Thursday, February 23, 2012

Getting Personal is Easier Said than Done

Not long ago I talked to you all about sharing more of my life. I asked the question "How personal is too personal?" And based on some conversations I had with friends, family and readers (via facebook), I had decided I would go ahead and start writing some of that.

Well, turns out that isn't as easy as I thought it would be. I felt almost like I was stripping naked in a room full of strangers! Eeek! I spent a few hours typing, back-spacing, typing again, back-spacing more, etc...all while getting interrupted numerous times by my munchkins. I started two articles on Hubpages and both sit there today unfinished and unpublished.

It's hard sharing some of those life-defining moments that helped shape me into the person I am today. If I put it out there, I do believe my experiences can help others. But I also know I am making myself a target for some. Does that bother me? I'd be lying if I said it didn't to some degree. I do think I will end up finishing those articles, but I now understand that it's not as easy as talking to a person about it one on one. When talking to someone in person, I've decided that person is ready (or I hope they are) to know those things about me that most would never guess. When publishing my experiences on a public forum, well, I have no control where that goes or who sees it or how they take it. I guess I kind of knew that going into this, but thinking about it while writing makes me more careful about choosing my words.

So anyway, one day, hopefully soon, I'll find the right words and the courage to finish those articles and put them up for all to see. Until then, this will have to be enough :) God bless!

Big Things Are Happening!

Many of you know I've been been exploring money-making opportunities over the last few years. I've also talked about ways to save money and "Go Green." I've been wanting to talk about my latest endeavor for weeks, but made myself wait to see how things panned out first. I tend to be skeptical (though I prefer the term "realistic") about a lot of things, especially when it comes to making money. I don't believe in "Get Rich Quick" schemes and I tend to believe that if it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is.

Well, a few weeks ago a friend of mine invited me to a party. Actually, she invited me to 3 parties total. I really didn't want to go. It was a home sales type thing and I just don't get into that. I've tried Avon and ended up spending more than I made (that and I had a really hard time pushing the cosmetics because I felt like I was telling people they needed those products because they weren't attractive they way they looked now! Hah!) Anyway, I avoided things like pampered chef, tupperware, the jewelry parties and all of that. I felt that people could easily get by without these things and couldn't bring myself to convince them they needed them, though I do believe that many of these companies do make good products overall.

These parties I was trying to avoid were for Norwex. I finally went to one after my friend called me several times on the day of the 3rd party. I told her that even if I went, not to expect anything because I just don't get into things like this. She said that was fine, and just hoped I would come and see what it was all about. Well, I did, and it changed my mind in a big way!

Norwex is all about earth-friendly, chemical free and effective products. They have a micro-fiber cloth infused with micro-silver (which never launders out of the cloth) that does incredible things. I had to see it with my own eyes to believe it. It does these things using the cloth and water. I watched butter being wiped off a mirror and within seconds that mirror was more streak-free than anything I've ever seen using various cleaners and many paper towels. I watched it wipe up all trace of a raw chicken breast in seconds and it doesn't transfer that nastiness over when you take that same cloth and clean another area. Incredible!

Anyway, I don't want to sound like an infomercial. Needless to say I was impressed. I saw myself getting rid of my sanitizing cleaners, using much fewer paper towels and getting my cleaning done much faster with less headache. I also saw myself being able to talk about these products with friends without feeling like I was pushing something unnecessary on them. I felt so good about what I learned of this company, that a few weeks after that party, I signed up to be a consultant with them.

This is a great opportunity for those looking to make extra money to supplement lost income, or even to become their main income. It's not without effort though. You have to put yourself out there to be successful. You have to be comfortable talking with people, or at least seem like you're comfortable ;-)

Norwex talks about honesty and integrity in their core values--something that impressed me. They're generous to work for, they're generous to their party hostesses too! They also back up what they sell, which is a huge deal for me.

