NOT what Baby Jesus would do

MiniMac is quite fascinated with Star Wars. Weeks ago, I purchased a Star Wars egg coloring kit for our Easter eggs. Because nothing says EASTER like Jabba the Hut and light sabers. The kit has been sitting on our kitchen counter for weeks like a little cardboard carrot prompting MiniMac to ask me "Can we color the Star Wars eggs?" approximately, oh, I don't know, 200 times since he laid eyes on the kit. Noted: hide that box until you are ready for it. So we color eggs and envelope them in Star Wars 'wrappits'. Nothing about these eggs seems cuddly, bunnyish or Easter-like. However, MiniMac is quite thrilled with them and wanted to take one in his pocket to school. Denied. You know what else doesnt seem Easter-like? Hiding meds in plastic Easter eggs right before the egg hunt.

Thanks Christ the King in Alabama, because you just made Star Wars eggs that much more alluring to me.

Last weekend, a volunteer at Christ the King Catholic Church in Daphne, Alabama held an egg hunt for the kiddos. You know how kids are at egg hunts right? Like a hundred giddy, swarming bees. OOOPS, said C the King, one of those eggs had a volunteers meds inside of it. Really, volunteer at Christ the King? That is your secret hiding spot? The plastic egg in which pounds of candy was to be inserted and placed in nooks and crannies for beforementioned giddy, swarming bees to find? You hid your 'potentially lethal if ingested by children' meds inside the plastic egg. I am no James Bond but I think I could quickly develop a list of better ideas. Maybe I will do that now and suggest a few other secret, hiding places for your pill collection, Joan Crawford.

Places to puts your meds instead of in the plastic Easter eggs to be given to children:
1. Your pocket (jacket, pants, vest, fanny pack. Its your choice.)
2. Your car
3. Your medicine cabinet
4. Your pill bottle
5. Your purse if you have one or your manbag.
6. A plastic bag marked MEDS you hide in a knothole in a tree.
7. A baby powder bottle like the cartels do it.

The church has requested all eggs be returned, unopened. Yes, that is exactly what the kids like. "Give me all your eggs back and don't touch what is inside." WHY MOMMY? "Because you can't have Xanax on Easter."

 

Take A Bite Of: Bourbon Butterscotch Pudding

Its currently 42 degrees in Atlanta. Maybe for some of you in the Midwest, that temp has you putting on your short-sleeves and heading out to play tennis. In the South, this is sub-par weather when it is officially Spring. Oh, and it is pouring out. So MiniMac's soccer game was cancelled and we are staying in the house. I was out of town three days last week in balmy Texas so a day in the house sounds quite appealing. I am making Ginger Beer (more on that to come) and this fabulous concoction for the mouth I found in Bon Appetit. From my kitchen to yours, enjoy every bite.

Bourbon Butterscotch Pudding 

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
• 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
• 3/4 cup (packed) light brown sugar
• 2 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 tablespoon bourbon or Scotch
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 6 large egg yolks
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• Crème fraîche and crushed gingersnap cookies (for serving; optional)

Special Equipment

• Eight 6-ounce ramekins or bowls

Preparation

• Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; add bean. Cook, swirling pan occasionally, until butter begins to brown and smell nutty, about 3 minutes. Add brown sugar and cook, stirring occasionally, until sugar is starting to dissolve, about 2 minutes. Add cream, milk, bourbon, and salt; bring to a simmer. Remove from heat.
• Whisk egg yolks, cornstarch, and sugar in a large bowl until smooth. Gradually add hot cream mixture, whisking constantly. Wipe out saucepan. Strain custard through a fine-mesh sieve back into saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring often, until custard bubbles occasionally and starts to thicken, 5-6 minutes.
• Remove saucepan from heat and transfer mixture to a blender. Blend briefly on low speed until smooth. Place ramekins or bowls on a rimmed baking sheet. Divide custard evenly among ramekins and chill until set, at least 3 hours. DO AHEAD: Puddings can be made 3 days ahead. Cover and keep chilled.
• Top each pudding with crème fraîche and crushed gingersnaps, if desired.

