Loving Life in Idaho

Love is all you need

2012-02-04T06:52:00.000-08:00

I know that I don't blog too often, but yesterday was such an exceptionally good day, that I wanted to share a bit of it with you. Yesterday was one of those days that is just so filled with love that my heart feels like it is going to explode with warmth and happiness. It was my husband's birthday yesterday and I think he had a great day, nothing extravagant, but lots of well wishes and people that called him, patients that said nice things to him etc. We had a nice lunch together and a busy day at the office. In the evening, it was a couples Bunko night because it is February and in honor of Valentine's Day. We had a cake and sang him happy birthday last night and there was silliness and fun.

Happy 55th Birthday, Victor.

Couple's Bunko happens twice per year.

So much of the love happened right at the end of the day, close to midnight. We got out of Bunko late and I picked Cassidy up from babysitting. She really wanted to see her boyfriend and I ran her by his house for a quick hug on the porch. Yes, I am sucker for love. She has it so bad, it's quite cute. Yesterday was all about The Lady and The Tramp and how much she thinks their story is similar. I watched her hug her boyfriend and was thinking about the future, wondering if they will make it, how long it would last. My daughter gets back in the car with me and continues talking to me about how much she loves her boyfriend and why, all the sweet things he says, she reads me his texts. We go to the grocery store to buy a cake for daddy's birthday and we get stuck reading all the sweet Valentines Day cards. I loved my time with Cassidy. It almost felt surreal. We actually sat in the car in the parking lot just talking. She tried to talk me into McDonald's, but I said no way, I draw the line there :)

Cassidy reading Valentine's Day Cards

When we got home, there were several kids waiting up for us. I went in the guest room to get tissue paper out of the closet and there were more girls in the guest room bed. Now, I had been getting this room ready for company on Sunday and didn't want the room to be used, I had washed all the bedding and had everything in there perfect. I had a split second of my stomach dropping and realizing I had not conveyed that the room was off limits enough, but I looked at the girls, one was sleeping, one was awake and I was so happy that they were there. I felt this overwhelming love flow through me that I haven't felt in a while. I often feel that that feeling must be the Holy Spirit. Whatever it is, it is rare for me to feel that encompassed and it just washed over me, so much warmth.

The ones awake sang Happy Birthday

More got out of bed for cake :)

After we sang happy birthday and the kids were getting ready to go to bed, I hugged every single child, mine and all the extras and I held them tight and told them how much I loved them. It was different last night. These kids are always yelling I love you to me and I yell it right back, but last night as I held each one of them, I thought about how much I do love them and I love having them here. This is their weekend haven. Some of the girls were commenting that they spend every weekend with us. I hadn't realized it, but it is true. I truly meant the I love you's last night and I felt my heart expand. The fact that we have more love in us and it doesn't diminish for the ones we already love is just incredible. What a gift we have, this capacity to love. Sometimes I feel like I have five kids, how could I have more, how could I love more, but last night just showed me how much our hearts can stretch and expand and make more room. Love is such a fantastic gift. It makes like worth living. I often say people and relationships are all that really matter, as I went to bed last night thinking of everyone in my life yesterday, all the friends, hugs, love, fantastic conversations, dynamic energy, joy, warmth, peace, calm, trust, all of those great emotions, I think I answered my own question that I had posed to a dear friend on Thursday. All of my life, I listen to my mind, I am so logical, thoughtful, my mind always wins. I have debated the topic of the mind over the heart many times. Last night, I figured I should just let my heart win the battle every once in a while.

Wishing you a heart filled with joy, love, gratitude and grace.

January 1st, 2012

2012-01-01T11:07:00.000-08:00

It is said by some cultures that how you spend your first day of the new year is how you will spend the rest of your year. What an interesting thought and it really makes me think about how I spend today, January 1st, 2012. I need to make sure to exercise, cuddle with the kids, have meaningful conversations with friends, incorporate some business and personal growth reading and much more. What I don't want to do at all and what I need to do the most is work on my taxes! I am normally not one to procrastinate, but I seem to do so much better if I am in the mood for something. I am working my way up to doing taxes. Then, I think, do I want to spend the rest of the year doing taxes? Well, I have decided to think about it this way, doing the taxes today will show that I am efficient, on task, not procrastinating, willing to do what needs to be done, even when I don't want to do it, determined, focused and stronger than my emotions that want to be lazy today. So, no, I will not be adding columns of numbers the rest of this year, but rather doing what needs to be and what is most important every day for the rest of the year. I will start my year off right today with minding my mind.

It's a Wonderful Life

2011-12-27T22:18:00.000-08:00

Tonight I had a very interesting encounter with a friend that I met about 5 years ago. She had come over for a class that my husband was conducting. She wanted to thank me for "everything". She was telling me that I had touched her life in so many ways and that I touch the lives of many in such a positive way everyday.She said she has learned so much from me and our relationship has encompassed more than just our Arbonne business. My response was that I don't do anything special. Then, she said, "Yes, you do, you are just like the movie It's a Wonderful Life, you have no idea how many people you impact."

This conversation is very special to me because sometimes I have a hard time seeing my own successes or that I do anything particularly well. I tell my husband, Victor, regularly that he is so lucky that his gifts are so obvious. He has helped and healed hundreds or thousands of people. When I first married him, patients just wanted to rave and tell me so many stories about how he had helped them or their family members. I always tell him that he is just like the movie It's a Wonderful Life, he touches the lives of many. I would think, what is my gift? What is my calling? What is my purpose?

This friend of mine has no idea because I don't talk about it to anyone but Victor, how much I always associate that movie with him. So, to have someone be so kind and "sing my praises" so to speak and to actually reference something that I have referenced many times felt like God was really sending me a message through an earthly angel.I feel so humbled and my spirit is just overflowing tonight. I feel like God just told me that I do matter, that I do help others, that I am appreciated. I am still processing this. I had a day of extreme highs and lows due to outside circumstances and I felt pretty exhausted tonight. How good to know that when we are struggling, tired and weak, God can manage to get a message to us and lift our spirits once again. We are never alone.

2011-10-29T18:00:00.001-07:00

Arbonne’s Immunity Support. I had to do a mini blog on this because Facebook and Twitter don’t give me enough space to rave about this product :) My husband is a chiropractor with a huge knowledge and interest in nutrition, he can help so many people not just with spinal issues, but any health conditions. We have so many vitamins and supplements at our disposal, but when Arbonne discontinued the former Get Well Soon, I found NOTHING worked as well. I was madly writing to Arbonne. I have five kids, I run 3 businesses, I am a neat freak and won’t let my house or yard go, I need to be there for my kids, I CAN’T get sick!!! I was begging for them to return the Get Well Soon as I know many others were doing the same thing.

I am so happy to announce that the exact same formula is back with a new name and new packaging. This product retails for $24 and is well worth every penny! When I am getting sick, I take this frequently and I don’t succumb. I can have a child come home with a fever and really sick, give him or her this regularly and have them be all better in the morning. I can’t possibly recommend this highly enough!!!

If you decide you love Arbonne products, I can help you become a Preferred Client where you can get a 20% discount for a whole year with no obligation to buy monthly, just whenever you want to order, you can get online and reorder products on an as needed basis.

Feel free to contact me with any questions. And, a big THANK YOU to Arbonne for listening to our requests, I will always appreciate that about this company so very much!!

These Precious Moments

2011-10-29T17:47:00.000-07:00

October 29th, 2011....9 years ago today, my youngest child was born. He is named after his daddy, Victor, and his Grandpa, my dad, Mark...Victor Mark Sanchez. I jokingly say that I had to work for this son, for the longed for fall baby of mine. Once you have four children, you just think your fifth will be easy, but I had some complications and couldn't conceive him. So, on the day after Christmas in 2001, I had some minor surgery and was able to conceive this baby boy. He has been nothing but a joy, a bright light and a joyous spirit just radiates from this boy.

Today, his 9th birthday, I wanted to have a big party for him. I have watched how the kids change and don't want big birthday parties after a while, so I want to take advantage of this time when he still wants a party. A lot of money and planning have gone into this day. We had 17 kids here in addition to my family and some friends of my daughters too. It was a wonderful and very long day for me. I am tired. Still, I decided we should clean after the party, not just the house, but since it is such a gorgeous fall day, to rake the leaves and clean the yard too.

And, this is where the precious moments really come in. It is warm in the sun as I am kneeling and pulling weeds after we had raked all the leaves. Little Victor comes over to sit by me. He wants someone to bounce in the bounce house with him. I ask him if he wants me to and he says not if I don't want to ;) He says this is the best day that he has had in years and he is worried about the money we spent on the party. I tell him not to worry, these are precious days and moments, we don't want them to pass by without celebrating them. He asks how it is going with patients and my Arbonne business. I tell him he can always pray for growth for our businesses and he says he does. He reminds me that when we were driving to California I had said I would take the family to Disney World when I make Regional Vice President. I said, "I did?? Works for me." He starts to laugh. We keep chatting in the sun, enjoying the last of the season's warm days, at least it usually is, the transition between his birthday and Halloween is always cold. This is, hands down, the BEST part of my day, having a sweet conversation with my thoughtful and considerate birthday boy.

