Rezist It!

I've been puzzling the last couple days over how to tell you about one of my favorite Watkins products and then hot off the internet comes just what I was looking for, and worded much better than I could have done. Here is the text from a Summit Group bulletin about Rezist Plus. If you would like more information on this product or a list of ingredients just let me know.

Sickness is in the air! Watkins can help... Newspapers. Radio. TV. They're all screaming headlines that worry us about the spread of sickness and disease. It's enough to make anyone nervous. But what's a person to do? We can't all become hermits and go into seclusion.

Well, besides the obvious recommended step of frequent hand washing, Watkins Rezist Plus can give you an extra layer of prevention. According to information from Watkins:

Many respiratory conditions such as colds and flu are caused by viruses that attach themselves to the lining of the nose or throat and then spread through the upper respiratory system. In response, the immune system floods the area with infection-fighting white blood cells. The symptoms of a cold or the flu aren't produced by the viruses, but are actually the result of the body trying to stave off the infection. They are more common in winter, when indoor heating reduces the humidity in the air; this lack of moist air dries out the nasal passages and creates the perfect environment for viruses to reproduce.

What May Help: Watkins Rezist Plus.

Why: Contains ImmuneEnhancer (tm) which has been found to be twice as effective as echinacea in boosting the immune system. Also contains elderberry juice concentrate, along with astragalus known as powerful immune boosters.

Rezist Plus contains ImmunEnhancer with arabinogalactan, found to be twice as effective as echinacea in boosting the immune system. Lactospore, FOS and AG enhance the body's natural defenses to help ease allergy symptoms and headaches; they also work to ease lactose intolerance and gas and bloating while enhancing absorption of calcium and helping to maintain normal cholesterol levels.* It keeps working year round, so you can, too!

Here's just one of many testimonials for Rezist Plus:

"My oldest son wanted to take Rezist Plus because he knew it would help fight colds and flu, but the spin-off is that he suffered from what I called 'allergy to the morning.' Certain times of the year he would wake up sneezing and coughing and would have a runny nose for a couple of hours every morning. He found that when he was taking Rezist Plus he wasn't having that reaction when he woke up. It was only when he ran out of Rezist Plus and stopped taking it and all of those symptoms came back, that he realized that it was the Rezist Plus that was helping him to avoid those allergic reactions every morning. It's a wonderful product and I've told lots of people who have allergies to try Rezist Plus. It certainly has made a difference in my son's life." - —Lee Baxevanidis, British Columbia

(* Disclaimer: These statements have not been evaluated by the Food & Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. In Canada, this information is provided for educational purposes only. No claims are being made for any product.)

You can contact us about all the Watkins products through this blog, by calling 705-282-3556 and leaving a message, by emailing me at murray@ourmanitoulin.com or you can even order direct by going to www.WatkinsOnline.com/Dewing

We look forward to supplying with all the great Watkins products, just like your grandmother used to use!

April 29 and 30 only...

The "Free E-Associate Web Site" set-up promotion offered by Watkins expires April 30, 2009. Any new Independent Associates signing up by then will have the normal $64.95 fee waived, regular monthly fees will still apply but what you save with the no set-up fee will even cover your initial cost of becoming an Independent Associate.

Why not buy your groceries from yourself at a a great discount? You can join for as little as $39.95 and with your minimum 25% discount you recover that cost as soon as you buy just $160.00 worth of products from yourself that right now you are paying someone else for! Times are tough, why not keep the profits in your own pockets instead of someone elses.

Check out www.MurrayDewing.com or ask me for more information. It will be GREAT to have you on our growing team.

(Only want to shop today? Go to www.WatkinsOnline.com/Dewing) Thanks!

Between Seasons…

Spring by the calendar with a hint of summer in the air, sometimes.

No buds on the poplars yet but the signs of the seasons are out there in the form of the frogs peeping, doves and other birds ‘frolicking’, the ducks are checking out nesting sites, our loons and geese are back on the beach and I even saw one of our giant wood spiders yesterday. I moved a board and there was, a full adult 2+ inches across. I’ve seen them much bigger than that when we were building the house and so far they’ve proved harmless but I have to admit that I’m a little nervous putting on my boots in the summer, even if I do shake them out first!

The lawn is all raked, except for the back yard which is still a little damp from runoff and the spring back there. It should be dry enough to do by next week, probably. There is still a little bit of snow way back in the bush and along the road in places but that won't last long.

