Thought For Today

God doesn't give you the people you want, He gives you the people you need:
To help you, to hurt you, to leave you, to love you, and to make you into the person you were meant to be.

All American Mommy Top Pick Book: Hope Faith and Charlie

Looking for a good book to curl up with? Looking for a story to inspire your life? Hope Faith and Charlie is the book that you need to read! I had a hard time putting the book down and finished it in less than 3 days. The author, Deirdre Carey has a writing style that I enjoy and I was captivated by her true story from the first page.

I highly recommend this book to anyone! We all face challenges in our lives and reading this true story proves that the power of prayer, the power of faith, strength, and courage can move mountains. Hope Faith and Charlie touched my heart in so many ways.

Hope Faith and Charlie is an inspirational journey of one child's courageous battle with cancer, his family's fight to save his life, and the blessings that happened along the way. John and Deirdre had been married five years and were doting parents of two beautiful, happy and healthy sons. Jay, age two, and Charlie, who was just shy of six-months old. Life was good: they had a strong marriage, solid careers, a comfortable home, and a beautiful little family created out of love. Then the sky fell in. In an instant, their life together was turned upside down with the discovery that Charlie had a massive brain tumor. Further diagnosis would uncover a rare form of brain and spine cancer that would more than likely take his precious life far too soon.

This inspiring story of love, devotion, perseverance and survival takes you on the emotional roller coaster ride their family endured as they valiantly fought to save their child's life. It's about how one child defied the incredible odds and invaluable lessons learned through this life-changing experience. It will renew your faith as you witness a true miracle unfold.

About the Author: Deirdre Carey was born and raised in Westwood, MA. She graduated from Regis College in Weston, MA with a BS in Communications in 1989 and went on to pursue her dream of working in the fast-paced world of advertising. She and her two sons, Jay and Charlie, along with their beagle Hershey, now reside in Franklin, MA. Deirdre, a single working mother, is the Director of Client Services at Kel & Partners, a marketing and public relations agency based in Westborough, MA. Deirdre enjoys skiing, biking, and cruising the high seas with her sons, reading her beloved People Magazine, and vacationing on Cape Cod with her family and friends.

Learn more and order your copy of Hope Faith and Charile at www.hopefaithandcharlie.com. 10% of all proceeds will be donated directly to The Floating Hospital for Children's Cancer Center at Tufts-New England Medical Center.

Custom Made Beaded Plaques from Sandra Magsamen (3 Giveaways)

Penny or You may have seen these beautiful creations from Sandra Magsamen (Living Artfully) at JCWalmart. Now you have the chance to win one that will be customized just for you!

Sandra offers her beautiful beaded plaques and other creations that make great gifts for moms, dads, babies, teachers, grandparents......anyone! I just love them!

Check out Sandra's website by clicking here! On the Living Artfully page you'll find fun and creative suggestions and inspirations for living artfully. You'll also find great books!

Sandra is an artist, art therapist, mom, award-winning author, and creator of several lifestyle brands. She uses her own creativity to fashion gifts and collections that help people express themselves and connect with others. Sandra and her art have been featured on several websites, magazines, shows such as The Today Show. She is a true inspiration!

Giveaway: 3 winners!!!
Visit Sandra's About page here and comment about what you find most interesting or inspiring about Sandra and her work.
Extra entries: 1 extra entry for blogging about this giveaway, 1 extra entry tweet this giveaway.
Extended to 10/31/2009!

Pediped Is Committed to Giving Back

Not only does Pediped make the best children's shoes, they also give back. I love all the rockin' styles they have to offer, the superior quality of their shoes and I am SOOOO loving it that they give back. LOVE IT!! We give Pediped the All American Mommy award! Read more below and click here to view their website.

pediped® became a national sponsor of the Make-A-Wish Foundation out of a desire to care for children beyond their feet and raised over $115,00 for this cause in 2008.
Coming Oct. 25 is a new pediped® fundraiser, Stars for a Wish, in which the company will auction more than 50 celebrity-autographed shoes with 100 percent of money raised to benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Among the celebrities who have signed shoes for the auction are Heidi Klum, Jessica Alba, Courteney Cox, Faith Hill, Jerome Bettis and David Ortiz.

