Celtic Horse in 14K Gold over Bronze

Its been awhile since I have purchased jewelry other than in solid sterling silver but this design in 14K gold over bronze is fun, intricate and works for men or women.  We offer this design in our eBay store but may consider putting a few on Amazon also.

This Celtic horse design is called Epona.  My eBay listing is here.  Stock is limited and will not be replaced.  We offer it for a special price of $19.50 which includes a gift box and free shipping.  

Please visit us at our website or eBay store.

Gateway to the Olympics - Eating in Port Angeles, WA

Scott and I love hiking and eating.  Sometimes the exercise from the hike doesn't quite balance the calorie count of the food but we are working on making that work better.

Recently, we have been trying out several restaurants and coffee houses in Port Angeles, Washington - our gateway to the Olympics.

Here are three recent discoveries:

Creme Brule' at Bella Italia in Port Angeles, WA

Creme Brule' must be in fashion again because it is on the menu almost everywhere we go.  Many have been good, one was burnt and one was outstanding - that was the one at Bella Italia in Port Angeles.  It was a lavender flavored, deep dish Brule' that was heavenly.  This is the type of place that we exchange our muddy hiking boots for dress shoes and clean up a bit before hanging out there.

Baked goods at the Blackbird Coffeehouse in Port Angeles, WA

The Blackbird is our go-to place for coffee, tea, soup, sandwiches and special treats with their baked goods.  I personally like the funky interior and the people are playful and fun.  I never feel self-conscious in our hiking boots here.  Since we are finding that many restaurants in Port Angeles have limited hours - especially on the weekends - the Blackbird has been our consistent haven, especially before a hike.

Downtown Port Angeles Coffee and Goodies at Bada Coffee Bar

We are new to using Bada Coffee Bar as a back up to the Blackbird for morning coffee and carbs.  Like the Blackbird, they bake their own goodies.  Although the selection is somewhat limited, we have enjoyed their chicken potpie pastry for a quick filling breakfast.  I am not a coffee drinker but enjoy it here.  Seating doesn't encourage long conversations but we don't want to hangout - we want to hike.

Earlier book by Crystal Paine "Say Goodbye to Survival Mode"

I feel fortunate in that I have not been in "Survival Mode" in a very long time.  But what I do love about this book are the exercises at the end of the chapters.  My favorite was to take 15 minutes and make a list of all the good habits you want to develop in your life and the bad habits you want to reverse.  

I expected that I would have some sort of overwhelming list of items.  But I was wrong.  Instead, my list ended up with 14 habits and it took at least an hour to come up with that many. I guess that I expected to have at least 25 -30 since I can manage to scold myself about so many things.

What did I learn from this?  I learned that, as Crystal says, keep it simple (you don't have to be perfect) and stay focused. 

"Making short-term sacrifices in order to accomplish long-term goals can be very rewarding - especially if you're willing to stick with it when the going gets tough."

I am in the process of REALLY learning how to play the guitar.  I decided to take a class at the local community college - which ended up as a private lesson one day per week.  The first class was painful.  I hadn't played in awhile and was very self conscious about playing in front of someone, especially an instructor.  

She gave me some homework and the next week, I showed incredible improvement.  The third class was embarrassing.  I had not improved much over the previous week and reverted to that self-conscious, self-depreciating state of the first class.  I thought that it was because I had not practiced enough.

I entered the forth lesson confused.  I had practiced every day and yet I had very little improvement.  This lesson ended up involving more talking and less playing.  I learned that I was reinforcing my mistakes by the way I was practicing.  I needed to slow down, notice where I am making the same mistake and make a focused effort on that area until I reinforce the correct fingering.  

My enthusiasm is out the roof now and I enjoy practicing, knowing that if I stick with it, I am going to meet my goals.  My lesson this week taught me that the practice is starting to pay off and my level of playing is moving forward.  I was also pushed again out of my comfort zone by her insistence that I sing the guitar part of a new song.  I was surprised that not only am I getting over my shyness of singing in public but was also able to read music with my voice as the instrument (not something I thought that I could do).

And I know that I can approach my list of 14 habits the same way.  One at a time, with focus and effort, consistently improving, even when the process is slow.  Thank you Crystal for sharing.

Messages in the Sand

Having had a jewelry business for over 17 years, I have spent my Valentine's Days helping others find the perfect gift.  Usually our own celebration was deferred to a later date, after we were rested and ready for our own special time.  We typically did this with Christmas also - resting after the holiday rush then celebrating the first week of January.

This year, despite the surge up to the last minute of mail orders, we celebrated Valentine's Day on the actual day.  It helped that this year, Valentine's Day landed on a Sunday with the President's day Monday holiday linked in.  It was also important to the new man in my life, who wanted our first Valentine's Day to be extra special.

