The Fit For 2012 Challenge is under way now!

For more details and the spreadsheet to track your challenges and to turn in to be entered to win great prizes from GymBoss, Scentsy Circles from Income Wax, along with Whale Tails Chips, EndorphinWarrior.com, Flair Head Bands, Moon-Organics and Achiva Native Energy go here

What is the Fit For 2012 Challenge?
Watch the video and find out!

Sign up for the challenge NOW!

It’s almost that time!

2012 is right around the corner.

While I posted about the 25 day ebook to get you from Dec 1st thru Dec. 25th earlier this morning, this Fit for 2012 challenge goes even further.

You will be challenged to:
1)exercise daily (minimum of 20 minutes)
2)eat breakfast daily
3)drink 6-8 glasses of water daily
4)eat 6-8 servings of veggies & fruits
5)limit your sugar & processed food intake
Doing all the things in the challenge will bring you into the New Year with healthier habits.

You can download the Excel spreadsheet to track all the details of the challenge here

Comment below if you’re going to participate in the challenge.

Tweet your progress on Twitter using #fitfor2012 and @taraburner
When tweeting make sure to use #Fitfor2012 in posts so everyone can keep in touch, support you!
You can also post on Facebook fan page too.

The challenge is officially over on Dec. 31st at midnight; however, my hope is that you’ll continue on with the habits that you will learn during this month!
At the end of the challenge (12/31), email me your spreadsheet by January 7th, 2012.

There will be 3 winners chosen (though you all are winners in my eyes) from those who participate and return their spreadsheet. (you can start at any time so if you come to this after Dec 1st, still GET STARTED!)

The prizes are rolling in….

As many of you know this is my favorite piece of jewelry – UNBREAKABLE from Endorphin Warrior
They are donating a Warrior Training Bracelet (of winners choice)

Thanks to Whale Tails Chips (BTW: I’m addicted to the Hawaiian BBQ ones) they are giving a bag of each of the 3 flavors for the Fit for 2012 Challenge to one winner.

Laurie Ayers is giving 6 total (2 to each of 3 winners) Scentsy Circles that you can hang freely in cars, lockers, closets, throw in gym bag so they won’t stink!

I think most of you know I love my Gymboss Interval Timer…if not, well I do!
Now one of the winners will receive their own compliments of GymBoss

Flair Bands Headbands is giving each of the 3 winners a headband of their choice!
And, they’re also throwing in an extra for an additional lucky winner that will be chosen! Woot!

Moon-Organics is donating a gift pack…the Gift of Softness…for one of the winners!
Consisting of:
one 8 oz bottle of Satin Touch–the only pre-shower skin moisturizer with organic coconut oil that is used before you shower for intense softness after.
one bottle of Eye love This!–a make up remover and eyelash and under eye conditioner with pure apricot seed oil
one jar of Your Softer Side–a hand and body butter with powerful skin softening properties and an intoxicating lemon/lavender scent.
two Kiss Softly sticks–a lip moisturizer that works with your lip color: over or under for all day kissable lips.
All MOON’s products are derived from 100% natural ingredients, without parabens, preservatives, or petroleums. All are “no animal testing” safe.

BondiBand is giving one of their head bands for one of the winners!

Achiva Native Energy is giving a bag of their Achiva™ Native Energy Chia Chai Tea mix!

So, you ready?!

oh, if you need additional guidance and a daily plan you can get the 25 days til Christmas Fitness & Weight Management ebook for just $4.99

or the fitness motivation ebook for $1.99

Sorry, please and thank you for the mini rant this morning but I’ve had my fill this week of people and their not understanding that “no means no”, “broke means broke”…

If I had money, I wouldn’t be asking for help for my daughters color guard fees, I also wouldn’t be writing letters to Santa (haven’t done that since I was like 5 or 6 if even then).

My daughter and I do not eat out or go out… (I know…incomprehensible that I would not know good places to eat or places to visit in this area but we do not go out!).
Not sure why so many people who’ve asked me lately (that are coming down here soon to travel, etc.) think that I should know all this…now mind you my dad and step mother are in town and I honestly had never been to Riverwalk in Ft Lauderdale til this week (like I said, we don’t go out), my daughter’s never been on the Jungle Queen nor has she ever been to Jaxson’s for the kitchen sink or sparkler ice cream or anything else. Yes, I know shocking…since everyone in this area (and those traveling) visit both places…and here she is born & raised here and hasn’t been to either. *bad mommy Tara*

I might use a tank of gas in a week, usually can stretch it for 10 days now that I only drive daughter to/from school and everything else is done from home.