Cheers for actual Customer Service

I received the following correspondence after ordering MiniMac some awesome pint-sized aviator sunglasses from Goggles and Glasses:


"Your item has been gently taken from our shelves with sterilized contamination-free gloves and placed onto a satin pillow.
A team of 50 employees inspected your product and polished it to make sure it was in the best possible condition before mailing.
Our packing specialist from Japan lit a candle and a hush fell over the crowd as he put your product into the finest cardboard box that money can buy.
We all had a wonderful celebration afterwards and the whole party is set to march down the street to the post office (72501) where the entire town of Batesville will wave "Bon Voyage!!" to your package.
I hope you had a wonderful time shopping with us on Gogglesandglasses. We sure did.  Your picture is on our wall as "Customer Of The Year". We're all exhausted but can't wait for you to come back to us soon."

In an environment where customer service is no longer a guaranteed part of any consumer transaction, I love it when someone not only does it well but has a hilarious sense of humor in the process.

Have an awesome Saturday and don't get yourselves pinched today.

Size matters

Now that I have your attention, let's discuss a common practice among many women. Oh, I have participated in the discussion a time or two myself but its been a long time and I am quite thankful to say so. On my morning flight to Philly yesterday for a period of approximately 20 minutes which actually felt like forever, I enjoyed very little the conversation of two women behind me discussing of all things, size of her recently received engagement ring. She was excited and giddy the way most women with newly minted fingers are, but it is the line of dialogue that makes me think, 'if he could hear you right now, he would likely change his mind.'

How did we as women devolve into creatures where a large portion of a man's value is directly correlated to the size of the diamond he bought you? Really, tell me how. How can we surpass confidence, intelligence, loyalty, kindness, family ties, ambition, care, skill set, religion even choice of music, books and dance moves and land all the chips on the box marked RING?

The conversation behind me went something like this:
Friend: Oh, did you know he was going to ask you on Valentines Day?
Girl: OMG no, and it was a total surprise. Except we talked about rings for 6 months.
Friend: LET ME SEE IT!
Girl: Didn't he do good?
Friend: WOW that is SUPER DUPER!
Girl: oh, I was VERY specific! (apparently also part of the 'total surprise component')
Friend: Well, you have a keeper.
Girl: Even my Mom was like, OH what a good boy.

Really girls?  Your soon to be spouse is a 'good boy' because he knows "how to buy stuff?"
So the simple act of shopping categorizes him as top shelf? Does he know your system by which he is measured? I hope not. PS: You sound mentally soft. PSS: The first time you get really irritated w/him, talk to your ring about it. PSSS: "mentally soft" is the nice way I say "dumb."

Is it fun to be excited? Yes. I like to say things like "Yippee" and toss in a few high kicks. Is it fun to be giddy? Bring it. Is it fun to get a sparkly new treat? Amen. But this on-going conversation isn't about happy/giddy/sparkly. It is about gauging worth based on size.  

Oh listen, I like baubles like the best of them. My husband is great at picking out gifts and I have some fabulous pieces of jewelry. When I see beautiful jewelry on others, I say, "how awesome" or "that is beautiful" or "what a gorgeous surprise."

I do not look at engagement rings and exclaim "you are so lucky to get that guy based on that ring."
And I was once privy to the most awkward conversation between ring-wearer and another girl  who clearly thought the ring was a 'starter' ring. The ring-wearer made an uncomfortable expression and politely exclaimed, "It was his grandmother's."
My thought: Why are you explaining yourself to Princess Tactless?
My second thought: Now you don't have to invite her to the wedding. 

One of the most beautiful couples I know have simple matching bands.  Frankly, I would also classify them as one of the most happily married couples I know which in this time of society of dwindling counts of happily married people, it is quite a statement.

In the current times where our culture certainly spends days sliding down a sewer pipe of trash television and poor behavior, can we set the bar a little higher? Let'd so and teach younger women to side step this type of conversation. Pretty please?

