Helping the Homeless

I noticed this week that a lot of people are talking about the homeless in the US.

While some are complaining, or saying it's just a scapegoat for other issues, I personally think it's great that we are talking about it and that so many people seem interested in helping.

So, I sat down and made a list of places in our area that help provide help to those who are homeless or are on the brink of being homeless. Some of these places I already knew about, but some are new to me (thanks to doing some internet searched!).

So here you go. Places that help, and places you can help provide that help.

Bridge Communities
http://www.bridgecommunities.org/index.html
They provide transitional housing, mentoring, and other services to homeless families in the DuPage Country area
Glen Ellyn, IL

DuPage PADS
http://dupagepads.org/
They provide interim and permanent housing to those who are in need, as well as support services to help people become self-sufficient.
Wheaton, IL

Fellowship Housing Corporation
http://www.fhcmoms.org/
They help single moms and their children who are homeless or at high risk for becoming homeless with two-year transitional housing and a path to help find permanent housing
Hoffman Estates, IL

The Harbour
http://www.theharbour.org/
They provide services and help to homeless teenage girls (who are often runaways or have been locked out of their homes). They offer both emergency housing and transitional housing
Park Ridge, IL

Journeys the Road Home
http://www.journeystheroadhome.org/landing/
They provide shelter and services to those in the area who are homeless, or are at high risk of becoming homeless
Palatine, IL

Lazarus House
http://www.lazarushouseonline.com/
They provide emergency housing and transitional housing to men, women and children in the Kane County area. They also have outreach programs to help those who aren't homeless, but are close to it.
St. Charles, IL

Midwest Shelter for Homeless Veterans
http://www.helpaveteran.org/
They provide transitional and affordable housing to veterans of any age and their families
Wheaton, IL

Shelter, Inc
http://shelter-inc.org/
They provide help and shelter to children who are being abused, neglected, or in need of supervision. They have a 24 hour hot-line so they can help at any time
Arlington Heights, IL

Willowcreek Care Center
https://www.willowcreekcarecenter.org/
They offer assistance for food and clothing. As well as health and dental services to those in need. They also provide transportation to those who qualify.
South Barrington, IL

Wings
http://wingsprogram.com/

They provide housing, help, and care to women and their children trying to leave abusive partners

Palatine, IL

Food Pantries

Barrington Township

Greater Elgin Food Pantry

Hanover Park Township 

Interfaith Food Pantry (Carol Stream, IL)

Palatine Township Food Pantry

People's Resource Center (Wheaton, IL)

Self Help Closet and Pantry of Des Plaines
St. Edna Catholic Church Pantry (Arlington Heights, IL)
Trinity Charities Inc Food Pantry (Schaumburg, IL)
Willowcreek Church Food Pantry (South Barrington, IL)

This list isn't all inclusive, there are lots of other places out there to help as well!

And if you don't live local to me, I hope this will inspire you to create a list to share with your friends and family!

How to help

Last week, on my facebook page, I shared a list of ways to help those going through chemo/cancer treatment. The list was pretty popular and was shared more often than anything I've posted. Someone suggested I post it over here so that more people can read it, so here it is.

This is the list of things that I think are ways to help those going through a hard time. Some of these things people did for me. Some of them others shared were done for them. And some are just things that I think would have been nice if someone had done.

This list, is of course, not all encompassing. Reading some of these might give you other ideas to help. Follow your gut. You know your friend/family member best so do what feels right for you to do for them. But if you need a place to start, I think this is a good jumping point. 