I do not have a steady pay type of job…(I used to, but lost that almost 2 months ago)

I do social media marketing and promoting and reviews along with coaching (however not many are doing coaching right now since they’re gearing up for holiday spending and eating *sigh*) so my income varies from day to day…and when rent is $1190 (yes I know that’s a lot thank you but it’s actually cheap for this area) and other bills bring you to needing a minimum of around $3600/month…going out and blowing money isn’t an option…nor am I big on blowing money even if/when I have it…

Which leads to the pushy people part of the rant….
This morning I got a phone call from a woman trying to sell me admission to an event.
No thank you.
She kept on about how there was a fee but I’d earn my money back.
Again, no thank you.
Kept on…
I don’t have any money
She kept on…
Now, the majority of you know that I have zero patience and the fact I answered the phone was a mini miracle in itself (it was a local number!)
So I hung up on her after repeatedly say no thank you.
She then emailed me!
REALLY!?
Like the countless no thank you’s and the hanging up on her wasn’t enough?
I was tempted to respond to the email asking if she was a masochist or not but opted to just blog instead!

My good friend Laurie Ayers did a blog post on Assertive or Aggressive? in business and I should really send it to this chic who was on the phone this morning…she needs it!

Why is it so difficult to comprehend if someone says “I have no money” that it means they really have no money…not that they don’t have $100 or $500 but that they truly have no money…meaning zero, zilch, zip, nada, nothing?

Why’s it hard for people to take no as an answer…
why the need to keep pushing and pushing til they either get cussed out or hung up on or walked away from?

Why’s it hard to believe that while I live in South Florida, I don’t go ‘traveling’ around South Florida or eat out.
Besides, it’s healthier and cheaper to eat at home!

I’ll shut up now and get back to work on the reviews I have and searching Craigslist for more social media & brand marketing work.
If you happen to need any of my services then hit me up…
I work with what your needs and budget are.

Question of the day
What question do people ask you that just makes your skin crawl?

My teen daughter is on the color guard team at her high school…
you know, the flags and rifles type of stuff…

It costs $550 (sorry thought it was 500, have the paperwork in front of me total is $550) to be on the team to cover expenses, etc.
In addition to new shoes, pants, etc. which we did get covered already.
I’m just short the $550 for the school color guard team itself.
(Some have asked why so much…simple..this is South Florida…the school (and sorry I won’t post it since I prefer not letting the entire world know where my daughter goes to school) is a top ranked Color Guard Team and the money covers expenses for buses to the shows, student uniform, flags, floor, show shirt and the cost of clinicians for the JV guard)
The deposit has to be in school on Nov 28th and not sure when the balance has to be paid.
For those who know me and have known me for some time, know I do not ask for hand outs and wouldn’t be doing so now if I had another way to get the monies needed.
They do offer candy bar fundraisers, but doing a Scentsy fundraiser where you can buy holiday gifts, wax, wax warmers and items you would actually use seemed more logical plus I can go nationwide opposed to trying to sell chocolate bars locally.

I did add two bonuses to this post since originally posting.
If you have any other questions, please email me.
Thank you!

One of my bestest friend of over 10 yrs, Laurie Ayers is holding a fundraiser to help Christa get the $500 she needs for color guard.

100% of the proceeds of the sale of items purchased through this link will be donated to the Tara Burner Color Guard (Yes that’s right Laurie’s giving up her commission to make this happen).
Get your Christmas shopping done from your seat and show your school spirit and support for youth!
You can go to IncomeWax.com and then you have to click on the link on the left side that says “Tara Burner Colorguard Fundraiser” and order through that link.
The fundraiser ends at the end of this month.
If you would please and thank you.

Added option:
Anyone who purchases from the Tara Burner Color Guard Scentsy Fundraiser in the amount of $50 or more will get their name & site/blog/whatever listed on a special post I’ll put up here as well as on Facebook and Twitter.

—————-
All proceeds from the purchase of this 15 page ebook also go towards the color guard fees.

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Or, if you don’t want to purchase anything and just want to make a small donation (any amount $3, $5, $10, whatever… will help reach the $500 needed) you can use the donate button below to give via Paypal.

Another option
Anyone who donates $15 or more will have their business/blog/site/whatever listed in right menu bar (can be graphic ad or text)

I have to have deposit of $110 to the school by 11/28 and then the balance after that.

I thank you lots as does Christa!
(or if you’re local to me, hit me up on phone or text 954-549-3393 to meet up if you so desire to give some cash to help Christa)
and please and thank you mucho!