And now, for something positive

It is a day of damp and wind in Atlanta. A perfect day to burrow under a blanket with a giant cup of tea and spend time reading my newest download, The Life and Times of Benjamin Franklin. It sounds like a delicious plan except for the other thing I have to do today: Work.

Many of you know I started a new job in late 2011 so 2012 was the first full year. I traveled 46 out of 52 weeks last year if that is any indication of how my time is being spent. I am happy to say many goals were met but one of the most important: I still managed a note in my Kindergartener's lunch box every day since he started school last August. It's the small things, people. He did inquire when I arrived home late last night how I managed a note in his lunchbox when I was clearly in Dallas for the past two days. I simply responded, "I'm good like that." To which he replied, "Maybe Daddy wrote it and signed your name."

But WOW, I have missed the blog. I have missed the blog, the writing, the reading and you. I have skipped weeks, recycled and given my writing very little time to shine. I vow to work on it. While 'working' on my other thing I have to do today and every other day: Work.

I flew in late last night from Texas and missed the balmy 68 degrees all other Atlantans enjoyed yesterday. So on this dismal morning, I poured through the news today and found it above average in sad stories and alarming reports. A 9 year old girl gave birth today in Mexico. A former police officer is on a shooting rampage. A man didn't like his order at Burger King and violently attacked the boy behind the counter. Beyonce's publicist is angry over actual yet unflattering photos of her being posted online. The news is what it is but sometimes, all the negative is too much to bear.

So I combed the news until I found something positive. I have done this many times in previous posts but today took three times longer than expected. However, there is light at the end of the dark media tunnel.

15 year old Malala Yousufzai has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.  This girl penned a blog about the Taliban banning education for women in Pakistan. As a punishment, the Taliban boarded a bus she was on and shot her three times including once in the skull. In an environment that knows no constitutional amendments like 'Freedom of Speech" you have to applaud any girl who bravely takes a stance on the importance of education to help women of her country find a voice, find a path and find freedom otherwise denied to them. This is the courage and tenacity some of the world's greatest leaders have also demonstrated.

What were you doing at 15? I was reading big books and playing soccer but I was also stomping on ketchup packages outside of McDonald's, lip synching to Madonna at every given chance and pining after my brother's friend Tom.

In the entire world, there are only 231 formal nominations for the Nobel Peace Prize.  The youngest person to ever win was 32 year old Mairead Corrigan in the 1970s so if Malala wins, she will take that crown as well. Congratulations on your strength and your recovery. It is a true miracle she lived and further proof, she has a reason to believe. And best of luck to you, young lady. You are shining brightly in the world.

Happy Birthday, Baby...

 

I am in New York. I am not at home with you, pouring your smoothie or a bowl of Cheerios. I will see you tonight but this morning, all I can do is think about you. My baby. My only one who is slowly in front of my eyes turning into a man. I wrote this for you before. It still rings true. 'Love' doesnt begin to cover it, but in a short story, you are awesome.

I knew you were stirring about 12 hours after conception. How did I know? It is a puzzle. It is similar to waking up one day speaking fluent French when you had never before heard a word of it whispered. But I did know and as my body made way for you, I recognized I was approaching what would be the most important job I ever have.

Everyday as you grew and swam inside my tummy I committed to many things. One of those things was I read out loud to you everyday. I started at the beginning of The New York Times Complete Book of Knowledge and read you stories about the history of rock and roll, ballet, economics, modern science. The second thing was everyday, I put headphones on that growing abdomen and played you all of my favorite songs. (Sorry about the Ludacris song that slipped in the mix. That’s not appropriate for babies.) And I wonder if these daily acts influenced your strong proclivity towards words and music. And might explain how in a perfectly normal fashion you said the word paleontologist wen you were only two or how you started a sentence last summer with "First and foremost, Daddy."

And in your first minutes of life as we held you, you looked right in Daddy’s eyes. Having spent limited time with babies before you came, we couldn’t believe how small and fragile you were. Or that we made you. And here was something no two other people could create. And there you were, and the minute you began to unfurl your happiness into the world around us, I knew I wasn’t ever going to be the same.

