The play structure has been delivered today! It's in boxes in our back yard. We can try to put it together ourselves, which everyone assures us will be easy, or we can hire it done.
Because we have out-of-town company coming, and because we really wanted it to be in place by the time they arrive so all the kids could play on it, we're opting to have someone else do it, if we can get it done more quickly. We'll see . .
In Avon news, there were some misunderstandings about my ambivalence towards selling it. Just to be clear, I never said I was lowering myself. What I said was that other people would perceive it as lowering myself. Thanks to everyone who assured me that I'm not lowering myself, but you're assuring the wrong person - I stated in my previous entry that I see it as entirely neutral.
Anyway, who cares, I'm selling it, so there. I use the products, I like most of them, and I love some of them, so it's all good.
Also, recently, I posted a to-do list. I think to keep myself accountable, I'll post it again and include updates. Sorry to bore anyone . . .
Finish trim in Garielle’s room - This might not happen until July. There are other things that I'm more anxious to get done.
Paint that white spot - there's a square of unpainted wall in Garielle's room - she asked me to keep a square unpainted for awhile so she could see the old & new colour. Now she says I can go ahead & paint in that square. Again - July.
Get her a new bed - She has a "new" bed - one of Eric's cousins gave it to her. It's a trundle bed. She's okay with it but disappointed that she doesn't have a bunk bed - hence the selling Avon.
Get a play structure for backyard - It's in our back yard waiting to be assembled - woo hoo!!! Now I'd like to take it off Visa. Again, hence the Avon.
Measure back yard - This is so that I can draw up back yard to scale. See next.
Draw up back yard plans to scale - This is so I can start drafting some long-term landscaping plans. I'm so happy about the play structure that I think I'll just focus for the rest of the summer on cleaning the back yard up.
Hang Garielle’s wall things - Need to paint the trim & paint in that square, as stated above. Again, maybe July.
Decorate wall plates or buy new ones - Ditto above.
Start walking at least 4x a week – don’t stress about distance/speed now. - ha ha ha ha ha!
Start a journal to capture things I want to include in scrapbook – funny things Garielle has said, achievements, reflections, important moments, etc. - Maybe I should start a blog. It seems to be easier for me to capture info on the internet.
Start bat mitzvah savings account - Why haven't I done this? I can do this online. Maybe I'll do that right after I hit "post."
Explore feasibility of Avon as income stream - I'm exploring!
Get house in shape for visitors coming end of month - This is a 20 pt to-do list unto itself!!!
Well, those are my updates. I'm very happy about the play structure, and I'm very happy that I'm selling Avon and will be able to buy my daughter a bunk bed.
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Friday, June 15, 2007
More on bunk beds & play structures
Well, my first Avon campaign deadline is next week. I bumped it forward 2 days to give me time to get the order in & to handle any last minute orders.
So far I have 3 orders. I can see I'm going to need to torque up my efforts here. Of course, one could argue that my efforts thus far have hardly been heroic or valiant. All I've done is distribute some brochures quietly to 9 colleagues that I trust and think might be interested. So, three orders out of nine, and nobody refused a brochure.
I think if I want to make serious money at this, I have to be more proactive about finding a customer base, I have to be less apologetic when I approach people, and I have to get into leadership.
With all apologies to Avon and to its many, many fine reps, the thing is, selling Avon isn't exactly something that would make my family proud. It wouldn't make my husband proud either. They would all suggest that I'm "lowering myself."
I have to decide for myself if I'm lowering myself. Am I? Well, truth be told, I'm neutral on it. I don't think it raises me or lowers me - it's just something that is. Clearly what I'm struggling with is that stupid "What will other people think of me?" And that's not like me, because I'm not usually one to care.
I have to focus on why I'm doing this. I want to buy my daughter a bunk bed, a play structure, and then pay off my credit card. Well, actually, we'll buy the play structure soon, but I want to pay it off. The point is, I have noble reasons for doing this.
On the other hand, do noble reasons justify the means? What if I were selling illegal drugs to buy my daughter a bunk bed, a play structure, and then pay off my credit card?
Ah well, Avon products aren't illegal drugs.
And besides, I have a secret agenda. If I do manage to save up for a bunk bed, pay off the play structure, and then pay off my credit card, I could go on to do some other things that I've not had the money for - improvements on the house, travel, and so on.
