Bridge to the New Year 2019 Day 1 A little about me

I was invited to join a writing challenge called Bridge to the New Year. I decided I would take it on this month and I am going to do my best to recommit to keeping this blog up and writing a post a day for the challenge topics. 

Day 1 Topic Share 10-30 Facts about Yourself

1) I am currently 29 years old.
2) I am an early childhood educator full time and in my spare time I am an entrepreneur.
3) One day I hope to go full entrepreneur and work for myself.
4) I enjoy reading.
5) I enjoy learning.
6) I like coloring and doodling.
7) I joined Avon in 2011 as a means to earn an income while going to college full time and now it has grown into a business that helps me to pay my bills, keep food on the table, keep gas in the car, and so much more!
8) In 2015, I have was awarded the Spirit of Avon award which is awarded to a select group of representatives and is really about your passion for your Avon business.
9) In 2014, I hit our top seller level President's Club and I am finally headed that way again for 2018 with $10000 in sales for the year! 
10) This year I have earned several incentives for Avon!
11) I have been selected recently as an Avon Influencer for a pilot program on using Instagram to grow your Avon business (you can follow me on Instagram @adavis0493 ) and this is the third pilot program that I have been selected for to do with growing my business using Social Media in the last year. 
12) I am a pet mom to a dog, Cookie and a Beta Fish.
13) There is a cat Bob, and two other dogs Jet and Kodiak that are also in my life (live with my parents but basically mine too especially Bob and Kodiak).
14) I am a dog aunt to two more dogs Hank and Troy. 
15) Jet, Kodiak, Hank, and Troy are all labrador retrievers and my family is sort of the crazy lab family. lol.
16) I have a younger brother.

You can follow along with us in this challenge by following us on Facebook and Instagram. 

Happy New Year 2018!

Happy New Year!

Seriously? How is it January 1, 2018 already? 2017 seemed to zip by. It seems like just yesterday I was writing the New Year update for 2017. As you can see I didn't do too much blogging here in 2017. I guess that's because my primary business blog is located elsewhere and between working full time and trying to grow my business online presence the personal stuff went out the window a little bit. For 2018, I'd like to come back to this blog more than I did in 2017. I may make it a goal to do it at least once weekly and then if I have other things to talk about more frequently than that, great, but if not I'll at least do the once a week posts. We'll see if I stick to that goal. I don't really make New Year's resolutions because I don't stick to them...lol. Looking forward to what is to come this year!

Stay up to date with me on Social Media:

Facebook--https://www.facebook.com/amdalcove/

Twitter--https://twitter.com/amandabeautytip

Periscope--https://www.periscope.tv/amandabeautytip

Instagram--https://www.instagram.com/adavis0493/

YouTube--https://www.youtube.com/c/AmandaDavis0493

My favorite things about Christmas

I absolutely love the Christmas Season! As I was celebrating Christmas yesterday with my family I realized just how much Christmas as an adult is definitely about the people you are spending time with and less about the gifts you give and get. I am in that transitional phase of adulthood where I don't have children yet to make the holiday all about them, but I am also no longer a child excited for Christmas morning and getting everything I asked for on my list. This year was the first year I really didn't ask for anything because I just didn't need anything. I feel I ended up with a very nice Christmas and I hope that others out there did as well. If you don't celebrate Christmas, I still hope you are enjoying this time of year with your family no matter what holiday or holidays you are celebrating. 

Quick Video about How I feel about Christmas:

Quick Video about my favorite things about Christmas:

What are some of your favorite things about this time of year? Comment on this post to let me know!

Day 27 of the #SWMBlogChallenge Favorite Time of Year

My favorite time of year is all year. There is something about each season that I enjoy. Winter I enjoy a nice snow day and staying cuddled up in front of the fireplace or just wrapped in a blanket with a cup of hot chocolate and a good book or movie. During the spring, I love all of the flowers blooming and how pretty the season is and also how seasonable it is outside not too cold and not too hot. During the summer, I enjoy going to the beach and spending some time on vacation. And for the fall I enjoy the more seasonable weather not too hot and not too cold as well as the fall scents and fall leaves. I cannot pick just ONE time of year because like I said there is something I enjoy about each of the seasons. 

This challenge was created by Amanda Smith of Spark Within Me--https://sparkwithinme.wordpress.com/

Five Places I wish to Visit Day 26 of the #SWMBlogChallenge

1) Boston, Massachusetts (The history is amazing and I hear this is a wonderful place on the historical list to visit.)

