Making A Difference

I had an amazing experience this past month....I just have to share!

Our state holds what's called "The Great American Teach-In" once a year in our public schools. This is where parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc., come in and take over teaching for the day. You can talk about what you do for a living, your hobbies....just educate the kids on something new and exciting.

Well, I participated this year at both of my daughter's middle school classes. I was a little intimidated by the thought of a bunch of TOO-cool 8th graders and my cute little Chat Card game. So my plan was to go in and wow them with the technology of the website and just give them some ideas about writing a story...keep it simple, cool and short.

As I sat in the classroom waiting for my turn to start, I noticed that there were kids in this room that had stories...every single one of them. They were cool, yes, but I knew I had to wow them in a different way...I had to do something "Different". I wanted them to leave feeling like the had something to share with their families.

So I made a 180-turn on what my original plan was and did something different. We played storytelling games, used the Chat Cards, Story Starters...every kid took turns coming up and sharing their stories. They all loved to hear what their friends had to say when asked, "Do you remember the first time you broke a rule? What was it? Why did you do it?" Now some kids were shy and didn't want to participate, but with a little encouragement, they got up. And they talked, and they shared and they listened....I could see them lighting up and just enjoying the moment.

We finished off the 50 min. class with a fun game. I challenged them all to a contest of storytelling with no "likes" and "umms".....they had to talk and tell without using the words Like and the sound Umm. Whoever won could take a Story Starter of their choice. They're all so guilty of it and it was VERY challenging to say the least. Believe it or not, two boys won. In the midst of all the fun we had I packed up my stuff and headed for the door (with twins in stroller...that's another story...the benefits of working from home) and started to leave. As I opened the door both boys who had won came up to me and asked if they could please have their story starters....i was totally taken back. I really didn't think they'd want them, but they did!! They were so excited to share them with their friends and take them home...and that's exactly what they did.

A few days later my daughter placed a large envelope on my desk. I opened it and found 25 handwritten thank you notes from every single one of those students...I was in shock. I think i teared up! They told me thank you....not just for coming, but for giving them something fun to take home to their families, for giving them inspiration to write a story and tell their story their way, for being an example of a mom of 5 who chooses to stay home and work and be a mom, for teaching them that they have the ability to speak with maturity and be taken seriously....the list goes on.

I can't begin to tell how amazing I felt....this is why i do what i do! This is it! If i do NOTHING else, ever, with Cherish Bound, (which isn't going to happen) then I'm happy! I made a difference. I did something to help better a child's life and change their family. Ah! That is an Ah-ha moment!

The Cherish Bound Opportunity

Cherish Bound offers an amazing business opportunity for all consultants. The benefits of owning your own business from home are endless. Personal benefits, family benefits and practical benefits are just a few of the great rewards Cherish Bound consultants reap. The opportunity to teach families about traditions, memories and preserving their stories and photos is a blessing in its self. But going beyond the obvious, the business side of it all, gives me the strength I need everyday to wake up and be the best mom, wife, and business owner I can possibly be.

I personal have grown mentally, physically and spiritually since I started my business. I've improved many personal skills. For example my leadership abilities have been strengthened as I manage and train a very large team of successful consultants. And I'm learning to perfect my organizational skills along the way. I've learned the art of delegation and have realized I'm very capable of living two lives, one as a mommy and wife and the other as a professional business women. I personally have created friendships that will last a lifetime and have strengthened my family bonds. I love waking up and actually "getting ready" for the day....getting out of the sweats and into nice clothes, hair done, make-up on, and even shaved legs.

My Family has benefited from my Cherish Bound business as well. With mommy working from home, I'm allowed to be there for my kids everyday. I'm home when they get out of school, I can take them to the doctors, volunteer at their schools...and the list goes on. My children and husband have seen that I have skills and qualities that are important outside of family life. My children are involved in helping me with my business, from filing to message taking and helping with siblings.

The practical benefits of owning your own business are endless. Not only does it provide a "Second income", but the tax benefits are always a plus. My technology and life skills are constantly sharpened and put to good use. I continue with educating myself and keeping up to date on the latest trends and ideas in my industry. I have found that my home is kept tidy and clean when I host my own gatherings and you never know when a customer will need to "Drop by".