But first, I must focus on a bunk bed.
When I distributed the brochures at work, I actually stapled a note to the front with a picture of the play structure. At that time, it was just the play structure I was saving for. I don't think an image of a bunk bed would be as compelling, so I might keep doing that (the note with the play structure).
I already have my brochures for the next campaign, and I've already given away 3. So I have 7 brochures, 3 of which I'll give to people who placed an order this time, and the other 4 I'll distribute to the coworkers who seem interested but have not ordered.
But I get to choose the quantity of brochures I want for every campaign after that.
So for Campaign 18, I think I'll hit up my own neighbourhood. Yes, it will be difficult. But I have a plan. I think I'll go around ahead of time and distribute door hangers announcing that there's a new Avon rep in the neighbourhood, and I'm going to be leaving brochures on their doors from time to time. I'll enclose a stamped response card for them to indicate that they do NOT want brochures. If I don't receive a response, I'll assume it's OK to drop off brochures. After all, if they are adamant enough about it to screw around dropping a postcard in the mail, they really must not want brochures, and I'd just as soon skip their house.
It will also include my email & phone number in case they want to contact me directly.
I figure I can do 20 houses this time around, and maybe add 20 each campaign until I've maxed out my walking limit (because I'm not going to drive all over town with gas prices being what they are).
Then maybe I could rotate brochures - it would be expensive to give everyone a brochure every campaign, if they're not ordering, so maybe divide the neighbourhood into thirds or quarters and deliver brochures to these people every 3-4 campaigns.
It might be fun - it would get me out walking, my daughter could do it with me . . .
Eric still doesn't know.
So far I have 3 orders. I can see I'm going to need to torque up my efforts here. Of course, one could argue that my efforts thus far have hardly been heroic or valiant. All I've done is distribute some brochures quietly to 9 colleagues that I trust and think might be interested. So, three orders out of nine, and nobody refused a brochure.
I think if I want to make serious money at this, I have to be more proactive about finding a customer base, I have to be less apologetic when I approach people, and I have to get into leadership.
With all apologies to Avon and to its many, many fine reps, the thing is, selling Avon isn't exactly something that would make my family proud. It wouldn't make my husband proud either. They would all suggest that I'm "lowering myself."
I have to decide for myself if I'm lowering myself. Am I? Well, truth be told, I'm neutral on it. I don't think it raises me or lowers me - it's just something that is. Clearly what I'm struggling with is that stupid "What will other people think of me?" And that's not like me, because I'm not usually one to care.
I have to focus on why I'm doing this. I want to buy my daughter a bunk bed, a play structure, and then pay off my credit card. Well, actually, we'll buy the play structure soon, but I want to pay it off. The point is, I have noble reasons for doing this.
On the other hand, do noble reasons justify the means? What if I were selling illegal drugs to buy my daughter a bunk bed, a play structure, and then pay off my credit card?
Ah well, Avon products aren't illegal drugs.
And besides, I have a secret agenda. If I do manage to save up for a bunk bed, pay off the play structure, and then pay off my credit card, I could go on to do some other things that I've not had the money for - improvements on the house, travel, and so on.
But first, I must focus on a bunk bed.
When I distributed the brochures at work, I actually stapled a note to the front with a picture of the play structure. At that time, it was just the play structure I was saving for. I don't think an image of a bunk bed would be as compelling, so I might keep doing that (the note with the play structure).
I already have my brochures for the next campaign, and I've already given away 3. So I have 7 brochures, 3 of which I'll give to people who placed an order this time, and the other 4 I'll distribute to the coworkers who seem interested but have not ordered.
But I get to choose the quantity of brochures I want for every campaign after that.
So for Campaign 18, I think I'll hit up my own neighbourhood. Yes, it will be difficult. But I have a plan. I think I'll go around ahead of time and distribute door hangers announcing that there's a new Avon rep in the neighbourhood, and I'm going to be leaving brochures on their doors from time to time. I'll enclose a stamped response card for them to indicate that they do NOT want brochures. If I don't receive a response, I'll assume it's OK to drop off brochures. After all, if they are adamant enough about it to screw around dropping a postcard in the mail, they really must not want brochures, and I'd just as soon skip their house.
