Happy New Year! Wow, I cannot believe it is 2009 already! 2008 was crazy for me. Between starting a new company, having a medical emergency, and being a first time football Mom, I hardly had the chance to think.

There are a lot of people out there that think New Year's resolutions are a waste of time. I for one, do not. I think that any chance one can sit down, reflect on their life, and set goals to improve it, is a great thing. In an ideal world, you would do this all year long. However, doing it once a year is better than not doing it at all.

So, what are my resolutions? This is actually tough if you truly intend to meet your goals. I will break mine down. I figure if I list them for the world to see, someone will hold be accountable, right?

Business:

1. To get Plein de Vie's On-the-Go Remedy Stick in at least 4 magazine publications
2. To release at least 4 more Plein de Vie products
3. To make some changes to Spoiled Rotten Baby (details to be released at a later date!)
4. To blog at least once a week (yikes!)
5. To get at least 20 new wholesale accounts for Plein de Vie (do you know anyone?)

Family:

1. To spend more time with my nieces and nephews (I have seven!)
2. To take a mini-vacation with my sweetheart
3. To take up a hobby or sport that I do with my son

Physical:

1. To fully heal (to the best of my ability) from the two surgeries I had in 2008
2. To become a runner or at least a walker (meaning I do one or both at least three times a week)as my ankle and knee allow
3. To grow out my nails (does that seem silly?)
4. To eat 2 servings of fruits and veggies a day (Sad that I don't already, right?)

Personal:

1. To learn beginning French (Does anyone have a Rosetta Stone program by chance?)
2. To read at least 5 business/growth books
3. To work daily on the power of intention and visualization

Man, it looks like I have a LOT of work to do. Sheesh.

What sort of things do you have on your New Year's list? I would love it if you shared . . .

Here's to a healthy, successful, happy 2009!

Shelly

Merry Christmas everyone! I LOVE Christmas. I love the songs, I love the family, I love the gifts (*gasp* - I said it!), I love the egg nog, I love 24 hours of A Christmas Story - all of it.

This year we have a white Christmas. In fact, here in Seattle it has been 12 years since we have had this much snow! Where I am at in Bellevue, we have over a foot. It's madness. Seriously.

Anyway, I just want to wish all of you a very Merry Christmas and hope that wherever you are, you are warm, safe, and with someone you love - oh, and try not to shoot your eye out :-)

Cheers,

Shelly Clause

Yoga. For some, it is a way of life. For others, it is an odd, tree-hugging sort of thing that 'those' people do. No matter what side of the fence you fall on, it is hard to debate the proven benefits of yoga. Yoga:

- reduces stress
- strengthens muscles and muscle tone
- helps you sleep better
- improves self confidence
- aids in digestion

What I didn't know, was that yoga is also great for babies and tots! I knew that when my girlfriend's 5th graders get out of hand (she's a teacher), she makes them all get up and do breathing and poses. (Can you imagine?!)She says it works like a charm and the kids like it. But babies? Apparently, yes.

Blossoming Yogis is a very cool series of yoga classes over the course of 6 weeks, broken down into three age groups: baby, tot, and tyke. Blossoming Yogi classes are based on the Itsy Bitsy Yoga program and are taught by a fabulous instructor, Anna Starikov. Anna is the mom of two extremely cute kids Zoe and Max and is one of the nicest people you will ever meet.

Although the class is not available everywhere, the program itself is. For those of us lucky enough to be in the (currently snowy) Seattle/Bellevue area of Washington, you can take Anna's Blossoming Yogis class in Kirkland at Yoga Studio Be.

Check out Anna's site today (www.blossomingyogis.com)and when you sign up, tell her that Shelly sent you!

Namaste,

Shelly

The last few weeks have been so crazy, so stressful, and I have hardly had a minute to think! (Seriously). The last year, I have been working like a maniac on creating products for Plein de Vie. What I learned from all of that hard work, is that I am happiest and the least stressed when I am being creative. Whether it is designing a new gift set for Spoiled Rotten Baby or coming up with a new formula for a Plein de Vie product, it helps me be a better mom, partner, and person in general.

So, in the midst of current chaos, I decided it was time to do something I had never done before - make soap! Rick (my 'better' half)and I geared up in our old long sleeved tees, latex gloves, and oh-so-cute eye protection to make what we hoped would be some pretty decent soap.