• Set up an account at takethemameal.com and share with those who can help bring dinners
• Set up an account at lotsahelpinghands.com to set up things like dinner/housekeeping/helping with kids/driving/etc
• Buy a cooler for the family to put by their front door so when people bring meals they can put it in there and not have to ring the doorbell if people are resting inside
• Next time you are shopping, buy an extra toilet paper pack/paper towel pack/laundry detergent/dish soap/etc ... the things that we all use every day but don't necessarily buy every day so that they are stocked up and it's one less thing to worry about
• Buy groceries you know they will like and deliver to the house
• Send your friend books/magazines/word search/cross word books/etc - some chemo infusions can take 8 hours. That's a lot of time to sit at the infusion center and lots of time to pass
• Buy your friend something that is their hobby (i.e. for me, buy yarn ;-)) Yarn, art supplies, a cross stitch kit, a build your own model kit, or a coloring book or whatever makes them happy
• Chemo can dry you out. Bring your friend chap stick, lotion, biotene mouthwash, etc. BUT make it UNSCENTED. Chemo also heightens our sense of smell and scented things probably aren't going to go over well for a lot of people. Same thing applies to lotion/body wash/candles/etc
• Give a lap blanket to take to chemo or use when watching tv
• Buy them some shoes that are easy on and off. Sometimes chemo makes your feet swell or gives you neuropathy in your feet. Easy on/off comfy shoes are a big deal. 
• Scarves, hats - both knit hats for colder days and lighter hats for warmer days. 
• Help your friend go pick out a wig. Or be with them when they shave their head. Or offer to shave their head. Do not tell them it's only hair and it grows back. It is, but it doesn't help to hear that sometimes.
• offer to take their kids with you (if you can) when you take your kids out. 
• offer a night out to the caregiver - you come over, bring a movie or tv series and allow the caregiver to get out.
• If the person going through cancer is married and has kids, take the kids one night and bring over some fancy(ish) food for the couple to enjoy. Date nights tend to not be a priority during all of this, so give them a taste of it if you can
• Offer to take your friend to a movie, out to eat, to the mall to window shop, a walk in the park, a drive to your favorite cafe, etc. BUT remember to be flexible. If your friend cancels because they aren't feeling well, it's not YOU, do not take it personally. Even if they cancel ten times in a room (though if that happens, think about if you're offering to take them to somewhere YOU want to go, or somewhere s/he would like)
• Be prepared to say nothing. Sometimes silence is golden. Sometimes we just need someone to listen, to nod, to let it all out. You don't need to have an answer or a way to fix it. Just listen.
• Come over and clean. Don't ask. Most people won't say they need it, but do it anyway. 
• Send little notes in the mail every so often. Your friend is probably getting a lot of bills in the mail. Something that is not a bill, would be lovely. 
• Have a favorite song you think your friend should listen to? Or a book? Or a movie? Buy it for them. I think itunes let's you buy specific things and gift to people. Amazon might as well. Share. 
• During chemo, a person's immune system can be compromised and a trip out just isn't in the cards - get creative. A friend knew there was a movie I REALLY wanted to see, so she took me to the drive-in. I got to see the movie and avoid germs. And get a night out of the house. Win-win-win. 
• Support their treatment choices EVEN if it's not what *you* would do. On the same vein, do not send them every "cure" you read about on-line. Do not tell them about your cousin's-friend's-sister's-uncle's-wife had the same cancer as them and died an awful terrible death that just tore apart the whole family. 
• Do not tell kids (if they involved) that they have to step up and be the man/woman of the house. Those kids have enough weight on their shoulders. Just love them and treat them as you would treat other kids their age.
• If you want to give gifts, and the health is good enough, don't just give toys/things, also give gifts of experiences - passes to the zoo, movie tickets, etc. Time is precious and while more toys and more toys are fun, sometimes the family also need time to just do something fun. A night of minigolf can be priceless.
• It is better to offer to do something than ask what you can do. We might not be able to think of a specific thing to tell you, but if you offer, we'll say yes please. We might still say no, do it anyway. Asking for help is hard. Accepting help is hard. But come over and wash dishes anyway. 
• Give a journal so they can write things down (if that's something your friend would like).
• Offer to help spread news among other friends/family/etc. Whether that's making phone calls or setting up an e-mail list, often times there are many people who want updates and it's hard for one person/family to be able to talk to everyone and let them know what's going on.
• Offer to go to doctor's appointments and take notes. Lots of information can be thrown at people in a short amount of time. Go and just be the note-taker. Before the appointment, ask them if there are any questions they want to ask and also ask those questions at the appointment as well. It's easy to forget in the appointment what you wanted to ask.
• Chemobrain is real. Your friend might seem "flaky" Be understanding and patient. Again, it's not personal. 
• Help the person write thank you cards to others who have helped as well. 
• Give them movies/tv shows/etc to watch during the days when they need to rest or need treatment or whatever. 
• Audio books are a good idea as well. Sometimes chemobrain can make reading a book hard, audio books can be easier for some people
• If you have the talent, offer to shoot family pictures (or individual pictures) or get a photographer in. Many people have found comfort in getting those photos done.
• If you can gift a few months of netflix, hulu, amazon prime, hbo go, etc, then do so. There might be days where doing things is hard, or long days at the doctor's office. Having something to just watch and relax to, can be a good thing. 
• If you have the strength, and your friend is suffering from joint/bone/etc pain (which can happen in a lot of treatments) that make them wheelchair bound (temporarily or long term), come over and push them around the block. Get them outside. It can make a big difference in a person's mood to just get outside for a bit.

 There are lots and lots of ways to help. Just start wherever you can start. In a way that you think is needed for your friend.

Happy (not) Ugly Sweater Day!

It's here! It's here!

Today is December 12 - it's Make the World Better with a Sweater day and I'm ready.

I finished knitting my sweater at the start of this week (which sounds like I was cutting it close, but I thought for sure I'd be working on until I put it on today, so I'm happy!). And I'm rocking it out today.

Without further ado, I present to you my sweater:

I had so much fun making this sweater and I feel really good about helping out Save the Children. They really are doing some wonderful things right now and I feel good about supporting them!

Sadly, my 12 year old did not finish her scarf. She did start it and is working on it (and has discovered that she LOVES to crochet) but her heart was in the right place, so I told her not to worry!

And I know it might be a bit early, but I may or may not already be thinking about what sweater to make next year!

But now it's your turn! If you would like to help, you can donate $5 to Save the Children simply by texting SWEATER to 20222. Also, feel free to take a selfie in your sweater (ugly or not, holiday or not, made by you or not) and tag yourself with #sweater and #elfie

Don't have a sweater, that's okay! You can download a paper sweater here and still participate!

Have some fun, help a good cause, spread a little holiday cheer - sounds like a good plan to me! Hope you are all having a great Friday!

Sweater details:

Pattern: Soltice Dias de Betty
Yarn: Lion Brand Cotton Ease
Needle: US 5
Slight modifications in regards to increases/decreases because my gauge was larger than the pattern called for. I also knit it down one side to help offset the gauge difference as well
Would I knit it again? Yes, but the should area is a bit small, so I would probably make the back smaller by a few stitches at the top! 

Sweater Update!

Well, I've been working hard at knitting a lot recently - I've finished one shawl, got another shawl on the needles, planning any holiday knitting, but of course, I've been working away on my sweater!

Yep, it's my sweater for Save the Children's Wear a Sweater and Make the World Better Campaign that I told you about in November!

sneak peek of the front

#Sweater day is December 12 (which also happens to be the National Ugly Sweater Day) is
coming up soon! In less than two weeks and I'm bound and determined to get this sweater done so I can wear it! 





It's a fun sweater to knit - I'm using different yarn and having to make some alterations to the pattern to accommodate it, but nothing too big!

The color is lovely! And I can't wait to wear it! I can't lie, I'm a little nervous I'll finish it and then it won't fit ... I don't often knit sweaters for myself for this reason. I tend to make more that don't fit than do fit, but so far, this one looks like it will be okay! Phew! 

