NEW Opportunity!!

Hi friends! I wanted to let you know that I am currently building a team of 10 women who are looking for extra money, friends, and the best self esteem builder ever! I am looking for 10 women who want MORE out of life, who know that there IS more to life and who are willing to do the work to get it! Please watch the following video and then email me with your questions at: summerwillard@inbox.com

You may not have ever considered doing something like this, and that is OKAY. I never did either. But in order to make an informed decision, you need the facts! And that is my job...to give you those facts. And if you get the facts and decide that this isn't for you, that is totally fine. All I ask is that you take the time to find out. :)

Click on video to watch and let me know what you think. I look forward to hearing from you and have a blessed day! :)

Happy New Year!

Hi friends! What a busy and fantastic holiday season! I spent a lot of time with my family and time gathering sponsors for my Adopt A Grandparent program. My kids helped me put all of the gifts together and wrap them so we could take them to the nursing home on Christmas Eve. What a blessing it was to carry in 36 wrapped gifts for those who otherwise would not have had anything. And it's all because of the sweet sponsors who took the time to donate $15 to bless someone else for Christmas. The nurses at the nursing home were so grateful....one of them even fought back tears. Included in the gift was a MK Mint Bliss Foot Lotion and they said that they integrate massage into their therapy and could now use these lotions to do that! How awesome! I didn't even know that when I put all of them together....I love how God works!

I am so thankful for a new year! Aren't you?! I love that it is a time of new beginnings....a fresh start. Usually New Years resolutions are made and then forgotten by the end of Feb. So this year I decided to only make one new commitment. And that is, to follow through with my commitments. How often do you say that you will do something and then when it becomes a challenge, you shrug it off and don't follow through? I speak from experience here....not from a judgmental heart. I have often made commitments, but then fell short of completing them. And I always thought it was okay because my heart is always in the right place. Meaning, I never intended to not follow through...and end up hurting someone over it.

What do you think happens when you commit something to someone and they believe that you will do it? Whether it's to your kids, your spouse, your friends, your church, etc. Whoever it is, whatever the commitment, someone is counting on you. And when you don't follow through, you ultimately end up disappointing someone. And when you develop a history of doing so....you end up hurting others because you break their trust. How often do you say, "We will do that tomorrow"...and then tomorrow comes and you don't do it.

I have had many people in my life break commitments to me. People who were very close to me and that I trusted to follow through. I have also made many commitments that I haven't followed through with. It's not so much the "thing" that you didn't do that is important. It's the history that you develop with those around you. Do you want a reputation of being that person who doesn't follow through? That when things get tough, you back out? I know I don't....it's not a great place to be.

So this year the change that I have decided to make is to follow through on all of my commitments. Whether it's to make cookies with my 4 yr. old, volunteer at church, or achieve a big business goal, I plan on following through. Now does this mean that everything will always be perfect? Nope. Does this mean that life won't happen and sometimes prevent me from following through with something? Nope. But what it does mean is that I am going to be more conscious of what I am committing to and will do everything in my power to follow through with it.

So what changes are you making for the new year? I would love to hear them! I hope you all had a GREAT 2011 and I pray that you have an even BETTER 2012!!

Adopt A Grandparent

If you are reading this it means that I believe that you are a giving person and might like to participate in what I am doing for Christmas. I am running a program called "Adopt a Grandparent". My goal is to donate at least 200 mugs of Mary Kay’s "Cocoa & Cream" to a local Nursing Home here in the Chattanooga area this Christmas. I will purchase a Christmas mug and in it I will put a MK Mint Bliss Foot Cream, Hot Cocoa Mix, and a peppermint stick. I will be wrapping them beautifully & writing them each a hand written note from YOU! For some of the residents, this small gesture may be the ONLY Christmas gift they receive. You can participate by donating $15 per gift... You can send a check to me or I also take credit & debit cards. If you have questions, would like to participate, or KNOW someone that can participate, please email me. If you are a business owner or know a business owner, it is a GREAT way to give back into the community as well as spread the word about your business. I need to get everything ordered on the 15th so I can get it here & put together before Christmas. If you would be a sponsor, I would greatly appreciate it and PLEASE pass this on to your friends and family!

*If you are not local to me and want to do something for a nursing home that is local to you, please let me know. If you are local to me and would like to go with me to distribute the gifts, you are more than welcome to!*

Thank you, IN ADVANCE and God Bless your giving hearts!!

Help For The Holidays

My heart is heavy this morning because I have been sitting here thinking about how many people need help this time of year. Then I thought, well people need help whether it's holiday time or not. But I think this time of year makes it especially painful for those who are struggling. Whether it's financially, emotionally, physically, or all 3. I always want to help everyone who I hear about, but I can't help everyone by myself. God can.....He can help through people like YOU and me. So I'm writing this morning to encourage you to help someone this holiday season. If you are unsure of who to help or where to look, I can gladly point you in the direction of some people who really need help.