Hmmm… probably… sometimes… almost sounds like I’m in between seasons myself and I guess I am in some ways. I’ve now completed 6+ months of retirement and just now starting to get settled down into a kind of routine. An hour or so of housework plus some cooking time, an hour or so doing other chores such as raking or shoveling or shed cleaning, a couple hours of Watkins related items such as calling candidates or associates along with making deliveries and doing the bookkeeping, an hour or so of web site work and that pretty well takes care of my day. Oh yes, just a little bit of Facebooking mixed in throughout the day… well, more than a little bit because I’m addicted you see. I shudder to think of what will happen when the full version of Microsoft Vine is released. Guess we’ll have to petition for longer days or less of a sleep requirement.

Anyway, these are a couple pix I took today. That white bench in the photo is going to need painting this spring along with the staining of the deck. I’d also really like to do something down on the beach. I’ve got it all cleaned up but it would be nice to make a few additions down there also. Maybe a bench or gazebo? We’ll see what develops. Talk at ‘ya later!

My New Toy...

... sorry, I meant my new business vehicle of course!

I miss it...

At least a part of me does. I'm talking about the involvement in Lions Clubs at District level. I just spent three days at the District A5 Convention in Sudbury and as the saying goes, a good time was had by all.

it was a great experience for me personally as I got to talk and promote Watkins to several hundred people. It was also made plain to me by several that I hadn't been forgotten during my three or for year absence and if I now chose to start my run for the Governor position I would have a very able crew promoting me.

Nice to know a campaign is ready for the launching but I think my leadership days are over. I'm just having too much fun with Watkins and besides, I currently have a growing team of 15 Independent Associates under me and that's more than enough of a leadership role for now!

Still, it's tempting...

It's Just a Trick!

So I’m starting to think that this retirement thing is over-rated and a conspiracy. There just seems to be no end of things to do or places to be and people to talk to… and you all know how much I enjoy socializing!

What I’m feeling is that when I was working full time there was always a cut-off point for the day when I could theoretically walk away from the job and declare the few remaining hours my own. It was time to get out of the store and head over to the house to grab a bite to eat, watch TV, read a book or whatever else pleased a person. Now it’s “after hours” all the time and without some kind of clear division in the day I’m slowly getting lost.

I have loads of things to do from updating web sites, answering emails, calling Watkins clients and prospective associates, mailing out catalogues, keeping track of my eBay auctions and yes… housecleaning. Since I’m home full time and Gloria has decided to work a few more years I have started doing the dishes, cooking and baking, tidying the house, washing the occasional window and even cleaning the bathroom! All this is much to her dismay sometimes and I’m sure my work isn’t always up to her standards but it seems to me that after her taking care of me for the past 30+ years it’s time I give something back if I can. (Can't depend on those beer-goggles to last forever can we fellas!)

Anyway, back to topic. I think I’m going to have to treat my day’s activities as more of a job than I have been the past few months. Those 35 years of daily routine bred something into me that just won’t go away and without something that I can treat as “work” there is no break-out to “down time” or time for myself when I can feel relaxed and content with a day well done. Each day just seems to go by the same from dawn to dusk and it's getting monotonous. Does that seem confusing? It does to me… but this is Day 137 of retirement and it’s starting to get to me!

Warm and Happy...

Did I ever tell you about how to keep your extremities warm when you’re out shoveling the driveway at -30 degrees? Pepper… yup, sprinkle pepper in the fingers of your gloves and a good amount down towards the toes of your boots. Sound funny to you? Try it… it works and you’ll be nice and warm and toasty until the job is done.

Of course I highly recommend the Watkins brand of pepper because in my opinion it is the best on the market. Our pepper is granulated, not ground up to a powder like others. This allows it to keep the true flavor that pepper is supposed to have which mostly disappears in a cloud of dust with other brands. You want another little tidbit of information? Watkins pepper (because of being granulated not ground) will not make you sneeze!

(Now comes the shameless advertisement)

I can deliver right away to anywhere on Manitoulin or you can place an order HERE for delivery in a few days. I’d also be happy to mail you a catalogue and add you to my monthly mailing list.

Watkins… we have 140 years of great world award winning products and customer service with a 100% money back guarantee! Interested in getting a minimum 25% discount on Watkins products? Ask me how or go HERE to register for free, no obligation information.

(End of shameless advertisement) 

Time Once Again...

Yes folks, it's time to stock up on Watkins Cooking Spray. Why? Because in addition to it being the best darned cooking spray you'll ever try, it's also fantastic at making your winter months a little less frustrating. How?

Use #1: Spray it on your TV Satellite Dish to prevent the snow from building up and blocking your signal. Don't you just hate having to run outside to bang the snow off your dish so you don't miss the latest crisis on Y&R? Or the last 30 seconds of a tied hockey game?

