Sneak Attack

Last Chance!

Today and tomorrow are your last chances to get your favorite Scentsy fall/winter scents. Here's what's going away (maybe forever!).

Central Park Pralines
Christmas Cottage
Christmas Tree
Cozy Fireside
Clarity
Cranberry Spice
Eskimo Kiss
Gingersnap
Guava Nectar
Just Peachy, Ginger
Peligro
Pineapple Paradise
Poinsettia Pine
Pumpkin Roll
Rainforest
Rustic Lodge
Sentimental Cider
Snowberry
Spiced Grapefruit
Toasted Caramel Sugar
Tropical Twist
Twilight
Vanilla Suede
Vanilla Walnut
Winter Wonderland

All of these scents are 10% off this month. Now is a great time to stock up! Also, if you are making an online purchase, please click on "Africa Mission Trip Fundraiser" first. I am donating my whole commission from sales on this party to my Sister in law Tiffani and friend Tracie who are going on a mission trip to Africa this summer. Thank you for your support!

Stauffer Sunday

A couple of weeks ago, when my Dad knew he was going to be visiting for the weekend, he asked if I could put a Stauffer Sunday together. A Stauffer Sunday is when the whole Stauffer crew gets together. For many, many years, this happened on the second Sunday of EVERY month. I grew up with this being a given. It's what we did. Sometimes we would complain about it, but most of the time we were excited to go see all the cousins. There are 14 cousins (plus my two step brothers makes 16). Growing up, before my parent's divorce, there were 23 family members that gathered. That didn't include any "adopted"  family members. The Stauffers have an open door (or extra plate) policy.  The family that hosted made the main dish, and the others were given food assignments. Each month we would celebrate that month's birthday's and anniversaries. On your birthday month, you were asked to give a speech. We would all gather before lunch, and Grandpa would ask you about your year, and your walk with Christ. He would ask about school and anything else you were up to. We hated giving our speeches! It was so embarrassing! Any other family announcements would happen here to. Engagements, babies, you name it.  Then Grandpa would give a little sermon about what was on his heart. He would then pray for lunch, and the rush to the kitchen would begin.

We all have very fond memories of Stauffer Sundays. It was wonderful to grow up in such a close, loving family. The last few years we haven't carried on this tradition. The family has just gotten too big.

So when Dad asked me to host a Stauffer Sunday, I said.....well......we will see. When Grandpa passed away a few days later, I knew we needed a Stauffer Sunday as a family. I planned on doing tacos and everyone chimed in with food that they would bring.

The family has grown to over 70 people now. I was really nervous about having enough food, and enough room in my house! I made 15 pounds of taco meat!

We ended up with 52 people on Sunday! It was crazy! Kids were running around everywhere, my cousin's were wrestling on the floor with anyone they could grab (me included). The bigger kids (and a great Auntie that will remain anonymous) were playing Just Dance. And we had more food than we could all eat. It was comforting to us all to be surrounded by family.

My Dad's wish is that we can do a quarterly Stauffer Sunday. It's not easy, and we need a bigger space! Hopefully we can keep this tradition going in some way or another. I want my kids to grow up with the same family time.

Here's the crew from Sunday!

Auntie and Drew

My sister just sent over a disk with family pictures. I had to laugh at the amount of Auntie and Drew pictures she had. This last one is from a year ago January. He has outgrown calling me "Auntie Hottie", which makes me sad. I'm now "Auntie Howee". He's still my little monkey boy!

Letter to Grandpa

We had Grandpa's celebration of life today. It was a great service, with so many people! I was having a difficult time this morning. My head knows that Grandpa is in a better place, but my heart still hurts. All 16 of us grandkids were asked to write a letter to Grandpa. Some excerpts from these letters were read today. I debated whether to post my letter, but decided that it's good to share what an amazing man Grandpa was.

Dear Grandpa,

You were truly one of a kind. There will never be another like you. You were a giant in your faith, with a humble heart. While others talk of their faith, you walked, lived and breathed yours. You had the biggest heart of anyone I know. You freely gave a Christ like love.

One of my earliest memories was spending the night at your house and getting colored pancakes for breakfast. You would flip a rainbow of pancakes all morning long. Us kids thought you had magical pancake powers. And now Dad flips pancakes for my kids. You started a tradition that will be passed down for many generations.

Another fond childhood memory was skiing with you. Especially when you sent me down my first big hill by myself, and Dad had to try to catch me before I hit a tree.

