A Photobomb of Peace - inspired by Karen Walrond
Sometimes you meet someone and their personality is so big, so bright, so passionate that you can’t help but be drawn to them.
This is how I feel about Karen Walrond. I met her in Salt Lake City at the EVO Conference. There is something so illuminating, so truly arresting about her. You would think it is her smile. Or maybe her zest for life. Or her passion to highlight The Beauty of Different in each of us. (her upcoming book).
But I think it is that she chooses to make the world a better place Every.Single.Day.
If you have heard of Karen, you are familiar with her flair for photography. And her gift for sharing her process in order to give others a little of that flair.
If you have met Karen, you’ve likely stared at her as I have, mesmerized by the goodness that seeps from her pores. I have always believed that it is my job to share ‘good’ with you. I want people I know and strangers to walk away from me with a smile. I think Karen lives by the same creed, but she has made that job a lifestyle. There isn’t a chance you walk away from her with out a grin. In fact, you probably skip.
And even when she is angry….deep down in her soul, she views that emotion as an opportunity to encourage change. About a week ago, I read a post on Karen’s site: Photobomb is this woman’s answer to a CNN article discussing a Florida Church’s plans to have a Quaran-burning event. With blood boiling, she issued a challenge to her readers…..help her photobomb the church.
Photobomb, you ask?
Find a photograph you have taken - one that, to you, signifies peace. Write a message of giving, love or peace on the back and send it to her. She will, in turn, send these positive, accepting, peaceful images to the church.
I am moved not only to oppose the church’s message of intolerance, but I feel strongly about supporting people like Karen, who spread their goodness every day.
Now, you only have four more days to join in, but I encourage you to do so. Karen will accept photos postmarked through August 25th. More details on her site.
You are Invited to a Virtual Baby Shower
What is a girl to do without friends?
And when you are expecting a baby?? Good heavens….it is your friends who will keep you sane, calm your worries, hold your hands - look in to your eyes and tell you that THIS JOURNEY IS GOING TO BE AMAZING….
And so we have baby showers….not just to ’shower’ the new mother and impending little one with gifts, but really and truly to gather around to say, “we are here now watching you grow and we will be around to do the same for your new sweet one”. At least that is what I imagine we feel as we host, attend and are the recipient of baby showers.
In just more than a week, I am joining my close friends Ria Sharon and Suzanne Tucker, of the amazing site, My Mommy Manual as they co-host a virtual baby shower with St. Louis TV Station, KMOV in honor of morning anchor and expectant mom, Virginia Kerr.
The event, A Mom is Born: A virtual Baby Shower Celebrating a Woman’s Journey into Motherhood will be held on Wednesday, August 25th from 11am to 1pm CST.
This is only the second virtual baby shower ever (Ria and Suzanne held the first last year!) and it will benefit the March of Dimes Missouri Chapter. The shower will celebrate and honor the transition a woman makes as she becomes a mother…..as well as highlighting how friends and family can support her during this amazing time.
Anyone with internet access can attend virtually….(I’m looking at you) You will be able to interact with Virginia and the hosts via live chat during the broadcast. You can watch live on A Mom is Born.
Some fantastic prizes have been donated by event sponsors and will be raffled during the broadcast. For a raffle entry - share your ‘top tip for a new mom‘. You will also have the chance to learn how to personalize a Holding Hands bracelet. (A perfect fit considering My Mommy Manual’s motto is “Why do this alone when we can hold hands?”) The Bracelet symbolizes the connectedness of all mothers. A limited number of bracelets will be sold during the event and a portion of the proceeds will go to the March of Dimes.
How can you support March of Dimes through this event?
• Make a donation via the ChipIn widget below.
• Buy a Holding Hands bracelet for yourself or a loved one.
• Support A Mom Is Born sponsors: Build-A-Bear Workshop, Kolcraft, Goodnite Rooms, Pixie Posie Photography and our Venue Sponsor, Overlook Farm.
Overlook Farm is excited to announce a special package for moms. From now October 15, 2010, (Virgina Kerr’s due date), we invite moms and friends to spend a relaxing night in one of our luxurious inns for the special rate of $125/night. Simply become a fan of Overlook Farm on Facebook to receive this special rate. Mention the virtual baby shower on our wall, and you will be entered to win a Girl’s Weekend Getaway for four to Overlook Farm. Unwind on our 200 acre property, take a soak in our greenhouse hot tub, explore our many gardens, or steal a quiet moment with your best friends with a glass of wine while you watch the sunset over the Mississippi River valley.