Use #2: Spray it on your snow shovel and even the really sticky stuff won't stick and add all that extra weight with every scrape. The snow will just shoot off the blade and your job will go much faster and easier.

Why can't I use something like PAM you say? Well you can of course, but the Watkins brand will give you almost 4 times the number of squirts that your PAM will. But PAM is cheaper you say? No, it isn't because with the extra sprays you get with Watkins each one works out to cost less than 1/2 cent compared to more than 1 1/2 cents per spray of the PAM. Therefore you save almost $18.00 over PAM when you purchase a can of Watkins Cooking Spray.

Oh yeah, most importantly...

Use #3: The Watkins brand is also fantastic for cooking and tastes and smells like butter without the chemical odor that I think PAM has. Want another perk? Calories per spray for PAM = 4. Calories per spray for Watkins = 0.

Where can I get some of this fantastic wonder product you ask? Drop me an email or comment on this note and I'll get in touch!

Ambrosia…

My new favorite breakfast… Watkins Pumpkin Butter on toast with Cinna-Cream Sprinkles. Mmmm….

Sleepless on Manitoulin…

Here it is the middle of the night and I can’t sleep. Too many plans, too many projects, too many memories of the past 35 years on the road… and some from earlier than that.

A bit of advice to all who are about to retire… You know all those things that you always said you would do after you’ve packed it all in? Well don’t try to start doing them all at the same time! Pace yourself, indulge yourself for a few weeks with some complete relaxation, reflecting, contemplation and planning of your next move. Then (and only then) start just one of those projects and work up to the rest as time permits later on. Try the one out, get comfortable with it, play with it and have some fun. After all, you’ve earned it and deserve it, right?

Am I doing it this way? Of course not, I’m too accustomed to running 14 things at the same time in the stores while trying to coordinate 10 or 20 staff members to do the same. My wife always said that I have an addiction to adrenaline and I think maybe she’s right. I’m truly the happiest when I’m actually trying to get every single one of those 14+ things done by the end of the day, but I’m realizing now that is has taken its toll over the years. I won’t get into any medical problems (real or imaginary) in this blog but I’ll just say that you have no idea how much of a downer it is when that type of demand is suddenly taken away from you. It used to hit me as soon as I stepped on a plane when leaving a community and I would just collapse in my seat in a state of complete exhaustion and fatigue. The thing is though… that rush would always start up again in a few days or a few weeks and I’d be back to my old overdrive self who thought this was normal and that I was feeling great. Guess what… now there is no new trip coming up in a few days and I’m having withdrawal symptoms from my 35 year addiction.

My hopes for a cure? Daily updating of all my web sites, taking on new duties for a couple of them, adding a new one or two, trying to contact and get to sign up on Facebook everyone that I've ever met in past 50+ years, setting up a table at a weekly flea market, setting up and conducting a meeting with over 500 people to pitch Watkins as a fundraising idea (that's going to have the adrenaline pumping), searching daily for new and prospective associates all over the continent, hoping to update this blog every day and renewing some past acquaintances. Hmmm… that’s not 14 projects, guess I have to try harder. Autumn of my life indeed... I think I many need HELP!

My New Toy...

I decided recently that it was time to add a second vehicle to use for our Watkins business. This is what I finally went with as the price was right, it was clean and had very low kilometers. I even took it over to a local garage to have them crawl over it to try to find something wrong but other than needing a good set of winter tires soon there were no problems at all. It's a few years old but has been very well maintained and the brakes appear to be new. It's a Dodge SX2.0 and is one very fun little vehicle to drive with lots of perk when you need it. We'll have to wait and see how it performs in the snow this winter but so far I'm very happy with the purchase and as an added bonus, it's even a tax deduction!

I hope you keep an eye out for us (with the Watkins signage on the back doors) and we look forward to meeting all your Watkins needs for many years to come.

August 30, 2008

Descending out of 37,000 and although the sky may have some scattered clouds I am optimistic. I'm headed home off my last trip, and our future is secure due in a great part to the Watkins home business we started working on a couple years ago. Call it a premonition but I knew this day would come eventually and I'm glad we prepared. A buddy of mine might not be so lucky as he may only have days left before his "package" is presented to him, take it or leave it.

Yes, I've been lucky and was even offered a job yesterday as the Financial Officer for an Indie flic. I'll check it out but it's really not something I'd be interested in right now. Of course we haven't talked money yet so it might 'get' interesting later.

Anyway, things are looking good and it's a great time to be starting a new life. Bring on the future, it's no match for me today!

Another Great Weekend...

