Andy Andrews- Great Speaker, Author and now a Friend!

I had a nice surprise in the mail today... My Andy Andrew's books & CD came!! I had the chance to meet & heard Andy speak at the Eiro Launch a couple of Saturdays back. He is an awesome speaker (and author)!!

I have read the Noticer & the Travelers Gift so far. Andy talks about the Seven Decisions in the Traveler's Gift. These decisions are great life lessons ... so I thought I'd share them:

1. The Buck Stops Here

Adversity is preparation for greatness.


2. I will Seek Wisdom

I will choose my friends with care


3. I am a person of Action

I can make a decision and I can make it now.


4. I have a Decided Heart

My destiny is assured.


5. Today I will Choose To Be Happy

I am the possessor of a greatful heart.


6. I Will Greet This Day With a Forgiving Spirit

I will forgive myself.


7. I Will Persist Withou Exception

I will find a way where there is no way.

I loved his books The Noticer & The Travelers Gift so much I had to order one more. Island Saint- it says it's a story a of life, loss and reconciliation, reminding us of the power of forgiveness and the universal healing experience of letting go. I can't wait to get started with this one!!

Thanks Andy for sharing a portion of your life with us! I am recomending these books to all of you. Take the lessons to heart - learn them, practice them & share them with your friends. For more info check out Andy's website

EIROfit has arrived!

\ EIROfit has arrived & it is everything they said it would be! EIRO Lean along with EIRO Burn & the EIRO Track system make a great combination. The shakes are delicious & very satisfying (I don't even feel hungry all the time). I have mixed it with strawberries & blueberries & also just drank it plain- it's creamy & good tasting!!! The goal is 2 shakes per day (easy), 8 oz of water per day (easy) & 45 minutes of exercise per day (I am building up to this one). The tracking system is great- lots of help, accountability & enouragement. OK... so you want to know IF it's working, right? Well I have lost 1.5 pounds in the 3 days I have been on the system!! My goal is 2 poinds per week... I think I will make this one! I am excited about this easy & nutritional way to loose weight & I'd love to share it with you. click EIROfit for more information ... let's get the word out!

Excited ... We already have EiroEnergy- now EiroFit is coming!

Today I just wanted to let you know why I am excited. EIRO Research is launching in a 9 days and we have a new product too! EiroFIT!! I know first hand how great EiroEnergy is!!!

EIRO ENERGY IS A GREAT-TASTING, NATURAL WAY TO ACHIEVE CLEAN, SUSTAINED ENERGY WITHOUT INSTABILITY OR A SUDDEN DECLINE.
EIRO ENERGY GIVES YOUR MIND AND BODY A BALANCED BOOST WHILE PROVIDING ESSENTIAL VITAMINS AND ANTIOXIDANTS

EIRO Energy is formulated with balanced levels of natural sources of energy including guarana, green tea, ginkgo biloba and ginseng — just enough to give the body and mind a boost. EIRO Energy provides important vitamins and antioxidants, including vitamin B, vitamin C and folic acid
EIRO Energy contains only natural sugars, plus natural nutritious juices including black cherry, pomegranate and blueberry. EIRO Energy is non-carbonated and contains no synthetic caffeine, taurine or preservatives

NOW WE HAVE EIRO FIT coming October 9, 2009!

WELLNESS!

WELLNESS!
I am here to let you know that optimum health is obtainable. With everyone talking about health care right now- I think prevention is the way to go. It all starts with good health:

1) Why should this topic interest YOU?

• You control your health destiny / book by Dr Oz: “You: The Owner’s Manuel”


• Sickness/ major illnesses on the rise / magazine: Your Business Magazine & EIRO


• Our food has lost a lot of its nutritional value/ magazine: Your Business Magazine

2) How can we keep our bodies WELL?
#1 Nutrition - Fruits, Vegie, WHOLE food/ magazine: Your Business Magazine
#2 Exercise – Joe Stankowski / “This Workout Doesn’t Suck”- suggests exercising 5 hrs per week
#3 Stress Management – WebMD & my Facebook Survey
#4 Nutritional Supplementation - Anti-Oxidants and Eiro

3) When should we START?
Now! Don’t put it off!! Certain health issues can be prevented or even reverse just by changing our diet & exercise habits. Dr David Rahm tells us that studies have proven that just one extra piece of fruit or serving of vegetables a day can contribute to a longer life. So let’s take control & start today. / Book: the Wellness Prescription

For more information, check out my website: www.DebraOBrienEiro.info

Gain some Perspective!