I am personally doing fundraisers for several people right now, so if you would like to contribute, please email me. Right now I am focusing on helping the homeless so they can have food, hats, blankets, coats, & toiletry items. I am also doing several specific fundraisers for some people who truly need our help. One is for a great guy in CA. who works full time, but has had a run of bad luck and is now living in his car. Another is for a sweet widow who has cancer and her insurance is not going to pay for all of her chemo treatments. Both of these great people would be especially grateful for any help that anyone could offer. I don't know them personally and they don't even know that I am doing this for them....and I don't care if they know. I don't do this for a "pat on the back", I do it because my heart is to help. I do it because I feel that I have been called to do more with this business other than just earn money for my family.

My goal is to sell 300 lipsticks per fundraiser...I'm trying to keep it simple because I know how easy is to get overwhelmed with what product to buy. I also know that most people who will read this probably can afford a $13 lipstick, but might not be able to afford to give several hundred dollars to a fundraiser. So if you would please pass this along to all of your friends & family, I would greatly appreciate it! I am offering a $50 gift certificate to the person who brings in the most orders.....bringing in 10 to be entered into the drawing. Once you have your 10, you will be entered and then whoever brings in the most after that, WINS!

I take debit & credit cards on my website, so it's super easy for you to order. Also.....I would highly suggest that you order one of the 3 Limited Edition Beauty That Counts Lipsticks! Not only will the profit go to help someone, BUT Mary Kay will donate $1 for every lipstick purchased to the MK Foundation for cancer research....how awesome is that?!?! They are appropriately named Give Dreams, Give Hope, and Give Joy.

If you would like to help give to any of these projects that I am currently working on, but you aren't interested in purchasing MK products, please email me. I'm happy to send you info. on how you can directly help these lovely people without purchasing products through me. After all, this is about helping people....however we can do that!

Small Business Saturday

Hello friends! I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving with your family! We had a great time at my parents house and of course, ate too much. Ha! I made a ham, homemade macaroni & cheese, and mashed potatoes. My oldest made a homemade French chocolate mousse cake, and my 11 yr. old made homemade truffles! They were both YUMMO! We arrived and brought in all of our goodies and helped my parents with last minute preparing.....okay, I helped. Hubby and kids watched TV. Then we feasted, but not before we prayed and thanked God for all of our many blessings. We had so much food, it was UNREAL. Turkey, ham, GIANT turkey legs, stuffing, squash casserole, mac & cheese, mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole (2 kinds!), beans, fried corn, broccoli slaw, and MORE! Seriously, I didn't know what we would do with it all. It was so nice to sit around with my family and just enjoy each other. No rushing, no agenda, just ENJOY each other. Love it!

So what did all of you do for Thanksgiving? I would love to hear your stories! Did you guys know that today is Small Business Saturday?! Did you know that I can supply you with A LOT of your Christmas gift needs?! Well, I can! I have gift sets for moms, dads, sisters, cousins, aunts, uncles, brothers, sisters, friends, co-workers, etc. If you have someone you need to buy a gift for, I can help you! I have gift sets starting at $12! I have GREAT stocking stuffers too.....and who else do you know that will gift wrap & ship/deliver your gifts for FREE?!! No one! So please support local today, support small business's who are truly trying to make a difference in this world.

I gift wrap & deliver for FREE.....support local & shop with me! www.marykay.com/summerwillard

All of my gift sets are custom, so you won't see what I can do on my website. It's just to give you and idea of what products I use. If you would like pictures of my custom work, please email me and I'm happy to send you some! Happy shopping friends! And know that you are helping to support a business that helps others!

Thankful

For the month of November, I have been posting on facebook everyday, something that I am thankful for. Honestly, I think we should take the time to be thankful everyday, ALL year long. It's so easy to get caught up in the day to day and not focus on being grateful. So I wanted to take the time to post here some of the things I have posted on facebook that I am grateful for. Feel free to comment here or email me with what YOU are grateful for!

- I am thankful for a husband who loves me no matter what and will ALWAYS stand by me. I am always his # 1 priority after the Lord and that is something to truly be thankful for!!

- I am SO grateful that my husband and I BOTH get to have our own business and work from home!!! The flexibility is amazing and there isn't that stress that you normally find with a job outside of the home. It is truly a gift from God and I don't ever want to take it for granted!! :)

- I am thankful for choices....that know matter what your circumstances are, we all have the choice to change them. With the Lord and being willing to choose wisely, we can overcome any situation that we choose! :)

- I am thankful for my 4 wonderful children. I start the day everyday in prayer, thanking God for all the many blessings that He has blessed me with and continues to bless me with. And my 4 kiddos I am truly, truly thankful for! I continue to be amazed at how awesome my children are, I am so very proud of all of them. It is a huge privilege and honor to be their mom!! :)

- I am thankful for our wonderful church Covenant Life Worship Center! Lead by such wonderful pastors who truly care and don't judge. They welcome you with open arms right away and truly want to KNOW you. It is such a refreshing experience and I am thankful for them every, single, day!!! :)

- I am thankful that the Lord has a plan for my life....that I don't have to wonder who I should be or what I should do. I just have to trust in Him and let Him lead me to do the things that He has for me.