It will also include my email & phone number in case they want to contact me directly.
I figure I can do 20 houses this time around, and maybe add 20 each campaign until I've maxed out my walking limit (because I'm not going to drive all over town with gas prices being what they are).
Then maybe I could rotate brochures - it would be expensive to give everyone a brochure every campaign, if they're not ordering, so maybe divide the neighbourhood into thirds or quarters and deliver brochures to these people every 3-4 campaigns.
It might be fun - it would get me out walking, my daughter could do it with me . . .
Eric still doesn't know.
Sunday, June 10, 2007
Bunk bed & Avon
So we went to the furniture store and bought a bunk bed. Garielle got to try it out & everything. Then Eric's cousin told him that she had a trundle bed Garielle could have for free - it was her daughter's, very girlie, and hardly used. So we went to have a look. Garielle insisted that she still wanted the bunk bed. Eric couldn't see past the $800 we would save if we took this free bed, but I couldn't see past Garielle's extreme disappointment at not getting a bunk bed.
Eric kept pointing out that we're already spending $2,000 on a play structure - we couldn't very well afford the bunk bed too. (Uh, then why did we buy one?) You can read about the play structure at Can This House Be Rescued.
Finally, I proposed this to Garielle - let's take this bed for now, and as soon as we could afford a bunk bed, we'd get one. I told her that I REALLY wanted her to have a bunk bed and I promised I would get her one.
She agreed.
I still haven't told Eric that I'm selling Avon. He'd shit a brick. But by God, I'm going to sell it and I'm going to make a profit, and I'm going to get my daughter a damned bunk bed. So there.
Eric kept pointing out that we're already spending $2,000 on a play structure - we couldn't very well afford the bunk bed too. (Uh, then why did we buy one?) You can read about the play structure at Can This House Be Rescued.
Finally, I proposed this to Garielle - let's take this bed for now, and as soon as we could afford a bunk bed, we'd get one. I told her that I REALLY wanted her to have a bunk bed and I promised I would get her one.
She agreed.
I still haven't told Eric that I'm selling Avon. He'd shit a brick. But by God, I'm going to sell it and I'm going to make a profit, and I'm going to get my daughter a damned bunk bed. So there.
Sunday, June 03, 2007
June's to-do list
Ø Finish trim in Garielle’s room
Ø Paint that white spot
Ø Get her a new bed
Ø Get a play structure for backyard
Ø Measure back yard
Ø Draw up back yard plans to scale
Ø Hang Garielle’s wall things
Ø Decorate wall plates or buy new ones
Ø Start walking at least 4x a week – don’t stress about distance/speed now.
Ø Start a journal to capture things I want to include in scrapbook – funny things Garielle has said, achievements, reflections, important moments, etc.
Ø Start bat mitzvah savings account
Ø Explore feasibility of Avon as income stream
Ø Get house in shape for visitors coming end of month
Ø Paint that white spot
Ø Get her a new bed
Ø Get a play structure for backyard
Ø Measure back yard
Ø Draw up back yard plans to scale
Ø Hang Garielle’s wall things
Ø Decorate wall plates or buy new ones
Ø Start walking at least 4x a week – don’t stress about distance/speed now.
Ø Start a journal to capture things I want to include in scrapbook – funny things Garielle has said, achievements, reflections, important moments, etc.
Ø Start bat mitzvah savings account
Ø Explore feasibility of Avon as income stream
Ø Get house in shape for visitors coming end of month
5 Year Plan
I just posted this huge thing about how I'm going to post my 5-year-plan, and something happened and I lost the post. Hate it when that happens.
So basically, I've been ignoring the 5 year plan I drew up in 2005. Actually, I followed it until about this year, and I really have been ignoring it lately. Sometimes I just forget about it, and I drift instead of taking specific actions towards my goals.
I need to get back on track. I decided that this blog would be a good way to keep it in front of me and maybe even add some accountability to it.
Here are the values which form the foundation of my 5-year-plan:
Family & Lifestyle
This value refers to the well-being and quality of life of my family and the time we spend together. It also refers to my vision of myself as a mother, wife, sister, daughter, and daughter-in-law. This is my top value as everything else on my values list means nothing without this.
