Last time, I started to introduce you all to more makeup adventures with Tish. For me, makeup is a thing. I was buying it anyway, and I am working hard to build a business based on something I am already involved with. I am not limiting my options to where my next source of income comes from.
You see, I am currently looking for work. I am trying to only choose jobs to apply for which I can see myself doing, and in the meantime I am putting in some time with this makeup business side hustle. I want it to work, but I do have other things on the go.
Currently, I want to share some more information with you regarding the hashtag in the title. It is one I thought up for this makeup business, and I hope it does well. I am working on graphics to start sharing on my social media platforms, and getting help from people inside my Tish MacWebber Always Beautiful Facebook Group before I launch them into the internet at large. You get in by my invitation, only. I am not limiting the number of members. If you want to join, there is no purchase required.
To join this group I have created, to watch the many adventures of Tish with makeup, you may send a message to request an invite through my Always Beautiful with Tish MacWebber Facebook business page. It is set up to encourage more people to join my group. I want to see it thrive and grow, just like I want to see the makeup business do the same.
I am neither shallow, nor conceited nor vain.
I do not obsess about how I look every day. When I wear my new makeup, I feel more confident and professional. I like how I feel when I wear it, and I am trying to wear it more frequently to promote the business. As you saw last time, I am not shy of being a little silly or sharing selfies of myself with no makeup on. This is being done on purpose, because we are truly Always Beautiful and I want to help people learn this first.
It all started about two years ago, when a friend had an online Facebook party for makeup. I was offered the opportunity at that time. I took two years, and I thought about it. When I was ready, I reached out to the person who initially made the offer to me.
It goes deeper for me, though. I am working on myself, and this means I am also learning to be kind to myself. I am beautiful with or without makeup, just like a homemade cake is wonderful with or without icing. We all have our preferences and I love the extras. I know this analogy is not diabetic friendly, but just go with it, okay?
You can have cake. You can have cake with icing. You can have birthday cake. You can have cake with ice cream. You can have cake with whipped cream, sprinkles and a cherry on top if you want to. It all starts with cake, and don’t get me started on all of the flavours cake comes in. My point is, that we are all beautiful, and we can enhance our beauty, just like we can enhance a wonderful cake however we want to.
Back to the hashtag.
#makeuphappens is the hashtag for my business adventure. I was in my washroom, just looking at the makeup I have in my possession. It adds up, quickly, when you start trying new brands and colours. I can say I do have a decent collection of brushes and makeup. I have tried to organize it on my bathroom counter in my master suite. My makeup has outgrown this space, and I need to reorganize my storage options to make it more accessible and easy to use.
Here are a few before pics of the current makeup organization situation :
Makeup is taking over
It is hard to use makeup when it is stored like this
I have a plan. In the next Makeup Monday, I will share pics of how I reorganized my makeup to free up some room on my counter, and make it easier to get to all of my makeup.
I am admitting to dragging my feet again about the business plan. It is something which I do need to work on, and therefore have to make time for. I am learning one thing this year, it is that things always take longer than I think they will.
I have made some decisions about the new direction for my business. It will happen. Next, I need to find time to work on the business plan. To make sure I get it accomplished, I have given myself a deadline.
What else have I been doing?
Cleaning. A lot of cleaning has been going on in my home. It was long overdue and very necessary. I am doing well. My parents were here for a visit. They like to stay busy and asked if they could help with anything. As they are on vacation, I hate to think that they are helping me with my mess. After all, it is my responsibility to clean it up. I let them choose what they wanted to tackle; the result is I am farther ahead in my cleaning than I would have been without their help.
In Roy’s shed, to start to organize Roy’s tools, Dad hung up a peg board to have a place to hang things up. When Dad is here, he also helps with the BBQ, except for Father’s Day. Roy cooked on the BBQ as a treat for Dad. I surprised him with a new ball cap. Dad also took down our front step and helped Roy get the area ready for the new step. A friend has been hired to build a new step, and it is coming together nicely.
Mom dusted in the bathroom and helped me to get started with the kitchen reorganization. It is easier to move things from one place to another if two people are working together. She also dusted the kitchen table and chairs. She also cleaned the cupboard doors. I didn’t expect so much help when they were here. It motivates me to keep going.
Deadlines help me to finish projects.
