Helen's Voice

Rosh Hashanah

2009-09-14T13:54:00.002-04:00

The Jewish Holiday of Rosh Hashanah
Rosh Hashanah 2009: Friday, September 18(begins at sundown)

The Jewish Holiday of Rosh Hashanah is widely known and celebrated as the New Years Day of the Jewish calendar, but actually Rosh Hashanah has a fourfold meaning - It is the Jewish New Year, the Day of Judgment, the Day of Remembrance, and the Day of Shofar Blowing.
•It is the Day of Judgment As Jews worldwide examine their past deeds and asks for forgiveness for their sins

•It is the Day of Shofar Blowing As the Shofar (the rams horn) is blown in temple to herald the beginning of the 10 day period known as the High Holy Days

•It is the Day of Remembrance As Jews review the history of their people and pray for Israel

•And of course it is New Year's Day Celebrated with it's holiday greeting cards, special prayers, and festive and sweet foods (to ensure sweetness in the New Year)
Rosh Hashanah is observed the first and second day of the seventh month of the Jewish calender, Tishri. Coming in the Fall season of the western calendar, usually in September.

In Israel Rosh Hashanah is the only holiday kept for 2 days as it is considered too important to be observed for only 24 hours. Both days are considered one long day of 48 hours.

The traditions of Rosh Hashanah are simple as the only commandment specified for the holiday is the blowing of the shofar. In temple the shofar is blown on Rosh Hashanah to herald the beginning of the period known as the High Holy Days.

It is believed that on Rosh Hashanah the destiny of all mankind is recorded by God in the Book of Life. After Rosh Hashanah services, as the congregants leave the synagogue they say to each other...

"May you be inscribed in the Book of Life"
On the first day of Rosh Hashanah, after the afternoon services, Jews visit a body of water or pond, containing live fish*, to symbolically "cast away" their sins into the river.

*The fish's dependence on water symbolizes the Jews dependence on God, as a fish's eyes never close, God's watchful eyes never cease.

On Rosh Hashanah it is customary for families to gather together for the holiday meal. Traditional foods sweetened with honey, apples and carrots are served, symbolizing sweetness, blessings, abundance and the hope for a sweet year ahead.

The first night's meal begins with apple dipped in honey. Challah, the bread usually eaten on the Sabbath (not braided as at regular meals but instead baked in a circle - a wish that the coming year will roll around smoothly without unhappiness or sorrow) is also dipped in honey before eating.
This post gotten directly from this website: http://www.holidays.net/highholydays/rosh.htm

Momfinitions

2009-09-05T16:55:00.001-04:00

Momfinitions

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Kids In The Kitchen: Unlimited FUN!

2009-09-02T02:02:00.007-04:00

If you’re a parent who spends very little time with your kids due to the daily
hassles in your office and/or in your home, then I say this to you: make time. When you’re old and look back, you’ll regret not doing things with your kids. You might even end up miserable and hating yourself and the real sad part is that you’ll never get that time back. So why be that old person? Try doing things with your kids today! One little activity that is very rewarding for you and your kid is inviting your children into your kitchen. There are quick and easy recipes that both you and your kids can enjoy. Be creative! Have FUN!

How many times have you scolded your kid for playing around the kitchen? Well this is understandable given the potential dangers around the kitchen, such as knives, hot
surfaces, boiling water, hot oils, etc. But by involving them in the cooking
process you will be able to teach them the proper and safe conducts in and around
the kitchen. This beats scolding anytime.

Children love the whole process of cooking. They see and learn the way big pieces of ingredients are chopped, sliced, or grated and mixed together to form a terrific dish. Maybe to them it’s a big jigsaw puzzle, that when you get it right you will have one whole piece of dish that you can enjoy and eat!

Be patient when you’re working with kids. Expect a BIG mess of things!!! Your work
table will most likely be overrun by various ingredients, drops of seasonings,
scattered utensils, measuring instruments, and other cookware. This is fun to them,
and who knows you might enjoy a taste of chaos once in a while. It might actually
be liberating. But for the kids, the experience is hilarious and when they made
good with their food, the feeling would be fulfilling. You will be laughing, loving and celebrating about the memories you just created, and hopefully will last a lifetime for you and for them!

There are several easy recipes that kids can make. Some very easy and simple dishes
include omelet recipes and other breakfast dishes. Making French toast is quite
easy as well. Salads and sandwiches are also quite easy to make plus they are very
healthy. Your kids can also bring these sandwiches for their lunch breaks.

One simple recipe is making a banana crepe, or make a chocolate banana crepe.
What you will need is some crepe flour, milk, eggs, melted chocolate, butter and of
course sliced bananas. Mix together everything in a bowl except for the chocolate,
bananas and butter. Let your kid do the mixing. Use the butter to grease a
crepe pan and then pour the crepe mixture on it. Make sure to spread out the
mixture over the pan. Remember to flip it to cook the other side. Once cooked,
spread the melted chocolate, line up the banana slices, and then fold it. You can
add some more chocolate on the outside. Enjoy this with your kid.

