Things have been quiet on the Avon walk front. Our last fundraiser was several weeks ago, and I’ve received one huge donation since - my sister sent me $250! (This seems like a good time to mention that you can donate to the Avon walk and choose a flexible payment option which allows you to split up your donation over several months. It makes things less painful on your purse.)

Anyway, with the walk looming on the horizon, it seems like a good time for me to start thinking about my health - before, during, and after the walk. You’ll remember that in the first year of my breast cancer walking, I ended up at the doctor a week or so later, with unbearable pain in my knee. He chalked it up to walking 60 miles in 3 days and prescribed a brace for me to wear. With my cheap health insurance, the whole visit, including a quick x-ray, only cost me $40!

In 2007, I knew what to expect and wasn’t surprised when my legs started hurting during the walk. I spent a lot of time at the medical tent icing and wrapping my legs. No visit to the doctor needed.

This year, I’ll be in New York for the walk. It’s a shorter distance, so I’m hoping that means less pain. I don’t think I’ll need to visit the doctor after this walk, therefore I won’t be contributing to my 2008 deductible, and I won’t need to visit my
health insurance online to find a doctor in NYC to tend to my aching body! (My health insurance provider IS nationwide, but I think having to track down a doctor in my network and fill out a bunch of health insurance forms on the weekend of the walk would ruin my fun - doncha think?)

At a recent fundraiser for our Avon Walk, we had more than one person ask us how she could walk, or how she could get involved with Avon as a volunteer for the walk. All we were able to do was to tell people the website address for the walk, so I’ve been brainstorming on ways to easily share that information if we’re asked at our next fundraiser. I think I’ve got it…

I’m contemplating ordering business cards from VistaPrint that will provide people with the URL for this blog. I think the end result would be more traffic (duh) and it’s always a way to engage people who are interested in learning more about our cause. Why VistaPrint? They did my business cards for my other blog last fall, and I was super pleased with my order and the price. They do business cards, checks, baby announcements, invitations, and even car magnets. Ooh, that’s another idea! A big pink car magnet for the side of my SUV with 3DayMom.com printed across it - that would definitely get us some attention! There are definitely a lot of well priced options at VistaPrint for shameless self promotion. Hey, it’s all for a good cause, right?

There are 158 days to go until the Avon Walk in New York City, and I’ve raised $425 of the required $1800 in donations. Not too shabby, but I can’t stop now! I have another fundraiser scheduled in a few weeks which will be another “begging for change in front of the grocery store event”. After that, I’ll take stock and see how many more fundraisers we need to schedule and work as a team.

The Positively Pink Team (not my team!) has already raised almost $30,000! And one walker has raised almost $12,000. Holy cow - those are some over achievers!

This weekend I (along with a few members of my walking team!) will be at a local store to beg for spare change. It’s weighing your wallet down, and we’re happy to take it off your hands. If you’re in the Tampa, FL area, come out and see us!

Publix at Hollybrook Plaza
Corner of SR. 54 and Bruce B. Downs
Wesley Chapel, FL

We’ll be in front of the store from 10am until about 3pm, or sooner if we die of exhaustion. Raising money is hard work, you know!

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!