I have been fortunate to be successful at many things I have tried. And the things I am not highly successful at i.e. beating Daddy at golf or surfing do not keep me from trying.

But the thing I want to be the most successful at is you. Being a Mom was a great aspiration but I never dreamed of fluffy wedding gowns and white picket fences as a girl. I wanted to know how to kick a soccer ball further and how to perfectly lip sync to Madonna. Oh, and how to argue effectively. You’ll see. But getting to know you has given me reason to really evaluate myself, and ask what kind of leader I will be to you. I am primarily good. I have responded with instincts I didn’t know I had. I have displayed patience that baffles my entire family. But they know the reason is you. But you bring goodness that is pure and true to light. But I am far from perfect. And in my life, I have been impatient more often than I should. And I have been unkind and ill-tempered at times. That is why I hope you only inherited certain parts of me. (And certain parts of Daddy while we on the subject.) 

I made you a list when you were three. I am giving it to you again because it is still early enough for you to select only the good qualities and positive influences we can share and discard the other.

Please inherit from Mom:
Sense of: humor, adventure, loyalty, protectiveness of others
Love of: music, athletics, laughter, travel, reading, cooking, and singing.
Interest in: education, diversity and culture, social issues, charity/philanthropy
Interest in style
Interest in fitness
Amazing memory
Dancing skills
Appropriately placed sarcasm

Please do not inherit from Mom:
Impatience
Favored use of the F word
Interest in being right
Interest in debating (which is a nice word for arguing)
Interest in Rap Music (unless it's old school)
Interest in negotiating. Everything. (Or do inherit this and do NOT attempt to use this skill on me OR Daddy. Your grandparents can fend for themselves and thus are fair game.)
Interest in finding loopholes to get around rules
Interest in acceleration especially in vehicles
Amazing memory you will attempt to use against me at some point
Interest in frozen twinkies. They are good but actually disgusting.
Sissy scream upon seeing a snake 
Biting sarcasm
Smart-assery (There is a difference between sarcasm and smart-assery.) 

Please inherit from Dad:
Amazing golf skills
Ultra-high metabolism
Amazing eye color (yours look like mine at times, and his at times)
Thoughtfulness
Intelligence
Flexibility
Tolerance for change
Emotional fortitude
Attention to detail
Pragmatic approach to all things
Vast interest in the world and seeing many parts of it

Please do NOT inherit from Dad:
Impatience
Morning grumpiness and when I say morning I mean ALL morning
Facial expressions that do not hide true feelings especially when those feelings are not nice
Poor, poor dancing skills
Hatred of making the bed every day
Fairly high interest in Tequila

Over-zealous interest in Vegas

It is a rather slight list, my little love. And quite workable I hope. Thank you for being the best reason in the world to want to be a better person and an amazing Mom. I will do my earnest best to meet those goals.

Happy 6th birthday. We love you. 

From Mr. Rogers neighborhood...

There are no words to soothe what happened in Connecticut yesterday. All I can offer are prayers and a thousand thoughts of love and healing for everyone impacted.

I saw this a moment ago and appreciate the very simple wisdom and sentiment. Have a safe weekend.

Give, give, give....

Last year, I took MiniMac to the toy store and let him pick out 20 gifts we would then take to my office for a toy collection my company sponsored. I had been talking to him for years about charity and giving but let me assure you, a 2 year old does not necessarily want to pick out toys and give them away, unopened and waiting for eager hands to fully explore. Last year, he did great. While taking the elevator up to my office, a woman asked if he was on his way to work. Mini explained he was too little to work. A man asked if the bags of toys belonged to him. Mini replied, "These toys are for other kids. If you have more than you need,  you should share." I almost cried on the spot.

This year, I wanted to expand our toy purchase into "Five Acts of Kindness." We discussed what we would do, and more importantly why.

