What do you really crave?

                             What do you really crave?

As Valentines Day approaches I think I’m craving dark chocolate as I see all the candy boxes in the grocery stores. But honestly, I don’t have to see a box of candy to crave dark chocolate!

I learned a while back that your body doesn’t crave what isn’t good for it. So if you are craving a food that is unhealthy for you it is not a craving, but an addiction. So we are addicted to that bad, but can crave only what is truly good for us. That actually makes sense to me. I have read that a little bit of dark chocolate several times a week is actually good for you!

1) Dark Chocolate is Good for Your Heart

Studies show that eating a small amount of dark chocolate two or three times each week can help lower your blood pressure. Dark chocolate improves blood flow and may help prevent the formation of blood clots. Eating dark chocolate may also prevent arteriosclerosis (hardening of the arteries). 

2) Dark Chocolate is Good for Your Brain

Dark chocolate increases blood flow to the brain as well as to the heart, so it can help improve cognitive function. Dark chocolate also helps reduce your risk of stroke. 

Dark chocolate also contains several chemical compounds that have a positive effect on your mood and cognitive health. Chocolate contains phenylethylamine (PEA), the same chemical your brain creates when you feel like you're falling in love. PEA encourages your brain to release endorphins, so eating dark chocolate will make you feel happier.

Dark chocolate also contains caffeine, a mild stimulant. However, dark chocolate contains much less caffeine than coffee. A 1.5 ounce bar of dark chocolate contains 27 mg of caffeine, compared to the 200 mg found in an eight ounce cup of coffee.

3) Dark Chocolate Helps Control Blood Sugar

Dark chocolate helps keep your blood vessels healthy and your circulation unimpaired to protect against type 2 diabetes. The flavonoids in dark chocolate also help reduce insulin resistance by helping your cells to function normally and regain the ability to use your body's insulin efficiently. Dark chocolate also has a low glycemic index, meaning it won't cause huge spikes in blood sugar levels.

4) Dark Chocolate is Full of Antioxidants

Dark chocolate is loaded with antioxidants. Antioxidants help free your body of free radicals, which cause oxidative damage to cells. Free radicals are implicated in the aging process and may be a cause of cancer, so eating antioxidant rich foods like dark chocolate can protect you from many types of cancer and slow the signs of aging.

5) Dark Chocolate Contains Theobromine

Dark chocolate contains theobromine, which has been shown to harden tooth enamel. That means that dark chocolate, unlike most other sweets, lowers your risk of getting cavities if you practice proper dental hygiene.

Theobromine is also a mild stimulant, though not as strong as caffeine. It can, however, help to suppress coughs.

6) Dark Chocolate is High in Vitamins and Minerals

Dark chocolate contains a number of vitamins and minerals that can support your health. Dark chocolate contains some of the following vitamins and minerals in high concentrations:

• Potassium
• Copper
• Magnesium 
• Iron

The copper and potassium in dark chocolate help prevent against stroke and cardiovascular ailments. The iron in chocolate protects against iron deficiency anemia, and the magnesium in chocolate helps prevent type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease. 

I wished all the foods that I think I am “craving” had these health benefits. So if they aren’t healthy, I need to ask myself why do I desire them?  Sometimes it just feels good to feed an emotion with food. Celebrations often lead to portions of food we don’t normally eat and certainly types of food I might not prepare for myself at home. Doesn’t it seem ridiculous that we choose to celebrate life events with foods that are not the healthiest for us?

So I figure an 80/20 rule. Eat 80% of the time healthy and 20% of the time foods you just want regardless of their nutrition.

Cravings and addictions run much deeper. We are addicted to certain foods because our body is telling us we are not satisfied nutritionally, so we keep trying to respond to our body’s message by giving it what it doesn’t need. When we have truly satisfied our body’s real needs, and not addictions we no longer want for something else.

We often feed our emotions with foods, instead of feeding our emotions with truth. We are often longing to be satisfied emotionally because we are not grounded in the truth in our everyday life.

So what are the basic needs in our life that we all crave that keep us hungry and filling it with the wrong things.

As human beings we all want to be loved. We all want someone to love, and we all want to have something to look forward to.

The world glamourizes a type of love in unrealistic ways that are impossible to live up to in everyday life.  Life has challenges and real love looks different than what is often portrayed on TV and in magazines.

So what is the truth about Love?  All truth begins with God.

John 3:16 says that “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son that whosoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.”

So we definitely have one who loves us more than anyone in this world could ever love us, and who was willing and did die for us. Real love starts with God.