We added ingredients like Shea Butter, Coconut Oil, and Babasu Oil. I tried to add some essential oil so it smelled pretty (didn't add enough though!) and a sprinkling of organic cocoa butter to make it at least look pretty.

When all was said and done, we ended up with a very neat looking block of soap, which then ended up becoming 4 smaller pieces of neat looking soap after I attacked it with my butcher knife. We still have a few weeks to wait until it's ready to use, so cross your fingers that it actually turned out ;-)

It can be hard to remember the things that bring us a little relief when life gets crazy. I hope that the next time life seems to spinning out of control, you take a deep breath and go to that stress-free place in your life. Even if it turns out to be making a block of soap that smells like nothing.

Shelly

This year has brought so many changes and adventures. From fun times like taking our first (long overdue) winery tour in Walla Walla for my fiance's birthday, to exhausting times like starting my own skincare line, Plein de Vie, to proud times like watching my son accept the leadership award during his first year of football, to scary times when I thought I had cancer this past summer.

What it has made me realize is that all of those experiences (the good or the bad) make us the people we are today. Even more than that . . . there's truly no place like home.

Happy Halloween everyone!

Dorothy (a.k.a. Shelly)

After months and months of long hours and hard work, the first product from my new luxury organic skin care line (Plein de Vie) has launched! Plein de Vie will release 13 new products in 2008-2009 designed to combine all of the wonderful benefits that pure organic ingredients can provide, without all of the chemicals most of us are trying to avoid. Our flagship product, the On-the-Go Remedy Stick is incredibly universal and has already enjoyed some local press in the Eastside Business Newspaper:


http://eastsidebusinessjournal.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2258&Itemid=58

I am so proud to have created a product that helps with:

bumps, bruises, scrapes, cuts, sunburn, windburn, rashes, chapped lips, bug bites, mild eczema, skin irritations, chapped lips, diaper rash, itchy skin, dry skin, baby massage (any massage!), and ragged cuticles in a super convenient mess-free stick.

We have even had testers enjoy relief from burgeoning pimples, razor burn, and blisters! All of Plein de Vie's products are:

Made with organically sourced ingredients
Nut and nut oil free
Phthalate, Paraben, and Formaldehyde-free
Proud to be Cruelty-free, toxin-free, and Vegan

I am not saying it's a 'cure-all' but it is certainly a 'must-have' in my opinion!

Check it out on the Plein de Vie website (http://www.pleindevie.com) or purchase it on the Spoiled Rotten Baby website (http://www.myspoiledrottenbaby.com)


Oh, and if you do try it, please let me know what you think.

Enjoy!


Shelly

So, before anyone judges me for my lack of blogging. Hmm . . . or working . . . or socializing . . . or anything for the last month or so, I have a very good excuse. In a nutshell, I had a very big cancer scare. When I went in for my biopsy, they discovered that I did not have cancer, but a pretty serious Staph infection instead. Scary! After a TON of time laid up in bed, and weeks of antibiotics, I am slowly making it out again into the real world.

Why am I telling you this? Well, because this scare reminded me how lucky I am to be healthy and how close I came to cancer. It is important to remember all of the millions of men, women, and children who have been affected by this disease and if there is a way to support them, we should do it.

Next weekend, my dear friend Anna (in Seattle) is walking in the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer 3-Day which is a 60-mile walk over the course of three days. Net proceeds benefit Susan G. Komen for the Cure and National Philanthropic Trust, funding important breast cancer research, education, screening, and treatment.

I am asking you to all help her reach her goal of raising $5000.00 in support of this great cause by following this link and donating.

http://08.the3day.org/goto/AnnaStarikov

Some Shocking Breast Cancer Facts (As borrowed off of the site):

* Breast cancer is the leading cancer among American women and is second only to lung cancer in cancer deaths

* One woman is diagnosed with breast cancer every three minutes and one woman will die of breast cancer every 13 minutes in the United States

* More than 200,000 women in the United States will be diagnosed with breast cancer and an estimated 40,460 women will die from the disease this year

* Approximately 1,500 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer and approximately 450 men will die from the disease this year

* Only 5 to 10 percent of breast cancers are due to heredity. The majority of women with breast cancer have no known significant family history or other known risk factors

* The older a woman is, the more likely she is to develop breast cancer, but women under 40 are still at risk too (SCHEDULE A MAMMOGRAM TODAY!)

* While breast cancer occurs more often in white women, African Americans have the highest death rate from the disease of any racial / ethnic group in the United States

Thank you! Every little bit can help change the life of another.

Shelly