PERSPECTIVE

Sometimes all a person needs is a little Perspective!! When things don’t seem to be going your way, or life is looking kind of gloomy – Perspective is just what you may need. I just finished reading a book called THE NOTICER by Andy Andrews. It’s about a little ocean community in Alabama. The people are a lot like you & I – good things & bad things are going on in their lives. A drifter named Jones is helping the folk’s gain a bit of perspective. You see Jones calls himself a Noticier. He would help the people to take a step back from their situation & see things from a different light.

Our friend,old Jones has even taught me a few things. He talked about 4 different Love dialects:

• Communication – spoken words of approval – like a Puppy; just wants spoken words of praise


• Physical contact – you know the touchy-feely kind of people – like a Cat; they just want to rub & scratch


• Favor & deeds – do something for me, trim the trees - like a Goldfish; just feed me & keep my water clean – you can’t really touch them


• Quality Time – just be with me – like a Canary; they don’t notice or care who gives them food- just happy if you sit & listen to them sing

Jones had said when you get good at spotting these dialects of love it will help you to communicate with the people close to you, your friends & even your co-workers. Jones didn’t create this wisdom.. he said he just noticed this over the years…just a different perspective on how we relate to one another. Through-out this book our friend Jones helped the people have a different perspective on their lives. I have leaned that when things are not going my way to take a step back & try to see it from a different perspective. I encourage you all to read this book – GREAT Book!!!

Check out Andy's project called the Noticer Project - here is the link! Who are the 5 most influencial people in your life???

Put your car keys beside your bed at night

Great Tip: Put your car keys beside your bed at night

Tell your spouse, your children, your neighbors, your parents, your Dr's Put your car keys beside Put your car keys beside your bed at night. Tell your spouse, your children, your neighbors, your parents, your Dr's office, and the check-out girl at the market, everyone you run across. Put your car keys beside your bed at night. If you hear a noise outside your home or someone trying to get in your house, just press the panic button for your car. The alarm will be set off, and the horn will continue to sound until either you turn it off or the car battery dies. This tip came from a neighborhood watch coordinator. Next time you come home for the night and you start to put your keys away, think of this: It's a security alarm system that you probably already have and requires no installation. Test it. It will go off from most everywhere inside your house and will keep honking until your battery runs down or until you reset it with the button on the key fob chain. It works if you park in your driveway or garage. If your car alarm goes off when someone is trying to break into your house, odds are the burglar/rapist won't stick around. After a few seconds all the neighbors will be looking out their windows to see who is out there and sure enough the criminal won't want that. And remember to carry your keys while walking to your car in a parking lot. The alarm can work the same way there. This is something that should really be shared with everyone. Maybe it could save a life or a sexual abuse crime.


P.S. This can also be useful for any emergency, such as a heart attack, where you can't reach a phone. Some women have suggested to their husbands that they carry their car keys with them in case they fall outside and cannot be heard. He can activate the car alarm and then she'll know there's a problem.

DID YOU KNOW?

Peel a banana from the bottom and you won't have to pick the little stringy things off of it. That's how the primates do it.

Take your bananas apart when you get home from the store. If you leave them connected at the stem, they ripen faster.

Store your opened chunks of cheese in aluminum foil. It will stay fresh much longer and not mold!

Peppers with 3 bumps on the bottom are sweeter and better for eating.

Peppers with 4 bumps on the bottom are firmer and better for cooking.

Add a teaspoon of water when frying ground beef. It will help pull the grease away from the meat while cooking.

To really make scrambled eggs or omelets rich, add a couple of spoonfuls of sour cream, cream cheese, or heavy cream in and then beat them up.

Add garlic immediately to a recipe if you want a light taste of garlic and at the end of the recipe if your want a stronger taste of garlic.

Leftover snickers bars from Halloween make a delicious dessert. Simply chop them up with the food chopper. Peel, core and slice a few apples. Place them in a baking dish and sprinkle the chopped candy bars over the apples. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes!!! Serve alone or with vanilla ice cream. Yummm!


Reheat Pizza –
Heat up leftover pizza in a nonstick skillet on top of the stove, set heat to med-low and heat till warm. This keeps the crust crispy. No soggy micro pizza. I saw this on the cooking channel and it really works.

Easy Deviled Eggs-
Put cooked egg yolks in a zip lock bag. Seal, mash till they are all broken up. Add remainder of ingredients, reseal, keep mashing it up mixing thoroughly, cut the tip of the baggy, squeeze mixture into egg. Just throw bag away when done.

