Random Thoughts

Here are a some for today…

“Once we hold a belief, it tends to stick with us for the rest of our lives, unless we challenge it.” –Dr. Richard Gillett, Change Your Mind, Change Your World

“Most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.” –Abraham Lincoln
The mind is a very strong thing isn’t it? We have so much power and control so why do we let ourselves be so unhappy? We are our own worst enemies!

I heard someone say the other day “Victims never go anywhere in life.” I don’t know who said it, I herd it in passing a couple of days ago. I heard part of the conversation and he was not talking about victims of a crime so please do not take offense to that. He was talking with someone else about someone he knows that always portrays herself as a victim to “society.” This person always has an illness, it’s always someone else’s fault, and everyone always lies to her but of course she never lies. I think everyone knows someone like this don’t they? I have to agree with his words that being a victim will never get you anywhere.

Have a positively positive day everyone!
Tawna

OK so here is my very eventful day and why I will not do lay-away at this store again. Just a little plug first: I do not dislike Toys-r-us by any means, in fact I love that they have been lowering their prices over the past couple of years to keep up with Wal-Mart but today I seriously about lost it! I will go back, or course I will but I will NOT ever do layaway again and here is why.

We wanted to buy my daughter a barbie doll house for her upcoming birthday in April and I was wanting to do layaway for the main purpose of not having to store it and have her find it. I called around and Sears, Kmart and Toys-r-us all did layaway so this made me happy. I have done layaway in the past at Kmart, the last two years for Christmas and I love it. No one finds the toys this way and I have never had an issue. I like Kmart layaway as you can pay at ANY store, just as long as the pick up is at the store the merchandise is, well that makes sense.

I put the doll house on layaway a couple weeks ago and I needed to go and pay for it today. Well the store I put it on layaway is a little further then the store I would prefer, but only because I was at my in-laws the day I did it and just thought in my head “well I can make payments at the closer one, no big deal.” Well…I should have asked about this first.

One thing that this toy store does is that they do not actually have to have the merchandise in the store to layaway, in fact they won’t hold it in the store. They have it held in their main warehouse which is not even in our state. Again..no big deal, I don’t blame them here, saves on clutter. So you can only layaway certain items through them and the barbie doll house is one of those things. I have attached the doll house we purchased to this post. It is cheaper on Amazon and seriously next time I am buying amazon! I paid $159 and now it is listed as $179 on toys-r-us web site.

You would think that since the company holds it in their warehouse that it would not matter which Toys-r-us store you make the payment but NOOOOOO, they care.

I went to the closer store and could not get them to take the payment because “this is not the delivery location.” ME: “can I change the delivery location?” THEM: “NO.” ME: “Seriously?” THEM: “Sorry, but you have to go to the other store,” (20 miles away). ME; My thought “WTF!”

So I head over to the other store 20 miles away, mind you I just spent 15 minutes in the car going to the first store, packing the 2 kids in and out of car seats in the rain, so ask me if I was happy…Hell no!

I get to the other store and pay my bill and ask a few questions.
ME: “Can I change my pick up location?”
THEM: “NO.”
ME: “Why it is not out for delivery yet?”
THEM: “That’s our policy.”
ME: “Well my Mother-in-law lives real close to here if I GIVE her this receipt and give you her name can she pick it up?”
THEM: “NO.”
ME: “WHY?”
THEM: “You have to sign for it.”
ME: OK can I sign something now that gives her permission?”
THEM: “NO”
ME: Thinking, I seriously want to jump over the counter about right now but I keep my composure!
ME: “you offer free shipping for this barbie house on you web site, can I have it shipped to my home?”
THEM: “NO.”
ME: “WHY?”
THEM: “It has to be shipped here?”
ME: “HMM, doesn’t this come from the same warehouse whether I buy it on line or from you in layaway?”
THEM: “YES.”
ME: “That makes no sense!”
THEM: “That’s our policy.”
ME: Thinking…I know where you can put your policies!

I then decide to go buy my son another pair of shoes because I bought some for $6 that are toy-story and the light up and I decided to buy the next size up since the price was so good.

I did find the shoes and they were still the awesome price of $6. “Whihoo this is getting better!”