So how has this worked out for me? Well, so far I've done very well and am already coming out ahead in the expense/profit aspect. I've got several avenues I can explore to take this further and I'm getting more and more excited the more I use the products I'm now selling. Win-win!

If you want more information on Norwex and their products, feel free to check out my website: nelliebutler.norwex.biz.

Thursday, February 9, 2012

Scammers, Scammers Everywhere!

Nowhere is safe anymore! We've been looking for a car the last few weeks, because my husband's truck is just not good enough on gas for his daily commute to work and we can't afford to keep using it as a commuter vehicle. So we thought we'd look for a "beater" car we could pay cash for from our tax refund, and started our search in the online classifieds.

There were several cars listed in our price range, but some of them jumped out at us because they were in great condition, had low miles and they were priced way below one would expect. I know sometimes people are desperate to sell and will therefore take a loss, but when I saw several of the sellers were taking a $2000 loss on a $3000 car, or a $3000 loss on $4500 car, that seemed a little too good to be true. But there was still a part of me that was hoping that maybe this was legit. I mean, they had several pictures posted for the car, had all the details a person would want to know, and even admitted to a few tiny dings....So I looked for a phone number. There wasn't one. I couldn't find a contact name either. I could only contact the seller via email. Well, that got my suspicion up even more. I was sure at this point that something was up, but I couldn't just let it go. I had to see what this person would say if I expressed interest.

I sent an email saying simply "When can we come look at the car?" The next day I got a deeply personal sounding response:

The 2001 Ford Focus SE is in perfect condition, no electric problems, no accidents/liens/loans. No scratches, never been repainted. Ihave all the car manuals, title,documents. I'm selling this car because my child of only 23 died 4 months ago in a car accident,a drunk driver hit him and his fiancee. He was with his fiance's car coming to our home at his little brother birthday of 15 years old. The car belonged to my son and it brings me bad memories and that's the reason I want to sell it. The last price is $1,500. Me and my husband travel a lot with our business and we want to make this deal through eBay's Buyer Protection Program. I just need your full name,full shipping address, home/cell # so I can open a case.(with no further obligation or fees).eBay will contact you with all the Transaction/shipping details you will need.We will take care of the shipping so don't worry.
We hope to hear soon from you.

P.S. For more pictures please click the link
http://www.use.com/599b37d25b69b92b5cee

Thank you for your interest!Ella and Ben Genton


Also you have here some details about the Focus:
Mileage: 84,300 miles
Vehicle title: Clear
Engine: 2.0L L4 PFI SOHC 8V
Transmission type: Automatic

Well, it turns out I had read up on this type of scam, and knew what would follow. They would require that I wire them the money, and then they would say the car would be shipped. There is no car to ship. Also, eBay states clearly on their website that they do not allow wire-transfers. So you'll be out the money and have no car to show for it.

Anyway, don't fall for a deal like this. Remember that if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is! There are ways to get a car that is affordable, and often you can find those deals on classified sites. But never pay for a car you haven't seen from someone you don't know. Don't wire money to a stranger. When you find the scams, report them. And if you're looking for more tips on buying a car, you can read my article on Hubpages here.

Awesome Deal on the Pass of All Passes

I've talked about the Pass of All Passes before, and at that time it was a really good deal. Today though, until 8pm, it's an AWESOME deal! We love this pass. You not only get a season pass for Seven Peaks Water Park (both locations), but you also get access to various sporting events for free, as well as Fun Centers. Right now you can get these passes for under $20! If you live in Northern Utah, you can't pass this deal up.