Health & Recreation
This value refers to my personal well-being, my physical and mental health, and anything I can do to give me energy to support my other values. I include Recreation because I have come to accept that I require a certain amount of fun and leisure in order to be fulfilled and to keep my “axe” sharp in other areas of my life.
Independence (Finances & Career)
Over the years I have come to accept the fact that I strongly prefer to set my own course, I am a self-starter, and I prefer to set my own agenda whenever possible. I realize that to achieve my ideal state with regards to this value, I must be both self-employed and financially secure. However, I've drifted from this mindset since 2005, and my values may be changing. Or I may be going through a phase.
Here are my 5-year goals:
Family & Lifestyle
1) Be Canadian (done by the end of this month)
2) Our house will be a comfortable, peaceful, visually pleasing and reasonably well-organized haven for us to relax, work, and play in. It will also be an attractive and inviting place to visit.
3) In five years, Garielle will have sampled a variety of experiences, such as dance, swimming, art, literature, music, competitive sports, travel, opportunities to develop solo, and opportunities to develop collaboratively with peers and with her parents. Her interests will be supported, and she will continue to be encouraged to explore new interests as well.
4) In five years, Garielle will have a wonderful repository of documentation, memorabilia, and history that will chronicle her life thus far. This will be in the form of scrapbooks, boxes of carefully chosen memorabilia, and video footage.
5) Before five years, my affairs will be organized as if I had a year to live. (This sounds morbid, but it comes from an exercise I did asking what I would do if I had a year to live. Why wait for such bad news to get my affairs in order? Why not get them in order and keep them in order for the rest of my life? That way, I have piece of mind and my family will have an easier time of it should the worst happen.) This includes my papers being sorted and organized, significant memorabilia identified (so that people won’t say “What’s THIS?”), and my business affairs documented. I will keep a document on my computer listing my bank accounts, all online business with passwords, etc. plus details about what Eric should know in the event I die.
Health & Recreation
1) Be an athlete. Be a runner and be able to perform at least one other sport moderately well. (ha ha ha ha! Oops, excuse me . . . )
2) In five years, I will have had at least one “cosmetic” procedure done (teeth bonding, tummy tuck, etc.)
3) Take at least 3 trips to places I’ve never been before.
4) In five years, we will have space in our home and yard for our hobbies, for Garielle to play, etc. This could also fit in the first value.
Independence (Finances & Career)
1) Become self-employed by December 31, 2008 as an online entrepreneur through the following businesses:
a. Holly Zenith (decided to nix this one)
b. New & Improved You (nixing this one too)
c. A career or life coaching business (not sure.)
I need to revisit this.
2) Be securely employed in a job I can enjoy by July 1, 2007. (done, unless they fire me.)
3) Become financially savvy, comfortable with our own portfolio, understanding money, be a skilled budgeter and a saver, be confident in my financial decisions.
4) Have at least 3 months salary in reserve.
So from this, I actually developed yearly plans, which I broke down even further into months. I followed them pretty well until, oh . . . maybe this past December. So now I need to look at my monthly plans.
I find that I stall out quite easily. If I give myself little bits of an overall goal, I sometimes can manage it.
More in next post.
So basically, I've been ignoring the 5 year plan I drew up in 2005. Actually, I followed it until about this year, and I really have been ignoring it lately. Sometimes I just forget about it, and I drift instead of taking specific actions towards my goals.
I need to get back on track. I decided that this blog would be a good way to keep it in front of me and maybe even add some accountability to it.
Here are the values which form the foundation of my 5-year-plan:
Family & Lifestyle
This value refers to the well-being and quality of life of my family and the time we spend together. It also refers to my vision of myself as a mother, wife, sister, daughter, and daughter-in-law. This is my top value as everything else on my values list means nothing without this.
Health & Recreation
This value refers to my personal well-being, my physical and mental health, and anything I can do to give me energy to support my other values. I include Recreation because I have come to accept that I require a certain amount of fun and leisure in order to be fulfilled and to keep my “axe” sharp in other areas of my life.
Independence (Finances & Career)
Over the years I have come to accept the fact that I strongly prefer to set my own course, I am a self-starter, and I prefer to set my own agenda whenever possible. I realize that to achieve my ideal state with regards to this value, I must be both self-employed and financially secure. However, I've drifted from this mindset since 2005, and my values may be changing. Or I may be going through a phase.