Clear Advantage

2011-07-19T08:02:00.000-07:00

Clear Advantage

I cannot recommend this anti-acne line enough! I have three teenagers and one 11 year old who also uses this line and it WORKS! I have never found another product line that clears up their skin so quickly and completely! Several friends of my kids also use the line and it clears them all up in about a week or two. It comes from Arbonne, so it is pure, safe and beneficial and will have health benefits in addition to clearing up their skin. It is full of vitamins and nourishes the skin. One of the best things is that it doesn't dry their skin out! So many lines make my kid's skin peel, they tend to have sensitive skin. The line retails for $64.50 and includes the wash, toner, lotion and spot treatment, there is an additional vitamin available for $22.00

If you would like to learn how to purchase Arbonne products at a 20-35% discount, please contact me. Also, please check out my website at www.nicolesanchez.myarbonne.com

My Bunko group :)

2011-06-28T09:05:00.000-07:00

Loving my Bunko Babes

This is my fabulous Bunko group :) I adore every one of these women! When I first started Bunko, I would think the games were lagging or I would wish we only played 3 rounds instead of 4, but I have really changed my thought process about that in the past 6 months.

Our Bunko group is about so much more than a game. It is a sisterhood of women who are there to listen, encourage, support and love one another. It is a built in support group and they are kind women and fun women. What I truly enjoy is that when we share experiences with other women, we find that we are not alone. There is so much commonality. We all have so many life experiences, some are different and some are similar, but we get to offer each other encouragement and advice. I swear, these women have the most amazing advice!!

Now, I find the games fly by, the time flies by and I have a hard time concentrating on the game because I want to converse and catch up with the women so much!

I am grateful I was invited to play Bunko with these awesome women! We have a huge fundraiser for Breast Cancer awareness coming up and I will be sure to blog about that soon, too :)

Today has been a good day

2011-06-21T21:32:00.000-07:00

Today I fill like my cup is overflowing. It is overflowing with love, friendships, relationships, and tremendous joy.

It didn't start out that way. Which makes me realize how much of life is just perspective or my own personal mind set. It is all us really. I woke up having slept very little and just worried and stressed out about Cassidy and Morgan traveling. I had been having weird dreams for two nights and I wasn't feeling well. As the day progressed, I almost felt enveloped in love. I was getting phone calls, texts, tweets, facebook comments etc from friends, some I have met in "real" life and some I have not, but all offering support, love and encouragement. I literally felt myself getting stronger as I read and heard from people, I know they are right, I just have to calm myself down and listen to reason and accept it. We need friendship and interaction, wisdom and advice from others who have gone through what we are going through.

I am so grateful for all of you in my life who encourage, love and support me. There just aren't enough words to express this gratitude!

The day went on and I had many wonderful encounters. It was truly a beautiful day, albeit a long and exhausting one too.

Thank you for being in my life. Thank you for caring enough to read this blog.

The girls are safe and sound at Grandpa's house. I have a house full of kids that are sleeping over, all is right in the world....for now :)

What I Do

2011-06-20T08:29:00.000-07:00

My Arbonne Business

I am frequently asked what I do with my Arbonne business, especially from people who live in other countries and aren't familiar with Arbonne. So, I am going to give a brief overview of what I do :)

Basically, Arbonne is a 30 year old company that has Swiss formulated products that are made in the U.S. It is a direct selling and network marketing company which means that I get paid for recommending or referring people to the products. We have health and wellness products, anti-aging skin care, weight loss, baby care, men's products and many more products, over 450 consumable products.

What makes Arbonne special is that the products are pure, safe and beneficial. There has been a lot of publicity in recent years about dangerous ingredients in our personal care products. Our products work well, high functioning, but they are also safe since what we put on our bodies gets absorbed into our bodies.

We are also just getting ready to launch into more countries. Our global launch aspect makes this is a perfect time to start a business with Arbonne.

What I do on a daily basis, well, I get to meet great people. If you ask my kids, I get to party and go to coffee :) My business is mostly social and having fun with people while sharing how they can use healthier products that work great. All of my recent best and closest friends here in Idaho and around the country, have been people that I have met through my Arbonne business. When I moved to Idaho, I didn't know very many people and this gave me a way to connect with others, get names and numbers and create lasting friendships. I love to get to know people whether or not they end up using my products or doing my business. Arbonne has been a huge blessing to me. I try to do two in home presentations a week, you can call them parties or workshops or whatever you like. I also meet with two people per week about the business to see if it is a good fit for them. I like to give great customer service and care. That is pretty much it. You must be consistent, look to benefit others, and never ever quit :)

I earn more than most people working average jobs, but I have much more control over my time and my schedule. I have 5 kids that I love to spend time with.

If you would like more information, please check out my website and then contact me. I can mail out samples of our products and/or business information.

www.nicolesanchez.myarbonne.com

We are currently in the U.S., Canada, Australia and the UK :) I am looking to expand in all of these countries and we will be opening in many more countries soon. I would love to answer questions you might have :)

Reading

2011-06-15T07:51:00.000-07:00

I don't know whether to title this blog Reading or Libraries. I have been thinking a lot about how much I like to read. I used to read just for pleasure. I have spent years devouring novels in just a day or two. Then, when I started building my own business, I started really focusing on personal growth books and they have completely transformed my life and who I am. I am so grateful for BOOKS! A few words can completely lift my spirit and inspire me.

When I was young, we didn't do much in the summer. We didn't take many family vacations, I remember a few and they were often when we were looking for a place to move to and would go check out another state. Libraries are where I spent my time. I would join the stamp collecting classes, coin collecting and many more. Movie days at the library were a big deal! From the time I was 10, I loved authors such as Elizabeth Peters and Victoria Holt. In fact, I was so enamored with Victoria Holt that I went on to collect all of her novels and had a blast exploring used book stores in every place I would visit. I will blog about my love of used book stores later.

I went to the library the other day and checked out an Elizabeth Peter's novel just for old times sake. The library was bliss. Looking through the shelves took me back to my childhood and so many feelings went through me. I picked up my book the other night and started to read. What occurred to me is that the language is so much more advanced than what I read currently. I actually felt my brain engage and go back to my SAT words. I wonder when this change occurred that the books I have been reading currently don't use the more flowery language and words. I LOVE words, I love written words. I am a visual learner.

These are a few phrases or words in the first 2 pages of the book I am reading, "he dithered aimlessly" implacable, omnipresent. Here is a sentence, "The aristocratic villa withdrew, fastidiously, from the plebeian buildings which had sprung up around it." Do you see what I mean? I was reading these books at 10 years old! Something along the way has been lost. When I picked this up, I literally felt my brain engage. I was thinking, oh, yes, I know what these words mean, but I haven't used them in ages. I felt my spirit lift, felt my mind awaken with excitement to read something that I had to really think about to process. It feels great!

So, I encourage you to head to your local library and find something that challenges you a bit. I hope you have as much fun in the pages of a book as I do. And, I hope your summer brings you countless moment of peace, tranquility and joy.

Thoughts on Summer

2011-06-14T07:27:00.000-07:00

I think I figured out yesterday why I enjoy summer vacation so much. I was wondering about this because I still work at the chiropractic office and I still do my Arbonne business and have a certain amount of calls and appointments that I do daily. Yet, I have had so much peace and calm and felt so relaxed lately.

I do know that I love sleeping with the windows open, feeling the soft breeze in the mornings. I can hear the birds singing and an owl right now! I love the sunshine, of course! But, the number one difference is the kids being out of school. I didn't realize just how much school work puts stress on parents. We are constantly checking on homework, going through backpacks, writing down events, appointments, classes, schedules, checking on grades, following up with any challenges that the kids have. I do have five kids and we go from elementary to high school. So, the main difference for me, is the lack of school work, kid's schedule and kid's events.

I can definitely handle all of my daily work, keeping up the house and enjoying my friendships, kids and life in general. I will enjoy this reprieve from schoolwork and just cherish every day where I have a little less stress to deal with.

I hope you have a wonderful summer, enjoy all of the people in your life and all of the little things that bring the biggest joys.

Arbonne's Primer

2011-06-13T09:25:00.000-07:00

Arbonne's Primer

Arbonne's Primer is one of my personal best selling products that we carry. According to Arbonne, it is the company's 5th best selling product. When people try this on their skin, it is a given that they will purchase it, it feels like silk without being heavy or clogging pores.

The purpose of the primer is to give you a canvas to apply your makeup to. It keeps the colors true and makes your makeup stay on better. When you use the primer, you use less foundation and it just goes on flawlessly. The primer gives you a matte finish, cushions wrinkles and reduces pore size. During the summertime, when many women don't want to wear foundation, they will use the primer to give a nice finished look to their skin.

Recently, Total Beauty voted Arbonne's Primer as the #1 Primer. Here is a bit of what Total Beauty had to say, "TotalBeauty.com average member rating: 9.9*

Why: A reader confides, "I am 55-years-old and have been wearing makeup since my early teens and [this] primer is hands down the best I have ever found! Believe me I have tried almost all of them." Another says, "Not sure how I ever lived without this in my makeup bag. My foundation goes on smoother, I wear less, and it looks better. It's candy for your face." And another says, "This product really does fill in those nooks and crannies on the face even with lots of freckles and sun damage," and one devoted consumer says, "I've been using Arbonne for over two years now and have yet to find a better makeup primer. Its silky texture makes putting on my makeup a joy. LOVE IT."