2) Hawaii (beaches, enough said)

3) Europe basically everywhere (France, Italy, England, Scotland, Spain, etc.)

4) California

5) Universal Studios Florida for the Harry Potter Land because I MUST make it there before it closes

This challenge was created by Amanda Smith of Spark Within Me--https://sparkwithinme.wordpress.com/

Day 24 of the #SWMBlogChallenge My Daily Routine

6:00am--Alarm goes off and I get up

6:05-6:30ish am--Eat breakfast, drink coffee, check Social Media and the PeriGirls Heart Tribes 2.0 Slack group, check in with my PeriGirls Heart Tribes 2.0 Tribe

6:30-7:00 am--Finish getting ready for work.

7:00 am-7:15am--Leave for work

8:00 am--Arrive at work

8:00 am-2:00pm--Changing lives by teaching the next generation

2:00 pm-3:00pm--"Lunch" break and I usually use this time to check into Slack again and check Social Media as well as run errands

3:00 pm-5:00pm--Changing more lives by teaching the next generation

5:00 pm--Leave work to go home

6:00 pm--Arrive home

6:00 pm-7:00pm--Depending on the day, I try to get dinner done during this time, sometimes watch television, and also will check into Social Media yet again

7:00pm--I try to get my Periscope Live Streams done around this time as well as my daily Blog Posts for this challenge 

8:00 pm - 10:00 pm--Get ready for bed, get more things done including watching Periscope, watching television, reading, etc. Whatever I still need to get done for the day

10:00 pm--Bed time 

This challenge was created by Amanda Smith of Spark Within Me--https://sparkwithinme.wordpress.com/

Day 22 of the #SWMBlogChallenge My Life Motto

So my life motto is pretty simple. Try your best! I know you hear this all the time right? But seriously, just always try your best! At least you tried and when you put forth your best effort great things will usually come! Something else I try to live by is live life one day at a time. Again, you hear this all the time right? Seriously, though it is so much less stressful to live life one day at a time and not focus on the past or future but focus on the present and what is happening in the present and taking things one day at a time.

This challenge was created by Amanda Smith of Spark Within Me--https://sparkwithinme.wordpress.com/

Day 18 of the #SWMBlogChallenge What makes me unique?

What makes me unique? I am me. That's it. Each and everyone of us is unique because we are ourselves. There is not another me out there just like there is not another you out there. Everyone is unique and irreplaceable. So what makes me unique? Just what I said...I am me. I really don't have much else to add to that other than if you want to learn more about me be sure to follow this Blog as most of the posts are related to my life and also be sure to check out the About Me area. You can also follow me on various social medias by looking at the right sidebar and the badges that are displayed there. Thanks for reading as always! 

This challenge was created by Amanda Smith of Spark Within Me--https://sparkwithinme.wordpress.com/

Days 12 and 13 of the #SWMBlogChallenge Something I miss and Something I look forward to...

The topics for August 12th & 13th were to share something you miss and something you look forward to in your life. Since I missed posting on the 12th and since these topics were related I decided to go ahead and combine them into one post. :-)

First let me answer something that I miss. Something I miss is the simplicity of childhood. As a child, you don't have to worry about adult things like bills and work and life. You can live pretty care free and enjoy your time however you wish watching tv, playing video games, hanging out with friends, etc while the adults in your life worry about the adult things like finances and getting food on the table and a living space, etc. Sometimes I wish I could be a kid again, but then I remember how as an adult I have the freedom to do mostly what I want within reason. Sometimes us adults just don't want to worry about "adulting". What I truly miss is the simplicity of things. 

As far as something I look forward to, the main thing I look forward to at this point in my life is getting married and starting a family. I hope for this to happen in the next three years (by the time I turn 30) and I do have a prospect in my current relationship. Nothing is written in stone yet or planned but I see some things coming together. 

This challenge was created by Amanda Smith of Spark Within Me--https://sparkwithinme.wordpress.com/

Day 10 of #SWMBlogChallenge Ten Things that Make Me Happy

Ten Things That Make Me Happy:

• Spending time with friends and family
• Spending time with my pets
• Watching a light bulb go off when a child learns something new particularly my students and celebrate those milestones and academic and personal successes
• Connecting with new people via Live Streaming platforms and Social Media
• Watching my favorite television shows that I am invested in
• Watching a good movie
• Reading a good book
• Learning something new
• Listening to a great webinar or conference call training
• Working my direct sales businesses and gaining new customers and team members

Day 9 #SWMBlogChallenge Something I Struggle With

Our topic for Day 9 is to share something we struggle with and I think the biggest thing I struggle with is consistency. I know what I need to do and I know it should be done but I struggle with staying consistent in some areas. I'll fully admit I struggle to stay consistent with this Blog. I have plenty of content to share, but I struggle to find and take the time to share it. Hopefully, as time moves forward that will change. Perhaps this challenge will get me Blogging more frequently since I plan to properly finish the challenge in time. Only time will tell. I will definitely be making it a personal goal to fix this struggle to the best of my ability.