Here are my 5-year goals:
Family & Lifestyle
1) Be Canadian (done by the end of this month)
2) Our house will be a comfortable, peaceful, visually pleasing and reasonably well-organized haven for us to relax, work, and play in. It will also be an attractive and inviting place to visit.
3) In five years, Garielle will have sampled a variety of experiences, such as dance, swimming, art, literature, music, competitive sports, travel, opportunities to develop solo, and opportunities to develop collaboratively with peers and with her parents. Her interests will be supported, and she will continue to be encouraged to explore new interests as well.
4) In five years, Garielle will have a wonderful repository of documentation, memorabilia, and history that will chronicle her life thus far. This will be in the form of scrapbooks, boxes of carefully chosen memorabilia, and video footage.
5) Before five years, my affairs will be organized as if I had a year to live. (This sounds morbid, but it comes from an exercise I did asking what I would do if I had a year to live. Why wait for such bad news to get my affairs in order? Why not get them in order and keep them in order for the rest of my life? That way, I have piece of mind and my family will have an easier time of it should the worst happen.) This includes my papers being sorted and organized, significant memorabilia identified (so that people won’t say “What’s THIS?”), and my business affairs documented. I will keep a document on my computer listing my bank accounts, all online business with passwords, etc. plus details about what Eric should know in the event I die.
Health & Recreation
1) Be an athlete. Be a runner and be able to perform at least one other sport moderately well. (ha ha ha ha! Oops, excuse me . . . )
2) In five years, I will have had at least one “cosmetic” procedure done (teeth bonding, tummy tuck, etc.)
3) Take at least 3 trips to places I’ve never been before.
4) In five years, we will have space in our home and yard for our hobbies, for Garielle to play, etc. This could also fit in the first value.
Independence (Finances & Career)
1) Become self-employed by December 31, 2008 as an online entrepreneur through the following businesses:
a. Holly Zenith (decided to nix this one)
b. New & Improved You (nixing this one too)
c. A career or life coaching business (not sure.)
I need to revisit this.
2) Be securely employed in a job I can enjoy by July 1, 2007. (done, unless they fire me.)
3) Become financially savvy, comfortable with our own portfolio, understanding money, be a skilled budgeter and a saver, be confident in my financial decisions.
4) Have at least 3 months salary in reserve.
So from this, I actually developed yearly plans, which I broke down even further into months. I followed them pretty well until, oh . . . maybe this past December. So now I need to look at my monthly plans.
I find that I stall out quite easily. If I give myself little bits of an overall goal, I sometimes can manage it.
More in next post.
Citizenship, money, and all the things I want!
I passed the citizenship test, and on June 27, I go to my swearing in. And then I'll be a Canadian. How funny is that! I grew up in a small Ohio town between soybeans and corn, as white-bread as can be, got myself baptized in the local Methodist church, said the Pledge of Allegience before school assemblies and so on. And now I'm a Canadian Jew. Ha ha ha ha ha!
So we went out today to try to buy a bunk bed and a play system for Garielle. If you read "Can This House Be Rescued," you'll get the whole grisly story.
It's time to come out of the closet with something. We are in a little more debt than we're happy with. Oh, I know, lots of people are in debt. I don't know why it's so shameful for me. It's just awful.
We've never missed a payment, and we always pay way more than any minimum, so we're still fine, upstanding people.
But now we're talking about buying these things for Garielle, and we're talking about all the things we need to do to this house to make it tolerable, things that won't improve the value of the house at all because of the ridiculously high property values here - anyone buying this house would just level it and build a new one, like everyone else in the neighbourhood is doing. But we can't afford that.
We need to beat this debt down. It seems to take all of our current income to maintain our standard of living. When we look at things to cut out of our life, we just don't want to. And Eric's income is precarious -he's on contract, and who knows how long that will last. And I work in a non-profit. I just started a new position with the organization I've been with for 4 years, so I don't want to go somewhere else.
So . . .
I'm doing something really nutty. I'm signing on as an Avon rep. God. I know. Have I sunk this low?
On the other hand, every time I encounter an Avon lady, I order from her. I just can't think of myself as an Avon lady. I mean, every time I go into a restaurant, I order something from the waitress, but that doesn't mean I should wait tables, right?