In the simplest of terms, I told him kindness has a ripple effect. You impact one person, they in turn impact another, and so on. It works in both the positive and negative. He thought earnestly about the message and took it in. Some of our choices for how to complete this task on Saturday included delivering 4 dozen cookies to our local fire station, a charity Christmas tree farm, our bank, and a carwash service. At each location, MiniMac simply handed the cookies over and said, "Happy Holidays." He was able to witness first hand how the smallest gesture can be grandly received. (PS: I am confident a woman at the carwash that spilled out of a car, tripped over a twig on her way to approach us to tell us about the "Crunk Cinderella" show she was in had definitely ingested some magical chemicals. And I don't mean magic like the elves make. Apparently, everyone absorbs Holiday Cheer differently.) (PSS: I dont exactly know what CRUNK is but I am quite certain it is less like "broccoli" or "pure thoughts" and more like "Sizzzerp" or "Crack". In the car, MiniMac said, "She was funny."
RIGHT.  

We also went to the toy store and made enough purchases to fill the entire backseat of my car. We took them to a local shelter where MiniMac explained to the Director what we were doing. The Director clearly knew but had a sweet conversation about it anyway. And he did tell me he doesn't see kids quite this young involved.

I will add it was quite tricky to again have the conversation about how all children don't get toys when Mini asked, "But doesn't Santa bring toys to everyone who is not on the naughty list?"
But how that went down is a blog post for another day.

Finally, we went to Starbucks and purchased a gift card simply to give to the woman behind us. She responded with such delight, her and MiniMac stood there and laughed together for several minutes. (He was only laughing because she was laughing and smiling. She was laughing in that deep down,  shimmy and shake, full of soul kind of laugh that is simply awesome.)

When we drove home, I asked Mini how he felt. "My heart feels good, Mom." Amen.

Later that night, MiniMac hugged me and said, 'What an amazing day. I loved our day of sharing. "

Me too, little man, me too.

I hope you read 31 Days of Goodness below and pick ONE thing to do. Hope your holiday season has kicked off beautifully.

31 Days of Goodness (Version 4.0)

For the past three years on December 1, I have crafted a post called 31 Days of Goodness. I am amazed at the outcome of love, heart, philanthropy and true goodness that results. Every year, the post gets some record number of views and shares.  I have you and your good hearts to thank. We should all be interested and willing to do great things for other people.

It was initially prompted by a service project I got involved with in my son's previous class. For the holidays, his class adopted a single parent family with five children. The list of needs from this family did not include Xbox, iPad or Cars 2 on BluRay. The list did include toothbrushes, toothpaste, coats, underwear and socks. Have you ever asked for a toothbrush for Christmas?  It is a reminder many of us are lucky to take many things for granted. And it is also a reminder we have the power to do so much for other people. 

Weeks ago, I spent the day with a group of coworkers at a Ronald McDonald house baking dozens and dozens of cookies for the families using it as temporary residence while their children undergo major medical treatment. Late in the afternoon, a young girl with leukemia came into the kitchen and shyly took one of my chocolate chip cookies from a plate. Moments later, she exclaimed, "This is the best cookie I have ever had!" It is a reminder of several key things: 1. We often are "too busy" to really appreciate the smallest things. 2. Regardless of circumstances, perspective is everything. 3. You can't underestimate the power of the smallest kind gesture.

So, this crisp December morning I want to share again. There are abundance of opportunities for every person to contribute from around the globe to your own community. Let's get motivated to turn skills, hearts and minds into our most powerful tools to help others. It is time for the 31 days of Goodness Version 4.0. 

Consider it a good karmic investment, a guarantee to put a little jingle in your bells, and your way to lean over that blade of grass and whisper: grow, grow.

FREE GOODNESS:

1. Give blood. It doesn't hurt. Or it you do think it hurts, it only hurts for 2 seconds. And then you get a cookie and some juice, you baby. To find a local blood bank: Visit Give Life.  

2. Sign up at Volunteer Match to make an impact in your own zip code. This service provides a number of options to get involved. Its good for your heart, your soul, and one less reason to sit on the couch eating holiday snack mix. 

