Are you a follower???

follow me at http://www.twitter.com/bydls

*If you can, ask your friends to follow me on twitter, or RT (re-tweet) to follow me and maybe someone you know will win! :)

Why leave the house? You can order your basics like shampoo, conditioner, chapstick and sunblock. You can order a little something to cheer you up, or give as a gift. Order Easter presents! The best part is... no driving, no gas money, no looking for a parking space and no pressure to spend alot of money- cause there is NO minimum for the FREE shipping! Buy a 69cent chapstick if you want to! This is a great sale and I wanted to pass this rare offer on to you!

Happy Shopping!

http://www.fdonato.avonrepresentative.com/

So the following "25 Random things" post has been circling facebook for weeks now. I have finally had the sleep, or maybe the insomnia to do it. :) Instead of "tagging" people, just comment 1 random thing about yourself!

2. My Daughter Olivia is a perfect baby. I beleive she was sent to me by god. I am not even joking. I "wasn't supposed to" get pregnant, be pregnant, etc and she came, and is happy, healthy and loving.

3. I have never broken a bone.

4. I left this note up for 3 days on my computer. and kept adding things until I got to 25. I didn't do it all at once. I do that with many projects, and writing, etc I will have a few greats thoughts, go sleep, add more etc.

5. I LOVE take out fast food junk food. I hate to admit it. but I love adult take out sippy cups filled with diet coke. It brings me joy that shouldn't be allowed.

6. I still have a girly crush on my first love.

7. I LOVE Bon Jovi and 90's Rock.

8. I love cheesy movies with musicals in them... Greese 2, moulin rouge, Hairspray

9. When I was younger I went to the HS of Performing Arts in NYC. I was a dancer, actress and model. Now I am older, sick and bald. Ha! I guess I have lived many lives in 31 years.

10. Even thought I have spoke in public many times, no one expect my husband knows how nervous I get and that I actually have extreme social anxiety.

11. I wish I knew how to sew and knit. My aunts Nancy and my mother in law have these talents and I am very jealous of the things they can make for Olivia.

12. My best friend Emma passed away 2 years ago and miss her more then I let anyone know. I think she was the only one who understood me and I think about her every day.

13. I hate my short hair. It does not look as bad as I thought and I do like getting dressed quicker, but I hate my hair, and wish it would grow faster so I can feel more myself. I feel like a stranger is looking at myself in the mirror.

14. I LOVE boardgames. scrabble, cranium, monoploly, anything. I love to win, but I love to play.

15. I own a megatouch! (those games you play in the bars with nudie photo hunt, and pick 21 etc) my husband bought me one for my 30th birthday/ I am a champion in tri towers- noone can beat me.

16. I collect little minature travel spoons from around the world. ( www.thespoontheory.com ) Ever since writing this story, not ony have a collected spoons myself, but people have sent me spoons from where they live etc. I have them hanging in my office. I have over 75 spoons. I like the ones people have sent me the best and I have them hanging in a display case.

17. I love my fluffy down feather blankets and pillows. I can't sleep without my blanket and get mad when I dont have it when I travel. I even use the blanket in the summer and would rather be comfy then cool.

18. I Love live music of any kind. My favorite thing is to go to a concert. I love that my husband plays guitar.

19. I love decorating for Christmas and do it every year the day after Thanksgiving no matter what. I wish we could leave the tree up all year, but I also think if Christmas was all year it was loose it's magic effect.

20. I grew up in Brooklyn and still have a STRONG brooklyn accent. No Matter how hard I try, it does not go away. My daughter already says "Mowaaahhhh" for More. No R's in this house! lol

21. I can not go to the bathroom in public places.

22. I wear real shirt/ pants ccotton pajamas every day and I love them. I wish i could live in pajamas like hugh hefner.

23. I love chewy chocolate chip cookies. They have to be chewy, not hard or crispy.

24. I hate taking medicine and take them everyday. I swallow each pill one oat a time or I will choke. I need a whole glass of a drink to wash every thing down. not water has to be a drink.

