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TO HOT TO COOK IN THE KITCHEN - LETS HEAD TO THE BBQ June 27, 2009

TO HOT TO COOK IN THE KITCHEN - LETS HEAD TO THE BBQ - CAUSE IT'S JUST NOT FOR GRILL'N STEAKS ANYMORE! old-fashioned apple crisp, made on the grill. You Will Need 10 cups thinly sliced peeled tart apples (about 8 medium) 1 cup old-fashioned oats 1 cup packed brown sugar 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves 1/4 cup cold butter Vanilla ice cream, optional (Personally, I feel you NEED the VANILLA ICE CREAM to complete this treat) I am a fan of cooking anything and everything out side on the grill (the house does NOT get hot because we have taken the HEAT out of the kitchen)- I hope you enjoy this treat as much as my family does. Please feel free to share your summer recipes with us! I would LOVE to share your Culinary delights with my readers. Have a Wonderful Friday Night ! Cathy Mussman


NEED PROTECTON FROM JUNK E-MAIL? June 25, 2009

NEED PROTECTON FROM JUNK E-MAIL? I have found a way for YOU to STOP UNWANTED - MAIL, (PHONE BOOKS INCLUDED) reduction service. It will shield you from paper and energy waste, as well as the hassle and aggravation of receiving of receiving JUNK MAIL in your mail box. I guarantee I can save you time and the aggravation of having to sort through the GOOD and the BAD unwanted mail. Did you know that WE (EACH AMERICAN) receives almost 569 pieces of JUNK MAIL per year. The mere thought of that makes my head spin! What a waste!! Speaking of waste -- did you realize that the transport of JUNK MAIL consumes more energy than 2.9 million cars used every day - AMAZING! This is CRAZY! Did you know that over 10 Million TRESS - YES, I SAID OVER 100 MILLION TREES ARE USED TO MAKE JUNK MAIL. Lets talk TIME MANAGEMENT - I know I feel that there are never enough hours in the day! But did you know that we spend over 8 hours a month dealing with JUNK MAIL? Imagine what you could be doing with those extra 8 hours a month! So, now my question to you is: DO YOU WANT TO STOP JUNK MAIL? Scroll down to the different websites I sent you and learn how to STOP THE JUNK MAIL! DirectMail.com - free, quick way to get your name off commercial mailing lists. - paid service that stops your junk mail, and actively keeps you from getting back on mailing lists; promises to stop 90% of your junk mail in 90 days. Makes a great gift ($20/year). Catalog Choice - free service that'll get you on no-send lists to stop catalog spam.OptOutPrescreen.com - opt out of preapproved credit card and insurance offers online or by phone: 1-888-5-OPTOUT. YellowPagesGoesGreen - get your name off phonebook mailing lists. EcoLogical Mail Coalition - helps businesses stop mail addressed to former employees. Good Luck! Cathy Mussman The Bizzy Monkey - Your Personal Concierge Service WHEN YOU CAN'T - WE CAN! 561-702-5956 Visit our website at: http://www.thebizzymonkey.com E-mail: thebizzymonkey@aol.com


THE FIRST TWENTY MINUTES June 24, 2009

The first twenty minutes. You would never see an NBA all-star casually toss a ball into the air and hope it hits the net. Before each jump shot, players pause, find their footing, set their sights on the net, and visualize a swoosh before the ball has even left their fingertips. You can take the same approach at work by visualizing a successful day before it officially begins. It all comes down to the first twenty minutes. As soon as you get to work, before you turn on your e-mail or check your voice mail, take twenty minutes to plan the day ahead: Define your top priority for the day—the one that you would sacrifice all others to achieve—to help focus your energy. Update your “To Do” list. Allot time for everything you need to accomplish, including time to prepare for meetings and other conversations. * Review your calendar. Determine the purpose of each meeting and appointment. If you don’t have one yet, think of one. If you can’t determine one, cancel. * Consider whom you will see in meetings or other events throughout the day. Jot down any issues you need to address with them. Now the question is…..CAN YOU DO IT? My challenge to you is TRY this, give me some feed back. I would love to know if you as well as others can do it! Don’t forget to Swing on my my wesite: Thebizzymonkey.com and download my free shopping list. By downloading my shopping list you are enrolling in our contest to win 2 FREE, yes folks I said FREE tickets on Jet Blue Airlines - TRAVEL WITHIN THE UNITED STATES - THE VALUE OF THE TICKETS FOR 2 PEOPLE ROUND TRIP IS $500.00 Cathy Mussman THE BIZZY MONKEY - YOUR PERSONAL CONCIERGE SERVICE WHERE OUR MOTTO IS: WHEN YOU CAN'T - WE CAN! VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT: THE BIZZY MONKEY.COM YOU CAN ALWAYS GIVE US A CALL AT : 561-702-5956, WE WILL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS, COMMENTS OR CONCERNS YOU MAY HAVE!