- I am thankful for the positive influences in my life! For those of you who speak positive and stay positive.....thank you! It makes such a difference to surround yourself with people who ENCOURAGE and don't discourage with the words that come out of their mouth. :)

- I am thankful for Karen Hieb Bandel! She has been one of the best friends and mentors ever! She encourages me and gives me the best example of how to operate your business by the Golden Rule....I am truly blessed that the Lord brought her into my life! :)

- I am thankful for the Lord's promises!! He is so full of love, grace, and mercy for all of us....I am truly humbled by the goodness of the Lord. "For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

- I am thankful for my wonderful friends! I have friends who are genuine and real....who truly care. That is something that is rare these days, so I don't take it for granted....very thankful!! :)

-I am thankful for Mary Kay Ash. She allowed the Lord to lead her in starting a company that would truly end up being a ministry to women everywhere! She worked hard and didn't give up, even when negative people around her told her not to start this company. And now, almost 50 years later, MK Cosmetics is a debt free, privately owned company that helps MILLIONS of people world wide! And I get to be a part of it.....so grateful!! :)

- I am thankful for God's word. It is the key to everything in life and any problem or issue can be solved with it. I am so very grateful for the word of the Lord! This morning I was reading Proverbs 3 and even though I have read it many times before, it was so encouraging! If you haven't ever read it or haven't read it in awhile, take a look a Proverbs 3 today. :)

I am thankful for the Lord's forgiveness, grace, mercy, and healing. I have made a lot of bad choices in my life, but the Lord always forgives and covers me in His grace & mercy. He always brings healing for whatever I need, whether it's physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual. AND....He teaches me to make GOOD choices so I don't end up where I was before!!

- I am so thankful for my flexible schedule....I don't know how else I would be able to stay at home with my kids and really be there for them. Or be able to move things around if I need to when something comes up.....all without sacrificing my paycheck! Love it!! :)

-I am thankful for those people who have integrity and common courtesy. It has become very rare in today's world for people to have integrity and courtesy is not so common anymore.....so I am more and more grateful for those people who have these qualities! It is very encouraging when you don't see it very often. :)

- I am thankful for my mom. She carried me in her womb for 9 months; She felt sick for months with nausea, then she watched her feet swell & her skin stretch & tear; she struggled to climb stairs, she got breathless quickly; she suffered many sleepless nights. Then went through excruciating pain to bring me into this world. She became my nurse, my chef, my maid, my chauffeur, my biggest fan, my teacher, & my best friend. She's struggled for me, cried over me, hoped for the best for me, & prayed for me. Thank you mom! I love you!

- I am thankful for God's surprises!! God has GREAT things in store for all of us and you never know when He will surprise you with something wonderful!!! :)

- I am thankful for Saturday mornings with my kiddos. No getting up early, and watching movies in your pajamas until noon....while eating Oreos. Simple, but oh so wonderful!!! :)

- I am so thankful for where God is taking our family. We are in a wonderful place and headed for things even more wonderful.....I am truly, truly grateful & humbled!!

- I am thankful for those people in this world who have taken the time to help me with so many things. God has really blessed me over the years with compassionate, kind, WILLING people who have truly made a difference in my life. So much so that I can't even name them all on here.....something to really be thankful for!!

- I am SO thankful that the inside of our house is going to be painted very soon!! I am so, so grateful for this!!!! :)

-I am grateful for this blog! I really feel like God is going to use this blog for wonderful things!!

Funding for Missions

Well hello there! Yesterday I posted about missions and how my heart is to truly help others through my business. I wanted to take the time to share with you about another fundraiser that I started so that you can all have the opportunity to participate if you would like to. I obviously can't do this without the support of others, we all have to work together to make a difference.

Right now I am still supporting the Albania cause that I told you all about before. I will be doing that through the end of the year. I've also just started another fundraiser for a couple here local to me. They will be traveling on a missions trip in Jan. 2012 and need help raising the funds to do so. I just read about it yesterday and it truly touched my heart because they are so humble and kind. They truly want to help others through this trip and the main thing they have asked for is PRAYER, not MONEY. How often do you hear that?!?! But obviously they can't go without money, so that is where I come in. I'm going to share with all of you what I read about their request.....they are okay with me doing so. I feel it will better communicate what their hearts are. It is my honor & privilege to be starting an online fundraiser for them today. If you would like to participate, please email me so I can add you to the invite. If you would just simply like to donate without purchasing Mary Kay products, you are more than welcome to do that too. All of my profit does go to them, so it's really a win win if you do purchase product. I have some great holiday gift sets on sale right now, so you could do your Christmas shopping and help raise money for missions in the process! Thank you all so much and I pray you enjoy reading their letter:

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Abby and I are pleased to share with you an opportunity that God has given us to be part of a mission team to Uganda, Africa January 5th-15th, 2012. We will be partnering with our church on this trip and feel humbled that God would even allow us the opportunity to be part of this trip. The purpose for the trip will be to assist in a pastors’ conference through University Baptist Church, conduct home, hospital and clinic work with ill patients, minister to orphans and widows and care for refugees in the Nakivale Refugee Camp.

Abby and I are both scared and not completely sure why God would choose to use us or how he will use us in Uganda; however, we do both feel compelled to go. For most of my life I have not wanted anything to do with missions. I have thought missions was something that was for super Christians who woke up one morning and had “go to Africa” written on their bedroom wall. Being part of our church has pushed us to think globally and not just locally. Through active and intentional exposure to The Word of God, we feel led to be part of this trip.

