First Tribute to my Mother In Law

It's been a hard road here trying to get through each day without my Mother In Law.  As a friend said to me, "she was the sunshine and the sons and grandchildren were the sun rays."  I immediately spoke up and said. "That's exactly what I've been trying to describe to my husband."  Shirley was my best girl friend!  She came from a large family.  She had 2 brothers and 6 sisters.   She was born in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. She out-lived all of her brothers and sisters as she was number 5 in the line up and lived to be 90!  We celebrated her 90th birthday on this entry.   I will share more about her life in another entry to come sometime this month on a separate blog I have for Colorectal Cancer Awareness.

   

Even though she was on Hospice in a nursing home here, we visited her everyday day that we could as though she were in her own apartment still.  The visits pretty much took place like they were the same.  I would find something in the Avon catalog ALWAYS for her!  I would buy it from our Reps. Mag. and order the item before it was available to the public.  I would be happy to tell her that she's the first person I have (given) sold a (necklace, bracelet, pin, blouse, lip stick or gloss, etc...) to and she was most always enthusiastic.  Sometimes the bracelets were too big for her small wrists.


Today marks ONE MONTH since her death and it feels like it was yesterday that she passed on to heaven.  The hurt is still so raw and I cry often and never when I expect it.  My husband and I are doing ok.  We're just getting out ourselves now and being able to enjoy life together just the two of us and of course with Sandie our dog (who loved Mom and Mom loved her!)  We will show pictures of Mom with Sandie in future dedications to her.


Listening to this song as I wrote this:
  http://www.vevo.com/watch/celtic-woman/you-raise-me-up/USMR80900051

You Raise Me Up
Artist(Band):Westlife Review The Song 

When I am down and, oh, my soul's so weary,
When troubles come and my heart burdened be,
Then I am still and wait here in the silence
Until you come and sit awhile with me.
You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains,
You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas.
I am strong when I am on your shoulders;
You raise me up to more than I can be.
[Instrumental break]
You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains,
You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas.
I am strong when I am on your shoulders;
You raise me up to more than I can be.
You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains,
You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas.
I am strong when I am on your shoulders;
You raise me up to more than I can be.
You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains,
You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas.
I am strong when I am on your shoulders;
You raise me up to more than I can be.
You raise me up to more than I can be.

Writer: LOVLAND, ROLF U. / GRAHAM, BRENDAN
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

Format : CD Single
Producer : Steve Mac
Recorded : Rokstone Studios, London 2004
Label : Sony BMG
Length : 4:01
Genre : Pop
Released : October 24, 2005

"You Raise Me Up" was the debut single from Westlife's fifth studio album, Face To Face.This version is considered by many to be the most popular, of all the various versions of the same song. The single peaked at #1 on the UK Singles Chart, making it the band's 13th Number One. It was the first song to be released following the departure of Brian McFadden from the group. The single sold 540,000 copies on UK so far. 

John (my husband) with Sandie

Teachers! Don't settle for the bad apples getting attention!

TEACHERS! HERE'S YOUR OPPORTUNITY TO BE NOTICED FOR THE GOOD THAT YOU DO EVERY DAY!

The NEWS is loaded with stories about bad teachers.  Why doesn't the news focus on the good that teachers do until there's some sort of tragedy in which a teacher helped a student or more or when teachers receive awards?

Do you know a teacher with a good news story?  If so, please
send your news story and article written by you as the friend who is sharing!

These will be due on APRIL 30, 2013 and there are no requirements because this is something that children and adults can enter.  There will be three prizes awarded to the winners and the prizes will come from two sources:  Avon and Scentsy.

Please submit your good news story about a teacher by 5pm PT on April 30, 2013 to carolynjm@live.com and be entered immediately into the contest.  Contest judges wanted!  Will accept a panel of 5.  Judge applications are also available at  carolynjm@live.com APPLY SOON!

Wordless Wednesday: One Happy Family!

Carolyn, Sandie and John

Lose the fat, not the flavor! Morningstar Mac 'N' Cheese

 

When Morningstar Farms says "lose the fat, not the flavor," what do you think of as far as the flavor of the food?  I used to think that it was all TOFU and I wanted nothing to do with it!

Wow was I ever wrong.  I had the following products and LOVED THEM ALL!  One in particular is the meal that John basically made that I started.  Without his help in this I would have been totally stuck for time.  We had a party and I needed to decorate for the event!  Due to privacy to our party goers on the Internet, we are not actually showing the party pictures.  But I will show pictures of the meal and my husband who worked so hard on helping me with this meal.