Making pancakes is also another easy one. You can either go with the quick cooked
pancakes available in the market or make your own from flour, baking powder, salt,
and sugar. Whatever you decide, your kids can handle the mixing of the pancake mix,
the greasing of the pan, the flipping of the pancakes and the presentation and
additional touches like topping with chocolate or strawberry syrup.

Allow your kids to experiment and be imaginative. You will enjoy quick and easy
recipes if you cook them with your kids. Sure expect a dirty kitchen later, but you
have so much to gain if you involve your kids with the things you do! Happy cooking!

Braves manager visits new Yankee Stadium - NewsTimes.com

2009-08-19T20:27:00.001-04:00

Braves manager visits new Yankee Stadium - NewsTimes.com

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Not Me! Monday

2009-08-17T14:25:00.000-04:00

I did not pay my oldest daughter, Amanda, $5.00 to entertain her sister for one hour so I could continue chatting online with my Facebook friends. Not me! I did not hide the Maxwell House coffee from my husband and make him use the "cheap coffee" because I wanted to save the "good" coffee for my guests for my upcoming party. Not me! I did not allow my 3-year-old to play in the dirt in her church clothes while I relaxed for 10 minutes, nor did I give her a pail of water to make mud pies and try to feed the "pies" to the dog. Not Me! I did not use the kid's shampoo to wash the dog because I was all out of dog shampoo. I did not answer a phone call from my Mama while I was in the bathroom. I did not fall asleep on the couch while watching Twilight, for the hundreth time, with my kids and not wake up until I heard them fighting over what movie to watch next. Not me! And finally, I did not in any way, shape, or form, embarrass my 12-year-old by wearing her Hello Kitty tanktop out in public to the mall. Not me! If you would like to share your Not Me! story, please click on the banner below and see other Not Me! stories, too!

Contribute 2009 : Big Help for Small Business

2009-08-16T21:49:00.001-04:00

Contribute 2009 : Big Help for Small Business

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If Patience Is A Virtue....I'm Done For!

2009-08-15T20:13:00.000-04:00

Okay! Okay! I'll admit it! I'm impatient! I want it all and I want it NOW! Will I get it? Sure! Will I get it instantly? 9 times out of 10....No. However, as impatient as I admittedly am, I do know that good things DO come to those who wait. As nice as that is and all, and as much as I apply that knowledge to my personal and business life, today does not qualify. So, I suppose today I am not as virtuous as usual. But, I have to say, it's for a very good reason!
Today, I received a pdf document of the new Scentsy 2009 Fall/Winter catalog. Now, this may not seem like extremely exciting news to some and I understand that. I, myself, was not shaking with excitement when I downloaded it. The excitement and tremors did occur when I viewed it. OMG! Scentsy has outdone themselves with the new products! I mean it! I was so excited, I called a friend about it and immediately sent it to her email address. She, then, called me within 30 minutes exclaiming how awesome the new Plug-In warmers were and how she needed to have a Basket Party to get all the new products for FREE! Pumped up with excitement to the point of no return, I feverishly sent an email out to all my friends giving them a "sneak peek" at the new catty! My inbox has been flooded since with rave reviews on the new product line and new scents! I did not send out a "sneak peek" pdf to those who are on my company's newsletter list, though. Just my friends. I didn't want to violate any type of compliance, privacy, or spam issues. So, if YOU would like to take a "sneak peek" at the new Scentsy catalog, just shoot me an email at: dixiedarlin2671@gmail.com and I will be glad to send you a copy of the new Scentsy Fall/Winter 2009 catalog. Just put "Catalog request" in the Subject line, please, and I'll reply as soon as possible. Remember....You must REQUEST by email that you would like a copy.
This is just for a peek at the new products. No strings attached, and I will not sell, trade, share, or even let anyone come close to your information. I pinky swear! The items will not be available for purchase until September 1, 2009. It is in PDF format, so you will need the Adobe Reader 9 program to view it and/or download it. You can obtain a free version of the Adobe Reader 9 at: http://www.adobe.com/products/reader/ If the link doesn't work, then copy and paste into a new browser window.

If you would like a current version of the Scentsy catalog, please visit my website at: http://www.scentsy.com/ScenterofAttention and click on "View Catalog" and you will be directed to a page where you can view the current catalog. You will also be given a link at the top to click on if you would like to download a copy to your computer to view at your own leisure. Easy as pie! Scentsy's current products are available for purchase through August 31, 2009. After that date, Scentsy will make the transition and some of those products will no longer be available. If you would like a Discontinued List, please request one from me via email. The clock is ticking, so hurry!

Warmest wishes for much success!