The PayPal account on this will show going to TAB Group (that’s my company)

However, if you feel better paying the school directly, email me for the link to do so.
I prefer not doing it that way for two reasons…privacy issues in I prefer people not know where my daughter goes to school (think about it, how often have you seen a pic of her online?!)
and I also want to ensure it goes towards her account so I have more control if I make the payment myself.
But if you feel more inclined to donate directly then like I said, email me.
Thank you again.

It’s the holiday season (a bit early but nonetheless Thanksgiving and Christmas are coming up, it’s wintery in some parts of the country) so, with that being said I wanted to share these great Scentsy plug in wax warmers.
They’re a great way to have those holiday aromas throughout your home no matter whether you live in the snowy cold or the hot south!

You can choose from Gingerbread men, or perhaps something more angelic, or celebrate the birth of Christ and the night in the manger on that silent night.

No snow in your neck of the woods?
No worries, now you can have some…
Snow day warmer (featuring a snowman and snow flakes) or a red warmer with snowflakes…

Or, get more than one and have your entire house filled with holiday fragrances.

The Scentsy plug-in warmers are easy to use.
Just put a cube or two from a Scentsy bar in the plug-in warmer and plug in, letting the aroma permeate your home.

You can order all of your Scentsy products here
Like Laurie Ayers, Scentsy Superstar’s Facebook page
Or follow @thrivingcandle on Twitter to keep up to date with what’s new at Scentsy

Question of the day
What’s your favorite holiday scent

These are just too cool.
I have odd tastes when it comes to home decor, mainly because I don’t really decorate or have any decor!
But, I like peace signs and how often can I find those in something that’s normally geared for adults?

Well, now I did!
Scentsy offers a Do It Yourself warmer option!

You buy the warmer in either black or white.

Then you get whichever theme pack you want and put on the warmer!
It’s that easy to get a custom designed wax warmer!
How cool!

I’m getting the black warmer and the peace sign theme pack!
The Peace Sign is funky and bright—perfect for a teen’s bedroom or college dorm. (or in my case…for an almost 44 yr old!)

If you have any questions or want to order anything from Scentsy visit ThrivingCandleBusiness.com online or you can also like Laurie Ayers Scentsy Facebook Page and make sure to follow @thrivingcandle on Twitter.

Laurie Ayers, Scentsy Independent Superstar Director is sponsoring this great giveaway.
What? You say you don’t know about Scentsy?
Well, Scentsy sells a variety of ceramic warmers so you can have a safe, flame free candle. The warmers consist of the ceramic container (large unique variety of designs available) and uses a low watt light bulb which causes the wax to melt slowly, creating fragrance throughout your home or office. With no flame, smoke, or soot, the Scentsy wickless candle system is a safe way to enjoy Scentsy fragrances.

They also have room sprays (great for bathrooms, living room, wherever), travel tins, and scent circles which are excellent for the car, gym or school locker!

For the dog lover in you….Paws Full Size Scentsy Warmer features an alternating barn red, cream, taupe, and black checkerboard pattern and playfully debossed paw prints.

You can win the Paws Full Size Scentsy Warmer and Laurie Ayers is throwing in a bar of wax too. The winner will be contacted to determine what type of scent is preferred (bakery, spice, cologne, clean, fruit, floral, mild, strong, etc.)

Total Retail Value $40

Contest open until Sept 19, 2011 11:59 p.m.
Winner will be announced on Sept 20, 2011 via email.

Open to U.S. residents only

Mandatory Entry:
Visit the Scentsy scents page and then come back here and comment on which fragrance is your favorite.

Additional Entries:
For each thing you do here, you must put it in a new comment for it to count as an entry.
Please do not combine things you do or it’ll only count as one entry in the contest.

Follow @thrivingcandle on Twitter.
Sign up for the RSS feed on the blog.
Like Laurie’s Scentsy page on Facebook

Copy & paste this tweet, then when you’re done come back and comment with the link of your tweet.
You can tweet once a day!
Win a #Scentsy Paws warmer from @thrivingcandle & @taraburner http://tinyurl.com/scentsypaws great for #dog lovers or a gift #giveaway #wax

Comment on the blog what type of dog(s) you have.

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– Disclaimer: Tara Burner is not responsible for delivery of any giveaway items won from companies and people on this blog.

Animal Shelters – Increase Donations
With just the click of a button your animal shelter or organization can increase donations to help with the cost and expense of running your organization.

How can you increase donations?
Hold an Online Scentsy© Paws Fundraiser!

Find out more here and get your fundraiser started right away.
Every Paws warmer sold could help defray the cost of food, vaccines and medical care needed to care for the four legged friends that your organization support.

This is a guest blog post from Laurie Ayers of Thriving Candle Business.