If you would like a sample of the primer, please contact me and I will send you a sample in the mail. You can also check out my Arbonne site at www.NicoleSanchez.myarbonne.com.

Quick Parenting Tip

2011-06-11T12:26:00.000-07:00

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Earlier today, we went out to breakfast and we witnessed some very sad parenting, children misbehaving and being yelled at and cursed at rather than parented. It sure made me sad.

When my children were little and they would cry or fuss at a restaurant, one of us would always walk the child out and talk to them until they calmed down. We would make sure they were ready to go back in and we would discuss proper behavior. When they were tiny babies, we would say no and just hold them outside until they calmed down. We were CONSISTENT. I often have people ask about my kids and how well they behave in public and when I say consistency, people grimace. I am sorry, but, yes, it does take time, consistent effort and not letting them slide. We didn't do anything major, but we did pay attention to them and address bad behavior by removing them from a situation until they could handle it. That's it. It worked for us and our five children. I rarely see parents walk their children outside when they misbehave, so I just thought I would mention how helpful this was for us :)

Happy parenting!

Atlantis/Bahamas Arbonne trip

2011-06-05T10:39:00.000-07:00

Atlantis Resort, Bahamas

(Courtesy of Arbonne)

There are so many things that I enjoy about building my business with Arbonne. I feel incredibly grateful and blessed to have had this business shared with me. First and foremost, I have met the most incredible friends through my business, I hardly knew anybody when I moved to Idaho and having Arbonne to share gave me more of a reason to connect and follow up with people who have become my best and dearest friends. When I had my 40th Birthday party, every person who attended was someone that I had met through my Arbonne business and in that moment, I felt so incredibly blessed!

Who I have become on this journey is just incredible also. I am learning strength, perseverance, faith, patience and so much more. I used to be the type of person who would walk into a room and just go to a corner, hide away, not want to interact. Now, I love to meet new people, I love to learn their stories, get to know them and make new friends :) I also used to let people walk all over me. Granted, I am still very nice, but when I know that I have a valid point or opinion, I stand up for myself much more now. I love feeling stronger and more capable and that my skills are growing so much.

But, this blog is about TRAVEL :) Until I built a business with Arbonne, I did not have a passport. A passport was one of my big first goals with Arbonne. I have always wanted to travel so much! Now, I have been to Cancun with Arbonne, a seven day Caribbean cruise that I also earned for my husband and my two sons, and this year, we have earned Atlantis!!! I can't wait to see and experience the Bahamas! This is also the first year that two of my district managers will be attending with me along with my sponsor in Arbonne and my National Vice President! It will be so much fun to have friends and family there to play with at the beach and the water park and to just get to have some time to relax together!!!

I am grateful for the generosity of these trips, for the time to fellowship with like minded people and the new friendships that will form in the process. I just can't wait!!!

Pozole

2010-09-07T07:15:00.000-07:00

When you have a big family, it is extremely hard to find a food that everyone will like and eat. Recently at a Lion's Club get together, several of the women were teasing me about starting a cook book because my food is simple, but yummy and the miracle being that children will eat it! So, I figured I would occasionally blog a recipe, especially one that it universally liked. I love having a big pot of pozole on the stove and when I have Arbonne team meetings in the fall and winter, it is often available. I get asked for the recipe constantly. It is simple, inexpensive and tastes great! So, I hope you enjoy this as much as we do!

Pozole

Ingredients:

3 lbs of diced pork

Oil

2 cloves garlic

½ onion diced

Whole bunch of cilantro

2 cans of diced green chilis

1 large can hominy

2 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

2 tsp cumin

2 tsp oregano

8 cups beef broth

Instructions:

Brown pork in oil with garlic and onion

Add all other ingredients and cook (except the cilantro, add the cilantro near the end when getting ready to serve) Cook for an hour on a low/medium heat.

Serve with lime and diced up cabbage

Top 7 Ingredients/products to avoid

2010-09-05T06:27:00.000-07:00

Top 7 ingredients/products to avoid

1. Parabens. Parabens such as ethyl-, methyl-, butyl-, or propylparaben, are used as preservatives in many products such as shampoos, moisturizers, soaps, exfoliants, cleansers, and deodorants. They are excellent preservatives, but this class of chemicals are endocrine disruptors. Endocrine disruptors are chemicals that mimic your own hormones. Parabens mimic estrogen and have been found in breast cancer tumors. Parabens have also been shown to stimulate breast cancer cell growth.

2. Phthalates. Numerous news stories about the toxicity of Bisphenol A, a toxic plasticizer contaminant in drinking water bottles and canned food liners, has increased consumer awareness about phthalates. Unfortunately, the cosmetic industry uses phthalates in hair spray, nail polish, and numerous other products. Phthalates are hormone disruptors and have been shown to negatively affect genital development in baby boys and reduce testosterone levels in males in general.

3. Triclosan. This antimicrobial product is found in antibacterial soap, detergent, toothepaste, fabric, facial tissue and even toys. It affects the endocrine systems and thyroid metabolism.

4. Formaldehyde Releasers. Some ingredients are formulated to release formaldehyde over time as a preservative. Formaldehyde may be a carcinogen. Ingredients designed to release formaldehyde include: Quarternium-15, dimethyl-dimethyl (DMDM), midazolidinyl urea, Diazolidinyl urea, 2-bromo-2-nitropropane-1, 3-diol (bronopol), hydantoin.

5. Nail Polish. The big bad three ingredients in nail polish include formaldehyde, toluene, and dibutyl phthalate. These three items have been removed from numerous brands thanks to the campaign for Safe Cosmetics (www.safecosmetics.org). These ingredients disrupt the endocrine system, nervous system and immune system. A slightly safer alternative, but still not great for you, is the brand name of Zoya. At least an improvement if you insist on painting your nails.

6. Fragrance. Fragrance may contain numerous hidden ingredients, including phthalates. Even a scent free may indicate the use of a fragrance to cover up another smell. Before you buy something, read the label.

7. Lipstick. A 2009 FDA study showed that lead is present in lipstick. There is no known safe level of lead. Lead is linked to learning difficulties, cardiovascular disease, and other chronic diseases such as osteoporosis and cataracts. You can see the results and brands of lipstick tested at:http://www.fda.gov/cosmetics/productandingredientsafety/productinformation/ucm137224.htm

Blog for BridgeTower Photography

2010-09-03T16:32:00.000-07:00

Well, I actually did it! I started a blog for the photography business. Victor and I have been shooting weddings and have a studio in our home with lots of sets and backgrounds. We have so much fun with all ages and we get lots of compliments on our work with children because the environment is relaxed and fun and we take our time! Please go follow our new blog and check out our website too! Thank you so much!

www.BridgeTowerPhotography.blogspot.com

And, our brand new website, which will only get better, I promise :-)

www.BridgeTowerPhotography.com

Heavenly Clam Chowder

2010-08-29T13:02:00.000-07:00

With fall on the way, I thought I would do a quick update. Today is our last day of summer vacation, the kids go back to school tomorrow!!! Yikes! Summer just flew by! Today was a cool and rainy morning and it got me thinking about how many things I love about the fall season. One of my absolute favorite things is all the yummy soup recipes! I thought I would share with you my family's favorite Clam Chowder recipe. I guarantee you will love this if you love clam chowder.

“Russ’” Clam Chowder

Ingredients: (makes about 8 quarts)

½ lb chopped bacon

½ cup chopped Onion

½ cup chopped green bell peppers

½ cup chopped celery

5 large potatoes diced

1 12-15 ounce bag of frozen corn (or 3 cans niblets)

1 51 ounce can of chopped clams

1 51 ounce can of swanson chicken broth (or 8 tsp chicken bouillon in 51 oz. of water)

1 cube (1/4 lb) of real butter

¾ cup of flour

1 qt half and half

1 tsp salt

¼ tsp pepper

½ tsp thyme

2 cans Campbell’s cream of asparagus soup

Instructions:

1. In a large pot, brown bacon remove and leave grease

2. In remaining bacon grease, sauté onions, peppers and celery

3. Add chicken broth

4. Add clams with the juice

5. Add bacon (already cooked)

6. Add Potatoes (raw diced)

7. Add, salt, pepper and thyme

8. Cook until potatoes are done

9. In a separate pan, melt butter, slowly add flour, keeping it warm and smooth, add half and half slowly keeping warm and smooth

10. Add above mixture to clam pot, slowly, stirring continually

11. Add corn

12. Add the 2 cans of asparagus soup (straight without mixing with water or milk)

Warning, soup will now stick to bottom of pot and burn very easily, stir and check often.

Why Become a Lion

2010-08-20T07:14:00.000-07:00

Why I joined the Lions Club

I am newer member of the Lion's Club, but my husband has been a Lion for 30 years. This last 10 years, I have so enjoyed being a part of the community, I have learned how to give vision and hearing tests, packed baskets of food and gifts for the needy at Thanksgiving and Christmas, worked at the special Olympics to get glasses for all the participants that needed them. I have loved every minute of it!

Now, I am getting ready to start a Leo Lion's Club at the local high school, Rocky Mountain High, and I am really looking forward to getting this next generation involved in giving back to the community. I think it is a great way to "train up our children". If you live locally and would like to be a part of a wonderful service organization, please let me know. We are a small club and definitely looking for new members.