I set a deadline for the cleaning to be finished on Thursday. It needs a final push in the kitchen, master bedroom and living room to get it done. I am very close to finishing, and then I can work on more fun things while upkeeping the new cleaner home.
Making Time
It is easy to slip into what my friends refer to as ‘Tish Time.’ I try very hard to be punctual, and this year I am managing to do so more than ever. It isn’t that I don’t think things are important, rather that I find it difficult to manage my time. When I am working on a project, I rarely look at the clock and the time surprises when I do. As I am learning this year, things take longer than I think they will take to do. Planning ahead is something I am working on planning ahead when I have to be somewhere. It is working, but I can do better. I will keep at it, and soon it will be a non-issue.
My parents experienced ‘Tish Time’ while they were visiting. My mom was very surprised at how time just flies in my home. It is nice to see that it isn’t just me and that it doesn’t only relate to punctuality. I am an anomaly, I often say, meaning my health, but it also relates to time itself. Time really does fly around me!
We did take a day to do fun things also. We took a short drive outside of the city to the town of Oromocto, for lunch and to go to a store. The Oromocto Galleria is a place where local artists have their work for sale, like a gift shop. It is one of four in our area, and there was something I had wanted to check out. I picked up some paint samples on popsicle sticks of Fusion Mineral Paint. The plan is to paint the front door, and the window shutters with it, after the front step is rebuilt.
Mastering My To-Do Lists
I work well with lists. Of course, I need to take the time to write them. Normally just make them before packing suitcases, to make sure I don’t forget anything. Lately, I am making them for cleaning. I have 2 agendas, a small one and a large one. The small one helps me to keep track of all of my appointments, except for the one I was 24 hours early for. I chose not to wait for that one, I went back the next day.
The large one is to help me to keep track of my health. Medicine doses, water intake, food diary, sugar levels and activity. I did well with it for about a month and stopped. I will clear a space in my living room to have it readily accessible to use. It is on my list of things to do.
The important thing to note here is things take time, and when you find a method which works, use it. I am making time today to revise the current to-do list to add in the rewriting of the business plan. Cleaning and writing my next book will also be a priority. The second book is a part of my current business plan. It will be the foundation of what I am about to build.
Hello Treasure Seekers! This is a little past the cutoff time for Tuesday, but I am determined to revisit Success 2018 as we are halfway through the year. Previously, in Treasure Seeker Tuesday #11, I revealed that my word to define 2018 would be Success.
I thought it was time to check in with my list, to see how far I have come.
15. Launching my Website on January 1st, 2018. (I have 14 more days to work on this)
If you are reading this, it is on my own website. Success.
14.Learning how to make a proper Launch and Landing page before the website launch on January 1st, 2018. Also setting up an email list and starting a newsletter.
This project is still in progress. It is on the way to success.
I am working on the second draft of book 1. I have set deadlines.
From Where I am Sitting, A Collection of Cat Tales by Tish Mac Webber September 30, 2018
The Art of Surprising Yourself (which has since become the definition of #Tishspiration) December 2018.
It is on the way to success.
12. Supplementing my income with sales from my website.
Book Sales will come with launch & publishing dates. Book Bling will Launch with the books. I have borrowed a camera to start taking better quality pics of my Bling for the online store. Basic Bling will be available before I start Book Bling in September.
It is on the way to success.
11. Plan a real vacation. 2 weeks. Need to fly to get there and back. 2 days before and after, 10 days at the destination.
I have booked a vacation and we will be heading to Nova Scotia. I am working on ideas for what to write about while I am in Cape Breton.
Sometimes we have to compromise. I am taking a 10 day vacation, but not getting on a plane.
Success.
10. Jewellery sales increasing after adding the jewellery to the website.
See # 12. It is on the way to success.
9.Using my 2 new 2018 planners to the fullest extent.
I am struggling with this. I have 6 more months to figure it out. Needs more effort.
8. Purging things. Lots of things. More than last year.
Started and stopped. I will need to get this going. It is Yard Sale Season. Needs more effort.
7. Finishing the Housecleaning challenge. A Bowl Full of Lemons runs it, check it out online here. There is a Facebook Group, but it is a closed group. You will need to ask to join it if you are interested in that.
Really struggling. I have company coming soon, and I am hosting a potluck in 2 weeks. Time to get’er done! Needs more effort. (Right away)!