We start with Michael Symon's Mac 'N' Cheese recipe and then we start tweaking it with the Morningstar Farms food products using:

MorningStar Farms® Veggie Bacon Strips

 and

Morningstar Farms® Meal Starters® Grillers® Recipe Crumbles™

Michael Symon's Mac 'N' Cheese Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 Pound Bacon (diced)
• 3 tablespoons All Purpose flour
• 1 Onion (diced)
• 1 Butternut squash (peeled and diced)
• 2 Cloves Garlic (minced)
• 1 Quart Half & Half (plus 3 cups)
• 1 Pinch Nutmeg
• 1 Bunch Parsley (chopped)
• 1 Pound Rigatoni
• 1 Cup Gruyere
• 1 Cup Marscarpone
• 2 Cups Bread Crumbs

Step by step directions. We've Made Cooking As Easy As 1-2-3!

• ingredients 1 Pound Rigatoni
  instructions Bring 6 quarts of water to boil in a large pot. Add 2 table spoons of salt. Cook the rigatoni in boiling water until tender. Drain, then set aside.
• ingredients 1 Pound Bacon (diced)
  1 Onion (diced)
  1 Butternut squash (peeled and diced)
  2 Cloves Garlic (minced)
  1 Quart Half & Half (plus 3 cups)1 Pinch Nutmeg
  1 Cup Gruyere
  1 Cup Marscarpone
  3 tablespoons All Purpose flour
  instructions Cook bacon until crisp. Sweat onion, butternut squash, and garlic in pan until translucent, then add flour to pan to make roux. Slowly pour in half and half while mixing, and bring mixture to simmer. Add in 1/2 of the gruyere and nutmeg, and constantly stir until all of the cheese is melted. Add the marscarpone and mix until melted and combined. Add the cooked rigatoni and toss pasta until it’s well mixed in the cheese mixture.
• ingredients 1 Bunch Parsley (chopped)
  2 Cups Bread Crumbs
  instructions In a medium mixing bowl, toss bread crumbs, remaining gruyere and parsley. Sprinkle the bread crumb mixture over the casserole and bake at 375-400F for 5-8 minutes (until the top is golden brown).

and then you come up with:

Mac N Cheese with Morningstar Farms products

Thanking the major CHEF JOHN!

My husband John with the 2 casseroles that this recipe made!  Enough for 12 people.

We are pleased to say that there are left-overs for us.  With this cold weather that we've been having here at the beach this winter, a solid MEATLESS MEAL is just what we need!  We're planning on using the MorningStar Farms® Veggie Bacon Strips for breakfast soon and also the Morningstar Farms® Meal Starters® Grillers® Recipe Crumbles™ for an incredible portabello mushroom meal that Carolyn makes.  That's me! 

We ended the evening with a game where they won coupons for the Morningstar Farms products and that was a big hit!  A number of them have promised to have the group back together in their houses now before summer arrives and we are all grilling!  Of course we can always grill the burgers that Morningstar Farms makes. 

YES, every person I spoke with in person or communicated with online mentioned in this BzzReport knows that I'm a BzzAgent and that I received a product sample, coupon, collateral or other special premium from BzzAgent.

From FOOD NETWORK:  50 Mac N Cheese Recipes

Glade Expressions Fragrance Mist and Oil Diffuser have me SMILING every day!

I have not always been a fan of GLADE.  I used to find their scents to be either too powerful or lacking in scent after a few days.  I think that also has to do with what products I chose and how I used them.  I have since learned from that mistake when I was given the opportunity by Bzz Agent to product test and review from them to you for the Glade Expressions Collection!

Pineapple and Mangosteen Oil Diffuser

The Oil Diffusers are very pretty, they fit every decor. The best part about them is that you don't have to plug them in. You are able to place them anywhere you choose and the scent just fills the air. One setback is that they don't really last that long as far as intensity.

Pineapple and Mangosteen Fragrance Mist

I do prefer the Glade Fragrance Mists to almost all other air freshening mists/sprays. I do love the stainless steel holder and how you can just peel the label off.  You are more secure about leaving the spray out in public because I'm sorry but being the wick and wickless candle lover that I am.... there's just something about a GLADE product out in the open that is a big turn off for me!

Bzz Agent gave wonderful coupons for FREE product and then $1.00 off coupons as well and I will add a link as to where you can find coupons online for the products.

The mist is definitely a new favorite that I will be buying again and possibly the oil diffuser refill.  

Scentsy Room Spray that I sell

But I have to tell you that I get a lot more use for Scentsy Room spray.  It does cost the retailer more but I find you use less for greater power.

