I just wanted to drop by and let you guys know about something that I noticed. In our society, we can say that we have gotten better, but where is the imagination in certain places? Again, I am not saying that there is no imagination in technology, but are we really teaching our children and our future generations that everything can just be done with the push of one button? Are we really that hellbent on being left alone? When we order pizza, we can go on the internet and order it online. What happened to just picking up the phone and talking to another human being and making sure that we can get what we want and need and that it’s done and paid for correctly?

Another thing that I have noticed. Our children’s education , what is happening to that? What is so wrong with putting pen to paper and actually helping our children figure things out? Everything is off of some web site, or all their homework is online. At college level I can understand, but from K-12? One thing is teaching them how technology is. Another is to require them to get online, and expose themselves to everything but their homework, because we all know that they are not being supervised while online. Whatever happened to using a library for something other than just getting online?

So I am sitting here watching Two and a Half Men and wondering what is going on.  I am talking to one of my absolute  best friends and in a way I am sitting here wondering what is really going on with me. Am I doing things right for myself, or am I waiting for something that may or may not happen in my life.  I married a really good man, patient man, and a man that looks out for me. At the same, just like every other marriage, there are times that things don’t look as bright as we want them to look.  Most of the time, we get along and we love each other, and things are freaking peachy. Other times, I wonder….Is there anything I can do?..

As times get tough, more women want to make quick cash hawking Satin Smoothie Hand Scrub, Eyesicles eyeshadows and Cellu-Shape Nighttime Body Gel.

After all, even with the economy in the dumps, women still wear makeup. How about some Coastal Colors Lip Gloss?

LARA SOLT/Staff Photographer
Michelle Mikulas in her home office in Flower Mound on Monday, April 20, 2009. Mikulas now works full time for Mary Kay since losing her job last year.
View larger More photos Photo store Addison-based Mary Kay is reporting a significant increase in the number of independent beauty consultants joining its sales ranks. Avon, another at-home makeup sales heavyweight, is also seeing a jump – as are other direct sales companies, which rely on independent workers to sell their products.

Many in the new sales force are looking for solutions during these troubling times – like Mary Dawson of Mesquite.

She has a full-time job as an office manager but wants to earn extra cash. Plus, she likes the makeup.

“Everybody is looking for ways to make ends meet,” said Dawson, 32. “The economy has gone down, and I don’t know what’s going to happen in the future. It’s a perfect time to start.”

The $30 billion direct-sales industry offers a variety of products, including goods in home décor, jewelry, cookware and nutritional supplements. And direct sales usually hold steady even when retail numbers drop.

Rhonda Shasteen, Mary Kay’s chief marketing officer, says that more people are turning to direct sales for the “self-control factor.”

“When you’re in a job and how you’ve been supporting your family is in question and you’re not sure whether you walk in the next day and you’ll be laid off or have your pay cut … people feel out of control,” she said. “They look for, ‘How can I gain some control over my situation?’ ”

Mary Kay saw a high double-digit percentage increase in the number of beauty consultants this March compared with a year ago, Shasteen said. Avon reported a 1 percent increase of North American sales representatives during the fourth quarter last year, said Lindsay Blaker, an Avon spokeswoman.

Mary Kay and Avon have even launched advertising campaigns specifically targeting women looking to earn extra money.

“It’s been a way to reach out to people that Avon can … help you during this downturn,” Blaker said.

The section of the Mary Kay Web site that promotes beauty consultants saw more than a 100 percent increase in traffic in March compared with numbers from January and February.

And other companies offering direct sales have reported an uptick in recruiting over the past several months, said Amy Robinson, vice president of communications for the Direct Selling Association, which represents companies involved with direct sales.

Workers say they enjoy direct selling because they can work their sales around family life.

Last summer, Michelle Mikulas was laid off as a corporate recruiter. Instead of looking for another job, the Flower Mound resident decided to focus on selling Mary Kay, partly to spend more time with her three young children.

“I can be my own boss and set my own hours and spend time with my kids,” said Mikulas, 34. “I was going to make [Mary Kay] more of a full-time effort on my part and be a full-time mom at the same time.”

Stacey Griffith of Fort Worth joined Mary Kay after her sister sold over $500 of products in three weeks.

For now, Griffith, 20, will sell on the side while she studies at the University of Texas at Arlington. She plans to graduate next year, and if the economy remains lousy, she might focus on Mary Kay full time.

“You’re never going to get fired” in direct sales, Griffith said. “You can make as much money as you want. … I would like to go as far as I could with it. Why not?”

At Mary Kay, some are happy earning $50 a week, while top directors can earn $1 million a year,Shasteen said.

Median annual earnings for a direct sales worker is about $2,400, and 10 percent of direct sellers work at least 30 hours a week, Robinson said. Direct sellers typically earn between 25 and 50 percent of a sale. For most, it is a job where they can earn some money on the side. To earn lots more, sellers typically need to recruit new workers in addition to selling the product.

One reason that sellers might be attracted to Mary Kay and Avon is that makeup has long been considered recession-proof. But this downturn is taking some of the gloss off sales.

U.S. department store beauty sales declined 3 percent in 2008, according to NPD Group, a market-research firm.

NPD reports that 26 percent of direct sales shoppers say they’re spending less on beauty products, compared with 33 percent of customers of department stores. So, direct makeup sales seem to be faring better.

“It could be an opportunity for the direct seller in terms of offering some innovative value products,” said Karen Grant, NPD vice president and global industry analyst for beauty.

Direct sales of all products tend to fare better during recessions. The average annual growth for direct sales is 3.6 percent during nonrecession years, but rose to 4.5 percent during the recession years of 1990, 1991 and 2001, according to the Direct Selling Association.

Mary Kay sellers hope they benefit. Dawson sold $280 worth of Mary Kay products during a recent sales event – her profit is $140.

“Pretty good for two hours of work,” she said.

Dawson has gone around her neighborhood, handing out bags of makeup samples. .

“I can go as far as I can with it,” she said. “The possibilities are endless.”

Lately my husband has been having these dumb dumb stupid types of mood swings. I am so sick of it!!! Where the hell does he get off not having patience for things!!nFor example, if something spills, is it really necessary for someone to shit a brick if something spills on the floor or if the cat wants to drink out of the damn toilet? I mean really!! He is the one that left the damn lid up to begin with!! And another thing, when something spills on the floor, is it necessary to lay a brick? Does anyone have any advice as to what I can do with this man’s damn mood swings!! I am really sick of it!! It really damns my feelings for him.

Are you kidding me! Bristol Palin talking about abstinence?! Where was this talk before she spread her legs? What about when her mother was running for office?Where was the education or the correct prevention. I mean , I know that 17 year olds are gonna have sex, but where are the condoms, the support before hand? I am sick of those two already.

I thought that during the women’s movement we would get the same respect that a man would. I have to admit that to an extent we are improving, but we are not there yet. When a woman uses her body to get things done we go right back to where we started where society looks at us as just baby making machines that just get by on sex and child rearing. Many times we as women put ourselves in this position, but for the most part, the media and “standards” do this to us. How about us women take a stand and use our brains and show society that we are worth what we have.

On the other hand, those of us who don’t use our bodies to get things done deserve to be made to feel that we are worth whaat we are worth. I have 2 degrees myself and still don’t make what a man with the same degree earns. Ladies, let’s get our act together and put all of our best assets ( besides the physical ones) to work to our advantages. We have the same intelligence, why not the same paycheck?

Check me out @ youravon.com/kburgos-fisk and Marykay.com/Kareen