He booked us in a lodge on the beach - a special place that I have always loved.   We also included some hiking which that day included visiting some other wonderful Pacific Northwest beaches.

What stood out was that because it was Valentine's Day, people were putting messages in the sand.  

Some were simple I LOVE YOUs.  Others were elaborate images and cartoons from playful families and friends.

All were temporary images of permanent love shared on a day when we are reminded to tell others that they are special to us.

Creating Raving Fans Instead of Customers

Tony Robbin's, in his Business Mastery instruction, talks about creating "Raving Fans", instead of just customers.  I lost the raving fan feeling with one group and never came close to gaining it with another.  

The first instance is with a spiritual group that I have been a member of for 28 years.  When I joined, I truly became a raving fan of the organization.  Over the years, it has been waining - not because I don't believe in the fundamentals of the teaching, but because I am no longer in love with the way I am being treated as a "customer" of this group.  To put it another way, I feel that I am just being taken for granted.  There is fuss made when new people are interesting in joining but a lack of support for those who are long-time members who serve this group.

My second instance has occurred in the past several months.  I moved to a new town with my two dogs (Rosie - boxer/blue heeler and Tasha - black lab) and two cats (Paka and Ellie May).  I didn't have a vet so I picked one in town that offered free initial exams.  I figured it was a good way to tell if I'd like them and my dogs needed a vaccine.  

During this first visit, I noticed that I was being charged for services that I didn't want - upselling without my permission.  The exam was free but in addition to paying for the vaccine, they were trying to add a page full of other services they would add to the visit.  I had to request that these other services not be performed - first red flag.  

One of the vaccines needed a booster dose so I brought Rosie and Tasha back in after a month.  They got their boosters but then I was charged for a wellness exam.  Did they just have one.  They explained that they require that the dogs be examined before every vaccine.  In addition to the exam, they were trying to add other charges and upsells and once again, I had to be careful to check off these additional services that I did NOT want.  Second red flag.

Two months after this second visit, I received notices by email and snail mail that Tasha was due for a wellness exam.  It was a laugh out loud moment - three wellness exams in less than four months!  Red flag three and strike three in my book.  

But it was serious in that Rosie developed a small tumor on the side of her face.  I didn't want to take her in to this vet, not trusting them to be honest with me.  I was feeling that they were all about the money and that I had to enter their clinic with my defenses up.

There is a Petco in a neighboring town that I popped in on, asking about local vets.  A woman there suggested a vet that was more my style (one who puts the animals and their owners first) and then recanted her own bad customer service experience with my now former vet. 

There are many ways to create raving fans for your products and services.  The first step is caring for your customer.  This means, understanding your customer's needs, doing your best to meet those needs and having their back if anything goes wrong.  

The last is most important for me as a customer and I have tried to do my best in that area for those who purchase from me.  I replace or refund customers when the post office loses their packages, which happens a couple of times each year.  The packages eventually arrive - sometimes months later.  When they do, I tell the customer to keep the item or pay it forward.  It is a small gesture but one that not everyone does to protect and care for their customer.

Raving fans trust.  Raving fans give support back.  Raving fans are proud to tell others.  I want raving fans and I want to BE a raving fan.  

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New Inventory Clearance Sale starts today

ALDA Jewelry and Gifts

Starting today, ALDA Jewelry Auctions, our eBay store is having an Inventory Clearance sale with discounts on charms, pendants, earrings, vintage pins and some rings and bracelets.  Discounts range from about 20-40% depending on the item.  The sale will run through mid-March but most of the items have limited stock so shop early for the best selection.  

Just Read - Money Making Mom by Crystal Paine

I love my local library - especially the new book section.  Several weeks ago, I found the book, "Monday Making Mom" by Crystal Paine.  My favorite reading is about small businesses that learn to succeed and this book tells not only Crystal's story but also shares stories of other small businesses or products.  The table of contents tells the story about what this book is about than I could summarize as briefly.  

1 First Steps to Financial Freedom
2 What Makes You You
3 The 8-to-5 Cure: Working for Yourself
4 Get Moving, Start Building
5 Expand Your Thinking, Expand Your Wallet
6 Growing Your Business
7 What Gets in the Way
8 Live Generously
9 How to Give? Let Me Count the Ways!
10 Here's to Your Success
The book ends with her Money-Making Mom Manifesto

Crystal has created one of the most popular blogs on the web, MoneySavingMom.com, and in this book as well as on her blog, she shares her knowledge and resources.  

This book was one of my recent influences in starting to share on this blog weekly.  It is one of the ways that I have found to give back to the community which is to share my discoveries.  I am glad to have discovered this amazing woman.