Cherish Bound allows everyone the opportunity to stay at home while growing a successful business. I love that I can be a mommy and wife one day and a Leader of an amazing company the next. I love that I'm writing my own story of success!

Traditions and Tales

Last weekend I attended Cherish Bound's annual convention in Farmington, NM. Farmington was hosting the "4-Corners Storytelling Festival" this same weekend. As I learned about the in's and out's of Cherish Bound as a business, I also learned the important roll I have as a Cherish Bound consultant in teaching people about the tradition of story. My job as a Cherish Bound consultant is to teach people, families, children, how to simply share their stories, get their families talking and help them find connections. What a great job I have...how blessed I am to be able to provide families ways to become closer to each other.

One of our newest books "Traditions" will help people start new traditions or keep the ones they have alive and thriving in their homes. Along with this beautiful new book, the new "Family Celebrations" is a pocket-size booklet full of questions and space to jot down daily thoughts and reminders from the year.

Get Them In PHOTO BOOKS!

Are your pictures in boxes? How about on your computer? Get them out of the box and into our PHOTO BOOKS! Get them off your computer and into a beautiful PHOTO BOOK that can be displayed for everyone to see. No memory deserves to sit in a box. Those pictures were taken for reason and had a purpose. So DO something with them. Share them with your family.

Through Cherish Bound's personal online publishing center, you can create beautiful photo books with or without stories and text. You pick your pics and load them into your publishing center and we make your hard or soft bound photo book. Don't let another day go by without sharing your pictures and memories with your family. They're far to precious and many of life's greatest lessons can be taught through a simple picture and memory.

Preserving A Legacy

I love nothing more than to listen to my grandparent's tell me "their" version of their childhood memories and stories. They are the only ones that can give me a sense of where I came from and what to expect from life. "Their" versions are priceless! But what happens when they're not told, shared or preserved? More often than not, these amazing stories, memories and pictures and lost and gone forever. With no listening ears or ways to preserve and share, the history of ourselves...of our family traditions are slowly falling by the wayside. Families now, more then ever, need these stories and traditions to anchor them down and turn them to each other for guidance, support and love.

The Legacy Collection of Story Starters can help any grandparent or parent find, capture and begin sharing their precious stories, memories and photos. This collection of 5 Story Starters includes; I Did It, I Remember When..., Lessons About Life, When I Was Little, and Military.

These Story Starters will help them organize, remember and gather their personal information easily. With 100's of questions they're sure to remember all of their favorite stories and memories. What an amazing gift to give...the Gift Of Story!

We can't control when our lives on this Earth will end, but we can control what legacy we leave behind. Help your family preserve and share their stories. As Alex Haley once said....

"Every time an old person dies, it's like a library burning down."

Tell Your Story All Year Long!

MODERN CALENDAR - If the beginning of a school year is like a New Year to you - you’ll love this fun calendar workshop. Create 15-month calendars and be ahead of schedule as everyone heads back to class. Calendars make great holiday gifts too!

Create your calendar using this fun new design, a bunch of pictures and you can even drop in some special days and events!

What Are Family Traditions?

Family Traditions are the culture and personality of a family.

Traditions make up who we are.I'm sure you understand that it's important to keep track of your family's stories and photos. Have you thought to document your traditions? Do you have stories from grandma or maybe a copy of her recipe card from your favorite Christmas Eve dish? How about an interview with granddad and why he holds certain traditions close to his heart?

While holidays and family reunions hold many traditions, most times traditions are the simple and sweet things that we don't remember to document. Every week or maybe even every day your family life holds traditions too. Traditions can be lost and forgotten as members of our families pass on or move away. Whether you're practicing your traditions or maybe they've faded, you can still document them and preserve them. Through story, photos and memorabilia you can share a legacy with those around you. Maybe it's a written letter that you received every year from Santa, or maybe a tradition of taking a long walk on Sundays after church. Just start now by recording in a journal your memories of your traditions.

