1. Put the word out! Put an ad in the paper that lets everyone know the sale is for CHARITY. Send press releases to your local paper. They’ll usually publish your info on the event calendar section of the paper for free since your profits go to charity.

2. Good signage! We had 5 or so signs out in all directions so that our sale was easy to find.

3. More signs! We had signs at the sale letting people know all of the $$ was for charity, and what charity we were supporting.

4. Word of mouth! We told everyone who walked up that the sale was for charity, and if they wanted to know more, we did a little song and dance about the Avon walk. (Not a real song and dance, but you know what I mean.)

5. Donation buckets! We had a donation bucket (and a sign) on the table and people dropped money in it more than once.

6. No hagglers! Early in the sale, when people tried to haggle, we wouldn’t. I guilted more than one person into paying full price since it was all for charity. Later in the day, when we tried to move more items, we made great deals.

7. The buddy system! Doing this with a friend made it 100% easier - don’t go it alone!

I’m not one to buy products I see advertised on TV. I need to learn more about a product than I can in 30 seconds, so I prefer to research things I see on TV online and off to learn more. Proactiv Solution is one of those products. I’ve been seeing it on late night TV commercials for years, but other than the glowing celebrity endorsements, I didn’t know much about it or how it worked. With one daughter on the verge of puberty, I turned to Acne.com to investigate the claims put forth by Proactiv, and what I read was interesting. I’m actually thinking about sending the link to Acne.com to my oldest, so that she can learn that chocolate and oily foods don’t cause acne, as well as other popular acne myths. Lord knows, it’s hard enough being a middle school kid without your face being wrecked by acne!

I’ve now met 10% of my Avon Walk goal. My overall goal is $1800, and I’m at $180 right now. Our team goal, with 6 members, is $10,800.00 (wow!) and we’ve raised $650.00 of that. Of course, I wouldn’t be sharing all of these facts and figures without asking you to consider making a donation to me! We need every bit of help, and while I can’t help you on this year’s tax return, your donation is tax deductible for next year.

Our next group event (for our Florida team members) will be at a local grocery store on 4/19. Traditionally, a few hours out in front of the grocery store nets us at least $500, so I’m hoping we can see that success again. It will make a big dent in my goal. My sister also committed to a $200 donation, since she’s not walking this year. I look forward to that being deposited!

I’ve been wearing makeup for oh…almost 20 years now? The makeup tips I use today are the same tips I picked up in my teens by reading Seventeen and Sassy magazines. I’ll never forget the question one Sassy reader asked…she wanted to know if she should only apply makeup to her face in one direction, so that her pores wouldn’t be clogged. The beauty editor replied, “No, your pores are not vertical blinds.” HA! Silly, but it stuck with me all of these years, and it’s something I read at least 15 years ago.

Being 32 now, it occurred to me that there are probably improvements I could make in my makeup routine, and I don’t want to take advice from the 60 year old lady staffing the Clinique counter at the department store. I found a great assortment of makeup tips for all ages, from how to apply lipstick to eyeliner. (I know a few women who could use that eyeliner advice!) If you want to look like the “after” on What Not To Wear instead of the “before”, this is the place to get tips and advice to shake up your makeup!

Our garage sale for the Avon Walk this weekend was a big success!

I walked away with $100 in profit, and my friend ended up with over $200. We were busy all day and got rid of a ton of stuff, and even snagged a few donations from benevolent shoppers. When all was said and done, I packed up what I had left and hauled it to Goodwill where I made a big donation.

Our next fund raiser will be a stand out and beg day in front of a local grocery store. That’s always good for big donations!

Oysters are served all over the state of Florida, and plenty of restaurant patrons enjoy downing a few oysters on the half shell with a few drinks - Gulf oysters are a part of who we are in Florida! You may or may not have ever read the fine print about oysters that SHOULD appear on all of the menus that list oysters. Did you know that steps are being taken to ensure more people can enjoy oysters without worrying about the health concerns? Many oyster processors are now putting oysters through a freezing or pasteurization process to reduce the risk of passing on Vibrio vulnificus illness to you. This is a big change from how oysters were served without any processing, which meant more people got sick from raw oysters.

