The Next Step

I have been sick for the last few days, which makes looking for employment not very enticing. Part of me wants to stop looking so hard and just "settle" for a job so I appear as though I am being productive. I strongly dislike appearing as though I am unproductive. My husband is sitting at our kitchen table listening to his music through his headphones while doing his homework. I have no idea how he does both at the same time, I could never pull that off while I was in school. Occasionally he even busts out in song, which makes me smile and sometimes even laugh out loud. Meanwhile, I am browsing through job through postings. It's hard to know exactly what I am looking for. Too bad my job as a "housewife" doesn't really count for much until I have children...and that isn't happening anytime soon. Nonetheless, I will gladly keep my home clean and try to have dinner on the table when my husband gets home anyway.

I'm not going to lie, part of me misses being a student. Not the whole homework part of it...but the working for International Study Programs, and being on the American Studies Council part of it. Trying to find where I will "fit" next is slightly tricky! Wish me luck as I continue on.

Women's Expo--Just For Women

I went to a Women's Expo over the weekend with my sister-in-law. We had so much fun! I had no idea how many great booths there would be, I could have spent not only all day Saturday there but all day Friday also!

We jumped right in shopping at the Shade Clothing area first. They were selling everything for $5 and then shorts and capris were $3! Can you believe that!? I was totally excited because they sell really cute modest shirts that I love. I got one shirt, and some black bikini bottoms to wear with all of the tankini tops I already have. I felt very good about that purchase.



As we came inside, we saw a row full of vendors lining each side. We started walking through and briefly talking to each one. Some of the vendors were boutique types, selling cute things. I saw a hat I really loved, but it was $18 and I didn't things that was a killer deal so I opted out of that one.

I did, however, get some Bumble & Bumble hair powder from a salon that was there. Have you ever tried that stuff? It is awesome, it is tinted to match the color of your hair and all you do is spray it in your roots to help you last through your second day hair. Washing your hair every other day helps (especially long hair) stay healthy.

While standing at one booth with my sister-in-law, I looked over at the next booth and read, "Do you want a free ring cleaning?" I thought to myself, heck yeah I want a free ring clean! I gave walked over and gave the lady my ring. She showed me how she polished it to get rid of all of the oxidation and black grime that collects on all jewelry. I was amazed how much black came off my ring because I clean it at home. Then she cleaned it with her product and a toothbrush. When she handed it back to me I couldn't believe how beautiful my ring looked! It was brand new like the day hubby gave it to me. So of course I bought some of that stuff too! haha. It's called "Something New Professional Jewelry Cleaner."



This is the part of my blog that is a little more "adult." One of the other fun things I came across was a "Pure Romance" consultant. "Pure Romance" is a company that features tasteful things for the bedroom for you and your hubby. I was impressed with this company--especially compared to another that I saw--because it was very tasteful and had a classy appeal. Micah, the consultant, was very friendly and fun. She had two catalogs: one mild, and one not. I took the mild catalog, and on it were classy women dressed like everyday wives. The inside of the catalog was nice and bright, and visually looked a lot like a Mary Kay catalog would. It made me feel comfortable about it, and I thought it would be fun to host a girls night for all of my married girlfriends. So I booked an appointment, and got a gift! If you want to see Micah's website because you're curious, or you want make an order that will help me earn more free stuff send me an email newlyidentified[at]gmail. I will send you an E-vite. But be mindful, although most things are...not everything on the site is mild.



There were tons of other things there. I won a free cellulite/skin tightening treatment from Elase Medical Spa, woo! I also got a coupon to use for facials at Aveda's Remedez Salon & Spa. I totally want to get my husband a facial and a massage for his birthday, I think he would really enjoy being pampered. I learned that there you can have personal trainers come to your house. I learned about PureWorks which is a really awesome hand/everything sanitizer that does not use alcohol and protects your for 3 hours after application. He even put it on my sister-in-law's baby's binky and she had it in her mouth right afterwards. I learned about this really cool thing called the Belly Button, I've heard about it before but had never seen one. It basically is a band you can wear with your jeans to make them fit throughout your whole pregnancy and after so you don't have to buy maternity clothes, very cool! I saw Scentsy, a soy based candle company, and Pampered Chef there.

I also talked to several different food storage companies. I have kind of started a small food storage for my hubby and I, but I'm interested in adding a few more things. I think it would be a really great thing to have just in case times ever get tough or there is some sort of disaster.

Speaking of food, one of my favorite vendors was Winder Farms. They are a company that delivers fresh food to your house weekly. They get everything local, except of course exotic fruits etc., and everything is organic and non-processed. Hubby and I are really interested in the idea of eating better, plus Winder Farms says their customers actually save money often. The way it works is you pay a one-time membership fee (kind of like costco, except it isn't annual it's lifetime) and then you can go on their website and order direct. If you ever get a bruised apple, or a pot pie that you don't like all you have to do is call them and tell them then they will refund you. Cool huh?! I think we are going to try it out.

I was also impressed with Dream Dinners, where you go and put dinners together that you can keep in your freezer than just cook when you want them. Talk about easy dinner!



I finally got my very first "green" grocery bag, free from the Sunflower Market. They are an organic friendly grocery store. I was super excited because this month students get 20% off their groceries on Thursdays, woo hoo! I'm glad my hubby is still a student, haha.

Lastly, one of my other favorite vendors was a Heritage Makers consultant. I had heard of them before, but had not really had time to look into it too much. I was excited to learn a little bit more about making your own photobooks, custom canvas and other prints, and having access to all sorts of great online scrapbooking tools. I made a photobook for our wedding guest book and just love it! I would love to put more pictures into photobooks, so this is something I am thinking about getting into.

