We're Expanding

Hello everyone!

Thanks for stopping by.  You've probably noticed that there hasn't been much activity going on here lately.   After much pondering Robert and I decided that he was the more talented writer and since he would be taking over as the primary contributor, he wanted a blog where he could be more expansive with his topics.

So he decided to create a new blog titled "Robert Wrote What?"  He plans to expand on topics a little closer to his heart such as aviation, automobiles, music, guitars, art, movies, Scentsy and just about anything else that comes to mind.   Stop by for a visit.  We would love to see you!  

www.RobertWroteWhat.com

....now, where was I?

So, Katie asks me from time to time if I have posted anything on the blog and one thing leads to another, time slips away from us, Yada yada yada and I'm really tired today (anyone guess where that's from?)  Next thing you know more than a few months have gone by without so much as a peep from our little blog. Well let's see if we can do something productive and change that.

I think the last time we were talking about Halloween in the RP (Rose Park... Salt Lake City) and there have been a few holidays since then. We enjoyed a very nice holiday season with a sensational Christmas and festive New Year welcoming 2013.  Following that however was one of the coldest winters we have seen in many years.  Single digit temperatures for days on end accompanied by a temperature inversion definitely tested our resilience.  And then came the flu.  Not just one of us at a time but the whole family at once.  Oh it was much fun.  The bright side however was we were all together and cozy in one room enduring and convalescing.  That passed, we soldiered through a few more weeks of challenging weather and now our efforts are being rewarded with the beginnings of another dazzling Wasatch spring.  Soon enough though the temps will be heading toward the triple digits and the memories of the big chill will cease to exist and it will be just too darned hot but it will be good thus sayeth I.
                           

We haven't spent all of our springtime in the Beehive State though. Mom and Dad spent a week in Charleston, South Carolina while daughter had a week with Grams and Gramps in Covington,Georgia.  Two very similar cities steeped in history and tradition yet worlds apart.  We really had a terrific time in Charleston eating shrimp and grits, sweet tea, fresh fish prepared in countless ways, out of this world barbeque, collared greens, sweet potatoes, sweet tea, more grits, hush puppies, southern style green beans... did I mention sweet tea?  If you haven't sipped this truly southern of beverages than you are missing much.  Let's see... what else...oh yeah, we saw some of the city of Charleston too.  Actually a lot of the city but I was amazed at how much emphasis was placed on the food and cooking in such a historical, cultural place... not that there's anything wrong with that. It is highly recommended to take historical walking or carriage tours. The residents of Charleston along with the local government take on not only responsibility but great pride in keeping traditions but history alive and intriguing. While in Covington, GA the activities were much different.  We did something really interesting... we relaxed!  We heard about this relaxing thing once and after actually participating in it, we liked it!  Spring in the south is very nice.  Of course we can't just write about our very enjoyable vacation without a nod to Scentsy and our Scentsy family of consultants and customers who made this possible.  The owners of Scentsy, in all their awesomeness, provide an incentive every year in the form of a paid vacation to reward the dedication, hard work and diligence of the top producers in Scentsy.  The incentive destination is always fabulous and this year was just that! Thanks to Orville and Heidi Thompson for a great time!
 

Celebrating our 5 Year Scentsy Anniversary

This week marks our 5 year anniversary with Scentsy! Many thanks to all of you who have helped support our business.  We couldn't do it without our great customers and team! Thanks to you, we are living our dream.

It all started when my husband called me about a business opportunity he heard about from a co-worker.  He thought it would be perfect for our situation.  After the tragic events of 9-11 and many paycuts later, I was looking for a way to help bring in extra income.  Not wanting to miss out on the once in a lifetime events with our kids and refusing to put them in daycare, I was looking for something that offered a flexible schedule and the opportunity to work from home.  Who wasn't?  I was discouraged and didn't think it was possible.

I was misinformed about direct sales, so after hearing that Scentsy was a party plan company I told my husband in no way possible was I interested.  Despite my objection, he brought home a Scentsy catalog.  (One of those rare times I'm glad he didn't listen to me)  While walking this catalog over to the trash can I decided to look at it for his sake, so I could at least tell him I did check it out. I had never heard of Scentsy but after browsing this catalog, it was as though a light bulb went off! I instantly fell in love with the products Scentsy offered and had a great feeling about this company, its leadership and direction.  I decided to take a leap of faith and invest $99 to start this business venture. My original goals was simply hoping I could make a little extra money for our family. I had no idea how life changing this decision would be.

