Visualize!

After months of investigating new up and coming businesses to bring to Australia. 

 

After weeks of planning and finding the right one for me. 

 

After first introduction and weeks of discussion with the business owner. 

 

After weeks of putting together marketing material. 

 

Plus a lot of goal writing EVERY day, sometimes twice a day!

This week it has all come to fruition!

Or, you can say arrived in the post!

 

 

My SAMPLES are here!

 

My BUSINESS CARDS are here!

Plus, a little extra message from the universe telling me I am heading in the right direction, a FREE Money Magazine.

Spooky?  Or just plain old hard work, visualizing, goal setting and goal achieving? 

 

The latter is true!

 

VISUALIZE!!!

VISUALIZE!!!

VISUALIZE!!!

 

From 1 Day to a 3 Day Working Week

Persistence does pay!  I hounded, I mean called every real estate office on the Central Coast to see if they had any positions available.  It was one of my fears, picking up the phone and phoning strangers, I'm shy at the best of times.  Of course, until you really get to know me!

But I did it until I pissed people off.  That's how people remember you right?

I wrote my goal down once a day and eventually after a lot of visualizing a position became available.  I couldn't believe it, I was thrilled!  I applied got an interview and then the call back.  Apparently, the position that was advertised required more experience, but they liked me!  They had a position coming up that I would be ideal for.

I was ecstatic!  What?  They want ME?  Self sabotage set in!  I fought it back and patted myself on the back for once.  I achieved it because I worked hard and hounded people until I got it.  I didn't give up!

I started my new job and loved it.  I was out of the house three days a week meeting people and chatting and laughing.  The kids were happy too which made me SMILE even bigger!

Until, the bitchiness set in and you know that point when you really get to know who you are working with?  There was one woman who disliked me from day one, she would criticize my English accent and laugh in my face at it, constantly commenting LOUDLY about all these people migrating to the coast and think they own the place.  It was laughable, one moment she would put someone down, really harshly and the second moment she would be complaining about her life and how unfair it was.  She would voice it to everyone within earshot of how she wished her husband was more driven and had chosen a better paid career.  She didn't want to be there, she didn't want to work, she envied all the women not working, who walked past the office, in their immaculate white jeans (she despised anyone in crisp white clothes, JELOUSY?).  She would say, this is it for me, this is the job I will be in until I drop.  I'll be here until I'm carried out.  She thought it was funny!  I felt nothing but sadness for her.  Here she was at 50 something, STUCK!

After a lot of soul searching and not taking things to heart, not being a victim, it dawned on me, after only 3 months working there that I really do not EVER want to be in that position.  So I thought, thought hard how am I going to get a promotion an advance from this position and how long would it take me to get there.

The light bulb moment, I decided to study for my own real estate license.  That way, one day I would be able to work for myself.  After a while in a position you get to realize the way things work in the office and whether the management and owners are wanting their business and staff to grow and expand.  This office really didn't want to do any of the above.  It was stagnant and it wasn't moving anywhere!  It was a handed down family business and the current owner/operator was not in any way or form encouraging.  If anything it was quite the opposite, he saw everyone who worked for him as competition and showed it publicly.  I had to laugh at the Christmas party at his disappointed for not achieving the Salesperson of the year award himself.  Instead he reluctantly, very obviously disappointed, had to award someone else the award for that year.  RIDICULOUS, right?

So with my new found energy and commitment to study for my license I approached this said owner/boss.  I wanted to let him know that I had a vision and I wanted to grow to become a Salesperson myself.  He nodded, said 'look, its really not that easy, especially as you are a mum',   Hang on, WHAT?  What did you just say?  Can bosses really say that?  He then proceeded to explain, 'Well, I have noticed that you leave right on the clock at 5pm, to race out the door to collect your kids' again gob smacked!  My working day ended at 5pm. 

As angry as I was with the above conversation it only fuelled me to secure a Sales position.  I studied hard at night and on my days off.  I then got desperate and decided to hound offices again to see if there was a Sales position out there.  Then, the friendliest, nicest Sales person in the office was sacked!  Everyone was outraged, don't really know the facts why he was moved on, Sales politics! 

