Hey hey, y'all! Long time, no see!! It has been a crazy busy two weeks for me but a good kind of crazy busy! I spent the first half of last week finishing up Etsy orders and getting all kinds of last-minute shopping, organizing, and packing done before leaving for my very first Leadership Retreat on Thursday. I got back on Sunday and you mamas know how it goes. When you leave for a trip, it always takes a minute to get back into the routine.
When I get out of a routine, certain things just get pushed to the back burner...this blog being one of them. (I know y'all have heard me say that before! haha) Why can't I be more Type A so I can just get all the things done?! I told Craig the other day that one of us needs to just step up and become a Type A personality...because we are both very easy-going and big procrastinators. I really need one of us to crack the whip, y'all. Why can't it be as easy as just saying "I'm going to become a Type A person." Close eyes, snap fingers, done. 😂
Anyway, the good thing is that we recognize that we can get overwhelmed when we let things go too long or whatever it may be so that's good. We know our faults. We are aware. It's just hard to change a personality type! But I know that the busier I become, the more I need to at least try to pick up tips from those super-organized Type A people who seem to get everything done, no sweat. So excuse me for a second while I go search "How to Become a Type A Person" on Pinterest real quick. 😂 (Ok, I really did just do that and fell down a rabbit hole of personality quizzes. I'm clearly a Type B personality. That's really a thing!)
All of that to say, the last couple of weeks have had my head spinning and my house a mess but the fact that I'm even writing this blog post means I'm getting back to my routine and getting my $&!# together. Finally.
So about that trip...
UPDATE: We all tested negative for Covid right before we left for this trip which is why we didn't have masks on around each other. If we're negative, I'm not sure why a mask is necessary...? Fear not. Two weeks later and still none of us have it.
Most of y'all who are reading this already know I started with a social retail company called Modere about 4 months ago. Modere is a health and wellness company that focuses on clean, non-toxic products. They have everything from toothpaste to their hero product--liquid collagen, baby! I love that I am using products that are better for me now too. I've switched to their nontoxic surface spray and laundry detergents, dish soap, moisturizer...so many things. I've never been super into health and wellness products before and I (ashamedly) haven't paid a whole heck of a lot of attention to the chemicals I use in my home. So I'm thankful that my eyes have been opened and I can make some easy adjustments.
Listen, I know that there have definitely been people who have unfollowed me on Instagram and probably stopped reading here once it became known that I had joined a (gasp!) social marketing company. (Oh the shame!) And it did hurt my feelings for a while but you know what I've noticed lately? For every one that unfollows me for it, I get 10 new ones who hit follow because they love what I'm doing, who I'm becoming, what I'm sharing, and/or are inspired by my decision to go for it. They are cheering me on!!! If you are one of those, THANK YOU. It makes my heart burst every time I get a supportive comment or message. ❤
I was able to go on this retreat because I met certain ranks that our team put in place. This retreat was meant for future leaders on the team and the fact that I was already hitting those requirements and feeling like a leader after just 4 months was incredibly empowering, y'all. I finally felt like I was using that business degree I worked so hard for.
Now the fun stuff!
Meet my friends. Starting from left to right. Me, Amanda B, Holly and Haley. I'm the new girl in the group but Haley and Amanda B are from my hometown area (Texarkana) and we have a million friends in common. Haley and I have been social media friends for years but had never met in real life. She is actually married to a guy I used to date 20 years ago. (That makes me sound so old.) So that's kind of our connection. It's really not as awkward as it sounds. 😂 Amanda and Haley are childhood besties and Holly and Amanda live in the same town and are really tight too. I met all of them in person for the first time back in November when Amanda had a little team gathering at her house in Arkansas on weekend. I immediately felt at ease with all of them and felt like I'd known them forever. Don't you love when that happens?!
So on Wednesday, the girls drove in to Dallas. Our flight was early the next morning so I drove the 30 minutes from Mckinney to stay with them at the airport hotel so I didn't have to get up super early the next morning. Holly's best friend is a chef so she recommended this trendy little restaurant called Encina and it wasn't a stuffy kind of fancy but it was adventurous-fancy for sure! So good though!! (You can see the menu here.)
After dinner, we walked a couple of blocks to see what we could find. We ended up stopping in a little bar for a glass of wine and listened to an awesome jazz band. We also did some really good people watching. 😉 It was the best night and I'm so glad we got to hang out as a group before the craziness of the retreat started!
The next morning, we were up bright and early to catch our flight to Phoenix!
Arizona is so brown and bumpy. 😂
We got to Phoenix around 11, piled in an Uber and told them to drop us off at this cute little shopping district in Scottsdale (close to the house we were staying in) so we could grab some lunch. We couldn't check in to our house until 4 so we had time to kill. We ate lunch on a patio and enjoyed the perfect weather and then rolled our luggage down the sidewalk going in and out of shops. We got several comments from passers-by about how we were clearly prepared to do some damage at the shops.
Finally it was time to check in and meet all the other girls!! There were 18 of us staying at this big, gorgeous house. (12 in the main house and 6 of us in the 2 bedroom casita.) I'd seen these faces on many many zoom meetings over the past 4 months and it was just so cool to meet everyone in person.
So cool, right?! I just can't get over all these cacti everywhere! It's like a movie set.
If you want to learn more about my favorite products (the liquid collagen and the fat-burning collagen in particular!), be sure to check out this post.
Good grief! So many beautiful pictures of so many beautiful ladies!!! What a fantastic time together!!
ReplyDeleteCome on... where are the masks in the middle of a deadly pandemic?
ReplyDeleteWe all tested negative right before we came. We wore masks on the plane obviously and any other time we had to. But we weren’t really around anyone else the whole time.
DeleteCan't even man up to show your name. Why post something nasty? They are all adults and can make their own decisions. I can't stand internet trolls, obviously jealous. Anyways - this looks like a fantastic trip and what beautiful women you all are! Congrats on your success!
DeleteThank you, Madison! ❤ Some people just feel better about themselves if they are busy pointing out flaws in everyone else. We were all responsible and got tested before we left. I'm not sure why we'd need masks if we were all negative. 🤷♀️ And for "Anonymous"'s peace of mind, we are still all negative two weeks later. 😉
DeleteWhat a great trip! I have said it before, but Congratulations on your success! You HAVE worked hard and you deserve it.
ReplyDelete(Also, reading this made me remember I didn't take my chocolate trim this morning before work-ahhhhhh!)
Hope you have a cozy weekend by the fire...with Charlie of course!
Thank you, Kara!! Next time you order, check out the chocolate Trim singles! I used them on the trip! Super easy to just throw in your purse! https://www.modere.com/ProductDetail/trim-chocolate-singles/?referralCode=2617259
DeleteVery happy you rescheduled the trip! so dangerous!! stay warm!!
ReplyDeleteYes! So glad I’ll be home by the fire this weekend!
DeleteCongratulations on your success- I will always read here even if I never buy a thing- you come across as a very genuine and lovely person, not at all fake which I appreciate. Those pics are beautiful!
ReplyDeleteSara
Thank you, Sara! That means so much to me. ❤️
DeleteYour Modere journey is very intriguing. I may have to check into it further!
ReplyDeleteFeel free to reach out anytime! I’m quickest to respond on IG! My email is a disaster so that’s kind of a crapshoot. 😂 I’d be happy to answer any questions to see if it might be a good fit for you too. ❤️
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