6. Having a job related to the field of writing.
I will resume pursuing this goal after vacation is over. Needs more effort.
5.Collaborating with musicians to get at least one of my songs recorded and playable for other people to hear. Writing more lyrics.
#Help If you are a musician, we should strike up a conversation. A true collaboration is what I am looking for, a win/win. I really do want to get the songs out of my head and onto the radio. Needs more effort.
4. Getting a new pet (or a duo).
After vacation, this will be a realistic goal. It is on the way to success.
3. Becoming more active.
I did more Zumba lately. I walked and pulled a muscle in my foot. Le sigh. I am gingerly back to Zumba. It is on the way to success.
2. Lose weight the right way.
I started a Hydration challenge. This caused concern on my facebook wall, as I am aiming for 5 Litres of water a day, and people that care about me expressed their concern. I am researching and requesting guidance from my Diabetes Case Manager, and my own doctor.
I am eating more home cooked meals and working on giving up pop as a daily treat. I will still have some on occasion, but not every day any more. It is on the way to success.
1. Become a Best Selling Author.
Biggest goal here. I am working on it. It is on the way to success.
So if you were keeping track, 2 Successes, 9 items on the way to success, and 4 items need more effort.
Progress is progress.
Success 2018 Desk, notepad, pen, laptop and coffee for Tishspiration
I have surpassed my list with 2 things in 2018. My #DanceWithJanet audition is a total success, even if I didn’t get that call, because I did it. I used this to start rebranding my entrepreneurial dreams, by creating the YouTube Channel, Tishspiration Station. Wait, what? Did I jump into the YouTube world too? Um yeah, I did. I needed a place to link the dancing videos from to share them here on the blog. I am taking the #Tishspiration with me, and running with it. There I go again, surprising myself. I had no ambition to do this until I had the dance videos to share. I will be developing it to go along with book launches to start. As you know, I just go with things sometimes. I don’t know where this little left turn will take me, but here I go!
How are you doing at the 6 month mark of 2018? Are you checking your list off? Let me know in the comments.
It has been a while since I felt up to writing a regular Blog story. I am sorry if you were missing me and my writing, I needed a break. I was on a really good streak there, for over a year. Some people write their Blog stories ahead of time. I usually sit down and pound it out on the keyboard right before I publish. It could be an hour more or less, and I usually come up with a title, topic, and story. This week I am going to share something a little different in Trust Your Gut: Tish’s Story. Part 57 Prep Cooking Tips is going to be a top 5 list of my own Prep Cooking Tips!
I have written about the importance of prep cooking in my own journey to become a healthier version of myself. I have found that I am less likely to eat unhealthy if I take the time to prepare healthy choices for my lunches, and sometimes even breakfasts and suppers. Everyone deserves a treat now and then, as long as it is within reason. I tend to give an inch and take a mile or ten. So, I know that prep cooking works, and I must get back into the habit of it.
I had plans last weekend but I got sideswiped by an unexpected injury. I was walking, which is supposed to be something that is good for me. I somehow managed to pull some muscles in my foot. I was in a lot of pain for 3 or 4 days. I am taking fewer painkillers now, and hoping that the weekend is nice. I am going to plan a short walk. I have to build up my tolerance a little more slowly, as it has been some time since I walked for longer than it takes to go get groceries. Now that I am on the mend, it is time to start walking a little more each day. It is a plan.
These tips may seem like common sense to more experienced home cooks. I think that if you plan ahead the prep cooking will go more smoothly than if you don’t.
1. Determine what type of meal you want to cook. Go through recipe books, Pinterest, and websites. Most of your family favourites can be made in bulk and frozen, to reheat or cook when you are ready to eat them. Write down the recipes in a planner for when you are going to eat them if you want to be really organized. People plan meals by the week and month. There are lots of guides for this online, depending on what suits your fancy. Since I am a fan of the Trim Healthy Mama Plan, when I get serious, I will be planning according to their guidelines. You can make this as simple or as complicated as you like. The more effort you put into this, the better results you will get. It is up to you.
2. Now that you have recipes selected, write down your ingredients list. Include everything for each recipe. Then check your cupboards and pantry for the ingredients that you have on hand, and cross them off the list. The remaining items will become the start of your grocery list. If you are feeling like you have extra time, go through the fridge and cupboards and toss the expired items. It will be better to replace them before starting the cooking step, and finding that you need to get more of something that is mouldy or gone bad.