Top 10 Reasons to Become a Lion

When asked, most Lions will

say they joined a Lions club to

serve their communities. But

there are many other reasons

to be a Lion. Here are the

Top Ten:

1. Help your Community-First

and foremost, Lions love to

serve. If you enjoy reaching

out and helping others, Lions is

for you.

2. Learn Valuable Skills and

Develop Talents-With every

new project there is an opportunity

to learn a new skill or

discover a talent you didn’t

know you had.

3. Make an Impact on People’s

Lives-The feeling you get

from making a difference is

like no other.

4. Learn to be a Leader-Lion

Clubs provides training and

opportunity to develop leadership

skills. You can be a

club officer, chair a committee,

or work with youth.

5. Network with Business People-

Who better to do business

with than Lions who share your

ideals and passions.

6. Energize your Life-Staying

busy and active is key for

body,mind and soul at any age.

7. It’s Good for You-

Volunteering reduces stress

and makes you healthier.

8. Have Fun-Who doesn’t

need more fun in their lives?

9. Meet New People-You’ll

meet people from all walks of

life and work with them side

by side.

10. Make New Friends-Lions

in your community and around

the world become your

friends, your family.

My Story

2010-06-15T07:04:00.000-07:00

My Story

I have recently been thinking about my life journey, where I am right now and where I am going.

I am going to be 40 in just over a week! Wow! I don't think you ever feel older on the inside :-) I am married to Victor for almost 11 years and I have 5 children, 2 of them with Victor and 3 from my first marriage. We moved to Idaho almost 5 years ago to raise our children in a safer environment. I have loved every moment of living here. The people are warm and friendly, it is extremely safe, nice weather, good schools. There is a saying about coming home to where I always belonged and that is how I feel about Idaho.

Victor is a chiropractor of 30 years!!! Wow! He is absolutely amazing and the best you will ever find! If you really want to know what is going on with you, what the root cause is of any health problems you may have, make sure to come in as a patient. His website is www.eaglefamilychiropractic.com. Over the years, we have always been looking for products that are not harmful or toxic and can benefit your health. For 27 years he told women not to wear make up, he learned in chiropractic college how dangerous and toxic it was and that it was leading to an increase in auto-immune diseases among women. Well, about 3 and a half years ago, I was introduced to Arbonne. Idaho is a dry climate and I was struggling with dry skin and also adult acne. When I tried the skin care, I loved how my skin looked and felt. In about 2 months, my family was telling everyone about how good my skin was looking and when I go back and visit Southern California, people comment that I no longer have my adult acne. Pretty exciting stuff. Arbonne formulates products that are very effective and yet beneficial to the whole body.

Arbonne has been a perfect fit for me and my life. I LOVE what I do. I get to have fun sharing products through Swiss Beauty Workshops, or one on one with people over coffee or wine, lunch or dinner. I have a very fun "job" :-) I am home my children the vast majority of the time and I have the gift of time freedom! I get to put my family's activities first and schedule Arbonne when it suits me.

My favorite thing about Arbonne from day one has been the personal growth, the confidence you gain from being challenged by your fears and choosing to overcome them daily, and the women!!! Oh, the wonderful friends I have made along the way! Nowadays, so many people are negative and down, but I am surrounded with people who are lit up and positive from the inside out. I have such a support network of amazing and positive women who care about my whole life, who share this journey with me :-) I feel very blessed.

If you are looking for an extra or alternate income stream, to have more fun, be more positive, make a bunch of awesome new friends, stay home more or get away occasionally ;-), I have a wonderful business to share with you. I am looking for more people to join my team and share this vision with me and I would love to coach you to success if this sounds like something that might appeal to you. It sure has been a blessing in my life.

Please check out my website or email or call me, the information is all on my website. www.nicolesanchez.myarbonne.com

My Birthday Invitation :-)

2010-06-09T08:10:00.000-07:00

40th Birthday Invitation

I just love this invitation that Victor made up for me last night. The photos on the bottom are baby, 5 years, 10 years, 15 years, 30 years (with newborn Emily) and then 40 :-)

I think a polka dot theme is emerging, along with the colors of brown and pink. I am looking for a good excuse to have my friends over and to hang out for the day!

Planning my 40th Birthday

2010-06-02T13:54:00.001-07:00

Countdown to June 26th, 2010 and the big 4 0

I know this many seem strange, but I am struggling with turning 40...I know, I know, perhaps it is not so strange. My whole life I have heard "older" people, who now don't seem so much older to my almost 40 year old mind, say that they never felt any older on the inside, that on the inside, you always feel 19. I am now truly starting to understand that. I don't feel 40 inside. This past few years I am definitely changing. I am getting stronger and more sure of myself. I have my own mind and am learning to speak it, I have value and intelligence and I can voice it now. I am definitely getting stronger. And, yet, I have far to go, I still feel like a little girl on the inside, longing for the approval of my parents, which will never come, longing for unconditional love and to feel cherished. I guess those feelings never fully go away.

So, Victor and Amber are planning a party for me, but they have let me contribute greatly to the planning of it. We looked at a few locations, but then decided to do it here at home. After all, I am most comfortable here, can have the most freedom, no limits on what you can or can't bring, no time lines, no hidden fees ;-) I wanted to be able to have families and not have the number limited due to cost issues. When I have a birthday party here, it always turns out great and everyone has a great time hanging out together! I am hoping to have some awesome 80's music and have a relaxing evening visiting with friends.

I was excited that Amber asked what styles I like and for some reason, I have absolutely fallen in love with that cake pictured here. My friend Michelle is going to make it for me. Check out her gorgeous cakes! http://www.lilmisscreations.net/ She assures me that she can make this cake.

I also want it to be very much a garden party, kind of Victorian in theme which has always been my favorite. So, I am having fun looking at decor to go with this theme.

Through it all, I am so grateful for my guest list which reminds me of the most important things in life, which aren't things at all, but people, relationships, friendships and in that regard, I am extremely well blessed.

So, if you are in Boise, Idaho, on June 26th, stop on by to my birthday party! Friends are always welcome :-)

Health Tips

2010-05-20T06:28:00.000-07:00

Coeur D'Alene, Idaho

Last weekend Victor and I went to the Idaho Association of Chiropractic Physicians convention. Victor attended classes on nutritional neurology. On the drive up, we listened to CD's on male hormone balancing. So 3 days of classes and many hours of CD's later, I will share with you a few things that really stand out as very important. I will share more in the future as things pop in my mind :-)

Health Tips:

High fructose corn syrup is made using mercury, mercury causes brain damage. Autism is on the rise and so is our use of pre-packaged foods with high fructose corn syrup. Children without autism show mercury in their hair follicle testing, so their bodies can get rid of it, while kids with autism seem to store it. Read your package labels.

Over the counter (OTC) pain remedies, such as Tylenol, ibuprofen etc. We are only supposed to have 1,000 tablets over the course of our LIFETIME starting when we are babies and given it for teething and vaccine pain. After 1,000 tablets, our kidneys don't handle it very well, we risk kidney failure. This is what, Victor, the kids and I use to deal with pain www.lifewave.com/nicolesanchez.
And also, Lifewave has glutathione patches that work phenomenally well and we are continuing to learn about glutathione to heal our bodies and fight cancers, aging and many more health concerns.

One thing that was abundantly clear in every thing that I have heard this past week, it all comes down to the liver and kidneys and keeping them clean and clear and working well. Instead of dealing with symptoms and masking symptoms, we need to find the root cause of why our bodies aren't converting a hormone or whatever they aren't doing and fix the root problem, not mask the symptoms.

We are continuing to learn how many skin care products have estrogen hidden in them. The leading problem in men and women and hormone imbalance is too much estrogen. We use and suggest Arbonne products because our bodies so readily absorb what we put on our skin and there are no hidden estrogens or harmful ingredients. Victor has told women for 30 years not to use make up, but with Arbonne, we have products that work really quickly, are Swiss formulated and non-toxic. Victor strongly believes that all products that touch our skin daily should be from Arbonne because they are looking out for our health interests. Here is my website for Arbonne www.nicolesanchez.myarbonne.com.
Please feel free to contact me with any questions you might have.

There is much more coming, but I need to run out and check out this cool winery that we MIGHT do my 40th birthday party at :-) www.stechapelle.com

Have a blessed day!

Christmas, 2009

2009-12-19T07:26:00.000-08:00

Our First Snow from my porch

Upstairs Christmas Tree

Entryway for Christmas

~~Christmas, 2009~~

I can't believe that it is Christmas time again. I wish time would slow down, I love the whole season and I want the music to play longer at the stores and restaurants. I love the feel of Christmas. Some people want it to be over, I am finding many who dislike Christmas, my kids are in a hurry to open their gifts. Not me, I like the anticipation, I want to enjoy the process and the time and the planning. I hope you are enjoying this holy time of year, this Advent season. I hope that you can have the time for peace, prayer and meditation. Take a deep breathe, in and out, let go of all the stress and just BE and enjoy this time of your life.

