I was surprised to see the news that Sketchers USA, Inc. has settled charges with the Federal Trade Commission for $40 million.  The charges were filed against Sketchers USA, Inc that they deceived customers by making unsubstantiated claims that the Shape-up shoes (and other styles) would help people lose weight, and strengthen and tone their buttocks, legs and abdominal muscles.

I am embarrassed to admit that I believed these claims and purchased the shoes a few years ago.  I had just had my first baby girl and I was looking for a way to lose some of the baby weight and thought that the shoes would allow me to get some “extra” exercise while walking around the house and help expedite my weight loss efforts.

Even though money was tight, I paid about $70 for my shoes at Kohl’s when I had a 30% coupon.  That’s a lot of money for tennis shoes!  I normally shop at Payless and Target so anything over $20 was outrageous for me, but I purchased them anyway.

Pretty much right away, I had buyer’s remorse.  They weren’t comfortable, they looked “funny” and they actually made my legs hurt.  I thought the pain was related to the exercise, but it was still uncomfortable.  I stopped wearing them and used them occasionally.  Every time I see them in my closet all I see is $70 down the tubes.  The picture above are actually my shoes…they look really good for being more than 3 years old, right?

So when I saw news of the settlement, I got excited!  Maybe now I can get a refund for the shoes I’ve hardly worn.  I started researching how to claim my refund right away and found the link to the FTC website http://www.skecherssettlement.com/.  Now I have this website bookmarked for updates!

In the meantime, I’ll be reviewing my Kohl’s Credit Card statements to find the receipt to prove the purchase price.

The other Sketchers shoes that are included in this settlement are:  Resistance Runner, Toners and Tone-up shoes.

So, who else purchased one of these shoes?  Have you worn them much?  Will you be requesting a refund?

I am so excited to share that there is a PERMANENT price reduction on the best planner for direct sales consultants!

Lynsey Jones, the owner and creator of Party Plan Divas was able to find a new printer and negotiate a lower price on the planners.   The price used to be $54.99 and worth every penny.  But now, they are only $37!

You can see my original post on this planner http://www.wahmbahm.com/planner-direct-sales-consultants.  I even have the walk through of the video loaded on that post so you can see the planner in action.

I have mine and LOVE it!

So what are you waiting for to get yours?

Many of you don’t know that I was a Stampin’ Up! demonstrator for almost 10 years before I had kids.

I have a very large inventory to get rid of so that my oldest daughter can have her own room.  I have posted a partial list of stamps below.  If you are interested, please fill out the contact form with the sets you are interested in and I will contact you with more information.

All sets are VERY well taken care of, are still in their plastic cases, and come from a smoke free and pet free home.  Unfortunately, I don’t have time to take pictures of each of them, but have listed the condition of each to the best of my abilities.

All sets will be for sale via Paypal transaction only, U.S.  sales only.  Buyer will pay shipping via Flat Box Priority Rate, and I will combine purchases where possible for the best shipping cost.

If you have any questions, please let me know!

*I will update this list as items sell:

• Letters of Love: set of 4, wood mounted, trimmed closely, unused $12
• In the Sky: set of 4, wood mounted, trimmed closely, unused $12
• Lexicon of Love: set of 4, wood mounted, trimmed closely, unused $12
• Fine Frames: set of 4, wood mounted, trimmed closely, unused $12
• Nature’s Wonders: set of 4, wood mounted, trimmed closely, unused $12
• Happy Occasions: set of 4, wood mounted, trimmed closely, unused $12
• From the Heart: set of 6, wood mounted, trimmed closely, used, wood staining $12
• Mother and Child: set of 4, wood mounted, trimmed closely, unused $12
• Listen with the Heart: set of 2, wood mounted, trimmed closely, unused $9
• Limited Edition Garden Collage: set of 3, wood mounted, trimmed closely, unused $12 (I have 2 of these available!)
• Right at Home: set of 7, wood mounted, trimmed closely, unused $15
• Birthday Whimsy: set of 5, wood mounted, pre-cut by SU!, unused $15
• Two Step Stampin’ Fanciful Favorites: set of 8, wood mounted, trimmed closely, used and wood stained, $12
• Words by Wanda: set of 7, wood mounted, trimmed closely, unused $15
• Two Step Stampin’ Just my Type: set of 7, wood mounted, Unmounted and unused, $20
• Thank You Blocks: set of 4, wood mounted, trimmed closely, used $12
• Mon Ami: set of 4, wood mounted, trimmed closely, unused $12
• Friendship Blooms: set of 5, wood mounted, pre-cut by SU!, unused $15
• Nice and Narrow: set of 9, wood mounted, trimmed closely, unused $20
• Quick and Cute: set of 8, wood mounted, trimmed closely, unused $15
• Warm Words: set of 8, wood mounted, unmounted, untrimmed and unused $15
• Love Notes: set of 8, wood mounted, unmounted, untrimmed and unused $15
• (Collector’s Item) Limited Edition Framed Fun: set of 7, wood mounted trimmed closely, wood stained and used $20 (still has Limited Edition 2001 certificate)
• Two Step Stampin’ Topiary: Set of 10, unmounted, untrimmed, unused, $25
• Two Step Stampin’ Mini Messages: set of 8, wood mounted, unmounted, untrimmed and unused $15
• Much Appreciated: set of 4, unmounted, untrimmed and unused $12
• Short Sayings: set of 4, unmounted, untrimmed and unused $12

I realize the title of this post is somewhat negative.  But please let me explain…

Never in a million years would I EVER have thought that I would be in the skin care business.  I’ve always been blessed with great skin.  (Yes, you can curse me for a moment.)  I have small pores, minimal acne, and never really needed a routine.  However, as I began to age, you could see time marching across my face.