5 years later Scentsy is solely supporting our family and has allowed my husband to retire from his full time aviation career. I get to work every day with my best friend! We have the freedom and flexibility to travel, be available for our family, school functions, etc. We haven't missed one school event or field trip this year. It is comforting knowing we are in charge of our destiny and never need to worry again about tragic world events or the economy affecting our livelihood.

If that weren't enough, we have also earned all expense paid vacations to Banff,  Hawaii, Disney World, Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic and stays at the Broadmoor and Grand America Hotel with spa treatments to boot.  This coming summer, I have already earned an all expense paid vacation to one of 6 locations.  We are still debating, but an all expense paid vacation to New York City and staying at the Waldorf Hotel is at the top of the list.  Staying at the Waldorf Hotel has always been a dream of mine and I am so excited this dream may soon be a reality.  These vacations are first class all the way.  I have never felt so spoiled and appreciated by a company before.   

Scentsy has also allowed me to step outside my comfort zone and uncover potential I never realized nor imagined possible.  Little did I realize I would be leading a team of consultants throughout the US, Canada, UK, Germay and Ireland with many more destinations on the horizon.  This amazing group consists of over 1,800 consultants including a group of 20 Directors.  I am so inspired by this group.  They have taught me so much and humble me everyday.   What a ride it has been to watch this incredible team uncover their own greatness and accomplish goals and opportunities they never imagined. 

Along this journey I have also been blessed to meet some of the greatest people that inspire me to be a better person. I am so honored to be part this talented group!  I am overwhelmed with emotion on where this journey has taken us, and we have only just begun!

Thank you for being part of our success and here's to many more great years ahead! 

Halloween 2012 in Rose Park

Halloween. All Hallows Eve. Hence the picture. Anyway, the evening of spooks and sweets and trick or treating has passed but....wait a minute...trick or treating?  Before going further we have to look at our time honored tradition of the children (or children at heart) dressing up in fanciful, frightful costumes and going door to door collecting treats from the neighbors after calling out "trick or treat."  Simple right?  We always thought so but apparently things are changing.  While helping at our daughter's recent school Halloween function, one of her friends told us how several other kids in attendance were expressing jealousy that she and our daughter were going trick or treating that night because they (the other kids) were not.  Their neighbors didn't celebrate trick or treating anymore.  Another parent even asked us where we are located so she might be able to bring her child to participate in our neighborhood. 

Our neighborhood is cool!

We live in an interesting, colorful, diverse, eclectic, conventional, unconventional, curious little neighborhood with tree lined streets, sidewalks and streetlights called Rose Park which is just a stone's throw from Downtown SLC but in some ways suburban in feel while remaining a city community.  Shortly after moving here we ran into a former neighbor who asked where we relocated and after telling him he said "oh you're in the RP?" and it stuck.  California my have the OC but we have the RP!  So back to Halloween.  The RP just seems to be one of those neighborhoods where trick or treating is a natural.  It is idyllic with streetlighting and big old trees and lots of children.  The element of safety is also a very nice bonus in that we live in a community where neighbors look out for each other.

From dusk until well after dark the trick or treaters come.  In years past I've actually had to return to our local grocer to purchase more candy as we greatly underestimated the demand.  One group of older trick or treaters came to the door a bit late and informed us they came to our neighborhood because the more posh neighborhood they originally chose was "lame."

One of our neighbors is so committed to halloween, he decorates the entire house and yard with all manner of creatures and spooks to the point where one cannot even see the house at all!

Basically, Halloween is always a lively, fun and entertaining event here in Rose Park.  It always brings back warm memories for us old folks of the days when we participated in this curious ritual of altering our appearance and going door to door collecting treats from the neighbors, which seems to becoming a lost art.

As with all holidays, our company Scentsy gets in on the fun with new warmers and scents to help celebrate the occasion and liven things up a bit sort of like this guy up here.  I believe the scent we had (have) warming in here is Mandarin Moon.  Sounds like it smells good huh?  It does!  Anyway, thanks for being here and we hope you enjoyed your Halloween as much as us. 

