4 Benefits of Connecting with Nature

You know how good it feels to get out and relax in nature, right? It’s time out from the stresses of everyday life, space and clean air, to breathe and take some time for yourself. But did you also know that there are scientifically proven health benefits to connecting with the natural world? It’s so beneficial you could even call it nature therapy! Here’s how being in the great outdoors is great for you.

• 1.     Nature reduces stress and anxiety

Being out in nature has a measurable effect on your stress levels. They go right down, also lowering your risk of anxiety and depression. Even if you live and work in high rise glass and steel buildings, having a dose of the natural world can help lift your mood, your cognitive function, and your mental health. Whether it’s a walk in the park or even having a plant on your desk or being able to look out of the window, any connection with nature will help.

• 2.     Connection with nature is healing

Studies have shown that even being able to see a natural landscape can help hospital patients recover faster.

It also helps your immune system function better. Scientists have found more than twenty pathways or connections between exposure to nature and improved health, protecting you from heart disease, depression, and diabetes.

• 3.     Nature changes your perceptions of the world.

Researchers have found that walking through a rural area changed the study participants attitude toward their to-do list. They saw their tasks as more manageable than participants who walked through city streets.

People who exercise outdoors move faster, have a lowered perception of effort, enjoy their exercise more, and are more likely to stick to their routine than people exercising in a gym.

• 4.     Nature is great for your mental health

Remember how good it feels to be near the ocean, a river or a waterfall? That’s because the air near moving water is full of negative ions that can act as natural anti-depressants. It’s the same effect as the change in the air after a thunderstorm when the air is no longer oppressive but clear and fresh.

There are now many studies which show that people living in green areas, or who have access to green spaces in cities, have significantly better mental wellbeing than people who live cut off from nature.

Even having an aquarium, houseplants, or a view onto green space can help.

Marilyn Barker is a Business Consultant, Motivational Coach, Goal Success Coach. Helping you feel good and get focused on what you want out of life. Learn more about all the wonderful things she offers at www.MarilynBarker.com 

Barker Business Services, Marilyn Barker

4 Big Things that Hold You Back from Reaching Your Peak

You’re probably doing pretty well in your career. You did well in college, you’ve got a good job, or you’re establishing a business. But there’s something that is stopping you from reaching your peak. You’re not quite where you want to be. Maybe your career trajectory feels like it’s stalled a little or even plateaued. 

Have a good look at yourself and see if you’re being held back by one or more of these four big things that commonly stop people from reaching their career peak.

Procrastination

We all do it. Putting off doing mundane or difficult tasks is all too human. But the longer you delay making that phone call or having that tricky conversation, the worse it’s going to get. You know deep down that you should just do it. 

The other big area of procrastination is failing to act. How many good ideas have you had, but you haven’t acted on, because you weren’t ready, or you didn’t have the right skills or enough money yet? There will never be the perfect or right time to start a business, launch a project or pitch a new idea. The right time to act is now. And don’t forget: acting on an idea doesn’t mean you leap into the final product straightaway. Acting means doing your research, allocating budget, testing the market. 

If you stop procrastinating and start planning, you’ll be ready for success when it comes.

Fear of failure

Fear of failure stops you from taking risks and seizing opportunities. It can be paralyzing, but only if you let it. And to free yourself from the fear of failure you need to reframe what failure means for you. Failure does not mean disaster. It means you haven’t found out what works yet. Edison famously failed to invent the working light bulb more than a thousand times before he hit on the right formula. 

The converse of failure is persistence. And persistence will out-perform innate talent every time.

Distraction

Staying focused is the key to achieving success. It’s easy to be distracted by side issues and the demands of your email or phone but staying productive requires attention and focus. Make it easier to produce high-quality, consistent work by keeping focused on the current priorities and sticking to your plan. 

Self-doubt

Self-doubt can undermine all your efforts if you let it. The best thing you can do to build your confidence is to stop comparing yourself to others. Your success story is totally up to you. Look back, see all the steppingstones that brought you to where you are now. You have the skills, and you have the know-how to get where you want to go. 