Can’t wait to see you there!
Win 50 (Fifty) Computers for your Child’s School from Charter Communications
This just might date me…. scratch that….this will definitely date me:
I remember having computers in school. Sort of. I mean, they weren’t computers by today’s standards. Al Gore hadn’t invented the Internet yet, computers weighed more than I did, the screen was always blue with a flashing cursor in the top left hand side, and only the smartest of the smart people used computers for their actual jobs.
Fast forward to today. Computers are everywhere. In fact, we can CARRY them with us anywhere. The Internet is THE THING (thanks, Al). And EVERYONE needs to know how to use them.
So….this means schools need to have them.
You know if I think I can help a school, I will, right?
And what school doesn’t need new computers?
How about FIFTY new computers??
Charter Communications is giving away FIFTY laptops to TWO schools. I’ll do the math for you - that is ONE HUNDRED computers.
With FIFTY new computers, your kids could work on their math skills, look up new words, create their first resume, learn Power Point…the options are endless.
Heavenly. And just in time for back-to-school.
Here’s how it works:
- You must be in a Charter Serviceable area in order to nominate a school
- You must nominate your school - public or private - by August 12th - you will get to share WHY you think they should win.
- Charter will choose the best 50 Stories for you to vote on
- You will have to tell your friends, family, fellow parents to vote between August 16th and September 20th
- Charter will announce the two winning schools (the highest vote getters) on September 27th
As if it wasn’t enough fun to help your favorite school….YOU are also eligible to win your very own laptop from Charter. They are giving away one laptop every day through September 20th.
What would you do with a new laptop?
A Laptop A Day Giveaway…..
You don’t have to purchase anything to enter, but, as you must to nominate a deserving school, you do have to live in an area where Charter Service is available. If you do choose to switch to Charter - you are additionally eligible for a gift card from any number of stores - including Target (circling back to ‘Back-to-School shopping - a gift hard just might be helpful) Here are all of the RULES.
Hope you jump on and nominate your school. Picture the kid’s faces. Heck, picture the TEACHER’S faces!
If you choose to enter, Good luck and remember, eligibility and contest rules can be found here.
Disclosure: I am a Charter Customer, and have been for more than three years. In fact, I am writing this post right now courtesy of a Charter Internet Connection. I have also worked with Charter on a client basis, so naturally, I wanted to share this wonderful project with you.
Eric Okerblom & The StandUp Act
Long before I was a mom, I empathized with people experiencing tragedy.
Now that I have children, the empathy often results in tears: mine. Talking to someone who has lost a child can rob me of air, it can force the elephant in the room to take up residence on my heart.
In a recent conversation, a man, a father said to me, “Enjoy every second with your kids, you never know when they might be taken away from you.” Dr. Robert Okerblom knows what he is talking about.
Here is his story.
Our Neighborhood Rally - A Lemonade Stand to Fight Child Hunger
The small people and I held a Lemonade Stand to Fight Child Hunger - this is our first contribution to the Child Hunger Ends Here Campaign…. I have to confess, I hoped we would make $25. (which, by the way - would be amazing since $1 = 7 meals so 175 meals) We did it and MY KIDS LEARNED…. I hope this makes you smile: (and maybe inspires you to do something similar)
I commit to fighting child hunger
My small dude is sick. His temperature soared to 103 last night (and that was under his arm).
And it was after Motrin.
I struggled with that ‘helpless mom’ feeling….should I alternate Motrin and Tylenol?…..does this have anything to do with bonking heads with another little boy at the park? A lukewarm compress? A cool bath? Should I worry that he is hallucinating a little? (he asked how long we had been at the doctor’s office when he was lying on me on the couch)
He’s better now, but that helpless feeling is the worst.
I imagine that is the same kind of helplessness that wraps itself around a mom who can’t feed her child. Since there are 17 million kids right here in the U.S. who are hungry….there are also millions of moms haunted by that very emotion.
I looked in Cooper’s eyes and saw fever. I can’t imagine seeing hunger.