In summary, Glade has surprised me with 2 great new products!  I gave this product a 4 star rather than the 5 star because I was hoping the diffuser would last more than about 15 days without a refill.  A month sounds right to me! I'm so thrilled that I was able to try these products and will continue to use them in my home, they definitely have their place here!


Disclaimer:
Every person I spoke with in person or communicated with online mentioned in this BzzReport knows that I'm a BzzAgent and that I received a product sample, coupon, collateral or other special premium from BzzAgent.   

Pearl Mountain Picture Collage Maker for iOS GIVEAWAY!

This giveaway can be available on App Store  from March 10th at 5 am GMT to March 13th at 9 am, just three days only.

 http://www.pearlmountainsoft.com/collageit-for-ios/index.html

Picture Collage Maker for iOS is a user-friendly collage-making app that enables you to create personalized collages quickly and easily.

Awesome features include:
1.   100+ art resources including fascinating templates (support blank projects too), various backgrounds, clipart, frames and so on. Freely scale, rotate and resize objects to customize the collage.
2.    Edit photos with powerful editing features like Enhance, Effects, Orientation, Crop, Brightness and so on.
3.    Add meaningful text and edit font, size, color, alignment, and outline to achieve best effects.
4.    Save to library; send by E-mail; share on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Flickr, and Instagram; open with other apps.
5.    Save & reopen projects for future editing.

The schedule for this 100% off promotion is from March 10th at 5 am GMT to March 13th at 9 am, and it’s only available for 3 days. Never miss it. Take it on App Store in the right time at http://appstore.com/picturecollagemaker

We Got The Treats Product Review

We Got the Treats Pete ©2011, Avon Products, Inc.

               

To Listen to Pete click HERE

 The way that we taught Sandie to take the "treats" (carrot sticks) was that we would sit Pete down on the carpet and play him (as you could listen to here, again) and in the black Trick or Treat bag was a couple of carrot sticks. 

Sandie would take them both, one at a time as Pete continued to play.  His moving back and forth and shaking didn't seem to phase Sandie.  She was just after that TREAT!


I totally love this product!  Avon has scored again!!

Avon exclusive. Dance and sing with Halloween’s cutest treat seeker! Press his left paw to make his body and ears dance to the beat of the music. Sways and sings “We Got the Treats” to the music of “We Got the Beat”.* 10” high. Uses 3 AA batteries (not included). Ages 3 and up. 8" W x 5 1/2" D x 10" H. Polyester, plastic. Imported.

*”WE GOT THE BEAT” – words and music by Charlotte Caffey. © Universal Music – MGB Songs International. Rights Secured. All rights reserved.

Wordless Wednesday: Sandie and We Got The Treats

We Got The Treats dog from my Avon selling campaign

Come back tomorrow, Thursday, and I will share with you some more photos from this event and tell you about We Got The Treats!

Avon Products by Carolyn

Review and Giveaway of ADORA CALCIUM

First I want to say that I am not a chocolate eater by nature. So I found this product to be too rich for me.  However, my husband who is a chocolate lover, CRAVED these two chocolate calcium chews.

From his point of view it tastes like a chocolate treat rather than a nutritional supplement and there's no chalky after-taste like you might expect from a calcium supplement.

I have a very high need for calcium and wish these were peanut butter or vanilla cream.   I have osteoporosis at age 53.  I have had it for 11 years.  So I eat all the calcium rich things that I can find with the exception of icecream (very often) because of the calorie content.

My husband has been taking these supplements for awhile now and his last blood test showed that his calcium level was fine.  Mine on the other hand needs a lot of help still.  But that is a story for another blog entry, not this wonderful review of Adora®

The Office of Dietary Supplements has an information sheet for you to use in telling you all about the needs of calcium and how to get it.  That information can be found here.

The Nutritional Information of both the milk chocolate and dark chocolate can be found here.

The link to the Adora Calcium Face Book page is:
https://www.facebook.com/CraveYourCalcium

Some quick facts:

• High quality USP-grade calcium cabonate, vitamin D3, and magnesium.
• Antioxidants from all-natural premium chocolate
• Only 30 calories to support weight loss goals
• A smooth, easy-to-digest consistency
• Gluten free
• Certified Kosher
• No artificial sweeteners
• Stringent manufacturing process regulated by the FDA

GIVEAWAY:  This giveaway is for the United States only and will be completed in two (2) weeks!  Your products will come directly from the company and not myself.

Entry-Form

http://giveawaytools.com/share.php?giveaway=180384525



Disclosure: No compensation was given for this review/giveaway. I did receive a sample product from the sponsor for the purpose of this honest review. This did not affect the outcome of this review. All opinions are 100% my own.