Skin is Affected by Lack of Sleep

Did you know that not getting enough sleep not only has negative results on your body, but it also affects your skin in many ways. Our bodies need sleep and this is essential for good health. When we sleep, this gives our bodies time to restore energy and rebuild body tissue and cells including skin tissue and cells. There are several adverse effects on our bodies from lack of sleep. Some of these include tiredness, being cranky and being unable to focus our minds and concentrate on our daily tasks. Short term lack of sleep causes little physical harm, but when it occurs on a long term basis, it can lead to serious health problems and it can also damage your skin. When our bodies get at least 8 hours of sleep, it not only benefits our health, it also brings benefits to our skin. One of these benefits is that it improves the texture of the skin and it gives your skin a new glow. During sleep, our skin is being renewed and restored. This takes away some of the stress and harmful effects that we have obtained from daily living. By not getting a sufficient amount of sleep, we are robbing our bodies of it’s natural process for self-renewal. It is a proven fact that if we do not get enough sleep, our overall health will be affected including the health of our skin. One of the most noticeable effects on our skin from lack of sleep is the area beneath our eyes. This area of our eyes is one of the most delicate areas on our bodies and the skin here is much thinner then other areas of skin. The adverse affects from not sleeping on your eyes include dark circles, puffy eye bags, fine lines and wrinkles. There are some specialized skin care products and treatments available that can help with some of these problems, but that can also be expensive and time consuming. The best thing that you can do is prevent this from happening in the first place. As I said earlier, there are products that will help, but they will not be a complete cure. We have always heard that adults need at least 8 hours of sleep, but as we all know, some of us can survive on 6 or 7 hours rest. Eventually, lack of sleep will show on your body, especially the older you get. There are many things that can prevent you from getting the proper amount of sleep. One thing is the heavy workload that you have to deal and all the stress that you have in your life. You may have special need kids who need care during the night hours or your teen kids may be coming home late at night and waking you up. Some of us may have our aging parents living with us who have to get up during the night and this breaks our rest. These are just a few of the factors that may contribute to your lack of sleep. The sad part is that there is really nothing that we can do to eliminate a lot of these situations.

Author name: Brent Cullen

Author info :   I am a 53 year old retired mill worker from Northern Maine. I am happily married with 3 wonderful boys. My main interests are my family and God.

Social Media and Mobile Marketing Tips by Amit Kapoor

In the age of smart phones, mobile sites have become an upcoming trend. Users across the globe are concentrating on using the mobile sites for accessing the social media websites. Today all prominent social networking websites have created and customised their mobile sites and have seen a dramatic increase in the revenue generated.

Websites like Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus, all are making substantial modifications to satisfy the thousands of users who are logging in on a daily basis using their smartphones. It thus goes without saying that it will be beneficial for brand to establish their sites and use them appropriately to market their product. A few of the brands have been instrumental in creating effective mobile sites and are able to garner huge profits as well. Tips for better marketing are;

1. Customise the pages of your mobile site- Of course, there is a significant difference in the way a page appears on the phone and the way it appears on the computer, laptop and tablets. There is a very clear need of implementing the and modifying the website pages in a way that they can be properly visible, fit within the resolution limits of the smartphone and direct a user to the correct links. Customising the site will generate a further liking for the product as not all brands provide mobile site facility as of now. As explained earlier there is a sudden growth of the mobile marketing industry, even the brand’s official Facebook, twitter pages are being customised nowadays to suit the needs of users. Both mobile compatible websites and the social media presence matter a lot for a full proof marketing strategy of the brand.

2. Mobile Searches- This marketing industry is new and not many players have ventured deep into it. Searching on phones differ from that of a computer or a laptop. As such the websites as well as other content is to be marketed well using effective tools in order to optimise the search. Putting valuable codes and html settings along with certain alterations in the mobile search engines will prove to be beneficial to the brand.