Expanding Frosting-
When you buy a container of cake frosting from the store, whip it with your mixer for a few minutes You can double it in size. You get to frost more cake/cupcakes with the same amount. You also eat less sugar and calories per serving.

Reheating refrigerated bread-
To warm biscuits, pancakes, or muffins that were refrigerated, place them in a microwave with a cup of water. The increased moisture will keep the food moist and help it reheat faster.

Newspaper weeds away-
Start putting in your plants and work the nutrients in your soil. Wet newspapers, put layers around the plants overlapping as you go cover with mulch and forget about weeds. Weeds will get through some gardening plastic they will not get through wet newspapers.

Broken Glass-
Use a wet cotton ball or Q-tip to pick up the small shards of glass you can't see easily.

No More Mosquitoes-
Place a dryer sheet in your pocket. It will keep the mosquitoes away.

Squirrel Away!-
To keep squirrels from eating your plants, sprinkle your plants with cayenne pepper. The cayenne pepper doesn't hurt the plant and the squirrels won't come near it.

Flexible vacuum-
To get something out of a heat register or under the fridge add an empty paper towel roll or empty gift wrap roll to your vacuum. It can be bent or flattened to get in narrow openings.

Reducing Static Cling-
Pin a small safety pin to the seam of your slip and you will not have a clingy skirt or dress. Same thing works with slacks that cling when wearing panty hose. Place pin in seam of slacks and ... TA DA! ... Static is gone.

Measuring Cups-
Before you pour sticky substances into a measuring cup, fill with hot water.. Dump out the hot water, but don't dry cup. Next, add your ingredient, such as peanut butter, and watch how easily it comes right out.

Foggy Windshield? -
Buy a chalkboard eraser and keep it in the glove box of your car. When the windows fog, rub with the eraser! Works etter than a cloth!

Reopening envelope-
If you seal an envelope and then realize you forgot to include something inside, just place your sealed envelope in the freezer for an hour or two. Viola! It unseals easily.

Conditioner-
Use your hair conditioner to shave your legs. It's cheaper than shaving cream and leaves your legs really smooth. It's also a great way to use up the conditioner you bought but didn't like when you tried it in your hair.

Goodbye Fruit Flies-
To get rid of pesky fruit flies, take a small glass, fill it 1/2'” with Apple Cider Vinegar and 2 drops of dish washing liquid; mix well. You will find those flies drawn to the cup and gone forever!

Get Rid of Ants-
Put 2 small piles of cornmeal where you see ants. They eat it, take it 'home,' can't digest it so it kills them. It may take a week or so, especially if it rains, but it works and you don't have the worry about pets or small children being harmed.

INFO ABOUT CLOTHES DRYERS-
The heating unit went out on my dryer! The gentleman that fixes things around the house for us told us that he wanted to show us something and he went over to the dryer and pulled out the lint filter. It was clean. (I always clean the lint from the filter after every load clothes.) He told us that he wanted to show us something; he took the filter over to the sink and ran hot water over it. The lint filter is made of a mesh material. I'm sure you know what your dryer's lint filter looks like. Well ... the hot water just sat on top of the mesh! It didn't go through it at all! He told us that dryer sheets cause a film over that mesh that's what burns out the heating unit. You can't SEE the film, but it's there. It's that is in the dryer sheets to make your clothes soft and static free... that nice fragrance too. You know how they can feel waxy when you take them out of the box. Well this stuff builds up on your clothes and on your lint screen. This is also what causes dryer units to potentially burn your house down with it! He said the best way to keep your dryer working for a very long time (and to keep your electric bill lower) is to take that filter out and wash it with hot soapy water and an old toothbrush (or other brush) at least every six months. He said that makes the life of the dryer at least twice as long! How about that!?! Learn something new everyday! I certainly didn't know dryer sheets would do that. So, I thought I'd share! Note: I went to my dryer and tested my screen by running water on it. The water ran through a little bit but mostly collected all the water in the mesh screen. I washed it with warm soapy water and a nylon brush and I had it done in 30 seconds. Then when I rinsed it, the water ran right thru the screen! There wasn't any puddling at all! That repairman knew what he was talking about!

