Avon 5 Days of Christmas Giveaway 2012

Avon Products by Carolyn: FANS AND BLOGGERS 15 Days of Christmas GIVEAWAY!

               December 3  DAY 1  Product to win is

12Days of Avon Red Velvet Matte Nail Polish

December 4 Day 2

12 Days of Christmas Avon Giveaway Day 2. Dec 4. Midnight Green Nail Polish

Dec 5   Day 3

12 Days of Christmas Avon Giveaway Day 3 Dec 5. Avon Violetta Nail Polish

   Day 4  Dec. 6

Day 4. Dec 6. Avon glazewear clear to wear with smoky eye. Spf 15

Day 5  Dec7  Avon Christmas BLACK  eye liner and brush   (I did not OPEN the eyeliner for this photo, this is a photo from the net already open) and my Eyeliner Brush is a step up and is called The Ergonomic eye liner brush!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

ADVENT CALENDAR 2012 How to make or buy!

Question: When Does Advent 2012 Begin?

The season of Advent, the time of preparation for the coming of Christ at Christmas and the start of the liturgical year in the Roman Catholic Church, begins on a different date each year. When does Advent 2012 begin?

Answer: Advent 2012 begins on the First Sunday in Advent, December 2, 2012.
You can find a full schedule of all the Sundays and all major feasts during Advent 2012 in the Catholic Liturgical Calendar for Advent 2012. And make sure to check out this list of Family Activities and Devotions for Celebrating Advent.

thanks to:  http://catholicism.about.com/od/2012calendar/f/2012_Advent.htm

      ADVENT CALENDARS:  How to make or download or buy one!

SUNDAY is the first day of ADVENT!   What a better way to celebrate than by making an advent calendar of your own.  The one in the top photo is credited on the picture and here is where you can go to  find the directions in making one!  

1.   http://tlc.howstuffworks.com/family/how-to-make-an-advent-calendar.htm

2.  http://ohsheglows.com/2012/11/28/how-to-make-a-reusable-diy-advent-calendar/

3.  http://familycrafts.about.com/cs/miscchristmas/a/110600a.htm

4.  http://www.skiptomylou.org/2012/11/03/felt-advent-calendar/

5.  http://www.ehow.com/how_11216_make-advent-calendar.html

6.  http://totallytutorials.blogspot.com/2012/11/tutorial-how-to-make-advent-calendar.html

7.  http://the-frugal-graduate.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/how-to-make-advent-calendar-part-three.html

8.  http://www.ehow.com/search2.html?utm_source=AdWords&q=advent%20calendars%20to%20make

9.  http://www.livinglocurto.com/2010/12/free-printable-christmas-advent-calendar/


10.  http://www.makeandtakes.com/countdown-to-christmas-with-this-printable-advent-calendar

 
 

 Click on the order button below to download this   4-session Study Through the Bible Study as a  Microsoft Word file. You'll receive a Bible-based guide for personal use or group discussion.
If you like this Bible study course, you might also like Advent: A Savior for all People Church Discipleship Campaign. Get all these Bible studies plus preaching materials, icebreaker & worship tips, and more.


Overview

Use this 4-session study to focus on Christ this Christmas. We can learn from Zechariah and Elizabeth how to prepare our hearts to receive all that God has for us. Mary teaches us about the true meaning of Christmas. We learn how to prioritize our Christmas from the shepherds. And Simeon and Anna teach us how to respond to the best gift of all time.
Session One

Be Prepared
Are you ready to receive what God is offering this Christmas?
Luke 1:1–25

We need real time and space markers that remind us of the great events that define our faith. But if our Christmas is to be spiritually successful, we’re going to have to fight for it. And the way to do that is through preparation.

Session Two

The True Spirit of Christmas
Are you where God wants you to be this holiday season?
Luke 1:26–56

The true spirit of Christmas is not the spirit of family bonding or even the spirit of rejoicing. All of those things are well and good, but Mary teaches us that the true spirit of Christmas is a spirit of humility.

Session Three

A Christmas To-Do List
What’s at the top of your list this season?
Luke 1:57–2:21

If we look hard enough, we might find a whole new piece of the Nativity scene that’s been in the closet for years—never unwrapped.

Session Four

The Bad (or Good) News About Jesus
Jesus’ birth was the best thing that could happen to you—or the worst.
Luke 2:22–38

The day after Christmas can be disappointing. Perhaps Mary and Joseph felt similarly after Jesus’ birth. In the days to come they had to face the bad news with the good.

