What a Little Make-Up Will Do for a Girl!

I will have been in the make-up and cosmetic business for 11 years this August. I can't believe how fast the time flies! I love helping and teaching women of all ages and walks of life how to care for thier skin as well as the art of make-up application. It is amazing to watch the transformation take place across the table. I firmly believe that when a woman feels pretty on the outside, she has more confidence and feels better on the inside. While make-up doesn't 'make' the woman and I am the first to say I have my 'no make-up days' and LOVE them, there is something to be said when I take the time to make myself feel pretty. Especially on those days, when I don't feel so pretty.

In the wake of the recent flooding in Cedar Rapids, I have been contacting customers checking to see if they were affected by the flood and offering a deep discount for any customer who lost any skin care or make-up supplies in the diaster. After recently talking to a customer who needed some new foundation that was lost in the flooding, she indicated that after discovering that there would be no insurance coverage and FEMA was not going to provide any aid even $20 spent on make-up needed to go elsewhere.

My heart went out to her and I extended it to her to take simply as a gift, knowing that in all the muck and yuck of clean up, to take just a few minutes to feel pretty would lift her spirits. I never realized what an impact just a foundation could have on a woman. Below is her response.

Your e-mail just brought tears to my eyes. That would be such a sweet, giving gesture. We are getting zero from insurance and just received a rejection letter from FEMA yesterday, which we are going to try and appeal. Your note made me feel like someone cares which is the opposite of how I felt when I read the mail yesterday. I almost wrote you back saying that I couldn't accept the gift you were offering, but I recently had a friend tell me that my husband and I might need to learn to accept help with this disaster. You were just my first step in that. I want you to know how much I truly appreciate that you would do this for me.

So remember, you just never know what even a small gesture will do for someone. And it is ok to accept help when offered!

Blessings,

Jill

Hello Again!

My last blog entry was June 8th and within days of that entry, Cedar Rapids was over taken with flood waters. For 2 weeks, the pace of life changed significantly as we watched the waters rise and recede and the devastating effects. This in addition to the onset of the summer schedule has brought a shifiting of commitments. WHEW! What a last month this has been.

Of course we continue to help those affected by the flood and continue to watch as clean up progresses and rebuilding starts. Last week my washing machine finally went to appliance heaven and having just received an email the day before that someone was needing appliances after losing theirs in the flood, we decided to donate our dryer and it was loaded up and delivered yesterday!

Summer always brings the need for me to wear my mom hat a bit more than during the school year. I walk a fine line in the summer with balancing running my business and attending to the needs of the girls. One of the things that I think is very important regarding living a balanced life is to know when to make a shift and may be stop doing things the way you always do them. Summer always makes me do a shift. Here are a few highlights from June!

Kennedy running at the state track meet in Des Moines. She did the long jump, 400 meters and 800 meters. She qualified for the regional meet in the 800 and will be competing in Wauseka, WI on July 13th! She does her mama proud as track and field was a love of mine throughout high school and college. I see those long legs ease around the track and I can't help but get goose bumps!

Madison is playing softball this summer and has improved a lot since last year. We watched her throw out three people at third base this week and get a hit every time she was up to bat. She is also trying swim team for the first time this year and doing an awesome job. She is truly a fish and loves the water and has been collecting a wide variety of colorful ribbons.

One of the Japengas commitments this year was to grow our relationships within our family and our extended family. We decided to host a 'cousin camps' throughout the summer and had our first cousin camp in June. Macin, who is 4 came for a few days all the way from

Houston, MN. We enjoyed the pool, took in a movie, a softball game, Chuckie Cheese, and did some scrapbooking. Our next cousin camp is this month and cousin, Carter is coming for VBS, Power Lab!

I am participating in a book club this summer and reading the series the Yada Yada Prayer Group. Excellent read. It is a Christian fiction series that is funny, moving, and filled with many life lessons. I have also started an individual study called Captivating by Staci Eldridge and doing some self reflection over the next few months. I plan to pick up my 10 week series starting in September, picking back up in week 6. July brings more swim team, afternoon pool visits, track meets, a family vacation to northern Minnesota, and another cousin camp!

Hoping that this finds you happy and healthy! Will check in again next month with more highlights from our home

Blessings

Jill