You know what I love about Halloween? You get to see people’s alter egos, based on the costumes they choose. There were two people in the office this morning that it took me about 10-15 seconds to even figure out who they were!
Hope there is lots of Halloween fun (and lots of candy) in your weekend plans!
I haven’t talked about the outside lately, but I have lost a total of 40 pounds. I am actually skinny now! I feel ABSOLUTELY amazing! I have a confidence due to my improved physical appearance that I forgot was inside me.
Already inside me. That’s what I learned about myself at the Tony Robbins “Unleash the Power Within” seminar.
Everything I need is already inside me.
See, I walked on fire. I am capable of anything.
Saturday was “Transformation Day”. 8:30 am until 1:30 am…seventeen hours of Tony Robbins with one 10 minute bathroom break and a dinner break about 6 pm.
It was the most intense experience of my life. One of the most spiritual experiences of my life. 42 years of “I’m not good enough” annihilated in one day. One intense, painful, exhausting, joyous day.
It is really gone. The voice in my head…the one that always told me “I’m not good enough”…this is what it has been replaced with:
Now I am the Voice.
I will lead, not follow.
I will believe, not doubt.
I will create, not destroy.
I am a Force for Good .
I am a Force for God.
I am a leader. Defy the odds! Set a new standard! Step Up!
This was on a banner hanging on the wall. I thought it was awesome the first day I saw it, but after “Transformation Day”, I truly understood the meaning. I am "the power within" that was "unleashed".
I saw the following tweet from Tony after the event.
• Just finished R 4day UPW seminar in Chicago. 3,000 ppl from 15 countries. It was quite a crazy "mosh pit" of celebration at the end LOL
5:25 AM Oct 25th from TweetDeck
Yes, I know it’s really expensive. I felt that I needed to go, even though it was so expensive. I had hoped it would be good for me, but I had no idea I was going to walk out a brand-new woman. He calls it “A Weekend Event That Will Transform Your Life”. He’s not kidding. I’m hoping to go back in March. My divorce should be final by then and I’m sure that I will need more transforming. Anyone want to join me?
Now, on to scrapbook supplies!
We have 218 new items this week, including "Spook Alley" from Making Memories; "Harvest Moon", "Big Adventure", "Class Act" and Christmas Imprintables from Creative Imaginations; "Nook and Pantry" from BasicGrey; "Name of the Game" Scrappin’ Sports & More and cruise travel toppers and papers from Travel Expressions.
The SYT designers were also working on the following themes this week: Alaska, Aruba, Casino, Checkers, Cheerleading, Coast Guard, Cowboys, England, Fall, Football, Galapagos Islands, Golf, Halloween, Hawaii, Hayride, Hockey, Italy, Japan, School, Scrapbooking, Scuba, Sewing, Spain, Transformers, Travel, Twilight, Vegas, Williamsburg and Wizard of Oz.
We have two custom papers – Custom Football Field Left and Right and two custom die cuts – a Custom Fall Title Border and Custom Casino.
We also have a close-out on all TrimCraft Products – 60% off – but when they are gone, they are gone! Click here to see all the TrimCraft products: http://www.scrapyourtrip.com/trimcraft-sale.html
And remember, if you can’t find what you’re looking for, we can always make it custom just for you! Click here to see all our custom options: www.scrapyourtrip.com/custom.html.
The full impact of what I accomplished last night still hasn’t hit me.
I walked on 2000 degree, burning red coals. Not a burn or a blister.
We spent 10 hours with Tony Robbins, getting mentally prepared for the fire walk. Visualizing. Learning how to change our biochemistry. Learning that our body would do whatever it needed to protect itself if our mind was in the right place…the right "state". I had no idea of the passage of time. Ten hours seemed like two.
At one point, I was this close to the stage:
When it came time for the fire walk, I was outside…in 50 degree Chicago weather…in the pouring rain…with 2700 other people, waiting my turn, clapping and saying "YES". I barely noticed the cold or the rain (which is amazing, if you know how I am always cold)! The energy as we walked…and the celebration at the end…was indescribable.
Last day for "extra" discounts on clearance products! There still plenty of great products left!
The following are coupon codes that can be applied ON TOP OF the 25% off clearance prices:
EXTRA-5 Spend $200 and get an extra 5% discount – 30% total
EXTRA-10 Spend $300 and get an extra 10% discount – 35% total
EXTRA-15 Spend $400 and get an extra 15% discount – 40% total
EXTRA-25 Spend $500 and get an extra 25% discount – 50% total
Anything in your cart counts towards the minimum purchase, not just clearance items. But these "extra" discounts expire at 11:59 pm Eastern tonight.