Contact Marilyn Barker at www.BarkerBusinessServices.com 

Written by Scentsy in Authentic Scentsy, Our Products, Science of Scent

If you’ve dreamt of immersing yourself in Scentsy fragrance, Scentsy Soak can make your dream a refreshing reality! Formulated with pink Himalayan and Epsom salts, premium moisturizers and exclusive fragrances, Scentsy Soak creates a relaxing bath experience like no other — and comes in many beloved scents! Here’s everything you need to know about this Scentsy Body product:

What is Scentsy Soak?

Scentsy Soak resembles scented bath salts — but with a luxurious twist. Formulated with premium moisturizers like aloe and sunflower oil, it’s the ultimate way to end your day with “ahhhhh.” And of course, Scentsy Soak is the only way to fill your bath with signature Scentsy fragrance!

How do I use Scentsy Soak?

Simply pour your desired amount of Scentsy Soak under warm, running water. Then, put your feet up and soak for 20-30 minutes while you enjoy your favorite Scentsy fragrance. That’s it — Scentsy Soak wouldn’t be very relaxing if we made it complicated!

What are the benefits of using Scentsy Soak?

Combining the soothing power of Himalayan and Epsom salts with premium moisturizers, Scentsy Soak is designed to help relax your muscles while pampering your skin. Being able to enjoy your favorite Scentsy fragrances in the process is just one more way to find your happy place!

What makes Scentsy Soak special?

All of our Body products combine Scentsy fragrance and skin-pampering ingredients like sunflower oil for superior quality and a truly stand-alone experience. From the base ingredients and fragrance oils to the packaging and product benefits, quality is always our primary goal.

What’s your favorite way to pamper yourself with Scentsy?

"I personally love the sugar scrub and soak" - Toni Chevalier

Written by Scentsy in Authentic Scentsy, Our Products, ScentTrend

Happy Watermelon Month!

July is National Watermelon Month — as if we need another reason to enjoy this refreshing fruit this summer! While you can always treat yourself to a nice cold slice of melon to celebrate, why not take things a step further? Scentsy’s Watermelon Tangerine scent is the perfect summertime home fragrance — especially if you love watermelon!

Fresh, fruity fragrance

Watermelon Tangerine is ripe with notes of sweet watermelon slices spiked with juicy tangerine and dewy greens. From the nostalgic scent of watermelon to the exciting burst of citrus and greenery, this fragrance captures the sweetest elements of summer memories. After all, it’s easy to reminisce about sunny picnics, potlucks and barbeques with a little in-scent-ive!

Fill the summer with fragrance

While Scentsy Bars are perfect for enjoying home fragrance, summertime often means being on the go! Thankfully you can find Watermelon Tangerine — and many other popular fragrances — in a wide variety of Scentsy products! Planning a night out on the town? Body products like Watermelon Tangerine Body Cream and Fragrance Mist let you bring the scent of summer wherever you go!

Let the sun shine on

Maybe you love the scent of watermelon any time of year — even if the weather outside is frightful. Scentsy Club’s Always Get My Bar perk is ideal for lovers of seasonal fragrances that don’t want to see their favorite Scentsy Bars disappear. If you want to know more about all of Scentsy Club’s perks, reach out to your Independent Scentsy Consultant I got you!

STOP MAKING THE SAME MISTAKES

TOP TIPS 

brought to you by Marilyn Barker

There is nothing wrong with making mistakes. After all, making mistakes is one of the keyways we learn, grow and build all sorts of important qualities like persistence and resilience. Mistakes become a problem when we keep repeating the same ones. When we continually repeat the same mistake, we aren't learning anything from it. Worst yet, repeating the same mistakes stalls any positive progress we may be making in life. If this sounds familiar, and you are ready to stop making the same mistakes, consider these nine tips.

• 1.    Identify the Mistakes You Repeat
• You can't take action on your mistakes until you identify and acknowledge them. Strive to be more aware of the present moment. If you make a mistake, ask yourself if this is something you keep doing. Once you have an idea of the mistakes you keep making, you can correct them.

• 2.    Why Does This Keep Happening?
• Once you have singled out a mistake (or more) that you keep repeating, ask yourself why this keeps happening. Getting to the root cause of why you are repeatedly making the same mistake is important because it allows you to address the underlying cause.

• 3.    How Do My Mistakes Harm Me?
• A great way to avoid making the same mistakes again is to carefully consider how they are harming you. When you identify your mistakes' negative impact, you will naturally feel more motivated to stop them.

