Quote of the Day: Who Would You Be Without Your Story?

“All my life I used to wonder what I would become when I grew up. Then, about seven years ago, I realized that I was never going to grow up…that growing is an ever ongoing process.” ~M. Scott Peck

As a child I remember being in such a hurry to grow up. The trouble is I became more of an adult than my parents. By age thirteen, I probably had more “real life” experience than most twenty year old’s.

Looking back, I can honestly say that I don’t hold an ounce of regret nor do I possess resentment towards my parents and how they chose to raise me.

On the http://thework.org, Byron Katie asks “Who would you be without your story.” I would be nothing, all of the life’s struggles have led to triumphs. Triumphs that have molded me into who I am today; a strong, confident woman, whom is wise beyond her years.

My parents have given me an excellent foundation to continue to grow upon. After all, growing is an ever going process.

Love,

Brandi

Office: 401-714-2462

http://anewfeast.com

What a Difference a Day Can Make!

After an exhausting day on Wednesday, we decided to take Thursday to rejuvenate ourselves with some fun in the sun, cold drinks and plenty of raw fruits and veggies.

THE RESULT: I felt so alive that I had trouble sleeping last night. It must have been all of the live whole foods in Urilife’s The Feast!

I hate admit that I ate absolutely horrible while in Colorado, but I will because I am an honest person. 33 days of bad eating, not good! It was the darn Mexican food I tell ya!

Even though I didn’t gain any weight, I felt miserable. I had no energy, was bloated, and I won’t even begin to tell you about the nasty thoughts that entered my mind each and every time I looked at myself in the mirror.

I recall a friend telling me a while back about an episode on Oprah. Dr. Oz had mentioned that everyone has a drug of choice when it comes to how we handle life’s ups and downs.

If you know anything about me, you know that my drug of choice is food. Whether sad, happy, stressed, excited or bored I turn to food. Well I use to anyway!

After coming to terms with the fact that, yes I have an eating disorder, I made some drastic changes not only to the foods I turned to but more importantly how I looked at myself. Because I now value myself, I have chosen to eat to live, instead of living to eat.

Unfortunately, I do slip up from time to time and when I do the thoughts come seeping their way in as well. But when I do get back on track I feel that much better. I’m excited to be back in the drivers seat when it comes to my family’s nutrition. Eating healthy makes for a healthy business too!

Yours Truly,

Brandi

Office:401-714-2462

http://anewfeast.com

The Beginning of the End

The kids and I are heading back to Rhode Island after a month long trip. While we are sad to leave our family, friends and beautiful views, we are excited to get life in order once again. Too bad we cannot fit it all in our suitcases to bring home with us!

We should arrive in Boston tomorrow around 5am. Talk about a red-eye flight! I am nervous to see how Riley does. Either he will sleep the whole flight or he will cry the whole flight, pray for me

This is a photo I shot today of Standley Lake in Arvada, Colorado.

What a way to end a wonderful vacation!

Love,

Brandi

Office: 401-714-2462

http://anewfeast.com

Quote of the Day: Falling in Love

“When it comes to love, you need not fall but rather surrender,surrender to the idea that you must love yourself before you can love another. You must absolutely trust yourself before you can absolutely trust another and most importantly you must accept your flaws before you can accept the flaws of another.“ ~ Philosophy: Falling in Love

Relaxation…

…what’s that??? I looked at the calendar today and realized that we have been going none stop for the last 25 days!!! Vacation…hmmmm, might need another one just to recover from this trip!

While we have been busy, we are having tons of fun too. We finally made it up to the Rocky Mountains on Saturday. There, we enjoyed the fresh mountain air with its views galore. The kids had a blast riding on the tractor, playing ball, fishing and to end the trip we went 4 wheeling in my uncles jeep.

Once we got home I received a call from my cousin who was on her way to the hospital to deliver number 3. So I got the kids to bed and rushed to the hospital just in time. I am so grateful I was able to be here for her.

You see, both of our mothers passed away unexpectedly 6 months apart from each other. It happened 5 years ago, but seems like yesterday. Her and I are more like sister, and I can’t help but feel that given the circumstances, my presence made a difference. Any how, the delivery went very well.

The last two days were spent recuperating. Let me tell ya, it was needed! Tomorrow we will drive up to Erie to see another uncle. On our way back I plan on driving through Estes Park to catch some more gorgeous views. I can’t wait to get home just so I can download all my pics to show you!