Our hope is that you will partner with us on this trip. You can help us the most by praying. Please pray that:

God will be glorified - Philippians 2:11
God will provide - Philippians 4:19
We will put down our selfish desires - Mark 8:34
We will share the Gospel boldly - Romans 1:16
We will be diligent in prayer - 1 Thessalonians 5:17
We will be diligent in study - 2 Timothy 2:15

You can also help us by supporting through giving. Please do not feel obligated in any way to give. Please only give if you can joyfully and responsibly support this mission financially. The trip will cost $5,000 for Abby and myself. Also, we just found out yesterday that we will have to pay $3,618 by next Monday (October 31st) simply for airfare. We thought we would have much longer to raise the needed funds, but there has been some difficulty in arranging the airfare for the team and the only way to secure travel is to purchase the tickets early. We still have a need of $2,818 for the airfare. The current total need is $4,200 and we are trusting that God will provide this.

We would like to know who gives so we can respond with our thanks. If you would like to contribute financially, please direct message Abby for our mailing address. If you would rather us not know how much is given, please simply write “Confidential” on the outside of the envelope.

We are so thankful for your support. Thanks for the prayers you have offered up for Abby and myself already. Thank you in advance for the prayers you will pray for us. We love you and we hope and pray God will use you and will use us to share his most amazing mercy and grace with everyone we come in contact with.

Love and blessings,
Corey and Abby

Missions Trips & Baseball

Yes, the title to my post is Missions Trips & Baseball....I think it's catchy, don't you?! I hope you all have been doing well in the past month or so. We have been fighting sickness in the Willard household.....still are. However, I think we are all over the hump and will be good as new within the next week! Yay! Since we have 6 of us in our family, it's easy for one person to get sick and then pass it to someone else a week or two later. Resulting in someone being sick constantly for weeks! Totally drives me crazy and I'm looking for immune boosting things online that I can order for my whole family to take. So if you know of anything that works great, please pass on that info. to me.

Baseball, baseball, baseball......I love baseball! Okay, I don't LOVE it. But my kids do and because they do, I do. You know?! My 12 yr. old has been playing "Fall Ball" and we just had our last game last night. I'm actually sad that it's over! I really do enjoy watching him play and have such a good time. I think sports is such a great way for kids to learn AND have fun at the same time. As long as it's about fun being the primary. I'm not one of those parents who screams at the top of my lungs at my son for making a mistake or not doing something "just right" or "the way it should be".......I HATE it when parents do that. I just tell him to practice, do the best he can, never give up, and have FUN. And he does have so much fun and I love every, single minute of it.

I am going to admit that I have never personally been on a missions trip. I know that one day I will, probably sooner rather than later. My hubby has a huge heart for going on missions trips. Not that I don't, it's just that he is really passionate about it. But I have always done my best to help support anyone I know who is going on one. Whether it's for 2 weeks or 2 years.....they all need support to be able to go and help others. I am very passionate about helping others whenever I can and I'm so grateful for my business because it allows me to do that all the time. It is my vehicle to help others....whether it is by doing a fundraiser for them, helping them feel better about themselves by correcting skin problems, or helping them build their own business to do with what they would like. I am truly blessed to have this opportunity on a daily basis and I never want to take it for granted.

I will be posting later about a specific missions trip that I am supporting right now and I pray that you will choose to participate. Thank you all so much for your support in what I do, it truly means the world to me!!

Praying for Direction

This morning I am praying for the Lord to direct me exactly where He wants me to go. I am so passionate about helping others....that is the main reason I started my business. To help my family, to help needy families, to make a DIFFERENCE in this world that we live in. I really try to make it my focus because that really is what matters most. And funny enough, that is also where the true blessings are....through blessing others, you are also blessed more than you could ever imagine.

I tend to get overwhelmed with all that there is to do in life. Husband, 4 kids, business, church, friends, etc. My heart is to give 110% to EVERYONE. But a lot of the time, I can't do that. I so struggle with that...my heart wants to do so much, but my body doesn't line up with that a lot of the time. So this morning, I am asking that the Lord direct my steps to where He wants me to be at the exact time that He wants me to be there. In that I believe I will find my true hearts desires....to make a difference for others. I just have to learn to trust the Lord that He knows what He is doing better than I do. It's easy to get caught up in your own thoughts and the way you think things should go. When all along, the Lord is patiently waiting to show you the way.

So even though I can't see it sometimes, I know that the Lord has purpose in all of this. In all that I am passionate about. Because I believe that the Lord places the desires of our heart there for a reason. And He doesn't give you a dream in your heart if He isn't going to take you there. You just have to be willing to let Him in HIS plan and not your own.

When is a lipstick more than a lipstick?