He created it, He demonstrated His love for us on the cross and it can never be taken away from us. Even if we are left feeling abandoned by someone else.

Romans 8:35; No one and nothing can separate us from the love of Christ.

So if this if you believe the bible is true, than here is a truth to cherish for life. We are loved deeply and have someone to love back who will never leave us.

Hebrews 13:5; “Never I will leave you; never will I forsake you.”

Heaven is a future we have to look forward to. Spending the rest of our life in eternity with the one who loves us most, the one we love the most and our loved ones who have gone before us sounds like a great future to me!

We have alot to look forward to everyday with God. Just like we love to give our own children and loved ones good gifts and blessings, so does God enjoy doing the same for us.

Psalm139:14-16

I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance;
in your book were written, every one of them,
the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.

Psalm 37:4 Take delight in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.

I am convinced that until we truly pursue God, we will never be satisfied this side of heaven and will forever be longing for the His desire for us, yet trying to satisfy it with the wrong things.

Without God we will always seek after the world’s standards and ideals and allow others to have an agenda for our lives rather than God. In the end it is only God that will truly satisfy our deepest desires.

I am convinced that we don’t even know half of our desires, until we seek God first. He is the author of them all and knows how to give them to us.

What God intends for you, no man can take it away from you. 

All of this to say . . .

After 4 weeks into having started the new P90X3, it has proven to be a healthy choice for my body. I look forward to working out, it is short sweet and effective. I look forward to it each day.  My body is even starting to reject the taste of coffee. It seems all I’m truly craving to drink is nothing but water.

I have always been a water drinker, but the more good I do for my body I am seeing how my daily food addictions are not as strong as they used to be, until the next celebration where there will be an amazing dessert somewhere!

Happy Valentines Day!

Enjoy the dark chocolate, it is good for you.

Are you off to a Fresh Start?

"Off to a fresh start" as we all have high hopes for new year. We all have great intentions
to get rid of all our positive growth inhibtors, whether it be stuff or people to clean out, the refrigerator, habits to break, realationships or businesses to build. The new year gives us hope to be able to clean the slate, in one sweep, often setting us up for dissappointment because it is difficult to change everything over night.

I'm smiling as I think about coming off of a two week beach vacation of holiday bliss with my family of crazy baking, cooking & eating that doesn't happen at home & lots of relaxing. We have all agreed that we need to go without food for a few weeks to offset the damage we feel has been done. It seems that athletic wear was the big gift item this year that everyone received. Is this a new fashion we must
sport or are we supposed to do something healthy while wearing it? When we wear our "fit"ness clothing, is it because it's the only thing that "fits" or it is supposed to inspire us to get that heart rate up?

I wished making all changes were as easy as putting on a different outfit. Change is challenging, even good change. We tend to keep wearing the old things that feel comfy. So what is wrong with that? Not one thing. But if we want different results, we have to do things differently.

It is funny how a new year, month or day gives us the hope that something different can happen, but often forgetting that we have to do different to get different. We are inondated with tips, steps or strategies to get the results we often desire but fail to see it through. Does this mean that we are failures?

Maybe it means that we focus on doing the wrong things that don't drive us to accomplish the things in life that God actually created us for.

I have no idea what all the new year will bring, but I know who brings it and it will be amazing. I know that God has a plan, and I want to always join Him where "He" is to keep my life growing and filled with His purpose.


Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans for you, "declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you a future and a hope."


There is certainly nothing wrong with making plans and setting goals, we all love to follow our dreams and work to make them happen. Always trust God first, He knows what is best for you and He is working His plan in you, whether you realize or not. Don't get discouraged if what you have set out looks very different at the end of the year. If we seek Him, He will make great things happen and we will be transformed into better people.

The mind of Man plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps. Proverbs 16:9.

Seek God first and let Him direct your steps. He will never disappoint you.

Psalm 37:4 Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.

God loves you and has amazing plans for you! He loves to give us what we are passionate about, like we do for our own children and the people we love. Let Him show them to you. There is nothing like accomplishing what you have set out to do, only to find out that you still feel empty at the end. Without God there is no real purpose in life. He created us and knows how we are wired better than anyone.

Jeremiah 1:4-5 The word of the Lord came to me saying, before I formed you in the womb I knew you. before you were born I set you apart;

Luke 1:37 For nothing is impossible for God.

Proverbs 3:5-7 Trust in the LORD with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and turn away from evil.

