Artbooking Made Easy: Wintertime Layouts

My Christmas Gift List: Steeped Tea

One of the best parts of Christmas is the time spent with friends and family. Sometimes though, once the New Year rolls around we get wrapped back up in our little cocoons and don't seem to find the time to be social. That is the very reason I love this next gift. Not only is it very trendy right now because of its appearance on TV but also because it is a good hook to remind your friends and family to reconnect with you in the New Year. Imagine this if you will, your sister opens her lovely gift from Steeped Tea on Christmas and is thrilled by the thoughtful collection of teas and accessories. Here is the plus, when she puts the gift away when the tree comes down she is going to think of you. I see lots of post Christmas bonding opportunities with this product. Aside from the warm and fuzzy aspect of the gift it is truly an ideal gift for almost anyone on your list. Spend some time perusing Kareen's website and discover all the wonderful products her company has to offer. If you happen to host a Tea Party in the new year, give me a call...you know I have my own Tea Cup! Better still I think I will see if Kareen is camera shy and we can post a Tea Party from my studio!

My name is Kareen and I am an Independent Consultant with Steeped Tea.

Steeped Tea is a Canadian company offering top quality loose teas and accessories. All of our teas are ethically traded and we only partner with tea farms who are part of the Ethical Tea Partnership (equivalent of fair trade in the tea industry). We do not use any artificial flavours in our teas, only all natural flavours are used. With over 100 varieties of tea there is sure to be a new favourite for everyone! We offer everything from Matcha to naturally caffeine free Rooibos. We sell teas by making a connection with people over a cuppa tea, either at a tea party or small tasting session. Our business was recently (Sept 2012) featured on the TV show "The Dragon's Den" and has been growing steadily ever since. We are in the business of, not just selling tea, but connecting with people over a cuppa tea. We also offer the opportunity for people to build their own business, while still being able to raise their family. We hope to be able to help those around us by discovering their new favourite tea or offering them the opportunity to earn an income doing something they love.

I am a stay-at-home mom of a wonderful 5 year old and Steeped Tea has allowed me to build my business at my own pace and fits perfectly into our lifestyle!
Please visit my website at www.mysteepedtea.com/KareensTea"

My Christmas Gift List: Arbonne

Wow, Christmas gift lists are daunting aren't they? I have been trying to cover all the possibilities for people not only on my list, but your's as well. This is probably the third Christmas out of the last 15 that I have not had an infant or toddler to put gifts under the tree for.  I know it is cute and sweet to load up on every cute baby toy around but honestly, they just don't get enough use. The baby can only use so many toys at once and they outgrow them so fast, you barely get the protective wrapping off it and they are moving up to more advanced toys. I suggest making a cute basket of baby products. The parents will appreciate the relief for their budget and baby will be just as happy with the box anyway. Fill the basket with age appropriate treats like organic baby food, baby cookies and tub time products...if you really feel the urge to include a toy...a rubber ducky is always in style. Check out my friend Deborah's product line from Arbonne for all your baby care products. While you are at it, make sure to check out the full catalogue to cross off the last few gifts and stocking stuffers on your list.

Deborah Tang: Arbonne

Past life: army reservist in an armoured regiment out west (four years), computer engineer in the public service (12 years)

Present: stay at home mom of four selling Arbonne

WHO AM I

I'm a new stay at home mom with four kids, and I say that because I've always gone back to work to my computer-electrical engineer in the federal government after each year of mat leave. However we are a military family and with four kids we decided to move the whole family together for this posting. I've also come to terms with all the things moms have to do all day and all night around the house, including shuttling kids to karate, swimming, and kumon etc. Fortunately I am their piano teacher!

WHY ARBONNE

The whole reason I got into beauty and cosmetics is that I don't sleep well with the four kids, and I needed something to take care of myself and hide the bags under my eyes! As well it's never too early to start thinking about anti-aging! Arbonne has the BEST vegan-certified, swiss formulated, botanically based products, made in the USA and sold exclusively by passionate Independent Consultants. We have what people are looking for with over 450 items in our catalog from skincare, bath and body, baby care to vegan protein shakes and vitamins and even shaving products for men! I LOVE to tell people about Arbonne because we are pure, safe and beneficial - no parabens, no SLS and no mineral oil.