You never had to preach about service, you showed us all how to serve others. You gave freely of your time and talents. I will never forget the times you helped drive tractor at our pumpkin festivals. Everyone loved getting a ride from Grandpa. You did this out of love (and for a cup of coffee). You were also known to sneak out to the "bathroom" while a group of us were out to eat, only to find that you were paying everyone's tab. You never wanted recognition for your service, it just gave you joy.

As kids we never knew how lucky we were to have Stauffer Sundays. Didn't everyone get together with their families every month? I can't tell you everyone's birthday, but we knew what month they celebrated. Your birthday month was when you had to give a "speech". While we fought that as kids, we also knew we were loved and cared for. We wanted to please you and give a good report every year.

When Nate was born, you exclaimed, "5 great grand daughters and one great grandson". You called him Nate the Great, which has stuck to this day.

I feel that I am the most blessed, because I had the best last moment with you. When I saw you last week, you gave me a hug and kissed my cheek. You said, "I love you very, very much". You then asked me to pray for dinner (because you almost "sinned" by taking a bite before prayer). You held my hand as we prayed. Grandpa, I will treasure that moment in my heart forever.

You have left the greatest legacy, your family. We will do our best to emulate everything you were and stood for. We will follow in your footsteps of service and love. We will tell the world about Christ. We will do all of these things because you showed us how.

I love you too Grandpa, very, very much!

Holly

Goodbye Grandpa

Grandpa Stauffer went to be with his Lord on Tuesday. He is finally pain free! While this is difficult for us left behind, we know he is singing in Heaven with his boys. Grandpa had the biggest heart of anyone I have every known. We are all blessed to be a part of his legacy. I love you Grandpa, very, very much!

Grandpa's Letter

A few months ago, Grandpa Stauffer called and wanted to know if I knew how to "do that email thing". He wanted to email The O'Reilly Factor with a viewer letter. So I told him I would help him out. Grandpa gave me a hand written letter, and then I  deciphered his handwriting and emailed this letter. The letter is a great testament to who Grandpa is and what he stands for. I'm sharing this  now for his grandchildren, so that they get a chance to see Grandpa's words.


I just finished and enjoyed, Pinheads and Patriots, very much. I am 82 years old so was affected much by the depression. My Dad was affected even more. He never borrowed a dime, all cash for cars, house, ect (personally). When the war started in 1939, he was forced out of contracting and moved to a farm given to him by his father in law. I bought my own farm in 1950 and raised 4 boys and 1 girl. I supplemented farm income (dairy and poultry) by 10 years driving a milk truck, 10 years as a fertilizer salesman and 26 years as an Insurance agent. Long days and hard work, but the rewards were 5 children, 16 grandchildren and 29 great grandchildren. Lots of love, a wonderful wife and no regrets. I am a regular Factor watcher.

Alvin Stauffer
Lynden, Washington

Tale of the Teapots

I LOVE coffee. And hot tea. And hot cocoa. And hot cider. Ok, you get the idea. When I'm cold, I like to drink something hot. I'm always cold! So I use my tea pot ALOT!

My morning routine consists of me starting a teapot of water first thing. I make my instant mocha, and Lily gets a hot cocoa. A couple weeks ago, I was following my normal routine, but forgot to check that there was actually water in the teapot, before I turned on the burner. Being that I have a brand new stove, within a few minutes, the empty tea pot had melted the plastic handle on the lid. The tea pot was still usable, except for the fact that hot steam would burn your hand when you picked it up.

So I bought a new tea pot. What I didn't realize, was that this tea pot didn't whistle. I'm known to start something and get distracted by another project. I rely on the whistle to remind me that I started a pot of water. So just a couple days after I bought the new tea pot, I was reminded of my forgetfulness by the sound of the smoke alarm. The tea pot had boiled until it was dry, then started melting (a very stinky smell!) and smoking, setting off the smoke alarm. Thank goodness for the smoke alarm!

So I had ruined two tea pots in a week. I had posted my tea pot adventures on Facebook, and my Aunt Joni felt sorry for me. She bought me a new tea pot. But she made sure that whistled. And boy does it whistle. It's the most annoying whistle there is......and that's a GOOD thing!

A friend also brought me an electric tea pot, that turns off on it's own. I'm starting to think that people were very worried about my safety!

Africa Mission Trip Fundraiser

My girlfriend Tracie and my sister in law Tiffani are going on a mission trip to Africa this summer. I am so proud and excited for them. They are stepping out in faith. They are scared, but know that God will break their hearts.....in a good way. Here's Tiff's blog post where she tells why they are going to Africa. She made me cry with this post!