It was yet another successful event at the South Baymouth Flea & Farmers Market yesterday. We're there every Sunday from 11:00am to 3:00pm and it would be great to see you there next week. LOTS of great products and bargains from all the vendors, including yours truly!

John Budd Park event…

I had a really good time on Sunday at the South Baymouth Flea & Farmers Market. There were eight or nine of us there with our displays and I think a successful day was had by all. I know I did alright and the fellow selling fruit and vegetables next to me also had a very good day.

This will be a weekly event for July and August and we’ll all be there from 11:00am to 3:00pm every Sunday. I have my Watkins wares of course and although I do not stock every one of the 350+ items that are in our main catalogue I do have 30 or 40 different goodies on hand such as spices, soups, gravies, cleaners and home remedies. Of course I try to keep the all time favorites of pepper, cinnamon, vanilla, Petro-Carbo and Medicated Ointments on hand at all times. Personally we find ourselves using more and more of the soaps and detergents every month as they work great and are plant based and environmentally friendly. I think these “green” products are very important for those of us who live so close to the many lakes and streams on the island and it’s nice not to have to worry about what our “grey water” may be doing to that family of loons near the house.

We all hope to see you there each and every Sunday throughout the summer but if you can't make it you can always order all your Watkins products directly online or send me an e-mail and we'll get back to you with details. I'd like to thank you all in advance as we're really pushing to make Manager level with Watkins this month and can't do it without your continued support. See you at the market!

Itchy and Scratchy

Well I’ve gone and done it again. Yup, poison ivy wins the round again this year. Last time I know exactly when I got it and that was because I was cleaning out old vegetation from the bush near the house. This time I have no idea. It had to have been when I mowed the lawn down near the beach but I sure don’t remember seeing any of the stuff down there.

At any rate, there is no cure for the rash and itch other than time but I’ve found that the Watkins Red Clover salve or Burn Cream seem to work the best at keeping the stuff from driving you crazy. It’s funny though because up until last year poison ivy never bothered me but I understand from doing a little research that it only takes one exposure too many to put you “over the top” and start the reactions. I was also reading up where after you get it once it comes back more and more easily all the time because if it gets into your system it’s there forever just waiting to rear up again at the least little provocation. Guess I’ll just have to spend the summers sitting on the deck instead of doing yard work. Hey… maybe there IS a good side to having poison ivy around the house. Heh, heh, heh…

(Photo courtesy of a “Creative Commons” license from the melissambwilkins' photostream on Flickr.)

I Miss My Pepper...

One of the things I dislike about all my travel is that I have to use whatever cooking supplies are available in the houses I stay in. That means that this morning for example I had to use pepper that was just flavorless dust when it came out of the shaker. Terrible stuff and I don't understand why this is what most people choose to use on a regular basis. Awful tasting, a pure disappointment and the ruination of my scrambled eggs. Let me send you some samples of Watkins Pepper and you’ll never touch the grocery store shelf brands again! Hey, I even know of people who carry our pepper with them and use it in restaurants so they are not forced to use what’s on the table!

Of course I can’t carry all the spices and Watkins products we regularly use at home but at least I’m going to pack some of the little pepper samples with me next time I travel. This will also include our Cinnamon as a quarter teaspoon of this brand a day will help lower your blood sugar levels by up to 30% according to a recent study in the US.

Vanilla is one other item I’d like to bring with me but that would probably be going too far. Again, once you try the Watkins Vanilla you won’t even look at the regular store brands which taste like chemicals or medicine of some kind when you compare them to ours. The "Original Double Strength” is just fantastic and I enjoy putting a few drops into water to make a great tasting and refreshing drink with a few ice cubes added in… and in a milkshake… WOW!

Want another vanilla tip? Put a few drops into a microwave safe mug and put it in your microwave on high for 30 seconds or a minute depending on your power setting. The steam put off will make the inside of your microwave come clean with just the brush of a cloth and your room will smell great!

Hmmm… This has started sounding like a sales pitch but it was only intended as a lament to having to use “store bought” brands and REALLY missing my Watkins products. Try them and you’ll know what I mean.

Why me...

As Watkins Independent Associates and members of The Summit Group we have access to an exclusive weekly conference call. This past Thursday the call dealt with “Why I Joined Watkins” and it made me think a bit.

According to The Summit Group web site (article 100310) the three main reasons people join Watkins are…

• To get high-quality Watkins products for yourself at a significant discount.
• To earn extra money by sharing catalogues or retailing products to friends, relatives, and coworkers.
• To build a large organization that provides the total time, flexibility and financial freedom enjoyed by successful Watkins leaders.

So, why did I join…?