So, this may be my opportunity I thought as did my husband and a few girls at work also encouraged me to go for it.

So, I decided to go straight to the source.  I approached the boss.  He basically brushed me off, explaining the sales role required lots of experience and a lot of hard work, he didn't think I would be the right person for the role.  Okay, fine, pick yourself up and continue was the only option.  His loss!

Again, this fuelled me to get out of this place!  A lot of goal writing, EVERY day, called, hounded real estate offices, this time in overdrive!  Then, magically, there was an advert posted on Seek.  Only with my old employers from my Saturday job!

I called my old boss, had a great chat, explained I was studying for my license etc.  He was responsive, encouraging and happy to discuss the job with me.  I was absolutely ecstatic!  Could not believe AGAIN after a lot of persistence, hard work, goal setting, goal writing, it worked!  It truly worked!  It paid off!  I was employed, commencing in January 2013, in a sales position!

I DID IT!

Feed a Family of 4 For Under $8 Using Beef Mince!

Chilli Con Carne For Mum & Dad & Savoury Mince For The Children

Coles regular 3 star beef mince - $3
Coles home brand tin of diced tomatoes - $0.80
Coles brand tin of kidney beans - $1
Continental chilli con carne mix - $1.30
1/2 packet of chapatti's for dipping - $1 (on offer at the time in Coles for $2 a pack)
1 cup of Coles brand long grain white rice - $0.63 ($2.50 for a 1kg pack in Coles)

1.  Brown the mince in a large sauce pan in a table spoon of vegetable oil.  Drain any excess liquid.

2.  Once the mince is cooked and brown in colour, add the tin of tomatoes and then the kidney beans (making sure you drain the liquid from the kidney beans first).

3.  Now remove 1/4 of the mince mixture and add to a separate small saucepan (this is for the children).

4.  Now add the chilli con carne mixture to the large saucepan along with 1 cup of water.  Leave to simmer away for around 30 minutes.  Stirring when necessary to prevent sticking to the pan.

5.  Add 2 table spoons of tomato ketchup to the smaller sauce pan and leave to simmer for 15 minutes.

6.  Now place 1 cup of long grain rice into a microwave bowl with 2 cups of boiling water, cover and place in the microwave for 13 minutes.

7.  Once the rice is cooked.  Remove from the microwave and set aside.  Remove 3 chapatti's from the packet and heat in the microwave for the suggested time on the pack.

8.  Now dish out your meal and enjoy!  The adults will have 1 chapatti each and the remaining chapatti can be halved for the children.

There should be enough chilli remaining to freeze half of the mixture!  Again saving more $$$$!

I hope you all enjoy!  Simple and affordable!

Feed a Family of 4 For Under $8.50!

Bacon & Cheese Quiche

250 grams middle bacon from the deli - $2.50
4 x Free range eggs - $1.60 (pack of 10 eggs from Woolworths $4)
2 x Sheets of frozen short crust pastry - $0.80 (pack of 10 pastry sheets in Woolworths $4)
2 x Small onions - $0.80 (bag of brown onions for $2 in Coles)
1 x Tin of beans - $1 (from Woolworths)
1/2 x Continental Cucumber - $0.50 (1 x full cucumber $1 from Woolworths)
1/4 x 250grams Extra Tasty Cheese - $1 (250grams Extra Tasty Cheese Woolworths Select $3.99)

1.  Pre-heat the oven to 180c.  Take out 2 pastry sheets from the freezer and defrost by leaving on the worktop whilst you prepare the filling.

2.  Chop up 250grams of bacon into small square pieces.  Heat a tablespoon of vegetable oil in a saucepan and cook until brown.  Do the same with the 2 x small onions, although in a separate pan.

3.  Whisk the eggs in a bowl, season with salt and pepper along with one cup of low fat milk.  Whisk together.

4.  Once the pastry has defrosted, grease a quiche/flan dish with margarine.  Then line with pastry, making sure to cover the bottom and sides of the dish.  With the left over pastry, make it into a ball and then roll out on the worktop with a rolling pin.  You should have enough pastry left to make 6 x small circles, I used a glass tumbler for the shape.  Now grease 6 x spaces in a muffin tray and add the small pastry circles.