3. Next, you will need to think about utensils, pots, pans and storage. Do you have what you need to prepare and store what you will be cooking? This limits me a bit. We are a household of 2 adults. We live in a mini home. There is not a lot of storage in my kitchen. I have had to become creative with storage methods. I have 2 shelving units and a bookcase in my kitchen. They work for now. I also prefer glass containers for anything that needs reheating later on. So the plastic storage is available, but not used for prep cooking storage, unless it is something that will not be going into a microwave. I also use more Mason jars than I have room to keep organized. They are another way to store soups, salad in a jar, and pantry items.
4. Go to the grocery store to get what you need. This can be pricey the first few times if you are starting from scratch. If you are on a budget, use coupons and flyers. Get as many deals as you can. If you have like-minded friends, TEAM UP! If you have 3 friends to join in, and you all buy enough for 4 batches of a different recipe, then you have 4 meals prepped, and you will have CHOICES! Working together with friends to make homemade healthy meals is a great way to have a productive social gathering! Take turns hosting once or twice a month. Make it a THING, and make it FUN! Have snacks. Get more done faster, including clean up! (This can also be teenagers if they are a part of your family. They won’t be able to help with the budget, but they would be happy to help if it means they get some cookies or a movie night aw a thank you!
5. Don’t Give Up! Start with one recipe, doubled up. Then make something different the next time. Keep building recipes until you have a good variety, and you don’t have to cook for the whole month in one day. Spread out the work over time, and you will have a freezer full of healthy food in a few weeks. When you feel like cooking, make something. When you don’t you have a plan. As long as you keep rotating what you make, it will pay off!
Tonight I made Cheeseburger Pie for supper. It is in a 9 x 13 pan. It serves 6 to 8 people. There are 2 of us. When I have it for supper, I have 2 pieces. When I have it for lunch, I have 1 piece. I will have leftovers for lunch tomorrow. I plan to freeze one or two portions, for whenever I am craving a burger. Sometimes you just want that burger so bad…that it is good to plan ahead and have a cheeseburger pie portion in the freezer ready to heat and eat. When I want a BigMac or a Mozza Burger, I make Big Mac Salad. With cheddar, it is a BigMac SALAD, and with Mozza, it is an amazing Mozza Burger SALAD. No buns makes it a salad! I even put the sesame seeds on top!
BigMac Salad for Lunch
Cheeseburger Pie
In case you aren’t on my Facebook, and you want to know what Cheeseburger Pie is, I am going to share a link to the recipe. It can be found with other recipes on the Trim Healthy Mama website, and if you check out the recipe, you can also take a look at the THM plan and other recipes. They even have products for sale there. I am not affiliated, so I leave things up to you. I love the recipes, and I also am happy that I know it is a plan that does work for me WHEN I WORK THE PLAN!
I plan the next Trust Your Gut to be two weeks from today. I am slowing down, but not bailing. I have more stories to share. 🙂
There you have it. Do you Prep Cook? Have you had friends join you to conquer the kitchen? Let me know if you have tried and true favourite recipes that you use, and love.
In Treasure Seeker Tuesday this week, it is time to tell a story. Once upon a time, more than a few years ago, I was chasing another dream. A local craft store had decided to close. I talked to the owners, I made a business plan, I presented it to a committee, and it was rejected. It was rather deflating. The dreams were dashed, and I put it away. It is hard to put yourself out there for a dream to have it crushed. Really hard.
Inexperience was probably the biggest factor in the rejection. I did not know how to make a business plan. I didn’t have any money of my own to use as an investment. From that rejection, I then tried to create my own jewellery business, which I have yet to officially launch here, on the website. It used to be known as Tish’s Treasures, which was launched years ago at the local Farmer’s Market. I gave it a good try, for 2 years, but there were restrictions. There I was, a brand new entrepreneur, chasing my dreams of turning my hobby into a sustainable source of income; stuck following someone else’s rules. I was allowed to sell beaded ornaments and suncatchers, but not my jewellery. That venture was doomed before it even started.
Tish’s Treasures turned back into a hobby, one that made appearances with me as a vendor in different craft shows. I did sell a piece or two, here and there, but it never really took off. It wasn’t until this past January, when I pulled my product out of a local store, that I realized that the old business, under the old name, was holding me back.