The Make-A-Wish Foundation grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy. Founded in 1980 when a group of caring volunteers helped a young boy fulfill his dream of becoming a police officer, the Foundation is now the largest wish-granting charity in the world, with 65 chapters in the United States and its territories. With the help of generous donors and nearly 25,000 volunteers, the Make-A-Wish Foundation grants a wish every 40 minutes and has granted more than 180,000 wishes in the United States since its inception. For more information about the Make-A-Wish Foundation, visit wish.org and discover how you can share the power of a wish^®.

My Latest Project

Check out the before and after pictures of our bathroom that we just updated. We bought our house last year and it was a great deal because it was a foreclosed home but it had been trashed by the previous owners. Not only that but it was completely outdated! There were light fixtures, wallpaper (on most every wall) and decor from the 70's. We are finally (I hope!!) getting to the last of our projects which was one of our bathrooms. We'll be doing some landscaping in the next month which I'm really looking forward to! I just love working outdoors!

Lil' Sugarplum Gives Back

Lil' Sugarplum has the most adorable hair accessories for little girls! Haley and I love all of the designs. Lil' Sugarplum was founded by Monique, a stay at home mom, who got her inspiration for her lovely designs when she had her first little girl.

Even some celebrity babies have been seen in Lil' Sugarplum designs! These beautiful creations have been featured in magazines and websites. Check out the celebrity baby photos here!

Lil' Sugarplum offers a variety of hair accessories and other goodies including baby hair clips, toddler and girl hair clips, holiday hair clips, baby and toddler ponytail holders, dog bows, necklaces, hair clip holders, baby booties, badly stick on bows and baby hats. I certainly could have used some of those baldy stick on bows when Haley was a just a few months old. You can find so many adorable hair clips, bows and headbands to top off any outfit. These are perfect for Easter outfits!


I adore the styles of Lil' Sugarplum and I love that Monique is raising her children at home and using her creative side to create and share her beautiful creations. What I love most is that Lil' Sugarplum gives back!

Lil' Sugarplum gives back to the March of Dimes. The March of Dimes is working to prevent premature births.

Please visit www.lilsugarplum.com for more information and to place your order!

Spreading The Word

As most of you know that I have a huge passion for charities! Check out my interview with Smart Poodle Publishing! I hope this will open the door to more opportunities that will get me out into the community and helping in every way that I can. Click here to check it out and leave your comments about the interview.

Stopping Domestic Violence

ClickToEmpower.org. Do you or does someone you know live with domestic violence? I surely hope not but statistics show that 1 in 4 women in America have dealt with domestic violence in their lifetime. This truly breaks my heart! I have dealt with domestic violence in my life but not directly. My mother was married to an emotionally abusive man for 16 years of my life. I was so relieved when she decided to get out of the relationship and I’m thankful that there are resources available to help women get out of these situations! I wanted to share this information with all of you to help spread the word. There is help out there! Please pass this on to anyone you know who needs help!

The recent activities surrounding Chris Brown and Rihanna are unfortunate but they do shine a spotlight on domestic violence and provide an opportunity to increase awareness about the issue and resources available to help those in need. The Allstate Foundation’s Web site, ClickToEmpower.org, is a great resource for victims and survivors of domestic violence. This site is for “Real People with Real Stories.”

Here are some of the tools that ClickToEmpower.org offers:

Find Resources – Navigate through the site to get information on domestic violence, how The Allstate Foundation helps to financially empower women and where to get help.

Start a Conversation – Have something to say? Want to share a story with the community? Now, you can sign up for an account and start the dialogue with other members through the Click To Empower forum.

Spread the Word – Upload buttons and banners to your personal profile pages or forward a message to a family/friend to show your support to end domestic violence.

Engage with Social Networking Tools – Add Click To Empower to your Facebook or MySpace page. You can also view a series of YouTube survivor stories. The stories are told by the very women who survived abusive relationships and showcase The Allstate Foundation’s support of economic empowerment.

Style That Gives Back

I am so excited to be sharing Me to We with you! They make the best clothes AND they give back! 50% of their profit to be exact. WOW! I've been loving my hoodie from Me to We, especially on these cold winter days! The quality is phenomenal! This is my "one and only" hoodie now.

Me to We: [Responsible Style] provides better clothes for a better world to socially responsible consumers and companies that want to make a difference through their purchasing habits. Customers can choose from fashionable, high quality apparel for men and women that is produced under fundamentally ethical, sweatshop-free conditions, using environmentally friendly fabrics including 100% organic cotton, bamboo and recycled polyester. Oh, once you feel the organic cotton, you won't want anything else. I didn't know this but bamboo is naturally anti-bacterial which means you can wear these clothes for days odor-free.