This Blogging challenge was created by Amanda Smith at Spark Within Me https://sparkwithinme.wordpress.com/

Someone who inspires me---My Grandma, may she rest in peace---#SWMBlogChallenge Day 6

My Grandmother Campbell truly inspires me. She loved history and she was a great role model. She was a big influence on my life growing up and I will always remember the impact she made on my life. She doesn't have a special story, she was just her, but she did do wonderful things with her life and raised four children and five grandchildren. She was a major part of all of our lives and took us as her grandchildren on boy scout trips (my cousin), on day trips (my brother and I), and she was always there when any one of us needed her. My brother and I spent many summer days at her house growing up and I spent my ninth grade year going to her house after school every day. I can only hope to be the kind of mother and grandmother she was one day. Here is a video I did back in May for the PeriGirls PGHonor initiative "Honoring the Women in Our Lives" where I talked about this grandmother. 

This Blogging challenge was created by Amanda Smith at Spark Within Me https://sparkwithinme.wordpress.com/

Join Periscope PeriGirls at www.perigirls.com 

Follow me on Periscope @amandabeautytip

What is at the top of my bucket list? --- #SWMBlogChallenge Day 5

I have been thinking about this question all day. What is at the top of my bucket list? I think that if I had a bucket list, it would definitely be travel related. I think the biggest thing that is at the top of my bucket list is to travel to as many places as I can in my lifetime. To date, I still have not done a lot of traveling. Every summer my family goes to the Outer Banks and I have been to the Virginia Blue Ridge Mountains several times. I have traveled to Savannah, Georgia and Hershey, Pennsylvania but those have been the farthest south and north and I have not left the east coast of the United States. Yeah I still have a lot of traveling to do. :-) 

This challenge was created by Amanda Smith at Spark Within Me https://sparkwithinme.wordpress.com/

My Favorite Quote...Day 4 #SWMBlogChallenge

“But the most exciting, challenging and significant relationship of all is the one you have with yourself. And if you can find someone to love the you you love, well, that's just fabulous.”--Carrie Bradshaw, Sex and the City

A quote that has resonated with me since I heard it is the one above from the writers of Sex and the City. It is the final line of the original series said by Carrie Bradshaw. I think it is super important to love yourself and take care of yourself and if you find someone that loves you for YOU, then that is wonderful. I think it truly speaks to how we do not need another person to make us happy, but when we do find someone to love, a life partner, husband or wife, then it makes life all the merrier, but it is not necessary to lead a happy, healthy, successful life. 

This challenge was created by Amanda Smith of Spark Within Me--https://sparkwithinme.wordpress.com/

My Blogging Story---Day 3 #SWMBlogChallenge

I was always someone that would go through phases of journaling, including a time that I kept an electronic journal for several months and that was lost when my old laptop crashed because it was saved as a Word Document. A few years ago, I started Blogging to try to grow my direct sales business as an Avon Representative. A few months after that I got the idea to start this Blog with more personal Blog posts versus Business Blog posts so that I could have people get to know ME. I have enjoyed coming back to this Blog and seeing where it has come from when I started. I have grown in confidence and have come to realize that all that matters is what I think of the Blog and what I want to share with readers and if someone reads it, that's wonderful, but if not then it is okay. I am super excited to continue to see this Blog grow and continue to share my story with the people that choose to read. 

This Blog Challenge was founded by Amanda Smith of A Spark Within Me--https://sparkwithinme.wordpress.com/

Day 1 #SWMBlogChallenge Introduce Yourself

My name is Amanda Davis and I am a full time early childhood educator, currently teaching one year olds. I have been a teacher for four years and this coming up school year will be my fifth year. I graduated with my Master's degree in Early and Elementary Education in May 2012. I am also in direct sales and have been for five years this month. I have been a Blogger since 2013 and I have been writing on this Blog since 2014. I have a chocolate lab, Kodiak and a cat, Bob that live with my parents, but they are family pets. I currently have another female dog, Cookie and a Beta Fish and a Guinea Pig that live with my boyfriend and I. I also have a younger brother. 