• 4.    Learn a Lesson from Your Mistakes
• A mistake isn't a problem if it teaches you a lesson. Make sure that you take a lesson from each mistake you make. When it comes to recurring mistakes, the lesson should be identifying ways to avoid making a mistake again.

• 5.    Make a Plan
• If you are struggling to avoid certain mistakes, make a plan of attack. Take the time to write down steps you can take to address the mistake. This simple act not only gives you a plan to take action on, but it also helps your subconscious recognize the mistake (hopefully) before it happens again.  

• 6.    Change Your Habits
• If you keep doing the same things, you are going to keep making the same mistakes. It might be time for you to switch things up a bit. By building positive habits (or avoiding negative ones), you change the way you do things. Ideally, this means you will get different results, which may be enough to avoid certain recurring mistakes.

• 7.    Address Your Weaknesses
• Once you have identified your recurring mistakes, check to see if they are caused in part by any weaknesses you have. If so, consider taking the steps needed to address those weaknesses. If you can't address a weakness on your own, consider asking a close friend for help.

• 8.    Apologies Must Mean Something
• If you repeatedly make the type of mistakes you have to apologize for, remember that an apology has to mean something. Take time to consider how you may have harmed someone else, and when you apologize, do it thoughtfully and sincerely. When you recognize the severity of your mistakes, it's easier to avoid them.

• 9.    Surround Yourself with Honest Friends
• A great way to break the cycle of repeated mistakes is to have friends that aren't scared to tell you how it is. When you have loved ones that feel comfortable calling you out, it helps you avoid making the same mistakes repeatedly. They will tell you the things that you might not want to admit to yourself.

Marilyn Barker, Business Consultant and Motivational Speaker and Trainer.  Learn more about her at www.MarilynBarker.com or follow her on social media.  Fb.com/barkerbizservices 

#stopmakingmistakes #education #motivational #bereal #supportingothers #marilynbarker

Meridian, Idaho, March 23, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Scentsy, a Forbes-recognized, international direct sales company that creates flameless candles and other richly-scented home cleaning and body products, said in a recent OnePoll survey conducted on its behalf for International Fragrance Week, that the majority of people believe the secret to loving spring cleaning, and tidying up in general, is as simple as an appealing fragrance.

According to the survey that captured data from 2,000 U.S. respondents, 77 percent said they enjoy doing chores around the home when their house smells good. Whether its room sprays (54%), electric oil diffusers (49%) or other kinds of wax warmers (41%), the numbers show a good aroma helps get spring cleaning underway.

“Deep cleaning in the springtime is a longstanding tradition found across many cultures,” Scentsy Vice President of Consultant Sales Lacy Hanson said. “In the U.S., our modern understanding of spring cleaning can be traced to the 19th century when the reliance on kerosene and wood-burning stoves left big messes by the end of winter. And now, 200 years later, spring cleaning is still largely a tradition. But it certainly smells better now!”

The survey also revealed living rooms take priority when it comes to smelling good (66%), whereas the fragrance wafting from the bathroom lands at second place (57%). 

From the coffee table to the tub, over half (53%) said they change home fragrances at least a few times a week, and nearly a quarter (22%) said they swap scents daily. 

“Spring is the perfect time for a deep clean, and as revealed in the International Fragrance Week data, whipping your home back into shape after a long winter can be fun when smelling your favorite scent and using cleaning products with fresh, spring-inspired fragrances,” Hanson said.

About Scentsy

In 2004 Scentsy co-founders Heidi and Orville Thompson launched a big idea in a small, 40-foot shipping container on a Meridian, Idaho sheep farm. Today, Scentsy is a Forbes-recognized, billion-dollar, direct-selling leader known for connecting people through fragrance world-wide. Scentsy has been recognized by Direct Selling News, Idaho Private 100, the DSA Ethos Awards and others for workplace excellence and growth. Scentsyoperates in 12 countries, employs over 1,000 people and delivers richly-scented wickless candles, warmers, diffusers, oils, home, pet and body products through nearly 300,000 independent Consultants who share their Scentsy-product passion via home and virtual-selling parties. At Scentsy, we believe that healthy, happy families build vibrant communities. Since 2010, our charitable cause program has donated $14.3 million to more than 175 charities through the Scentsy Family Foundation, a 501 (c)(3) that funds sustainable nonprofit organizations focusing on children, family and communities. To learn more about how we “Warm the heart, Enliven the Senses and Inspire the Soul” through fragrance, visit www.Scentsy.com and follow us world-wide on social media: www.facebook.com/Scentsy/, www.facebook.com/ScentsyUKandIreland/, https://www.facebook.com/ScentsyAustraliaandNewZealand, www.facebook.com/ScentsyDeutschland, www.instagram.com/scentsy/, www.instagram.com/scentsyeurope/.