HAPPY MONDAY June 24, 2009

Happy Monday! Want some inspiration? I read an AMAZING survey from sleepbetter.org this morning! The survey I read shows that no matter how yucky the economy gets, or how bad we think things are, we’re still a nation that’s dreaming big — i.e., we’re still hopeful and still have big dreams and ideas. I don’t know why this makes me so happy, but it so totally does — to know that we’re still full of dreams and ambitions and that we haven’t stopped, well… It’s a FABULOUS way to start a Monday! The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams. ~ Eleanor Roosevelt Have a GREAT DAY! Cathy Mussman


CAN’T FIND YOUR OLD BEAUTY FAVES? I HAVE! June 01, 2009

Ladies, I have “stumbled” upon a few websites that you can track down discontinued lipsticks, perfumes, and other cosmetic products: Dicount.makeup.com – This subsidiary of makeup.com sells discontinued products from many brands, including Shiseido and Bare Escentuals. Beautyencounter.com – This site sells hard-to-find products from Max Factor, Neutrogena, Goldwell, Sebastion, KMS, and more. Vermontcountrystore.com – It’s niche is hard-to-find items, and CUSTOMER SERVICE WILL try to track down products it gets lots of requests for, even if the site doesn’t carry it. Threecustom.com Three Custom Color specialists can replicate the exact shade and texture of just about any color cosmetic product. I hope you you check out these sites, I have used all four sites and to my amazement… I was able to get my happy little hands on every item I requested! My advice to you is to check out these sites. ENJOY - P.S. The Bizzy Monkey has a special give away this month – Please stay tuned. After you read my blog , log onto my WebSite Thebizzymonkey.com Go to downloads and get your free shopping list by downloading the list you will be entered to be able to win our special give away.