Ultimately, I had a fantastic time at the Women's Expo! I loved learning about so many different things, sampling great products, and of course winning free stuff! Have you ever been to a women's expo? Of the things I told you about, what is your favorite?

And the Winner Is...

Thanks for random.org I was able to find a winner from commenter #12. Congratulations FutureMama for being the winner of my first giveaway! You must be getting karma for all of the giveaways you are doing, haha. I hope you love your new Mary Kay products perfect for your eyes, and perfect for traveling. Don't forget you also get a 50% off coupon for one item on my Mary Kay website, www.marykay.com/analeehjelm, which will never expire.


Are you sad you didn't win? Don't worry, I already thought about another way I could say thank you to the rest of my readers. For ONE WEEK I am going to allow ALL of my readers to get 50% off their entire order by mentioning "Newlyidentified" in the comments section of your order. This offer expires Friday, September 18th, 2009. I'm so excited to share this with you, I don't even care if you share this deal with your friends!

Thank you everyone for your participation in my first giveaway, and for all of the advice that you gave me. You guys are great! I look forward to future giveaways.

Personality Types

Growing up in my generation--where woman are significantly more empowered than my mother's generation and especially more than my grandmother's generation--sometimes it is really hard for me to let my husband be a great leader. We are both born leaders, grew up thriving on leadership positions and opportunities like Student Council etc. Anyone who has the slightest bit of knowledge about personality types from The Color Code knows that red personalities (dominant, leader type) can really butt heads if they are not careful. We are both red personalities, but luckily we are really careful and considerate of each other.


My hubby and I really admire each others' talents, ambitions, and drive. But occasionally, we can be slightly competitive. When he asks if I will do something that I was already planning on doing, I have been found getting offended or flustered because I didn't want to be told to do something I was already going to be doing. When I was a teenager all of my friends use to call me on Friday to find out what the plans were, they nicknamed me "the coordinator." I loved being the person that everyone turned to for direction. For me, I almost feel that I will not receive recognition or credit for something I have done if hubby told me to do it. Therefore, I get flustered because as a red personality I love coming up with the ideas being praised when I perform well!

On the other hand, I am also very sensitive, loyal, and compassionate. I know I am 43% red but I can't remember what my secondary is (maybe blue?)...I have the test somewhere I'll have to look for it. Anyway, throughout my life my dad has always told me that I am unique because I'm both a leader and sensitive/people pleaser. I am genuinely interested in others, and have always been very loyal. It's definitely my sensitive side that contributes to my reactions with others sometimes. How silly for me to feel like I'm being undermined because hubby and I both came up with the same great idea? So silly! haha. Nonetheless, it is amazing to me how much you can begin to understand yourself and other people in your life better by simply understanding how they tick because of their personality type. I think the whole concept is very intriguing, and I love using that understanding to capitalize on my strengths and my hubby's.

Have you ever taken any type of personality test (if not click on the color code link and take it)? What were your results like? Have you seen ways that understanding different personality types has helped you be more effective in your relationships with other people? I'm very curious!

Don't forget to enter my very first giveaway! You can enter to win a Mary Kay gift many times, and it doesn't end until September 9th!

Home Again - First Giveaway!

It feels really good to be home again, especially after being away for nearly a month. Everything is jumping right into full swing. My husband is back in school and has started work already, and I am frantically running errands and trying to get everything in order again. I am extremely grateful that I have not lined up a job yet, because somehow I am filling every single minute of my time. How does that happen so easily? It seems that no matter how hard you try to avoid exactly that, it still happens.

I want to share some great advice that I received when I was running my own successful business as a Mary Kay Consultant, going to school full-time, and working another job.

Instead of making a huge To-Do list that never seems to get done, every night plan your "6 Most Important Things" list for the next day. It helps you focus on the important things, rather than fill your time with the less important ones. Plus, you feel great when you actually accomplish your list!

I'm always looking for great tips on how to stay organized, be healthy, or be financially smart when life is busy! This little tip has helped me many times. Today my list read (in no particular order of importance): 1. Workout, 2. Redo My Resume, 3. Get organized with Credit Cards, 4. Take Chair to Grandma's House, 5. Buy Fertilizer and Bug Killer for my Flowers, and 6. Shop for New Bedding. That list is totally manageable, right!?

In celebration of the "going back to school" or "things are chaotic" season, I have decided to sponsor my very first giveaway. I have recently relaunched my Mary Kay business! In celebration--and because I love you and think you deserve to be pampered--I am going to giveaway a Mary Kay gift AND a 50% OFF Coupon to one of my followers. You can flip through the latest catalog here. Most of all, I just want to say thank you to everyone who reads this blog and bounces their thoughts around with me.

Do you want some awesome FREE product that will make you feel pampered?! This Giveaway will end on Wednesday, September 9th, 2009. I will select the winner using Random.org. Here is how you enter:

To qualify you must:
1. Follow my blog, comment for your first entry.
2. Leave a comment sharing some advice on "how to stay organized, be healthy, or be financially smart when life is busy!"

For additional entries comment again if:
3. You tweet/facebook about this giveaway (each day you get an extra entry!), please say:
"I just entered to win a Mary Kay gift on @newlyidentified's first #giveaway!! New Blogger=Great Odds! Enter here http://tinyurl.com/nd3r9g"
4. You become a fan on Facebook.
5. You favor me on Technorati.
6. You subscribe to my blog.