Well I have done better this time. It's only been 2 months since I posted and not a year. I really do love to blog....a lot. I have a hard time balancing between hubby, 4 kids, running my business, church, etc. And taking time to blog, well it does just that, takes time. BUT....I do love it. So I really am going to try and be better about it. Do you believe me yet?! ;)

So here is what I have been up to. My recent fundraiser (still going on) is to help raise money for the wonderful people of Albania. I have a friend who is sponsoring them and has developed a deep passion for everyone in Albania. She visited there and came back with all sorts of stories that, of course, broke my heart. One of which is that domestic violence is extremely high there. But at this point, they have absolutely NO shelters at all. I can't imagine being in a domestic violence situation, much less not even having the choice to go somewhere safe. So I set a goal to sell 200 lipsticks for Albania. I know, I know.....sounds weird. But hey, most women like lipstick (or Lip Gloss if you prefer) and they are only $13. So it won't break the bank for most people. It's not nearly enough to build a shelter, but it is a start. And who doesn't like a really good lipstick?! Guys, don't answer. ;)

Lipstick really can be more than a lipstick. This video says it all:

It Really Has Been Over a Year

Wow! I can't believe how long it's been since I have posted on here. Things have been off the wall crazy. My health took a turn for the worst and honestly, I just didn't have the energy to blog. I'm thinking that I will try to be more consistent with it from now on. But it still won't be all the time,
just being reasonable. So how are all of you? I hope well! I would love to hear from all of you
again.....I have missed connecting with you!

Okay, so what am I working on right now? Right now I am working on supporting 2 different
ministries. One is a ministry located in Arizona and the other is one here local to me. The one
local to me is to raise money for the people who live in Albania....that will be going on all year.
The other is more of a short term goal, I'm just trying to help out another ministry because I
simply love how passionate they are about helping others. If you want to be a part of helping,
please contact me and I will let you know what you can do.

On another note, I started some new things in my business! I'm doing skin care consultations
and facials over the phone now. How do you do a facial over the phone you say? Well, it's
really simple. I just put together everything you need and mail it to you! Then we do your
skin care consultation over the phone and I walk you through everything to explain what it is
that you are using and what it will do for you. Pretty fun, huh?!?!! And SO simple for those who
are busy, but want to try something new or address specific skin care concerns.

I'm also doing bridal makeup which is SO much fun for me! I love putting makeup on people,
whether it's a super simple look or a high glamour look. Either way, I love it! And working with
brides and their bridal party is fun because I get to be there for all the happy, giddy, emotional
times. I love it!!

So, that is a small update on me and what has been going on over here at Beauty Beyond Measure. If you would like to help out these ministries, please email me at: summerwillard@inbox.com and I will let you know different ways that you can help out. Thanks so much and have a wonderful day!

MckMama and String Of Pearls

Hello to all you fellow MckMama readers!! Each of you will get a FREE gift for participating today and ONE person will receive additional FREE products!! Stick with me, this is going to be good! I am SO excited to share with you what we are doing today!! First, I will introduce myself so you know a little bit about me and what I do. I am 32 (almost 33!) and I'm a stay at home mom to 4 boys! About 7 months ago I was presented with the opportunity to start my own business with Mary Kay Inc. I was VERY skeptical and I told God that if this was something that He wanted me to do, He would have to give me a VERY BIG sign. (Don't you love how WE tell GOD what to do?!) Anyway, I asked my husband to pray about it and we did for 2 weeks. One morning on my way home, I prayed again and I said, "Ok God, I need to make a decision. So if this is You, I need that sign. Like, sky write it in the sky sign." I pulled into my driveway right as I said that and looked in my rear view mirror to see a brand new Mary Kay PINK CADILLAC parked right across from me. Ummm.....Ok. That is a pretty clear sign, especially since I have never seen it since that day. So, I called my hubby and he said, "Go for it."

That brings me to now and why YOU are here. I decided when I started this business that I wanted it to be about more than just making money for my family, I wanted to help others.

Today we are raising money for String Of Pearls which I'm sure all of you have heard of before through MckMama's blog. If you haven't, please visit their website to learn more about who they are and what they do. It's FANTASTIC and I really want to bless them today. Actually, I want to completely BLOW them away with our donation. I will be updating MckMama throughout the day on where we are with our sales. Here is how it works:

ALL day today we need YOUR help. I will donate 20% out of the total net sales to String Of Pearls. Place your order on my website using the secure online payment option. I take all debit AND credit cards and it is completely secure. I am offering free shipping on all orders $100 or more. Today only, for orders less than $100 I will charge ONLY $5 in shipping. (Shipping and tax is added when I process your order.) Please put MckMama in the comments section of your order.

In return for your support, I will include a special gift with each order. AND… when we reach $2500 in sales ONE blessed customer will get their order FREE! If you place an order of at least $40 with me, your name will be entered into the drawing. For every $10 spent AFTER that, you will have your name entered an additional time. For example: $50 in product would enter your name 2 times, $100 would enter you 7 times and so on. When we reach our goal, I will draw the winning name and that person will receive their order FREE!

We have some FANTASTIC products. You will at some point need or want SOMETHING that we have and why not have your purchase of those products HELP OTHERS?!! We have men's products too.....FATHER'S DAY!!! I have a lot of customers who purchase for people as gifts. Birthdays, anniversaries, graduation, etc. I even work with brides! If you would like to know more about our products or our company, email me and I'm glad to share with you or help you in any way I can.

Check carefully for our newest offerings. If you are local to me, I would be happy to spend some time with you one-on-one or share an hour with you and two or three friends to select a new look for you or try some GREAT skin care.