I haven’t launched any of my product here yet, officially. I have shared my new business name, Tish MacWebber, Always Blinging…
I have yet to take pictures to post products for sale on this website. I have dreams and plans, but they are larger than life. My imagination knows no boundaries.
Writing books and being a jewellery designer is something that works in my mind. I don’t know if I am going to be able to make it work in the real world. As I started writing this, I realized what is holding me back. I’m terrified of failure. Literally terrified.
I have followed my dreams before. Not with as much conviction as I have had this time, but I have tried before. I do not like being told no, and I certainly do not like to be proven to be wrong. I can admit when I am wrong and apologize. But how do you apologize to your toughest critic, yourself?
I have grown a lot since I wrote my first business plan. One of my peers is encouraging me to use her template to write my own business plan. I have been avoiding it like the plague. You guessed right, I am scared to try.
Which sounds ridiculous when you think about it. I have spent very little money on my adventure this far, and I am not ready to give up. Not by a longshot. Despite this very thing, I am avoiding writing my books right now. I am scared of not being able to finish them. Yeah, I know, stopping is the fastest way to never finishing them. I have bailed on a lot of projects in my life. This dream is not going to be one of them.
You might think I have things all together on this side of the computer. Nope. I am not an organized planner at all, even though I have two 2018 agendas that match and are waiting to be used. I bought two sizes so that one could be portable if I needed it, and the other would be my main desk planner. One does help me to keep track of appointments and my husband’s work schedule. They are not being used to their full potential.
Neither am I. While I am Always Thinking…
I am not always doing. Therein lies one of my problems. I am not taking action. I am keeping up with the Blog, but it has been a lacklustre effort of late, and I am changing that right now. I am writing something meaningful again, not just writing for the sake of the commitment to the schedule I set up for myself.
I am at a crossroads while I write this. I have two choices. I can say to heck with it and walk away. That would be the easy option. It would lead me back to a life of putting up and shutting up. Taking whatever comes at me, and losing myself in circumstances. Woe is me, the universe is out to get me, and I am helpless to do anything about it. That really is what my life was like before I started putting myself out there and trying to find my purpose and passion. There is the teeniest, tiniest spark left inside of me. That flame needs to be fanned, and nurtured, and fed to grow. It is the part of me that makes me shake my head when I am writing about giving up. It is the part of me that fuels my passion, and I have to let it flourish. To let this spark go out is to let the creative dreamer inside of me die of boredom, frustration, and hopelessness. That is not something I am willing to do, no matter how scared I am of putting my work and myself out into the world again. A failure is only a true failure if you let it beat you. If you pick yourself up and shake the negativity off, to try something different, change your perspective and attack it from a different angle, you win at life. I want to win at life. I need to follow my dreams. I haven’t felt this good about one of my blog posts in a while, so I am taking that as a good sign, and that I am on my way out of whatever was dragging me down.
I have to share one more experience here, with you. It was from before I even tried to open a craft store on my own, and failed. I was in need of legal advice. I met with a lawyer. I told him about my issues, and he advised that it was not the kind of thing that he could help me with. We had a conversation, and he listened to me talking about this crazy idea I had to open my own craft store. I had a floor plan and had talked to people about flooring and storage and the interior design. I wasn’t ready to present the business plan at that point, but it was clear to the lawyer that it was something that lit a fire inside of me, he could sense that I was passionate about this idea. I had other friends at the time see the same thing, and they were excited for me and with me as I gave it my best shot. It didn’t work out.
The lawyer did two things that day that I will never forget. The first one was that he didn’t charge me a dime. How often do you ever hear people say that about a meeting with a lawyer? Not too many. The second thing was a little more insightful. He encouraged me to keep working on my dreams. He told me that he wasn’t sure that this was the right path for me at that time, but he was certain that I was going to be successful at something, he just didn’t know what, or when. Here I am trying something new, and pushing myself harder than I ever have before.
I might just surprise myself and do just what I set out to do this time. Write my books and design jewellery together, because that is how I want it to be. My passion, my dreams, and my rules.
This story may appear in part or in whole in my second book. I am calling it The Art Of Surprising Yourself, which I announced earlier on my social media platforms this week. This is just an example of something that you might find in my second book. What do you think?