I was talking with a friend at church today... discussing how to clean our jewelry. I found this very cool recipe from Haley's Hints... thought I'd share:

Jewelry cleaner Haley’s Hints - Silver Cleaning

Run about 1 quart of hot water into your kitchen or bathroom sink (cool enough not to burn you). Dissolve 1 Tbsp. washing soda* (or laundry water softener) and 1 Tbsp. salt in the water. Place a sheet of aluminum foil on the bottom of the sink and place your tarnished silver o the foil. The silver that’s both touching the foil and covered by the water should become clean within 10 seconds. If badly tarnished, rub silver item with a cloth after removing it fro the water. Works on silver & gold jewelry too!

*Washing Soda = water softener, lime-scale remover
*Important: The silver cleaning refers to” washing soda” – do not use washing soda crystals. They can react with the aluminum foil causing noxious fumes. Use powdered lime-scale remover (sometimes called water softener) sold for use in washing machines.

45 Life Lessons

Here is another email I received -
thought I'd share... Enjoy!

Written By Regina Brett, 90 years old, of The Plain Dealer,
Cleveland , Ohio

"To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons
life taught me. It is the most-requested column I've ever written."

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.

2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.

3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick.
Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.

5. Pay off your credit cards every month.

6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.

8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.

9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.

10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.

11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.

12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.

13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.

15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.

16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.

17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.

18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.

19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.

20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.

21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.

22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.

23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.

24. The most important sex organ is the brain.

25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.

26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words 'In five years, will this matter?'

27. Always choose life.

28. Forgive everyone everything.

29. What other people think of you is none of your business.

30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.

31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

32. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

33. Believe in miracles.

34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.

35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.

36 Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.

37. Your children get only one childhood.

38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.

39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.

40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.

41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

42. The best is yet to come.

43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

44. Yield.

45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift."

Networking - every day!

Networking… what’s it all about? The 1st thing some may think of is a pyramid or MLM. Seems people either love it or hate it. But… have you ever noticed people just sharing information or ideas with other people? I think we all are net-workers! Let me tell you specifically what the Bible & Webster about networking:
· The Bible says: Let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not for his own interest, but also for the interests of others. Philippians 2:3-4
· Webster says Networking is: : the exchange of information or services among individuals, groups, or institutions ; specifically : the cultivation of productive relationships for employment or business


1) What is networking?
· Did you ever recommend a good move to a friend? OR maybe a good restaurant? Some call this Word of Mouth advertising.
· Think about the last time you had coffee with a friend – what did you talk about? Did you refer a friend to a good realtor or did you talk about your mechanic who did a great job fixing your car.
· There are many different venues for Business Networking – groups specifically designed for networking: Chamber of Commerce/ BNI groups/ Business-After-Hours are a few.
· How many you are on one of these Social Networking- Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, MeetUps.com… yes… another form of networking!


2) Why do we Network? Many different reasons
· We network because we like something & we want to share it with our friends
· We network because we care about someone & want what we think is best for them
· We network because we think we have something that other could use or would benefit from
· Thru networking we build relationships and make friends! AND I think building friendships & relationships are some of the most important things we can do here on this earth!


I hope after hearing what I think networking is & how we all may use it to some extent… your opinion about it may be a bit more positive. I encourage you all to go out and network and build those relationships!!

Be Thankful for the Thorns

This was emailed to me by a friend - well worth the time it takes to read!



THORNS


Sandra felt as low as the heels of her shoes when she pulled open the florist shop door, against a November gust of wind. Her life had been as sweet as a spring breeze and then, in the fourth month of her second pregnancy, a "minor" automobile accident stole her joy. This was Thanksgiving week and the time she should have delivered their infant son. She grieved over their loss.


Troubles had multiplied.


Her husband's company "threatened" to transfer his job to a new location. Her sister had called to say that she could not come for her long awaited holiday visit. What's worse, Sandra's friend suggested that Sandra's grief was a God-given path to maturity that would allow her to empathize with others who suffer. "She has no idea what I'm feeling," thought Sandra with a shudder "Thanksgiving? Thankful for what?" she wondered.. "For a careless driver whose truck was hardly scratched when he rear-ended me? For an airbag that saved my life, but took my child's?"


"Good afternoon, can I help you?"


Sandra was startled by the approach of the shop clerk. "I . . . I need an arrangement," stammered Sandra.


"For Thanksgiving? I'm convinced that flowers tell stories, " she continued. "Are you looking for something that conveys 'gratitude' this Thanksgiving?"


"Not exactly!" Sandra blurted out. "In the last five months, everything that could go wrong has gone wrong."


Sandra regretted her outburst, and was surprised when the clerk said, "I have the perfect arrangement for you."


Then the bell on the door rang, and the clerk greeted the new customer....