I am SO EXCITED about this and I want ALL of you to jump on board! There IS a product that I have that you will love....trust me! Please feel free to pass this offer on to your friends and family to help us REALLY make a difference today!! After you place your order, you can leave a comment here about your order and follow my blog to receive extra entries towards the FREE order!!! I will tweet to update MckMama on our progress throughout the day so she can stay in the loop. Alright everyone, LET'S DO THIS!!!!!!

www.marykay.com/summerwillard

She's Alive!

Oh. My. Goodness. Has it been FOREVER since I have been on here,or what?! I have been building my business like crazy to accomplish some HUGE goals in a very short amount of time. I don't know how all of you are, but I like to get things done as quickly as I can! I have always been like that, if there is a way to make something go faster....I will find it! Ha ha. I am so glad to be posting again and so glad to share with all of you some great things that have been going on with me. So, sit back and get comfortable!

Since I last shared with you I've been working very diligently to grow my business to not only benefit my family and I, but others as well. I truly believe that you should give back and help others, no matter what that looks like for you. When I started this business, I very much wanted it to be a vehicle that I could use to accomplish some big dreams that God placed in my heart many years ago. And it is so wonderful to be able to say that it is ACTUALLY happening. And I can SEE it now. It is such a wonderful feeling!!

I have been working with several ministries local to me to help grow different parts of their programs and I have to say that I LOVE it! I love building relationships in my business, teaching women about how to take care of their skin, and help to make them feel better about themselves in the process. And to do all of this and be able to help different ministries and charities?! Somebody pinch me!!

I am so excited to see what all God is going to do through all of this. Do I get to sit back and do nothing while He does all the work? Nope. Do I work really hard? Yep. Is it totally worth it? OH YES IT IS. It is more worth it than I could have ever imagined.....and then some. Everything that I have been through in the past few months have been, literally, some of the BEST times in my life. I am so grateful for where I am and the experiences that I am going through. I am truly humbled and quite grateful.

What's next you say? Well, I'm glad you asked! I will be moving into leadership VERY soon with Mary Kay. I will be greatly expanding my involvement with different organizations. And I could not be more THRILLED. And.....VERY soon, I will be doing a fundraiser for whatever charity a certain someone chooses. Who, you ask? Well it is someone that a lot of you probably know and love. Someone who I know and love and am so glad to be doing this for. I am SO excited to be raising money for a charity of her choice. Her you say? Her who? Ha! I will keep you in suspense for now. ;)

I'm glad to be back and so glad to be sharing with all of you again! I look forward to the future and all that it holds. You WILL here from again SOON!

Wholesale Prices!!

This is going to be a quick post, because I have a date with my hubby! Yay! But I want to let all of you know that I am offering wholesale prices on my current inventory. I have NEW inventory coming in, so I want to get rid of ALL of my current inventory fast! And what better way to do that, but to offer it at wholesale prices! That's right....everything I have in stock right now is 50% off!! If you are interested, just contact me and I will give you a detailed list of what I have available. Some of the items include:

3 Miracle Sets

2 Microdermabrasion Sets

TimeWise Even Complexion Mask

TimeWise 3 in 1 Cleanser for Combination/Oily Skin

TimeWise Moisturizer for Combination/Oily Skin

1 each of the new Mineral Eye Color Bundles

And quite a few other items! Including lipsticks, lip glosses, foundations, and mascaras! Contact me if you are interested. I will only charge wholesale prices, plus tax!! This is a GREAT time to get some FABULOUS products!!! You can go to my website to read more about each of these items.

Poll Results

So, I found out some results from my National Sales Director on Tues. night. We have a conference call every Tues. and this past call she revealed some much needed information! MK has recently been doing polls to find out from our customers what their main concerns are in terms of their skin as well as how they feel about our products and customer service. First off, let me tell you that these results are straight from the horses mouth, I have not changed them in any way. And the reason that I'm sharing them with you is to get YOUR feedback. I want to know what your thoughts are and if you fall into agreement with these results, or if you don't.

Ok, here we go. 9 out of 10 customers are satisfied with MK. I think that is awesome. I would think that it would be more awesome if it were 10 out of 10, but hey, I will take 9 out of 10 any day!! Also, 94% of our customers would recommend our products to others. That is incredible! I mean, I don't know about you, but those numbers are great! There is always room for improvement, but I was so happy to find out that so many of our customers are that happy! And knowing this can help us make changes so we can get to 100%!

As far as the poll results on skin care concerns, it was shared with me the top 3 concerns. They are:

1) Concerns about under eye circles and bags

2) Concerns about age spots and sun spots

3) Concerns about diminished skin elasticity

I am here to tell you that we have product that addresses all of those issues! It kind of made me excited when I found out what the concerns were, because I know we can do something to help! And now I also know that as a Rep. of Mary Kay, I need to make sure that I'm telling women about all of our products as best I can. So now, when women ask me about our skin care, I can be more specific about products that can help them. Obviously, the Miracle Set is something that all women should invest in. Not only does it help diminish fine lines and wrinkles, it prevents new ones from forming. That is a must! But we also have skin care product that you can use along with this set that will give you awesome results!

If you have any of those 3 issues and would like to do something about it, here are the products for you:

1) TimeWise Targeted Action Eye Revitalizer - gets rid of under eye circles and puffiness! And I have a customer who orders this from me consistently and she said that it works so well that she won't EVER use anything else.

