Lots of consultants to small business owners promote the idea of paying your children to work for you as a tax advantage. And I've always wondered how that would work with my business and when that day would ever come. Well, my friends, it is here.

A few months ago I was asked by the Pure Romance corporate office to submit a DVD of my party demonstration. After way too much work the project is finally complete, save one last action. Today I am printing out DVD labels to share with my downline. The big news is that Suzie is helping me! After the DVD is labeled she is putting it in the DVD sleeve. (I have no idea how to apply this to my tax advantage.) But- it's adorable. She's been really great. :)

Nancy

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Mother Knows Sex On TLC February 1st After The Super Bowl!

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Hi everyone!....

I am excited to announce that Pure Romance will be the focus of a brand new show airing on The Learning Channel (TLC) in less than a month!  Home of the top-rated series Jon and Kate Plus 8, TLC is known for educating the public on a wide range of life experiences and that’s why we felt they were the perfect fit for a series on Pure Romance and our mission to create a safe place for women to explore intimacy and their sexual health.  On February 1^st, please tune in to preview the pilot episode to “Mother Knows Sex”, a series which will document the ins-and-outs of running our unconventional family business!....

Similar to Pure Romance parties, the show will aim to educate and entertain while shedding light on important issues that are often overlooked or dismissed in our industry.  When we were first approached about doing this show, there were many reasons that we felt it was important to go forward with it.  First and foremost, the nationwide exposure for Pure Romance will not only help with brand recognition when our Consultants are out in the field,  but will also help the public to better understand what we are all about.  Our objective since day one has been to “de-vulgarize” bedroom accessories and help women to feel comfortable about sexuality, and this is just one more way to educate the public on this matter.  Pure Romance has made great strides as an ambassador for women’s sexual health, and it’s important that we take every measure to clarify our mission in order to truly make a difference.....

Please tune in to watch the kick-off episode of Mother Knows Sex at 10pm on TLC on Super Bowl Sunday, February 1^st.  Please keep in mind the more people individually tuned in to watch, the higher the ratings, and the higher the ratings, the better our chances of keeping the series going for the long run.  Thanks for your continued support and we hope you enjoy the show!  ....

Mother Knows Sex Teaser

So- Good Riddance 2008! I will hopefully get our family cards out before June. Things have sucked in a lot of areas lately and I have a really hard time listening to whining, so I really try not to do it, which is pretty much why I have not been posting much lately.

I am thinking of moving my blog to the Google blog thingie, I think that I really like the format, although I haven't really had a LOT of time to look at it yet. Anyone have any thoughts?

End of year '08: We had a fantastic trip home to Oklahoma and Missouri for Thanksgiving break. Suzie and I stayed longer to spend some extra time with my family and are glad that we did.

Gabe has GREAT news! He finished last semester with a 4.0!! Woot-hoot - That is a really good feeling after both working so hard and sacrificing so much for him to be following this totally new path. We have started looking at nursing school programs and applications. We are also working (slowly) on having his felony reduced to a misdemeanor to make that application and job hunting process easier. He has taken enough jobs over winter break to pay for his tuition and books this semester, which I am really grateful for.

Pure Romance is going fantastic! I finished 2008 with around $75,000 in sales. It's nice to be in a job that no matter what the economy, people still need my products! I am still LOVING it, although I'm probably putting a little too much pressure on myself since it is now the ONLY official income in our family. I know that we will be blessed, I just need to do my best and not overwork or stress myself out.

Suzie (2 1/2 yrs.) is pretty much completely talking: up to @ 7 word sentences. She is also midst potty-training. In typically 2 year old mode she can be both very, very kind and nasty, mean horrible- with just a quick switch. We are still hoping for a brother soon for her, but nothing yet. :)

We spent both Christmas and New Years home with just the five of us (Daisy- dog & Samson- turtle) and loved it.

Love,
Nancy Wharton

Hi Friends,

Several emails have been sent lately informing me that I haven't updated my blog in awhile.

Well, there's a good reason for that- I'M BUSY!!! Things were really stressful for awhile and that's just never fun to write about. I felt like the world was tumbling down around me. I don't even know where to begin with that- just EVERYTHING seemed to be falling apart. A lot of this has escalated from the construction economy in Phoenix, where Gabe had been building his career. We do have a lot to be grateful for, so without going into details or whining about our sob story or hardships, suffice to say that we have had to reevaluate and change the direction of our family for the next several years and there are some major sacrifices to make.

