Brandy Lee's Blog

You have $10 to start a business.

Brandy — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 23:33:25 +0000

Imagine that you had $10 to start a business. What would you do?

New stuff!

Brandy — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 12:49:37 +0000

Hello! It’s been a while since I wrote a post – so I thought I would fill everyone in on some new stuff I have been working on.

New website – For my web design, I have a brand new site that will hopefully be more user-friendly.
http://www.promotesmallbusiness.com

New services – I am now actively promoting two new services on my website just mentioned. Those services are web site maintenance and basic computer skills training (for those who are new to computers or hesitant to use them).

New businesses – I recently also started to new businesses.

One is selling spa products and having spa parties for people:
http://www.beautipage.com/brandy
(The company that I do this through is Beauti Control)

The other business is that I have been exploring blogging. I plan on having a professional blog within the next two weeks up and running. Stay tuned for the “grand opening!”

The Thanksgiving Blog

Brandy — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 10:31:37 +0000

Every year on Thanksgiving Day millions of people ponder what they are thankful for. I always have had an abundance of things to be thankful for on Thanksgiving – but one thing that life and recent circumstances have taught me is that people should do this all the time. So many times people get caught up in the stresses and the hectic nature of their lives, and they don’t take time to step back and actually look at how great their lives really are, any time of the year.

So, to break my usual tradition, here is a list of things that I have been thankful for each month since December of last year. Many of these are in multiple months but I only listed one per month to keep my readers from falling asleep.

December 2008 – My loved ones (friends and family)
January 2009 – My job
February 2009 – I got to witness one of my best friends proposing to another best friend at a party where all they served was deep fried food (Blog about deep fry parties coming soon)
March 2009 – My Irish grandmother who is one of the smartest people I’ve known
April 2009 – My apartment – where the only utility I pay is electric. Not to mention good location and amenities.
May 2009 – Mustard Seed Market and Papa Joes – two very generous restaurants who threw a fundraiser for a sick relative (who, by the way, is getting better!)
June 2009 – The weather – oh the sun – we don’t get much in Ohio!
July 2009 – My health started improving significantly
August 2009 – I realized a new world of possibilities
September 2009 – My co-workers and bosses – who sent me off into the new world with good wishes and encouragement – plus a killer good luck lunch
October 2009 – I got to enjoy new freedoms and spend more time with my loved ones
November 2009 – That I am happy, healthy, and have a great support system of friends and family.

Now all I need is 1,000,000 and I’m set! Ha ha just kidding. That was Thanksgiving humor

Happy Turkey Day! God Bless.

Recipe for a Wonderful Holiday Drink

Brandy — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 03:35:29 +0000

This drink is based on something I made by accident once at a party – but everyone loved it so I altered it a bit for the holidays.

Warning: This is incredibly sweet. If you are not a “sweet drink” person then I would not recommend this. Not to worry, I will have many more drinks and recipes up my sleeve this holiday!

Per drink:

3 scoops Chocolate, Vanilla or Rocky Road Ice Cream (or more for a thicker drink)
2 ounces Kahlua Liquor
1 ounce peppermint bark, broken into small pieces
1 dollop marshmallow cream (or whipped cream) – optional
Extra Peppermint Bark and/or chocolate syrup for garnish

Combine first three ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth. If a thicker drink is desired, add more ice cream until you reach desired thickness. Pour into a decadent holiday glass and top with a dollop of marshmallow or whipped cream, if desired. Garnish with more peppermint bark and chocolate syrup.

Note: If you do not have a blender, you can actually just mix everything together in a large bowl and pour it into glasses. This is a little time consuming and can be messy, but in a pinch it works. Also, I doubt there are many ice creams out there that would not taste good in this – so feel free to “experiment” this holiday season!

Beautiful Chicago Night

Brandy — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 06:03:20 +0000

A girl looks out the window of her Chicago hotel room on the 12th floor. It is late, and all is silent except for the sound of the air coming out of the vent just below her. The ambulance sirens have finally stopped (she is near a hospital) so it gives the girl a peaceful sense of contentment that all is well. Buildings reach up to the sky all around, and below the street lights lead the way for a few people returning from the night scene. A homeless person walks along the sidewalk, and begs a passerby for a little change. The passerby has no money, but she hands the homeless person the leftovers she is bringing back from the restaurant. Although the homeless person is just a shadow, the girl in the hotel room can see him saying a silent prayer of thanks as the passerby walks away.
Looking up from her window, the girl takes in the scene of the big city. The buildings reach up to the sky like great sparkling giants – and the sky itself glows red from the lights. In the window of one nearby building sits a lone businessman (or lawyer) still trudging away at his work. In the window below is the third shift janitor changing a trash can. He is wearing headphones, and seems to be humming a tune.
The girl sighs and is glad that she is inside at this hour, warm in her night clothes. She shifts her gaze to a building that is about two miles away, but due to sheer size it looks much closer. In a large window she sees what looks like some kind of penthouse – or a very comfortable condominium.
The room is well lit and modern in architecture. The walls are red and there is what looks from this distance to be a marble kitchen. A woman walks into the room, followed by a man, who hugs her excitedly. She pours them two glasses of some beverage and they toast. Then after talking for a minute, they leave the room and the lights dim. The girl wonders what they might have been celebrating. The people were too far away for the girl to determine their ages.
Far on the horizon, behind the downtown buildings, lies the rest of Chicago, and the lights from the houses sparkle in the distance like stars in the night sky. It makes the girl ponder how big the world is, and how sometimes she lets herself get so consumed with her own life that she forgets to appreciate the beauty of what is around her.
Once more she looks down – the lone business man is finally packing up – he picks up his cell phone and dials – eager to hear a voice on the other end. The man begins to talk, smiles as he turns to leave the office, and the lights go out.
The girl finally decides it is time to go to sleep. So she takes one last look and the big, beautiful night scene in front of her, turns out the light, climbs into bed, and sleeps peacefully.