"Hi, Barbara, let me get your order." She excused herself and walked back to a small workroom, then quickly reappeared, carrying an arrangement of greenery, bows, and what appeared to be long-stemmed thorny roses. Except the ends of the rose stems were neatly s nipped: there were no flowers.


"Do you want these in a box?" asked the clerk. Sandra watched - was this a joke? Who would want rose stems with no flowers! She waited for laughter, but neither woman laughed

"Yes, please," Barbara replied with an appreciative smile. "You'd think after three years of getting the special, I wouldn't be so moved by its significance, but I can feel it right here, all over again," she said, as she gently tapped her chest


Sandra stammered, "Ah, that lady just left with . . . uh . . . she left with no flowers!"


"That's right," said the clerk. "I cut off the flowers. That's the 'Special'. I call it the Thanksgiving Thorns Bouquet. Barbara came into the shop three years ago, feeling much as you do today," explained the clerk. "She thought she had very little to be thankful for. She had just lost her father; the family business was failing; her son had gotten into drugs; and she was facing major surgery. That same year I had lost my husband," continued the clerk. "For the first time in my life, I had to spend the holidays alone. I had no children, no husband, no family nearby, and too much debt to allow any travel."


"So what did you do?" asked Sandra.


"I learned to be thankful for thorns," answered the clerk quietly. "I've always thanked God for the good things in my life and I never questioned Him why those good things happened to me, but when the bad stuff hit, I cried out, 'Why? Why me?!' It took time for me to learn that the dark times are important to our faith! I have always enjoyed the 'flowers' of my life, but it took the thorns to show me the beauty of God's comfort! You know, the Bible says that God comforts us when we're afflicted, and from His consolation we learn to comfort others."


Sandra sucked in her breath, as she thought about what her friend had tried to tell her. "I guess the truth is I don't want comfort. I've lost a baby and I'm angry with God."


Just then someone else walked in the shop.


"Hey, Phil!" the clerk greeted the balding, rotund man.


"My wife sent me in to get our usual Thanksgiving arrangement . . twelve thorny, long-stemmed stems!" laughed Phil as the clerk handed him a tissue wrapped arrangement from the refrigerator.


"Those are for your wife?" asked Sandra incredulously. "Do you mind telling me why she wants a bouquet that looks like that?"


"Four years ago, my wife and I nearly divorced," Phil replied. "After forty years, we were in a real mess, but with the Lord's grace and guidance, we trudged through problem after problem, the Lord rescued our marriage. Jenny here (the clerk) told me she kept a vase of rose stems to remind her of what she had learned from "thorny" times. That was good enough for me. I took home some of those stems. My wife and I decided to label each one for a specific "problem" and give thanks for what that problem taught us."


As Phil paid the clerk, he said to Sandra, "I highly recommend the Special!"


"I don't know if I can be thankful for the thorns in my life" Sandra said to the clerk. "It's all too . . fresh."


"Well," the clerk replied carefully, "my experience has shown me that the thorns make the roses more precious. We treasure God's providential care more during trouble than at any other time. Remember that it was a crown of thorns that Jesus wore so we might know His love....Don't resent the thorns."


Tears rolled down Sandra's cheeks. For the first time since the accident, she loosened her grip on her resentment. "I'll take those twelve long-stemmed thorns, please," she managed to choke out.
"I hoped you would," said the clerk gently. "I'll have them ready in a minute."


"Thank you. What do I owe you?"


"Nothing. Nothing but a promise to allow God to heal your heart...The first year's arrangement is always on me."


The clerk smiled and handed a card to Sandra. "I'll attach this card to your arrangement, but maybe you would like to read it first."


It read: "My God, I have never thanked You for my thorns. I have thanked You a thousand times for my roses, but never once for my thorns. Teach me the glory of the cross I bear; teach me the value of my thorns. Show me that I have climbed closer to You along the path of pain. Show me that, through my tears, the colors of Your rainbow look much more brilliant."


Praise Him for the roses; thank Him for the thorns.


God Bless all of you. Be thankful for all that the Lord does for you.


"Live simply, love generously, care deeply, speak kindly, and leave the rest to God."


We often try to fix problems with WD-40 and Duct tape...God did it with nails

Debra's Doodles

This is my 1st doodle! I am learning all about blogging & just how to do it. I'm sure I will get better as time goes on...but for now - this may be all you get. I still have to check out everything on this site. I thought I was doing good with facebook and look - now I am tackling blogging!! What's next?? Maybe twitter??