The PF Women Team at our Annual Team Retreat ~ 2018 Today on Seth Godin's blog, he said: It's tempting to decide to make a profit first, then invest in training, people, facilities, promotion, customer service and most of all, doing important work. In general, though, it goes the other way. Yes, it does. If you are waiting to make a profit before you do these things, in my experience you're not going to make a profit. So many organizations, ministries and churches are struggling with financial issues. I know your pain. As anyone who follows our story knows, our ministry was in a ton of debt four years ago when I came on as director. Since that time, we've gotten out of debt and turned a profit every year. God has done amazing things through out team, for which we give Him the glory! I find that what Seth is saying here is absolutely true, with one disclaimer. For Christian leaders, spiritual disciplines must always be first. Before we started i...
Oprah has her "favorite things" show as well as the feature every month in her "O" Magazine and I've been thinking of starting my own "favorite things. (Note: this is not an endorsement of Oprah. Please don't send me e-mails asking me why I said that.)
Anyway, thought I would share with you are few of my favorite things. Some of them might make a good Christmas gift for those in your life you are shopping for this season. Others are just "everyday use" items/products. Either way, they all put a smile on my face. By the way, I do not work for any of these companies nor do I get a kickback for telling you how great they are. So here we go:
1) The book Come Away My Beloved by Frances J. Roberts. I like to read a chapter a day. It's like a "letter from God to me". It's amazing how many times the chapter I am reading that day speaks directly to my situation. I come away from reading it feeling so loved and adored by God. All of the letters are scriptural, so that explains why! I just gave this book to my womens leaders last night at our Victorian Tea as an appreciation gift for 2007.
2) Dove soap products. I love them! I use Dove bar soap, and also the shower gel. For shaving, it's great! I also use the Pro-Age products/moisturizers. Great stuff. I am thinking I should be one of the "Dove" Girls. What do you think? Honestly I would LOVE IT but Larry has his reservations since the Dove Girls are in their bras and panties on the side of buses and billboards all over America. My thought: okay, so how is that any different than a bathing suit? (For those who don't know, the campaign isn't about sex appeal in advertising - these are REAL women with REAL bodies - in fact the theme is, "the campaign for real beauty".) He still thinks we would be called into the district office about it, and for this reason has reservations about me applying to be a Dove Girl. He doesn't want him or myself to have to sit in front of the presbytery and explain why I'm on the side of a bus in my underwear. I do think, however that I would make a good candidate since I actually USE the products, have for YEARS before they ever started that Dove Campaign and really BELIEVE IN the product. I also think the cool people in the A/G might actually be proud to have me as a Dove girl. But I will respect my husband's decision and not put in an application.
3) Dove sugar free chocolates. Different product, different company, same great name. I love Dove "dark" sugar free chocolates. They are so yummy. I always have a bag of them on hand. They help me with weight loss. Let me share with you my little trick. I always want a little something sweet after lunch or dinner. It used to be a cookie, or brownie or something like that. Of course that packs on a lot of weight. But I would be tempted especially if out to lunch, say at Subway or something like that, to get a cookie. Well now I keep a few Dove chocolates in my purse at all times. After I eat lunch or dinner, I eat one. It's an incredible chocolate treat and satisfies that craving for a sweet taste, at just a few calories. It works! I even took a bag with me to Africa.
4) Republic of Tea products. I've blogged about these before here. I love them!
5) Flip flops. You can't have too many pairs of these if you live in a warm weather environment. I wear them every single day at some point in my day, usually when I first wake up and I'm getting ready or when I get home and I'm cooking supper.
6) Sea salt. I use it on my food everyday at home. We just use McCormick sea salt and cracked pepper grinders. I am not sure if it's good or bad for you - I haven't asked because I don't want to know! I really like it. I got hooked on this because I love the Red Lobster baked potatoes when they have them covered in this salt. Yum! I know "salt" in itself isn't good for you to overdo it, and I'm not talking about excessive intake of it. I am just saying I like to sprinkle a little bit on what I'm eating.
7) Favorite stores: thrift stores, Ross, Bealls, Bealls Outlet, Kirklands.
8) Favorite restaurant - CARRABBAS!!!! Can anyone say, Spedino Dimare and pasta with tomato cream sauce??!!! Yiippeee! (not exactly a WW meal, but...for special occasions...)
9) "One Fabulous Fit" Strapless bra - Maidenform - I guarantee you, this bra will stay put! It's awesome. By the way, the maidenform saleswoman told me that their strapless is the SAME EXACT ONE as they one they sell at Victoria's Secret, made by the same manufacturer, it just has a different name on it. The Maidenform is just much better priced! In fact as you can see by going to their website here, you can purchase "One Fabulous Fit" for just $24. Trust me, I have a lot to hold up (I'm sure you wanted to know that - TMI) and this bra does the job. You will not have to worry about standing on the platform singing (or dancing in worship) and having a "wardrobe malfunction". (SMILE) Sorry if this embarrasses any of my male readers. But here's a tip - buy one of these for your wife. She'll love it!