Me to We: [Responsible Style] gives fifty percent of it's profit directly to Free The Children to support development projects in rural and impoverished areas around the globe. I love it - hip, trendy clothes for a great cause!

Free The Children is the world's largest network of children helping children through education, with more than one million youth involved in their innovative education and development programs in 45 countries. Since it's beginning in 1995, Free The Children has built more than 500 schools, implemented alternative income projects helping more than 23,500 women, shipped $15 million dollars in essential medical supplies to 40 countries, provided healthcare centers and community funding helping 512,500 people and they've helped 138,500 people by providing access to clean water and improved sanitation.

Please visit www.metowestyle.com for more information.

The Institutes For The Achievement Of Human Potential

Educating and teaching our children to be all that they can be is every parents hope and dream. If you have a child with learning difficulties or a brain injury, it's hard to know where to find help and resources. The Institutes For The Achievement Of Human Potential is a great resource for all parents who want to help and teach their children to succeed to the fullest of their potential.

The Institutes For The Achievement Of Human Potential is a group of non-profit Institutes founded in 1955 by Glenn Doman. The Institutes is internationally known for its pioneering work in child brain development and for its programs to help brain-injured children achieve wellness. Historically, brain-injured children have been considered hopeless. Thousands of parents have come to the Institutes to learn how to treat their children at home. Those parents have proven beyond any doubt that brain-injured children are not hopeless, but instead have tremendous potential. The Institutes exists to insure that all brain-injured children have a fighting chance to be well.

The Institutes For The Achievement Of Human Potential can help you start your child on the road to success with so many courses and books to help you along the way. You can actually teach your baby to read! Children can learn anything and through the course, How to Multiply Your Baby's Intelligence, you'll be provided with the essential information you need to create an enriched home environment for your children. Through this course you can learn reading, encyclopedic knowledge, math, physical ability and nutrition, music and foreign language.

I, from my own experience with Haley, firmly believe that we as parents are the best teachers our children could ever have. I started teaching Haley simple things like shapes, colors, etc. at the age of 1 1/2 and I was reading to her already when she was only 3 months old. Today she is an outstanding student with a large vocabulary and learning comes easy to her. She was reading years before we ever did as kids. The proof here is that if you give it them, they will learn it.

The Gentle Revolution Press creates, publishes and distributes the highest-quality materials and books of The Institutes For The Achievement Of Human Potential. The book that started it all was How To Teach Your Baby To Read. When it first appeared it not only created quite a sensation but it helped to unleash the creativity of parents. Other books and materials that are available include How Smart Is Your Baby, Your Smart Baby Newborn Programs, Asics Infant Crawling Track, Teach Your Baby To Read, Books for beginning readers, Teach Your Baby Math, Bit of intelligence card sets, Multiply Your Baby's Intelligence, What To Do About Your Brain-Injured Child and the list goes on.

If you'd like to learn more about early childhood development and the great resources available please visit http://iahp.org for more information.

Avoiding Weekend Weight Gain

So it's Monday and you're feeling guilty about all the treats you had over the weekend. The weekends seem to be the hardest when trying to follow a diet or change your eating habits. I know for me, winter is especially hard. The winters here in Michigan are cold and gray so it's hard to get outdoors to be active. Not only that, I crave all the rich and heavy meals. Here are some great tips that I stumbled upon to avoid the weekend weight gain.

Weigh yourself regularly - weigh in on Friday mornings and again on Monday mornings. Knowing that you have to weigh again on Monday will help you through the weekend.

Focus on eating healthy - stock up on healthy snacks like fruit and veggies, popcorn, and nuts. Make a pot of chili earlier in the week to enjoy on the weekends. Eat high fiber and low-fat proteins to make you feel satisfied longer.

Plan ahead - if you're planning a dinner out, eat a salad for snack before you go. Take snacks along in the car if you'll be out shopping or running errands.

Watch your portion sizes - the size of a baseball equals a cup serving of fruits or veggies, the size of a golf ball is equal to a serving of nuts or peanut butter, and a deck of cards equals a serving of meat.

Let's get physical - get off the couch and hit the road! Take the dog for a walk, go sledding or walk around the mall. Take the stairs and park your car far out in the parking lot.

Eat a healthy breakfast - stick to eggs and egg whites for protein, high fiber toast and fruit will keep you satisfied far longer than a stack of pancakes drenched in syrup.

Think thin - keep your goals in mind.

