So recently I decided that I needed to start selling Avon.  Having been an avid purchaser of Avon products for years, I finally bit the proverbial bullet and said “OK Lets just do this!”

So imagine my surprise when I discovered that Avon also has a couture brand called Mark and a baby line of products called Tiny Tilla.  I’m excited to bring these brands to my readers.

The niffy thing about Avon, is you no longer have to search for the “Avon” lady, with a huge online web presence, it’s easier than ever to discover what is new in the world of Avon, Mark and even Tiny Tilla.

You can access my site by clicking here Kats Avon Feel free to register so you too can be kept up to date on the new product lines and such as they come out.

If you’ve ever been interested in selling Avon, well there is no time like the present to get started.  Just drop me a quick email and we’ll discuss it.

I hope you all enjoy the fabulous product lines that make up the Avon family and remember.. This isn’t your mommas Avon anymore… it’s Yours!

Enjoy your day!

Kat & the Kids

It’s that time of year again.  Norad is once again doing the annual Santa Countdown.  Young and old, all are eagerly awaiting Santas annual trek around the world!

While waiting for his trip, there are activities to enjoy on Norads Site, from the Christmas Village where you too can see what has been going on during the year at the North Pole.

This year you can even track Santas progress from your cell phone!

Happy Holidays!!!

Kat and the Kids =)

The longer I’m doing Weight Watchers the more I’m realizing that it’s not as complicated as some might think. As a foodie, I can appreciate the fact that they aren’t telling me what I can and can not eat, I’m doing that on my own. Expense wise, if you consider the fact that most of the other “diet” plans out there require you to buy their food PLUS veggies and other items they don’t supply, you actually save money with Weight Watchers, while learning how to eat for life.

I’ve been reading a book called “You Are What You Eat” by Dr. Gillian McKeith, in the book she basically tells you the same things I’m learning through WW. She is a big proponent of the home made smoothie; you sip your way thin while enjoying all the health benefits of the nutrients of the fresh fruits, veggies and juice used to make them. Something about a nice chilled smoothie on a warm day just makes everything right in the world!

One of the many things she states is this happy formula, Breakfast like a King, Lunch like a Queen and Dinner like a Pauper. Amazing but true, you wake up with energy, you maintain that energy during the day with your light snacks and then you eat a light meal so your body isn’t weighed down by a heavy dinner.

After a month following WW, making my meetings and being honest with myself about what choices I’m making… I’m finding that I need to buy suspenders for my pants!

To date I am down 11.2 pounds!!! YAY Me!

If your thinking it’s that time for you to shed a few pounds, think about becoming a big loser too!! Remember we can lose weight if we keep it to 5 pounds at a time. Weight loss is not impossible unless we chose to make it so!

Have a fabulous hump day! You’ll see less of me in my next posting!

Kat

In preparation for Summer 2010, better known as bikini top and board shorts weather, I’ve been slowly dropping some much unwanted poundage. While being “fluffy” does have its advantages, such as one will float vs. sink, it has a decidedly huge down side as well.

As you know I began this year with great optimism on losing weight, knowing how to eat right and tracking my intake was the greatest challenge I faced. With little to show for my efforts, I finally admitted that I can’t do this on my own; I needed some guidance from professionals who know their way around weight loss, so I made the decision to go back to weight watchers.

Now, you might say Weight Watchers is for losers and guess what YOUR RIGHT. I am proud to say that I am a member of a big losers club. Turns out the lady who is leading the class I take, well she is normal. She’s down to earth and keeps weight loss real, supports everyone in their battle of the bulge and reminds us take it 5 pounds at a time. We can lose anything we wish, if we don’t set our goals so high they seem unattainable.

Really the only way you’re going to lose weight is by being accountable to yourself, learning how to eat both right and correct portions, making healthy choices at the restaurant or dinner table. Weight Watchers isn’t a program that tells you what you cant have, it actually encourages you to do what is right for you, just be willing to make choices, such as I can chose to go to a restaurant, buy a hamburger that has all the works, including but not limited to the artery clogging gunk that is so tasty we can’t seem to pass it up when it calls our names, a burger worth all the points I’m allotted during the entire day, or I can chose a better alternative that will fill me up and allow me to eat other delicious meals during the day, I’m being told one thing, be accountable to yourself for what you CHOSE to eat.