What about you? Are working on making any sweaters or thinking of hosting an Ugly Sweater contest to celebrate the 12?

casting on the back

Let me know!

On Pins and Needles

So, I'm a bit late to the game ... everyone else posted on November 12. I, however, excel at forgetfulness so I'm here today.

But better late than never, right? That or we can all just pretend that today is the 12th and I am totally on time!

Anyway, this holiday season I am taking the Save The Children's Pins and Needles challenge!

This is part of their holiday fundraising, which culminates on Friday, December 12. When we are all encouraged to wear a sweater and donate $5 to the organization.

Wear them to work, around the house, out to dinner with friends, whatever works for you! Just
remember to donate your $5 (which Save the Children has made easy - you can just text SWEATER to 20222).

I will be participating by starting to knit my own sweater today. That's where the Pins & Needle challenge comes in! I found a pattern I really liked and went out bought some yarn today to start working on it. I'm SO excited.

My 12 year old is going to join in the fun with me ... except she's not quite ready for a sweater, so she's going to crochet a scarf. It's kind of like a sweater for your neck, so I think it is a great idea. Not to mention, it's the thought that counts so I'm excited she wants to create with me.

And yes, we will be posting and sharing pictures as we work! And then, assuming what we make turns out and fits, we will be wearing our sweater and scarf on December 12.

Yes, my eyes are closed, but I'm happy

So, you may be wondering, why, during this busy time am I going to sit and work on a sweater. Well, that's a good question. Save the Children is doing a lot of good in the world right now. There work in the Philippines after Typhoon Haiyan was able to help over 800,000 adults and children.

And right now, they are in Africa, working to help fight Ebola. They are building treatment centers, making sure people have access to help, and they are helping to take care of children who may be orphans after losing parents to Ebola. 

I can't be on the ground helping, but I can support those who are. And if it's as simple as taking some time this holiday season to work on a sweater or teach my daughter to crochet, then why not!  
And the universe knows I have a lot of kindness to pay it forward. We've been helped by so many wonderful people, especially over the last few years. Our family, my children included, have had some great support and people who want to help us when we need it. And so now it's my turn to pay it forward and try to help others!

I'm also impressed with Save the Children's score over at Charity Navigator. They have 95 out of 100 points. That is a great score. I feel great about the work they are doing and I feel great about donating to them. 

So. That's what I'm doing!

Here's what you can do. You can watch along as my sweater comes together. You can encourage me to just keep knitting! You can don your own festive sweater on December 12 - knit, borrowed, store bought - it doesn't matter. And when you put it on in the morning, send off $5 to Save the Children. 

Easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy as I like to tell my children!  

If you'd like more information, you can head on over to Save The Children's Make the World Better with a Sweater page.

*Save the Children contacted me and asked me to participate in the Pins and Needle Challenge, but I am not being compensated for this or sharing any information with you!

Knit-a-thon

basket of yarn ready to go!

It's here! It's here! It's finally here!

In about 12 hours I will sit down and begin part I of my knit-a-thon!

I thought of this idea last month in an effort to help raise money for my Avon Walk (which is just over a month away! Yikes!)

Anyway, I started today very far from my final goal. But I'm going to go to bed much closer, which feels great!

Tomorrow I will knit.

Tomorrow is also the three-year-anniversary of my diagnosis.

My goodness. Three years. I'm hoping that tomorrow can be a way to help change the memory of that day.

Three years ago, April 26 was the Tuesday after Easter. Tomorrow is a week after Easter - they aren't perfectly matched, but pretty close.

So I will reclaim the day and at the same time try to do some good for the world.

Though, I admit, deciding to sit and knit all day is a very selfish decision, but it's also what I can do! So I will do it!

I will definitely be sharing pictures on instagram (you can follow me here). I still haven't decided if I will live blog the day or not. I know, not a lot of time to decide LOL!

Anyway, thanks in advance for all the support and love!

Wrapped in Love

Today is National I Love Yarn Day. This day was started last year and is the second Friday in October.

I was unaware that this day existed last year. You could say I was a bit preoccupied. Yet yarn got me through some pretty tough times. I enjoyed knitting when I was able to {and hated the times that treatment left me unable to knit} and I was gifted {among so many things} handmade items: hats, shawls, wraps, etc. It was wonderful and lovely.

For the last few months I've been trying to think of a way to pay it forward so to speak. And I had been tossing some ideas around in my head. I  knew that whatever it was needed to revolve around knitting because knitting is a part of me. Then last week I learned that National I Love Yarn day was coming and so I got to work, planning and knitting, knowing that today would be the perfect day to start something.

So, today, I am launching Wrapped In Love.

Twice a month for the next year, I want to give a scarf away to someone who needs it - for any reason at all. But, I need your help. Do you know someone who need a pick-me-up {even yourself}. Let me know. Seriously. I want to give these scarves away. I want to make someone smile. This is my way of paying it forward for all the kindness I have been shown.

So here is the first scarf I am giving away:

 It comes with a story. Last month I went to Michigan and spent some time with a wonderful friend. When we were talking about getting together she asked if I would mind if she brought some knitting. Um, mind? No way! I had already packed knitting myself! Anyway, she was working on this lovely scarf in a gorgeous yarn and I LOVED it. So I came home, dug through my yarn stash and started knitting it myself. 

I love this scarf. It's gorgeous. And it needs a good home. So tell me who you think I should this scarf too - leave a comment or e-mail me at Brandie185 {at} gmail {dot} com. I can only pick one person, so I'll do the age old trick of drawing a name out of a hat should it come to that.

Anyway, happy Friday. Happy National I Love Yarn Day.

xoxoxo,
Brandie

Cadillac Rocks!