3. Use your brilliance to help at-risk students. Do you know over a million teens drop out of school annually? Sign up to tutors and assist at-risk classrooms for 10 months at City Year.   

4. You know those many frocks you have harbored in your closet? Some since that holiday party in 2005? Give your closet some breathing room while doing something wonderful for a high school student. You can donate any gowns/special occasion dress (and accessories) to Princess Project which will coordinate and prep your gear for a young lady to wear to her high school prom.

5. Manly friends and friends with access to a manly closet, you are not excluded. Any gently used office attire for men can be used by Career Gear which helps men down on their luck on job-hunting, interview skills and loans them clothes to do their best at the interview. 

6. Donate a day of your life to help a struggling family. Women Build, a part of Habitat for Humanity, has over 25 sites that assist low-income families to get into a house. Get your gloves, grab your hammer, and make a difference. It will be a day you never forget.   

7.  I shared this last year and it is still awesome. A charity I am very close to is Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. Even if you live as far away from here as possible, you can agree no one would choose to see their child/grandchild/sibling or any child they loved hospitalized, ESPECIALLY at the holiday time. CHOA expects over a thousand kids to be hospitalized this holiday season. What can you do?  Send a short note to help them meet their goal of providing a note to every child in their care during this time. Visit Share With Children's to send your message. OR, find your local children's hospital on the web and do something similar.

8. Mentor/coach/tutor a future writing superstar at 826 National  which now has 8 nonprofit writing centers which helped over 29,000 students last year! Many of you are writers so let your talent shine as you encourage and help guide creative writing talents in students age 16-18.

9. Sign up to volunteer to play bingo with Seniors. You will be elderly one day too and if you don't have all the kick and vigor you once did, you might be in an assisted living venue. Regardless of age, people still want to engage, laugh and have fun. JMac and I did this one afternoon and it was hilarious. When one sweet, tiny elderly Southern Belle won Bingo, she yelled, "SWEEEEEET JESUS!" I still smile every time I think of it.

10. Sign up to volunteer with Kids Enjoy Exercise Now  and become a one on one volunteer to teach kids or young adults with physical and developmental disabilities about noncompetitive sports. Their motto is "Accepting Every Child" which is outstanding.

11.  Donate shoes (you know you have more than you can ever wear!) to Share Your Soles.  You can also pony up a buck to provide laundry soap to wash 30 pairs of shoes.  

12. Donate your old cell phones to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence. Go to the site and click under Take Action and then Donate.

13. For those with little time but big interest, visit this site I found last year Sparked. Its a microvolunteering network that matches you and your passions with different opportunities. Guess what? Some of these tasks take MINUTES like snapping a pic of a local park safe for kids to play.) 

14. Get involved. To start, visit Do Something which is a fantastic website. Their motto: Powering Offline Action.  Find service projects in your zip code. They also encourage you to engage your teenage family members to get involved in philanthropy. Their aim is to inspire the next generation of “doers”. You can also find local events/charities/nonprofits to support at Do Good Channel.  You can also visit All For Good which helps you find AND share opportunities to do good. I typed in our zip code and found almost 1000 opportunities. AMAZING.   
 
15. Play Free Rice and every correct vocab word you identify, 10 grains of rice are donated to the UN World Food Program. This is an addictive game so put on your SmartyPants and get to it.  You can also play Free Kibble and for every correct answer, they add 10 pieces of dog food for an animal shelter in need. You need a break from playing Angry Birds, don't you?

16.  For a minimum of one hour a week for one year, you could mentor an at-risk teen online at I Could Be. You can give guidance and help a teenager reformat their life, goals, and self-confidence.

SMALL DONATION RELATED GOODNESS

17. This could almost count as free goodness, but for $2 (yes, you read that correctly, TWO dollars) you can buy a set of drumsticks for a low-income public school student learning to play the drums at Little Kids Rock. If not because you have a little rock and roll in your own heart, do it because that is one awesome name for a charity. 