5.  You now need to blind bake the short crust pastry in the main quiche dish (the 6 smaller pastry circles in the muffin tray don't need to be pre baked).  Blind bake by covering the pastry with tin foil and uncooked pasta on top.  Do this for 10 minutes.  Then remove from the oven and remove the dry pasta and foil.

6.  Now take the cooked bacon and add it to the pastry in the quiche dish and also the smaller ones in the muffin tray.  Then take the cooked onion and add only to the main quiche dish.  My kids don't like onion, so I didn't add it theirs.

7.  Now take the egg mixture and pour a little over each of the 6 small quiches (enough to cover the bacon) and add the rest to the main quiche.

8.  Grate the cheese and do the same, add a little over each of the small quiches and the rest to the main quiche.

9.  Now place in the oven until the pastry and the egg mixture is golden.

10.  I served the children 3 x small quiches each along with chopped up cucumber and carrot.  Very healthy, with a mayonnaise dip.

11.  I served the main quiche with baked beans.  You can add any sides that you like!

Very tasty and still on budget!  A true winter warmer! 

Enjoy!

Meal for a Family of 4 Under $5

1 x Tin of corn - $1
250grams Bacon - $2.75
3 x Eggs - $1 (in a carton of 12 which are $4 in Coles)

Corn Fritters With Grilled Bacon & Scrambled Eggs

I got the recipe for the corn fritters from the website www.bestrecipes.com.au

Ingredients

1 x 300 g tin sweet corn kernels, drained 
1 egg 
Salt and pepper 
1 cup self-raising flour 
Milk 
Oil

 

Method

1. Mix corn, salt, pepper and egg.
2. Add flour alternating with the milk until the consistency of thick cream.
3. Drop spoonfuls of mixture into frying pan of oil and brown both sides.

 

Serve With:

Grilled bacon and scrambled eggs.

Great meal and very quick!  Enjoy!  We sure did!

Tuna Fish Cakes to Feed a Family of 4 For Under $8

Thai Tuna Fish Cakes

Tuna 400grams tin (Coles Smart Buy) $1.50
Frozen Oven Chips (always on offer in any supermarket) $2
Frozen Peas (also on offer) $2
White Bread (Coles Smart Buy) $1
1 x Potato 0.60c
1 x Egg 0.40c (in a carton of 12)

1.  Preheat the oven to 220c.  Peel and chop the potato in quarters and boil in a pan of water on the stove until soft.  Then remove from heat, drain and mash.

2.  Add the tuna to the mashed potato and mix together.  Season with salt and pepper.  Now depending on what sauces you have in the pantry, add a mixture.  For the ones I made I added some mild sweet chilli sauce with honey, tomato ketchup and a little barbecue sauce and mix together.  Taste and alter if necessary as you go.

3.  Now take two large tablespoons of the tuna fish cake mixture and set aside.  These are the children's portions.  Roll them into balls and place on a plate.

4.  Now for the rest of the mixture for mum and dad, add some Thai seasoning and some hot chilli sauce, mix together.  Again, alter to your taste buds.  Then roll into balls, should average 4 fish cakes.

5.  Take two slices of the white bread and add to your food blender to make breadcrumbs.  Then set these onto a small plate.  On a separate plate scatter a good helping of plain flour.  In a separate bowl/dish whisk an egg.

6.  First, take the children's fish cakes you set aside earlier.  Press the balls flat to make a fishcake shape.  Now place on the plate of flour, make sure you coat the whole fishcake.  Then, place into the bowl of egg and coat again.  Now, place onto the plate of breadcrumbs and coat well.

7.  Repeat the above step until all the fishcakes are coated in breadcrumbs.

8.  In a small frying pan, add some vegetable oil and heat.  Brown the fishcakes on both sides and then place on a baking tray.  Place the fishcakes in the bottom of the oven to keep warm.

