upset. We did this video to promote Bonita Botanicals and to educate people on the use of skincare. I do not think it was right for this person to go on and on about her own company. To me, this is very poor etiquette and should not be allowed. We work very hard to promote and market our skin care and it is so upsetting to have someone use our platforms for their own gain.

TOTALLY SURPRISED

2009-06-10T21:46:00.002-04:00

At this second I am thinking about how I was surprised at my 50th birthday party. I had no idea that I was going to have one. I was totally thrown off. Usually, you have some clue, but I had none. I still can't believe it. My husband and sister did a very good job.

I am also thinking about turning 50 today. The big one finally arrived. Can you believe I received an AARP card in the mail today!!! Now I feel really old. But, I guess I should take advantage of some of the benefits.

I am going to start walking and I will be using walking poles once I receive them. I stumbled upon these by accident when doing some research: Exerstrider Fitness Poles...work smarter, not harder!
It is a total body exercise that gently engages every major muscle with every stride. I cannot wait to get them.

Turning 50

2009-06-02T22:56:00.002-04:00

At this second I am thinking about 50. What is 50? Fifty is a number. It is a multiple of 10 and 5. It is half of 100. It is the number of stars in our flag and the number of states. It is considered the Golden Year if lucky enough to be married for 50 years. For me 50 is the age I will be in a few weeks. What does 50 mean to me. It means losing my waistline. Where has my body gone? The once pear shape has now begun to take the shape of an orange. The metabolism has definitely slowed down making it harder to lose weight. It means wearing reading glasses. Thank God, they now make bi-focal contact lenses. It means menopause - hot flashes, weight gain, memory loss, and night sweats. It means having those "grandma wave good-bye arms". Where did that extra skin come from? The signs of "turkey neck" are beginning to show. The grey hair is now coming faster which means coloring my hair more often. It means taking longer to get out of bed. The legs and feet just don't want to move at times. It now means I am eligible for AARP. I always thought it was for senior citizens. This is probably the most depressing for me because I started receiving AARP membership information about six months ago. They couldn't wait. They have to keep reminding me with their constant mailers.

Although all these physical things are happening, I do not feel or look 50. It is amazing how old 50 use to look. I believe it is due to improvements in women's diet and health care. Women seem to now improve with age and are more attractive than when they were younger. They do say that "50 is the new 40".

What do I have to look forward to at 50? I am on a new venture which I am very excited about and that is working with my sister Bonita to make Bonita Botanicals successful and a household name. In my 20's and 30's I lacked the confidence to become an entrepreneur even though I had the opportunity to succeed. I just thought I could not do it. Today, I feel totally different. I know that my 50's will give me a second chance. I feel that I am growing mentally and spiritually every day and that I am a stronger and more confident. I don't know what will happen, but I cannot wait to find out.

The other most important aspect of my life is my son Rex. He definitely keeps me young. While most 50 year old women are experiencing the "empty nest" and looking forward to a new found freedom, I am experiencing just the opposite. My son is only six years old. Thank God, people don't think I am his grandmother!!! That would be devastating.

At This Second I am Wondering

2009-05-30T22:25:00.005-04:00

At this second I am wondering about how people go to a charity event and not expect to give. My sister Bonita and I had a table today at a charity event. We were selling those rubber bracelets with our slogan "Be Beautiful Be Bonita for $2.00each with all the proceeds being donated. To my surprise, the majority of the people who came up to the table wanting one, walked away once they knew they had to pay for it even though they knew it was a donation for the event. We did not expect to sell any products, but we thought for sure we could raise some money with the bracelets. I can't understand why people would think that it would be free. Come on people, you are at a charity event. It is starting to be very frustrating. We have done a few events now, and it just seems that people just go to see what they can get for free. The thing that I found very interesting in observing these people is that they would not pay a $2.00 donation for a bracelet, but they paid $10.00 or more for raffle tickets in hopes to win something. I guess you have to give away something in order to receive. It really should not be that way, but it gives me ideas for the next time.

What Happens During Sleep?

2009-05-24T11:17:00.005-04:00

At this second I am thinking about my life. For some reason I woke up very depressed today. I don't know if it was due to Rex not being home and missing him, turning 50 in a few weeks, thinking about money, or something else. What happens during sleep that makes us wake up happy, depressed, moody, etc? I know that I was dreaming so much, but I don't remember them and I did wake up many times during the night. I know that when I am feeling this way, I try to be positive and think about all the good in my life. It is amazing how much you really have to be thankful for and how that can help you get through the day. Sometimes, I am not happy with where my life is at this moment. However, looking back, I have had many accomplishments and I just need to take all my successes and everything I have learned and use it towards my next venture in life.

CHILD'S FIRST SLEEP OVER

2009-05-23T23:22:00.003-04:00

At this second I am thinking about my son Rex. It is 11:23 PM. I thought for sure I would have received a phone call asking for me to pick him up by now. There has been nothing. Not even a phone call saying "hello" He was so excited. This is the first time spending the night at a friend's house. When I brought him his toothbrush, his pajamas, and a change of clothes for tomorrow, he hugged and kissed us so many times. I thought for sure he would not make it through the night. Maybe, I will still get a call. I miss him so much. It is so quiet. What is the morning going to be like without him yelling "mommy". It is so weird because we think our child is going to have a hard time when in fact it is us. I keep checking the phone to make sure nothing is wrong. How I miss my little guy.