BeOysterAware.com has more information on the risks of eating raw oysters, and how to minimize those risks, as well as advancements in the processing of oysters that are making oysters safer for all of us to consume. Of course, if you meet certain criteria, you should avoid raw oysters - for example, if you’re pregnant, or if you have a condition that weakens your immune system. If you did get the Vibrio vulnificus illness, your body may not be able to fight it off, and no oyster is worth a hospital visit. If you do have a condition like this, just make sure to eat your oysters full cooked, like in a delicious soup or stew!

I’ve put an ad in the newspaper, which appeared today and will run again tomorrow. I also got some free press in the community section, since the sale is for charity. They put “Avon Walk for Breast Cancer Charity Yard Sale” along with the address and times. Gotta love free press! Our signs are purchased, and everything is priced.

Tomorrow morning I plan to be at the neighbor’s at 7am, so we can set up. I put that the sale would start at 9am, but people ALWAYS come early to garage sales, so we want to be prepared. Once we get set up, I’ll head out to put up the signs, or send her husband to do it if we already have shoppers.

I need to get change and singles and take all of the grocery store bags I’ve been hoarding to her house tomorrow. I need to make a new sign for our donation bucket to entice people to donate even if they don’t buy. Other than that, I think we’re ready!

I’m allergic to bee, wasp, and hornet stings. I was stung for the first time at the age of 9 (on my leg) and didn’t have a reaction. The second sting, at the age of 11, was on my face, just above my mouth. Within minutes of getting stung, my face was red and blotchy, I started to swell, and I couldn’t breathe well. If was shortly after that when I got a sting kit to keep at school and home, and I was given a medical ID necklace to wear. If you’ve got a child with an illness, a disability, or an allergy like mine, a child medical alert ID can make all the difference in an emergency situation. If I had been strung a third time, no doubt the reaction would have been even more severe, and I would have been unable to tell anyone what was happening, or how to help.

Knowing how to treat patients in an emergency is key - what if your child is highly allergic to standard medications? A small dose could make a bad situation worse, but a medical ID can alert doctors, nurses, and emergency staff as to how to treat your child correctly. When we bought my medical ID, we were limited to a few standard phrases and allergy types, but now you can have custom made medical ID jewelry with details about your condition and who to contact in an emergency. AmericanMedical-ID.com even offers a charm bracelet style that most kids won’t mind wearing!

My post on Why I Walk was recently selected as a finalist in the Blog Battle Royale Charity edition over at Izea. Advertisers who have previously run charity campaigns will be reading the 3 finalist’s entries (one of the finalist’s is my sister!) and picking their favorite. The prize is $1000 donated to your charity. My fund raising goal for the Avon walk this year is $1800, so you can see why I’m trying to win - that donation would be a huge boost for my goal!

I had an extremely frustrating afternoon trying to get my son’s prescriptions (for his upper respiratory and ear infections) filled. The antibiotic he was prescribed was no big deal, in fact, the pharmacy gave it to me for free. The steroid he was prescribed for his breathing issues was another story. The first pharmacy was out until Monday, another was out until Wednesday, and 5 more were completely out with no restock date in sight. Finally, we found a store that had it in stock and went off to fill the prescription, but what a hassle! We got to wait in line, and then it cost me $50 for the medication when all was said and done.

Is it any wonder that people are turning their backs on traditional pharmacies and choosing to buy their name brand prescription drugs online at places like Edrugstore.md? And yes,
Viagra falls under the heading of name brand drugs, so if you’re buying the little blue pills, you need not worry about facing the pharmacy staff in person any longer - just buy Viagra online and avoid the embarrassment - ha! But seriously, if you’re regularly taking the same prescription medications, you can order them online, pay low prices, and get your meds shipped directly to your door. No waiting in line, no running around to different pharmacies to find out which one has what you need, like I did today. You can even submit a question via the “Ask A Physician” section to get a personalized response about your medication, or drug interactions.