3. Checkins- The entire concept of checkins is very luring for some of the brands. It acts as a good marketing tools, increases awareness of product/service and also provides with back links. Checkins through mobile is very famous for platforms like Facebook

4. Notifications- The concept of receiving notifications is an old one specially in case of all social networking websites. Users tend to rely largely on notifications for any kind of activity that takes place on that particular website in lieu of the user’s account. Notifications increase the credibility of the account and also add to the relevancy factor of the website. Websites when show notifications about the latest happenings, about the messages from the brand or from any other user, increases faith of users in the site and correspondingly the brand. So as to, any kind of interaction that takes place on the phone web is easily tracked and assessed once the user is notified about it.

About the Author

SocialAppsHQ is an All-in-One social media marketing and Social media monitoring platform that allows our customers to Listen & Monitor for any keyword across the web, Engage via Post Planner and run super viral campaigns using our largest Facebook App store on planet. Over a million businesses depend on SocialAppsHQ to run their social media marketing campaigns

AVON Earnings Update

Below is our earnings update for leadership only.  This is for Campaign 19.  We had 54 1st generation representatives and one 2nd generation representative. These earnings do not include incentives, bonuses nor our sales earnings.

C-19 Earnings Statement for Leadership/54 1st gen & one 2nd gen

Roasted Okra

This is a hit at our house!  I pre-heat the oven at 425 degrees. I line a pan with foil and spray it with pam. I slice our okra just like we were going to fry it.  In about 1/3" slices.  I put them in a bowl and sprinkle olive oil over them (just enough to coat the okra when stirred).  I then season the okra with whatever I'd like.  This time I used salt, pepper, garlic powder with parsley and onion powder.  However , you can use whatever seasoning you desire...cajun  is even really good too!  

I stir the okra to make sure is is coated with the mixture.  I put the okra on the pan in a single layer.  I added fresh cherry tomatoes from our garden in this photo.  (I simply put the cherry tomatoes in the bowl after putting the okra on the pan and coated them with the seasoned oil leftover then placed them throughout the pan.) 

I cook the okra for 10-15 minutes until some of the okra is crispy.

I think I'll try doing this on the grill next time with whole okra instead of sliced.  I'll post the results and update the blog post when I do.  

The photo is pre-cooked.  I couldn't get a photo of the finished product due to us eating it up so fast!  Enjoy the idea!  YUMMY!

Earnings update

I know I haven't posted our leadership earnings in a while...here is our latest leadership numbers from campaign 14.  We had 30 representatives in Campaign 14 with 19 of them submitting orders.  That means 11 didn't place an order for various reasons.  This is only leadership earnings....it does not include all the ways we are earning with AVON such as bonuses, etc...

Below is our customer numbers.  This is the amount of customers we have registered on our system.  This includes all of our customers both online across the country and our local customers that we have as of today, July 18, 2013.....We had $2265 in sales for Campaign 14.  Campaigns last about 2 weeks.

If you're interested in becoming an AVON Independent Sales Representative sign up using our reference code: donnadarrah at startavon.com.   for more information visit our website at www.youravon.com/donnadarrah.  The opportunity tab has even more information than the home page.

If you're on our AVON Team CROSS COUNTRY and are interested in leadership contact Richard or myself.

Sautéed Tilapia

Sautéed Tilapia

4  filets of Tilapia (thawed if frozen)
1/2 cup flour

1/4 tsp. thyme
1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1/8 tsp. parsley
1/8 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. pepper
2 tbsp. butter or oil

Mix all but Tilapia in a flat bottom container such as a pie plate.

Dredging Tilapia in flour mixture.

Set a skillet to medium high heat Melt butter in pan. Dredge the tilapia through the flour mixture, coating each side. Place the coated tilapia filets in the pan in the pan and cook them on each side.  You can tell when sautéed tilapia is done when the flesh flakes easily with a fork. 

Sautéing tilapia in pan.

I hope everyone enjoys this one.  It's an easy recipe and very quick too, so make sure that your sides are prepared ahead of time.