~Helen~

The BEST Customer Service Advice Ever!

2009-08-12T12:11:00.000-04:00

In my direct selling business, the customer is of the upmost importance to me (and the company I work with). So, it would make sense that I would provide these people with the best possible customer service, right? Unfortunately, I found myself faltering in this area of my business. Why? I shamefully admit that it was mainly because of my mindset. I had a mindset that was solely based on the sales and not the customer. The WORST mindset ever! Once the sale was final and delivered, I just filed the customer away in my 3-drawer filing cabinet and moved on to the next buyer. Curiously enough, I never had any complaints from anyone about poor customer service. Well, they never told ME, anyway. These customers, however, were telling each other about their feelings on my poor customer service! OUCH! My business relies on word-of-mouth advertising! Still, no one was telling ME how they felt! Why should they? Then, I received the BEST customer service advice EVER! When I followed through with incorporating this simple tasks into my business, THEN I found out how my customers truly felt and boy was there egg on my face! Here is the advice that was shared with me by a great lady in direct sales.

Hold a customer service week! Depending on how many customers you have accumulated, you may hold a customer service month! It is really easy to do and the results are phenomenal! It also puts you in the mindset of what REALLY matters in direct sales, which is IT"S ALL ABOUT THE RELATIONSHIPS!!! This works! You will feel more comfortable making these calls and the other person will feel comfortable also! I will give a "script" you can use if you would like. Don't read directly from this "script" please! Throw in your own personality and questions that relate to the customer's response and circumstances. Everybody is different and each will have different situations and opinions on your business and on you! Don't ask the questions in numerological order either. Mix things up! Ask them questions in between the ones I have used. This will help you in reaching your main priority, which is to build a relationship with that person. Ask questions that will develop the conversation. Here is my "script." Please remember to make up your own "script" that shows your own personality!

"Hi,____! This is Helen with (your company name)! How are you? (Wait for response and respond appropriately!) The reason I am calling, is because this is Customer Service Week at (your company name) and I'd like to ask you a couple of quick questions, if I may? (Wait for response. If they are too busy, set a date AND time to call back when more convient for THEM!)"
Questions:
1. How are you enjoying your (your company's name) products?
2. How often do you use the product?
3. Which product is your favorite?
4. Is there anything that you purchased from (your company name) that you do not like or that you are disappointed in?
5. What products would you like to see (your company name) carry in the future?

"Thank you, ____. Please keep in mind that I am always interested in your input and ideas. If you ever think of anything else or if I can be of service to you in any way, please give me a call! My direct number is (your phone number). I appreciate your taking the time to help me to provide you with better customer satisfaction and care. As a token of my appreciation for your time, I would like to offer you a free _____. Where would you like me to send it?"

The first time I did this, I made 14 calls. 12 of them were waiting for me to call them because they needed more of my product! 6 of them had specific questions that they needed answers to about my business! 3 of them were interested in having a party! 2 of them needed replacements! And ALL of them were happy to hear from me! Shocked? I sure was!

This also works great for making calls to those who haven't purchased your products, but attended a party or you gave a sample to while out and about. Just ask them questions such as, "Did you enjoy the sample I gave you?" "Did you have fun at the party?" "What did you like or dislike about the sample/party?" Then, offer them the company's current catalog as a free gift!

This simple task has saved me from self-destructing my own business! It simply is the BEST advice for customer service that I have ever received! Don't forget to take plenty of notes, too, when you are speaking to your customers. The information that just 14 people gave me, helped me to be a better business consultant as well as a better person. Warmest wishes and much success to all!

Back 2 School

2009-08-09T12:55:00.000-04:00

Today, as I take a well-needed rest from a weekend of shopping for school supplies and book bags, I have decided that the other parents in my community deserve a relaxing, festive get-together! I live in South Carolina and our children will begin their educational journey on August 19th. I am going to call this party: "Back 2 School Blast!" There will also be some "new" Moms and Dads invited, who are sending off their children for the very first time, and we are going to allow them to cry, laugh, and provide them with some support from all of us who have been there and done that, and know how emotional that very first day of school can be for the child AND the parent! I encourage others to get together with the other parents in their community or neighborhood and provide that much needed support for the "new" school parents as well as the support of the veteran parents! I am just serving coffee and muffins. Nothing too fancy shmancy, just something that they can grab in case they have other things to do, or need to rush off to work. For those with younger, non-school age children (myself included, here) I am providing toys and coloring stations for them, so that their Mom and/or Dad can relax for a little while. Also, invited, are those who are home schooling their children, because they deserve a break and recognition for what they do, too! I am looking so forward to this fun time together with my fellow Moms and Dads! I'm positive there will be much reminiscing and many, many, many stories will be told by all! I send all the children my best wishes and much success this school year! Many warm thoughts and blessings to the parents, also! I hope everyone has a glorious day!