Remember, we are waiting in JOYFUL EXPECTATION :-)

Blessings to all~~

The Holiday Season

2009-11-11T09:37:00.001-08:00

October, 2009
Home in Fall

I actually can't believe how quickly this year is flying past me! It is hard to believe that we are in November already! I haven't begun to Christmas shop and I used to be one of those people that was done in October!!! Wow, how times change! The older the kids get, the busier I get. We have recently been inundated with homework and Cassidy is now being homeschooled. That is going very well so far. I am trying to scrapbook again, but it is hard to get undivided time for it. I was sad to see that when I did a layout the other day, I could not find any other layouts from 2007, 2008 or 2009......I guess I will just catch up on the biggest events now :-)

On the Sunday after Thanksgiving, we will be going up into the mountains to cut down our Christmas tree. We take lots of food and drinks, music, snow gear and stuff to play with. We have done this past couple of years with the Camp family and it just gets better and better every year. The kids end up having a great time! If you live locally and would like to join us, please just contact me.

So, now is the time for Christmas gatherings to begin, to listen to my favorite CD's, sit back and enjoy the time at home and with family, of course, I am loving the fireplace and the coziness of it all, the evenings with the kids and making lots of great food :-)

I hope you are doing well. I just wanted to post a brief update since I have been rather bad about blogging lately :-) Of course, I am still actively building my Arbonne business and just love it! Please let me know if you want to see the current holiday line or have a catalog mailed to you. I wish you many blessings during this holiday season and that you can enjoy all the little moments.

Cancun Trip with Arbonne, 2009

2009-10-27T19:28:00.000-07:00

Cancun Trip, October, 2009
With Arbonne International
Earned this awesome trip!

Pyramids at Chichen Itza
Gorgeous day with awesome friends!

I have never felt humidity like this, though!!! It was crazy!
To walk outside and be as wet as if I just got out of the shower!
Why blow dry my hair? I did give up by the last day!
The last day of the trip, I totally enjoyed the hammock
and being utterly indulgent. Why does it take 4 days before you really start
to relax??? That is just NOT right! :-)

I am so grateful to work with such an awesome company as Arbonne! I love the concept of having healthy products, an environmentally friendly company and the most amazing women you can imagine. One thing that has hit me really hard this past 2 months of personal growth and coaching etc is that the greatest blessings my Arbonne business has brought me are 1. the friendships with incredible women and 2. Learning my own value and self worth. Why have I always doubted me? I am learning that I have a lot of great qualities, but I truly did not realize many of them until Arbonne. The woman you become on this journey....

PRICELESS :-)

Next year is Arbonne's 30th anniversary. Our president, Rita Davenport says it will be the most amazing trip ever that we can earn. Would you like to come with me? Would you like to earn this next trip? I can teach you how :-) I would love you to learn what I am learning....about yourself.

Press Release From Arbonne

2009-10-27T19:27:00.000-07:00

Arbonne International Donates More Than $4.7 Million Dollars in Product to Operation Gratitude

Irvine, California, October 2009 - Arbonne International announced today that it has made a charitable donation of approximately 1.5 million personal care products...with a retail value of nearly $4.75 million dollars...to Operation Gratitude, a non-profit organization that sends care packages to the U.S. military. This donation is the largest Operation Gratitude has received from a corporate sponsor to date and follows a $642,000 donation Arbonne made to the organization in May. Arbonne, headquartered in Irvine, California, formulates botanically based, scientifically advanced beauty, health and wellness products, distributed through an international network of Independent Consultants.

"We're honored to donate Arbonne skin care products to Operation Gratitude to improve the lives of the brave men and women who are serving in the military overseas," said Rita Davenport, Arbonne President. "They fight to preserve our freedom and way of life and we owe them a debt of gratitude. We hope these products show our appreciation for their service to this country, and far beyond our borders. We know these products will help protect them from the harsh elements. Arbonne thanks you and salutes you!"

Operation Gratitude (www.OperationGratitude.com) is the 501 (c) (3) non-profit, volunteer organization that annually sends 100,000+ care packages filled with snacks, entertainment items and personal letters of appreciation addressed to individual U.S. Service Members deployed in hostile regions. The organization's mission is to lift morale and express to all Armed Forces the appreciation and support of the American people. Each package contains donated product valued at @$100 and costs the organization $11 to assemble and ship. By the end of 2009, Operation Gratitude will have shipped more than 500,000 packages to American Military deployed overseas.

MEDIA NOTE: Rita Davenport, Arbonne President, and Richard Estalella, Arbonne Sr. VP Operations, will make an official announcement about this donation at Operation Gratitude's "Kick-Off of the Operation Gratitude 2009 Holiday Drive" event this Saturday, October 24, between noon and 1 p.m. Pacific time, at the armory, located at: Operation Gratitude, 17330 Victory Blvd., Van Nuys, CA 91406

ABOUT ARBONNE
For three decades, Arbonne has been committed to enriching the lives of its Independent Consultants. Through unparalleled products, a strong, supportive community and a generous compensation plan, Arbonne provides the opportunity to achieve prosperity and freedom, and to live beautifully. The company creates personal care and wellness products that preserve and enhance the skin, body and mind. At Arbonne, beauty begins with premium botanical ingredients, an integrative approach to beauty and an unwavering commitment to pure, safe and beneficial products. Arbonne products are available exclusively through a network of independent distributors in the United States, Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom. For more information, please visit www.arbonne.com.

Back to School, 2009

2009-08-31T10:59:00.000-07:00

Back to School, 2009

Monday, August 31st, the kids go back to school. It is the first day that all of my children will be in school all day! There are now only Sanchez's in the elementary school, the Cagliero kids are all in middle and high school now. Wow, that revelation hit me hard!

It is now, Tuesday, our second morning back to school. I have dealt with piles of back to school papers and forms, we are getting lunches made the night before and considering that there are 5 kids to get ready every morning, it is going remarkable well, very smooth and easy. Of course, they are good kids and most things tend to go easily and smoothly with them.

So, what did I do yesterday? Well, I finished my "to-do" list for the first time in months :-) I got an incredible amount done, never turned on the TV and didn't even listen to music...much...I enjoyed the silence.

I am very busy with my Arbonne business and that has been my main focus, especially since I had a booth at the job fair last week and I am following up with so many people from that.

I feel fall in the air this morning and I heard their is a cooling trend coming on Friday. I feel like cuddling up with a blanket already ;-) I am hosting Bunco this month and thinking about a fall theme. I have my own tradition of marking off the first day of fall as a day that I only focus on the home and getting fall decorations set up! Life is good....

I hope you are enjoying "back to school" time :-) I am looking forward to a bit more freedom of schedule now to get together with my girlfriends and catch up on life and the chaotic summer that we all just enjoyed.

Skin Care Tips #1

2009-08-11T08:58:00.000-07:00

I have been thinking a lot lately about all the great information I share at my classes with people. Everyone always says they will never remember it all :-) So, I have decided to share a couple of tips regularly with you :-)

#1 Wash your face before bed...every night! I don't care how tired you are! Why? During the night, our pores open up and all the debris that is left on your face from the daytime will get deeply embedded into your pores, causing premature aging and possibly acne. Your skin does it's best recovery work at night, so using an excellent night creme will really improve your skin.

#2 What you put on your skin is absorbed into all your major organs, like your liver and kidneys, within 2 minutes. Ingredients are so important!

Arbonne products are formulated to be pure, safe and beneficial for the last 29 years and they yield very quick results! They are formulated in Switzerland and tested in independent labs around the world.

I feel passionate about sharing products with you that work great and actually benefit your health! Everybody uses these products....choose to make a healthier choice today :-)

Feel free to call me for a free sample pack or to book a presentation at (208) 949-1740 or you can email me at vonda626@msn.com

My Arbonne website:

www.nicolesanchez.myarbonne.com

Look for more skin care tips and healthy living tips coming soon :-)

August 4th, 2009

2009-08-04T14:15:00.000-07:00

Hello again! I just wanted to say thank you to all my fabulous friends, business partners and clients who so actively helped me earn my trip to Cancun this year! You are all incredible and awesome!

I have been in Arbonne almost 3 years and one thing I will pass on to any of you with goals and dreams, WRITE THEM DOWN! Be intentional! This is the first year I paid the $30 registration fee last December and every month set about doing what I needed to do to stay on track to earn this trip! You can achieve what you set your mind to! Of course, you must follow through with lots of activity and personal growth reading and time. Our minds are incredibly powerful, though, never ever doubt that!

Our summer is going well. Goodness, the kids will be back to school at the end of the month. Oh, and Victor and I have our 10th anniversary coming up this month! Wow! 10 years flew by!

I hope you are all well. Blessings and love to you :-)

Arbonne colors and amazing July special :-)

2009-07-17T07:11:00.000-07:00

Nicole on July 15th, 2009

My Arbonne plug ;-)

We are all going to wear make up (if we are women, of course! :-))
Wouldn't you like to wear healthy products that won't harm you? Your skin absorbs all that you put on it in about 2 minutes. Make up in the U.S. is very toxic for the most part, that is why my hubby recommends that women DON'T wear it...until we found Arbonne, of course!
Our colors stay on, are true, are full of anti-oxidants, anti-aging ingredients, NO ANIMAL PRODUCTS! you don't want to know what is in the nasty stuff you buy from the grocery store.
In July, if you have $150 Retail order, Arbonne is paying your $29 membership for the whole year! You get a 20% discount for a year, a free product of your choice and you can join in on specials that I offer, too :-)
I can customize your colors for you and teach you about proper application.
Nicole's colors in this photo: Line Defiance Liquid Foundation in 6N, Bronzer (one of my faves!), Glow blush, eyeshadows in Magic and Mesmerize, new liquid black eyeliner, Earth Lipstick, Vavavoom lipgloss, and the Dual Volume Lash Enhancing Mascara. I am also using the new Lash Enhancer that helps your eyelashes grow longer and fuller and it is healthy and incredibly reasonably priced! I love it, have only used it about a week and notice a big difference already!