COYOTE Drive-In Review

Coyote Drive-In, Fort Worth, TX

I was able to go to the brand new Coyote Drive-In near downtown Fort Worth last night.  I went with my husband and our two small girls ages 2 and 4.  We met our friends there who actually called us up early on Saturday to invite us with their 4 year old daughter.  They had went last weekend and actually only knew about it due to Brian seeing it from his pharmacy tech school located in downtown Fort Worth.

It was perfect.  All of us had been looking into going to a drive-in for a while now but the drive to Grandbury, Texas, to the Brazos Drive-In or others were all over an hour away.  That was just not going to happen without having to rent a hotel room to stay the night after attending the movies.  

Drive-Ins seem to be making a come back.  Maybe its because our generation remembers going to them regularly as children.  I remember going to one in Oklahoma City as a teenager occasionally.

I forgot how much fun going to a Drive-In was!  This one has three screens. All three were showing different double features.  The Coyote Drive-In was founded in 2011. They charge only per person in the car and not per carload.  This does add up.  The pricing last night was $8 for adults and $6 for children 3-6.  They have no military, student nor senior discounts yet so that cost our family $22.  We were told that they were working on the discounts and they will be coming soon.  They do take cash or credit/debit cards for entrance fees and concessions. They open the gates during the summertime at 6pm.  No outside food or drinks are allowed.

We arrived at 5:50pm and were in a line waiting to get in.  We were in one of three lines on different streets merging to the one entrance.  We were probably over the 30th car through the entrance gate.  They had traffic directors with hand cones to direct us into one of four gate lanes once through the main entrance gate.  I was impressed with the fact that they had two employees working each lane.  They were actually leap frogging the cars for the entrance fees so the line was moving pretty quick.  Once in we found the Murphy's at Screen 3.  We were going to see the double feature of Monster U and Now You See Me.  All 6 Movies playing were new movies at the regular indoor theaters.  I was quite impressed.  I would advise getting there early like we did.  It seemed like all three screens filled up pretty fast.

Coyote Canteen

My oldest daughter (center) at playground

We parked the car and walked over to the large outdoor partially covered Canteen.  We had a blast.  The shows weren't starting until around 8:30pm and we had almost 2 1/2 hours to kill.  Not a problem to do that here.  Their Canteen had several picnic tables and benches under the Canteen and out and around the grassy sections of the fenced in area. It was quite nice.  The Coyote Canteen had another fenced off Playground area in it, made out of boulders from the local area.  The bathrooms were located in the Canteen area and they had many stalls. The bathroom sinks were outdoor metal sinks located outside of the stall areas.   They were VERY Clean.

The concessions consisted of a large concessions area built into the Canteen with several options and checkout lines.  They do serve beer ($3) and wines too.  The wine is purchased by the bottle.

They also had 3 outdoor vendor truck stands set up around the outside areas of the covered Canteen area.  One sold food items, the other one was beverages and the third sold novelty items such as t-shirts, etc... 

Fun Social Environment before and during the shows.

I was also impressed with the fact that they had a mini-stage set-up with live music playing.  It was a nice environment to be in for everyone and we had a blast.  Again, I suggest you get to the Drive-In early, lock up your vehicle and head over to the Canteen.  Not only did all three screen areas fill up fast but so did the Canteen area.  There is no movie ticket required to enter the Canteen from 6pm-Close and there is free parking outside of the entrance area for those that choose to simply be patrons of the Canteen.

Overall, I was very impressed and can't wait to do it again! I would recommend going to the Coyote Drive-In.  We had a great time!  The large moon rising over the screen while it was playing, seeing shooting stars and the beautiful Fort Worth lit up skyline so close while watching the movies on a wonderful Texas summer night was priceless!  We along with several people actually got to see fireworks in the distance from the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra's 1812 Overture and Russian Sparklers concert playing at the Fort Worth Botanical Gardens. This is from their Concerts in the Garden Summer concert series. What a night!

The Coyote Drive-In is located at 223 NE 4th Street, Fort Worth, TX 76164.  Their contact number is 817-717-7767.  Click here for their website.  Click here for their Facebook page.

