N TX Network of Enterprising Women

Putting your Best Face Forward {DFW, Frisco Family Photographer}

2009-09-30T22:12:00.003-05:00

I am saying it again...It is holiday picture time. December will be here before you know it and now is the time to plan for your family's holiday portraits.
Here are a few basic tips to get your best faces forward for your family.

1. Plan ahead! Do not wait until the last minute to do photos. Texas weather is unpredictable and you never know if it will be snowing in November or be 90 degrees.
2. Opportunity Knocks...The closer it gets to December, the photos will move down in your list. It is one missed opportunity to capture your kiddos at his time. They will never be this young again.
3. Dress for the part. You do not have to be matchy for photos. Yes, it works, but you can be creative with your use of color or styles. Talk to your photographer for suggestions and guidance.
4. Smile with a purpose...Think about how you want to display your photo. Think bigger than a snapshot. Photos are great art and conversational pieces.
5. Stress Be Gone. The more you stress about photos; the more your kiddos act out. They know your buttons.

Holidays are a wonderful time to share your memories with your family. Enjoy these moments and share them for years to come.

School Paper Madness

2008-09-01T23:54:00.003-05:00

Welcome Back to school… and 180 days (or so) of endless paper!

Are you ready for the invasion of class work, tests, projects, artwork, schedules, flyers, and newsletters? If not, it's not too late to develop a plan of action to deal with the onslaught of paper.

To start: designate a place for ALL incoming school papers for the KIDS to place the papers. (And not on the counter, entry way, or dinning table!).
This can either be a single in-box for all papers, or designate one per child. If they want the paper signed… Put it HERE. Remind kids to not place incomplete/ungraded schoolwork here, unless it needs your signature.

Next, sort and handle the papers as follows:

A) Papers requiring your attention (signatures, approvals, completion, mark the date events)
After paperwork is completed, either place in an “out-box” for the children to check if they are older to teach responsibility for school papers returning back to school; or if younger, return to their backpacks. Next, put any important dates (holidays, due dates, testing dates, practices, meets, open houses, conferences etc) immediately onto the calendar! By creating and In/Out system for children to deliver and retrieve paperwork for you, you will create a system that creates accountability and is habit building for your children and you!

B) Papers frequently referenced throughout the year (calendars, band/sport schedules, menus, bus schedules, contact info, etc.)
I recommend a school “command center” binder. Use tabs marked either by child, subject (band, menu, bus etc). In this binder place bus schedules, lunch menus, school calendars, band or sports calendars, etc. Anything you need to reference frequently throughout the year. Purge at the end of the school year or at report card time, or as extracurricular activities end during the year.

C) Keepsakes (art, great grades, creative work, certificates etc)
Rule of thumb: Give each “masterpiece” or “90-100%” 1 week on the fridge or other prominent showcase. Then toss. Aim to keep 2 pieces of artistic and scholastic per quarter- focusing on superior efforts, creativity, and personality. Use a large manila envelope/bankers box or try the School folio http://www.schoolfolio.com/ for each child for all the keepsake papers, drawings and small items they bring home from school. Be sure to include: Name, Age, Grade and School Year. Review and "edit" further if needed/desired at the end of each school year .

D) Other. (School Handbooks, testing info, progress and report cards, class rules, photo/yearbook info, and other misc.,)
Create a file with the child’s name and school. This is for less frequently referenced material. This should be purged at the end of the school year. Most will be tossed. Final report cards can be incorporated into “keepsake” storage. Some may roll over to the next year or be forward looking.

By designating and setting up these 4 areas to handle all school related papers, you can quickly decide how to handle, what to keep, where to store, and can quickly retrieve information as needed. Now go forth and conquer!

2008-08-10T22:37:00.001-05:00

What a Great Day!

2008-08-10T21:01:00.006-05:00

North Texas Network of Enterprising Women (NEW) attended the No Limit Expo for Women on August 9, 2008. This show provides a venue for organizations and businesses to reach women. The show was a success. Our booth buzzed with activity. Most of our businesses provided wonderful gifts for attendees, as well as raffle items to the expo. It was a great day to connect with so many women interested in learning about NEW and supporting our members. Check out our photos from the day. Look for other events coming soon.

NEW members at the No Limit Women's Expo

2008-08-10T20:59:00.000-05:00

Plunge Into Summer!