Total number of pages - 38 pages
You have permission to make up to 1,000 copies for use in your local church.
100% GUARANTEE - If you are not completely satisfied with the product you purchase, please e-mail us and we'll provide your next one completely free!
  thanks! http://biblestudies.stores.yahoo.net/adsaforallpe.html

What do I have to be thankful about?

As I started my 30 Days of Thanksgiving 2012 this year I started out thinking, all of this is going to be about PAIN.  Why?  I could say that it was the wish of Rest Ministries to discuss pain each day, but it wasn't.  It's because I started out
in the ER with a kidney stone that blew through my right kidney.  I slept (right, more like I cat napped for one hour at a time all through the night) there one night.  They seemed perplexed that I couldn't pass any urine.  Well that's why I was there...  I had urinary problems.  <enter sarcasm in the above>

So I sat there talking to my husband (THANK YOU LORD FOR UNITING JOHN AND I IN MARRIAGE ALMOST 20 YEARS AGO!) and thank you for two wonderful step son (grown men).  My husband sat with me until I started to get sleepy and then he went home.  One thing that I've learned is that my husband will support me through anything!  Because ladies, if your man will pull apart the catheter tubes and clean the urine off of them with sterile alcohol wipes and measure your urine and keep track of it in on a tablet, every single time you pee!

So I started writing my days of thanks!  Each one of them was written in total fear.  I basically was on the end of the lifeline and telling God that I do trust him but would He "really" take care of me?  My final diagnosis with my kidneys is that:  1.  The left kidney is super small.  2.  The right kidney is the only one working.  The left one doesn't do a thing.  That was the toughest thing to do and I put all my trust in my husband and my mom (a registered nurse) and my doctors (as I should) but what an awful burden that was for my incredible husband.   So I started reading (well my husband started reading this book to me) "Do You Trust Me?"  <Allowing Hope to Triumph Over Tragedy> by Jessica Leigh Johnson.   This book is about this mother's struggle while having lost her daughter to death at the age of 4.   As John read the pages all I could think was, "How can I be so scared of this when that mother went through the loss of her daughter?"

 

purchase here  

My husband faces his own surgery in the New Year or maybe earlier if they say he has to.  It's related to his colon.  That upsets me immediately because his mom (90 years young!) has/had cancer of the colon.  She's in the nursing home on Hospice.  So all the while he realized that he missed his own appointment where the Dr. would tell him what his surgery is all about and when to schedule it.  Thank the Lord that TODAY he found out that his appointment is next Tuesday.  I'll be doing anything for him with that appointment!

What I didn't want to do this year was have a GENERIC Thanksgiving!  Like putting up the typical quizzes, facts, recipes, The best in Thanks Pinning, decorations for the house, etc...






 

And this definitely didn't make me smile because it's that time
again when my husband and I and our landlord get very depressed.  For my husband and I we see a therapist and have medication, but a good friend who is a neighbor is very depressed and physically feeling bad.  So we try to step in and do some little things to break him out of that mood and into something happy.  But we don't want to step on his feet because I know that the one thing that I wished had happened the most for us is that someone brought us a covered dish meal and help break us out of our depression.   John made a delicious meal that we Californians enjoy year-round...  Avocado Potato Salad.  OMGOSH!  It is to die for!  If you want the recipe, let me know in the comments.   Thanks!

So let me tell you what I think about that verse "A cheerful heart is good medicine."  I think no matter what it takes we should try to get ourselves happy again.  Maybe it's the Bible for some, reading good books (secular and non secular) or watch incredibly goofy shows (and for me it's reality tv at night before I go to sleep because I like that my life is not that bad or made up to be that bad).  You find your thing...  is it crafts?  Blogging?  Earning extra money?  Giving to the ones who have less than you?  Random acts of Kindness?  Not shopping on Black Friday?  Waiting a little bit longer this year to put up the Christmas Decorations except for ONE decoration!  Try to put it somewhere that is out of plain sight and visit with it when you want.  Then all of a sudden you will find that you can take out two decorations and then three and so on!  Or whatever your faith is and what you practice or don't practice.

Articles about Depression and the Holidays: CLICK HERE


Wishing you all the best for each day til we reach the end of the year!  And then guess what... it's a NEW YEAR!  Maybe you should do like John and I do and hang up the MISTLETOE first!  And do it at the kitchen or bedroom...  and watch miracles happen.                               