Watch the beverage calories - alcholic drinks can pack as many calories as a full meal so beware. Also beware of fruit juice and regular pop.

Eat at home - not only will you save money, you'll save over 30% in calories on average.

Share with We-Care.com!

Sharing IS Caring!

We-Care.com is an online marketplace that represents more than 700 retailers and every purchase means a donation to charity. The merchants include household names like Target, FAO Schwarz, Smith & Hawken, Nike and more. They also work with small boutiques so there’s something for everyone. Check it out at http://we-care.com.

Shoppers can direct their donation to ANY charity. Any school, non-profit or association is elgible and shoppers can identify them at any time. Contributions can begin immediately.We-Care.com is a better way of shopping. You can shop as you normally do, at your favorite online merchants, but by adding an extra click through We-Care.com or using our plug-in, a percentage of the purchase is donated to the nonprofit, school, or association of your choice. Merchants include retail, travel, financial services and quite a bit more. For more information, please visit http://we-care.com.

Giving Thanks

It Truly is Better to Give than to Receive!

The economy is tough right now. We probably all know of someone that's been affected by the poor economic status. Maybe you know of someone that's lost their job or can't work due to medical reasons, or they live on one income so mom can stay home and care for the kids, or parents who have issues and can barely feed and clothe their children. It's all so sad!

We can all make a difference in someone's life! I have already featured many companies who give back. You can help by simply shopping with those retailers. Check my Gift Guide Page. You can also help by giving to the charities that I have listed below. It only takes a little to make a big difference. Best of all, you'll feel good knowing that you helped someone who has much less than you have! It's great to get you kids involved too! Teach them to help others to create a generation of generosity!

Hasbro Candy Land Game that gives back!
Hasbro, Inc. created this special version of Candy Land, depicting all of the magical places that can be found only at Give Kids The World Village. For several decades, Candy Land has been a tradition for families - often a child's first game. This new version is also the only board game available that depicts children with disabilities. Two children in wheelchairs are seen on the board - helping parents teach their children that everyone is special regardless of their physical limitations.
100% of the sales generated from the sale of this game directly benefits the children who visit Give Kids The World Village. Each game is only $10 plus shipping and handling.
The Give Kids The World edition of Candy Land can be bought online at https://mailhost.gktw.org:8443/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=https://mailhost.gktw.org:8443/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://store.gktw.org/
Give The Kids The World grants wishes for children who have life-threatening illnesses. Families stay for a cost-free, week long vacation in Central Florida. Help make a child's wish come true!

One Is Greater Than None
The bracelets are still being sold and the 1>0 line apparel line was successfully launched in NYC in February and was picked up by Bloomingales. Proceeds get donated to 1>0 and children are able to be saved from this life of abuse. With the support of hundreds of people, the girls of “One is Greater than None” have raised enough money to sponsor 8 of these children. They are working on sponsoring an entire rescue mission of 25 children but they need our help. Your support is invaluable in helping us to spread the word. Please visit the site http://www.oneisgreaterthannone.org/. People around the nation are helping to make this happen. The girls appeared on Martha Stewart. The Today Show and other National Shows and we need your help to keep voicing the word about 1>0.

And…If you haven’t already seen it- please take a quick look at One Is Greater Than None’s first year!

I know you’ll really enjoy it!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUveZFUvjC0

Oceana

During the 2008 winter holiday season, shoppers can virtually adopt a marine creature through Oceana’s website, www.Oceana.org/adopt, starting at $35 and going to $150. In return for making an adoption, donors have several gift options to choose from including six ocean themed cookie cutters and four plush toys that match their adopted sea creature. The Food Network’s Warren Brown, host of Sugar Rush and owner of DC’s acclaimed bakery, CakeLove has continued his endorsement of the program by donating a sugar cookie recipe that was designed exclusively for our baking packages. Each fulfillment also includes facts about the adopted marine creature and as an extra premium, special gift wrapping and a customized gift certificate.Oceans cover 71 percent of the globe and to the naked eye, they are beautiful. However, beneath the surface, our irresponsible and shortsighted commercial fishing practices have put our oceans at risk. A 2006 report in the journal Science tells us that all of the world's current fisheries could collapse by 2048. At risk is not just a food supply, but also a wealth of magnificent species and the livelihoods of fishing communities everywhere. But we can keep this projection from coming true — we can change how we manage them. But we must act now.