Well, truth be told, I used to wait tables, a million years ago. Wouldn't want to do that again. You work your ass off for next to no money. If you ever want to hire someone with a proven slave work ethic, find a waitress.
And, more truth being told, about 80 million years ago, I did sell Avon. My cousin and I did it together when we shared an apartment at university. As I recall, it was a pain in the ass. But we only had 1 car between the two of us, and we kept spending our profits on products and we ended up owing more than we sold.
So it seems there are 2 ways to be an Avon rep. One can just be a rep, sell products, and keep the profits. Or one can go the Leadership route and build a team. That's probably where the real money is. But who has the time?
And here's the other nutty thing. I haven't told Eric yet. I can't believe I am posting a secret in a public blog, and that I'm telling the entire world before I'm telling my husband, my best friend, the person I trust more than anyone else on the planet. It's because I know what he'll say - he'll say it's a lot of screwing around, it won't be worth the money, it's a bit of a scam, I'm "above" this sort of thing, Avon ladies are high-school dropouts with mall hair and no career aspirations, Avon is for people who don't have what it takes to get a "real" job, and on and on and on and on . . . that's what he'd say. Well, that's what he WILL say, because the truth will come out sooner or later. It will probably come out when I ask him to take brochures to his office - hee hee!
But! If I can sell some orders and NOT spend a lot on stuff myself, but only buy the stuff we have to buy anyway (shampoo, etc), maybe I can make a little extra money to tack on to our debt payments.
It's worth a shot, right?
So we went out today to try to buy a bunk bed and a play system for Garielle. If you read "Can This House Be Rescued," you'll get the whole grisly story.
It's time to come out of the closet with something. We are in a little more debt than we're happy with. Oh, I know, lots of people are in debt. I don't know why it's so shameful for me. It's just awful.
We've never missed a payment, and we always pay way more than any minimum, so we're still fine, upstanding people.
But now we're talking about buying these things for Garielle, and we're talking about all the things we need to do to this house to make it tolerable, things that won't improve the value of the house at all because of the ridiculously high property values here - anyone buying this house would just level it and build a new one, like everyone else in the neighbourhood is doing. But we can't afford that.
We need to beat this debt down. It seems to take all of our current income to maintain our standard of living. When we look at things to cut out of our life, we just don't want to. And Eric's income is precarious -he's on contract, and who knows how long that will last. And I work in a non-profit. I just started a new position with the organization I've been with for 4 years, so I don't want to go somewhere else.
So . . .
I'm doing something really nutty. I'm signing on as an Avon rep. God. I know. Have I sunk this low?
On the other hand, every time I encounter an Avon lady, I order from her. I just can't think of myself as an Avon lady. I mean, every time I go into a restaurant, I order something from the waitress, but that doesn't mean I should wait tables, right?
Well, truth be told, I used to wait tables, a million years ago. Wouldn't want to do that again. You work your ass off for next to no money. If you ever want to hire someone with a proven slave work ethic, find a waitress.
And, more truth being told, about 80 million years ago, I did sell Avon. My cousin and I did it together when we shared an apartment at university. As I recall, it was a pain in the ass. But we only had 1 car between the two of us, and we kept spending our profits on products and we ended up owing more than we sold.
So it seems there are 2 ways to be an Avon rep. One can just be a rep, sell products, and keep the profits. Or one can go the Leadership route and build a team. That's probably where the real money is. But who has the time?
And here's the other nutty thing. I haven't told Eric yet. I can't believe I am posting a secret in a public blog, and that I'm telling the entire world before I'm telling my husband, my best friend, the person I trust more than anyone else on the planet. It's because I know what he'll say - he'll say it's a lot of screwing around, it won't be worth the money, it's a bit of a scam, I'm "above" this sort of thing, Avon ladies are high-school dropouts with mall hair and no career aspirations, Avon is for people who don't have what it takes to get a "real" job, and on and on and on and on . . . that's what he'd say. Well, that's what he WILL say, because the truth will come out sooner or later. It will probably come out when I ask him to take brochures to his office - hee hee!
But! If I can sell some orders and NOT spend a lot on stuff myself, but only buy the stuff we have to buy anyway (shampoo, etc), maybe I can make a little extra money to tack on to our debt payments.
It's worth a shot, right?
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