Ms. B. Discussions and Reviews

 Finally posted my first video for my Avon YouTube channel. It is a place where I will be posting videos of products that I actually use and love. Seeing is believing. Instead of just telling you about it in my blog I wanted to have a more one-on-one experience with you. More videos will follow in the near future since there are different catalogues that come out often. As soon as I’m able to send e-brochures, those that don’t live in the same city will be able to shop Avon with me.

 Today is turkey day in Canada. Yep, Thanksgiving. It’s amazing how so many Americans did not know our Thanksgiving is not the same day. More than a month difference. If this is news to you, then you just learned something . In this edition of Motivational Mondays, I want to focus on the positive things and people in each of your lives.

Think about this. No matter what your situation is at any given point, there is always someone else in a situation worse off than you.

What that means is, do not take for granted the good that is in your life at the present moment. It can be as simple as being thankful for the ability to breathe every day. Good health, financial security, family, friends, a good education, clean water. The list can go on. When you are thankful for what you already have, it can give you motivation to continue living life. It is all about your mentality. If you change your mindset into a more positive one, you open yourself for more good to come in.

Here is something I would like you to try. Every day for the next month. Write down 2 things you are grateful for. Keep this piece of paper and make a list. After a month, you will see how many blessings you have been fortunate to receive.

A few quotes I want to share with you.

Thanksgiving, after all, is a word of action. - W.J. Cameron

If you can’t feed a hundred people, then just feed one. - Mother Teresa

Celebrate the happiness that friends are always giving, make every day a holiday and celebrate just living! - Amanda Bradley

 The well known Avon lady has been around for decades. Starting out doing door-to-door sales in your neighbourhood. I always associated Avon with my grandparents’s generation. My grandmothers would always buy the lipsticks, those talc powders you spread on your bed before you go to sleep. Don’t forget the Skin-So-Soft brand of bath oils. They would be great in the summer as a mosquito repellent. Haha those were the days. My mom recently became a representative. She was looking for something part-time to do. The more I looked into it myself, the more I thought, “hey I could do this.”

Avon as a company has changed a lot. They still have their staple brands but at the same time, they have kept up with the times. I’m sure they had to or else they would not be in business anymore. They have a wide array of beauty products. Makeup for many different skin colours. As a black woman, I had concern about that but they proved me wrong. I was impressed. Avon also has well known celebrity spokespersons to represent them. Right now it is Reese Witherspoon. She has a perfume called In Bloom. I smelled it last night at an Avon meeting and it’s very floral but not too overwhelming. This being the holiday shopping season, there are so many items to choose from. The 3 packs of dip are scrumptious. They sell clothes, shoes, jewelry and accessories. Products for dogs too. A line named Mark is great for teenage girls and young women in their twenties. I was looking at everything the other night and thinking if there are so many products that I would buy myself then I’m sure a lot more people like me are out there. I’m pushing thirty myself. In my opinion there is something for everyone.

I’m really excited about getting my own business going. Who would of thought I would be an Avon lady? The best part is that Avon is online now! So I can send my clients from all over the world an e-brochure and they can shop through me. I made a YouTube channel where I’m going to be posting videos of the products I use from Avon or new promotions. So you can always keep up to date with me that way too. http://YouTube.com/melanie4avon . If you would like a FREE consultation and you’re in the Montreal area, you can email me at melanie4avon@live.caIf you’d like an e-brochure to shop with me, please don’t hesitate to contact me through that same address. You could start your own business too with Avon and start accumulating your own income. Once again, contact me via email.

Stay tuned to my videos on YouTube!

 Most have us have been through some kind of heartbreak. If you have not yet, it is only a matter of time. Sorry to burst your bubble. It is just a part of life. Sometimes if happens more to some than others. This does not seem very motivational right now, I know. If this is your first time going through a heartbreak, the way you deal with it makes all the difference.

First of all, acknowledge it! Do not deny what transpired. Whether it was your fault or not. After you acknowledgement, you will be ready to go through the other set of emotions. If you don’t you really won’t be able to move on completely. In the beginning, find ways and things to build yourself up again. For me it is music. I think I have a soundtrack for every emotion hahaha. If I could sing, I would make my own damn songs and sing them myself. Alas I can not, so I leave it up to the artists and songs that relate to what I am going through at the time. My list of songs are more suited for women at times. Why wouldn’t they be since I am a woman. Here are some song you might want to add to your ipod/MP3 and make a playlist for yourself. Feel free to comment and add your own selections.

• Real Love - Mary J. Blidge
• Karma - Alicia Keys
• Me, Myself and I - Beyonce
• Single Ladies - Beyonce
• Shut Up - Black Eyed Peas
• It’s My Life - Bon Jovi
• Be OK - Chrisette Michelle
• Like a Pimp - David Banner
• Survivor - Destiny’s Child
• Freak ‘em Dress - Beyonce
• Son of a Gun - Janet Jackson
• Control - Janet Jackson
• On to the Next One ft. Swizz Beats- Jay-Z
• Dirt off Your Shoulder - Jay-Z
• Hate on Me - Jill Scott
• Like I Used To - John Legend
• What Goes Around - Justin Timberlake
• Loe Lockdown - Kanye West
• Sorry - Madonna
• It’s a Wrap - Mary J. Blidge
• When a Woman’s Fed Up - R. Kelly
• You Don’t Know Me - T.I.
• Million Dollar Bill - Whitney Houston
• Salute - Whitney Houston

 It is that time of the year again. The Staples store commercials on TV where parents are nothing less than enthusiastic when buying new school supplies. With the song in the background…”It’s the most wonderful time of the year….”. When you go into a mall you see more sweaters, school bags and laptops on sale. Going back to school is somewhat like a new beginning. New supplies, fresh gear, new friends and bonds to be made. I’ve always loved school. Never liked getting up in the morning to go but in general school was great. Most people do well in the beginning. It’s when 2-3 weeks go by that people begin to slack off. Here are some quotes and suggestions students of many ages can relate to.

• Think of school as a social event. When you interact with people it doesn’t seem like work as much. (Be careful to keep this in check.)
• Be an expert in your field. Learn on your own. Don’t just rely on the information you receive by your teachers and professors.
• Have short term goals. They are usually easier to manage. Once you know your goals, write them out on paper. When you write out your goals there is a better chance that you will actually do what you have to do to achieve them.
• This might be too late but a week before you start your first day, wake up early. A new routine can be a shock on your body so prepare yourself.
• Get a rewards program going. If you’re old enough, when you do well, reward yourself with something special for you. It doesn’t have to cost any money. It could be a relaxing night to do as you wish. Bubble bath, movie and junk food. If you are in high school maybe you can come to a compromise with your parents on a reward program.
• Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm… - Ralph Waldo
• As long as there are test there will be prayers in schools. - Author Unknown
• Learning is a treasure that will follow its owner everywhere. - Chinese Proverb
• In youth we learn; in age we understand. - Von Ebner-Eschenbach