Here We Are...with Luci

Face To Face Meetings: Are You Seeing AND Being Seen?

Are you experiencing less attentiveness and manners during a face to face meeting? Do you leave feeling like the time could have been more productive? It seems that the more we connect on-line, the less we are connecting in person, both literally and figuratively. It might be time to brush up on a few tried and true techniques to help maximize your up close and personal business opportunities. 

Examine my recent guest post, Eye Contact: Optimizing The I To Eye Connection. There has been quite a bit of activity over this post at the Indie Business Blog, my gracious host for this article. You can't change the behavior of others, but you can increase the potential to make a connection with awareness and a bit of practice.

Are you recognizing a difference in people's face-to-face business etiquette? Are social media, wireless activity, and today's fast paced lifestyle contributing factors? Does it make you want to shout, "Put down the Blackberry and look at me," when in a meeting?

Eye it up and tell us how you see it.

A Thanksgiving Thought

This weekend, as you celebrate, remember these words of wisdom...

Never eat more than you can lift!  ~ Miss Piggy, Muppet & Proud Pig

10 Tips On How To Be Good To YOURSELF This Holiday Season

A Guest Post by Marie-Christine Lochot, NCTMB (republished with permission)

No matter which holiday you celebrate, 'tis the season to take care of yourself. Here are 10 easy tips to get you through the hustle and bustle of the next six weeks!

1. Stick to your exercise routine. If you don't have one, walk at least 30 minutes a day -- preferably outside.

2. Take a break to breathe. Sit down, close your eyes, inhale through the nose, exhale through the mouth. Repeat for 5 minutes.

3. Eat before attending a party or dinner. Have a healthy snack so you are not too hungry when you get there.

4. Increase your intake of fruits and vegetables. Start now and continue every day between parties and dinners throughout the season.

5. Indigestion? Place your hands on top of each other between the base of the sternum and navel. Rotate in a counterclockwise direction a few times and then reverse to a clockwise direction. Continue the motion for a few minutes.

6. Quick Refresher: rub your hands together for a few seconds and then lightly rub your face.

7. Shopping: Remember that it is the spirit of the Holidays which matters most, not the gifts.

8. Give and receive a foot rub from a loved one.

9. Get a massage before the holidays to reduce stress, then again afterward to recover AND to center yourself for the new year.

10. Enjoy the Holidays!

Live fully and savor the present moments as the future is so unpredictable. We can reduce the stresses in our lives and be nicer to ourselves, to our bodies, and to our souls, with a few simple steps. 

Here is a quote by Etty Hillesum to start you on your way:

Ultimately, we have just one moral duty: to reclaim large areas of peace in ourselves, more and more peace, and to reflect it toward others. And the more peace there is in us, the more peace there will be in our troubled world.

Bringing Back Rites of Passage

A Guest Post by Donna Maria Coles Johnson, Indie Business Blog

When my daughter, Vanessa, was born, I made the conscious decision not to have her ears pierced while she was an infant. I studied this issue very carefully while I was pregnant and I knew that the nurses in the delivery room would perform the service for free if I asked them to. This seemed appealing considering it would save me the trouble later and my daughter would never remember the pain of the piercing.

On the other hand, I have a very vivid memory of the day my ears were pierced. I had begged my mother for months to let me have them pierced. She'd never had her ears pierced so it was not a priority for her. She kept saying that I was too young.

Finally, one day, at the shopping mall, she let me do it. I was so excited, you would have thought I had been given a new car. I waited patiently in line behind two other girls who were much younger than my 16 years. They barely winced when the piercing "gun" went off. When it was my turn, it was over in an instant. It was a simple process, but for me, it was nothing short of an introduction to womanhood.

Now, I thought, I could be glamorous. I could wear coordinating ear ring, necklace and bracelet sets. I could move my head and watch my ear rings dangle. I could catch people's attention by the way a gold hoop or a silver shape caught the light.

I had arrived.