And of course, don't forget the new traditions you and your family have created. It can be as simple as the funny song you sing to each other when someone is having a bad day or the colored Happy Birthday sign that each child gets hung up in the kitchen during their birthday week. Take the time to preserve these memories and traditions with your children and those close to you and create traditions that will help bind your family together.

A Tradition of Success

I've been blessed to have the company of Carol Rice, co-found of Cherish Bound, here with me and my team, in my town, motivating, coaching, educating and teaching my team and me! What an honor it is to have someone like Carol spend hours with us. We have been lifted and motivated and taught her tradition of success. Whether we use her example in our business or home and family, she's a leader! She is creating a dream company that will change people, communities and our world. I love that I'm apart of it! I love that I get to part of a movement of tradition in people's homes. The world of memory keeping, scrapbooking, digital scrapbooking, story telling, photography and so on will be changed as we blaze new trails in the world of memory preservation. We are not only teaching people how to preserve, but we're teaching people how to connect through story, conversation and written expression. It's truly AMAZING!

Cherish Bound and Digital Scrapbooking!

Cherish Bound's Online Publishing Center allows you the room and freedom to publish your digital scrapbook pages. Digital Scrapbooking is becoming more and more popular as the majority of the population is turning "Digital".

If you're creating digital layouts in Photoshop, Photoshop Elements, and/or various scrapbooking software you can use Cherish Bound as a way to preserve those pages into hardbound books without all the cost and fees...scrapbooks, page protectors and the agony of PRINTING...whether you print yourself or have someone else do it, it can cost a fortune. You can have multiple copies of your digital scrapbooks published.

Our motto is Point & Shoot + Cut & Paste + Drag & Drop = Shared Memories and Family Traditions. Do something with those beautiful pages you've created. Don't let them just sit on your computer or in a website somewhere. Publish your pages, put them in books, and share them with those you love.

Workshop #2

You now have your story written in your Story Starter. Next step is to take your story and type it into a Word Document or similar program. By typing your written story you're able to cut and paste it later into the publishing center. Now you can spell check, grammar check, add or cut information you've written down. Get your story in a document on your computer. You can also start organizing and collecting your photos, memorabilia and any other documents you'll want to put into your book. If they're digital or on disc, GREAT! Keep them just like that. If not, you'll want to scan and edit all your photos at a minimum 300 dpi. Organize all your photos and scans into one folder. Next Monday, Workshop #3, will take you to the publishing center where you will start uploading your photos and text!

Christmas and Hanukkah Shopping!

Are you a last minute shopper...Do you wait until the last few days to start your shopping? Or do you struggle to find the "perfect" gift for the person who as EVERYTHING? Well, look no further. Cherish Bound allows you to give the "perfect" gift and start family traditions that will last for generations. Do it before the holiday rush.

You can create beautiful books or calendars for your loved ones, teachers, employees, neighbors, distant relatives and friends...you name it, there's a story to share or a calendar to create for them. There's nothing better than receiving a personalized, custom gift made just for them with beautiful pictures and stories.

Start now by making a list of people you need to buy gifts for. With the many themes and idea books we have, there's a book or calendar for EVERYONE on your list. Once you know who you're buying for then we decide on book and calendar options. Click here to see sample books for ideas.

I will help you every step of the way and together we can accomplish the big task of holiday shopping...and you can have your shopping done before Thanksgiving! Contact me now and let's get you started!

Workshop #1

Click here to view all Story Starters themes!! Now that you've found the story you're going to share it's time to organize it. If you have your Story Starter you'll want to go through and read the first few pages to help you understand better how to organize your thoughts and get your story on paper. The Notebook in the back of the Story Starter will give you a place to jot down other questions, ideas and memories from answering the questions in the Story Starter. Your Story Starter has TONS of questions, broken down into theme and time lines that will help your story have structure and depth. Handwriting is a personal and important part of who you are. Research has shown that writing by hand also helps to stimulate creativity and evoke memories by actively using both sides of the brain. So don't shy away from the good old pencil....use it! We'll go to the keyboard later.