Pin photo on MediaPin

Pin photo on MediaPin

BEST TIMES for GIVEAWAYS!

Courtesy of: Rafflecopter

Your SWAGBUCKS at work to help the RED CROSS!

I am not using my affiliation number to receive any SwagBucks in return from what you may choose to do with your own using the following link.

Source:  LA TIMES

 Click Here to send your SwagBucks!  We were saving so long that I had enough to send $50.00!   I'm so glad that I saved them this long!  Praise the Lord for that!

Every Swag Buck donated equals $0.01, so donating 1,000 Swag Bucks is equivalent to donating ten dollars. Please support the American Red Cross as well as those affected by Superstorm Sandy and donate your Swag Bucks today.

 Please click on this link to send your SB's!  Thanks friends! 



http://www.swagbucks.com/p/prize/32158/American-Red-Cross-Superstorm-Sandy-Relief-Fund

http://www.wetpaint.com/jersey-shore/articles/hurricane-sandy-destroys-seaside-heights-how-can-you-help


http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/2012/1105/Sandy-relief-How-trips-to-the-Hamptons-turned-into-a-mission-of-mercy

Source:  WIKI

Update on my health:  I am passing another stone today  and the pain has been 10/10 ... just pumping in the cranberry juice, pomegrante juice and other herbal remedies here that have been helpful. 

Thank you Lord for no blood in my catheter!  

30 Days of Thankfulness

30 DAYS OF THANKFULNESSS

Everyday until Thanksgiving, I will be posting a different thing that I am thankful for.  I’d really appreciate it if you would play along and leave a comment each day of something you’re thankful for.

DAY ONE:  No blood in my catheter.
DAY TWO:  No blood in the catheter and pain pills are working!
DAY THREE:  Passing another stone today and have been in 10/10 pain for 8 hours now and I'm thankful that my husband is by my side today while I lie in bed on my back or side, and he's giving me all the juices and tonight a green smoothie from Jamba Juice to get the greens in me!  Found ideal nutritional information at PubMed to tell of us things that I should be eating to help pass the stone!  Thankful for Christian friends from back East who are praying for me (even though they have a disaster to take care of) and the good thoughts of prayers of friends who live in other parts of the country who are praying.
God bless all of you!

Happy Halloween and update on my condition!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
(or the day after)

We didn't have as many kids as last year so now we have all this tempting candy here and we were wondering what to do with it to get it out of the house so we don't eat it all :0)   So
here is the plan and where we received the idea with a picture and instructions!  Let me know if this sounds interesting to you?

           photo courtesy of ALL FREE CHRISTMAS CRAFTS!


A huge trend in crafting is mason jars. Gifts in a jar, desserts in a jar - there are so many ways to reuse this versatile supply! As you head into the holiday season, save those glass jars instead of popping them into the recycle bin. Don't just fill them with treats and give them away during the holiday season. Turn this simple gift into a fun Christmas craft. Gift ideas should be catered to the recipient, so many some labels and add elements that really capture the person's attitude and personality. Use felt, a needle and thread to add a fun touch to your simple gift in a jar.

A huge trend in crafting is mason jars. Gifts in a jar, desserts in a

Read more at http://www.allfreechristmascrafts.com/DIY-Christmas-Gifts/5-Homemade-Christmas-Gifts-for-Adults/#PMUhOzRzoD4QDF47.99

 

UPDATE:  Things went downhill FAST yesterday when I had all blood in my cath. and we had to go back to the ER and come to find out that the nurse that did my discharge placed the cath. on the bottom part of my leg (causing it to pull and pull hard). 
So they gave me pain medication and cleaned up the irritation in my private area and used a huge plastic needled to pull out the urine that had built up and wasn't going into the bag.    Today I'm hurting almost worse there and I am drinking like crazy to get the fluids to go through fast and hopefully stop this pain.  I have pain meds and so I already took them.  We may need to go to the ER again because of this pain today.  Please keep praying and sending good thoughts my way and I'll keep you updated on my condition.  Thanks friends and followers!

I'm back!

Hi friends and followers....   it's been a long absence for me and I wish I could ride in with balloons and happy thoughts but it's been a rough and rougher road for me physically through these months that I've not been here.  

First the summer in all it's beauty here took me by storm with my camera and then the deepest, darkest depression just set in one day and was with me (and still continues to be) for months now.  My Dr's have been working so hard with med. changes and the fact that I'm even here right now sharing this with you is because I think we have finally caught on to a fix!  Praise God! 