2008-07-20T22:50:00.003-05:00

Does your business take a “dive” during the summer months? If so, take advantage of the extra time to focus on getting your business ready for a fantastic fall.
1. Gotta Learn More to Earn More
What do you need to know to take your business to the next level? Select a project or area and invest some money and time into a program or product that will help you to gain more understanding, and increase your knowledge in that area.
2. Summer Make Over
Take an objective look at your online marketing, (website, blog, newsletters, mailings etc). Make any changes or updates necessary to improve it’s effectiveness as a major marketing and sales tool.
3. Restore order to your office!
If you didn’t do this in January, purge old files and bookshelves so you can actually see and find what you own! And by doing so, you’ll be creating space for more clients and new information to come into your business! Restoring your office doesn't just include cleaning out and reorganizing the contents. If you also have tools and equipment that aren't functioning properly, get them fixed, or replace them.
4. Garbage In / Garbage Out
Tired of wasting time searching for stuff on your computer? Take some time to clean up your files, delete ones you don't need, reorganize what you do need into folders, remove software that you no longer use. Burn photos and archived material to a CD and then delete it from your computer. Finally, defragment the computer if needed. Your CPU will thank you!
5. E-mail E-hell
Is your inbox overwhelming? Set a goal of 50 emails or less in your inbox. Be ruthless with the delete key and only leave emails in your inbox that require action on your part. Tackle that inbox and do one of the following: respond, file in a folder, delegate or delete it. To maintain, take 5-10 minutes each day to delete old emails, reply to ones that only require a quick response, and if your mail services offers it, select the” settings” feature to automatically sort future incoming mail into appropriate folders.
6. Encouraging Accomplishments
It’s easy to get discouraged during a summer slump, so it's important to pause and recognize your successes. You’re at the half-way point so it’s a good time for a 6-month review. When you do, be sure to account for your accomplishments this year. Then set or re-set the goals you’d like to achieve for the rest of the year to provide on-going direction and motivation!
7. Plan ahead for Fall
Begin researching and targeting any potential fall shows, expos, bazaars or promotions/ads NOW. Register early to ensure the best location or spot!
8. Relax and enjoy the Season!
After all, isn't more time with your family or to yourself one of the reasons you own your own business in the first place?

NEW Savings Booklet set to Distribute

2008-07-20T22:18:00.002-05:00

The Network of Enterprising Women will soon be distributing the third version of their Savings Booklet for new customers. Member businesses provide new customers savings on their goods and services. Businesses taking part include:

Abadi Architecture
Balloon Happenings
Creative Memories
Tupperware
Continuum Marketing
Simply Organized by Sandy
Mary Kay
Salerno Expressions Photography
...and many more

Savings booklets will be distributed to attendees/visitors at the No Limit Women's Expo on Saturday, August 9th at the Richardson Civic Center.

Other booklets will be distributed via members.

NEW Partners with No Limit Women's Expo

2008-07-20T21:46:00.002-05:00

The North Texas Network of Enterprising Women have teamed up with the No Limit Women's Expo to help promote the empowerment and success of women!

A first-time exhibitor at the 3rd anuual No Limit Women's Expo in 2007, NEW found the event to be aligned with their own mission and they received a lot of interest from attendees. Contact was made with Sylvia Williams, coordinator of the show, and a partnership was born!

At the 4th annual No Limit Women's Expo, NEW will have several members speaking as well as volunteering. The group will also be exhibiting along with many member businesses.

Come see us, Saturday, August 9th from 10am - 4pm, Richardson Civic Center. It is FREE to attend.

Don't miss it!

NEW Spreads the Word via Open House

2008-03-03T20:28:00.002-06:00

The North Texas Network of Enterprising Women will be holding a prospective member Open House on Tuesday, March 25th starting at 10:30am. The event will be held at Heritage Lakes Clubhouse in Frisco, TX.

NEW is a unique concept in networking groups, catering specifically to women who are both mothers and entreprenuers. Besides networking, the group supports each others business endeavors via idea sharing, co-op marketing and cross promotion.

The Open House allows prospective members to learn more about the organization and how it can benefit them, while at the same time, allowing each attendee to network and share more about themselves and their business.

Invitations will be extended in early March. If you'd like to attend, visit our website at www.ntxnew.org and click on the link that says "I would like to attend the next Open House".

Current represented business categories include:
Photography
Home and business organization
Scrapbooking
Children's books
Children's behavior consultant
Health/Wellness products
Candles
Marketing
Skincare and makeup
Financial services
Real estate
Kitchen storage
Graphic design

The Holidays Are Here.... Stay Calm!

2007-12-07T09:55:00.000-06:00

Walking through Walmart in October... I found myself irritated that I hadn't even taken my bats and ghosts down yet, and they were making room for Christmas decorations! The clock had started. Ready, Set, Go! How does starting the Holidays so early affect us and our children, and how can we get organized, squeeze all of that Holiday "Joy" in and keep our families in tact in the process?