I am a voracious reader. I have purchased over 60 books so far this year. I also read at about 1400 words per minute, so that helps. . I was thrilled when I bought myself a Kindle, but I haven’t even touched my Kindle since I got the Kindle App on my iPhone. (My friend Steve told me about this and said he hadn’t used his Kindle since he got his iPhone. Read a book on that little screen? I thought he was nuts. Okay, okay, you were right!)
At the Inc. 500/5000 Conference, I saw a dynamic speaker named Keith Ferrazzi. He was absolutely amazing and I bought his book “Who’s Got Your Back” and was able to have him sign it.
One of the things I love about reading is that I believe that a single sentence can change your life. I devour books, waiting for the next sentence that is going to have a huge impact on me.
I found it on page 46 of Keith’s book. He was talking about attending a Tony Robbins (well-known self-help guru and peak performance coach) seminar. Then I read the following paragraph.
“But as Tony explained, all of us have a dominant question in our lives – one that’s always there in the background, filtering our conscious and unconscious thinking. Among the questions I heard from others were “What have I done wrong?” “Why would anybody help me?” “Why am I not good enough?” “What do they think of me?” “What did I do to deserve this?” and “When does life get better?” Whatever our question is, Tony told us, it drives our emotions, our behaviors, and our reactions, and arguably defines our very identity.”
When I read through this and read the question “Why am I not good enough?” it was like I got kicked in the stomach. It was such a physical reaction; I knew I had just read my dominant question.
I’ve been telling lots of people about this dominant question theory and a friend said “I just love Tony Robbins! If you ever want to go to one of his seminars, I am SO there!” Well, I looked it up online and it was two weeks away and long story short, I am leaving tomorrow to attend the “Unleash the Power Within” seminar.
Now, people either think Tony Robbins is “cheesy” or “amazing”. I fall into the amazing camp. The seminar starts off on Thursday with a fire walk – a 12 foot barefoot walk across 2000 degree coals. It’s used as a metaphor for overcoming your fears and your limiting beliefs. If you can do that (when you thought you couldn’t), what else can you do that you think you can’t?
So, let me tell you…I AM SO EXCITED I CANNOT STAND IT! I am ready for a brand-new Julie to emerge from the ashes of my divorce and my old life. This is one of my first steps. I have lots of old “stuff” to let go of and hope to replace it with a new, whole, healthy and healed me.
I will be posting updates to my personal Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/julie.swatek) as often as I can and will give you the full details of my fire walk on Friday. Let the unleashing begin!
Speaking of letting go, it’s time to let go of some scrapbook product! (How’s that for a great transition?)
Our paper racks are full…our embellishment drawers are stuffed…so that means we either stop buying new stuff or make some room. So, let’s make some room!
There are over 1600 items on clearance. 1640 to be exact. There are so many, I had to split them up into four sections. And since we really need room in the warehouse, I am really motivated to give you a great deal! All the clearance products are marked down 25%. But, the more you buy, the more you save! The following are coupon codes that can be applied ON TOP OF the 25% off clearance prices:
EXTRA-5 Spend $200 and get an extra 5% discount – 30% total
EXTRA-10 Spend $300 and get an extra 10% discount – 35% total
EXTRA-15 Spend $400 and get an extra 15% discount – 40% total
EXTRA-25 Spend $500 and get an extra 25% discount – 50% total
Anything in your cart counts towards the minimum purchase, not just clearance items. But remember, we only have limited quantities of these items (and we will remove them from the website as soon as we can after we’ve sold the last one), so hopefully there is not a lot of "cart stealing" going on!
These additional coupon codes are valid through Friday, October 23 at 11:59pm Eastern. Only one coupon code can be used per order.
My daughter Lauren started 4th grade this year and this is the year that “musical electives”, such as band and chorus start. She wanted to be in band, but she has a really nice singing voice, so I talked her into chorus. Well, the first day of school, she came home SO excited because they had added a dance class and she wanted to do that instead. Seriously, I had never seen her so excited about anything like this before. Well, so many kids were interested that they held a lottery and only 18 kids got in. Thankfully, Lauren was one of them, because I don’t know if either one of us could have handled it if she hadn’t been chosen.
They have been working on a dance all year and she has taught it to her brother Logan and they are always practicing. I captured them on video and I wanted to share. I think it’s so cute to watch Logan watching his big sister and trying to do just what she does.