Gabe is getting out of construction entirely. So many months of robbing Peter to pay Paul so that you can pay for the materials and labor to do John's floors, then John files bankruptcy and doesn't pay you, Peter and Paul come knocking and all you've got are a bad back from working so hard and a cranky wife who says that you're never home,... will only last so long!  (Long story short?)

We spent a lot of time this summer fighting, praying and researching to move him towards a career that will provide stable employment with the health insurance benefits that our young family needs, provide a reasonable income, and use his talents. He is now enrolled at the local community college working on basic credits then going towards either an RN or Surgical Assistant program. In the meantime, we are researching graduate school programs, locations, etc. AND the status of his felony, if and how it can be reduced and how that may affect his ability to be licensed in different parts of the medical field.

College is going pretty well for him. It's taking a bit to 'get back in the saddle', remembering homework assignments, trying to figure out his crack-u-lators (TI-84 Plus), finding his class syllabi (syllabuses?) online, etc. Since we are trying to sell his truck he rides his bike to school most days, which is about 10 miles roundtrip, so that we can get used to becoming a one-car family and to 'train' for the Las Vegas Pumpkinman Triathlon that we are both doing in two weeks.)

Suzie is definitely two, and acting every bit of it! About a month ago I thought, "Oh yeah, she's TWO, it's not so bad. Wow, those silly people and their 'terrible twos'."  Ha ha ha. Not two weeks after saying that did Miss Obstinate- Sassy-Pants-Hard-Headed pop out of my beautiful, sweet, polite little daughter. The rotten thing! She is still adorable, but man is she ever exploring her ability to make choices and discover boundaries. Suzie is very good at using her manners and speaks in complete sentences most of the time. She LOVES CLIMBING everything! A few evenings ago I was sitting in my desk chair. Suzie crawled through the armrest, onto my lap, onto the armrest, onto my shoulders, then to the top of the chair back. At this point, she's gotten beyond my reach and I had to call for help in getting her down without twisting and knocking her off myself. Lesson learned, for me... hopefully. We did get her 'first' haircut by my friend Ashlee at the Chandler Toni & Guy. My mom couldn't stop raving about how cute it was. Little white blond head, with huge, bright blue eyes and an always ready smile. What a fun gal she's gonna be. .. -->[if gte vml 1]> ..[endif]-->.. -->[if !vml]-->.... -->[endif]-->

My brother George is staying with us and has been so much fun, and so nice to have around. He just finished his bachelor's degree and thought he'd like to 'escape Columbia'. (Columbia, Missouri, our hometown.) He's very athletic and a bit inspiring, though I'm so stressed out with getting paperwork caught up that my recent encounters with exercising have only involved carrying Pure Romance products to and from my car for parties. George road-tripped back from Missouri with me in August, with his bicycle on the back of my van. On Saturday mornings he has been riding his bike from our home in Chandler to somewhere in Phoenix (about 20 miles each way), to take an African Dance class. Then he rides his bike home. This week, after an hour of dancing then riding home, I gave him a ride to go rock climbing. He is trying to fill his time with MeetUp Group activities while he also looks for work. As much as I'm sure he loves us I know that he's looking forward to getting his own place and space. Hopefully, he'll still make time for us between all of his coffee dates, play auditions, dance classes and the Daily Show.

We've had a friend, Aaron, living with us for several months while trying to 'get back on his feet'. His 3 yr. old daughter is also here most weekends. It can really test a marriage trying to share your home with four adults, 2 little girls, a dog and a turtle and we've been hoping that our friend will find another place to live soon. Unfortunately Gabe was called to the Emergency Room tonight and Aaron somehow sliced through his hand and his whole thumb part of a hand was flapping off. He'll be in the hospital overnight, have surgery tomorrow and I doubt he'll be moving out in the next couple weeks. He's such a trooper though. I keep trying to make life in our house hell for him, and he just keeps coming back. Too bad he's going to miss the brownies I made tonight. Maybe we should tell him that I made lobster for dinner!

As you may know, my goal in January was to get pregnant and be having another baby sometime around now. Well, that didn't happen, and still hasn't. As each month comes and goes, I have been gaining a lot more faith that it will happen in the Lord's time. My biggest regret is that Suzie will now be at least 3 1/2 yrs. old when her next sibling is born and I really wish they could be closer in age. Some days, I can barely keep it together, so I'm very grateful and understanding that now is not my time to be pregnant.