First, keep in mind that the earlier we "get started" on holiday preparations, the longer we increase the "wait time" for our children. Do what you must do early, but try to keep it "under the radar" if possible, and if anything, don't torture the kids by displaying presents weeks before opening.

Keep a Holiday Planner - Take a careful look at your time Just like money, time in the future looks like it will cover more than it actually will. be sure to mark down EVERYTHING: school events, houseguests, service projects, work parties, cookie exchanges, shopping, presents, church events, and school breaks. Preparations such as; baking, cards, pictures, and decorating. Deadlines for mailing cards and presents. Recognize when the calendar is full - then stop. Be sure to leave some down time and family time. And remember- more activities mean more mess, so leave extra time for cleaning. If you find there is not enough time for it all, decide what is REALLY necessary and prioritize. You can best manage your time by recognizing your limitations and learn to say no. Quit stressing yourself out!

As the big day approaches, children get anxious, excited and even hyper and need help coping. We are working so hard to make the Holiday's perfect, that children are often lacking companionship and attention. With the lack of attention, and all of the excitement it is inevitable that it seems as if they are going behind you "undoing" all of your hard work! Instead of threats that "Santa won't come" look for ways to let them be part of the preparation. Let children seal envelopes, help decorate the tree, help bake, crack nuts, and learn songs. Be prepared with a few craft projects, let them string popcorn, make place mats or gift tags, make homemade wrapping paper with potato stamps. Remember those? Also, be sure to pick a compassionate service project to participate in during the school break to avoid boredom, reduce the "what am *I* getting?" obsession, and help them to experience and enjoy the fun of giving.

Stay calm. Accidents will happen, someone will get sick, kids and adults get overtired and there is a good chance on the big day, your child may say "Is this all?" If so, take heart in knowing that this is all normal, and just like the house next down the street. Give yourself a gift this holiday and lower your expectations. Some problems can be avoided with some time management planning and great organizational tools, and others by simplifying our lives, paying attention to stress and anxiety we are creating for ourselves and our children during the holidays and lastly, in accepting imperfections.

For some Holiday organization tips - and other organization ideas and thoughts, check out my blog simplyorganizedbysandy.blogspot.com

Have a Happy and Peaceful Holiday - Sandy

2007-11-19T21:09:00.000-06:00

Green Winter Holidays

2007-11-19T21:07:00.000-06:00

By Marcela Abadi Rhoads, AIA
Abadi Architecture

Architects have been talking about sustainability and green design longer than Kermit the frog was speaking about how is not easy being green. As designers, we are tasked to create spaces that are not only aesthetically pleasing, but environmentally friendly. Even the building codes now are requiring us as designers to deliver a more efficient design for our clients. During the holidays we tend to see a lot of waste. There is a significant increase in the amount of garbage that we throw away, and so much more energy that we use.

So in keeping with the theme for sustainability, here are a few things you can do this holiday to make sure we are doing our part to be friendly to the environment:

1. Consider decorating a reusable Christmas tree rather than a real one. This way, you will be saving trees and in the long run saving money since you are not buying a tree every year. If you are going to use a real tree, consider recycling it.

2. Send e-cards rather than paper ones. The 2.65 billion Christmas cards sold each year in the United States could fill a football field 10 stories high or circle the planet 10 times. The virtual card shop is on the rise.

3. Use fluorescent light bulbs to light your tree. There is a great product that is called a light rope which comes in different colors, and last a lot longer than your standard incandescent lights without emitting so much heat.

4. Don't gift wrap! Use re-usable bags if possible, or give gifts that don't require wrapping, like lottery tickets, home baked goodies etc. If you are going to use gift wrapping paper, then try to open the presents carefully so you can re-use them later.

5. Don't drive to the mall to do your shopping. Do your shopping online. This will not only save in fuel cost and less emissions to the atmosphere, but it will keep your sanity during the busy shopping season.

If we all try to do our part this holiday season to be a little more concious of not wasting our resources, then we can rest easier and still enjoy ourselves. Remember, Reduce, Reuse and Recycle

Exciting Savings

2007-11-19T21:04:00.000-06:00

We have an exciting announcement to make about saving MONEY. Our members have gotten together and decided to offer a special discount to our clients. This will save you money across the board with all NEW businesses. We have Creative Memories, Simply Organized by Sandy, Little Impressions, Salerno Expressions Photography and this only names a few. Look for our coupon in the mail. If you have not received one, email us and we will send you one. Great Savings in time for the holidays!