I would love to share more with you about Arbonne. I am passionate about helping people look and feel good and learning about healthier alternatives. It is really important to learn about baby care products and sun care products, too, if you have children or plan to have children.

Please check out my website and contact me.

www.nicolesanchez.myarbonne.com

Grandpa Charles' visit

2009-07-17T06:57:00.000-07:00

This week we are having a busy and very "summery" week, filled with activities with the family. My dad's dad, my grandpa Charles is visiting from Durango, Colorado. Also, my best friend's daughter, Shannon, is visiting from Missouri. This is the week that we are going to the lake lots, going to the water park and we will get away to McCall this weekend, a very dear friend is letting us use their house their. We are excited about the getaway :-) It truly feels like summer now! Of course, there is no internet in McCall and very little cell phone service and so I am telling the kids to take books and games etc. It will be nice to focus on the family this weekend.

July 5th, 2009

2009-07-05T11:39:00.000-07:00

Today will just be a quick note. I am just feeling grateful for all the wonderful people in my life. This past two weeks has been filled with birthday celebrations and gatherings with friends. I read again just recently that you have lived a good life if you die with 5 good friends in your life. I have so many more than that and I am grateful for you all :-)

We had a really nice 4th of July at the Rhinehimer's. We met them as patients and also go to church with them. There were about 80 people there and I met two other families of Donovan's friends, and that was a huge pleasure, wonderful people and I am looking forward to getting to know them better. It was hot and a bit humid for Idaho, but felt so good to be amongst friends. We finished the evening at the Loewen's house and I really enjoyed that, although, I wish I weren't so sleepy. I am feeling a bit fatigued recently from all the painting and house work this past week, so I am working on giving myself a day of rest today ;-) It is hard because I am one of those people that are always doing so much!

I hope that life is going well with you.

I had a really nice 39th birthday recently and had lunch with my girlfriends at Jan's house. Again, a perfect day, perfect weather and Jan's house is on a hill overlooking the Treasure Valley, so it was quite pleasant to sit outside and enjoy the day. Cassidy also had a birthday and just turned 13. The kids are all being very sweet and helpful today.

I wish you a gorgeous Sunday afternoon! I love Sundays :-)

Happy to be home

2009-06-20T08:52:00.000-07:00

June 20th, 2009~ well, this is probably a bit boring, but I will update,nonetheless, for those of you that actually care about what I am doing...hehehe...and I know you are out there!

The kids and I have been home for a week now. I have been working on the house, enjoying the beginning of summer, lots of rain, gentle breezes, the wind chimes, lots of peace and quiet, for the most part ;-) I am actively working my Arbonne business and just enjoying life in general. I have been cooking quite a bit this week and just enjoying all the domestic pleasures of being able to work from home. I love sitting on the patio in the sun while having lunch and I am even enjoying all the weeding because I like to see the finished product :-)

I am eternally grateful for my fabulous friends who have spent much time hanging out this week. I am so blessed with the relationships in my life. There has been lots of laughter and love in my life and I am enjoying life much, back to my blog title, Loving Life in Idaho :-)

I hope you are well and have a fabulous weekend!

California Vacation and a bit more

2009-06-20T08:41:00.000-07:00

June 8th,2009 with Grandma Colette, Donovan, Cassidy,
Morgan, Emily and Little Victor

Me and my mom :-)

Ooops, this is not the California trip, but this is an Arbonne photo taken in January, 2009

Me, June 6th, 2009 at Grandma Colette's house

My Beautiful Daughters
June 6th, 2009
Taken at Grandma's house in Perris, CA

Grandma's Surprise

2009-06-03T16:41:00.000-07:00

Victor, Emily and Faith (Em's friend)

Okay, I am making up for not blogging much in a while ;-) My mom and dad came to Morgan's 5th grade graduation this morning and it was so nice to see them there. Later when I got home with the kids, my mom had put a bunch of balloons in the house and had an ice cream cake on the counter, popcorn, chips and salsa. It was bittersweet. Most of you know that I have really been having issues with my parents lately. So, I called Dad and asked if they were coming over to celebrate or not and he said no. So, on one hand so sweet and on the other, so incredibly painful. Why am I blogging this? I don't know.

2009-06-03T14:06:00.000-07:00

Morgan's last day of elementary school
June 3rd, 2009
Mom with Victor and Morgan at Ponderosa Elementary

Traveling to California tomorrow

2009-06-03T06:36:00.001-07:00

Wow, time flies, that has been my theme for months, maybe years now ;-) Tomorrow, we will leave for California. So, today is the absolute and utter chaos of the last day of school, all kinds of programs and assemblies and the graduation of Morgan from the fifth grade. Tomorrow, we will leave at 4 am and drive a very long drive to California. I am not looking forward to the drive since I have never made such a long drive without another adult driver. I am looking forward to having time with the kids and seeing many of you! My family and friends :-) Can you believe by tomorrow night I will be in Southern California? The first night we will be staying at Dennis and Dee's house. Here's the schedule:
Thursday, June 4th, leave 4 or 5 am drive all day. Spend night at Dennis'
Friday, June 5th, visit Jim and Linda Roche in Rancho Cucamonga drive to Grandma's house to spend the night on Friday night :-)
Saturday, June 6th: all day at Grandma's house, big family gathering
Sunday, June 7th: Meet Andy, Sally and Ruby at Ozzie's for breakfast at 11 am. Meet with the Beltrans and anyone else who wants to see us in Montebello :-)
Sunday evening, go see family in El Segundo and staying at La Hacienda hotel
Monday: Down to Vista to see Shele and her family, go to the beach in Carlsbad :-) Driving to grandma's house and spending the night there.
Tuesday: open day?????
Wednesday: seeing Belinda, Ana, and anyone else who wants to see us ;-) Spending the night at Dennis an Dee's house
Thursday, June 11th, leave Dennis' and drive home or halfway. Will be just me, Victor and Emily, so we might stop half way at a hotel.

That's it, our agenda ;-)

I started this post early this morning, I have now survived the school portion of the day and I have posted photos to Facebook :-) I am getting ready for a birthday party tonight and packing. I hope you have a great week!

Last Day of School

2009-06-03T05:28:00.001-07:00

I must admit, I have been feeling extremely sentimental lately. We are in the process of transferring all of our videos from the last 10 years onto DVD's. I am so grateful to have these videos!!! They are precious. I can't believe how little the kids were, how sweet their little voices are. I keep crying because I miss being the mother of little children so very much! oh, well, I guess it is time to just wait it out for grandchildren! I am willing to wait a good long time for that :-)

Update on Victor

2009-05-23T04:54:00.000-07:00

So many of you have been so sweet and concerned about Victor and what is happening with him and his chiropractic office. Basically, Victor is now helping another doctor for three days a week. He is working his office three days a week. It is a great learning experience for Victor because although he is the BEST chiropractor around (I know I am biased..but just a teensy bit, everybody else says the same about him), he needs to improve in marketing and mostly in marketing himself. So, he is learning new things from this other doctor everyday. Mostly, he is learning to affirm out loud to the patient the improvements, constantly checking and rechecking muscles to show the patient the improvement, ask how they feel etc. Victor knows people will feel better, just assumes everyone knows that, but by stating these things out loud, it helps the patient to be more aware of it, and it is also good for referrals. We realize that Victor is as good as any other doctor and better in most ways, especially nutrition and muscle work, but he is extremely humble and in this circumstance, he needs to be a bit more bold with tooting his own horn, so to speak ;-) So, he is learning a lot about confirmation. The other doctor is talking about making this a permanent situation, but if we were to consider that, the money would have to be substantially more. Victor is adjusting 30-40 people a day at this other office. From day one, I just hoped Victor could learn from this situation and he is definitely learning and adapting quite a bit.

Please keep us in your prayers, that we always make the right decisions, whether in business or personal life.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Mother's Day, 2009

2009-05-10T18:18:00.001-07:00

Emily, Nicole, Morgan, Cassidy, Victor and Donovan

We have had a great day. We went to mass this morning and then to my cousin, Tammy's house for a BBQ. It was very relaxing and I loved seeing the kids play so much!

Race for The Cure May 9th, 2009

2009-05-09T13:20:00.000-07:00

Race for the Cure
Boise, Idaho
May 9th, 2009

Of course, this blog has to be in Pink. This morning was quite inspiring! Last year Boise had 14,050 walkers and this year we topped 15,000. It is pretty impressive for our population. I found today to be quite inspiring and very touching. I especially liked the papers on the backs of people that said who they were walking in memory of or celebration of. There were sisters,aunts, mothers, daughters, even fathers. All I can say about this event is that it felt wonderful to be a part of this group. I would do it again in a heartbeat and Lindsey and I want to find more walks like this to be a part of. I know that my Emily would have loved to be a part of this walk also. I feel very tired today, it is more emotional than anything because I walk 3 miles on the treadmill everyday, so it is not the physical exhaustion, but rather all the emotions involved in this day. Let's all pray for a cure, the sooner the better.