World Vision

Through the World Vision Gift Catalog, parents can make a donation to
dozens of different projects around the world to help other children and
families in need. It's much better than giving an impersonal gift card or
a last-minute purchase like a sweater, and the donations can go a long way
to promoting health and wellness in the developing world. It's a great
value!
Some suggested gifts "for children, to children" include:
- Clothing for children living in poverty in the United States. ($25
provides $325 worth of clothing)
- Soccer balls for children to replace makeshift balls made of trash. ($16
for two soccer balls)
- Safe water for school children ($50 delivers enough water treatment
tablets to provide safe water for up to 250 children for one year)
- Improved seeds for a nourshing harvest ($17)
- A bicycle to help a young girl travel safely to work and school ($85)

Go to www.worldvisiongift.org for more information!

Universal Giving

One of the ways that people can give on our site is through UniversalGiving Gift Packages. They offer a perfect chance to know exactly how you've made an impact. For example, a gift package of $90 pays to sponsor a class in Indonesia. This gift would be a very meaningful and personal way to give on behalf of a teacher (or anyone passionate about education) for instance.

Further examples include:

- $360 Will sponsor a child at a disabled children's home in Sierra Leone for a year
- $100 Will help with medical clinic operating costs in Nepal
- $50 Will help towards sending one million books to children in Africa
- $25 Can heal a child suffering from malnutrition
- $10 Can supply a mosquito bed net and save a life

Our charity Gift Packages are ideal for the "feel-good factor" in these rather depressing times and spread the holiday spirit of giving so much further. They are a great choice for busy people who already have enough to contend with around the holidays. What's more, they are tax deductible, not something you can claim when you're promoting gourmet chocolate covered pretzels! We are also conscious of environmental impact and our gift recipients receive an e-card informing them of the gift package that has been donated on their behalf, rather than a hard copy.

Please check out our Gift Packages at: http://www.universalgiving.org/gifts/

Kids Fashion for Holiday (Gift that gives back)

FiveHumans™ is a company on a mission to cure ignorance of disease through hip, fashionable clothing. Through their creativity, FiveHumans™ (http://www.fivehumans.com/) launched a complete collection of disease related t-shirts, long-sleeves, and hats for men and women, as well as a line for children: LittleHumans™. The collection supports numerous world-wide diseases such as Autism, Cancer, Asthma, Diabetes, and Heart Disease. FiveHumans™ has designated a charitable organization for every cause they support, each of which receives 10% of the sale price of any related product.

Get Organized with Sarah Pinto and Help a Great Cause!

Sarah Pinto offers the cutest designs in organizers that fit right into your purse! Life moves fast these days and I think it’s essential for every mom to stay organized.

With 5 different designs to choose from, these organizers are made (in USA) from recycled paper and soy based inks! You get a three year snapshot view, monthly view, note pages, weekly view, special days, future planning, and telephone/address.

Sarah Pinto is a busy mother of two young boys. She spent a long time looking for a simple, stylish organizer but couldn’t find one so she decided to design one herself!

A portion of the proceeds goes to California Pacific Medical Center Pediatric Cardiology. Sarah’s youngest son, Charlie was born with a heart defect. He was born at CPMC where he had open-heart surgery when he was only two days old. He has had three heart catheters and another open-heart surgery since then. Charlie is doing well.

You get a super cute organizer to keep your life together plus it helps this great cause. Need I say more? Click here to get your organizer!

Give RESPECT

Gifts that Give Back

Family Violence Prevention Fund

For more than two decades, the FVPF has been one of the world's leading organizations working to prevent violence against women and children.

Purchase a RESPECT bracelet exclusively at Macy’s this year! The Family Violence Prevention Fund and Macy’s have teamed up for this multi-year movement designed to raise awareness of domestic violence and dating violence and to encourage positive discourse about prevention by teaching respect. One in three women worldwide and countless families across this country experience domestic violence, sexual assault, and child abuse. Each trendy bracelet is only $5 and makes the perfect gift for teachers, stocking stuffers, and any lady on your Christmas list! Half of the proceeds from the sale of each bracelet goes to benefit the RESPECT! Campaign. Click here for Macy’s media materials.

Here's another way you can help!

In support of the RESPECT Campaign, Geoffrey Beene, LLC will donate $5 every time you offer an "act of respect" on the campaign's site, http://giverespect.org/, up to a total of $500,000 through December 31, 2008. Go to the website and Geoffrey Beene, LLC will automatically donate $5. It's so easy and you can help, click here !