Enter to win an iPad2!

Rafflecopter is an easy and fun way to enter giveaways, and right now they're giving away an iPad2, and if you refer the winner, you'll win a Kindle Fire.  Pretty cool, right?  So enter to win below, and put my name, Alena Orrison, as who referred you.  Maybe we'll both be winners! And, if you suggest the winning name for their mascot, you'll win a Kindle Fire.

Free BJ's Trial Membership

Ok, so while this is normally NOT what my blog is about, I like good deals.  I like it even better if I can pass on good deals to others.  We're all trying to make our money stretch as far as it can, right?


So, you can now get a free trial membership at BJ's.  It's a wholesale club similar to Costco or Sam's Club.  Here's some benefits:

BJ's VALUE

• BJ's Members can save over $500 on groceries a year!*
• BJ's is the only club to accept manufacturers' coupons!

BJ's BABY

• BJ's carries top brand names like Pampers®, Similac®, PediaSure®, Safety 1st®, InSTEP®, Little Tikes®, Eddie Bauer®, Disney®, Gerber® and more!
• BJ's even carries products you can't find anywhere else, like Pampers® Cruisers® +Ultra Absorbency—extra-absorbent zones help give up to 12 hours of protection against leaks!

BJ's BEAUTY

• BJ's has a great selection from the leading brands of hair care, skin care, oral
  care, deodorant and vitamins, even some cosmetics.

BJ's LOCATIONS

• Shop any time, anywhere at BJs.com
• BJ's Wholesale Club stores are only located in Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia.

To get you free trial membership, just click on this post title or click here. Enjoy!

Goals

Magickal Graphics

Happy New Year!  It's going to be a great one!

Instead of making New Year's Resolutions, I've decided to make goals each month and track my progress using a spreadsheet that I've printed out and put in my day planner.  That way my goals are always with me and I can check in any time.

Goals for January:

1. Exercise daily.  This is something I was doing before taking a 10 day cruise with my husband. Since returning home, my body is still in vacation mode.
2. Meditate or do spiritual work daily.  This is something I've been struggling with lately.  Well, for about a year now.  I keep telling myself I don't have time due to homeschooling or appointments or any number of things.  Those are excuses, not reasons.  My spirit needs nourishment & exercise, just like my body.
3. Work on the store daily.  I'm shooting for 30 minutes a day, but know that some days the store might only see 10 minutes.  And that's okay, as long as I'm trying.  Blogging, posting on FaceBook & Twitter, updating inventory and sending out newsletters all count for this one.
4. Talk to my friends at least once a week.  I realized the other night that it's been over 2 weeks since I talked to one of my friends, over 2 months for a couple other friends, and almost 6 months for someone I was becoming friends with but hadn't made it that far yet.  That's just sad.  See #2 for my excuses list that applies to this one as well.
5. Read daily.  When I wrote this one down, I thought that it was pretty obvious.  I love to read, so why wouldn't I do it daily?  Well, I go for days without reading anything besides email and homeschool materials then spend all weekend doing nothing but reading because the library book is due back soon or I'm just tired of all the technical reading.  So I figured if I read a little every day, I won't spend all weekend doing nothing else and it will provide a little daily stress relief, which is important.
6. Craft daily - for January I want to crochet a hair wrap headband.  A previous good friend (we had a falling out) made something similar and I loved it.  I found a pattern and want to make one for me and one for my daughter.  Due to time contraints, it might take me all month just to make one, but I'm hoping to get two done so I can do something else next month.  I'm buying yarn and the right hook size when I go to town on Wednesday.  Wouldn't you know, I have every hook size but E.

Notice anything about all my January goals?  Yep, there's a theme.  I need more time for the things that are important to me.  Of course, my family will always come first (which is why I take really long breaks from the blog), but I need to pursue my own happiness as well.

MRS Spokane Fall Fair

This Saturday you can find me at the MRS Spokane's Fall Fair.  $20 entrance fee gains you access to all the healings & readings you have time for.  Plus you can stop by and say hi to me and you might get a little free gift for mentioning the blog.

Holistic Fair-First one of the Fall!

I attended, as a vendor, the Coeur d'Alene Holistic Chamber of Commerce's Fall Fair this past Saturday and had a blast!  This was the Chamber's 3rd Bi-Annual Holistic Fair.  I don't know what took me so long to get there!  I had the pleasure of meeting up with some other vendors I have chatted with at previous fairs as well as meeting new ones.  Everyone was so amazing, kind, and thoughtful.  I also reconnected with a couple of friends I hadn't seen for a while.  On top of all the wonderful conversations and fun, I did some steady business.

I consider this fair a success!

Today's Top Pick

Diana Moon Earrings

The Great Debate

I've been thinking.... I know, it's scary.  But I've been debating about changing my store up a bit and just carrying those items that are hard to find or unique.  This means I won't carry any of the more common items that you can find at just about any store, online or otherwise.  I'm not sure it's a good move for me.  But keeping up with the wholesalers' inventory is a never ending task and I am barely able to do that.  Which is part of the reason I don't post very much here.  Or send out newsletters on time.

IF I go unique, I will still keep my accounts with the wholesalers open so I can have some of the common items at the trade shows and eventually be able to carry them in my shop.

Does anyone have an opinion either way?