How To be a Successful Home Buyer in a Hot Market

So You know you are ready to purchase a home… But Now what? This is a crazy market right now so what should you do. 

Much has been written about how to find a great real estate agent and/or what to look for in a lender.  You need both and making the right choice can make the difference in your success  finding a home. 

But how often do you hear about being a great buyer when searching for a home?  Here are some tips to help you as the buyer. 

Unless you are paying cash, the first step is to get pre-approved for a loan. Don’t assume you qualify, you have to go through the process.  So, find a good local lender that you trust.  We have some very reliable mortgage lenders here in Vacaville, and I would be happy to refer one to you.

Why is getting a loan approval the important initial step?  

• First, home sellers want only qualified buyers viewing their home.
• Second, an agent works very hard to find your perfect home. To do that, they must know what you can afford. 
• Third,. so you are not put in the frustrating position of finding a home you love, just to learn you don’t qualify.  An approval states the mortgage amount you can afford. 
• Forth, unless you are paying cash,  a loan approval is your ticket to getting your offer accepted.  No approval letter no acceptance….plain and simple. 

Searching the internet on sites like Zillow or Redfin is a great way to start your search, but keep an open mind about viewing properties.  Some homes look great in photos, but not in person.  Other homes don’t photograph well, but look terrific when you view them.  The best home searches are done with a qualified real estate professional who understands the local market and communities. Therefore, the next step is to find a great real estate agent to help you find that perfect home.  Here is something to consider when choosing an agent.  Remember buying a home is one of the largest purchases you will ever make, where a great deal of money is at stake.  Your Aunt Violet or cousin Eddie are wonderful people, but please consider if they have the experience required to take on the complexities of handling a real estate transaction. Choose wisely. 

Now that you have your pre-approval letter in hand, and a great agent at your side, you are ready to start a serious search for your new home.  This is where Buyer etiquette is so important, remember the house you are viewing is someone else’s home.  

Here are a few tips to keep in mind during the home buying process:

• Be prepared to write multiple offers.  This is a very competitive market.
• Communicate clearly with your agent agent about what you are looking for. 
• Preview neighborhoods ahead of time so you know where you’d like to live.  
• When viewing, treat the home with respect. 
• Be careful about negative comments.  Recording devices are everywhere now.  
• Too many friends or family makes the process confusing. Keep to a minimum of 2-3. 
• Write reasonable offers, including your approval and proof of funds for down payment to prove to the seller you can afford the house. 
• Once in escrow, get a home inspection. Also, consider a pool, roof, septic or any other applicable inspections.  Sellers don’t usually provide inspections. 
• Keep repair requests to a minimum, and only include health & safety items. Sellers are not going to remodel for you. 

IMPORTANT

• DON’T make any large purchases after your approval.  The lender will run your credit again even if you are approved.  A large purchase can STOP the transaction.
• Don’t make any employment changes. Once again, the lender will check. (If you consider a change ask your lender first.)
• And always listen to your agent’s advice. They are the professionals. 

This is a very competitive market.  Be prepared for this to be a long process.  Often buyers must write multiple offers before one is accepted. Successfully finding and closing escrow on the perfect home can seem like a daunting process. But, surrounding yourself with a team of great real estate professionals, and keeping these tips in mind, will help make it easier, and maybe even fun.  And very soon you will have the keys to the front door of your very own home!  

How exciting!!

Vera Gleason      DRE #01412791

RE eBroker Group.     DRE  #01522411

Ph. 707-394-8372.                                 Email: Vera@VeraGleason.com                                   Website: VeraSellsRealEstate.com 

How to decide if something needs to go. . .Purging 101

I often get asked by clients how do they decide what to let go of as we are sorting through their stuff. I personally live by a couple of easy rules to follow.