I get into a pretty large line at the check stand, mind you they had one girl checking out and another lady approached me and said “I can check  you out at the service desk.” I was very happy again and feeling a little less pissed at this time. Cool, I got checked out rather quickly. But….the service desk is directly in front of the “IN” door. I then asked the lady, “Instead of going all the way around again can I just go out the IN?” THEM: “NO.” Is this the stores favorite word? I said OK why? She said “it probably won’t open.” At this point I can feel the heat in my entire body and I am thinking “OPEN THE FREAKING DOOR YOUR DAMN SELF!” I have actually seen them do this in the past so I know it can be done.

I then head around the front of the desk and the line was still really long, I had the cart because my 18 month old was in it and had my 4 year old holding on to it too. Some people are really rude and I have to say that I have had many instances with very rude shopping Mothers. No one would move and let me though. I said “excuse me” to a couple different ladies and go a look that could have killed. Why is everyone so freaking bitchy today, I thought.

I finally made it outside and to the car. I was happy I got the house paid off and the shoes but I have this aching nerve of pissed-of-ness that is eating at me. I am not in my happy place and that is not going to benefit me, I know.

In the end this is what I will do.

If I want to store presents I will pay for them int he beginning and store them at the in-laws, If I do layaway again I will do that at Kmart again, they are so much easier!

I am so glad to be home!
Have a wonderful stress free day everyone!
Tawna

UPDATE:
Well…I just did the survey yesterday afternoon and it is 9:30 in the morning and I got a call back from toys-r-us just a few minutes ago. I have to say, that was fast. I was not even real sure they read the surveys.

The guy said “I can cancell your order and put the purchase price on a gift card and then re-purchase it as a pick up to the store you want?” I said “Does that mean I have to drive the 20 miles and pick up the card and then go do that at the other store?” He said “No I can do it all right now without you having to go anywhere.”  ME “YES PLEASE!”

So as he was doing that I asked him why their policy was so dumb that they could not take payments at other stores and you know what he said……..”Mrs. Richard, the associates should have been able to take your payment at another store, I apologize for all your problems.” ME: SPEECHLESS and….”seriously?! “Is there anyway you can let you associates know this?” Him: “Yes mam I will and you purchase will arrive in 7-12 days at the store you requests.”

All that headache and I KNEW that I should have been able to pay for this at another store. Do I still feel like i should be compensated more…YES, BUT….I am getting the pick up location changed so I am going to choose my battles. If I let myself continue to be upset about this then I am only attracting a negative aura around me and is it seriously worth it….NO! I will get the doll house, where I wanted to get it, my daughter will be surprised and excited, and this will be all worth it!

Thanks to all my readers and their kind and wonderful support. I am glad toys-r-us resolved this, for the most part. I am still not using their layaway again, but I will still shop there for things I want to pick up in the inventory already at the store.

I am posting this on all my blogs today because I am seriously thinking about making a change but need advice first.

How many of you have moved from Blogger to Word Press? If so I have questions!

1.  Do you GFC followers come with the export of the blog or do you start at 0 followers and if not how hard was it for you to get your followers over with you? Did you get a decent amount to join the new blog?

2.  Is the advertising incentive better then AdSense? I may a few cents a day on AdSense but it is not great.

3.  I know that comment luv works better on word press (I had to uninstall mine) but what other features make it worth it?

4.  It’s not like I am only blogging for money, seriously but it would be nice to make a little profit off of it, Since we are a one income family. Everything on my blog is honest and from the heart and I just think there has got to be a better incentive out there.

5. Last but not least, tell me everything and anything that will help me decide on whether or not to stay with blogger or export my blog to a word press blog!

6. OK so this one is really last: Was it hard to learn the new word press things for template, posting etc?

Thanks!
I know I have the best readers in the world and know I will get lot’s of great input for my decision. I don’t dislike blogger at all, I justt want to compare and make the right decision!

Oh and don’t forget that I am part of a 75 blog March Madness giveaway, I hope you will enter all 3 of my giveaways and many others. Only open til March 20th! Visit my march Madness TAB on my blog!!

Cheers!
Tawna

Today’s thought!