Chick Flick Chat: "Revolutionary Road"

"No one forgets the truth...they just get better at lying." ~ Kate Winslet's character, April Wheeler in "Revolutionary Road"

Click HERE to listen to Chick Flick Chat featuring the film Revolutionary Road.

Put on your seat belt, this movie takes you on quite a ride! No matter what decade you grew up in, you will recognize issues that are alive and festering today. 

The performances by Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio are exceptional. Their characters are moving and memorable, supplying us with a lot to chat about. We drive the details of what it all means up one side of the street and back down the other. So buckle up, listen, and share your thoughts.

REMINDER: The "Twilight" Chick Flick Chat secret word contest continues until Dec. 15, 2009. Please listen and email the word for a chance to win a new copy of "Hot Blooded." Click here for all the details...it's easy, fun, and free!

Autumn Leaves: Colorful Reminders

Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower. ~ Albert Camus

Savor the next thirty-nine days of autumn...Enjoy the orange, burgundy, and yellow leaves as they delicately swirl past your window, breathe the fresh air, bite into a crisp apple, plant your mums.

Today, my friend, RayDeen, posted a note on her Facebook wall. She is asking for prayers for her childhood friend, Lisa, who is losing her fight with cancer.

As I sat at my desk watching the leaves dance, her message once again reminded me to be grateful for every day and the simple moments that make them special. I share this personal moment with you in hopes that it will serve as a welcome reminder in your life, too.

RayDeen, may many thoughts and prayers find you, Lisa, and her family.

FB Pages: Here We Are On Facebook

Friend, Fan, Follow...Join HWA on Facebook!

Who: That's you!! If you are on Facebook or thinking about joining, we invite you to also join the Here We Are page on Facebook.

What: The page is new and, like the blog, will evolve as it grows. We will be using it as a community board for the Here We Are readers to exchange info, opinions, support, etc. (see more on this in the How segment).

Where & How: Just click on the "Become a Fan" link on the new sidebar widget, sign into Facebook, and you're done! Fast, Free, and Easy! Participate as much or as little as you'd like -- of course, we want to hear from you, but no pressure.

Please feel free to share your photos, charity info, happy news, business announcements, job search, and anything else you would like to shout about (no direct sales pitches please). We ask that you keep it "G" rated, polite, current, and truthful -- check out our Blog Participation Request guidelines.

When: Now is the time. There is already a discussion topic posted, with more to come on all sorts of subjects. Currently, I am looking for suggestions on natural laundry detergent for an upcoming entry. Anyone use one you love? Hate? Tell us about it.

Why: The Here We Are page on Facebook expands the reach of this blog in an immediate way enabling readers to interact more easily. Often a question or topic needs some hashing out; the HWA page helps us to "talk" with you.

Look for our upcoming photo contest, fun giveaways, and the HWA book chat! While we want to see your smiling faces on the HWA page on Facebook, rest assured that we will not share them on the widget -- we respect you and know our boundaries.  

Thank you to those who have already joined the HWA page on Facebook & Welcome to our new friends, fans, followers...so happy to meet you!

NOTE: We LOVE your comments here on the HWA blog, so please keep them coming...and we look forward to some face time on Facebook.

Weleda Baby Care Products Care For Your Baby

A Product Review by Staci, The Mom Squad

 

It's been three years since I had my first child, Elle. Time has flown by! It has been a wonderful journey of ups and downs, trials and errors, but mostly, the greatest memories from the best years of my life. I have finally discovered a product line that I prefer for my children. It is Weleda Baby Care. It smells good, feels good, and leaves baby feeling soft and smelling so sweet! Plus, I trust the ingredients.

Last year, a friend sent me samples from the All Natural Product Show. The timing was perfect because I was concerned about parabens and other worrisome ingredients used in baby products. One of the samples was Weleda Baby Calendula Face Cream. It is lightweight with Sweet Almond Oil, and it is the perfect cream for baby's delicate facial skin. Impressed with this product, I knew I had to try the rest of the line.