2) TimeWise Even Complexion Essence - Clinically proven to restore skin's natural, even tone by reducing visible dark spots and skin discoloration. I use this MYSELF and I can tell you that it really does work! I developed brown age spots and they are almost completely GONE. I've only been using it for a couple of months, and it keeps getting better! I also have Rosacea and you wouldn't believe how much of a difference it's made with that. And to make it even better, we now have the TimeWise Even Complexion Mask that you can add to that. Brilliant!!

3) TimeWise Replenishing Serum+C - I could go on and on about this stuff. It is incredible. I use it, I have customers who use it, and I have NEVER had anyone say anything negative about it. It is an antioxidant rich serum formulated with ingredients that enhance the production of new collagen AND help keep existing collagen from breaking down. It also contains ingredients that support elastin, a protein that gives skin it's elasticity or it's "spring". I seriously would recommend this to every person I know....women AND men.

There you have it! Real poll results from real MK polls. What are your thoughts? Are you concerned with any of these things? Are you concerned with other things about your skin? Please share! Feedback is important in my business....plus, I just like hearing from all you wonderful people!

Click here for fantastic products that meet all of YOUR needs!!!!

Morning Thoughts and Change......

My goodness it's been too long since I have posted here! We have had some sickness in our household the past week and a half. It started with my 2 year old, then went to me, and so on. That is part of having a large family....when one gets sick, we usually end up passing it around. Anyway, I finally started feeling better this past Fri. once I had been on antibiotic for awhile. My oldest woke up this morning sick, yuck! I'm SO over this. I think we need some warm weather and sunshine!

I have had a lot going on with MK, which is awesome. I've been on the lookout for new ways to give back. It's hard for me because I see someone that needs help and I just wish I had all the money in the world so I could help them. Everywhere I look there is need. Seriously. Just in the blogging world alone, you could spend all day going from blog to blog to read about different stories and how they are crying out to God for help. I want to be able to help them all. It breaks my heart. I really run across something new almost every day. And then of course there is the devastation in Haiti. But they were in plenty of need before all of this. As is a lot of this world that we all live in. I really feel like change is coming for my family. An opportunity to step out and do something to really make a difference in people's lives. I really hope that is the case. I have been feeling like that for several months and I hope that this feeling is something that comes to pass.

I met a wonderful lady a few weeks ago who is the president and founder of a fabulous ministry. It's called Angels On Assignment and she started it 15 years ago to help single mothers in need. This hits close to home for me as I used to be a single mother of 3 boys when my ex-husband left us. I know the struggle, the exhaustion that comes with that. She actually gave me her business card when we met and I had no idea what her ministry was about. All the next week, I kept having this thought to call her and ask her to tell me about her ministry. I finally did and we sat and talked for almost an hour. It was and is amazing what this precious lady is doing. I told her that I would love to do an event to help her raise money. So, we are currently in the works with that. There is even a place here local to me that houses single moms and their children and helps them get back on their feet. We are going to schedule a day of pampering for them where I can go in and give them all facials and gifts. I know from experience that as a single mom, you rarely think about yourself. Much less getting a facial and time to relax. I am SO thrilled about this. This is why I wanted to do this business. To help people and bring joy in some way to anyone I can.

Well friends, thank you for reading and being so supportive. I appreciate it more than you know! I also wanted to let you know that from now through Friday (the 12th) I have my Miracle Sets on sale!! I'm offering all of you a $30 gift certificate towards your Miracle Set!! That means you will only pay $60!! WOW! And it will last you 3 months or longer! You can't beat that. Trust me! Anyone who places an order on my website or emails me to place an order, I will adjust the price for you to only $60!! DON'T WAIT! You won't want to miss out on this!!! Click here to place your order now or email me. Have a fabulous day!!

Trend Report 2010

Hello friends! I wanted to take a moment to share with you our trend report 2010! It talks about fabrics, prints, colors and more! Check it out on my website so you can see the details and contact me on how to get the Mary Kay Spring/Summer 2010 look for you! I'm ready for Spring and Summer! Give me some warm weather and sunshine! Yay!! Here is a preview:

Trend Report 2010

Contact me for the full report! You WON'T want to miss it!!!

I'm offering free facials as well as a $15 gift certificate for YOU to spend at your facial! Also, if you would like to share your facial with 2-3 friends.....I will give YOU a $30 gift certificate to spend when we get together! And for those of you who are not local to me, I'm offering $15 off your purchase and $30 off when you refer 2-3 people to me! I want to make sure that everyone gets in on this! So contact me today to get your gift certificate!!