5 ways to save time on E-Mail May 27, 2009

The key to getting through your email faster is not only in how you process it, but what you are receiving; or, more importantly, how you choose to invest your time. #1. Reduce your flow If you’re receiving 100 messages per day, how many of them are spam (bulk unsolicited commercial email)? Perhaps you need to do a better job of filtering spam or using strategies that will reduce the amount of bulk email you receive each day. One effective way to reduce your flow is to really pay attention the next time you process email. Most people skim, scan, delete without looking/reading, talk on the phone while typing or reading an email, thinking that they are saving time by multi-tasking. Do yourself a favor. Tomorrow is a new day. When you check email tomorrow, pay attention to what is arriving in your Inbox. Look at each message briefly and decide how important it is to you or whether it is important. Do you subscribe to industry-specific newsletters? If so there are probably at least one or two that you don’t have time to read each week. Trim the fat. If you don’t have time to read it, why are you still on the mailing list? Unsubscribe using the link on the newsletter or list. Or, if it’s important to you, make time to read it, but don’t just let it keep piling up in your Inbox. Decide what is necessary email and what is not and take steps to get off of the mailing lists you don’t read. #2. Be more selective! How you spend your time speaks volumes about who you are as a person and what things are truly important to you – that really matter most. Take control of what you do and do not need to deal with. Are you receiving email from co-workers who are cc’ing you (copying you) unnecessarily? This happens a lot if you’re a manager. Unless you specifically tell people what you do and do not need to be copied on, the others on your team may start to send you CYA mail. CYA mail is otherwise known as FYI mail (for your information), and most of the time all it really turns out to be is something that the other person thought you should know. They’re not you and they’re not mind readers, so be clear with those in your organization what you do and do not need to receive. #3. Don’t use your Inbox as a storage area! Think of clicking Send/Receive as being analogous to walking to the curb and reaching in your mailbox for today’s mail. Do you stand in front of your mailbox at the roadside and sort through your mail for what’s urgent and important and then stuff the rest of the mail back into the box and head back to the house? Of course not! So why do you do it with email? Your Inbox was never meant to be a storage area for messages. This is a huge shock to some people – the same people who can’t locate a message when they need to, the same people who touch an email message three or four times before they act on it, the same people who take a week or longer to reply to an email message or who miss out on opportunities because the message was pushed to the bottom of their Inbox. #4. Get organized! Create a handful of folders or mailboxes that will be useful to your own unique situation and use them to get messages out of your Inbox. Perhaps you might do your professional reading on Fridays, blocking out a chunk of time in the afternoon or morning. If so, create a folder in your email program called README. As newsletters and other professional reading comes in, don’t give it more than a cursory glance other than to identify it and move it out of your Inbox to the README folder. Perhaps you receive a lot of spam. Techniques of reducing spam are beyond the scope of this article, but one great filter to have in place on your email program is to create a filter that is a negative filter. Positive filters look for text in the subject line or headers and are triggered by it. Negative filters look for the absence of text that you specify and are triggered if the text is not there. Some email programs allow you to set negative filters like: IF To: OR Cc: DOES NOT CONTAIN you@youremailaddress.com THEN MOVE message to JUNK MAIL folder. Much of the spam being sent is not addressed directly to you. If your email program does not offer negative filtering, set up a positive filter that looks for only your address in the To: or Cc: fields and sends those messages to the Inbox, while sending everything else to Junk Mail. This is a bit more difficult because then you must create a filter for each newsletter you subscribe to or subscribe under a different account. Perhaps you have messages that arrive that require some type of action. If you can do it in less than two minutes, do it when it comes in. If not, it becomes a Task or an Appointment. Set the appropriate reminder and MOVE the message OUT of your Inbox to a folder called ACTION. Work quickly. Delete what you don’t need, reply to what you can and MOVE the rest out. #5. Use the Golden Rule! “If the email message that you are reading is going to take you longer than five minutes to read and reply to, it needs to be a phone call.” Spread the word! You’ve got voicemail and a telephone! Dust them off and use them! More information can be exchanged in a two-minute phone call than in any email that takes you ten minutes to write and the other person ten minutes to read. The door swings both ways, too. Don’t send email messages that are long enough to be newsletters and expect that the recipient will read them. They won’t. They might read the first paragraph and scan the second and third, so you’re wasting your time and theirs by sending a book instead of picking up the phone. Make a list of frequently called numbers and put it in a sheet protector near your phone to save you the time of looking them up!