Is it Ever Too Late to Pursue a Dream? How about Online Violin Lessons?

While we were living in Seattle we were lucky enough to witness the Seattle music scene.  When they talk about the Seattle music scene... they aren't kidding.  It is incredible!  We feel very fortunate that our youngest was exposed to this music scene and the violin at her school, which in turn stirred her passion to play in the orchestra.  After a benefit concert involving Geoffrey Castle at her school she was passionately hooked.  

I was introduced to a professional violinst through a previous co-worker by the name of Loralyn Staples about 20 years ago.  When she plays it makes you quiver in your boots, she's so good.  We felt pretty spoiled when Loralyn came by for a visit and offered to  teach our youngest a few fiddle tunes.  Within 10 minutes she had our youngest playing fiddle tunes at a high level.  We were blown away!  Her expertise and knowledge in addition to keeping our youngest childs passion going prompted me to ask Loralyn to write a blog post so we could learn more about her, her story and her journey to share her extreme talent with the rest of the world.   

So without further delay...     

"My mother loves the violin. She swoons at the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto. She attends all my concerts. She even pretended to like them when I was young and they probably weren’t very good. My mom wanted to learn to play the violin, but she grew up in a tiny farm town in Wyoming where there was no school program for violin, and definitely no private violin lessons. Instead, she joined the school band and learned to play Clarinet. Did she love it? Nope. She played it because she didn’t have the opportunity to follow her heart.

But she made darned sure that I had the opportunity to learn the violin. She instilled in me the same love for violin music, classical and fiddle. She supported me in every endeavor. She lived her dream through me, and I love her for making the sacrifices she made so that I could become a professional violinist.

I have performed with many groups, orchestras, celtic bands, country fiddle bands, opera, ballets, symphonies, quartets, performing has been my life… until a mishap involving my finger and a car door caused me to discover that I can also TEACH violin, and I quickly became passionate about helping others to pursue their dream of playing the violin.

I think my mother was satisfied to see my accomplishments on the violin.  But I wonder what would have happened if she had decided to learn it for herself? Could she have done it? Would she have found a good violin teacher?  Is it ever too late to pursue a dream?

With my mother in mind, I developed ONLINE VIOLIN LESSONS and ONLINE FIDDLE LESSONS designed especially for the adult learner—those who had to put their dreams on hold while they raised a family, or paid medical bills. Later in life, adults suddenly have the ability to pursue dreams they put on hold because they finally have the time or the money.  My online violin lessons are flexible, affordable and effective for the adult lifestyle, and many of my students tell me they just can’t bring themselves to take a lesson in person each week, and be subject to criticism from someone half their age. Some live too far away for private lessons, and some cannot afford the private lesson fee.  I like to believe that I have removed these obstacles for most people through my online violin lessons.

I have had the privilege of watching my adult students work their way through “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” and eventually find themselves playing Bach, or a wicked fiddle tune. I watch the smile on their faces as they joyfully make the music their hearts have longed for their entire life.

There are plenty of people are around to say, “Music is for the young. You just can’t learn new things as well as a child.  Kids are like sponges.  It’s easy for kids” yada yada.  Well, I have taught both adults and children, and I can honestly tell you that for every advantage a child has over an adult, the adult has a reciprocal advantage over the child.  Attention span. Coordination. Attention to detail. Maturity. Experience.  It goes both ways!

It takes consistence, persistence, commitment, and hard work, but it is within your reach to pursue your dream. Learn Russian. Learn to dance. Parasail. Learn to play music. Learn violin.

Am I trying to sell you something? Absolutely not. I am telling you that it’s NEVER too late to pursue your dream!"

Thank you Loralyn for sharing your story with us.  To learn more, visit http://www.reddesertviolin.com. 

Seattle is for the Birds!