I’m trying really hard to see all of my friends, family, keep an eye on my Urilife business, visit all of the beautiful sites Colorado has to offer and drink The Feast so I have the energy to do so, but I am wondering…where did the last 25 days go??? Hopefully, I won’t lose anymore!

Love,

Brandi

Office: 401-714-2462

http://anewfeast.com

Exercise Less, Smile More!

Huh?  Yes, you read that right!  While it takes fewer muscles to laugh or smile than it does to frown, it has been well documented that both are not only fun, but also play an important in your maintaining optimal health!

My mom always told me to stick with a man that could make me laugh over one that was pleasing to the eye!  Of course in my teens I thought she had a screw loose, but now I am forever grateful for her wise words. 

Let’s face it life sucks sometimes, and well, sometimes you just need to drink The Feast and have a good laugh to make it through the day!  While Urilife’s The Feast tastes great, research shows that laughter actually protects the heart.  When we are stressed, the endothelium (protective layer in our blood vessels) decreases, allowing cholesterol to build up in our arteries.

Laughter can lower the risk of this hardening of the arteries.  It has also been linked to lowering the risk of diabetes, increase antibodies to help fight disease and increase blood flow.  Not to mention laughing 100 times is equivalent to 10 minutes on a rowing machine or treadmill!

Need I say more?  It seems that we have many choices throughout the bulk of the day, but I believe our most important is our happiness.  You can either be wrapped in bondage by negativity and stress or you can seek out the positive and humor in any given situation.

Flood your mind with thoughts that make you smile.  And we all know how contagious a smile is so be sure to pass it on, so they too can achieve True Optimal Health:~)

Make it a Day to Remember!

Brandi

Office: 401-714-2462

http://anewfeast.com

Dilemma: Taking Urilife on the Road

I am about to embark on a milestone with my Urilife home based business. On Saturday, June 14, 2008 Urilife and I are taking the kids and hitting the road for a month long vacation back home. Yup you heard me right! A month, can you believe it? It still hasn’t set in that we will be gone that long…I’m sure it will once we are there!

Where is home you ask? Colorado! We plan on staying with family and friends, all of which are pretty spread out within the state. So there will be lots of people to see and places to visit. We are quite excited, it’s been almost two years since we sold our house and moved to Rhode Island. Two years of missing family, friends and mountains!

On to the dilemma, well I think I have it under control (KEYWORD: think). The summer months are hands down the best time for building a strong business. Why? Because most people don’t realize this. They get that summer bug up their butt, forget about their contacts, and all their hard work is lost.

No competition=The perfect opportunity for you!

I am not about to lose this perfect opportunity to grow, and I hope you don’t either. Since I am going to be gone an entire month, it’s not totally a vacation but I definitely don’t want to make it a business trip either. One again, I enter the “balancing act”. Luckily as a WAHM of a six year old and a two year old, this isn’t at all new to me.

In fact, it seems to be the story of my life:~) Here are some solutions I came up with to make my trip a bit easier as well as business friendly:

1. Pack Light. Where ever ya go you’re bound to find a washer and dryer, no need to have a suitcase packed with 30 days worth of clothes. Besides you always manage to go home with more than you left with, at least I do anyway.
2. Pack Wise. When traveling with kids always make sure you have your carry on packed to the max. Bring snacks, drinks, toys (preferably quiet toys) and anything else you can think of to occupy their little minds.
3. Call ahead. Make sure your flight hasn’t been canceled for one, but they may also have a few tricks up their sleeves to making your flight enjoyable. I actually called to make sure someone from the airport can assist the kids and I on the plane. I’m as strong as any man, but carrying my 25lb boy, 30lb car seat, 20lb backpack all while holding my daughters hand without breaking a sweat is a bit much, don’t you think?
4. Locate Your WIFI. If taking a laptop, make sure you identify all of your hot spots either before or after you arrive to your destination. Most phone companies now offer a wireless plan for about $50 a month, which of course is a tax write off.
5. Locate A Computer. If you’re like me and have a hubby that won’t let you take the laptop, make sure you have a computer with Internet access where you will be staying. Isn’t it nice knowing you can build a business from any where in the world as long as you have a phone, computer and internet access?
6. Set Alarms. If the only time you have to work is before the kids get up or after the kids go to bed, do it! At home I am up before the rest of the family so I can catch up on my emails, get my schedule ready for the day or just have some me time. Why not do the same while I’m away? I will be using my cell as my alarm clock as well as a reminder for any appointments I have.
7. Eat Right. There’s nothing worse than going on vacation and gaining 10lbs. Make sure you don’t use your vacation as an excuse to eat lowzy. Yes the first meal I get will be a huge heaping green chili burrito but after that I will stick to my fruits, veggies, nuts and sprouts. Luckily The Feast comes in little packets so the kids and I can easily get our 5-9 fruits and veggies while running wild!
8. Have FUN!!! Remember to respect your family time as much as your business time and they too will respect you and your business. Don’t get upset if you have to reschedule an appointment, no one is perfect. As much as I try, I rarely have it all together! That’s the best part about working from home, you don’t have to be perfect. Aren’t you relieved?