And now I'm challenged with a new problem... kidney problems.  They are not known yet and as I discover answers to the many questions that lie ahead with my new urologist (first appointment will be this Thursday in the morning) I will share them with you!  I suddenly developed horrible pain in my abdomen and back on Saturday and after 4 hours of realizing it was not going to go away, John and I went to the ER.  I had an erupted kidney (most likely caused by a stone) and my other kidney is too small.  All of that information as to the why, what, will be coming to me starting on Thursday.  As for now, I am wearing a most uncomfortable catheter and will have that removed on Thursday with the Urologist.   So if you are reading this, please keep me in your prayers.  It's one day at a time right now! 

Our hearts go out to those affected by the hurricane back East and our prayers...

John and Carolyn

Lawry's Marinades and Seasoned Salt Review

This summer, two new marinades are joining the LAWRY'S^® lineup:

• Santa Fe Chili with Lime and Garlic – Blends chili pepper, cumin, oregano, garlic and a splash of lime for robust Southwest-style cooking
• Mediterranean Herb & White Wine – Features fragrant herbs like basil and oregano, along with white wine, extra virgin olive oil, garlic and sun-dried tomato

And inspired cooking doesn't stop with the marinades. LAWRY'S^® Seasoned Salt has been a family favorite for over seven decades, packing an expert blend of salt, herbs and spices. Whether you're grilling for your family or serving friends at a summer BBQ, LAWRY'S^® products help make any meal extraordinary.

As a Bzz Agent I received the two bottles mentioned above, a Lawry's red apron, coupons for Lawry's products and a bottle of Lawry's Seasoned Salt.  This is a picture of the products I received (minus the apron):

Here is my husband with the apron and the marinades:

We made the meats (pork) with the two marinades and here's the final products:

JUST THE FACTS:

LAWRY'S^® marinades and spice blends will wake up the flavor in your favorite meals all year long. Here's a taste of what they offer:
LAWRY'S^® Marinades

• Baja Chipotle with Lime Juice
• Balsamic Herb with Italian Spices and Balsamic Vinegar
• Buffalo BBQ with Cayenne Pepper and Vinegar
• Caribbean Jerk with Papaya Juice
• Hawaiian with Tropical Fruit Juice
• Herb & Garlic with Lemon Juice
• Lemon Pepper
• Mediterranean Herb & White Wine
• Mesquite with Lime Juice

• Original Seasoned Salt with Sweet and Savory Spices
• Santa Fe Chili with Lime and Garlic
• Sesame Ginger with Mandarin Orange Juice
• Signature Steakhouse
• Steak & Chop with Garlic & Cracked Black Pepper
• Szechuan Sweet and Sour BBQ
• Teriyaki with Pineapple Juice
• Tuscan Sun-Dried Tomato with Minced Garlic and Olive Oil

LAWRY'S^® Spice Blends

• Black Pepper Seasoned Salt
• Fire Roasted Chile & Garlic
• Garlic Pepper
• Garlic Powder with Parsley
• Garlic Salt
• Garlic Spread

• Lemon Pepper Seasoning
• Original Seasoned Salt
• Roasted Garlic Salt
• Salt Free 17
• Seasoned Salt w/ Mediterranean Herbs
• 25% Less Sodium Seasoned Salt

Santa Fe Chicken with Corn Salsa
1/2 cup Lawry's^® Santa Fe Chile with Lime and Garlic Marinade
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup orange juice
1 1/2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1 can (15 oz.) whole kernel corn, well drained
1 large tomato, chopped
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped red onion
MIX Marinade, cilantro and orange juice. Place chicken in glass dish. Add 1/2 cup of the marinade mixture; turn to coat well. Refrigerate 30 minutes.
TOSS corn, tomato, bell pepper and onion with 1/4 cup of the remaining marinade mixture. Set aside. Remove chicken from marinade. Discard marinade.
GRILL chicken over medium heat 6 to 7 minutes per side or until cooked through, brushing with remaining marinade mixture. Serve with Corn Salsa.
Makes 6 servings.

I am a Bzz Agent and received the products to write this review but the opinions are mine and I was not told what to write for this review.  I hope you will try the products yourself!

Tribute to the Aurora Victims from others (pics)

Eileen is on a group with me for the victims and she drew this picture and is sharing with everyone!

The above are the 12 memorials to the 12 who were killed.   Now I have more pictures of the surrounding area.  I don't have the names of the above to match their cross.