It's October again. You wouldn't know it in the South, where we are still having 80-degree days, but fall is truly here, and Christmas countdowns have legitimately begun.

For me, though, October mostly means pink and blue ribbons as parents of babies in Heaven observe Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month. If you're on social media of any kind, I'm sure you've seen some of your friends posting about it, or changing their profile picture in honor of it. If you haven't walked this road yourself, you might wonder why it is a big deal, or you might be concerned that your friends are stuck in their grief, and not "moving on".

But nothing can be further from the truth.

Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month isn't really about collective grief, even though what draws the baby loss community together is the tragic loss of our children. It is about collective remembrance. It is the one month out of the year when it feels okay - or more okay than normal - to talk about the children who aren't here. This one month, we can remember them out loud, and we can encourage our friends to remember them, too. We can also let others in our club know that it's okay for them to remember their child out loud.

I say "out loud" because, honestly, you never forget. It's been nine and a half years since my daughter Naomi passed into eternity. I remember that day as clearly as if it were yesterday, and not a day goes by that I don't think of her, or her other siblings who flew to Heaven in the years since. That doesn't mean I'm "stuck" or that my days are without joy - not at all! But how can I forget the children I carried, who are part of me, and who have made me the person I am today?

And so I'm thankful for this month, for the chance to share with others the significance of the brief lives of our babies, and for the chance to remember them, out loud.

Because I will never forget.

Are you part of this club? Would you do me the honor of remembering your baby or babies in the comments below so that I can rejoice with you in the meaning their lives had, however brief they were?

Back at the beginning of the month, I shared with you some questions everyone should ask BEFORE joining an MLM (also known as multi-level-marketing, or direct sales - think Avon and Mary Kay). Today, I want to share with you the answers to those questions about the company I am with, Lilla Rose. I've been with Lilla Rose for three years now, and couldn't be more pleased. In addition, they are having an amazing enrollment sale that ends at 11:59 p.m. tonight. If you are looking for another source of income for your family, and if you already know and love the Lilla Rose hair accessories, or if you love playing with hair styles, this may be what you are looking for. Read on!

Lilla Rose is a small, family-run company based in California. The owner and CEO, John Dorsey, is the one who invented our flagship product, the Flexi Clip, in his garage. He is very hands-on with the company, and I think I know the names of everyone who works in the office! Our company is small, but our potential is huge! Mostly because of their unique hair accessories, especially that Flexi Clip! Did I mention that it is patented? That means Lilla Rose is the only company to make and distribute the Flexi. You can't go out and buy it on Amazon or in your local department store or Wal-mart. Only from Lilla Rose. Having a unique can't-get-it-anywhere-else is part of what makes Lilla Rose unique among MLMs that sell jewelry, candles, books, and make-up.

Normally, the Ready Set Style kit from Lilla Rose is $125, plus tax and shipping. Through 11:59 p.m. Pacific timetonight, Wednesday, July 25, it is $99 with free shipping! (See why I wanted to share this with you today?) For that, you get $300 in every variety of Lilla Rose products, plus marketing materials! You also have the option of purchasing a Fast Start add-on inventory kit (totally optional, but has some great perks), which is $1100 in inventory for only $500.

There are NO hidden fees - no fees for maintaining a website or for training. They offer marketing materials for Stylists, but all are very reasonably priced, and if you sell exclusively online, you need very few of those.

To stay active in Lilla Rose, you must sell or purchase $30 retail in product each YEAR. Not each quarter or each month. Each YEAR. There is NO minimum you must sell to earn your commission (305-45%, depending on your sales that month)! That is basically two or three products a year.

You can sell Lilla Rose products in three main ways: through your replicated website (mine is www.lillarose.biz/kristibothur), through a "Style Up" (a.k.a. a party hosted in a home or online), or at a sales event where you register with the organizer to bring your product and sell in person. As a Stylist, you get an automatic 30% commission from sales and a 30% discount when you purchase inventory. As your sales go up each month, your commission increases, as high as 45%.

If someone wants to sign up as a Lilla Rose Stylist under your leadership, they become part of your team, and you are responsible for mentoring them and either answering their questions or connecting them with someone who can (that is not as scary as it sounds, trust me!). In turn, as long as you "bonus qualify" (have retail sales of $286 that month, or purchase $200 in inventory yourself), you will also earn from their sales. As you promote to different levels of leadership, you will also earn from the sales of those under them as well.

It is TOTALLY not necessary to build a team to be a Lilla Rose Stylist, but it is fun, and it is a way to increase your income.

I have no idea. Because I don't know where you live! I do know that as a relatively small direct sales company, the market is FAR from saturation! In other words, while many communities have several consultants selling Avon, Mary Kay, Pampered Chef, or Thirty-One products (all favorites of mine!), those same communities may only have ONE Lilla Rose Independent Stylist (or NONE!). And the internet community makes those borders less important than they used to be.

I will! I would be delighted to guide you in this journey, and where I don't know something, I will connect you with someone who does. Being on my "Treasured Roses" team means that I will be looking out for your best interest and helping you grow your business according to your goals, not mine. And I will be praying for you and checking in with you on how you are doing personally, not just on how many sales you are making. My goal is for my team members to become friends, first and foremost!

I would love to talk with you more! The current special of $99 and free shipping for the Ready, Set, Style Kit ends on July 25, 2018, at 11:59 p.m. Pacific time. It gives you a total savings of $37.95 over our normal enrollment cost, so TODAY is a great time to sign up and give this a shot! (But if you happen to read this after the sale ends, don't despair! That difference only represents the sale of three or four Flexi Clips! It is ALWAYS a great time to sign up for Lilla Rose!)

For more information, e-mail me at kristibothur@gmail.com or check out this video on my website!