I'm an Engineer with a Masters Degree in Physics and a music background, but I am a woman and I choose to buy the best and most prestigious products for myself and my kids. Sometimes people take a double take, like wow you're a rocket scientist, so why are you selling lipstick? Well that's exactly it, I DECIDED to take time away from my work regular work to be with my family and this is the perfect home business I can do on my own terms. It's like bring your kids to work day everyday!

The perks, wow imagine a job where I can claim my beauty products as business expenses and get a good discount. I also do mobile spa presentations, trade shows, online sales, deliveries and business meetings and recruitment interviews.

My top five favorites
1) ABC Arbonne Baby Hair and Body Wash - the first ingredient is water! Arbonne is SLS free and I really care about what I put on my kids skin, botanically based
2) Sea Source Hair Masque - keeps my hair soft and strong, like a conditioner but you keep it in longer before washing it out. I love the natural fragrance of sea botanicals especially the 24 re-mineralizing lotion
3) It's a Long Story mascara - I never wore mascara before I started selling it and now I love it. The formula helps lashes grow longer too, I feel it
4) RE9 Intensive Renewal Serum - vitamin and antioxidant rich, sea algae extract, apply before the day or night moisturizer
5)FC5 day cream with spf 20- I love the fragrance of five fruit cell technology - kiwi, strawberry, carrot, pumpkin and mango. mineral based spf
6) I love the vegan protein shakes, chocolate and vanilla. A great start to my day full of vitamins as well

Best Christmas gifts
1) Majestic Makeup Palette - for the perfect day to night look with all the colours you need
2) Sea Source Line - ocean botanicals
3) RE9 Corrective Eye Cream

My kids love the products too. They know that food coloring and food dye is bad. They only want to use Arbonne products! Feel great and look great when you join my team!

My Christmas Gift List: Younique

One of my goals for this Christmas series was to try to use our collective purchasing power to pass the message to marketing companies and stores that we as consumers care about the products we buy. We want to support local businesses and companies that are working to improve the world we live in. Christmas is not about the gifts and packaging, it's about remembering to connect with those around us, to try to make life a bit brighter, a bit more loving. Christmas is about the calling that each of us what given at the birth of an infant, in a stable in Bethlehem more than 2000 years ago. So maybe we are only able to buy a few gifts this year. Thats ok. Think about ways to use those purchases to make a difference.

This company is one that I have just recently learned about. I have seen allot of discussion about it online lately, but as I researched it myself for this post I was very struck by the mission statement of Younique.

FEEL BEAUTIFUL.  LOOK BEAUTIFUL.  BE BEAUTIFUL.  INSIDE AND OUT!

Younique's mission is to uplift, empower, validate and ultimately help build the self-esteem of women around the world. Through high-quality products that encourage these core values - along with spiritual enlightenment - we're enabling opportunities for personal growth and financial reward to women everywhere.

This is a company that I can support. By empowering women we can change the world. That to me does not mean women should become like men, rather I think empowering women to know that they can be women and change the world is a great mission. Put these products on your list any of your female loved ones.

I am a mom of three, 2 girls and a boy! My oldest girl, Dania, is 6, the middle boy, Cayden, is almost 4 and my baby girl, Kacy, is almost 10 months. I've been married to my husband Graham for 7 years and he is amazing! I work as an X-ray tech and love what I do. I started with Younique so I could have more time with my kids since they grow up so fast!!

Younique launched in the US last November and has been on the rise since then! In fact, this month we have had over a million dollars in sales. Not bad for a company that's only a year old. They launched in Canada in June and have plans to launch in the UK & Australia in early 2014. They offer naturally based mineral cosmetics that are cruelty free and vegan friendly! Younique is one of very few cosmetics companies that actually lists all their ingredients. The products are amazing and the opportunity is incredible. They are the first direct sales company to rely heavily on social media for promoting and selling the products and our virtual parties are changing the way 'home' parties are done! To get started it is only $99(US)/$119(Cdn)

Our 3D Lashes have everyone talking! The results of extensions/false eyelashes without the risk or the high price! Why not take advantage of everyone wanting to get them?

www.youniqueproducts.com/peggyhullah
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