Mission trips are expensive. Both Tracie and Tiff are going fundraisers to cover the costs. I wanted to help, and the best way I can right now is a Scentsy fundraiser. I am donating my whole commission from all sales on their fundraiser. To help them out, click on my Scentsy logo on the side of the blog, then click on  "buy from party" next to the Africa Mission Trip fundraiser. Then shop away.This fundraiser will be going the whole month of February. Thank you in advance for helping me, help them.

Uncle Dan is the Man!

Dan was super Uncle today. He was up early to help get our nephews on the bus before school, then went out to babysit the other nephews for a few hours. He came home and offered to take my friend's kids for the evening so she could join us for girls night. Gotta say, he scored a TON of points with a lot of people today!!!

Pajama Day

The kids had Pajama Day at school last week. I was getting ready that morning and told Lily to go get dressed. She looked at me with 13 year old attitude and told me, "Mommmmmm, it's pajama day, I don't have to get dressed!". Oops! Glad she remembered.

It hit me as we were walking to school that this is their last Pajama day together. Next year Nate will be in Middle School, and things will be different. I'm trying to cherish these last few things that they have together in Elementary School! 

Tasty Tuesday...... A Few Days Late

It was a crazy week, and I wanted to post a great recipe for Tasty Tuesday, and didn't have the time. So, I'm just a few days late. This recipe I have had for a few years, but finally perfected it around Christmas. A big thanks to my Aunt Joni, who made potato soup on Christmas Eve. She was listing the ingredients in her soup, and it gave me inspiration on how to make this one better. I have had many requests for this recipe, so I figure it's easier to post it and share with everyone. I was craving this all week, since we have been wet and cold. Something about warm soup is comforting on a soggy night. Enjoy!

Baked Potato Soup
4 large baking potatoes
2/3 cup butter
2/3 cup flour
7 cups milk
12 oz bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 bunch green onions, diced
1 tsp chicken bouillon
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp salt
8 oz sour cream
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Additional, cheese, green onions, and bacon to top

Bake potatoes until soft, cool. Scoop out pulp and reserve. In large dutch oven, melt butter, then add flour. Stir constantly until bubbly. Add milk, chicken bouillon and stir for 10 minutes on med heat until thick and bubbly. Add bacon, green onions, and cook for 5 minutes. Add remaining ingredients, and stir until blended. Top with additional ingredients if desired.

Spring Sprint Portland

I was blessed to get to travel to Portland to attend Scentsy's Spring Sprint. I had 4 of my team with me, two of which I had never met before. What an amazing time we had! We saw the new Spring/Summer products, listened to some great training, and took home new products! Really, my favorite part was being with my team. They are the sweetest people, and it was fun to hang out with them for the day. I can't wait for convention in Fort Worth!!

$1 Sweater

I went to a consignment store the other day looking for a sweater for a photo shoot I was doing. I lucked out and found exactly what I was looking for on the $1 rack! I was so excited. Along with it, I found another sweater on the same rack and bought it also. I came home and threw both of them in the wash. I should know better, and SHOULD have read the labels. I guess I just got caught up in the excitement of cheap sweaters.

I pulled the sweaters out of the wash and found they had both shrunk to half of their size. I was so mad a myself! Both labels said that the sweaters were hand wash only. (I never buy things that are hand wash only, I just don't trust myself to remember that). The one "fuzzy" sweater I bought was some sort of rabbit hair? It's so small it will fit Lily now! And all that "fuz" that was once on the sweater, stuck to all the towels that were in that load. For the last few days we have been pulling "fuz" off of ourselves after toweling off after a shower.

So lesson learned, check labels when buying clothes. And it's not a bargain if you shrink the sweaters!

Visit with Grandpa

I stopped by my Grandparent's house today to say hi. Grandpa Stauffer has had cancer for years. He fought the first two go arounds, and now that it has spread to his bones, he doesn't want to go through that again. He was really deteriorating over Christmas, and we really didn't know how much longer he had. This last week, I had heard he went out to a funeral and was getting up and around some. I had to go see this for myself.

When I stopped by today, Grandpa was getting ready for the visiting nurse to stop by for his bath. She showed up not long after me, and brought him back out to the living room in his wheel chair all cleaned up. He looked better than I had seen him in months! I leaned over and told Grandpa that he looked handsome. He gave me a funny look and repeated back what he thought I said, "You bought a bottle of infamil?". Grandma and I just busted out laughing. I repeated what I first had said, and he laughed too. I told him I understood, because I used to be deaf too! Grandpa might be losing his hearing, but he still has the biggest heart around.

Happy Birthday to ME!