I'd also like to recommend a Writing and Publishing Guide. This is a great tool for everyone. This guide goes through a "Writer's Checklist", Tips on Interviewing, Determining Purpose and Audience, Developing Characters and Details, and Publishing Introduction. This is a great reference for adults and children and can be used to help with any story, memory book or scrapbook just like the Story Starters.

As you begin to write your story, start with the first section of questions. Read through all the questions and circle the ones that pertain to your story. Once you've decided on your questions, flip to the back of the Story Starter to the Notebook. On the right side of the page where it says "1 Outline" bullet your answers to your questions. Keep it simple and to the point. You can also make image notes in the box on the same page. Use that area to write down ideas for the visual images that go with your story, i.e., marriage certificate, picture of old house, blue ribbon from state fair, tickets from opening night, etc.

Once your bullets have been listed, go to the left side of the page under "2 Write" and start answering your questions using your bullets. At least one sentence for each bullet, but more if you can. Here's where your story starts to take it's form. Write as much or as little, but this is where the bread and butter of your story takes it's course. Don't worry about spelling, grammar...it's the "sloppy copy". You'll have time to spell check and type up a final copy later.

Open your Story Starter and get to work!! The size of the Story Starter allows you to take it with you everywhere you go....in a purse, briefcase, suitcase, diaper bag....write your story anytime!! Check back next Monday for the next step in the Online Workshop Series.

Online Workshop Series

Starting next week I'm going to conduct an online workshop series to help you get your first book published. The first step is to Find your story. Start thinking about a story that has been tapping on your shoulder, one that you know needs to be told. Think about this story over the next few days. To help you organize your thoughts and timeline better I have Story Starters that come in a wide range of topics from "Falling In Love" to "When I Was Little" or how about your children's birth stories or your family vacation. Contact me now to order your Story Starter. Your Story Starter has lots of questions that will help you remember details and capture the lost stories and events. You'll be able to organize your story in chronological order and make notes of photos and memorabilia you'd like to add to help enhance your story. So what are you waiting for?? You have stories waiting to be told!

Opportunities and Adventures!

Is your head spinning with ideas for your own personal stories and books? Are you thinking of all the people you know who have a story? Have you considered the lives that would be changed as you help others find, capture, and share their stories? Are you amazed that you can really make money at something you love? If so - you need to join me!

Some of the benefits of becoming a CherishBound consultant are:
• Earn extra income or replace an income.
• Receive discounts on your own products and publishing.
• Spend time doing what you want.
• Create friendships to last a lifetime.
• Own your own business and be your own boss.
• Join a new, fun and exciting opportunity.
• Impact generations.
• Grow with a fresh, innovative company as part of an exciting new industry.
• Earn commissions on your team’s product and publishing sales.
• Receive an immediate income every time you help someone get started in their business. Fast start bonuses are a great way to provide immediate income for yourself as you help others get started quickly in their businesses.

Join NOW and get FREE registration to Convention!
Join all of your Cherish Bound friends for a Rewards Convention at the Four Corners Storytelling Festival in New Mexico filled with inspiring stories by master storytellers like Syd Lieberman, hear motivating speakers, participate in custom built workshops by storytelling and business experts, enjoy networking breakouts, receive training, some well-earned pampering and take home the latest product, news and tools!

Find, Capture and Share Your Stories

Step One, FIND YOUR STORY: Whether you realize it or not, you have 1000's of stories waiting to be told. It may be a little moment or a life-changing experience. Either way, your story needs to be told and I'm here to help you do that. Cherish Bound’s Story Starters and other story products are a perfect way to help you begin or continue a family tradition of finding your stories.

Step Two, CAPTURE YOUR STORY: Once you have found a story that is important to you, you may feel intimidated by writing your story or feel like, “I don’t know what to say.” I can help you write your story, organize your thoughts and pictures as you begin the story writing process. Through online workshops and timelines I'll help you capture your story.

Step Three, SHARE YOUR STORY: When you have the opportunity to share the story you have just found and captured you will fully experience the power of story in your life. The connection and feelings of satisfaction and self-worth that are created when a story is shared cannot be measured. These connections are the building blocks of enduring family traditions.