I found this challenge through the founder Amanda Smith who is @MsAmandaSmith11 on Periscope and Instagram. Her blog is https://sparkwithinme.wordpress.com/ and she will be posting the challenge topic there. Woo hoo! Let's get this month started!

(804) 594-3525

(804) 594-3525

Vlog: Meet my Furry Friends (The Pets in My Life)

Here is My Vlog Video Sharing My Pets:

The current pets in my life are Kodiak, Bob, Troy (black lab that is my brother's dog), and my beta fish. I will always be a lover of cats and dogs and definitely enjoy Labrador Retrievers. 

Kodiak is a chocolate lab. He will be seven years old in April 2016. He lives with my parents.

Bob is really more my mom's cat, but he is now the only cat in my life as my cat Tiger passed back in November.

Not in the video, but this is my current fish. He is a beta and I've had him almost a month since the end of December 2015.

Are you here from Periscope? More about me...

Hello! Are you visiting from Periscope? Thanks for visiting and learning more about me! This blog is my main personal blog, but I do have other blogs as you can see if you look at the sidebar and the websites listed. I know I've mentioned my main other blog in my Periscope scopes as well. On this blog, I post a lot of random things about myself, my businesses, travel, cooking and recipes, and lessons I've learned in life and business. 

My name is Amanda Davis and I am 27 years old. As I've mentioned on Periscope, I am a full time preschool teacher and I am also in the direct sales industry. I have been in the industry for four years. The last couple years I have strongly been working on online marketing and finding new ways to market myself online and set myself apart from others. I enjoy Periscope because it allows you to interact with others and essentially meet new people worldwide. It is such a cool platform! I also love it's simplicity and appreciate that it is so easy to use.

Not sure what Periscope is because you're reading this on my blog page? Don't worry! Periscope is a new mobile app that is connected to your Twitter account and allows you to livestream video and interact with those that are watching you through the app. Check it out at www.periscope.tv

If you are on Periscope and are not already following me you can visit me at www.periscope.tv/amandabeautytip and my username is @amandabeautytip. 

I scope about various topics in lots of different areas. Sometimes it's a random scope or sometimes it's a tips scope or something I'm sharing from one of my direct sales companies. I am a member of PeriGirls so a lot of my scopes are for that group. Not sure what PeriGirls is? It is a group of women supporting other women on Periscope and you can join at www.perigirls.com which will redirect you to the Facebook group. The group provides ideas on what to scope about, tips, training, and a great community of women supporting other women. 

Are you here from Instagram? A little bit about me...

By the way my Instagram name is adavis0493. :-)

Hello! Thanks for clicking on the link from my Instagram account to learn more about me. My name is Amanda Davis and I am 27 years old. I am born and raised in Virginia in the United States. I share a lot of different things on my Instagram account, so you're probably curious what I'm all about. I know I've shared some posts about my pets. At my apartment I keep a small fish tank. The other pets live at my parent's house and I occasionally post pictures of other people's pets if they are cute. :-) 

You've probably figured out from my account that I am an Avon Representative. I have been an Avon Independent Sales Representative for four years so far and loving it! If you are interested in something I posted on my account or just looking for some Avon and live in the USA then you can visit my website at www.youravon.com/adavis0493 24/7.

I also enjoy sharing about my journey of learning how to cook and cooking various recipes. Besides what I post here I do have a cooking blog as well as I love using Kitcheneez products for the simplicity. Kitcheneez is another direct sales company. I joined about two years ago (September 2014) primarily for the personal discount and I do enjoy the products! If you are interested in learning what sorts of dips and meal mixes they have to offer then check out my affiliate link at www.kitcheneez.biz/adavis0493

Be sure to check out the links in the sidebar of this blog for everything about me and links to my business pages, blogs, etc. 

Thanks for reading and following me! 
--Amanda

30 Day Blog Challenge: Day 21: What Makes Me Sad

Here are some things that make me sad in no particular order:

(1) Loved ones being sick and/or hurt

(2) Sad television, movies, and moments in books (yes I will cry at sad commercials or sad television shows and movies)

(3) Life's Sad Moments (We all have them)

(4) World Problems

(5) Children living in sad situations

Hey, I'm happier more than sad these days so not much makes me cry, but every once in a while something will make me sad or even make me cry, but it's hard to go into much details here as usually when something makes me sad it's in the moment.