I pray you find the treasures God intended for you to find this year.

God Bless you &
Happy New year!

Restoring Hope / Beauty with a purpose

My life has been greatly impacted by a recent disaster. My husband and I along with our kids have recently teamed up with organizations Help Disaster management, ITDRC and companies like Dish Network and more to come, who give hope to disaster relief areas. Our personal efforts are in the name of Restoration-Hope along with the use of our eighteen wheeler. We offer a jointed platform with all the logos on it from these amazing organizations. It has been such a blessing to meet so many people who really care about others in times of great need. 

We ventured to Oklahoma this past weekend to support the efforts of "Dish Network" who sponsored an awesome benefit for those whose lives have been devastated by the recent tornados. Dish gave away over $10,000 of electronic items to those who were in need along with other people who volunteered to help with donated food, games, face painting along with lots of free copies of my book. The tears that flowed at this event could have easily been a rain storm.

 While our Restoration-Hope 18-wheeler serves the purpose of hosting the VIP's at the events and building the stage for the main events, I offer a "beauty with purpose" segment as well. This segment will be featuring a woman and her story, private hair & make-up session, and a contemporary glamour shoot taken by my talented daughter Kendall.

(Moore, OK Event) Saturday afternoon a gentleman pulled up to the event in his truck and curious to what was going on. He and his children were spotted by our team member, Debbie, who chatted with him briefly. Debbie came and told me that she may have found a woman to be featured in my beauty with a purpose segment. 

She took me to the gentleman in the truck, and after telling him what we were all about and what I wanted to do, he excitedly volunteered his wife! ...She was not with him initially so I waited until she arrived. When she arrived we introduced ourselves, hugged and walked to the building that my daughter and I had scouted out earlier to give her a full makeover and photo shoot. 

Kara was a beautiful woman on the inside and out. She began telling me everything they have been going through as I began working on her. It was really hard to hold back tears as I imagined her family and so many lives being altered instantly in just a few seconds of disaster.

She and her family were actually headed out of town for a family vacation when the Oklahoma tornados hit. Her husband went back immediately to "watch over" the property to protect any possible things that my have survived it. Sadly, there are those people out there that take advantage of such events and rummage through the victims belongings, looking for valuable items.

"We lost everything but didn't lose a thing" Kara said. "When you have your family intact, you have the most precious things in your life. People / relationships are the most valuable commodity that we have."

When I finished with her hair and make-up my daughter Kendall began to photograph her. Kara said she had so much fun & felt so special with our beauty with purpose work. Kara is a beautiful woman of faith to begin with, and certainly encouraged us as she shared pieces of her life with us for a short time. 

God certainly gives grace to those who need it, when they need it. When you see someone walk through difficult times with such faith and grace, they end up being a bigger blessing to the the ones trying to bless them initially.  

Kara is a an incredible woman of faith who continues to look for ways to help others in need in spite of her own losses. I asked her what she needed at this point. She responded; I really don't "need" anything. But what I would "love" to have is a photo printer and scrap booking supplies to start making memories with my family again.

Christmas decorations as the holidays approach are so special to our family.

One thing that really struck me as she trusted me with her heart, was how it is a struggle to get your identity back after a disaster. Everything you own that was an expression of your style and your life of accumulated loves . . . exists no more. Your clothes, your personal home decor that have been collected over the years, the memories of all your photos, hygiene items, jewelry . . . I could go on and on but you get the picture.

The guilt that seems to enter into the minds of those effected that says; "you shouldn't focus on yourself, there are too many needs. You shouldn't care about your style, just be thankful the clothes donated to you fit, if your lucky. You shouldn't care what kind of pet food your animals receive, if they are hungry enough they'll eat anything. It is sad that victims are expected to have a "settle with what you are given" mentality, as if their preference, opinion or taste should never matter again as they try to get back to a new normal.

All I now is that "guilt does not come from God". It is the deceiver of the enemy. 

Romans 8:1 There is then now no condemnation to those in Christ Jesus.

It is ok to want to put yourself together with the expression of your style once again and get back to your new normal as quick as you can. Once a person is back on track feeling like oneself again, how much better can one serve and do unto others as we would love to be treated.

I could not have met a more deserving person for this beauty blessing of inspiration.

Here are some photos of what is left of Kara's home. 

Kara said that when she looked at other residents piles, it just looked like a big garbage dump, but when she got to her own, it was more than junk, memories flooded her mind as she identified pieces of what had been left behind. 