Once you learn something horrible, you cant ‘un-learn’ it. Now that I know one in four kids doesn’t know what their next meal might be…or even IF there is a next meal….I am compelled to do something about it.
For the past 6 weeks, I’ve done videos and written posts about the Child Hunger Ends Here campaign. Because I want to make a difference. Because I think YOU should know 1) that it is a problem and 2) that you can help.
Child Hunger Ends Here is supported by the Con Agra Foods Foundation and directly benefits Feeding America.
The Child Hunger Ends Here campaign asks you to do a few very simple things (to clarify - I think they are simple and you don’t need to do all of them to make a difference)
Fight Child Hunger
- Turn an event you are already hosting/joining into a Neighborhood Rally to combat child hunger. (So, if you are ALREADY having a garage sale, a bake sale, a donate a portion of the proceeds - even 10% would be amazing)
- Register your rally online - you will get a rally kit (a banner, some posters etc.) - and any money donated will stay in your local community.
- Tell someone, anyone that child hunger is a problem. Tell them it effects 17 million kids - kids who are trying to learn, trying to grow.
- Donate One Dollar. Just One. When you give One Dollar - you give SEVEN meals - one child can have lunch every day for an entire week because of YOU.
- Buy any of these Con Agra Brands (Peter Pan, Banquet, Healthy Choice, Manwich, Marie Callendars, Orville Redenbacher, Chef Boyardee) before May 31st and One meal will be donated to Feeding America
I committed to doing a local rally. In fact, I’m doing two of them. The first will be this weekend. (the next will be June 19-20 - a Food Drive at Assumption Church in O’Fallon)
My Neighborhood Rally
- What: A Lemonade Stand
- When: This Saturday, May 22nd. 9am-12pm
- Where: The Turtle Creek Subdivision in O’Fallon, MO - between the 8-9th hole of the Golf Course
- Why a Lemonade Stand: 1) It is important for my children to be involved - a Lemonade stand is easy - even for small people and 2) I want you to know that your rally doesn’t have to be a large scale event bringing in thousands of dollars to make a difference.
I know most of you can’t stop by to see us….but consider spreading the word, would ya?
You can Fight Child Hunger with a dollar or an hour
I fed my children dinner tonight.
Somewhere there is another mother who didn’t. Not because she didn’t want to….make no mistake, she would rip out a piece of her heart if it would help….but she simply can’t. The food isn’t there. The money to buy the food isn’t there.
The very thought….the pure knowledge - and yes, I do know that this is happening….makes me physically ill.
I’ve given you the numbers….nearly 17 million children in this country are hungry.
Where I live, in Missouri - there are close to 300,000
But, I’m really worried about Tennessee. Before this past weekend, the number of hungry children in the state was more than 310,000. (using numbers below combined with census stats) But now, with the floods? There are how many more people, families, children in need.
More than 600 people were rescued over the weekend. More than 50 schools were damaged. What happens to the kids who’s main meals were coming from school?
Fortunately, there are people who are making child hunger their number one priority. You may have seen me post this recently….I’m working on the ChildHungerEndsHere Campaign benefitting Feeding America.
The idea? To encourage people like you to host a small neighborhood rally - a garage sale, a bake sale, a potluck - and donate a portion (or all) of the proceeds to fight child hunger.
I’m doing a Lemonade Stand with my kids…..I think it is crucial they understand that there are children who do not know where they will get their next meal. I’ve been encouraging people to host a stand of their own - any Saturday (or Sunday) in May.
One dollar provides 7 meals…..so, even $10 makes a HUGE difference.
In addition to the Lemonade Stand, I am organizing a Food Drive at my church, Assumption, in O’Fallon, Missouri, to be held on June 19-20th. Since the church regularly supports St. Vincent DePaul - everything donated will be split between that organization and Child Hunger Ends Here.
Will you join me? Simply go to ChildHungerEndsHere to register your rally. They will send you a rally kit: a banner, some ConAgra Foods Coupons and posters. And when you donate any portion of your proceeds online…..that money STAYS IN YOUR LOCAL COMMUNITY.
When I last asked for rally suggestions - you gave me some fabulous ideas: children’s festivals, book sales, tricycle races, volleyball tournaments….even growing vegetables in vacant lots.
Thank you so very much for your ideas.
Please send me any pictures you take at your rally - I would love to highlight your efforts to fight child hunger.