9.  Now follow the cooking instructions for the oven chips and cook until nice and crisp, usually around 30 minutes.  Place a good portion of the frozen peas in a bowl and heat in the microwave for 3 minutes.

10.  Now plate up your meal and enjoy!

These are great with a side helping of mayonnaise, salt and vinegar for your chips and bread and butter!

Heres how to pull an unsuspecting practical joke

If you are looking for a way to get back at someone who is ever pulling pranks on you.  There are many of those kind of characters out there, who are always thinking of new ways to pull a prank on you whilst you least expect it.  Now is the time to get back at them!

Who would ever think that opening a birthday/greeting card, gift, book or letter would be a chance to get them back.  You will then be on top of them, in the practical joke stakes!  Ha!

Heres your chance!  Magic Butterfly

They've been in the UK some time now and I thought it was about time they made their mark on the Australian pranksters!

How it works? 

Place inside anything from greeting cards, letters, books and even gifts!  The list goes on and on!

They can be used multiple times too!

You can even put them in the post to prank someone on the other side of the world.  I have been doing this for years now.  Its awesome! 

It works every time!  He he!

You can now get them in Australia http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Magic-Butterfly-For-Cards-Letters-Books-or-Gifts-/261188387272?pt=AU_Party_Supplies&hash=item3cd00a81c8

School Backpacks Changing

Is your childs school backpack actually harming him/her?

I recently had this discussion with my husband.  He read an article not too long back about an Australian woman who lived in Dubai for many years and noticed that the children there are actually saving themselves future neck and back pain.

In actual fact in Dubai they have thrown away the school backpack and introduced the pull along school bag. 

It certainly makes sense to me.  Why harm their backs and necks by carrying an over sized, heavy backpack.  My little boy is only at the beginning of his education, so his bag will only get bigger and heavier as he needs more books.

Its so funny and a shame when you see the new Kindergarten kids starting school each year, as their school bags are bigger than they are.

This article goes into the pain in the neck in more detail http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2008/09/18/2368222.htm

Another study here:  http://www.iea.cc/ECEE/pdfs/art0212.pdf

So, bring on the roll along school bags!  I want to prevent my son from future neck and back pain.

The woman I spoke about earlier has since become a millionaire by introducing this concept over here in Australia.  Well done to her I say, as she has become financially free by doing something good for our future generations.

I found lots of cute designs for both boys and girls and also cool ones which I will purchasing for my son.

Oldies but the besties!

Never underestimate the quality of an old classic movie!

I think its rather fitting with the Easter holidays fast approaching that I share with all you yummy mummies out there a quick fix for a rainy day.

Get out the old classic films for the little ones.

Home Alone 1, 2 and 3 are to name a few.  My little boy is 6 years old and he absolutely loves these.  I can remember myself as a kid loving these films too.

So give it a try this coming holiday!

There are SO many to choose from, use your imagination and dig those favourites from your childhood.  The kids love them and love them more when you share with them that those were your favourites when you were little.

It started with a Saturday Job

Its been way too long!  I have been MIA for way too long.  I am now officially back!

It started with a Saturday job,

After months of ringing around real estate offices to try and get my foot in the door.  My dream was realised when I called W Real Estate and the lovely Marketing girl that answered the telephone was ever so helpful.  It made a change to all the No's and we'll keep you in mind if anything pops, that I had previously received.

She answered in a friendly manner, as they all do, I gave her my spiel that I was looking for a job in the industry and that I am studying for my Certificate of Registration.  She was interested!  Hallelujah!  She then went on to explain that there was a position coming up on the Reception, although only working Saturdays.  That was perfect!

I went and met the business owners, very nice guys, seemed to love what I had to say and even mentioned that with all my positivity and mentioning Brian Tracy in there that I would be suited to Sales!  This was music to my ears!  After all, that was my ultimate goal!
http://www.briantracy.com/?cmpid=2290&proid=2650&gclid=CLKXurWD9LUCFQRapQodPUUALw

I heard the following week the position was mine and I start work the following Saturday!  Amazing!  I was in heaven, so pleased and so proud of myself.  I have come a long way!

So, there I was working Saturdays!  It was perfect for the whole family!