Cadillac is the proud Premiere Sponsor of the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer in Chicago for the second year in a row!

On SATURDAY, April 14 and SATURDAY, April 21, Chicago area Cadillac dealers will make a $50 donation on a walker's behalf for every test drive!

If you know someone walking in the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer in Chicago all you need to do is get their 6-digit Participant # to give to Cadillac at the time of the test drive, then the donation will be made to the walker's account.

Don't know a walker but still want to help?  I just happen to be walking in the Avon Walk and my Participant # is 242627. Bring your friends and family and I'll get a $50 donation for everyone that gets behind the wheel of a shiny new Cadillac. 

The test drivers will receive a receipt validating their test drive. Limit one donation per person. Must be 18 years of age with a valid driver’s license.

List of participating dealers:

Barrington IL, Motor Werks
Bourbonnais IL, David Bruce Auto Center
Chicago IL, Grossinger City Autoplex
DeKalb IL, Sycamore Cadillac
Hammond IL, Napleton Cadillac
Hodgkins IL, Ettleson Cadillac
Joliet IL, Bill Jacobs Cadillac
Libertyville IL, Weil Cadillac
Lincolnwood IL, GrossingerAutoplex
Lombard IL, Heritage Cadillac
Matteson IL, Arnie Bauer Cadillac
McHenry IL, Gary Lang Cadillac
Merrillville IN, Schepel Cadillac
Naperville IL, Cadillac of Naperville
Northbrook IL, Steve Foley Cadillac
Oak Lawn IL, Frank Shirey Cadillac
Schaumburg IL, Patrick Cadillac
Tinley Park IL, Tony Rizza Cadillac

But Cadillac is doing so much more than making donations to the Avon Walk!

The Top 5 Individual Fundraisers will receive the Ultimate Camping Experience from Cadillac!

Five winners will receive a private chauffeured ride* in a Cadillac SRX to the Avon Walk Opening Ceremony on Saturday morning for them and one guest.

They'll spend the night in a luxury-filled tent at the Wellness Village, complete with butler service and foot massages. Sleeping tents will be stocked with air mattresses, pillows, linens, lavish amenities and so much more!

And when the weekend and the walk are all over, a private chauffeured ride home* in a Cadillac SRX after the Closing Ceremony!

Thank you Cadillac for your continued and generous support!

Please call the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer Chicago office for more information or if you have any questions: (773) 248-3120.

If you can't test drive and would like to make a donation please click the link above on the right, which will take you directly to my personal fundraising home page.  No donation is too small and is greatly appreciated.


*Ride in Style! Cadillac will provide a driver and an SRX Cadillac as transportation from the location of your choice (within a 50-mile radius of Soldier Field) to the Opening Ceremony and will pick you up from the Closing Ceremony at Soldier Field. Transportation will include you and your guest as long as you are both coming from/going to the same location.


**Winners will be selected from the Top 5 Avon Walk Chicago individual camping fundraisers as of 11:59pm CT on Tuesday, May 15. Only donations appearing in the Avon Walk Participant Center at this time will be included in the fundraising totals. Promotion runs from Monday April 9, 2012 through Tuesday May 15, 2012 at 11:59pm CT. Donations mailed-in but not yet processed or posted will not be included. 

Brandie's not: My friend Rita (who is walking with me) wrote this post. And I politely asked her if I could just copy it for my blog and she said yes. Because she is awesome and nice and sweet like that! 

Do Good Day recap!

So Wednesday was, to sum it up in one word: fabulous. 

I can not thank 77kids or theMotherhood.com enough for giving us the chance to participate in Do Good Day!  

We all woke up bright and early - or at least what bright and early means at our house ;-) And headed off to the big city. (here's where I also tell you that I used the navigator on my new phone so I wouldn't have to print directions. And also that my phone gets traffic updates and will tell us how much time left on our drive. And so for most of the car trip instead of hearing "Are we there yet?" I heart "How much more time till we get there?" ROFL!)

 We met up with everyone at the parking lot of the Ronald McDonald House (RMH) where we got our box of fun stuff for Do Good Day (thank you cards to pass out, stickers, candy, t-shirts for the kids, and our 77 dollars to pass out). We gathered all our stuff together and headed inside - which was good because let me tell you, it was pretty darn hot that day LOL! 

The moms and older kids started to work on setting everything up. The younger kids found the play room right away!  They seemed to float in and out of there during the whole day - but it was nice for them to have that area to hang out in. Well, at least my 4yo had a good time playing in there. Then he'd come out and do something with me, then go back in. So nice!!

In the middle of the dining room we set up a table and had the kids make some thank you cards. My 7 year old thought this was so fun that she ended up making quite a few cards all through out the day! We had the kids then take the cards they made to the office. They shared the thank you cards with the staff to thank them for all that they do!

Then we were all given a tour of the house by one of the residents there - her family has used the RMH several times. Her older sister was in the hospital. She knew the house pretty well and gave us a great tour of the house. I enjoyed getting to look around. We also learned that Coca-cola donated beverages to them. The vending machines were a quarter for each pop, but the RMH kept that money to help cover costs. The recommended fee for staying was 10 per night. It actually costs about 70 per night to keep a family housed there, so as you can imagine RMH and the families that stay there rely heavily on donations to stay operational.

After the tour, it was time for lunch! 

It really was such a nice lunch. But of course, you can't have lunch without dessert can you? Well, you can, but it's just not as fun is it?

A very full and fun afternoon for sure. But before everyone headed their own separate  ways, we were able to get one group shot!