With all of this disaster one thing has truly grown in success: my Pure Romance business. I have been forced to party more (eh, hm, I mean, uh, "work" more...) to keep our finances above water. It has been a terrific year. Gabe and I did go on a 7 night Alaskan cruise that I earned/ won and although it hasn't been announced yet, I JUST finished earning/winning another trip- this time to a very, very, very exquisite resort just south of Cancun, Mexico. (Last year when Gabe and I went, I discovered that you couldn't buy a bottle of water at the resort. You had to call your villa's personal concierge who then had someone bring it to you, on a silver platter. That's PURE ROMANCE style!) Because Gabe will be in school this year he probably won't be able to take the trip with me, so I've got to pick a friend, which is kinda a bummer because we could definitely use a little private time. (Sharing our bedroom with a 2-year old doesn't exactly lead to a lot of pillow talk!)

I've had to reevaluate how I run my business and do some tweaking. With the pressure of financially supporting our family through Gabe's school, I'm resifting my focus and time-management. There are always kinks to work out (no pun), but so far the results have been positive. I know that my hostesses have been grateful to have me out of their houses sooner in the evenings!! LOL Again, the change has been difficult and challenging, but definitely fun and rewarding as well.

A personal experience earlier this year solidified my dedication to continuing to do Pure Romance parties. Since the 'get-go' I have been challenged at different levels within our church (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints or "Mormons") for my commitment to do Pure Romance parties. I can't speak for others, but some challenge the righteousness of my work, especially regarding the sale of 'bedroom accessories'. Again, avoiding great detail, Gabe and I have continually taken this choice to the Lord. We have both fasted, prayed and studied about it. We have done this individually and together. Every single time that I was feeling discouraged, that I was denied an opportunity within the church, that I was tired of the fight, we'd pray about it again, and EVERY SINGLE TIME something would happen that would specifically tell us to stick with it. I was at this point again early this summer and finally something happened that let me know specifically why it is so important to the Lord and to His Plan that I continue to do my Pure Romance parties. I feel like I have no doubt left in my ability and in having His blessing as I do this both to educate women and support our family. It's really cool.

As Gabe and I have picked up the pieces of our lives that tumbled down we have been able to sort the wheat from the chafe, to let go of many excesses and unwanted parts of our lives and hang on to the parts we cherish. We are SLOWLY working on putting things back together and rebuilding ourselves. It's sure to take a lifetime, but at least we're together. .. -->[if gte vml 1]> ..[endif]-->.. -->[if !vml]-->.... -->[endif]-->

This summer we took a fantastic road trip and are seriously toying with the idea of doing it again over Gabe's winter break. I have had friends, family and customers call/email me to do parties in Denver, Dallas, Columbia and NYC and of course, I'd like to do them. Dec. is typically a slow time in my business here and with Gabe off of school, why not take this time to spend with people that we love? ... And yet, there are reasons, which is why we are still deliberating. (If by any chance, any of you would like to do parties anywhere between Phoenix and NYC please let me know! - seriously...)

Personally, I am exhausted. I totally suck at doing paper work and have let it pile up since Jan. '07. Well now our income tax extension is almost up and we need the tax forms to apply for FAFSA- grants for Gabe's schooling as well as a few other things. (May I reiterate again here how much I absolutely HATE paperwork and suck at doing it!!!) So, no pressure... however, I do have a very good friend who is great at it and has stepped up to help me out of this pinch. I've had a really hard time justifying to myself to pay someone to help me with it, but the heat is on and thankfully, she's in dire need of some extra income, so it just works out great for both of us. She is smokin' on my paperwork and I try to keep up with our three kids in the meantime. This does give me time to do regular mommie things like dishes and floors without feeling guilty for not doing my paperwork. :) Isn't life fun! Oh, how I'm looking forward to Mexico. ha ha

And lastly, yes, Gabe and I are doing our first triathlon in two weeks. We are in no way prepared for it, but we are committed to at least cross the finish line! I have lost 30 lbs. in the training process. I'd really like to lose about 45 more, but in due time. (There's this little thing called cortizol (sp?) that is really kicking my butt with all the stress.) We will be doing the triathlon with my three brothers, one sister-in-law, two step-siblings, my dad and his wife will be in Vegas doing the triathlon with us. Suzie is going to stay with some really good friends here that need a little girl around the house for a few days, so we're also going to get to go out and have a little Vegas fun with my family!