First of all I remembered the Watkins Man coming around to my grandmother’s house when I was just barely old enough to climb on a chair and look out a window. He, along with the Fuller-Brush Man and the Raleigh Man were regulars along with others such as the chimney-sweeps and occasionally the Electrolux man. My grandmother always tried to buy from the Watkins Man as she said he had “the best” and looked forward to his visits especially when she was running low on vanilla or some other spice. Being a great cook she went through a lot of these things and I wish we had bugged her to write down more of her recipes for us. She was an old time "a bit of this and a dash of that and maybe some of those" types who, just like her mother before her kept it all in her head and not in a book on the shelf. I also remember when my grandfather had an accident down at the local Union Screen Plate factory and broke a rib or two. Guess what they would rub on to make his aches feel better? Yup, Watkins Red Liniment. Anyway, that was reason one.

Another was that yes, I’m looking to earn some extra money as both Gloria and I are hoping to retire in the next 2 or 3 years and I suppose like most we’re wondering if the reduced pension cheques will be enough to get us by into our old age. A little extra income wouldn’t hurt right?

The third reason sort of intrigued me but since at that time I didn’t understand much about it there wasn’t a solid reason for buying in. Network marketing was a hope, but not a reason. Now that we have been in for over a year I can really see the value in the creation of a personal downline but especially in helping the downline create a downline. There is a LOT of money to be made in this side of the business, not to mention the free travel and other perks. No, for anyone thinking the word out there, this is NOT a pyramid scheme and any bonus payments we receive have to be earned and comes directly from the Watkins advertising budget and not from any individual. Every single Independent Associate out there keeps every single dollar they earn and none of it is held back to line the pockets of anyone above them in the group.

This brings me to a question for you…

Why would YOU become one of our associates? If you are just interested in getting award winning products for yourself at a discount, wonderful! If you want to make a little bit of money on the side, great! If you are interested in earning a great full time income for putting in a few part time hours that you decide on yourself, fantastic!

If any of this interests you and there is anything I can do to help you reach any of your goals please let me know. I don’t have all the answers but I know where to get most of them so feel free to get in touch if anything is bothering or puzzling you and we’ll try to work it out.

In the meantime I’m really getting a kick out of being The Watkins Man! How about you?

Mmmmm...

"Recent studies have shown that just 1/4 tsp of cinnamon every day may help to lower blood sugar, fats and cholesterol by up to 30 percent! Researchers suggest it may also stave off the onset of type 2 diabetes in those at risk.

Watkins Purest Ground Cinnamon contains a high amount of essential oils for optimum flavor, aroma and health benefits! Try some every day on cereal, oatmeal, toast, apples and savory dishes. Place in coffee grounds before brewing for rich flavor and aroma." (taken from the detailed product description on the Watkins web site)

Personally I like it on my toast or oatmeal and here’s a fun fact… If you stacked all the containers of Cinnamon Watkins has sold since 1895, it would be 15,766 times taller than the Eiffel Tower.

A snow shovel’s best friend…

I know we’ve mentioned this before but just to remind everyone that the best helper you can get with the heavy snow shoveling is good old Watkins Cooking Spray.

Yup, all you have to do is put a good thick coating on your shovel and that miserable old wet snow will not stick. Why lift all that weight over and over again if you don’t have to, right?

Oh yeah, it also works great at coating frying pans and I think it tastes a lot better than that other stuff anyway. Of course, since it’s a Watkins product you can use a lot less of it and it works out much cheaper than those other brands because you can get about 1,600 servings per 397g can. That's a lot of pancakes!

PS: It will also work great on your satellite dish. The snow just keeps sliding off so no more getting up there with the broom after a big storm.

Observations...

Dear Blogger:

I don’t know how much trouble I’ll get into over this but some “truisms” occur to me occasionally. There are 3 males (myself, son, grandson) and 2 females (wife, daughter) making up our household at this time. When I take a shower I notice that I have my shampoo (Watkins, of course) the one my son prefers plus another milder one for the young grandson. This makes 3 bottles on the edge of the tub. However… if I count the total number of assorted shampoos, conditioners and who knows what scattered about the area the total comes to 19 at this time. I’ve spent many hours sitting on the deck attempting to understand all the exotic needs and requirements of the female of the species but my male brain just can’t fathom what circumstances could require the 16 remaining types and brands. Hmmm…

As an additional observation, and keeping in mind that the grand total of 5 people living in the house still stands, I note that there are exactly 11 toothbrushes. Hmmm…

I won’t get into the number of different tubes of creams and whatnot scattered around the room but they are many in number. If any male out there could enlighten me I would most appreciate it, or perhaps silence is the wiser course to take?

Yours truly,
Perplexed