I was able to talk to one family for a little bit while we were there and being able to stay in this house was such a wonderful thing for them. They were able to visit their daughter/sister everyday - the mom mentioned if they couldn't come downtown they wouldn't be able to do that. I can't imagine as a mom having to leave my child in a hospital for several weeks and then not be able to be close enough to visit daily? :( Heartbreaking, but thankfully RMH is there to help those families out.

This was indeed a full day for us, but it didn't end there!

  

 We got home and ALL of us (yes, me included) sat down to decorate the thank you cards in our box. We had decided while we were driving home that we would decorate all the cards and take them to our local police officers and fire fighters. I won't lie - we dropped them off after typical hours and we were met with a few strange looks when we first walked into the police station/rang the fire houses's door! The kids were all smiles though and so proudly handed a pack of thank you's over. They told them today was Do Good Day and they wanted to thank them for all the good they did. They handed them over (to a nice woman at the police station and a fireman at the firehouse) and asked them to please pass them around to the people they worked with. I admit, as mom watching them, it was so sweet and I loved it!

Then we decided to pass out (cold) water bottles and our dollar bills to those commuters coming off the train at rush hour. 

We patiently waited for the trains to come. Fortunately for us, three trains were all coming in a short period of time so that was good. Unfortunately for us, people were very taken aback and we had a very hard time passing our dollars out. I think people thought we were trying to sell something to them (whether the water, the dollar, a political belief or religious believe - I'm not sure!) Anyway, we passed out what we could - but we couldn't pass out all of it. I won't lie - the kids were VERY disappointed by this. They were so down when we went back to the car. So, we headed to a park and passed some out there. Then we came home and passed out the rest to neighbors and friends! I will say, I think the passing out part was the most fun for all of them! And hence why the most disappointing when people wouldn't accept the dollars. I will say this though, the people who got it and accepted them, really got it and all had such kind words to say to us. And that was awesome! And that was especially nice for the kids to hear. 

And then I think we all came home and completely passed out! ROFL!! We were tired. But we were happy. And we would all do it again in a heartbeat! =)

As an aside, I took lots of pictures on Wednesday and you can see them all here!

Disclosure: I am working with The Motherhood on behalf of 77kids by American Eagle, and was paid a monetary stipend for participating in this project.

Good Morning!

It's here ... today is Do Good Day!! We are so excited at my house for this!! It is going to be an amazing day - not only are several of us in Chicago getting together, but all told - there will be 77 bloggers spread out across 11 cities all doing good tomorrow!

Why 77? Because American Eagle is launching 77kids - clothing stores aimed for kids. 77 comes from the year American Eagle was founded - 1977. So 77kids partnered up with theMotherhod.com to bring these 77 bloggers together to do some good!  I think this is a FABULOUS way for 77kids to celebrate their opening!

I am lucky enough to be working with some fabulous bloggers in the area - Melissa, Jen, Lydia, Paula, and Dawn to serve lunch at the Ronald McDonald House! It's going to be so great - I can just tell already!! It seems like all the Do Good Day teams have some great plans going on for today - please head on over here to check out what everyone has planned! So many great things going on - just wonderful!

Yesterday, to prepare two of the kids and I went to target to pick up some items on the Ronald McDonald House Wish List. They had so much fun getting to help pick out what to bring. So while I grabbed paper towels, laundry detergent and hand soap - they picked popcorn, juice boxes, and popsicles! We also grabbed a few books - most notably The Wizard of Oz, as it's a favorite in this house! 

After lunch, the group is going to split up and the kids and I will be heading back to our town to pass out some fliers around our town. We are still debating - hitting parks or hanging out at the local train station. I know, I know, last minute - I swear not on purpose - we had some other ideas of where to pass them out that fell through, so we're onto plan d, e and f LOL!  

I promise to come back tonight or tomorrow and tell you all about it! And maybe even get my kids brave enough to share their thoughts with you. I'll be tweeting through out that day as I can - so feel free to follow me over on twitter!

And don't forget to head on over to Hyacynth's blog and tell her if you did some good today too =)

Disclosure: I am working with The Motherhood on behalf of 77kids by American Eagle, and was paid a monetary stipend for participating in this project.

Do Good Day

A few weeks ago I received an e-mail asing if I wanted to participate in Do Good Day. I jumped at the chance - a day to do good things, count me in.

Truthfully, I don't do enough good things and I don't do enough giving back. I used to - in high school I volunteered at a bereavement center and a local hospital - among other various one day activities. I continued to do things in college and then I gave birth to my daughter. And it was a lot harder to get out - I was young, trying to finish school, working part time, had a husband, blah, blah, blah - the excuses just rolled off my tongue. My husband, picked up my slack though and volunteered at the local hospital for more than a couple of years (I'll never forget when I gave birth to our second child, after all the excitement, etc, he left to go tell a couple of patients he had gotten to know through his volunteer work that we had had the baby - which I think is beyond sweet).

Anyway, I do what I can from home now - some sewing/knitting/donating money things. And while I think that's all good - when I received an e-mail from 77 Kids (a kids clothing line from American Eagle) and The Motherhood to actually get out of the house and work in a team with other moms in the area, well, I was all over it. 

So next week, on July 14, the kids and I are going to head downtown - to a Ronald McDonald house and do some good! We can't wait to do it. And it gets even more exciting - you too can help us out. One of the other moms participating Hyacynth is hosting a link up on July 14 for anyone else who goes out and also does some good. And it gets better:

I'll be hosting a link-up Wednesday, July 14-15 for anyone who decides to engage with their kiddos in a random act of kindness.

If you and your little ones engage in a pay-it-forward type of kindess, simply post a picture of your little ones acting part of it out on your blog and briefly write about it.

After the link-up closes, random.org will choose one person to win $25 {cash}. And additionally, that person will choose a charity* to recieve an additional $30.