18. Did you know over 67 million children in the world are NOT attending elementary school. For $25, you can help Pencils of Promise sends a child to school for almost 3 months. Pony up $118 and they can attend for the year. Remember every time you griped about not wanting to go to school? You would NEVER feel that way if you didn't have the option.

19. Visit  Senhoa which hires survivors of Sex Trafficing and teaches them work skills (like making jewelry which is available on the site) to safely transition back into society.

20.  Almost 5o millions Americans are facing serious hunger problems. $21 to Feeding America will feed a family for TWO WEEKS. has been doing great service for seniors in the US since 1954. While you are at it, Meals on Wheels needs your help too. $14 will provide two nutritious meals delivered by volunteers to a housebound senior. You can also learn more about them if you want to volunteer. They have the largest volunteer base in the world and they still need help. 

21. For $25 to Why Hunger you can not only get a salad on the table of an at-risk teen, you can get that teen on a healthy path. Why Hunger focuses on helping needy kids not only grow produce for their own dinner table, but take that produce to farmer's market and help them foster independence, work acumen and a means of supporting their families. 

22.  For $20, you can supply a blanket, book and stuffed animal or toy through Project Night Night to one of the over 300,000 kids living in homeless shelters right now. You can donate baby blankets, stuffed animals, and children’s books to this group as well.

23. With the alarming increase of bullying in schools, send $25 to Stand for the Silent  run by Laura and Kirk Smalley, who lost their son Tyler due to incessant bullying. Your donation will help support Kirk's many speaking engagements and seminars to end bulling and promote anti-bullying training for youth and schools. Bullying is not to be tolerated. It starts as early as kindergarten. 

24. One of my all-time FAVES: Give a loan that will change a life. For as little as $25 at Kiva.org you can help men and woman all over the world start businesses. You can choose your cause and donate through this peer-to-peer program. You can also watch the progress of your recipient. You will be paid back as well but that is the least important aspect.

25. You can't live a day without internet. Imagine it a luxury you could not enjoy. You can make it a reality for Afghan women. $25 to Young Women for Change donates a desk to the first ever female-only Web Cafe in Kabul. 

26. Always on the list are options to support soldiers. Just a tiny $4 contribution to Cell Phones for Soldiers will provide two hours of prepaid phone service for a soldier overseas to call home. You can also donate your old cell phones to them for recycling and they will use the proceeds to buy calling cards for troops. Awesome. This charity was actually started by teenage siblings. 

27. You are not a bit surprised 50% of this country's youth are obese. It is tragic. $50 to Action for Healthy Kids buys PE or Athletic equipment for struggling school districts.

28. Help the teachers who are educating our children and the future leaders of the world! At Donors Choose, you will be connected online to classrooms in need. You can search by projects and view long lists provided by teachers regarding classroom needs. Everything from writing utensils, science equipment and musical instruments. It doesn't even need to be said how sad it is that teachers are paying out of their own pockets in many school districts for necessary supplies. As the mother of a kindergartener, I can not believe the amount of supplies we are asked to give because the school district does not provide them. YIKES.

29. Donate a minimum of $10.00 to Pajama Program  which provides new jammies and books for kids in orphanages, group homes, and shelters who are waiting to be (or hoping to be) adopted. To date, they have given almost ONE MILLION books and pjs to kids who need them. 
 

30. Go to Best Friends and make a small donation to help this organization dealing with thousands of displaced pets. Your money can help set up shelters, prepare furry friends for adoption, or have microchips put into the animals. You know the unbelievable hurricans

31. Teen Mom shows? Vomit. The reality is, somewhere our young girls are seriously misguided in this country but there is help available to young moms. And sometimes, the right information can turn someone's life around. $50 to the Nurse-Family Partnership will provide coaching and smart information about pregnancy, healthy habits and smart parenting to FIVE first-time young moms. 

As I wrote for the past three years in closing, just think of the impact if everyone who read this simply picked one of these options? Talk about the love! Lets act. Let it be the minimum we do this year.  

Cheers to a gorgeous holiday season, JennyMac