Busy busy busy. No time. Wish I had more time. So much to do. Argh! I’ll never get it all done.

Sound familiar? If so, you’re not alone. Maintaining a successful direct sales business is definitely work. Many consultants certainly enjoy what they do, but nonetheless it is still work. Those who are doing fairly well and are managing a large organization either have good time management skills or good delegation skills or a little of both.

Those consultants who say they truly do have the desire to succeed but claim they aren’t successful due to time constraints may be able to eke out a little more time to work their business. That said, if I were to show you how to have more time to work your business, is that all it would take for you to get your next promotion in rank?

If you honestly believe you’re not successful or not as successful as you would like to be in your direct selling business right now because you simply don’t have enough time, then it’s time to take a deeper look at the root cause why you don’t have enough time.

Do a time study for one week.

You’ve heard of dieters keeping a food log of everything they put in their mouth for a period of time; this is the same thing – only it involves how you are spending your time. Don’t worry about tracking your time on the weekend.  All workers are entitled to have a weekend off from working.  Starting Monday morning from the time your feet hit the floor, write down the various activities you do – and don’t cheat, you want to be successful, remember? Cheaters never win and winners never cheat. Finish tracking your activities Friday evening.

Write down everything you do, work related or not.  If you need 2 hours to get up, get coffee, check email, get the kids on the bus and get yourself ready for the day – write it down. If you work a job outside the home, write down time you commute as well as what you do during breaks and lunches. If you check in on forums or talk on the phone or make dinner or do a crossword puzzle or walk the dog or bag and tag product – write it down.

Resist the temptation to alter your standard behavior while you are keeping a log of your activities. I know when I was keeping a food log I didn’t want to have to show anyone (myself or others) that I ate a sleeve of Girl Scout cookies or a half a bag of lime flavored tortilla chips, so I just didn’t eat it … that week. Sure I ate healthier that week, but did it really do me any good if I was just going to go back to sinful eating when no one was looking?

If you are sincere about wanting to find some more time to work your business then try to go about your day as you normally do, with the exception of adding the task of writing down all activities and how much time was devoted to each. You can’t get to the root cause of a problem if you don’t have an accurate picture of the current situation.

You may already suspect that you spend too much time on the computer either on Facebook or reading forums or chatting with others. You may even justify it that you’re networking for your business. If you’re honestly spending a great deal of time “networking” (wink wink) has it paid off for you? Or … not so much?

Another area you may want to look at is the amount of time you are spending on the telephone. Sure there are the potential recruits who call, and the new team members who need help and even some veteran team members whom you’ve gotten to be really close with. Much of your time spent building a rapport is absolutely necessary. But if the rapport is already built or if you’ve already answered questions and you’re still spending a great deal of time on the phone, then likely you’re just chit chatting.

By all means, take a break during the day; you deserve it. But just remember that even when smokers go outside for a Smoke Break, they can inhale a cigarette in seven minutes.  They don’t stop working for 30 minutes all in the name of a “break.”  If you find that you are spending too much time on the phone, it may mean that your team members, friends and even recruits get a little put off because they’re used to having more time with you. It’s time to nip that in the bud. Remember – it’s just business. Run your business like a business. If friends or others are monopolizing your time it’s within your span of control to put an end to that practice.

You may find that you don’t have too much idle time during your day. Between being wife, mother, worker outside the home, volunteer and now direct sales business owner, there very well could be very little time that you’re wasting.  If that is the case you need to be honest with yourself about your goals and ambitions where your business is concerned. You can still be successful, it just may take you a longer time frame than you’d like.

Whatever the results of your time study, be truthful with yourself. Either you need to be more productive during the day or you need to stop beating yourself up because you feel you’re failing at being Wonder Woman.  There is only so much time in a day and only so much we can do.  If you’re doing your personal best, then that is all anyone could ask.

About the Author: Laurie Ayers is a WAHM from Michigan and a Superstar Director with Scentsy Wickless Candles. She enjoys helping others start and maintain a candle business in the US, Canada, Puerto Rico, Deutschland and the UK. You can find Laurie at http://la.Scentsy.us or http://www.ThrivingCandleBusiness.com

Just found a new vegan dessert cook book here by Claire Gosse.

The pictures look tantalizing!
I’ll be making some of these and posting pics and updates.

I watched Cupcake Wars this evening and Chloe of ChefChloe.com and on Twitter @chloecoscarelli won!

Ironically, today Laurie Ayers and Stacey Graham and I were talking about cakes, cupcakes and few ideas that are baking (yea bad pun-couldn’t resist).

So, I’ll be re-inventing some of my old recipes, checking out new ones and who knows where or what it’ll lead to.