How do you handle keeping up with work deadlines and communications while you’re on the road? I’m all ears when it comes to suggestions or even better, solutions

Always and Forever,

Brandi

Office: 401-714-2462

http://anewfeast.com

Quote of the Day: Two Life Paths

“Two roads diverged in a wood

And I took the one less traveled by

And that has make all the difference.”

~Robert Frost, The Road Not Taken

Have you ever reached a crossroad in your life? If so, which path did you chose to walk?

Always,

Brandi

Sorry Dell, I’m a Mac Girl Now!

Sorry for the delay in writing guys, my computer has been acting up this month and to my dismay I have had to put it rest after 6 inspiring years of partnership. I am sad to see it gone in the sense that my Dell spells comfort in my eyes. Oh well, I like to think of this experience as a new start!

On my search for a new laptop we decided to go for the Mac. Let me tell you it is phenomenal thus far and I am positive I haven’t even grasped 90% of it’s potential! What is even more cool the fact that our fancy computer is now a tax write off at the end of the year because I work from home.

Sorry Dell, I’m a Mac Girl Now!

Brandi

How Can I Work from Home with Kids Jumping on Me?

I was recently flipping through a copy of Success Magazine, when I found myself laughing hysterically at the site of one of the advertisements for a home based business. Come on, who really works from home dressed to the 9 with kids on their lap surrounded by a beautiful house?

The reality is, yes there are about 6 million Americans currently working from home, half of which probably do so in a house filled with noisy children, barking dogs and heaps of laundry piled on the coach. It’s advertisements like these that give us false pretenses and have us feeling like failures when we come to the realization that we’re not Clevers!

If this is you, know that you are not alone in your balancing act. Here are a few ideas to help you succeed when you have a household all competing for your undivided attention:

1. Let go of the perfectionism. No one is perfect. You are going to have interruptions, delemias and complete chaos at times. That’s okay! I can’t tell you how many times my 18 month old has been the ice breaker as he snatched the phone out of my hand to say “Hi”. Hey, it’s a great conversation starter!

If by chance someone gets offending, I thank them for their time and tell them that this is not the team for them. Simple as that! Learn to let go and just be YOU!

2. Make your family your top priority. Instead of multi-tasking your way to success, or should I say depression, take care of your family and then set aside a time to work on your business. You and I both know how hard free time is to come by so make sure you use this time productively.

And if you don’t get everything done, write them on your to do list for the next day. Just make sure you put your focus on all the things you did. Even if it was taking the kids out for ice cream and going to the park for the day! Some thing to think about: Muli-tasking lowers your IQ more than smoking marijuana.

3. Put together a special work box only to be taken out while you are working. For my 6 year old daughter’s box we have a variety of arts and crafts and for my 18 month old son’s we have his Finding Nemo DVD and a ton of cars and trucks.

Be sure that you value your time with your children and much as you value you the time spent building your business. That means keeping to your scheduled hours of work. The more your family sees you respect them the more they will not only respect you and your business but will also be more apt to help out as needed.

Working from home with children in the house can be daunty but instead of making them your excuse not to run a home based business make them your reason why you are running a successful home based business.

I make a great income working just 3 hours a day, 4 days a week. My Uri Life business continues to grow strong with each passing month all while my kids are on my lap trying to delete my files, smearing bananas across my face and using my leg as a jungle gym.

If I can do it, YOU CAN TOO! Just don’t expect me to answer my phone when you call. It’s not because I am avoiding you, it’s because my 18 month old has decide to play hide and seek with the darn thing and I am still trying to find it!

To Your Success!

Brandi