It can be as simple as your little ones weeding a neighbor's flower bed or helping them clean out some of their unused toys and donating them to a local women's shelter. It's totally up to you!

And though I've been commissioned by ae to participate in Do Good Day, the company has NOT asked me to host this link up. I simply just wanted to pay it forward to one of my friends here by giving away $25 to her family and $25 to a charity* chosen by her {and I think the simple act of engaging our little ones in a little do-good project is worthwhile in itself}.

Fun! Fun! Fun! I will remind you all about this on the 14th and link back to her again. I hope you'll all join me, Hyacynth and all the Chicago moms participating (the list is here!) and go out and do some good =)

We can't wait - and if you need some help on where to start - here is the Ronald McDonald House Wishlist. And if you want to donate some things on that list - let me know. I'll even try to arrange to get them from you so I can bring them down with me. =)

Anyway, can't wait to tell you all about this on the 14th and about how it all went! =)

Donating Breast Milk

So, this will be a non-crafty post - but I hope you'll stick around and read it because it's about some giving back I did a few years ago that was really important to me!

My middle child (who is now 7) was born in September. When she was born I had just one semester of school left. That last semester was my student teaching - essentially it was like working a full time job. I started that semester in January - my daughter was 4 months old.

At the time we had our 3 year old too, dh was working, we had a house, I was in school full time and the girls were in daycare full time too. All that means money was super tight. And I felt breastfeeding was important. Some suggested nursing part time and using formula for when she was with her sitter. Both because of how I felt and financial issues, I knew going in, I'd have to pump breast milk.

A typical day looked like this: I woke up, pumped, got myself ready. Woke up 3 year old, got her eating breakfast, woke up baby - nursed her, dressed both girls, took them to sitter, pumped, went to school. I had originally planned on pumping during the student's lunch time, but alas that never worked. So after school, I would pump while grading papers, then go pick the kids up, come home - grade, lessons plans, sometimes cook dinner (often hubs did that), nurse on demand, put everyone to bed, work and pump, and go to sleep. Yes, I pump lots. Pretty soon my freezer was full of pumped breast milk. We quickly learned my daughter was doing what I called reverse nursing - wherein she wouldn't eat much during her time at the sitters (almost like what her typical nights had been) but nurse often and lots when she was home with me. At the time, the sitter was giving her about 2 bottles a day. I was able to cut out the last pumping at night, but didn't want to stop pumping during the day because I was nervous going 8+ hours without pumping would affect my overall supply.

I mentioned this problem on a message board I was part of at the time. And someone suggested I look into donating breast milk. I admit, I didn't even know breast milk banks even existed. But once I heard about it and read about it, I just knew I HAD to do it! I mentioned the idea to my husband and he was SO supportive. So I started calling around. Despite the need for milk, most banks couldn't accept my milk. There were only 5 actively taking donations and the first 4 I called couldn't accept shipped milk - and were too far for me to hand deliver it to. Finally, the Iowa milk bank said they'd take it from me, they could take it frozen, and I could ship it in since I was close enough.

They sent me containers. They also sent me some empty vials and a LOT of paperwork. I needed to send them in essentially my entire health history and lots of blood. I also had to get my pediatrician and my doctor to sign paperwork saying that a) my daughter was healthy and wouldn't suffer if I donated milk and that I was healthy (and also not taking any medication). I had a hard time getting someone to draw my blood though. Finally my midwife stepped in and helped me out. Except when I went to have my blood drawn - they thought they had to draw my milk and imagine my surprise when the women walked in and said "I've never done this before but I'll do my best. Please take your shirt off."

Anyway, I had all the paperwork done, the blood drawn. I agreed to several things (including exactly how I would wash and store all breast pump parts, how I would wash my breasts and how often, and rules about medicine - i.e. if I had to take tylenol/advil/etc, I could not pump for them for an entire 24 hours).

I started feeding my daughter from the stash I had in the freezer already and began to exclusively pump for the milk bank. She was about 6 months old at the time - and I had until she turned 1 to get all that I could - but the most they could take was 400 ounces. (I am not sure why the age mattered, but the rules/regulations required that). The other deadline was milk couldn't be used after 6months, so that was always on my mind too.

I pumped like mad. Husband was SO supportive. We didn't really tell friends or family though. We weren't sure they would be so supportive and decided we wouldn't even open ourselves up to strange looks/weird comments/etc. Maybe they would have been supportive, but I had lots of support from my on-line friends and that with my husband was beyond enough for me!

It was summer -4-5 months later when I knew I was pretty close to 400 ounces (that was the most the cooler could hold). I called them up - and they sent me a cooler. I called the overnight service to schedule the pick-up. My job was to fill it up at the last possible second, stuffing in newspaper to insulate it (not ice), taped up the cooler and sent it off with the delivery guy.

It was pretty emotional. I was sending a piece of myself off in that cooler. Lots of hours of pumping (or at least what felt like lots of hours). I cried. As silly as that sounds, I did. I thought about how that milk might go to feed another baby and help another family - who for whatever reasons needed breast milk for their baby and couldn't provide it themselves. I thought about how when so many around me thought breastfeeding your own baby was gross, disgusting, something only to be done behind closed doors where no one would have to actually see it there were people out there who so firmly believed in it that they would use my milk to feed their babies. I also thought about how my breast milk might be used in some studies (I did sign a waiver saying if they couldn't get the milk to a baby in time, I would allow them to use it for research purposes). And that even if it didn't go to a baby, it might help scientists understand breast milk and how wonderful it is even more!