“You can’t change the whole world, and you certainly can’t change other people, but you do have the ability to change yourself. You can have a positive impact in your job, the people with whom you work, and the entire organization…the choice is up to you!”-Cherie Carter-Scott

OK so how many (including myself) are guilty of trying to change everyone and not changing ourselves?
 Have you noticed that the people who change jobs, like underwear, and it’s always “everyone else’s fault,” are most likely they are the ones that are the problem? This is a hard lesson to learn. Since my journey to a more positive life I have noticed that I am less irritated with people because I am not always trying to change them. Since the changing of myself, it has dominoed into ALL aspects of my life and especially with relationships!

I wish everyone a positively positive day!
Tawna

Source: Beachbody


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Yet Beachbody, a private company, grossed nearly as much as Groupon did last year and very few people talk about the robust engine that is behind exercise workout programs like P90X, INSANITY and Turbo Jam.


Under the leadership of co-founder Jon Congdon and Carl Daikeler, the company has developed a business model that seems to be Teflon, turning successful converts of its programs into network marketers who ensure that the brands flourish.


Many multi-level marketing companies are based on building a network of sellers and distributors getting rewarded based on the size of their network.


Most often, the people who have gotten in on the ground floor reap the greatest benefits while those late to the game struggle to make money.


What makes Beachbody’s network of distributors, called coaches, so successful is that these people have done the programs and are often in incredible shape. Their testimonial and therefore their business relies on how good they look, not whether they tell friends that a certain superfruit drink helps them have more energy or cures their stomach problems.
It seems like, more often than not, network marketing thrives on results which can’t be verified, but if my fat friend shows up with a six-pack, I’ll be more likely to believe he was doing an intense workout program.


Since starting the network marketing program three and half years ago, Beachbody now has 51,000 coaches who take a cut of videos and nutritional products they sell. Beachbody coaches sell $1 million worth of nutritional shakes under the brand’s Shakeology name a week. And it’s not cheap at around $120 for a month worth of servings.


“We could have built this company’s sales a lot faster at retail by selling at Walmart and Target,” Daikeler said. “But selling it through direct television (infomercials) and through our network works better for us.”


“We could have built this company’s sales a lot faster at retail by selling at Walmart and Target,” Daikeler said. “But selling it through direct television (infomercials) and through our network works better for us.”


Daikeler says that his coaches serve as walking billboards and salespeople who want to help their family and friends by helping them lose weight through the company’s exercise programs. This is unlike many other multi-level marketing companies that solely rely on building a network to make more money.


And Daikeler doesn’t have to pay for testimonials, a common practice in the infomercial business space he plays in.


“The standard network marketing doesn’t work with our model,” Daikeler said. “This is not a ponzi scheme where if you’re the last one in, you don’t have a chance to do well.”


While the average lifespan of a multi-level marketer is three months, Daikeler says his coaches remain in the system an average of 18 months. It’s why he’s confident that by the end of 2011, there will be 150,000 coaches.


“We don’t promise it will replace your every day job,” Daikeler said. “That has been the case with about 1,000 of our coaches. But what it does for others is it keeps them in shape. In order to continue to have credibility selling, you need to continue to keep up. And so, it allows the people who want to fight obesity, to be motivated by the fact that they have skin in the game.”


By continuing to have more and more videos – P90X led to a harder workout, INSANITY, and that program is leading to The Asylum, which will come out in a few weeks – I don’t see Beachbody slowing down any time soon. And the non-traditional, more patient route of using those converted to the brand by really using it is a smart approach that I think will pay off nicely down the road. “
END of ARTILCE!

I do not care for working out in a gym and I really do not like spending money every month on a membership. I have been a member to many gyms in the past but so prefer working out at home, in my PJ’s and not in front of strangers. I did the whole personal training thing for 1 1/2 years too and loved helping others, but did not like going to the smelly gym much. It is just not for me.

I found Turbo Jam and was hooked and have been a beach body guru and supporter since. The workouts may be a small chunk of change in the beginning but think about how much more it is for a monthly gym member ship and then do the math? Beachbody products are a ton cheaper in the long run and you can change up your workout every day and take it with you on vacation! I workout in my hotel rooms and at friends houses all the time when I travel!

Anyway I love to share my passions and this is one of them!

Have a great day everyone and happy exercising!
Tawna
Beachbody information is available here!