Holiday Photo Time

2007-10-09T02:09:00.000-05:00

I know you are thinking it can not be that time of year again! Oh YES, get the reindeer sweater from Aunt Milly out of the closet....but don't use it in photos again this year. :)

Holiday Family Portraits can be a bit stressful for parents.
Here are a couple of invaluable tips to help ease you into a winning pose:
1. Be sure your kids are well fed and rested before the session with your photographer.
2. A treat in the purse works wonders! Even I resort to bribing my own little one at times.
3. Try not smiling for some photos.
4. Have fun and don't get stressed out! Your little ones pick up on that and work it.
5. Coordiante your family's look. Your photo will look well composed. You don't have to be matchy-matchy, but great solid shirts all in red or blue will create a striking photo to cherish for years.

6. Make your appointments NOW for family holiday portraits. :)

Have a wonderful holiday season!
Johnita Salerno
Salerno Expressions Photography

Digital Dilemma Solved

2007-10-09T01:58:00.000-05:00

When was the last time you saw someone using a film camera? Can’t remember? That’s not
surprising. The age of digital camera’s and picture taking is truly here. The instant gratification of immediately viewing your pictures, the ability to delete those that didn’t come out quite right and just the convenience of it all has pretty much made traditional picture taking obsolete. The digital age is great, but, if you are like me, you now have a new challenge: How to organize and view pictures so that all can enjoy them, even those who don’t have computers or when you
can’t access a computer. Here’s a perfect example - I recently had dinner with a friend I hadn’t seen in over a year and wanted to bring current pictures of my son. However, I was short on time and they were “trapped” in my computer. One option to solve this digital dilemma is to utilize software to organize pictures and create digital albums or scrapbooks. Once you’ve
completed the album you can determine how many printed copies you want and purchase on-line. The benefits of organizing your pictures digitally are obvious. It saves time compared to printing out the picture and placing it in a traditional album, and makes it much more convenient to make multiples to share the special moments with others. Another big advantage over printing and placing in a traditional album is the ability to personalize-to tell your story.
Creative Memories, a well-known provider of scrap booking materials and training has introduced their solution for digital picture takers called StoryBook Albums. StoryBook Creator Software can be downloaded easily from their consultant’s websites and it’s free! You can choose from an array of custom templates and unique designs, drag and drop your photos where you want them, and tell your unique story. You do not pay anything until you decide to print the
album. An added bonus – assistance and training on the software is available through local
consultants. Printed StoryBook Album pages are high-quality; acid-free, lignin-free, buffered and stitched for durability. Best of all, they are a convenient and beautiful way to tell your story
and share your memories with others at any time.

For more information on StoryBook Albums and StoryBook Creator Software or to view a demo contact Senior Creative Memories Consultant Danielle Mohr at 214-705-1022 or go to
www.mycmsite.com/daniellemohr (CM ID number 67767333).

The Disapperance of Dinnertime

2007-10-09T01:55:00.000-05:00

Many things have changed over the last thirty years including the fact that more women are part of the professional workforce. This means both parents are providing for the family unit. It also means due to time constraints, healthy traditions such as family mealtime are disappearing.
As a matter-of-fact, in 2004 Americans spent over ten times more eating out than in 1974. Out of that spending, over half is on fast food according to the Alliance for a Healthier Generation.
Convenience is the name of the game. And fast food is convenient. So the question remains, how can we change the current situation? The answer is quite simple: Meal Planning! Meal planning businesses are now a reality, providing families’ healthier food choices and complete meals.
You simply pick your date and time and go in to assemble a months worth of meals, or stop by to pick up a quick, yet nutritionally complete meal on your way home. Could you plan out your meals a month in advance and freeze them yourself? Absolutely, but these businesses offer the convenience of doing all the shopping and clean up. And with time at a minimum you can’t beat that! Another benefit of utilizing a meal planning service is the social aspect. Getting together and chatting with other women while assembling the meals makes the task much more fun, seeming a lot less like work. Homemade Gourmet is a family-friendly business with the goal of “Bringing Families Back to the Dinner Table.” Senior Distributor Kala Meyering has taken
the business one step further and created her own meal planning business out of her home using
Homemade Gourmet’s great tasting products.

For more information on Kala’s Monthly Meal Making Parties email her at kalameyering@tx.rr.com or call (972) 731-9446.

Support Women-Owned Business

2007-10-09T01:51:00.000-05:00

When you support a NEW member business you are supporting a woman-owned business. Many NEW members worked several years in Corporate America before becoming entrepreneurs; many driven by the need for flexibility in raising their children. We appreciate your support and look forward to connecting with you!

Did you know there are 9.1 million women-owned businesses-more than 1/3 of all US companies.