A few weeks later I received a card in the mail from the milk bank - a lovely card thanking me for all I had sent (it ended up being 390-some ounces!) and just a huge thank you for all I had done. I didn't do it for the thanks. Trust me - there were a lot of hurdles to cross (including the pediatrician who thought milk banks were silly and although he signed my paperwork, he did so begrudgingly). It was hard to find someone to draw my blood. Without doctor's orders it seemed no one wanted to touch me. Although my midwife was so supportive and glad I was doing it, so when I ran into that brick wall, I called her and she wrote me the orders and set up my appointment! Once I had the idea to donate, it never occurred to me not to do it - even when it seemed hard. And I'm so thankful I did it. And I would do it again in a heartbeat!

I hear there are shortages at milk banks again (most notably Colorado). So if you are a nursing mom, I really encourage you to look into doing this. And if you know a nursing mom, pass this information along to her.

Some links:
Denver Mother's Milk Bank
National Milk Bank
Banking on Breastmilk article
List of Breastmilk Banks

Note: I don't believe Iowa can take shipped milk anymore.

National Day of Giving

Today, in addition to being Martin Luther King, Jr Day, is also National Day of Service.

I think that is fabulous and really great. Despite that, I am not doing anything special or out of the ordinary today. Mostly because I had my head in a cave and was unaware of this day until, well, a few hours ago.

My contribution today is going to list a few ways that we can all help out - year round and not just on one day. I think if today you start thinking about ways you can help out that is a good step for National Day of Service. So here are ways you and I can give back:

• Give food to local food pantry
• Volunteer a few hours at food pantry
• Volunteer at a soup kitchen
• Bring a few dinners to a family you know is struggling
• Bring food to an elderly neighbor (or shovel their driveway, mow their lawn, help them plant flowers, etc)
• Call the local school and see where they need help.
• Call your town - can you help fix up a bad lot, help clean up parks/playgrounds, pick up trash at the local forest preserve, etc.
• Call a local animal shelter and see if they need any supplies or if you can help out for a few hours taking care of animals.
• Call your local library and see if they take book donations or need help reshelving or if they need help with story hour or anything like that
• See if Habitat for Humanities is doing any projects in your area and help out there.
• Do you have a hobby that you can use to give back. If you are a photography, offer to take pictures of kids with Santa at a community Christmas party. If you are a knitter, make hats and scarves to be passed out to those who need them.
• Most place run school supply drives in the fall - watch for school supplies to go on sale and bulk up then with the intent to give them.
• Do you own a business? Run a food drive - give customers a discount on services if they bring in food (or coats or shoes or toys or whatever the need is in your community)
• Start a Dining For Women Group
• Start a book club and every time you meet, members bring a book that you donate to a place in need in your area
• Offer to babysit for the single mom who never gets a break for free.
• Play Bunco with the girls? Next time ask people to bring canned goods with them.
• Visit Volunteer Match and see what they recommend for you
• Knitters can find ways to give back with their knitting here and here
• Here is a great page with ideas for crafters who want to give back.
• Make some items or donate supples to The Preemie Project
• Here is a page with patterns for chemohats
• If you are a photographer, sign up with Flashes of Hope
• See if you can help out Project Linus
• Help Soldier Wishes out
• Soldier Angel has many ways you can help out
• Mark Eat So They Can on your calendar now so when October rolls around, you can be ready!
• Host a Bead Party
• Go check out Random Acts of Kindness foundation and get some great ideas!

There are a TON of ways you can give back to with your time and talent. This list is not complete in any way, shape, or form. But hopefully it is a list that will get you thinking about ways you can help out.

And please, leave comments on other ways to help out (I'll add any ideas to this list)- and if you are doing something today or what you plan to do this year in order to give back.

Feel Good Sewing

On election day I did some feel good sewing.
Because I had heard on the radio earlier in the day that being president was all about serving. We don't generally think of it in that terms, but it is what it is.
So I decided to do a bit of serving myself, in a way that I can.

So I made some hats for Mama to Mama and got the kids involved in the process!

Oldest dd and I cutting out hats:


And the finished hats:


I love those little hats. And if I had more shirts, I would have sewed up some more! =)

Let's Give a Little!

I know, I know, the economy is pretty shaky right now. Lots of people are feeling the pinch. And despite all of that, today, I come to you asking for money!

Why? Because it's important. I am joining in on the DonorsChoose.org Blogger Challenge!
Now, it wasn't all that long ago that I talked about education specifically in the Chicago area ... and so today I set up a giving page and thoughtfully went through the many many listings on DonorsChoose.org. I specifically picked items from Chicago. I tried to do a little reading, math, social studies, science. Because all the subjects are important. And there are so many to pick from and they all look good!

So here's how you can help .. go to my Giving Page and add some donations to one (or more) charities there. Then blog about it so more people will go there. And tell them to blog about it. And well, you see how things can grow. If we can get 100 people to give just 5, we will have 500 dollars to give to classrooms, to improve someone's education, to make a difference. And if we can 100 people to give just 10 dollars, then we've hit 1000!! See how easy this is?! If everyone pulls together and just helps a little bit, we can do really GREAT things! That's all it takes - a lot of us coming together to give a little and we can accomplish a lot. No donation is too small.

I know this is a lot to ask. I know you might be feeling a tight budget right now. You might be worried about a job right now. You might be wondering how to make the next mortgage payment, but if you could find just a few dollars to give, it all gets pooled together and we can do great things for sure!!

Anyway, I leave you with some info on what the charity is and what it all means! And if you look over to the right, you will see a nice widget tracking what we can accomplish and do!