Here's what's included:
The Utah Pass of all Passes includes the following per person:
- Admission to Seven Peaks Salt Lake Waterpark on normal days (and hours) of operation
- Admission to Seven Peaks Provo Waterpark on normal days (and hours) of operation
- Unlimited use of the following attractions at Trafalga Fun Center in Orem: Mini Golf, Blacklight Mini Golf, Slick Track, XD Theater, and Batting Cages.
- Unlimited use of the following attractions at Trafalga Fun Center in Lehi: Mini golf, Blacklight Mini Golf, Laser Tag, Rock Climbing, Slick Track, Bumper Boats, Rush Coaster, Carousel, Kiddie Area, Pirate Ship Ride, Plane Ride, and Lighthouse Ride.
- Unlimited bowling Monday - Thursday at new the new Seven Peaks Fun Center (formerly Karen Pullman's) in Sandy, UT - Now Open!
- One Lift Ticket per person per day to Wolf Mountain Ski Resort from 9 am-4 pm on certain dates (see details below)
- General Admission seating to select Utah Blaze Home Games (Dates to be announced)
- General Admission seating to select Utah Grizzlies Home Games (see details below)
- Unlimited general admission tickets to all Orem Owlz Home Baseball games (see details below)
- Unlimited general admission tickets to all Ogden Raptors Home Baseball games (see details below)
- Unlimited general admission to all Utah Valley University sporting events
- General admission to the Peaks Ice Arena on certain dates (see details below)
Terms and Conditions
*Seven Peaks Waterpark, Salt Lake (formerly Raging Waters):
Grants admission on normal days (and hours) of operation
Also includes exclusive hours for all Pass of All Pass holders from 9:30 – 11:00 AM before the park opens to the public at 11:00 AM!
*Seven Peaks Waterpark, Provo:
Grants admission on normal days (and hours) of operation
Also includes exclusive hours for all Pass of All Pass holders from 9:30 – 11:00 AM before the park opens to the public at 11:00 AM!
*Trafalga Fun Center, Orem:
Grants unlimited use of the following attractions:
-Unlimited Mini Golf
-Unlimited Blacklight Mini Golf
-Unlimited Slick Track
-Unlimited XD Theater
-Unlimited Batting Cages
-Does not include arcade tokens
*Trafalga Fun Center, Lehi:
Grants unlimited use of the following attractions:
-Unlimited Mini Golf
-Unlimited Laser Tag
-Unlimited Rock Climbing
-Unlimited Blacklight Mini Golf
-Unlimited Slick Track
-Unlimited Bumper Boats
-Unlimited Rush Coaster
-Unlimited Carousel
-Unlimited Kiddie Area
-Unlimited Pirate Ship Ride
-Unlimited Plane Ride
-Unlimited Lighthouse Ride
-Does not include game cards or arcade tokens
*Wolf Mountain Resort (Skiing/snowboarding):
Grants one lift ticket per person per day to the resort from 9 AM – 4 PM, Monday-Wednesday on dates below (pending snow conditions):
- February 6-15, 2012
- March 5-21, 2012
*Utah Blaze (Football):
Grants general admission seating to (3) home games (one ticket per home game per pass, game dates to be announced):
Location: Energy Solutions Arena, 301 West South Temple, Salt Lake City, Utah
*Utah Grizzlies (Hockey):
Grants general admission seating to (4) home games
- February 15, 2012
Location: 3200 Decker Lake Drive, West Valley City, UT 84119
*Orem Owlz (Baseball):
Grants unlimited general admission tickets (one per home game per pass)
Location: Brent Brown Ballpark, University Parkway at I-15, Orem, UT
*Ogden Raptors (Baseball):
Grants unlimited general admission tickets (one per home game per pass)
Location: Lindquist Field on Lincoln Avenue, Ogden, UT
*Utah Valley University Sports:
Grants unlimited general admission tickets to all UVU sporting events (one per home game per pass)
*Peaks Ice Arena:
Grants general admission for ice skating during normal public hours on the following dates:
- March 26 - May 26, 2012
*Seven Peaks Fun Center Bowling:
Grants unlimited admission for bowling Monday - Thursday
7984 South 1300 East, Sandy, UT
(formerly Karen Pullman's)
*Seating to all sporting events is first-come, first-served.*
We've gotten our money's worth out of our passes and jumped on the opportunity to renew them when they offered this deal a few months ago. This is only the second time I've seen it this cheap, so I'd grab it while it's available! You can find it here.