Houston We Have Problem!

Our trip to Maine was fantastic; we swam in a waterfall, lake and of course the hotel pool. We also did a little hiking, as much as my two year old would let us anyway. As great as Maine was, but boy is it good to be home, at least I thought it was until I realized…

We’ve Got Fleas

Well, we don’t but our dogs do. My father was ever so kind enough to watch our Australian Shepard and Beagle mix for us for the week while we were away. Unfortunately he lives in the woods where the fleas and ticks thrive on poor innocent bystanders such as dogs. When I say they were infested, I mean they were INFESTED!!!

I was so frantic to get rid of the darn fleas and obviously keep ‘em from spreading within the house, I spent 3 hours giving them a bath the moment we got home. I believe they are gone, but the poor dogs are still itching because the soap irritated their skin. I wish I had thought about an all natural remedy for fleas and ticks before hand, but my loss is your gain!

Getting Rid of the Itch

You can either do as I did by using Dawn Dish Soap or your favorite Shampoo to lather them up. Once well lathered, let it set for 5 minutes. Rinse thoroughly with warm water. This kills the fleas my suffocation, making them literally fall off your dog.

Getting Rid of the Itch ‘Ol Natural

According to Frances Gavin, you can steep 2 cups of Fresh Rosemary in 2 pints boiling water for 30 minutes. Strain the liquid and discard the leaves, make 1 gallon with warm water. Pour over dog until it’s saturated. Do Not rinse, let dog dry naturally.

You can probably use this same remedy to soak your dogs collar once a week to repel future fleas. Frances also suggests giving the dog a clove of garlic everyday. Fleas apparently don’t like the smell that the dog secretes after eating the garlic.

Good Luck!

Brandi

http://anewfeast.com

Recognizing our Dependencies

Last September, Bill Maher was very vocal about how our food and water supply are deteriorating. He also made note of the increase of sickness and disease along with the rise in pharmaceutical use. In a comedic way, this video can help us recognize our dependencies on the pharmaceutical drug companies and hopefully give us that extra push to make an effort and break free by changing our diets and ultimately our lifestyles.

On the other hand, drugs like hoodia and cialis are available online but except for phentermine and viagra, majority does not have a strong line of action.

Be the Change!

Brandi

http://anewfeast.com

In the Land of Internet…

…there once lived a day where good writing skills and elegant penmanship were critical when confessing enamored thoughts and affections to friends and family whom live miles away.

Now letters are all but obsolete.The hours once spent obsessing over just the right words to express our heartfelt emotion have been replaced by text messaging, emails and phone calls.

But to some, our high tech society can not take away that special something we feel when we receive a letter in the mail. Is it the hand addressed envelope that calls out to you from between the bills and mail order catalogs?

To me, it’s the thought that went into each sentence, each word, each letter. It’s finding the envelope, the address and the stamp.

These things all take time, which in this day in age is hard to come by. Letters show me how much the person cares about my family and I.

My mom was a pro when it came to sending letters and cards. I remember visiting her in Colorado after moving back with my father during their divorce. While she was teaching me how to drive stick shift, we stopped in the post office parking lot.

She went in and told me to get out. It took me all of 45 minutes to get out of that darn parking lot that day. I was so mad that I hadn’t even payed any mind to what she was doing in the post office.

Once I returned home, there laid a card on my desk telling me what a wonderful daughter I was, how much our time together meant to her and how she already missed me. This same card remains on my desk, 10 years later. As for every letter she ever wrote me, I keep them in a box inside my dresser drawer.

Life has a way of taking us away from the people we love most. Thanks to my mother, I try to keep in touch with friends, family and clients the best way I know how, by writing a thought provoked letter.

Who have you been meaning to write?

Until Next Time,

Brandi

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

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

Sorry it’s Been a While…

…it seems that every time I sit down to type someone is either sick, needs to be taken to the doctors or worse the hospital.  The things we do in the name of LOVE~

My cousin husband got home from Iraq last night, according to her she is now “ready to pop this baby out.”  I won’t be surprised in the least if I get a phone call at 1am telling me to meet her at the hospital. 

Thank you to all my readers for staying plugged in during my not so vacation vacation, I’ll keep you posted if anything changes:~)

Always,

Brandi

Office: 401-714-2462

http://anewfeast.com

Are You a Rising Mango Star?

If you are between the ages 8-14, now is your chance to prove it!  Since June is Mango Month, http://mango.org is holding a contest for all aspiring chefs to show us their very best mangolicious recipe.  Since Sam is too young to participate, I thought I’d share the news with you! 

With 2 weeks left, you could be the one to win a trip to New York City to be among the finalists in a mango recipe cook-off at The Institute of Culinary Education!  Best of all, the grand-prize winner will get to cook alongside Simply Delicioso star Ingrid Hoffman.  You can find more details at http://mango.org/risingstar

Good Luck!

Brandi

Office: 401-714-2462

http://anewfeast.com

Urilife Made it Across Country!

So the kids and I landed in Denver about 1:30am on Sunday and I think today is the first day we are actually feeling like ourselves again. Well, with the exception of Sam, I am pretty sure she has a bit of altitude sickness. We’ll take today to spruce her up a bit so we can enjoy this wonderful weather we are having!

I just realized I never did tell you why I am out here for so long. In case your inquisitive mind needs to know, there is something in Denver’s water supply that is causing an epidemic of pregnancies. My friend had a little boy a few months ago, my cousin had a little girl a few days ago and my other cousin is to have a little girl a few weeks from now.

No I didn’t come out here to get pregnant! I came out here to support all those who were, are and are going to be mothers. I think after a month I will have either settled my baby fix for a few more years or I will be longing to have another right this instant. What do you think?

I am happy to say that taking a home base business across country is easier than expected. 2000 miles away doesn’t make a difference when you have been marketing consistently on the Internet.

Believe it or not, that work actually starts working for you. All of the articles, blog posts, chats with friends in forums, everything…it all starts driving traffic to your site for you.

I like to think of it as “working smarter, not harder”.

Not to say you can stop working once it does, it just makes it refreshing to know that you can comfort your sick child or enjoy the day in the sun without having to worry about loss of income.

The best part about your work is the fact that all you are doing is making friends with people. There are no sales pitches, no hype, no lies…you get to serve people by being yourself from any where around the world, can’t beat that!

Hope you are enjoying your day!

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

What’s Worse than going to the Grocery Store Hungry?

…Going to the Red Sox game hungry! Why the heck didn’t I eat before the game???? Oh yeah, because I forgot to take care of myself again, Oops! So besides filling up on junk last night the Boston Red Sox vs. Tampa Bay Rays was a real knock out!

No seriously, the game was fueling with brawls after Boston’s Coco Crisp was hit on the right hip by a second-inning pitch from James Shields. Crisp ended up dropping his bat, charging the mound and ducking a wild right by Shields before throwing a few punches of his own.

It wasn’t until we got home that we realized their was another brawl between Boston’s Manny Ramirez and Kevin Youkilis. I guess they exchanged a few choice words in the dugout. Can’t get any more eventful than that!

With the exception of my upset stomach from the hot dog and fries, it was a pretty good night with a Final score of 7-1, Red Sox!

Have a great weekend!

Brandi

Ps. Here’s some pics of Da Brawl, Sam and I entertaining ourselves while waiting to see who will be thrown out of the game and two drunk guys entertaining Sam and I:~)