So far an 8.4 pound lost and a lot more to go, but I’ve chosen to get back to my old beach body self!! Updates will come =)

Have a fabulous Monday; Spring has sprung as your allergies can attest!!!

Enjoy!

Kat

It’s that time of year where we, take a couple of moments to toss about ideas for resolutions. So… here I go.

I resolve to do the following:

1. Shed 30 pounds
2. Post to the blog, at least once a week
3. Take time off to smell the proverbial roses
4. Meet up with my various friends who are all over the country for a long weekend here and there.
5. Enjoy the ones I love.

This year it’s only five little items, but sometimes making our resolutions obtainable means, results in them actually coming to fruition.

Here is wishing each and every one of you an incredible New Years! Take time to enjoy 2010!!!

Love,

Kat and the Kids

You know it’s funny. When we take a job as a ‘worker bee’ for a large company there are certain expectations, that we as workers are afforded;

1. That we will be allowed do to our job without interference from supervisors who feel they should share their personal lives with us.

2. That our decisions, be it good or bad, will be reviewed by the company.

3. That we have the right to go to the proverbial bat for our policy holders.

4. That we won’t be singled out by a supervisor because we chose not to share our personal life with them.

Now, before you wonder if this is in regards to me, I have to say no its not. This would be a little blog about how a certain Geico Supervisor on the East Coast, has the ability and wear with all to harass, harangue and in general make life miserable at work for a certain male, yes I said MALE employee.

It seems that she feels it’s ok to corner him at work to discuss her sons issues with his penis, her mother in laws incontinent issues and more. Now when this male employee doesn’t chose to share his personal life with said supervisor, she feels well within her power to make his work life a living hell.

Now let me ask you. Is this considered sexual harassment in Geico’s book? Apparently not, as he was pulled into a room with two other supervisors to be told that he is considered a substandard employee for NOT being willing to discuss his personal life.

Why the blog you might ask? Because this employee feels that if he escalates his issue with this supervisor, he will be put in a situation that he doesn’t wish to be in… i.e. moved to another department or another job or worse yet fired.

Lets think about this. Over the years, women are conditioned to register a complaint with the human resource department, when they feel they are being harassed at their work place. We are also conditioned to submit complaints when we feel we are working in a hostile work environment, however let a male do this and what happens… his issues are swept under the rug because he’s a guy and we all know men shouldn’t have this issue.

Honestly, I feel this is quite unfair for the employee who is just doing his job. He gets up every morning, goes to work, healthy or sick, not to mention he was so sick recently and while his boss took a mental health day, he was encouraged to not leave work to deal with this virus and proceeded to spread it through the office, thereby costing the company several employees, who were allowed to take legitimate days off for being ill.

Sad to say that this supervisor is akin to an office Hitler and that doesn’t bode well for Geicos bottom line. It leaves them open for a potential lawsuit, this employee open for continual harassment and at the end of the day a bad taste in the mouths of those who feel that Geico is a company that does not support it’s employees.

Is this really the type of company who we’d want to insure our vehicles, homes and other items?

I wish this ‘worker bee’ the best of luck with his situation, as we all can attest that one bad supervisor can spoil the working environment for all.

Here is to hoping that Geico will actually step up and sort this issue out for this gentleman.

Have a wonderful friday!

~Kat and the Kids

It’s that time of year again, lent is nearly over and the Cadbury bunny is around the preverbal corner. It’s the time of year that we over indulge in racks of lamb, ham potato salad, boiled colored eggs and more candy than even Willy Wonka can produce with his staff of oompa loompas.

What is Easter to me you ask? To me Easter is when we celebrate the rising of Christ from the grave, to remind us that not all is lost in this world of ours. Bringing us new hope and renewed faith in that which is not tangible but surrounds us all the same.

In a world that is in an economic down turn, where people are losing their jobs, their homes and often time their faith in what is good. Easter brings about a renewed sense of hope.

So as your eating your deviled eggs and gorging on that rack of lamb, take a look around you and remember to thank the good lord above for our friends, family and all that we have.

Have a very Happy Easter!