Save Time Grocery Shopping May 27, 2009

For those of you that HATE to shop I have a WONDERFUL WEBSITE for you to check out! http://www.melaleuca.com/ Many hours of our week are spent grocery shopping, cooking, and cleaning the house – not to mention most of us are working (Research shows we spend more time at work then we do with our families) By the time we finish our myriad other responsibilities and try to squeeze in some quality family time, we don’t have much opportunity to research the sale ads, travel to several different grocery stores to find the best deal, let alone cook from scratch. We know that all of these things will help us keep more of our money and contributes to our quality of life but how do we fit it into our already hectic schedules? Budgeting our time and condensing several tasks into one can help tremendously. Saving time can add up to financial savings in a big way. Becoming organized can cut down on time and money spent in the grocery store! We all know how frequent trips to the grocery store can separate us from our precious pennies when we scoop up the many impulse items strategically placed by savvy store managers and marketing experts. We also know the virtues of shopping from a list and never buying anything that doesn’t appear there, but how many of us can be that disciplined all of the time? I have found the best plan is to keep myself out of the store as much as possible. This means that I must be organized enough to remember everything that I need on the first trip to the store. Below you will find some tips to help you curb your time spent in the grocery store and in turn, help you keep those hard-earned dollars where they belong…in your pocket. First of all, DO NOT GO TO THE GROCERY STORE HUNGRY! … Make a master list of all the things that you absolutely must have on hand at all times. This means anything that you would make a special trip to the store to purchase if you no longer had it in the house. This list usually includes things like diapers, formula, milk, bread, dish-washing detergent and, for many of us, coffee! You’ll need to add your own personal family favorites as well. Once the list is finished, purchase two of every item on the list. When you begin to use the first of your two items put that item on your grocery list for you next shopping trip. Which brings me to the next tip… Create a continuous grocery list. Keep this list in an accessible place and have all of the members of your family use it. Whoever uses the last bit of any item is responsible for writing that item on the list. You may find that for the sake of convenience you will need more than one list. I have a list in the kitchen and also one upstairs in our office to record when I am out of such things as toothpaste, shampoo, toilet paper, etc. A dry-eraser board is good – I keep one in the front of the Refrigerator and write things down as we use thm and need more. Keep a freezer inventory. Especially if you stock up on items while they are on sale. Different things begin to look very much the same after they have been in the freezer for awhile. If you don’t keep a running list of what is inside your freezer and mark it down when a portion is used, you may find yourself with far too much of one item. It is a sad shame to find a great deal on ground sirloin, for example, only to have to throw it away because it became freezer burned before you actually needed to use it. Try something new, find a lcal butcher and purchase your meat and poultry products in whole. Buy the cow, pig, chicken, etc from the butcher. Our butcher cuts, wraps and lablels each item which allows for an easy grab out of the freezer. I must admit I have NEVER had a freezer burned item – no mater how long it has been in the freezer. You can also ask your grocery store if they sell the products mentioned above in bulk. There should be a place for everything and everything should be in it’s place. Be sure to always store your grocery items in the same place in your freezer, pantry, cabinets, or drawers. I’ve forgotten this rule several times and have run out to buy more toilet paper in bulk quantities only to find that I already had a huge box of it underneath several other items that I’ve carelessly thrown on top of it. Here again, organization is the key to saving time, effort, and money.Make a “super shopping list”. This is more like an outline, really and it is divided into the departments of a grocery store such as dairy, produce, household items, etc.. I shop at the same store every time I grocery shop so I have my list set up according to the layout of this particular store. I have the master copy of this list saved in my computer and now my I-Phone (gotta love technology)and I print out thhe list when I need it – o I simply hit the Notes section of my I-Phon and here is my list. Even if you shop at several different stores, a list like this will still be very helpful. Using this list saves so much time and helps keep me focused on the items I came to buy instead of the fun little kitchen gadgets that are sitting in the center of the aisles.


Do YOU shop Smart? May 10, 2009

FIND THE BEST BARGAINS EVERYTIME WITH THE BIZZY MONKEY’S SMART STRATEGIES TO SHOPPING ON THE INTERNET! You click on “BUY” and then wonder, “Could I have gotten it cheaper somewhere else?” You may even ask yourself if you can trust your credit card with this company. Well, the Bizzy Monkey – Your Personal Concierge has done some research checking out online shopping companies, and we have learned a few things about getting the best deal every time you shop. No matter what you are buying always check at least two or three price-comparison sites. We have found that NO ONE SITE HAS THE BEST DEALS EVERYTIME. The sites listed below are to help make YOU a Savy Web Shopper. http://www.ebates.com/ http://Wize.com – Product Reviews From People like You Free Shipping at Over 1,000 Merchants! Hey, It’s Free! \| http://Daily freebies, free stuff, and free samples! http://PriceGrabber.com http://Comparison ShoppingOnline Shopping Product Review http://buzzillions.com — more than 5.2 million product reviews Coupon codes and discounts for 30,000 online stores! http://RetailMeNot.com http://Google /Product http://Search Shop It To Me: Better than Sample Sales — Free personal shopper for sales on clothing and accessories Happy Shopping! Cathy Mussman The Bizzy Monkey – Your Personal Concierge Service WHEN YOU CAN’T – WE CAN! 561-702-5956 Contact Us