Coyote Drive-In sent our blog photos for approved publishing.  They also authorized usage of their logo on our blog. Thank you Coyote Drive-In!

Additional notation by author:  Although the Coyote Drive-In was founded in 2011, it has only recently opened its doors on May 10, 2013.

Donna's Easy Pea Salad

Ingredients

• 1 Package of Frozen Peas (12 oz)
• 1/3 c. light mayonnaise or less for preference
• 1 dollop to 1/4 cup of light sour cream (preference to taste)
• 1/2 cup of diced mild cheddar cheese (approx. 4 oz.)
• 1 green chopped green onion
• 4 oz precooked diced ham
• 1 diced hard boiled egg

Directions

Mix all ingredients in a bowl and season to taste. Peas must be frozen when mixed with ingredients to avoid mashing of the peas. Keep refrigerated until served.

Footnotes

• Peas must be frozen when mixed with ingredients to avoid mashing of the peas. I use an egg slicer to dice the egg for a faster process. I find that small diced ham and cheese work better. I buy the block cheese and use about 1/4 of a 16 oz block. I also use precooked diced ham. I prefer the green onion over a white, yellow or sweet onion. ENJOY!

 

Honored by AVON

Today I have the honor of attending an AVON division President Club's Luncheon due to my sales success with AVON.  My husband and I have also have the distinct honor of being asked to speak about our success while there.

I'm so honored and very frightened.  Public speaking on stage is one of my greatest fears.  This is a hurdle that I need to cross.  Once I have done it....look out world!  I will conquer this fear.  My husband will be on stage with me for my support.  I am excited and hope that I do well today.  Besides, it's only 3-5 minutes, right?

We have only been with AVON for eight months and we have become the top sellers in our district.  We acknowledge that our success is through gaining knowledge wherever we can, marketing our business and having great customer service.  If you're interested in joining our team and learning how to succeed simply click here and enter reference code: donnadarrah.  We'll lead you to the knowledge of success but you must act upon that knowledge to succeed!

Best New Performer Award in District

Sales Level Advancement-We not only made President Club Level but Honor's Society too!

UPDATE:  Richard and I won the Best New Performer Award for our district!  Woohoo!  Our projected sales numbers that the Division Sales Manager posted were amazing!  We'll see if we can even can even get close to that $100K+ amount she was talking about.  Phew!  That will be a LOT more work!

Receiving our Best New Performer In District Award

#1 Sales Increase under my Upline's Unit

Mrs. Albee Award for being a PC member

AMAZING GRACE IN CHEROKEE - NATIVE AMERICAN

AVON Collects Donations to Support Oklahoma

This is another reason that I love AVON. Avon is promoting this at checkout on my online store. It is only available to those that submit direct delivery orders from anywhere in the country. Yes, the donation is tax deductible and exempt taxes as indicated in the small print. OK is due for more tornado activity with storms starting tomorrow night. They just can't catch a break. Please donate to the Okies anyway you can. www.youravon.com/donnadarrah

Memorial Day Weekend in Austin

Our family had a wonderful time in Austin this past Memorial Day weekend. We started out leaving immediately after I got off work on Friday for the drive to Austin from the DFW area.  Richard picked me up from work and we headed south around 5:30 pm Friday night.  We thought we were making great time using the new toll road cutting south through the middle of the metro plex until we  were about to get onto I-35W down by Burleson after stopping at a drive thru window to get the girls some oh-so-healthy McDonald's for dinner.  BAM!  Lightening, high winds, dark skies and oh, did I mention the tornado watch?  Yes, I discovered we were in a tornado watch when I scrambled to the weather app on my iPhone.  Great.  We were loaded down with our whole family and hauling a U-haul trailer full of baby stuff down to Austin in a severe thunderstorm.