10) Luzianne tea when making iced tea. I always use the family size bags. Jordan and I like this best for iced tea.
11) Old Bay seasoning. A Baltimore staple. I use this to season everything from my chicken salad, to fried chicken, to pasta salads, to soup, to you name it!
12) Kleenex Expressions Oval Tissues - the new "fancy" oval shaped boxes with designs. I know they are a lot more expensive than just a regular box. Truthfully I normally just purchase store brand tissues but since Kleenex came out with these I always keep a box on my desk. They are just really cool looking and I think it's nice to have them when people come in and talk to me and start crying. That happens to every pastor, it's not just that people come into my office and I make them cry. (SMILE) Check out their new boxes at www.kleenex.com. Right now they are selling holiday ones and Larry likes them so he got one for our house, but it will be gone in about two seconds flat with the way our kids use tissues. Hence, the reason I don't normally purchase them for the house and get the boxes from the dollar store.
13) Hellman's mayonnaise. I've tried many others but for my special salads that I make, nothing comes close to Hellman's. I make my famous chicken salad with it. Everyone raves about it. Probably half the dishes I'm serving tomorrow night at my open house have Hellman's in them. I know, it won't exactly be a low calorie night, but this is a once a year affair.
14) Reader's Digest. My favorite magazine! I've been a faithful reader for years and now I have Dustin hooked. I have been a huge fan since I was just a kid and I read it cover to cover the day it comes in the mail. I send a subscription to my sister too, "just because".
15) The Message Bible by Eugene Peterson. Such an enjoyable, easy read. Not for deep study of the Word of God, but just for pure enjoyment. I took mine to Africa with me and read it on the plane. Also got Dustin one for his birthday.
16) Rocking chairs. Any kind of rocking chairs. (Don't you love this feature of Cracker Barrel? One day I want to have a rocking chair in every room of my house. Right now I just have one in my bedroom and a recliner/rocker in the family room, but one day...
17) Rusk "Wired" multiple personality hair styling creme.. Nothing straightens my hair like this. It's awesome.
18) Bath and Body Works "Moonlight Path." Brenda Tobias from church introduced me to it a few years ago and I'm crazy about it. Brenda and her husband Adam got me this for Christmas a few years ago and I'm hooked. Lisa got it for me as a gift too this past year. I love the bath products (my absolute favorite bubble bath) and the body spray and perfume. Mmmmmmm...!!!
19) OPI nail products. I just don't think there is any better lasting polish, and the colors are just out of this world. My "nail people" (Tony & Lisa, and Mai) know that I get all excited the day I come in to the salon and the new OPI colors are in. Yippee! ("Deena...new collah come in fo you...nu shay av peenk, jus like yu like!")
20) The movie Evening. It just came out on DVD. I want it for Christmas. This past year I went to see it with Cathy, Misty and Misty's grandma. We LOVED it!!! It stars Claire Danes, Toni Collette, Vanessa Redgrave, Natasha Richardson and Meryl Streep. I am crazy about this movie and can't wait to see it again. Please don't send me a nasty e-mail about it - I know there is a cuss word in it. I know people have sex in the movie who are not married. Obviously I don't agree with that and am not endorsing the behavior. Most movies today do have this element, unfortunately - but it is "real life." This is a PG-13 flick, by the way. I recommend you watch it with a close girlfriend, get a coffee and talk about your impressions of it. The four of us are still talking about it, by the way - in fact we discussed it the other night during the Victorian Tea a little bit. So many spiritual applications to the movie though it is not a Christian movie, I must warn you.
I hope you enjoyed this list of a few of my favorite things - I'll be back with more in the future. Why not comment and share with me a few of your favorites?
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2. Caribou Coffee - if only because it's a coffee shop that both my husband and I can agree on (lots of really good hot "non-coffee" drinks for him!).
3. Windex all purpose cleaning spray with vinegar. Try it - you'll be hooked!!
4. The Cheesecake Factory - not a WW friendly place in the slightest, but YUM!! For special occasions...great appetizers...fantastic entrees...out of this world desserts. What's not to love?
5. Steve & Barry's jeans - this is the only place I've found that carries women's jeans that fit my body properly - and for only $12 a pair!
I'll give you one more, since Oprah really ISN'T one of my favorite things (I don't passionately dislike her - I'm just sort of "whatever" about her!)...
6. Avon skin care products and makeup. I started buying it out of loyalty to my mom, who sells it, but I have seriously grown to love it!