It is amazing how one house can be wiped wiped out completely but yet a neighbors house can be barely touched. We saw some homes that looked like they were completely vacuumed up with no mess anywhere to pick up.

The family will hopefully be rebuilding their home soon on their existing lot. They were residents for 15 years creating a stable place of refuge and love for their family.

Though this life we live is temporary and we cannot take things with us when we leave, it "is" an expression of who we are and does give us a sense of refuge to serve others from.

I pray that all the victims find true restoration in all areas of their life and get their sense of identity back, along with their place of rest. How we relate and help others in times of need is a big part of what life is all about. 

I hope you will look for ways to reach out to others in need around you. We don't have to look very far or wait for a natural disaster.

Here is Kara after her hair and make-up session and the results of her shoot. We had so much fun with her and she expressed how beautiful and special she felt as we pampered her. 

Her experience was exactly what we wanted to give to her that day, our beauty mission was accomplished!

Now she has these amazing new photos of herself to document the beginning of her new normal.


May God richly bless you in your efforts as you reach out to help others!

Celebrate a Stress-free Holiday season!

Celebrate a stress-free holiday season with SHOP Gift Cards! 

Just in time for the holiday season, SHOP Gift Cards are here to take the stress out of shopping for loved ones! They’re “cards” in name only, because SHOP Gift Cards are completely digital. You purchase them and then seconds later they’re in the recipients inbox, ready to be spent on any of the millions of products available through SHOP.COM.
Praise is already rolling in! Take it from this satisfied customer:

“This card is GREAT! It has already saved the day for me. I am always late sending a birthday gift to my father, but this morning, I was able to send him a $100 SHOP Gift Card. It arrived instantly!

Also, I have a daughter away at college. I was able to surprise her with a $100 SHOP gift card, too. I got two gift cards in a single checkout. I am on a roll!” – Mark Ward

Grab SHOP Gift Cards for your friends and family today in the SHOP.COM Gift Center!

My List takes the guesswork out of shopping for others

Everyone knows a picky shopper and just how difficult it can be to find the right gift for them, but there’s a solution right at your fingertips: SHOP.COM’s MyList. It’s a handy tool that lets anyone create an easily shared wish list of gifts that would make their day, taking all of the speculation out of shopping for others!
Here’s how it works:

1. After registering as a Preferred Customer, the shopper can immediately begin searching for gifts that they want.
2. For every product they like, there’s an option to “Add to MyList” on the product info page.
3. Once selected, the option to add to an existing MyList or create a new one is given. Each MyList can be named according to their contents.
4. After the MyList has been populated, the options to Continue Shopping or Manage MyLists are given.
5. Users can share their MyLists under the Manage MyLists page.

That’s it! No more guessing whether your friend or family member will like their gift because they’ve already picked it out. It’s simple, effective and most importantly, hassle-free, so start suggesting MyList today!





Click to Copy feature for coupon codes for your convenience and shopping ease!. Rather than typing in a long string of characters to receive discounts from coupon codes, customers can now simply click on the highlighted text to copy it to their clipboards and paste into the appropriate field. Saving money has never been easier!
Download ShopBuddy for free today at SHOP.COM!

Save more, live better!

Times are tough and it often seems like we just can't get behind the 8 ball.

I want to share some powerful things that can change the course of your business and help your clients at the same time which will increase your bottom line.

When your client comes to you, they want to "feel" better. Feeling better always gives hope. We often waste our time chit chatting with our clients to pass the time and give no real purpose but to get through. I know, I have been there. Trading time for money, working toward the weekend.

Have you ever heard service to survive, retail to retire. There are only so many hours in a day, right? We can only do so many services in a days work. Retail will absolutely boost income. But then, we don't want our customers to feel like they are being hounded every time they come in for an appointment, because our perception of sales is often feeling pressured to buy something we are unsure of. On the flip side, customers love to shop and save time if you offer extended retail items, purses jewelry etc. Remember we are all consumers and we do all love to buy, but no body wants to be sold.

If we could see ourselves as educators (which you may already have that mind set) We are no longer selling, we are matching products to our clients needs because we listened well. So then, we have to carry a lot of items in order to match a lot of products to our clients needs. It can get expensive and we may have space challenges.

If we want to help clients to a greater degree, then we first open our minds and get our own solutions resolved, or at least be on our way, after all life is a process. We are all on a journey and we learn from what others have already been through.

What do you think is most on our clients (and our) minds right now?
Remember, you are your client too!
How can I afford to keep my services up?
End of year taxes!
Holidays are quickly approaching.
How to look great and save money at the same time.
Do you think it's safe to say that a lot of people are stressed?