Well now first of all ,the title of this post is not in the traditional use of this phrase but more literally. You see, there are some differences between Seattle and Salt Lake City.  Ok, alot of differences.  But one of those differences is the birds!  The avian population in Seattle and the Pacific Northwest is, well... huge.  Seattle is for the birds!  Salt Lake City on the other hand just doesn't seem to attract the feathered community as much.  This doesn't apply to our numerous neighbors who have decided to keep the non-flying feathered variety in their yards here in the city but I believe if the chickens had their choice they would be elsewhere but who knows.  Now just as the chickens didn't have a choice for their location, the birds in the Seattle area seem to be quite happy, choice or not, because there are so many of them.  From our kitchen table in Mukilteo we were always entertained by crows (or Ravens) cardinals, Blue jays, sparrows, swallows, several varieties of woodpecker and so many more we couldn't identify with many shapes and colors.  Of course when you go down to the water, along with the crow family there was the ever present large seagull clan.  Remember in 'Finding Nemo' when the seagulls were saying "mine"..."mine"...."mine" repeatedly?  They actually do say that!  Most impressive though about the Pacific Northwest bird population are the raptors. Eagles, Hawks, Falcons, etc. fill the skies regularly and not to the pleasure of the other birds as they try to chase the birds of prey away from their nests.  Now, travel 900 miles south, southeast to our home here in the high desert and one is left thinking the birds have been evicted from Utah. There is a bird population here in SLC just nothing compared to Seattle and vicinity. Interestingly enough there is a sizeable goose and duck presence here and the  previously mentioned raptors are here as well, just not in the same numbers.  One particular brand of bird that does very well here in Zion is this fella:

This is the Magpie.  Very large.  Very handsome. Very vocal.  Very annoying.  Now don't misunderstand, they are impressive birds with great colors and aerial skills unmatched for big fliers but in questioning the lack of any other types of birds.  I'm told that these guys are to blame.  They are the bird mafia with their tuxedos and attitudes.  They don't fear much; they actually chase the cats away and most people can walk right up to them before they fly away.  I have to wonder if they are afraid of people or just not interested. I go with the latter.

Well, there you go.  My thoughts on the birds of The Northwest and The Desert.  A topic on the minds of many I'm sure.  Another topic near and dear to my heart of course is the luxury and reward of being able to earn our living from home where I can spend more time exploring the important issues facing us like the bird population and so on.  The awesome company Scentsy, Inc. has given us the opportunity to own and operate our own business. And if making the world smell a little nicer wasn't enough, Scentsy has provided us with even more opportunity by providing that world with chocolate, chocolate by the name of Velata.  It doesn't end here though.  A beautiful line of ladies handbags and accessories called Grace Adele is our very latest offering and a more beautiful, unique and functional hand bag or purse you'll not find anywhere! I have my eye on a couple of bags but they just don't go with my shoes!  Oh well... hey I think I see a bird other than a magpie outside so I'm off to check it out.  Thanks for being here.  ~  Robert

Wickless. It's not just for scents anymore!

   It be a happy day!  Well if you like chocolate it is and frankly I don't know of anyone who doesn't like chocolate... ok, let me explanate.  Here at www.Addicted2Scents.com we offer a line of scentual, fragrant wax warmers, room sprays and other smell good things by Scentsy, the wickless candle company from Idaho. Well, after 8 years and thousands of nice smelling homes later, the little warmer that started it all is being used to warm something else for those homes: chocolate!  In the form of fondue that is. I'm not sure if chocolate actually has a significant enough fragrance. hmmm. Okay, sorry I'm getting off track.  And now we are as proud as a peacock to announce the newest brand by Scentsy called Velata!  Velata uses the same technology in the Scentsy warmer except of course to melt chocolate instead of wax and to eat instead of sniff sniff... sniff...I'm getting a bit choked up now because all this talk of fondue makes me want some now but of course it's all gone because everybody liked it so much it disappeared almost as soon as we got it and... sorry, there I go again.  In fact, there's one of the culprits now.... me wee sweet daughter!  So that's where the strawberries went!

    Honestly it's pretty good stuff. Currently there are 4 flavors of chocolate offered: 
milk chocolate, white chocolate, dark chocolate, and caramel milk chocolate. I wouldn't know about the dark chocolate but the beautiful young lady above assured me it was quite good. I'm placing my secret order soon.  As you can see from the pictures the warmers are very much alike just the dish on top is different as it is used to serve edible melted stuff. Oh and what a breeze to clean up because basically there is nothing to clean up!  Unplug it (remember there's a light bulb inside), toss the dish in your dishwasher on the top rack and call it good!
   You really owe yourself (oh okay, and your family and friends) a great desert and even though you're thinking "fondue? What a messy pain!" trust me, Scentsy made it easy and convenient... not to mention a pretty yummy way to get the younguns to eat their fruit!  Well if I want some Velata it looks like I'd better go... I see Katie and daughter heading to the kitchen.