Good to the last drop May 06, 2009

Good to the last drop The trick(s) to squezzing every bit out of that container How annoying is it to reach for your favorite face cleanser and find the bottle empty? Is it really? Or is there a way to get that last bit of cleanser out of that tube and onto your face? The answer is, YES! It is annoying when you KNOW there is an extra squirt left in the tube, bottle, jar, etc., but no matter what and how hard you squeeze – NOTHING! Well, I have the answer….. I have been known to bang things against the wall trying to get the last drop of my favorite shampoo out of the bottle – Most of the time to no avail, but with bathroom dramatics taking place… My husband rushes into the bathroom as if the walls are falling down and I am trapped under the rubble, “What is going on in here, are you OK what is with all the banging?” I simply shrug my shoulders (in defeat and embarrassment) and explain that I was trying to get the last bit of my favorite shampoo out of the bottle. His answer, “Cathy go buy a new one ” – That answer is not going to work at that particular moment — why explain – he can’t relate! Continue banging and pray you will get just enough to wash your hair and you promise your self that: A. You will NOT do this again (because you will have a back-up shampoo in the closet) B. There has to be a solution to getting the last drop out of any container — no matter what! AND you WILL find that answer! Ladies, does it or does it not feel as if you are throwing good money away when you finally give up and toss a container with even a few drops and or smudges of your favorite shampoo, conditioner, face cream, etc. into the trash can? When you know there is at least one more application in that bottle — and you have been defeated! NOT ANYMORE! SOME TRICKS I HAVE LEARNED ABOUT SQUEEZING EVERY BIT OUT OF THAT CONTAINER: SOAPS AND DETERGENTS: Add a small amount of water or poke a small hole in the bottom corner of the container and allow the contents to drain into a cup or bowl. TOOTHPASTE: A TOOTHPASTE SQUEEZER (WHICH IS AVAILABLE ON MY WEBSITE FOR $2.00) works well and is well worth the investment. If that does not interest you, simply cut the tube of toothpaste in half and place in a plastic bag. You will get the extra tooth paste no matter which way you choose. MAYONNAISE AND PEANUT BUTTER: Stock up on a set of spatulas in different sizes (easily found at Target, Wallmart,etc) and use a skinny bowl scrapper to get the remnants out of the products in wide mouth containers and simply place in smaller containers. MOISTURIZERS: You can use the tooth paste trick on this one too, if it is a tube simply attach the toothpaste squeezer to the end of the tube and you WILL get the very last drop of that moisturizer! As stated in the toothpaste “blurb” you can also cut the tube in half. If the moisturizer is in a pump container, tip it to one side, and take a cotton Q-tip (tongue depressor or cotton swab works well also) and dip into what is left of that moisturizer you are sure to get the remnants and then some. HONEY OR MOLASSES: Place the jar into a hot water bath (a trick if you make the water HOT-which will cause the glass bottle to crack, place a metal spoon in the same bowl — it will absorb the heat and prevent the jar from cracking). Let the honey or molasses sit in the bowl for about a minute – After a minute or so remove the Honey or Molasses from the hot water bath — the liquid will flow nicely into the container you are placing it in. TOMATO PASTE: FYI – this pertains to other thick, canned products. Remove both ends of the can and push one end through to the other side. Cut the paste into individual servings and wrap for use when needed – Freeze the extras immediately! Date the wrapping, so you know when you wrapped the product 3 months is my rule of thumb — however remember, “when in doubt — throw it out.” SHAMPOO AND CONDITIONER: Simply add water and shake — any remnants from either product will shake loose and you have one more day of your favorite shampoo and/or conditioner. Word to the wise don’t bang the bottle against the wall….who knows what ones loved one may do – ie, rush into the bathroom and question you about the banging when you are already at whits end – never good! OLIVE OIL: You can create your own salad dressing right in the bottle by adding vinegar and herbs and shaking well — my husband is always trying new recipes! Don’t be afraid to throw in some of you favorite herbs along with a little bit of salt and pepper. – YOU ARE THE CHEF!…..experiment a bit! My bet is you will find your own favorite dressing by simply experimenting with your favorite herbs…why not try? If you are not the experimental type and you find you are running out of an olive oil based dressing simply add 1/4 to 1/2 (depending on how much is left in the botlle) to the remaingin dressing – at least enough to get you through dinner that night. Remember to add to shopping list** PAINT: Again, your spatula will come in handy, use a can opener and cut off the bottom of the can so you can scrape out the paint that has settled to the bottom of the paint can. Place in an air tight container, put the container in your garage or any other storage spot you may have for household items – Great to have for touch ups! Any ideas send them to me and I will be sure to add then to my next News letter and or Blog. Looking forward to hearing from you, Warm Personal Regards, Cathy Mussman The Bizzy Monkey – Your Personal Concierge Service WHEN YOU CAN’T – WE CAN! 561-702-5956 Visit our website at: http://www.thebizzymonkey.com E-mail: Contact Us Buterflies can fly only if they spread their wings and allow the wind to guide them through lifes unknown journies – Are you ready to fly?