The first product I purchased was the Calendula Shampoo & Body Wash. I put it to the test on our two baby girls. It is formulated with the mildest organic and natural plant-based cleansers, so it's gentle and tear-free. The sweet almond oil absorbs quickly to keep your baby's skin from losing precious moisture. While it costs about $11- a tube, it only takes a small amount of the body wash to cover the baby's body and wash the hair. For us, a tube lasts about 3 months. Using a product from a company that offers a holistic approach to health and beauty since 1921 makes it worth the cost to me.

Next on my list was the Calendula Baby Cream for the whole body. Again, another great smelling and performing product for baby's tender or dry skin. I even use it on my hands to keep them from drying out, it keeps them looking and feeling smooth -- just like baby skin. According to their website, the "gentle organic chamomile flower extract soothes skin with its calming anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties." This cream definitely helped little baby, Cami, with some dry spots on her back and arms. By the way, that's Cami is in the picture trying to eat the tube -- you can see how much she likes Weleda!

The name Weleda comes from the Celtic goddess of wisdom and healing. This totally makes sense once you experience their products. Well, I am off to buy the Calendula Diaper Care. At this point, I doubt I will be disappointed.

My babies trust me to make smart choices for them and I trust Weleda's standards of relying on nature to provide its benefits instead of using synthetic ingredients. If you try this product line, you will find that Weleda Baby Care products care for your baby, too.

Let us know if you have any other Weleda product recommendations, we'd love to hear from you!

November: Mums and More

Announcements, Updates, & Reminders

 

Announcements

Gifts, Gifts, Gifts: Our 1st Birthday celebration surprised subscribed readers from NY to WA...Congrats to Donna & Jackie, I hope the tulips pop up beautifully in Spring. Congrats to Cindi, Patricia, Sheila, Joe, and John -- may you be In A Sentimental Mood all season long. Also, congrats to Janine, the September winner of a Blue Moon Candle, enjoy the Mint & Thyme essential oil blend -- it's fabulously fragrant!

Our October gift giving isn't over yet...The Chick Flick Chat featuring "Twilight - The Movie" has a tempting treat for 3 lucky listeners. New copies of Hot Blooded, a very steamy paranormal anthology, are being given away to 3 subscribers who email the "secret" word announced during the show. It's fun and easy, and the contest runs until December 15, 2009 -- so there is still time to listen. 

Guest Authors: Massage Therapist and Energy Healer, Marie-Christine Lochot, NCTMB, shares advice on how to stay stress free during the holiday season. Who can't use a little help in this area? We welcome Marie-Christine's return to HWA, she previously visited in July with helpful ways to have a successful Staycation.

Can't wait to unwrap an article by Indie Business guru, Donna Maria Coles Johnson. This busy CEO / MOM shares fun tips to making her daughter's birthday party a smash! 

Updates

Radio Show: Chick Flick Chat returns on Sunday, November 15, 2009 @6:30pm EST featuring the film, Revolutionary Road, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet. If you haven't seen it, rent it now and be ready for a bumpy trip. Call in, 646-929-2473, there is a lot to chat about because this movie takes you on quite a ride!

Polls: The "Twilight" poll challenge is over and the votes are in...53 people voted -- the most at 36% said, "I probably won't read the book, but I want to see the movie" and the least amount at 8% said, "I only saw the movie, but I might still read the book." At 8%, it seems the movie is not inspiring people to read the book. Typically, a book is better than its movie version, and it holds true here, too.

The Thanksgiving Side-Dish poll is up and waiting for your votes. Chime in and tell us your favorites. My vote went to Chocolate Cream Pie, mmmm, pie.

Blog Banner Diet: You'll notice that the banner lost a bit off its bottom (now if we could all do that so easily!). This will streamline uploading for mobile device usage and overall speed. Hope you like the new look and it makes your HWA experience better.

Reminder

Mums: November is the last chance to get potted mums planted into the ground. Just dig a hole and drop in, back fill with dirt, mulching helps, and wait until next year. Look for places in your garden that need a filler, gets sun each day, and allows room for growth. While most types of mums tolerate replanting, not all will return, and some bloom every couple of seasons, but these hardy blooms make it easy to give it a try. Happy Planting!