Random Thoughts

I have so much going on right now and I'm learning to balance it all. I see other women who seem to have it all together and I wonder how they do it. I keep going back and forth with whether or not this blog was a good idea. I mean, I started my own business and then waned to partner with different charities to give back to others. Then I decided to create this blog to share with everyone what I'm doing. But sometimes I wonder if people even want to know what I'm doing. You know? I'm not having a pity party, these are just thoughts that run through my head. I mean, there are SO many blogs out there. Sometimes you can get overwhelmed with as many as there are. So, I wonder, will my blog really reach people the way that I hope that it will? And then I tell myself that there is only one way to find that out. Keep blogging! I really felt led to do this, so I'm doing it. And I guess time will tell where it all goes. If all it does is give me a place to put my thoughts down, that is awesome. It helps me process what is going on in my life and my business when I get on here and share. Whether it be about product that I have available or about a wonderful charity that I feel passionate about. Or, to just get on here like I am today and put my random thoughts out there. I have so much in my heart that I want to do with all of this and I really hope that those are dreams that will come true. Not just for me, but for others who, hopefully, I can help. Or rather, God can help through me. Because it's not me, it's Him. And I really like the idea of being able to connect with others through blogging. I think it is a wonderful thing (if used right!) that can help people grow and be encouraged. And I think that is awesome! I'm hoping that I am able to help encourage some of you as we get to know each other. This morning when I got up, I wondered, is it weird to create a blog about your business and giving back to others?! And to want to connect with people all at the same time?! Sometimes, I wonder! Ha Ha! But I really did feel led to do this, so here I am doing it. Ok, so now that I have share a bunch of random thoughts with you and probably confused you...I'm off to get some work done. I hope you all have a GREAT day!!

Haiti

I can't begin to express how heavy my heart is for the people in Haiti. It is something that just stays with me throughout my day. The government in Haiti has raised the confirmed death toll to 150,000 people and they expect it to keep rising. I sat on my couch this morning drinking my cup of coffee and thought to myself, "What if it was you?" "What if it was YOUR child that was trapped beneath piles of concrete, unable to get out?" I sat and cried for them. For all the moms, dads, brothers, sisters, and children that have lost their loved ones or are waiting to see if they will find them alive. I know that it seems as if one person can't make a difference. We all think that. We think, well what difference will it make if I give my $10 or my $50, etc? It DOES make a difference. We can help save someones life. Give them food, water, shelter. Something. And even if your donation helps just one person, isn't it worth it to help that one person? My husband and I are donating at least $100 this week. This is money that I have set aside to help grow my business. It's not a lot. It's not a lot for even growing my business. But it will help someone and we want to give it. Please consider doing the same. And I know everyone is not in the place right now to give $100 or more. But $10? $10 is something that most of us can do. And can you imagine if even half of everyone in America were to give at least $10? What that would accomplish? It would make a BIG difference for a lot of people. And no, it won't fix everything. I know that Haiti needs billions of dollars. But they certainly could be better off than where they are now. And we can help get them there. There are plenty of ways that we can all donate. I will list a few sites here for you. One of which I will be donating to myself. You can also Google "help Haiti" and a ton of sites for different organizations will come up for you to donate to. It's easy and quick and it will make a HUGE difference in this horrible situation that the people of Haiti are in right now. Wouldn't you want someone to help you?

Help Haiti

You can go to Compassion's Website to grab a banner to post on your website that will direct people to give online. Or you can make your donation to them online. Or do both.

There is also Operation Compassion - A ministry of blessing. I found this organization through my local church.

If you don't feel led to donate to one of these 2 organizations, please click on the above link for Help Haiti and it will take you to Whitehouse.gov where you can donate online through the Clinton/Bush Haiti Fund. Or research it yourself and find something that you are comfortable with. Just find somewhere you can give to help Haiti in this desperate time that they are in. And my prayer is that as time goes on, we won't forget them. That we will remember them in our prayers and hopefully, donate again. If we all pull together, we can make a HUGE difference in these precious people's lives.

*At this time, all my profit will go to help Haiti. Please know that is where my heart is right now. I have also found another fabulous organization that I'm partnering with here local to me. I will share with you about that soon. But for now, Haiti needs our help. So that is where I will focus.*

Valentine's Day and A FREE Lip Gloss!!!

First off, I need to apologize for taking so long to post this. I had said I was going to get it done last week and I didn't. I have REALLY not been feeling well. Long story, but I'm hoping to be better soon. I have also been working hard on building a new team for Mary Kay! As of this month, I joined a program with Mary Kay to be a director by June! WOO HOO! My national sales director is working with my director and myself so that I can meet this goal. I am SO excited! It will keep me busy, but I still get to work from home and still not as many hours as a regular full time job. And that ROCKS! The income potential for a director with the Mary Kay Corp. is INCREDIBLE. Seriously, it knocked my socks off. So, I said all that to say that I'm sorry it took me a few days to get to this post.

We have a GREAT new product that is fabulous for Valentine's Day or really, any other day too! Birthdays, anniversaries, etc. Any woman would LOVE this. It's our Limited Edition Romantic Petals Gift Set. It includes: shower gel, body souffle, and a eau de toillete spray with hints of iris, orchid and gardenia. It smells WONDERFUL. A premium netted body sponge is also included and it comes in a very pretty specially designed box. Which makes gift giving SO much easier! Please click here and check out this great set!!

I also need some volunteers for my Director training, who's up for the challenge?! All you have to do is listen to a recording of my National Sales Director for me and do a quick practice interview with my Director and myself. It's quick and easy and it REALLY helps me because I get hands on training to meet my goals that have been set for me! And as a thank you, I'm offering 20% off any product you want OR a FREE lip gloss for your time! You will get the FREE lip gloss either way, but I also want to offer the 20% off for those of you who are interested in ordering. So, if you can help me out, contact me today! Thank you so much and have an awesome day!!