Thank you to everyone for your feedback on the Christmas scrapbooking supplies. The overwhelming opinion seems to be that I need to get a move on in getting Christmas papers in here for you so you can get started on your card making. We’re on it!
Many of you said that we should have Christmas supplies year-round and I just wanted to let you know that we do. We never discontinue any of our holiday categories, so not only do we have Christmas year-round, but Valentine’s Day, Easter, etc. Click here to check them all out: http://www.scrapyourtrip.com/holiday.html
Don’t forget that today is the last time to get a $15 grab bag for only $5. Just place the grab bag in your cart (http://www.scrapyourtrip.com/grabbag.html) and enter coupon code GRABBAG1009 at checkout. It will automatically apply your discount. One coupon code per order, please.
When northerners move to Florida, one of the biggest adjustments is the difference in our seasons. Any Floridian will tell you that we do have four seasons, but there just isn’t as much contrast as up North.
Apparently, we are just going to skip fall in Florida this year, because while my friend Greg from Wisconsin is posting pictures of snow flurries out his office window on Facebook, I spent Sunday at the clubhouse pool with the kids. I even got a little sun!
The change in holiday seasons also seems to be a little off this year. I remember from when I was a little kid that the “official” start of Christmas was when Santa came at the end of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
Every year, the holiday seasons seem to come upon us earlier and earlier. We eat lunch at Cracker Barrel often and they have had their Christmas stuff out for weeks.
I rant about this every year, but I realized that maybe the reason they start the holiday seasons so early is because that’s what their customers want.
Well, I always want to do what MY customers want, so I decided that I should just ask you. It’s possible that I am not the best judge of this, considering I didn’t put my tree up until the weekend before Christmas last year.
So, what’s the verdict, Scrap Your Trippers? When do you want to start seeing Christmas scrapbooking stuff? Do you need it really early for card making? Any particular companies or lines that you’d like to see? Please leave us comments on the blog and we’ll follow your lead.
We have 241 new non-Christmas items this week, including a gorgeous Halloween collection from Best Creations, "Trip and Travel", "Cheerleading". "Love & Adore" and "Hip Hooray" from Creative Imaginations, "Renaissance Faire" from Graphic 45, Halloween and destination stickers from Mrs. Grossman’s, more outdoors paper from Sugartree, "Dragon", "Princess", "Sisters", "Brothers" and "Military" from Karen Foster and Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts from K&Co.
The SYT designers were also working on the following themes this week: Bali, Cooking, Cruise, Dogs, Egypt, Fall, Florida, Games, Halloween, Italy, Medical, Ocean, Outdoors, Pirates, Scotland, Star Wars, Travel, Vegas, Wedding and Wine Country
We have two custom papers – Custom Elementary School and Custom Stitched Compass and two custom die cuts – a Custom Pumpkin Frame and Custom Plane
It’s Grab Bag time again! $15 worth of goodies for just $5 with a $59 purchase. Just place the grab bag in your cart, enter coupon code GRABBAG1009 and the discount will be applied to your order. One coupon code per order, please.
And remember, if you can’t find what you’re looking for, we can always make it custom just for you! Click here to see all our custom options: www.scrapyourtrip.com/custom.html.
Happy Fall! (Can you hear the sarcasm in my Florida voice?)
It is currently 99 degrees outside with the heat index. Yes, I know those of you who are already wearing coats, building fires in your fireplaces and turning the heat on at night have no sympathy for us, but it’s HOT here!
Someone told me a long time ago that no matter where you live, there are three months of the year that you don’t want to go outside. In Florida, that’s usually June, July and August. Except this year, you can add September and October to the list.
Just how hot is it here? Here are pictures of my kids after they got done running in a BoosterThon Fun Run at school yesterday. It was so hot that they had to take a girl to the hospital with heat stroke.
Okay, so this one isn’t of my kids, but a friend of mine posted this on Facebook today and I was laughing so hard I had tears running down my face. Anything that makes me laugh that hard has to be shared!
**********************************************************************************
Today is the last day to save 15% on all scrapbooking goodies from Reminisce! Over 500 items to choose from! Click here to see them all: http://www.scrapyourtrip.com/rem.html Just enter coupon code REM1009 at checkout and the discount will be applied. One coupon code per order please. Coupon expires tonight at midnight Eastern time.
I am the kind of person who tries to learn a lesson in everything. I figure that everything happens for a reason and it’s up to me to figure out what the reason is. At the very least, there is something I can learn from whatever happens, right?