We managed to make it to our hotel in Austin around 11:30pm after the packed commute down I-35. Still not bad considering much of the I-35 commute was between 10-45 miles per hour.  We made up some serious time when we hit the new toll road around Austin.  The rain had lightened up and did I metion that the speed limit on this new road was 80 mph?  YES!  

After checking in and carrying the girls up to our room at the Staybridge Suites we needed to pull out the sleeper sofa for the girls.  I was using points for the three nights at Staybridge Suites so we could only get a studio suite.  Of course as soon as we start pulling out the sleeper both of our girls became wide awake and bouncing off of the walls.  Besides, they had had a good rest and nap in the Acadia.  Ugh.  Well, after settling in for the night we were able to finally get to sleep (Richard on the sleeper sofa with Brie and I on the bed with our oldest, Abby) around 12:30 am. 

Brie managed to wake us around 6:30am on Saturday morning all happy and energitic to start the day.  We managed to access the free breakfast and slowly get moving.  We made it to his brother's home in Kyle around 10:30am with the trailer full of baby stuff for them.  Their new baby girl is due at the end of August.  Richard and his brother Allen took the trailer to a U-Haul drop off to turn it in after unloading it.  We then decided to hang out around their home and visit while the  girls played with their cousins.  It was a rainy day after all.  

Around 2pm we all decided to take the kids out to CiCi's Pizza to get them out of the house.  Let me remind everyone that my 4 year old has a severe dislike to Pizza.  She absolutely detests it.  I don't know why but she thinks it is gross and won't touch it.  We have to feed her before and after birthday parties that have pizza to avoid the pizza drama.  Ok, well, I was delighted to see that CiCi's has more than just pizza.  Abby was happy with the salad bar and the pasta bar area.  She even went after a brownie.  Great!  Brie was very happy.  She absolutely loves pizza!  She loved shaking the parmazon cheese all over the four slices of pizza that she had.  The weather was starting to clear up and Allen's family had to go to a Boy Scout planning gathering at 5pm so we headed back to our hotel.  Yes, I'm still in disbelief that they had a planning meeting on Memorial Day weekend....

We had fun when we got back to the hotel.  The weather had broken for  the rest of the afternoon and the girls wanted to hit the pool.  We were the only patrons brave enought to hit the outdoor pool first. Let's just say that the pool was very cool, lol.  But parents do crazy things for their children and ours needed to burn some energy off to be able to sleep for a big day on Sunday.  Keep in mind that the naptime is usually to the wayside when our girls are excited about activities.

Everything was fine until Brie climbed out of the pool's edge and backed away slowly with that concentrated look on her face...."Brie, do you need to go to the potty?" I cautiously ask.  "I poop", was her response.  Ugh!  Poop in the bathing suit is the worst!  I couldn't believe it.  I had just asked her if she need to go to the potty a minute earlier before helping her to the edge of the pool.  She smiles and slowly heads towards the chair with the towel.  As she turns I see the turtle head like structure protruding in her swim bottoms.  I'm thankful she at least waited until after she got out of the water.....off to the room we go for clean up while daddy and Abby continue their fun adventures in the pool.

The next day we rode the Duck Tour Adventures from 6th street in downtown Austin.  It was fun.  The girls loved it when the pirate ship painted tour bus turned into a boat and we entered lake Austin.  I had no idea that so many movie stars were starting to call Austin home now either.  Wow!  We decided not to go see the bats afterwards due to the rainy and overcast weather.  There will always be another trip to go see the largest urban bat colony in the world come out at dusk for their nightly feedings.  We figured that the grassy areas for viewing would have been too muddy.  We opted for a Mexican dinner with all eight of our family party down on 6th street. We headed back to the hotel for a little rest prior to heading over to our family's home for movie night.  The girls absolutely had a blast playing and visiting with their cousins.

We headed back home on Monday morning and I was happy to say we beat most of the holiday traffic and rain on the trip back.  We love visiting Austin.  Next time we'll have to go see the bats and I want to take a trip to the farmer's market on Saturday morning.  There's so much to do there that we'll just have to visit more often to get it all in.