The Bizzy Monkey – Your Personal Concierge Service April 29, 2009

A Personal Concierge ultimately decreases stress in your life and increases the balance you feel between work and home. It is reported that by merely offloading the burden of the many chores of the day is the road to better focusing on what is most important in your life and increasing your level of wellness. Merely knowing that we will be tending to the details that would normally steal hours from your day is a premier benefit of our of Concierge Services. Through the efforts of our Personal Concierges, daily fatigue and strain in your life can be systematically reduced allowing you a more organized and “in control” lifestyle. Why not Contact us today and take the first important step of discussing how we may help you free up more time in your busy schedule, increase your productivity and decrease the stress and fatigue in your daily routine. Our company’s mission is to take clients from stressful to stress free. Our vision is to give our client’s stress free solutions for the home and office. Our purpose is to give back time! We take care of the little things so you can take care of the big things. Our motto is: WHEN YOU CAN’T – WE CAN!


The Bizzy Monkey is Going GREEN! April 26, 2009

Dear Friends and Family! The Bizzy Monkey – Your Personal Concierge Service has gone GREEN! We are still working hard at the Bizzy Monkey as we move forward we have realized we to must add to the Health and Wellness not only for ourselves but for the planet! Do you want more time freedom? Want to build your own business and you future? Want to decide when and how much you work? Then a Melaleuca business can be your solution. Melaleuca Offers You A Better Choice. http://www.melaleuca.com/ When you think about your future and what the environment holds around us, such as the future of our loved ones and this beautiful planet……………(think about that for a moment). One can not help to think about what we can do as caring individuals to take a some time from our very “Bizzy” lives to research and learn about how we can not only improve our lives, but keep our beautiful planet from being destroyed. The choices we make today will FOREVER have an impact on the future to come! Change is NOW, such as going GREEN and gaining a little insight and knowledge about our planet for the generations to come. Melaleuca is the answer! This is how HappyHealthyandGreen started. HappyHealthyandGreen has become a Health and Wealth Facilitator for Melaleuca - We feel they offer not only great products with patented technology, but also proven income opportunities; one of which has been in place for over 24 years! How many Network Marketing opportunities have stood the test of 24 years? Very, very few! Please note: Melaleuca is NOT a Multi - Level – Marketing Company. MLM companies often require or encourage their people to buy inventory, or to at least purchase large quantities of product each month to qualify for bonuses. Melaleuca on the other hand, requires no extra purchases and actually encourages customers to only purchase the products they need in their homes that month. This is a significant difference! MLM companies impose a significant risk and burden. With Melaleuca, there is no risk. An MLM company usually requires that you resell their products. Melaleuca does not require any reselling—all customers shop direct from the catalog or website and you can RETURN ANY product you are NOT satisfied with. Real people buy real product they really want. This means as you build a Melaleuca business, you don’t have to pressure others to buy what they don’t need, you have no repeat sales presentations and you don’t have to peddle inventory to your friends or neighbors. You simply refer customers to Melaleuca, help them set up their accounts, and each time they shop direct with the company, you make a commission. Take a moment and think about the time we are all living in the ECONOMY scares us all!! When you join Melaleuca – Enrollment is FREE, you will shop on line (How nice is that, NOT to stand in the supermarket line)? With Melaleuca you are NOT adding to your monthly shopping budget, just taking a portion of what you are already spend at the grocery store and spending it more wisely. As I mentioned above if you are not satisfied with any of Melaleca’s products you can return them and receive a refund for that that product. With Melaleuca you have the opportunity to purchase products that we believe are far superior to anything else on the market today. We can only say this because we use them. The income opportunity in Melaleuca, with their Network Marketing Plan is a true income changing opportunity. Its really not that different from what Costco has been doing, except they make all the revenue! With any Network Marketing opportunity that is real as well as honest, your results are strictly based on your efforts as well as your teams efforts. With Exceptional products that are healthy for you, your children, and our environment you really can not go wrong. Your simply changing where you purchase some of the items that you are already buying today with a much healthier choice! You are building a business – that will not only change your life BUT your income! Please email me any questions you may have about this exciting opportunity with Melaleuca! – Butterflies can only fly if they spread their wings and allow the wind to guide them through life’s unknown journey - are you ready to spread your wings and fly? Join me, Cathy Mussman happyhealthyandgreen@gmail.com 561-702-5956