Yeah!! Kris Allen Won

2009-05-20T23:07:00.007-04:00

At this second I am thinking about the new American Idol. Kris Allen was my choice from the beginning. I liked his style with the acoustic guitar and his song arrangements. Most of his performances were extremely good. He showed his talent and stayed true to the type of artist he is. He was definitely a dark horse in the competition and just grew as a performer each week. In addition he is so cute and adorable. Adam is no doubt an excellent singer and shows great stage presence and is very comfortable in who he is. He showed his vocal ability by being able to sing any venue given. Although I liked him, I was rooting for the underdog. To me, Adam's career has already begun without having to be The American Idol. He is still a winner and will have a great career ahead of him.

I hope that Kris realizes that he does deserve to be the American Idol. I know he felt bad thinking that the moment belonged to Adam and not him. He was definitely in shock and disbelieve. He worked just as hard and is truly talented in his own right. I hope that the hype of Adam does not overshadow him and that Kris can feel the glory of winning.

A TRIBUTE TO MOM

2009-05-15T22:46:00.004-04:00

At this second I am thinking about my mother. I visited her on Mother's Day and placed flowers at her stone. It has been four years and I still miss her very much. My sister Bonita and I were just talking about how much she would have loved blogging. She loved to write poems and stories. Her dream was to be a romance novelist. As I was looking for something the other day, I came across some of her poems and stories. I would like to share one with you today:

YOUR EYES
BY: "S"

Your burning eyes met mine across the room
I could not breathe from my emotion
Your eyes spoke volumes of love
And then you looked away,
Leaving me adrift as on an ocean.
I looked and looked for you
But you vanished all too suddenly.
That short romance of eyes we had,
In all my dreams will never, ever be.

Living Without A Microwave Oven

2009-03-27T10:08:00.008-04:00

At this second I am thinking about how long I have been without my microwave oven. It has been almost three years. I did not think I would be without it for this long. It happened right when my husband and I lost our jobs at the same time; therefore it was not a priority. We figured we would be able to replace it once we started working again. Well, things have never been the same. Who ever thought that the industry we were both in for over twenty years would just collapse. The purchase of a microwave just kept being put on hold. Now, it has been so long that I do not even think about it and I have been using it as a bread box.

Most people cannot believe that we do not have a microwave. It is one of those appliances most cannot live without. How would you heat up leftovers, cook frozen foods like vegetables, make popcorn, defrost meats, heat water, and many other things that it is so essential for? Most would be totally lost.

Believe me, I was lost at first. It is amazing though, how you can adjust. I just do things the old fashion way. I boil water for coffee and/or tea. I heat my leftovers in a pan or in the oven. I take out my frozen meat ahead of time. If I forget, then sometimes I have to change my menu for that night. Hamburger can easily be defrosted in a pan if using for something like chili. Chicken is easy to defrost by placing it in cold water or turning the oven on to 200. Once it reaches its temperature, turn if off and place chicken in a piece of foil. It will defrost without cooking it. Or, we have to have soup and sandwiches and/or salad. Actually, I have saved money on my grocery bill by not using a microwave. When you think about it , most of the items that are microwaveable are more expensive. For instance, popcorn. A box of 15 microwaveable packages may cost anywhere from $10.00 to $15.00. A bag of kernals cost $1.69 and I can make the same amount of bags or even more. Microwaveable bacon and/or sausages may cost about the same, but you get less pieces. You can buy a box of Bisquick and make more pancakes than you would for a box of frozen. All these little things make a big differene in the food bill each week.

I would eventually like to get a microwave again. However, I will definitely continue to think about the cost of things versus the convience. Having to do without really makes you think about the money you waste. This doesn't just go for microwaves, but for everything in your life. How many things can you really live without?

At This Second

2009-03-08T00:16:00.013-05:00

At this second in time, I am thinking about writing my first blog. What am I going to write about? Will people be interested in what I have to Say? Well, I decided to write about the things that I may be thinking about at any given second. Hence, the name "At this Second" There are so many times when I think about something and I just need to get it off my mind. So here it is my very own sounding board. This is great! Until, I started assisting my sister Bonita with her anti-aging skin care business, Bonita Botanicals, I never realized what blogging was or what a social network was. How amazing. If only I knew about this three years ago when I became unemployed for the very first time in my life. The only thing I was doing on the internet was searching for jobs and posting my resume. I started doing Avon and became an advisor for lia sophia jewelry, but did not know that I could promote myself and find ways to advertise for free. Unbelievable!

It was not until my sister Bonita went to a marketing seminar in Atlanta, GA. that I became aware of what the internet could do. With a brand new skin care business she wanted to learn all she could about branding and marketing. This is when I learned about Twitter, Facebook, Linked In, Wordpress, etc. From here, I found out about social networks such as Twitter Moms and Cafe Moms and then from here I learned about other social networks for Work At Home Moms. My favorites are http://www.momsbuyingfrommoms.com/ and http://shoppingbuddies.proboards2.com/ . The administrator Brigitte Henry is wonderful and so helpful. You can do on-line parties and they are so much fun. How nice it is to host a party in the comfort of your own home. Women can help each other with their businesses and can learn from one another. If only I knew. Another favorite of mine is The Diva Within. Our show “The Be Bonita Show” has been featured a couple of times. What great exposure to increase traffic to your website. I also belong to a social network for women entrepreneurs called Savor the Success. This is a great website devoted to women.

In addition to all of this, I found out about affiliate marketing. You mean to tell me that all I need to do is place the company’s banner on my website and/or blog and earn money. If only I knew.

Can you make money utilizing the internet? Yes, I truly believe you can. It does not happen overnight. It takes time and patience. That is why I keep saying “If only I knew”

What are your thoughts? Please let me know.

Thank you and always remember, Be Beautiful Be Bonita.