25. I love flowers. I love getting flowers, sending flowers delivery, and even growing flowers. The one thing I loved about our old house was the flower/ rose garden I made in the back yard. I will start growing flowers this summer.

26. ** 1 more for good luck. I am loving being part of a big family more and more every day. It took me a little bit to get used to, when I first got married and now I love it. I love that my daughter has 24 cousins that love her. I love the thought that we will never be alone. (I thought of this when after typing in donato, valvo etc I actually used up most of my 25 people tags! LOL)

:)

If you post on twitter.com----***If you are a spoonie then please put #spoonie after or in your tweets (on twitter I am @bydls) to find other spoonies easily.****. Then when you search you can easily find #spoonie and that will bring up any spoonies who need help, support, friendship etc. It is an easy way for those of us who are members of bydls.com to find each other on twitter-- but also for us to spread the spoonie word. 2 good things for the price of 1! :) lol

I started it today-- and it has worked-- I "met" 4 new followers that are bydls.com board members here- and are on there too. But also then it started conversations with people asking what the spoonies are, or what the spoon theory is! How cool is that! I sent them links and it made people think, smile,talk. so great!

So remember after a spoonie type post put #spoonie -- and whatch the love you get in return. Karma is a funny thing.

also- FYI-- if people do ask you for the spoon theory.. you can always direct them easily to that page by sending them to www.thespoontheory.com I just recently bought the domain name and it is easy to remember/ type etc.

yay!

Thank you!
-Christine

Spoon Neclace from Urban Outfitters

Happy Shopping!
-Christine

Are you a fan? click here to become a fan- or to "share" the fact that you are a fan.

Heck, who knows... maybe we can hit 6,000! :)

Until next time,
-Christine

Everyone with a twitter account, PLEASE nominate us for a "shorty award". It takes 2 secs, and you don't need to sign up for anything-- just tweet! so easy and will help butyoudontlooksick.com SO much!!!

http://www.shortyawards.com/

** Then ask your friends to nominate us too!

:)

our twitter account name is bydls

www.twitter.com/bydls

If you haven't added us on twitter yet-- add us!! :)

big thanks. love and spoons!

ps-- you guys rock!

SEE BELOW FOR LIST

Maybe we can make titles like:

1. Chat coordinator (someone who sets up and promotes a chat once a week through the message boards)

2. bydls promo LINK Girl / or guy (working title) someone to make sure we are linked onto all the appropriate sites ...facebook, myspace etc (using the new share this button on the bottom of every article makes it super easy)

3. Topic of the week admin (On message boards) - we have not been listing a new topic of the week- and it is just too much for us mods to keep up with! But this is usually a great place for new members to jump in!

4. Social Chair for message boards --Someone to help out in charge of birthdays and contests and other happy stuff.

5. Guest Writers... can you write a product review--- a book review.... etc. Do you have tips for living with an invisible disability that you would like to share? We need writers to keep the new content on the main magazine alive...and readers coming back for more... get experience, exposure to a new audience, and even a link to your business or webpage in your byline. We need NEW (original content) never posted elsewhere, at least 250 words.

6. Graphic artists- we need graphic work for 2 things-
1. NEW designs for cafepress shop. I have a long list of reader requests and no time to get to it.
2. We NEED more banners for butyoudontlooksick in various sizes for people to use on their myspace, facebook, webpages etc. I would love different banners like one for the message boards, 1 for the main site- eMagazine, etc

7. Awards - there are tons of website of the week, day, month, etc. Heath blog awards etc. If someone would like to help find them (google) and help by entering them... that is HUGE

8. I think (Thisgrey) offered to head this area up-- but someone to gather/ help write/ a resource and letter template for us to post on the main page with generic letters to make it easy for all patients to personalize for them selves without having to "reinvent" the wheel!

9. PR person. Someone to write press releases, find PR opportunities, like interviews for christine/ bydls.com etc.

10. Do you have a talent? Do you feel there is someway you can "give back" to this site? Let me know!!!! I am sure we could always be better and if you have ideas- I wanna hear them! bring em on!