The questions I ask myself are:

1. Is this something I love having and love looking at?

2. Is this something I use? (or have plans to use in the very near future)

If the answer isn't yes to one or both of those questions, then you can rest assured that item's shelf life is about to come to an end.

There may need to be a little more thought put into a particular item, and if so, I might delve a little further into my attachment:

1. I try to come up with another way I could use an item. I will search online boards like Pinterest to see if I can find some way to repurpose the item. However, I won't keep something for that undefined "someday I'll use it" scenario.

 

2. I think about how easy it would be to replace. If it’s relatively inexpensive and readily available, my decision will be a bit easier than if it’s a pricey heirloom or irreplaceable antique. However, I’m still completely fine with purging those “irreplaceable” items if I honestly don’t need, want, use, or love them.

 

3. I realistically evaluate how much space the item consumes. Large bulky items have less chance to survive around the house because I’m not willing to “waste” so much storage space. However, I’ll sometimes hold onto smaller items if I have a convenient storage space for them AND if I can honestly see myself using the items.

 

4. I ask my spouse's opinion. Usually he’s also in favor of purging, but there have been times when he wants to hold onto an item for a specific purpose I didn’t realize. So before I make any major purges, I usually let him peruse through my piles. This system has worked well for us, however if your spouse or other family members tend to keep everything, I might not be as eager to let them look through my piles 

That’s it — pretty simple, but unfortunately not very “black and white”.
Yes, there’s a small chance I might regret purging a specific item, and I might have a twinge of guilt as I sell or give the items away… but I always try to remind myself that someone else will be thrilled to find my cast-offs and I will enjoy all my extra space. Win-Win!

In my opinion (take it for what it’s worth) If you don’t LOVE it, and you don’t USE it, you should LOSE it! 

Over the last few months several updates, as well as a feature update, have rolled out to most Windows devices. Additionally, the introduction of Windows 11, which downloads and installs for free if you are running Windows 10, was released. Unfortunately, many users are experiencing printing issues on their devices after these updates.

This post discusses why you may have experienced recent printer issues on a Windows device, as well as the best way to fix the issue. Printing issues include existing printers suddenly not working in addition to color printers suddenly only printing in black and white.

Read more...

Written by Scentsy in Authentic Scentsy, Inspiration, Scentsy Spirit

It’s never a bad time to sit down and set goals for the future, but this week is a great starting point! The beginning of the year offers a fresh vantagepoint to plan new milestones and rekindle old dreams. In fact, Scentsy is celebrating Inspire the Soul week — featuring a look at what’s ahead for Scentsy, as well as advice on establishing your own goals! Here are some of our favorite tips for success:

Have a clear vision

It’s hard to get anywhere if you don’t know where you’re going! Taking the time to visualize your goals is a proven way to accomplish them — even professional athletes incorporate visualization into their training regimen to help develop recognition within the nervous system. Tools like vision boards and Pinterest pins can help you create and maintain a clear view of everything you want to achieve!

Get SMART

Having a vision of what you want to achieve is great, but if that vision is complex or far-reaching it’s going to seem impossible to make it a reality. That’s where the SMART method comes in: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-Bound goals let you chart a clear path to success. After all, unspecific or unmeasurable goals often feel unachievable. Meanwhile, even the most specific goals won’t see much progress if they aren’t relevant to your life or have no deadlines. Checking all the boxes of the SMART method may seem difficult, but our next two tips make it a snap!

Write and re-write

A great way to check if a goal is SMART or not is to write it down. For example, “I will become a more versatile writer” isn’t the SMART-est way of wording what you want to achieve — it’s vague and immeasurable. “I will be less reliant on em dashes” is better, but there’s no endpoint or deadline to check if the goal is complete. “I will use no more than two em dashes for the rest of this blog post” is a SMART goal — provided expanding your writing abilities is relevant to your life. One more to go.

Find your “why”

All the tips and tools in the world won’t help you achieve your goals if they aren’t relevant to you. It’s important to stop and ask yourself why you want to do something in the first place. Introspection is hard, but personality tests and advice from the people who know you best can help. By finding out what makes you tick, you can set goals you’ll be motivated to complete, rather than ones that just feel like chores.

And there you have it! We hope these tips help set you up for success throughout the new year. Achieving your goals may still be challenging at times — you may even miss a few of them — but the most important thing is to stay positive! Sharing your goals with others can be a big help.