                                                                                                                   Robert Jones
                                                                                                        www.Addicted2Fondue.com 

Spring time in Slick City (SLC)

 Is it Spring already? The last time I found a minute to come in here and put down a thought or two it was Christmas time and trying to be winter (one of the mildest on record as it turned out)! Well according to the calender and the glorious weather (as well as the sneezing!) we are out of winter and entering another Wasatch spring. Oh...hold that thought......I just glanced out the window at the tulips and daffodils who are just now showing off their colors and noticed that the blue skies and sunshine have become obscured by clouds thus removing that springlike euphoria. Oh well....that's the way it goes here at 4000+ feet altitude so if you don't like the weather now just wait an hour or so and it will change!

   Along with the warm spring temps and visuals we also get to enjoy the fragrances of the changing seasons (refer to previous mention of blooming flora )and of course our favorite provider of manufactured fragrances, Scentsy, just happened to release a new line of fragrant products for the laundry called Layers by Scentsy to coincide with Spring and all it's glory. One actually looks forward to doing laundry even though one should be out of doors since it is Spring!

   From what I gather from friends and associates in the Pacific Northwest where our blog first saw the light of day as well as our former residence, the winter and spring there have been slightly different from what we've experienced here in the high desert. To put it simply:wetter....ok just wet. A colleague there recently told me they actually get all four seasons in one day....regularly. I actually remember days like that and once when I commented on the weather there my friend responded "isn't it dramatic?" From that point on I always observed the meteorological conditions of Seattle and surroundings as just that; dramatic! Another point to make however is that when the weather decides to play nice in the northwest there is arguably no finer place to be on this planet as was the case on the very day we departed our Mukilteo home for Utah last July. We actually had pause and asked ourselves now, why is it we're leaving?!

  
  Well even though the world outside our humble abode suddenly no longer has the appearance of Spring, I'm going outside anyway to investigate the grounds and discover what other fauna are waking up after a long sleep to enjoy another season in the sun! Until next time.....

Scentsy Christmas Giveaway Winner

                                                                                                                                

Good Day to everyone! Our Scentsy Christmas Giveaway has drawn to a close and after randomly selecting a name late last night...we have a winner! Before revealing our lucky recipient however, we just want to sincerely Thank everyone who participated and for being a part of our blog. We do hope you continue to visit us every once in a while. So, without further delay, the winner of the Plum Garland Scentsy Warmer & Wax Bar is Kim @ Chubby Cheeks Thinks! Congratulations Kim! In order to claim your gift please respond by email to Addicted 2 Scents @ gmail . com by Monday 12/12/2011. If no response we will select another winner. Again, our thanks to everyone and Happy Holidays to all!

It's time for a Scentsy Christmas Giveaway!

Well, after a day of Thanksgiving fun and good times with family, my thoughts are now about Christmas and what I enjoy most about Christmas is giving!  It's not too shabby to receive something nice as well. So in this spirit, I would like to give something away!  Let's see... why not something I am already passionate about, Scentsy!  So, how about a beautiful Garland Scentsy Warmer and a fragrant Scentsy Bar to go with it.  Yes, that's it.  So, now all I need is someone to give this away to and a way to do it.  I think the best way is a drawing.   

To be entered in the drawing I just need a few simple things from you...     

1.  "Like" my page on Facebook, Click Here.
2.  Post this giveaway on Facebook, Twitter or your blog, with a link. (One entry and comment for each)      
3.  Subscribe to my monthly Scentsy E-Newsletter, Click Here.
4.  Visit my website www.Addicted2scents.com and leave a comment letting me know your favorite Scentsy product.  
5.  Follow my blog.     

On December 5, 2011, one lucky name will be randomly selected  to receive the beautiful Garland Scentsy Warmer and Scentsy Bar. 

The winner will have one week to e-mail me or another winner will be chosen.  So make sure to bookmark the page and come back for a visit to see if you are the lucky winner.     

Now for the fine print... only open in the US and Canada and no Scentsy Consultants please. 

Looking forward to 'meeting' you and hearing your comments.  Best Wishes and Best of Luck!