My to do list for bydls.com is putting me into a flare. I want this place to be the best it can be-- but I could really use help. (see wendy and Linda-- I am learning!) so before I get sick and overwhelmed) I figured would list some areas that people can help... and maybe if anyone is interested they can contact me.

Besides butyoudontlooksick.com has grown way bigger then I ever imagined. I am so blessed to have the site be what it is, but now as a butyoudontlooksick.com family... I need help to have it be what it could become!

Thanks!
-Christine
www.butyoudontlooksick.com

It is rare that we can do something good. It is also rare to be nice for no good reason, or special occasion, or holiday. Instead of Pay it forward---FEED IT FORWARD.

Make a friends day, list someone's spirit's, just have fun, go out to eat cause your hungy... I don't care! It is FREE and makes people happy!!!

http://www-ws23.restaurant.com/FeedItForward/

Feed It Forward - Give up to three (3) FREE $10 Restaurant.com Gift Certificates to
friends, family or loved ones, and every day until Christmas! Please remember that each email address must be unique and can only be submitted once. Use this opportunity to give to as many individuals as you can. Enjoy the gift of giving! We know your friends and family will!

Visit www.Restaurant.com/FeedItForward to give the special holiday gift of meals and memories!

Even if you don't want to give it to someone, then email it to yourself, and give it to charity!!!

It is so important to support companies that do great things like this!

butyoudontlooksick.com has over 5,000 fans on facebook! Are you a fan? Click here to be a fan!

quick, easy, fun.

Apparently, you can even get a "twitter grade".

For 25 years, we at Newman's Own have had a front row seat to watch Paul's entrepreneurial brilliance, humor, and compassion at work helping those in need. Our company motto, "Shameless Exploitation in Pursuit of the Common Good," was Paul's vision for Newman's Own and it is a philosophy we are proud to continue.

Paul occasionally referred to Newman's Own as the "joke that got out of control" and would express astonishment at its success. Despite this humorous approach, Paul was committed to the company's business and to providing top-notch quality – he brought all-natural food products to a wide audience long before it was fashionable. And he was one of the greatest recyclers, giving back to charity all the money he earned from the sale of Newman's Own products.

Newman's Own has grown into a powerful and lasting expression of Paul Newman's generosity. The Company has generated over $250 million in proceeds that have been donated by Paul Newman and the Newman's Own Foundation to thousands of charities worldwide. Particularly close to his heart were the Hole in the Wall Camps, now the leading global family of camps for children with life-threatening illnesses, which Paul started over 20 years ago.

Today, Newman’s Own is a thriving company with hundreds of millions of dollars in annual revenue. As always, all profits are donated to charity through Newman's Own Foundation.

This stuff tastes so good, you will not beleive you are eating something that can be good for you. I get to have a sweet, chocolate treat and I am being healthy at the same time. I was just told that because of my lupus, and the side effects of some of my medicines, that it would be smart for me to start taking Calcium and Vitamin D supplements.

Just the thought of swallowing another pill made me gag!

Yay for helpful people at the pharmacy! I found this new product and I have been getting my calcium 3 times a day ever since!

With 12 essential vitamins including vitamins A, B-6, B-12, C, D, E, biotin, folic acid, niacin, thiamin, and riboflavin

An enjoyable and easy way to get the vitamins you need to stay healthy

Individually wrapped

Promotes the health of your eyes, skin, heart, and immune system

Have these delivered right to your door by using the link to Amazon.com above and you really can't make this any easier!

Gotta Love it!
-Christine

So to start us off, today eyeeco.com made me happy. They made a very generous donation to my Lupus Walk page! It was unexpected and made me smile.

They have also generously offered to give the butyoudontlooksick.com readers a special coupon to receive 10% off when buying one of the masks. Just use the coupon code LUPA.

Gotta love a company that has a good product, gives a discount to loyal customers, and then gives back by donating to a great cause.

Thank you Suzanne! I really appreciate your generous donation and we look forward to working with you guys in the future!

-Christine

(If you shop through the link above, a portion of the proceeds will go to help this site!)