Breakfast for dinner

I have always loved pancakes for dinner! Now with the Velata Raclette, it's super easy!! Then at Safeway this week, I saw the latest Rachael Ray magazine...it's the BREAKFAST ISSUE!! You can be sure that I'll be checking out all the cool recipes and trying some of them out on my raclette!#ichoosevelata #breakfastfordinner #raclettewars

New Year!

As I sit here and do a little organizing and planning for the new year, I am taking time to set some goals for the next year. I've posted my goals on my whiteboard. some of them include, run a 1/2 marathon, pay off credit card debt, go to Cancun (Scentsy leadership retreat) in 2015, run 1,000km this year and complete an olympic length triathlon! Not only did I set the goals, but I am also in the process of making a plan on how to achieve these goals, like my goal of running 1,000km this year requires that I run 3 times/week. I'm looking now for a 1/2 marathon to book so that I have a deadline. I'm excited about what 2014 has in store for me and my family!
Do you make goals? write them down, show someone, it makes you accountable and helps you achieve them! Set BHAG's (Big Hairy Audacious Goals), even if you don't achieve them, you'll be further ahead at the end of the year than you are today! I'm going to make it a double yay year!
Here's to 2014!!

Raclette. Serving up Memories

(check out even more great raclette ideas at www.createthosememories.ca)

I love traditions. I love doing things that bring my family together. As Christmas comes I start to think about traditions that I have...
I loved fondue. I don't really remember when we would do it as a family, but I remember my mom pulling out the fondue set and we'd sit around and enjoy the food and fun and family. It could have been just once or twice that we did it, but I remember it and remember loving it. As a young adult my favourite group date was fondue! When we got married I loved it so much that we made it a yearly tradition for new year's eve. Some of the best times were when we shared the tradition with friends! The prep was fun, the clean up wasn't, but it was all worth it!
I do remember New Year's Eve as a kid, it would be one of the few occasions when the fine china came out and we got to have a "fancy" meal. The one thing I do remember eating was cream corn. I always thought it was such a special food that we only got it once a year. I later learned that my mom hates cream corn and my dad loves it, so she would let him have it once a year! :)
I remember visiting my Grossmutti and Grossvati (Grandma and Grandpa, Dad's parents). They came from Switzerland and my favourite meal was when the raclette came out (I didn't know that's what it was called at the time). We'd start with a vinegar/lettuce salad (I don't know the exact recipe, but I found something close below) then fry our potatoes on top and melt swiss cheese underneath. I loved being able to melt my own cheese and fry my own potatoes! As I started my own family, I searched for something that would recreate this experience. A few years ago I finally found one, it was cheap and didn't work perfectly. Then, Velata introduced their own Raclette this past October. I am in love!! I love being able to cook at the table and share this tradition with my children. As well as introduce many more traditions (we made french toast, turkey bacon and fried eggs last night for dinner on the Raclette)
This is why I am in love with VELATA! I love that it brings family together (even when I don't really want to share, as soon as my Velata warmer is going (with either cheese or chocolate) I am guaranteed to have someone wanting to share :)

www.nataliezuidhof.velata.ca

Lettuce Salad

1 head iceberg lettuce (I like it shredded)

1 cup vinegar

sugar (enough to make a thick syrup consistency)

wash and cut lettuce, set aside.

put the vinegar in a bowl, add sugar to desired consistency and mix well so sugar is dissolved.

spoon the syrup onto the lettuce and mix lightly.

Bucket list

I have decided i need a bucket list...here goes

1. complete an Ironman triathlon
2. complete Escape from Alcatraz triathlon
3. become a Scentsy Family SuperStar Director
4. go to Jerusalem
5. go to Switzerland
6. go to Australia and New Zealand
7. Run a Marathon
8. go up in a hot air balloon
9. go to Mt. Everest base camp
10. return to the Philippines

Is that a good enough start? I can always add to it, can't I.

Scentsy Family Reunion 2013 part 2

The thing that I love about the Scentsy Family, they love to have consultants share what they know, and all those consultants are willing to share what they know to help everyone grow and improve. This year at reunion we had several consultants speak to us. Here are a few of the points I enjoyed the most...

Sarah Matanane: she talked about booking blitzes (calling/texting/messaging as many people as  you can in a short period of time with the sole purpose of booking parties). one quote she used was by Mark Victor Hansen  “Don't wait until everything is just right. It will never be perfect. There will always be challenges, obstacles and less than perfect conditions. So what. Get started now. With each step you take, you will grow stronger and stronger, more and more skilled, more and more self-confident and more and more successful.”

Danette Kroll said "it's not the gift that matters, it's the value YOU leave"

Teri Newman said "if you have the will to achieve your goals, you will WIN"

Jenae Sexton quoted Hank Aaron  “The pitcher has got only a ball. I've got a bat. So the percentage in weapons is in my favour and I let the fellow with the ball do the fretting."  I've got the bat, the weapon is in my favour! I will not fret. It's about loving what you do and sharing it with the world, build those relationships so that they know why you want to share it with them.

Maurita Tollestrup was my favourite consultant speaker of the week, not only because I know her, but I really did love the message she had to share. She talked about beginning with an end in mind, then map it out. If you plot where you are going, you are more likely to make it there as our actions will lead to the results we want! 

Here's part of my map, though not the end, just some steps along the way, these goals will guide me to the end I'm aiming for!

Create your look!

I love this video about how to create 20 different looks with just one bag, 2 clutches and 2 accessories! This is also a sneak peak at what will be available August 1st!! So excited about the new catalog, eeeekkkk!

Scentsy Family Reunion 2013 part 1

As some of you may know, I just returned from Indianapolis, Indiana for the annual Scentsy Family Reunion (aka convention, but we're a big family, so now we call it a family reunion!) I had a fabulous time! Indianapolis is a cool city with a beautiful state park right outside my hotel. I got to participate in the first ever Scentsy Family 5k Fun Run (it was tough, only because it was soooooo humid there)! I got to see all kinds of new stuff from Scentsy, Velata and Grace Adele (I'm ready for some awesome parties this fall)! I got to go to Heidi's birthday bash (Heidi and Orville Thompson are the president and CEO of Scentsy Family), and Kelly Clarkson did a private concert for us (very cool)! But the best part was the inspiration from so many speakers and leaders. I learned so much that I can apply in my business and my life.
Today, I want to share just a little bit about what I learned this week...

Meghann and Ryan Clements are great leaders. Meghann is my sponsor in Scentsy and has been a shining star for me since I joined 2.5 years ago. They are SuperStar Directors (the highest rank in our business) and had a meeting for everyone under them on the first day of reunion. I just want to share a few of the things I took from this meeting.

Meghann--start a new chapter in your life. use the next 3 days to decide how you want to start that chapter. She challenged us to each write down 1 goal each night and date stamp it. A goal without a date you want to achieve it by is just a dream! My goals for this year are HUGE, but I'm excited...1) Director by November 2013. 2) Lose 20 lbs by December 2013 (40 lbs by July 2014). 3) Grace Adele Trendsetter by December 2013. I'm so excited to aim for these goals!

Ryan--he gave us 5 ways to strengthen our "why" 1) gain strength from your community (the scentsy family, not just our team/group, but others we meet). 2) activities (things like the 5k and incentive trips and reunion), engage in these activities. 3) relationships (develop and maintain one-on-one relationships with each other). 4) strengthen relationships with your directors (all TWW directors). 5) look for constant A-HA moments!

It's going to be a fabulous end to 2013!! I can't wait!!