Eight ways to save time at the office April 26, 2009

I thought this book was fabulous.. .. By Author Stuart Levine “Cut to the Chase—and 99 Other Rules to Liberate Yourself and Gain Back the Gift of Time.” After reading ”Cut to the Chase—and 99 Other Rules to Liberate Yourself and Gain Back the Gift of Time.” I felt I had to share Mr. Levine’s excerpt – which shows you how to use your hours at work more efficiently. I’m sure at one time or another we are ALL guilty of wasting time at work…..How many times did you hit the snooze button and say, “I’ll be a little late, but I’ll make up the time at the end of the day”? Are you that person that stops by your co-workers desk to see how last night went - only to chat a few minutes about what you did or your going to do? How about grabbing a cup of coffee AFTER you have clocked in as others stand around the coffee area and chat? Are you checking your personal E-mails before you start your day? I’m sure the list could go on. I know I’m guilty – with that being said I am now going to share with you, Author Stuart Levine and the excerpt from his latest book. I hope after you read “Cut to the Chase—and 99 Other Rules to Liberate Yourself and Gain Back the Gift of Time.” You will smile and think to yourself – YES, I am guilty of a “few of these things” however, I can change my habbits and be a bit more productive. I hope by sharing this with you – you will find the Gift of Time – Enjoy! 1. Cut to the Chase The only rule I have repeated from my previous book, The Six Fundamentals of Success, is Cut to the Chase. Why the need to say more here? And why an entire book on the subject? Because I realized that my prior advice only scratched the surface of what cutting to the chase is all about. We give our time away all day long, to emotions that gain us no advantages, to people who do not value our time, to inefficient habits. If you want to take back this time, you need to cut to the chase. The following are the underlying principles behind cutting to the chase, and, in fact, every one of the other ninety-nine rules in the book. 1. Define your purpose. Whether you’re planning a major project at work or thinking about where you want to be in ten years, a clear purpose is your true north by which to navigate as conditions change. 2. Know your world. Continuously seek to understand what’s happening in the world, the economy, your industry, and your organization. Recognize what motivates people. And most important, know yourself—and the world around you. 3. Concentrate. Shut out distractions. Set personal boundaries. Focus. Don’t let people steal your time and don’t give it away easily. Cutting to the chase means approaching everything from your next phone call to the next five years of your career with clarity and focus. It’s about knowing what’s important and what’s not. It’s about spending time wisely—yours and others’. It’s about getting more done with less effort. And, yes, it’s also about work/life balance—about taking back the weekends and leaving work earlier so you can spend more time doing things you enjoy with the ones you love. Cutting to the chase involves a commitment to thinking differently. It’s easy to blame change, intrusive technologies, or increasing expectations at work for our own lack of discipline. But wasting time is a personal choice. You can continue complaining that you never have enough time. Or you can put down your BlackBerry, switch off your e-mail alarm, close your office door, take a deep breath, turn the page … and just start. 2. Just start. Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it! — Goethe The longer you delay starting something, the more shadows you see. To paraphrase a famous Nike campaign, just start. One CEO I know wanted to initiate a recognition program called “I Caught You Doing Something Good.” He created a committee to put the program together. But the people on it were busy with their regular jobs and had trouble finding the time to meet. The CEO was anxious to spend more time recognizing his people for their hard work. Realizing that the committee was too swamped to put the program together in a timely fashion, he just started. He sent an e–mail to the entire management team asking for nominations. When the results were in, he sent his high performers a personal thank-you note and a $100 gift certificate. The program is working beautifully. The energy it created has added momentum to the company. Wouldn’t it be nice if life took a cue from horse racing and a gun went off when it was time for us to get moving? Life rarely sends us a signal as clear as a starter’s pistol. It’s up to us to recognize when it’s time to just start. 3. Get in early and go home on time. Too many people get to work fifteen minutes late, thinking they’ll stay late to make up the lost time. They spend the first half hour getting coffee and catching up with colleagues on the hot new reality TV show. Once they sit down, they make a couple of personal phone calls, and if they’re lucky, they’ll get in an hour or so of “real work” before lunch. Of course, lunch itself is split between planning an upcoming meeting at their desks and catching up on office gossip. With the rest of the day spent returning emails, they might get in two or three hours of real work. So they stay late, inevitably chatting with the other night owls for another half an hour. But it’s okay—after all, they’re “off the clock.” These people leave the office hours later than they should. They feel burned out because they’ve been there for almost ten hours, crammed in lunch at their desks, and still have so much left to do. Such people often feel ill–used by the organization and see themselves as martyrs. But the truth is, they have wasted hours of valuable work time and have accomplished far less than they could have. The most effective executives and aspiring executives and managers get in early and stay focused all day. To regain control of your day, first get to work on time. Or, better yet, early. Work smart and hard the entire time you’re there. Visualize a stopwatch ticking away in your head, if necessary. At lunch, leave the office—if only for five or ten minutes—to clear your head so you can be productive in the afternoon. If you want to catch up with friends at the office, schedule lunch with them. When colleagues drop by your office, tell them, “I’m working on something right now, but I’d love to catch up. Why don’t we schedule lunch?” Don’t confuse time spent at the office with time spent working productively. Working hard and smart will liberate you to spend more time outside the office with the people you care about most. 4. I got it. As soon as you understand exactly what someone is explaining, tell them in one way or another, “I got it.” Doing so frees them to move on and cover more ground. Similarly, if someone else says “I got it” to you when you’re explaining a point, stop. Ignoring such feedback is a mistake, one that detail-oriented people are particularly vulnerable to. Because they value the details, they feel that others will, too. Of course, not everyone does. I witnessed how costly this mistake can be in a recent planning session. The project manager continued answering a question long after the man who had asked it said, “I got it.” Even when he repeated, “I got it,” she calmly and insistently continued. As I watched him get angrier and angrier, I realized she had lost him. If you’re not sure if someone got your point, listen care-fully to the person’s responses. If it’s clear there’s still a misunderstanding, suggest “I’m not sure we’re on the same page. Let’s make sure we understand each other.” If the other 5. The first twenty minutes. You would never see an NBA all-star casually toss a ball into the air and hope it hits the net. Before each jump shot, players pause, find their footing, set their sights on the net, and visualize a swoosh before the ball has even left their fingertips. You can take the same approach at work by visualizing a successful day before it officially begins. It all comes down to the first twenty minutes. As soon as you get to work, before you turn on your e-mail or check your voice mail, take twenty minutes to plan the day ahead: • Define your top priority for the day—the one that you would sacrifice all others to achieve—to help focus your energy. • Update your “To Do” list. Allot time for everything you need to accomplish, including time to prepare for meetings and other conversations. • Review your calendar. Determine the purpose of each meeting and appointment. If you don’t have one yet, think of one. If you can’t determine one, cancel. • Consider whom you will see in meetings or other events throughout the day. Jot down any issues you need to address with them.