All I have to say is….

Brandy — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 01:14:14 +0000

A person has no business selling a product that they know they cannot guarantee.

Which do you do most and does it work?

Brandy — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 02:29:01 +0000

Here is another potentially interesting question I want to throw out there:
Do you make more life decisions based on emotion or rationale?

I am guessing that most people have made a completely irrational decision based on a feeling, and it either worked out for them or it didn’t, and along those same lines most people have made a decision that didn’t feel right because it was the “smart” thing (and again, it may have worked out or it may not have). But, what do you do MOST of the time? Does it work for you? Let’s hear some comments!!

What would you do?

Brandy — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 22:07:20 +0000

Hello everyone! No long blog today. Just a simple question: What would you do if you had six months to live? Not because you are dying or because you’re 120 years old, simply because you know that in six months, you will get struck by lighting or an anvil will fall on you or something.

What would you do if you had six months to live?

Why Wait for the Weekend?

Brandy — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 02:34:32 +0000

It seems that no matter where I have worked in my life, I have always heard phrases like these often: “I can’t wait til it’s Friday” or “How good can I be on a Monday” or “Oh, I’m okay-just trying to get through the week.”
When I thought about how many hours a week most people work, and how many hours of their life it takes up, it dawned on me that many people are wishing and hoping their lives away.
I mean, if a person is so gung ho about reaching that weekend, and then bummed out when they come into work on Monday morning, then what happens to Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday? Do people make the most of it? Or do they just go through the motions until they can have those two days? I understand, too, that many people don’t like their jobs, especially now. I guess the question is that seeing that people have to make a living, how can you work 40+ hours each week and still make each day count?
I’ve been trying to do this. Time for me is going faster than ever, and I’m probably working harder now than I ever have in my life. The last thing I want is to one day wake up and realize I’m 60 and that I could have appreciated life more when I was younger.
So I spend some time every day of the week thinking of the blessings that I have been given. I try to converse with at least 1 friend or family member every day. I help people out when I can. Instead of getting angry at someone – I try to imagine myself in their shoes. I breath in deeply when it rains. I don’t wish for Friday anymore – I think of what I can do right now to make my life count. I embrace my spiritualtiy. I act like a kid every now and then, and I’m okay with it. And you know what? I’m a lot happier and less stressed for doing these things, no matter what goes on in my life.
I would urge anyone reading this to ask him/herself this question: “Do I really make each day count?”

No more debt!!!

Brandy — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 04:08:55 +0000

Hello ladies and gentlemen! It’s been a while since my last blog entry. Being in a new apartment and working has taken some adjusting, but along with that came a lot of downtime with my thoughts, and a small stereo system I got for Christmas. So I was listening to one of my favorite artist, Billy Joel, and he has this song “I Don’t Wanna be Alone Anymore” which is quite catchy. Then I started thinking about the financial situation of this country, and voila! A parody was born! This song goes out to all the families and single people going through the rough times right now – hang in there! We’ll get through it!“I Don’t Wanna be in Debt Anymore” sung to the tune of Billy Joel’s “I Don’t Wanna be Alone Anymore”

She said she’d see me after work, in the living room
And she started to cry
What was wrong I wasn’t sure and she wouldn’t say why

So there I was sitting waiting in the room and she handed me all of our bills And when I saw them I couldn’t help laughing their a sad site baby but we’ll get through it, cause

I don’t want to be in debt anymore
I was working it out, but now I’m tired and poor
No I don’t want to be in debt anymore
And I want it to end, before I turn 84
It doesn’t matter what I’ve done in the past
I’ve just got to make this money last
Taking what I have and using it well
Cause I don’t want to be in debt anymore

It so frustrating paying bills when I barely have the proper funds to get by
It’s so amazing how we got here in the blink of an eye
But I’m confronting all the cold hard facts that I’ve got face
So I’ll just have cut all my expenses where I can
She looked at me with those eyes and said “tell me your plan…

And will you still be saying -”

And I know that it’s wrong it’s wrong it’s wrong
That we can’t go out like we did last night.
She said it sucks but darling we’ll make it right
As long as you can tell me

I don’t want to be in debt anymore
I was working it out, but now I’m tired and poor
No I don’t want to be in debt anymore
And I want it to end, before I turn 8
It doesn’t matter what I’ve done in the past
I’ve just got to make this money last
Taking what I have and using it well
Cause I don’t want to be in debt anymore

Peace out everyone! Don’t let the news get you down…