Kat and the Kids

I’ve been reading and watching segments regarding Miley Cyrus’s lack of judgment in a series of photographs she had taken for the magazine Vanity Fair, and I have to say I’m rather shocked at the publics’ backlash for her tastefully done photographs.

We as a society tell young girls her age or younger that it’s ok to dress in a fashion that Miley is now being criticized for. In an artistically taken picture of her father with her lying on his lap as well as a few other pictures, I’ve heard over and over that she bared her midriff. People she’s wearing AGE APPROPRIATE clothing for her generation. Clothing that we as a society allow our daughters to wear to school, out to public functions, trips to the mall without thinking twice and now we would condemn her for wearing clothing that our children wear? Shame on YOU!

Miley is a product of the Disney machine, now while Disney pays lip service to worrying about Miley and the possibility that Vanity Fair took advantage of her, the truth of the matter here is they are trying to protect their investment. Miley carries the weight of a successful show Hannah Montana on her 15 year old shoulders, this includes but is not limited to; the television show, massive merchandising, concerts and various other avenues. They are worried about the possibility of losing revenue if the star of their show no longer is attractive to parents with young children who idolize this young lady.

Now I’m going to point something out, IF you have a young child, perhaps you should point them into AGE appropriate shows. I’ve seen many a segment where parents of children who are three and four, who are stating their disappointment regarding Mileys’ behavior. Three and four year olds shouldn’t be watching Hannah Montana; they should be watching shows that are suited for their age such as Dora the Explorer and Sesame Street.

Also lumped in with the outcry of Mileys photographs is her behavior on various sites such as MySpace and YouTube. I think people forget that she’s a teenager and bound to do the same things that any teenager would do. Yes I know she’s an Idol to many children, however this is why children have parents. To trash her for doing things that a normal teenager can be found doing is at anytime is wrong and inappropriate, a responsible parent should be monitoring what his or her child watches on television, looks at online or reads in a magazine.

So let’s remember that we didn’t have the mediums available to us that Miley has to her in our day; however we were once teenagers prone to making mistakes and learning life’s lessons the hard way.

I count myself lucky; throughout my life I’ve met scores of people.  Some have touched my life for a brief moment, while others have remained for a lifetime.

I often times wonder about those friends who have graced my life then have for some reason or another left it.  Where are they now, I truly hope they are happy and that life is treating them well.  I’ve been blessed with the friendship of a few who no matter how long it has been since we’ve spoken, when we call each other, it seems as though we’ve never been apart.

My friend Dianne is one of those people.  Though her travels have taken her to Africa on a mission for two years, then home to Seattle through nursing school, we’ve always taken time to connect and spend quality time together.  Everyone deserves a friend in their life who loves them in-spite of themselves, who is non judgmental and who will always wish the best for them.

Then there is my friend Tim, whom I’ve posted, rants from.  When we first met through the power of AOL, you would have thought we were both nuts as I live in California and he lives in Washington, but we have a great friendship.  He’s the combination of best guy friend/big brother.  He makes me laugh till my sides hurt and holds nothing back. He just tells me as he sees it and expects nothing less of me.

As my girlfriend Dianne once told her friends, everyone should have someone in their life that makes them laugh so hard that they have sore sides for days.

Then there is my sister Becky, who I count as my touchstone in life.  God graced us with being sisters, but we determined our friendship, from the age of 2½ until now, she’s the one who has no issues bopping me over the head and saying “What were you thinking Kat?” She’s also my biggest cheerleader, supporting me in my work, listening to my relationship excitements and woes and always being there no matter what. 

Make new friends but keep the old, one is silver and the other is gold. This is what my mother has always told us girls, and it holds true.

Have a fabulous Tuesday!

Kat

How do you know when you’re dating someone? My girlfriend and I were talking about men and relationships. We are trying to figure out, when does it go from just friends to something more substantial like dating them.

I guess this is a question that plagues most people. As we get older, it becomes more of a blurred line, when does going for coffee, catching a movie and just hanging out with someone become he’s my boyfriend, she’s my girlfriend.

Is it more along the official lines when someone says I love you? Or is the constant presence of the person the defining factor? Is it when you introduce them to your family and children?

These are the questions she and I have been posing to each other all morning long. I suppose there is no easy answer to this question… but it does make for a good discussion over a cup of coffee.

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

Kat