Dinner Train Ride

2009-05-02T09:56:00.000-07:00

Nicole and Jeanette

I am so excited to have met Jeanette last night on the train ride, what a lovely and charming woman. She is originally from Germany and still has her accent. She is also married to a chiropractor and we share many common interests and similar past histories. I am really looking forward to getting to know her better. I feel like I made a true friend last night, a "kindred spirit". How many of you have read Anne of Green Gables? I just love those books. I know, totally off topic! :-)

Chiropractic Dinner

2009-05-02T09:41:00.000-07:00

This is Dr. Z. I know he is quite famous in the chiropractic profession and he teaches at Palmer College.He is a part time professor and a traveler with much experience in life. I don't know much about his professional career, but what I do know from one meeting with him is that he is charming, warm, kind, a devoted husband, father and grand father, he thinks the world of his wife and that is such a marvelous quality. When you look in his eyes, you want to know everything he has to teach and share and he is magnetic, you don't want to stop talking to him or listening to him. This is grace, charm, character, wisdom, kindness and so much more. I feel honored to have met him even for a brief time.

Actual Explosion

2009-05-01T14:52:00.000-07:00

Actual cannon explosion from Morgan's field trip this morning, sorry for the jerking hand, even though I was prepared, the sound still made me jump! LOL!

Morgan's 5th Grade Field Trip

2009-05-01T12:59:00.000-07:00

See a demonstration and explanation of how cannon's were loaded during the Civil War.
It was sooooo cold today, but we still had fun!

Lifewave

2009-04-25T07:32:00.000-07:00

Hello, again!

Most of you know that I do Arbonne and Lifewave as businesses. Part of the reason I wanted a blog was to have a place that I could share and store certain articles as they come along.

Personally, I had a horrible migraine on Thursday, I was crying in the afternoon and quite sick to my stomach. My friend, Amber, went to Victor's office and got some of the Icewave (Pain) patches to bring home to me. I had taken medications that had not touched my pain! But, as soon as I put the patches to the back of my neck, the pain dissappeared. I was so happy because I had a make up party that night and wanted to be at my best. I felt better and was nice and happy at my party in the evening ;-)

This article is interesting and I hope you enjoy it!

http://www.theleader.com.au/news/local/news/general/patch-is-a-tonic-for-pain/1435835.aspx

2009-04-24T13:35:00.000-07:00

April 24th, 2009

I just had to take a photo of the weeping cherry bush since it blooms for such a short period of time. I am so happy that we moved here to Idaho. It has been such a great move for our children. The people are friendly and warm, the crime is low, the schools score very well. So many wonderful things about living in Idaho :-)

The weekend is here and I am excited! I Have one Arbonne party on Saturday and will be gathering some orders in the morning.

I am really excited because Victor was able to get us Taylor Swift concert tickets at the very last moment when the radio station opened up a few seats. He got on line and we couldn't get even get 4 tickets, but scraped by and got us 2 tickets :-) Woohooo ;-)

The kids are all doing well. Morgan had her 11th birthday yesterday and is having a little party tomorrow, there will even be a couple of BOYS!!! ;-) too cute, she is the first girl to even ask to invite a boy to her party. The other kids will go to my mom's house for the night.

This next week is a chiropractic convention and Victor is photographing, so he got me invited to all the events, including dinner at a nice Basque restaurant on Thursday and a train ride dinner on Friday...I love those! Of course, he jokes and says it will cost him money in the clothes that I will want to go out and buy!! ;-) No, I really don't like to shop much. I am sad, though, I am missing two pieces of clothing that I had just bought for NTC, a nice pair of slacks and this black sweater that I really liked...hmmmm...

I hope you have had a fabulous week and that your weekend is even better!!

About women ;-)

2009-04-22T15:41:00.000-07:00

Thank you, Belinda, for this via email earlier today. I have seen this before, but it is special enough that I want to remember and save it, so here it is, in my blog :-)

God doesn't give you the people you want, He gives you the people you
NEED. To help you, to hurt you, to leave you, to love you and to make you
into the person you were meant to be.

One Flaw In Women

Women have strengths that amaze men.
They bear hardships and they carry burdens,
but they hold happiness, love and joy..

They smile when they want to scream.
They sing when they want to cry.
They cry when they are happy
and laugh when they are nervous.
They fight for what they believe in.
They stand up to injustice.

They don't take "no" for an answer
when they believe there is a better solution.

They go without so their family can have.
They go to the doctor with a frightened friend.
They love unconditionally.
They cry when their children excel
and cheer when their friends get awards.

They are happy when they hear about
a birth or a wedding.
Their hearts break when a friend dies.
They grieve at the loss of a family member,
yet they are strong when they
think there is no strength left.
They know that a hug and a kiss
can heal a broken heart.

Women come in all shapes, sizes and colors.

They'll drive, fly, walk, run or e-mail you
to show how much they care about you.

The heart of a woman is what
makes the world keep turning.

They bring joy, hope and love.
They have compassion and ideas.
They give moral support to their
family and friends.

Women have vital things to say
and everything to give.

HOWEVER, IF THERE IS ONE FLAW IN WOMEN,
IT IS THAT THEY FORGET THEIR WORTH.

Home at last :-)

2009-04-18T19:18:00.000-07:00

I am home again in Idaho. Back in the loving arms of my family! What a nice home coming too! Victor picked me up at the airport and had flowers for me. When I got in the Yukon, he had an iced mocha for me and it was wonderful! Victor let me talk and talk all the way home...hehehe....Then, when we got home, the house was CLEAN :-) The kids had all missed me so much and Emily had made me all kinds of cute things. I especially liked all the certificates for massages and facials and pampering ;-) very sweet.

We had a nice bar b que tonight and Victor did most of the work. The girls did a really cute show for us on the trampoline. I love seeing them cooperate! That part is just awesome! They are so adorable when they are getting along. I am very sleepy, but happy to be home. I don't want to think about how much I need to do tomorrow, so I will enjoy relaxing tonight!

I hope you are well and happy and loving life wherever you may be!

2009-04-18T17:45:00.000-07:00

Arbonne, NTC, 2009

Jan and I just got home from NTC, National Training Conference, in Las Vegas, NV. We had such a great time! This was my third NTC and I definitely consider it the best one yet!

Arbonne has always been pure, safe and beneficial, but it is getting even more so everyday. We have some phenomenal new members of the team! The focus is on improving our holistic and botanical elements and helping the consultants with marketing.

I am thrilled to be a part of this group of awesome people! There were so many women who have just changed the lives of their families in this past year by jumping into Arbonne. People that didn't have money for food a year ago and now they are thriving, thanks to Arbonne. I love that average women can create such a nice life for their families and with their family's help :-) I heard over and over how Arbonne was a family business for people. I also saw more MEN walking across the stage and winning wonderful awards and accomplishments, it was very inspiring.

We did also receive new products and great training from Image Consulatant, Krista Embry. We have a new product line called Revelage https://www.arbonne.com/products/whats_new/index.asp. This amazing product line illuminates the skin (2/3 of people who tried it reported their skin being more luminous within 10 minutes!!) and removes age spots and other discolorations, evens out skin tones. The neat thing is that it is not bleaching at all and any nationality can use it. The products go in to the skin where the dermin and epidermus meet and works with the melanin to get rid of the age spots. It is truly incredible!

Our acne line, Clear Advantage has been improved to get rid of acne in 2-3 days and a new spot treatment product has been added. It is the ONLY holistic acne treatment line on the market today!

The training we received from Krista Embry was awesome! I learned so many new things. I have been doing make up classes for quite some time now, but I got lots of new ideas and it was awesome to watch Krista do one side of a woman's face and show how much thinner it looked and also the eye looked like it had an eye lift on the side she worked on. Now, this gal started out gorgeous, but it was amazing what Krista did with highlighting and contouring! I am not going to tell you anymore because I want you to book a Hollywood Make Over class in your own home :-) I can't wait to get going on more of these. I will start with the Audrey theme :-)

Make sure to check out my website www.nicolesanchez.myarbonne.com or give me a call at (208) 949-1740 if you have questions or would like to learn more about Arbonne's products or incredible business opportunity!

There is so much more, but I am sleepy, so I am going to another post about my family and then head off to bed :-)

Wednesday April 15th, 2009 Las Vegas

2009-04-15T10:00:00.000-07:00

It's a beautiful day, even with all the rain :-) Jan Camp and I are in Las Vegas for Arbonne's National Training Conference (NTC). So far, we have registered and just been really relaxing. Our early bird training is from 1:30-2:30. We have our big "Kick Off" tonight at 7PM. I am looking forward to seeing the new products! woohooo :-)

Next week when I come back home, I am doing an open house at 7PM at my home on Tuesday and Wednesday at my home, the 22nd and 23rd. Please spread the word ;-)

Yesterday, Jan and I walked and walked and walked ;-) We got rained on too, but it was lots of fun. Mostly, we are just relaxing and feeling lazy and enjoying this down time.

I hope you are having a great week!

Tuesday, April 14th, 2009

2009-04-14T08:03:00.000-07:00

Just a quick note to say hello and that Jan and I are at the Boise airport now :-) We should get to Vegas around noon and our program doesn't start until tomorrow night! So we will have some nice time to relax and such :-) yay! So looking forward to it!