I’ve had rosacea for the past few years and to be honest, I don’t know when it started.  But when I’m stressed, my cheeks flare bright red and it’s hard to cover up.  If I had a rare event to go out to, I would try to camouflage with some green concealer to tone down the red.  After I had my daughters I noticed the texture of my skin started to change too.  It was drier than normal and my makeup didn’t look good anymore.  Before kids people would say my skin looked flawless.  I haven’t heard that in years.

Then, about 9 months ago I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism and Hashimoto’s disease.  I noticed my skin was extremely dry all over, more rosacea breakouts and a yellowish tint to my normally fair and even colored skin.

I did not look good.

Plus, the lack of sleep and my age had really made my laugh lines, not so funny and more pronounced.

Anyway…about two weeks ago a couple of friends introduced me to NeriumAD Age-Defying Treatment and to make a long story short I didn’t want to try the product.  I was somewhat offended at first that someone told me I needed it, but who was I kidding?  I did need it.

So I begrudgingly tried it.

After the first night, I noticed an IMMEDIATE change in the texture of my face.  It felt softer than it had in years and it was like new skin.  It was as soft as my girls’ who are 2 and 3!  Then after 3 days my laugh lines were visibly less noticeable.  Even my dad noticed and commented on how good my skin looked.  He said that he and my mom didn’t know how to tell me that I was looking really rough lately.

Gee thanks.

Needless to say I am hooked and I just want to tell the world about how great the product is.  My biggest regret is that I did not take a “before” picture because after almost 2 weeks of using NeriumAD Age-Defying Treatment  my skin looks and feels amazing.   My skin is softer and brighter.  My rosacea is all but gone and my laugh lines are much less visible.

I feel and look young again!  Even when I haven’t had enough sleep my face looks great.

Here are some sample results:

Aren’t these pictures amazing?

My parents just started using the product too and I took their before pictures.  I can’t wait to post their updates!

So the reason I call myself a reluctant Nerium International Brand Partner is because I wasn’t looking for another business opportunity.  But I just couldn’t ignore the amazing results of the product and my excitement to share the results with the world.  The potential compensation was nothing to laugh at either.

In the next few days, I’ll be posting a new website to showcase my customers, friends and family results with NeriumAD Age-Defying Treatment .

If you know anyone who would like some help with:

• sun-damaged skin
• hyperpigmentation
• fine lines and wrinkles
• uneven skin texture
• enlarged pores

OK, so I admit that I love cool gadgets and stuff.  Even though I don’t splurge very often, I do like to find out about all the new stuff that comes out.  Someday I won’t have to buy diapers and wipes every two weeks!

I first found out about the Boogie Board on the Two Classy Chics Review and Giveaway Blog.  I entered the contest but didn’t win – bummer!  Anyway, I really liked the portability of the board and thought it would be so nice for client meetings.

I’ve been following iMPROV Electronics, the makers of the Boogie Board and it seems that they have released a new product, Boogie Board Rip LCD Writing Tablet. “RIP” stands for Record Image. Preserve.

The Boogie Board Rip LCD Writing Tablet allows you to write and then save and upload your notes to your computer so you can save, edit and share later.  How cool is that?

This would be great for client meetings so I don’t have to carry around a notebook everywhere.  Plus, it’s so small, lightweight and portable I won’t have to carry around a big bag.  I always feel so clumsy when I walk into an office with a bag (or two).  It would be nice to just walk in with a nice purse.  :)

What do you think?  Is this a good alternative to an iPad?

As a marketing professional, one thing that remains the same is that things always change.

That’s what I love most about marketing, it’s constantly changing, evolving, improving and moving.  While this is one of the things I love, it is also one of the things that makes the profession so challenging because you have to constantly stay on top of things.  Continuing my own self-education is more important now than ever before.

To keep my business growing and moving, I have to always stay on top of the latest trends and niches.  One of the rapidly growing niches is Book Marketing Specialists.  With more and more authors self-publishing, the need for marketing virtual assistants has never been greater.

 D’vorah Lansky, the founder of the Author Marketing Circle has partnered with VAClassroom to bring a high-value training program that will effectively connect their certified graduates with a community of 4000+ authors, hungry for these skills and services. As I have mentioned many times before,  VAClassroom is committed to offering the most relevant and cutting-edge training to help.  This only helps elevate our profession and ensures we are ready to help clients when they need us.

The more you invest in yourself and your business, the more you will continue to grow personally and professionally.  What are you going to do today to grow?

My new favorite item for Thirty-One Gifts will be available tomorrow, February 1, 2012!

The Casual Cargo Purse is a great item for moms and anyone who needs to carry a lot of stuff.  The purse is large…very large.

It has two pockets in the front with snap closures, and 4 inside pockets, plus a zipper pocket.  As you can see in the slideshow below, I can fit a lot in the purse including diapers.

The Casual Cargo Purse comes in 3 patterns:  Black Paisley Parade (shown), Black and Lotsa Dots (a khaki color with white dots and dark brown accents.)  If you would like to see the catalog, you can visit my Thirty-One Gifts website at http://www.mythirtyone.com/ivette.  

Let me know what you think of this new item!