Thanks so much everyone! =)

BACKGROUND ON THE CHARITY
DonorsChoose.org grew out of a high school in the Bronx where teachers saw their students going without the materials needed to learn. Our website provides an easy way for everyday people to address this problem. Public school teachers post project requests that range from a $100 classroom library, to a $600 digital projector, to a $1,000 trip to the zoo. People like you can choose which projects to fund and then get photos and thank-you letters from the classroom.
BACKGROUND ON THE 2008 DONORSCHOOSE.ORG BLOGGER CHALLENGE In October of 2007, bloggers competed to see who could rally the most support for public schools via DonorsChoose.org. Blog readers gave $420,000 to classroom projects benefiting 75,000 students in low-income communities. While A-list bloggers like Engadget and TechCrunch inspired great generosity, smaller blogs with really engaged readers generated even more!
The next DonorsChoose.org Blogger Challenge, running through the month of October, promises to have an even bigger impact. Technorati is sponsoring the rankings, and Fortune magazine is already committed to covering the event.

Also, I will be leaving this post up at the top of my page until October 31, which is the day the challenge ends!

More giving opportunities!

Just read over at Chicago Moms Blog that they are also participating in the donorchoose.org blogger challenge.
Probably I would have just piggy-backed off of them had I known this before I set up my page, but I didn't!
But, because I don't think you can ever give too much, here is there giving page for you to view so that you can have more options to give!

The New Haircut ...

Well, my daughters and I have been growing our hair out for Locks of Love for 18 months now. We all decided last week it was finally time to get it cut. So I booked the appointment, and tonight, all three of us (together) had our hair chopped off.

The before shot:


The during shot:


(I might add the stylists were all nice enough to make those cuts with us standing by each other so that my husband could take some shots of it. We kind of were the buzz of the salon because the three of us were getting the hair cut together for the purpose of donation!)

After (from the back):


After (from the front):



A little background here.
My (now) 8 year old is the one who suggested we do this. The (now) 6 year old was all over doing it too - not that she understood really what we were doing 100% but she knew she would have long hair, then short hair, and help another child out - which is enough knowledge I think! So, at that point I jumped in to say I would do it too.
I am glad I did it with girls. I think it made charity seem a lot better for them, because not only did I support them, but I did it with them - if that makes sense. I will proudly mail all our ponytail's in and it felt good to do this.

However, all of that said, I really hate my hair right now. Ugh. I just want to cry and not leave the house. I know right now it might be shock of getting so much chopped off talking. And the best news, it will grow back again - which is fabulous! But, as if me not liking it wasn't enough, my husband admitted he didn't like it either. Ugh. Here's praying it grows back quickly!

On the up side, I would be open to doing this again. But next time, I will grow my hair much longer so that when I get it cut, I have more length that stays on my head LOL!

Hello

Happy Memorial Day to everyone who reads this blog.
And a big thank you to everyone who has served our country, or is currently serving our country. And also a big thank you to the families who stay at home while loved ones serve. I can not even imagine what a sacrifice it is for everyone involved. I am truly grateful for it.

For those of you who would like to reach out and help soldiers and/or their families, please visit Soldiers' Angel to find out how you can help!

Everyone have a safe, happy, and healthy memorial day!

I almost never do this ...

But I'm going to share this here with everyone. And I almost never talk about places you should give money to, so you have to understand how much this means to me. And just so you know, I do actually know these people. I attended Jerry's wake. He was married to a college friend of mine. I was at their (very lovely) wedding. This is not a friend of a friend of a friend. I whole heartedly support their cause, and if - and only if - you want to as well, please also consider donating to their team. And if nothing else, please just send prayers. Jerry has not passed away all that long ago and the pain they are feeling I can only imagine is quite immense still.

Dear Family, Friends, and Co-Workers,

As all of you know, my husband recently passed away due to complications with his diabetes. I have felt very overwhelmed with the fact that Jerry will never be coming home, and each day brings new obstacles of life without him. With that said, I am compelled to support a very special cause, so fewer families may have to experience what my family and I are experiencing now.

This year, I'll be taking part in the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation's Walk to Cure Diabetes. It is the first year the walk is being held in the QC area, at Niabi Zoo on Sat. May 3rd (Mark your calendars, the Chicago-land walk will be Saturday, October 5th).

My friend Lindy Slyter is the captain of our team, All For Jerry, and she and I, along with other friends and family, will be walking in honor of Jerry. You can join our team and walk with us, or you can donate to JDRF. Any way you give support, is more than appreciated-Our team goal is $5,000. We look forward to a fun day to raise awareness about diabetes, and give back in hopes for finding a cure. ALL FOR JERRY, always for Jerry!

Please visit my Walk Web page if you would like to donate online or see how close I am to reaching my personal goal:

http://walk.jdrf.org/walker.cfm?id=87008617

I'm writing to ask for your support because now more than ever, EACH of us can be a part of bringing about a cure. Each of us can make a real difference. We would love for you to join us walking on Saturday, May 3 and for you to donate as much as you are able toward this great cause.

http://walk.jdrf.org

To walk with us: From the website, you can join our team-go to “register for a walk now” in Illinois, and at Niabi Zoo in Coal Valley. When you are registering, be sure to put in our team name, All For Jerry, and the captain name is Lindy Slyter. Please choose yes to joining Walk Central, as this site will give you access to information for our team.

To Donate: If you would like to donate, please go to the “support a walker” section, put in the walker's first and last name, as well as our team name “All for Jerry,” and the state of Illinois.

Together, we can make the cure a reality.

Thank you & God Bless,

Team ALL FOR JERRY

Getting Serious ...

Okay, I'm getting serious over here.
I printed off about 50 preemie patterns tonight. Now all I need to do is check over needle stash, buy yarn, and officially register on The Preemie Project and I'm all set to get started!
Some of the patterns are so cute and sweet too! I know that it will be fun to knit them up and get them all together.
I'm hoping that I can do 25 sets - matching hats, booties/socks, and a blanket. We'll see if my children cooperate with that plan though LOL!!! I know that I will give it my best and whatever I can accomplish I will do with a happy heart =)