So, what lesson can I learn from the fire alarm going off in my building at midnight the other night? Turns out there were plenty of them!
First, it amazed me at how many people in the building assumed it was a false alarm and didn’t evacuate. Of the whole building, only 5 units evacuated. Now, I wasn’t thrilled about being outside in the middle of the night, but since when do you not head outside when there is a fire alarm? It must be deeply ingrained in me since elementary school.
But the biggest lesson came next. After about ten minutes, and not hearing any sirens, I started asking people if anyone had called 911. Nope. Not one person (of course, I only had 5 to ask, remember). Everyone “assumed” that they had been notified automatically, or that someone else had already called.
Well, I never “assume” anything, so I called 911. Turns out I was the first to call. Imagine that! Within 5 minutes, the Osceola County Fire Department was on the scene (kudos to them!). By that time, I had already found the number for the property management company and their emergency line (didn’t get me anywhere, but that’s a whole different story).
Since I was stuck outside with only my iPhone, I thought this was Facebook worthy. When I posted the second time “Well, at least there are cute firemen…with AXES!”, Melissa commented “Nice to find the bright side to a fire alarm.”
See, that was my next lesson. There is a bright side to everything. Of course, Judy wanted me to get pictures of the cute firemen, but they seemed a little busy!
In all seriousness, my big lesson was this: Take Action. Be the person who says “If it’s going to be, it’s up to me.” Don’t assume, because I know you all know that saying!
Oh, and one more thing…if there is a fire alarm…EVACUATE THE BUILDING!
Now on to scrapbook supplies!
We have 239 new items this week, including "Trick or Treat" by Little Yellow Bicycle, lots of new eyelets and brads from Eyelet Outlet (including Hot Air Balloons), "Fern" and "Totally Teen" by Adornit by Carolee’s Creations, "Grid Iron" by Moxxie, wonderful new outdoors papers from SugarTree, "Destinations" stickers from Mrs. Grossman’s, "Magical Moments Scrapbook Journaling Book" with lots of journaling ideas for your Disney trips, a "Heritage Starter Kit" from Bazzill and two tools from TrimCraft – Embossing and Envelope Maker and Clear Stamping Blocks.
The SYT designers were also working on the following themes this week: Africa, Apple Picking, Autumn, Bunco, Colorado, Cycling, Decades, Egypt, Family, Food, Four Wheeling, France, Grand Canyon, Great Outdoors, Halloween, Ice Skating, Ireland, Japan, Kids, Maine, Mexico, Music, New Orleans, Niagara Falls, Oregon, Owl, Paintball, School, Soccer, Travel, Volcano, Washington DC and World War I.
We have two custom papers – School Block and 3 Line Aligned and two custom die cuts – car and Civil War (for all you reenactors out there).
Reminisce is one of my favorite manufacturers in the scrapbooking industry and for the next three days you can save 15% on all their items. Just enter coupon code REM1009 at checkout and your savings will be deducted. (no minimum purchase, one coupon code per order, expires 11:59 pm Eastern, Friday, 10/09/2009)
And remember, if you can’t find what you’re looking for, we can always make it custom just for you! Click here to see all our custom options: www.scrapyourtrip.com/custom.html.
It’s been a week of milestones in the Swatek family condo. Logan lost his front tooth! It’s been really wiggly for weeks and I was so afraid it was going to come out while I wasn’t around. I am the “official tooth puller” and the thought of missing the Tooth Fairy because of our separation sent me into a tailspin.
Lauren also had her first boy “ask her out”. She’s only in fourth grade, so I totally did not see this coming already! She was concerned, because he’s her best “boy” friend and she didn’t want to mess it up. We talked about it for a while and I told her I knew she would make the right decision. Those were tough words to get out of my mouth.
Last night, I asked her at snuggle time what she had decided. She said that she told him that she just wanted to be friends. Whew!
I am so grateful that these two events happened at my house, but sad for Tony that he missed the Tooth Fairy. He’s probably just fine with missing the “boy” conversation!
I know this is all part of the transition we are making from one family to two. Sometimes it’s going to be easy…sometimes it’s going to be tough, but we are both good parents and we will all get through this.
Wow! I had no idea the tool kits would go so fast! We sold the last ones this morning. I tried to get more, but they were all gone. I am always keeping my eye out for great deals to pass along to you, so I will know to stock up next time.
We still have 241 new items for you to browse through, along with lots of items on sale.
There were two people in the office this morning that it took me about 10-15 seconds to even figure out who they were!