Sope- there's an update. All-in-all, progress is being made. Tough times don't last. Tough people do.

Peace,
Nancy Wharton

There are earplugs when I'm really pissed at Gabe. If I can't hear him, it can't make me any angrier ... and I can't say things back that I regret later.

Nancy

Hi Friends,
I am hostessing a catalog 'party' for a friend with Silpada jewelry. Silpada makes very high quality, beautiful, fine sterling silver jewelry.

The goal for my party is $750 in sales and I am closing it on Sat. September 6th.

Are you a Pure Romance or other party plan consultant looking for something to upgrade or polish your look for your shows? Jewelry is a GREAT way to do this. I think it's more wonderful than make-up or designer clothes, it lasts longer and is easier to put on and take off.
You can wear the same jewelry every day and look fantastic!

Here's how to order:
1. Go to: http://www. mysilpada. com/sites/rosie. cowherd
2. Select: 'Jewelry catalog'
3. Select 'Browse the Silpada Designs Online Catalog'
4. Click on picture of catalog
5. Select picture in top left corner, of a bracelet.
(OR shortcut to --- http://www. mysilpada. com/sites/public/content/jewelry/viewpage. jsp?page=01&catalog=catalog0809&catalogGUID=catalog0809-f3e7a9a4-dab3-4197-a479-5bfa32be7ad2 ---)
6. Under enlarged picture of catalog you can scroll through the pages of the catalog.
7. When an item catches your eye, select the individual picture of that item to the right, or under the larger picture. This will enlarge the photo of the individual item for you.

8. When you have selected the items you'd like to order please EMAIL me with the item number, page number, price, your full name, mailing number and address.
9. I will contact you back with exact total and to make payment arrangements.

I really appreciate you taking the time to do this.
I know you will appreciate the compliments and confidence you get from investing in your image!

Thank you,
Nancy Wharton
nancywharton@cox.net
480-776-7009

My family is on a roadtrip. Gabe is returning to school next week to prepare for a new career, probably a Physician's or Surgical Assistant. We are REALLY excited about this, however know that it will require some major lifestyle changes for the next several years. At least we are together. Since he has made this decision and we have been preparing for it a lot of the resentment and contention that we held has disapated and I feel like I have my husband back. We are falling in love again and strengthening our friendship! Given a few weeks of August before school starts and his schedule once again fill up, we've been driving around visiting friends and family.

This weekend, at our Pure Romance Annual Training in Cincinnati, Ohio, I think people thought I was totally off my rocker for having driven to Ohio from Phoenix. The thing is: One of the major reasons that I AM a Pure Romance Consultant is the flexibility of my job and schedule, WITH the ability to provide my family with a full-time income AND be a stay-at-home-mom. Why have these benefits and not take advantage of them? I feel like with this trip we are killing a whole flock of birds with one stone! (I don't advocate killing birds by the way, or throwing stones at them.)

Whether you are a woman who also wants to be a stay-at-home-mom and earn a "full-time" income, or someone in the corporate world trying to escape: this is a FUN-TASTIC time to start your OWN Pure Romance business.  You can purchase a starter kit worth over $2,200 for ONLY $500. Not quite your budget? How about $500 worth of demonstration, training and inventory products for only $125.00.  DO NOT PROCRASTINATE!!! Contact me immediately to start your business. This special kit pricing is rare and only available through Aug. 31st. (Road- tripping optional.)

Seven simple steps:
1. Go to: www.prbynancy.com.
2. In pink bar across top of page select 'Sell Pure Romance'.
3. Left column, bottem selection select 'Sign up today'.
4. Select Consultant Starter kit.
5. Enter personal information.
6. **** 'Are you working with a Pure Romance consultant?' YES, YOU ARE!! *****
Enter: Arizona, Nancy Wharton, Consultant ID 5104
7. Complete and submit application.

I will be your coach in getting your business going! Before or after signing up, I will be available to help you get going. Use me as a reference guide to navigate the journey to Pure Romance success.

Call or text my cell: 480-776-7009
E-mail: prbynancy@cox.net
Send me a message on MySpace!

Peace and love to ALL,
Nancy Wharton
Consultant ID 5104
cell: 480-776-7009
prbynancy@cox.net