Hugs to you all!

Evening

2009-04-13T19:44:00.000-07:00

Well, the day went pretty well, considering how much I needed to get done! I am packed now, everything ironed etc. I even did a bunch of deliveries that arrived by UPS today and I didn't want my hostesses to have to wait until I got home. So, I am calming down now...hehehe....

Off to cuddle with the family a bit and hopefully get to bed early!

Being Sentimental ;-)

2009-04-13T05:00:00.000-07:00

Wow, in January, my internal alarm clock went off, the need to have some time to myself and to just relax a bit. I love being a wife and mother, but every once in a while, I must admit, I want to get away. Hope you don't think any worse of me for it. I was driving home in January and thinking, I can't wait until NTC (my annual conference with Arbonne) in April. YES! Las Vegas! friends, time to be me, positive, inspirational, motivational.

Now, I leave tomorrow! How did that time go so quickly? So, here's the deal, whenever I am going to leave home, I get soooo sentimental. I get all emotional with my family and friends and you that know me well, know this, I will be scurrying around getting everything packed, and as done and as orderly as possible before I leave and I will be calling my friends, or writing on their Facebook walls, because I love you all and will miss you, and I secretly worry, what if something bad happens, I want everyone to know how much I love them and how glad I am to have had them in my life ;-)

This is funny, because I also know those of you that get mad at me every time I go through this before I travel...lol....I know the ones who will say "snap out of it, nothing bad will happen!!!" ;-)

Thank you for caring enough to read my posts, thank you for the gift of your time, for being you and for being such a gift in my life! (yep, getting all weepy here already, and it is EARLY still!)

I hope you have a great week! If any of you are local and want to help Victor, I know he will struggle with getting Little Victor to Kindergarten in the morning and could use help ;-)

I started packing last night, I have 3 Arbonne appts today, noon, 1 and 3, will try to get my hair trimmed, but not too worried if I don't get to that ;-) I will take my laptop and try to post some blogs while I am gone!

Love to you all!!
Nicole

2009-04-12T12:47:00.000-07:00

Easter Sunday
2009
with the Duff Family

Chocolate Dipped Strawberries

2009-04-12T11:59:00.000-07:00

Victor's Famous Chocolate Dipped
Strawberries....
soooo yummy....
He makes these every year for Easter!

Tips:

Use Sees chocolate

Wash and dry the strawberries and put them in the fridge. Keep very dry, only take out a few out a tip to prevent condensation. Not letting the chocolate get any moisture is absolutely key :-)

These are a few of my favorite things...

2009-04-12T10:56:00.000-07:00

That song has been rolling around in my head for days now, so I am going to randomly, in no particular order, write out my favorite things and I can add and fix later :-)

Light, natural light, soft lights around the house, wind chimes, coffee, warm hugs, laughter, scrapbooking, travel, trees, fountains, my bed, soft flannel sheets, fireplaces, all tea things (yes, still, don't laugh Shele ;-)) sweeter wines, walking, going to the movies, bedtime, flowers, preferably wild flowers and English flowers, white fluffy clouds, soft breezes, holding my kid's hands, kissing in the snow, books!!, my new Bunco group, Arbonne (but of course!), candles, photos, grandma's house, sunshine, glorious sunshine!!!, decorating, clean counters, being organized, gardening, girl time, baths, meeting new people, life long friends, mornings, quiet times, mountains, the sound of birds, sunsets, and a whole bunch more that I will add as I have time :-)

Off to finish the Easter lunch and prepare for company! Have a great day!

Easter Weekend

2009-04-12T07:47:00.000-07:00

My neighbor made this adorable video/photo thing, I don't know if it will work here or not.

http://www.onetruemedia.com/otm_site/view_shared?p=87bbe3e3bc26875a2c06ab&skin_id=701&large

4/12/09

What a beautiful morning :-) I have so much to be grateful for and feel incredibly blessed :-) I hope you all have a perfect Easter day. We are heading to mass soon. Just made breakfast, signing Easter cards to the kids (my kids love words and hand written cards, they are just like me! in that regard), combing hair, etc. The daily mundane things, but also the things that make life so sweet.

Later today, Andy and Jim and their kids will be coming over. Andy and I divided up food preparation and we will do an egg hunt and charades and such today. We did this last year and the kids all had so much fun, they asked for a repeat this year! I am looking forward to being out in the sun and enjoying time with such dear friends.

May God richly bless you all :-)

Good Friday

2009-04-10T17:36:00.001-07:00

Isn't is strange how you can wake up thinking that you don't have that much to do and then the day just goes crazy? Wow. Donovan had school today at Meridian Technical Charter school and it was really cool because they were doing community service. I took some photos and will post them soon to my Facebook http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=661140946&ref=profile&nctrct=1239411862889.

We are hard boiling eggs to dye tonight and making fish for dinner, a Good Friday ;-) I hope you all have a wonderful Easter this weekend and enjoy time with your families.

I am still preparing to leave on Tuesday for my National Training Conference with Arbonne. I am really excited and doing lots to finish up. I have been meeting the most amazing people lately, just coming into my life out of nowhere and it is so exciting!

It is time to cuddle, dye eggs, watch a movie or whatever else :-)

Tuesday, April 7th, 2009

2009-04-07T06:04:00.000-07:00

One week until NTC :-) Wow, it comes up so quickly every year and catches me off guard. NTC is an annual seminar that I go to with Arbonne. We receive lots of great training, have guest motivational speakers, learn tips from people who are very successful with what they do. There are also several awards ceremonies and parties and such. It is very uplifting, encouraging, filled with amazing women who are lit up, inside and out! I LOVE it. Most years I complain that I didn't prepare in advance, no new outfits or anything. So, this year, I am working on being a bit more prepared. I still need to get my hair trimmed, but I have two new outfits, and some other odds and ins.

Planning a summer visit to California, just trying to get the dates solid. We will drive and the oldest kids will stay with their dad for 3 or 4 weeks. I can't wait to see my Grandma and Aunt Jeanie, Shele and Belinda and so many more! Too many to list ;-)

Today I will go shopping with Lindsey after Little Vic goes to school.

I hope you have an incredible day!

Pansies

2009-04-06T22:10:00.000-07:00

I love the colors on these pansies, we planted them on Palm Sunday. Little Victor and Emily helped me. It was warm and sunny and glorious!

Hives Testimonial Arbonne

2009-04-06T22:03:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to share a personal story. My two year old broke out in a horrible rash on Saturday. As the night went on the rash got worse and spread from his torso to his arms, butt and face. We rushed him to the urgent care when his eyes and lips started swelling. He looked horrible and needless to say I was a little freaked out! The doctor said it was a classic case of hives and was brought on by an allergic reation to "something". His solution was to keep him drugged on Benadryl and wait for this to go away on its own. I was told this could take up to two weeks!!! I could not imagine seeing my baby in this condition for a day let alone two weeks!

After talking with my upline she suggested I try the Detox mud mask and soak. I did and I'm thrilled to say after 20 minutes in the soak the hives are gone and my baby is toxin free!

I am continually amazed by ARBONNE!! How many other products on the market are safe enough to be used on a baby and can deliver these kind of results? I am proud to represent such an amazing company!

What a powerful story to share with other moms! Also, I plan to contact my doctor tomorrow to share my story with him. Please feel free to pass this along for others to use.

(this is not my personal story, but one that was emailed to me! I have had great success with the mud mask with bug bites and mosquito bites :-))

www.nicolesanchez.myarbonne.com

about me

2009-04-06T19:48:00.000-07:00

Today is my first day of blogging ever! I have much to learn! But, thank you for looking at my blog. It is April, it is Spring! it is warm and wonderful and life is good :-)

I am a busy momma with 5 kids :-) They are 15 down to 6. The oldest and youngest are boys and 3 girls in between ;-) book ends.

I have businesses with Arbonne (www.nicolesanchez.myarbonne.com) and Lifewave (www.lifewave.com/nicolesanchez). My husband, Victor, and I are all about natural healthcare. Victor has been a chiropractor for 29 years now and has extensive knowledge in all health related things. We love to teach people how to benefit their health naturally through nutrition and healthier products, rather than just jumping into using medications and drugs.

Let's see. I was born and raised in Southern California and lived there until I was 35. Victor and I decided to move to Idaho to raise our children in a safer environment. We were looking for a place with low crime and high school scores and we finally found it in Idaho :-) We have been here 3 years now and find it to be a wonderful place with great people! We have many great friends and consider ourselves so blessed to live here!

Oh, I am going to Las Vegas on the 14th for NTC (National Training Conference) with Arbonne. I am really excited about all the training and new products.

I guess that is it for now. I am sure I will think of much more later :-)

Thanks for reading :-)

7 Layered Salad

2009-04-06T18:44:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

Romaine lettuce (1 head shredded)
1 cup diced onions and celery
1 can sliced water chestnuts layered
1 small bag frozen peas
mayonnaise (thin layer over frozen peas)
sugar sprinkled lightly and evenly over mayonnaise
small tub of crumbled blue cheese
4 hard boiled eggs sliced
4 slices of bacon cooked and crumbled
tomatoes layered
shredded cheese (light layer)

Layer all ingredients starting with the romaine lettuce :-)

That's it, nice and easy, but more than 7 layers...have no idea why it is called 7 layers!!! :-)