I want you to do an exercise that will show you something very powerful and proven.

Go to my website, pennycrosson.net > products > shopping list
Print out the shopping list and check off everything that you consume at home and your work place. Then I want to know if you spend more than $100.00 a month on everything you checked off. In fact, let me know approximately about how much you really do spend on everything if you can.

Then send your answer to me in an email at Penny@pennycrosson.net

I will ask you a few more questions and give you some proven statistics to show you something very powerful that could revolutionize your business and give you a powerful tool to help yourself and your clients.

It is important to know how you think about things you consume in everyday life and your business. This is a very cool exercise. We all want to save more and live better!

I look forward to hearing from you!

Sincerely,
Penny

Penny Crosson

972-835-3752

Cosmetologist/ Author
Beauty / Health Educator
Image / Stylist Color Specialist
CE Course Provider
Business & Marketing Coach
Retail / Wholesale Product Broker

The Beauty of Giving by Shopping Smart.

Times are tough, and as we look for ways to save, we don't want to skimp on quality. The beauty is . . . we don't have too!


We all know that everything is going online...click & order vs brick & mortar.  

Did you know that over 60% of beauty products are sold online. I cannot tell you how many packages show up at my door that are auto parts, computer gadgets etc...that I personally did not order! The beauty is...everyone shops 24/7 for anything, anytime anywhere.
And it feels like Christmas when packages arrive. It always feels like a gift, even if you bought it yourself, for yourself. Why is that? It's just fun to receive new packages.

So saving time, money and gas by shopping online is the way to go. I want to show you how you can get the most out of your time and money. Go to . . .           Shop.com/pennycrosson/ 


This shop site is the largest shopping website in the world. It has over 35 million products, over 3000 stores. 5 times bigger than Amazon! All the popular stores where you already shop. You can shop by product, price, brand or store. You can even comparison shop with a click. Price alerts can be set up for when you want to be notified if something goes on sale for the price you want to pay. Create a wish list for yourself and have family members do the same.

So check it out.... you have nothing to lose but more savings.

At the top right you can sign in and set a FREE preferred customer account to start earning 2-50% cashback everytime you shop. You can apply your cash toward products or have a check sent to you once it reaches $10.00 or more. I had some mailed to me!


If that isn't good enough, you can even refer your friends who also love to shop online and earn 1/2 % from their purchases.

 While you are in your preferred customer account, you can upload your friends from your email address list. If your friends shop, you earn 1/2 % on everything they buy. And your friends can do the same thing... while they earn 2-50% cashback they too can earn 1/2% cashback from their friends. Just make sure your friends type in your email address as the one who referred them.

It truly is the gift that keeps on giving. Who ever thought you could earn money while you and your friends shop!

It's a beautiful thing, to shop and save, time, gas and money! 


Here are a few stores to check out:
If you wear glasses                > eyebuydirect.com  ( 4 for the price of 1)
If you like phone accessories > cellphoneshop.com (save up to 80%)
have printers                              > 4inkjets.com
audio books                            > audiblebooks.com (first book it FREE) 
Like to eat out                         > Restaraunts.com and so much more!
Starbucks!                               > starbucks.com (earn 6% cash back)
Groupons                                > Grouponstore.com and more . . .(2% cashback)
 

You'll be amazed at all your favorite stores!

You can even send someone an E-Gift and they can choose from stores or items you pick out, but they never see the prices. Once they choose it, you are billed and it is sent to them. It's really cool. 

All these stores offer "better deals" through this site only....in cashback savings. It adds up fast.


Just make sure you are signed in before you start shopping! And don't forget to share your great deals with your friends.


The beauty of shopping smart allows you to give more!


Enjoy this gift!

Celebrity Inspired!

It is great to get make-up ideas from celebrities, especially if you have a celebrity look a like yourself. If you just like a look and want to copy it, often time it needs to be modified to your features in order to look great on you. You want to wear the make-up, not have the make-up wear you. 

If you have ever tried to copy a look and it was a disaster, that is usually why. Your features are spaced differently and your personal style may be a little different. Make-up is fun for that very fact that we can play and dress up to look like a certain movie star, singer or model, and if we mess up, we can have a do-over. Here is a Selena inspired look.

Make-up is just like God's grace. It is very forgiving, covers our imperfections and if we mess up, we can wash it off and start all over again, no questions asked. The ultimate do-over in life! I love it.