My poor husband (literally) always comes home to a big honey do list. This time there were some very pressing things that needed to be done/fixed. The oven had just broken (needed a new heating element) and the pellet stove needed a new igniter. Along with that, we were down to our last bag of pellets, and needed two tons. I had ordered the part for the oven so that it was ready when Dan got home. Ok, so I ordered what I thought was the right part. Dan headed out to get the parts needed and came home with a NEW stove and a NEW dishwasher! Happy Birthday to me! Who knew that a new stove and dishwasher could be so exciting! No more rust stains on my dishes! And my stove heats my tea pot pretty quick. Lily was impressed at how fast I made her hot chocolate! Dan also got the pellet stove fixed, and two tons of pellets in the carport. Pretty impressive!!

Birthday Weekend

I had a great Birthday weekend out at Birch Bay. I had my 5th annual Girls Night on Friday night. My 8 besties came out for a night of giggles. We all look forward to our girl time, all year long! The next night the family came out to the condo to celebrate Drew and my birthdays. I had Nate and Drew that night in my room, and they stayed up late watching movies. What a memorable weekend!

Why I do what I do

My Scentsy story is a good one. It's about timing and changing my life. My girlfriend had been raving about Scentsy for two years before she finally just bought me one as a Christmas gift. I loved it as soon as it warmed up. For a week my house smelled fabulous from one little cube of wax. The scent was Toasted Apple Butter, and to this day, that scent reminds me of why I fell in love with Scentsy. A few weeks later I was invited to a Scentsy party, and was the only one there who had my own Scentsy already. After hearing that I could make a business out of something I love, I signed up. At the time I was going to college full time, so I didn't have time to do parties, but still sold a bit to friends and family. After I graduated that spring, I jumped into my Scentsy business. And that's what it is, MY business. It will grow or fail, depending on ME. And while I have had ups and downs, I know I am in this for the long run.

What I never imagined happening, was growth. I have become more confident in myself as a person. I'm not just a Mom and Wife. I am a business owner. I have gained friendships, and gotten out of my circle of friends. I have gotten to travel and see new places. I get to have coffee with my Scentsy sisters and talk about our passion for this company. These same "sisters" are some of my biggest cheer leaders, and I am theirs.

There is no way I could sell Scentsy if I didn't stand behind the company 100%. What's great is that they stand behind their consultants. They work hard to help us be successful. They busted their tails to make sure everyone had orders in time for Christmas. I had a customer place an order on the 20th of December, and she had her Scentsy on Christmas Eve. Scentsy Rocks!

My financial goals have a purpose. I want to be able to make enough money to get my husband off the tug boats. It's difficult with him being gone as much as he is, and a shore side job would mean so much to our family. When you have a purpose, it's much easier to reach for those goals.

Scentsy just announced a new start up kit. It's the best one yet. For only $99 plus tax and shipping, you get his whole kit! (contents may vary)

Do you have a New Years Goal? What would a couple hundred dollars mean to you every month? Mommy money? A car payment?

Click on the Scentsy logo on the side of the blog and visit my website. Click on Join to learn more. Contact me with any questions!

Oh, and for January, we have Bring Back My Bar. 20 discontinued scents that we voted on to bring back. Guess which one I voted for??? Toasted Apple Butter!  Available this month only, in bar form!

Have a Scentsational Day!!

Tasty Tuesdays!

I made a yummy soup yesterday and am enjoying the leftovers for lunch. It's a healthy soup, loaded with flavor. Hope you enjoy!

Pizza Soup

1/2 lb Italian turkey sausage links, sliced, casings removed
1 zucchini, sliced
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
1 small onion, diced
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 can diced tomatoes
3 cups water
2 tbsp chicken bouillion
1 tbsp Mrs. Dash seasoning
1 tsp dried basil


Brown first five ingredients. Add remaining ingredients and simmer for 15 minutes.

Goodbye 2010

I always wonder how time flies so fast! It feels like I was just writing my Goodbye 2009 post. I just looked back and saw my goals for 2010. I have to say I did a great job with them. I finally took control of some health problems, resulting in two ear surgeries and many trips to the chiropractor. And I have to say, it was well worth the pain! I have been good about visiting my Grandparents more, and have plans in place to continue with that. (Side note, please pray for my Grandpa Stauffer who is struggling with great pain from cancer). While I still struggle every day with giving God control of my life, he has shown me glimpses of how his plan is greater than mine. I met goals with my Scentsy business, and have set new ones for next year.

It's been a great year, and I am thankful for the blessings we received. I feel it was a growing year, learning lessons and seeing God's wisdom.

Praying that you all have a safe and Happy New Year!