The Marketing Tools I have learned from my Friend and Mentor April 22, 2009

Today, as I was checking my daily E-mails I read an AMAZING Article written by my Friend and Mentor Kellie Kuecha. Please take the time to read Kellie’s Article as I feel you as a BLOGGER/READER will enjoy: How to Profit from Being YOU! Deciding that you are ready to make money using your own personal name can be a very bold yet profitable move for many. Let’s face it, if Paris Hilton, Kim Kardashian, Oprah, Jack Canfield, Anthony Robbins and Kellie Kuecha can make money being themselves, why can’t you? Having a strong conviction and commitment that your product or service is the best and therefore needed by all requires a strong inner belief that you are good enough. I say that because most entrepreneurs will never reach the point of profitability using their name simply because they lack the confidence that they are “good enough.” But assuming your have already examined those limiting beliefs and are ready to make money – serious money, here are some preliminary steps to consider as your foundation in learning How to Make Money Being YOU! 1. Purchase yourname.com. Hopefully you name is unique enough that it hasn’t already been taken but in the event it is, use the name you have branded for yourself. Some examples of associates of mine that have done this are Smart Broad, Chicken Lady and Promo Girl. While I think it is great to use a branded nickname, you will gain your best results when selling info related products in the future if you use own your personal name. Be sure to get the .com, .net and .org. 2. Link yourname.com to a blog. This is a very basic step for those just starting to brand their personal name. A blog enables you to express your opinions, personality and most of all, showcase your expertise. You will want to link yourname.com to your blog at either www.blogspot.com or www.wordpress.com. Follow this link to read the other 5 tips! read the other 5 tips!

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