GlobalGiving: Changing the World With Your Help

GlobalGiving connects donors with their own chosen community-based projects.  Projects are broken down by region so you have the choice to pick what you want your donations to go to.  Even Oprah has a registry "For All Women" should you choose to join forces with her.

E-bay and celebrities have joined forces with GlobalGiving to raise additional funds by bidding on celebrity items.  This week is Cher. Proceeds will help care for kids at a school in Kenya, and encourage and empower American soldiers and veterans - both great causes supported by Cher!

They are even sponsoring a challenge to increase the funds by matching.  The Give More - Get More Challenge runs through December 1. Donate to your favorite projects - the more they raise, the more matching funds they can earn. Projects that raise the most money, or get the most donations, can win bonus funding, too!

There are so many options to choose from and so many good causes your money will help both domestic and abroad.  I had never heard of this agency but love the idea of choosing where my funds will go.

Give The Gift of Changing the World – Gift Cards at GlobalGiving.com Start At $10

Public Service Healthcare-Associated Infection

I'm helping spread the word about Healthcare-Associated Infection (HAI) mostly because it's near and dear to me.  If you aren't aware, there are three types of HAIs:

1. Ventilator - Associated Pneumonia (VAP) - VAP is the source of the highest morbidity and mortality of all HAIs.  My two year old's condition worsened a year ago to the point of almost causing her death which was partially attributed to the VAP.  For more information, click HERE.
2. Surgical Site Infections (SSIs) - Another one dear and near to me because three year's ago, my father was diagnosed with colon cancer.  During his treatment, he developed a very painful infection in his tailbone related to a procedure.  Any breach of a patient's skin can lead to infection and can turn deadly. To understand SSIs, click HERE.
3. Cross Contamination (Contact Transfer) is the number one source of HAIs.  To read more, click HERE.

When someone develops an infection at a hospital or other patient care facility that they did not have prior to treatment, this is referred to as a healthcare-associated (sometimes hospital-acquired) infection (HAI).

Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) are a global crisis affecting both patients and healthcare workers.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), at any point in time, 1.4 million people worldwide suffer from infections acquired in hospitals.

A Centers for Disease Control (CDC) report published in March-April 2007 estimated the number of U.S. deaths from healthcare associated infections in 2002 at 98,987.

As part of an ongoing commitment to quality care and infection prevention, nationwide doctors and hospitals are partnering with Kimberly-Clark to deliver continuing education programs on healthcare-associated infection (HAI) prevention to staff and management. As simple as education sounds, busy doctors and nurses on the front lines of delivering care can find it difficult to find the time to take advantage of scheduled programs within their hospitals.

Always remind your healthcare provide to wash his/her hand before touching you. 

To read all about the campaign and access a wealth of resources, go to www.haiwatchnews.com.

What three favorite family Thanksgiving traditions have you passed or will pass on to your children?

Growing up in a limited extended family, holiday traditions weren't overly memorable.  We did have the tradition of celebrating Thanksgiving with an overindulgent feast but that is all I can recall.  The holidays are very special to me and I hope that with my actions, my girls will grow up to continue, extend or find their own tradition. 

TwitterMoms (click for how to enter your traditions) has teamed up with Target for another thoughtful blogger challenge on "What three favorite Thanksgiving traditions have you plassed or will pass on to your children?"

• Tradition 1:  Watching football!  We are huge fans of football and all five of us have special teams.  We have own own team supportive jerseys with our names on the back.  The two younger girls get to wear the team's jersey of who they favor or want something from at the moment. 
• Tradition 2:  Creating all the delicious foods my mom made growing up each Thanksgiving.  This includes candied yams which are my favorite!  My mom makes the BEST candied yams. 
• Tradition 3: This is a new tradition as now that we are together as a larger family (remarried three year's ago to my Army husband), I plan on creating a photo book through Target's partner Kodak of the day's pictures and during dinner, each person will need to say what they are thankful for.  The beginning of the book will be broken down by a picture of each person in attendance with their quote added.  The books will be done every year as a momento to the girls as they grow to reflect back at their changing lives.  I'm sure the two year old will just be happy to watch Yo Gabba Gabba but I'll fill in for her.

I hope they will take the memories and grow with them!

Godiva Free Five Piece Truffle Gift When You Spend $50

Godiva.com has so many yummy options and with the new desert collection, it's hard to resist!

Spend $50 and get a five piece pecan truffle gift for free!

Use code PIE at checkout and offer is good through 11/14.

Happy Veteran's Day

My husband is sleeping in this morning but since he's a veteran, that's the least he can do on a day to honor his over 17 years of service, numerous deployments and all the missed time he has had to endure with all five kids.  Yahoo is carrying a story on the origins or signficance of 11 am on 11/11:

Back in 1918, in the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, a stop to hostilities was declared, ending World War I. An armistice to cease the fighting on the Western Front was signed by the Allied powers and Germany.


President Woodrow Wilson immediately proclaimed the day "Armistice Day," kicking off the annual commemoration on November 11. But over the years, with veterans returning from World War II and the Korean War, Armistice Day became Veterans Day — a day reserved to honor veterans returning from all wars. But 11/11 still represented the end of the Great War in the public's mind, and the date stuck.

In 1921, unidentified dead from the war were buried in Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, D.C., Westminster Abbey in London, and the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. The tradition to honor those killed in the war but never identified continues every year in the U.S. The ceremony is held at 11 a.m. at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery.

Congress designated Veterans Day as a legal holiday in 1938, and since then, most Americans have come to know it as a day for store sales and parades. Yahoo! Searches on the holiday have already surged on the Web. People want to know "veterans day history," "veterans day closings," veterans day sales," and "veterans day free meals."

 Make sure to thank a Vet today as they make great sacrifices for our freedom.  The conditions in Afghanistan are deplorable with more and more deaths.  Call your politician and demand to either leave or put out more troops to allow them to have proper defenses.  I usually try to stray away from politics but our men and women are dying and they need the proper support to fight and protect themselves.

Happy Veteran's Day to my husband, my father, my four uncles and all the other men and women!

This Christmas, visit your local VA and volunteer!  Your heart will be warmed and your eyes will fill with happiness as you see how much you can help!

JibJab Fun!

I'm a juvenile and enjoy taking pictures of my girls and turning them into the holiday free creations by JibJab and OfficeMax each holiday season.

My 21 year old is really going to love this one!

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Thank a Soldier This Thanksgiving & Christmas

This is a wonderful way to show appreciation to your men and women in our Armed Services especially in light of the holidays and the constant tragedies of lives lost in the deadly regions as well as the soldiers who lost their lives at Ft. Hood. One soldier leaves behind a wife and daughter right here where I live in Georgia.  The local school is collecting donations to assist this family in their tragic loss.

My husband will be home this Christmas but not next Christmas as he'll be in Kuwait.  Out of the last four years, he will have been gone two of those holidays serving in Iraq and Kuwait.  Luckily he has me to send him packages but many soldiers have no one and receiving packages is a highlight to their days.  Please join in and support any cause that will deliver a card, a letter or a package to one of our brave men or women serving!

Move America Forward Campaign: 

The holiday season, beginning with Thanksgiving, is always a difficult time for our troops deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. They will be missing their moms and dads, brothers and sisters. Many will be missing their wives and children, some that may have been born while they were deployed.

We ask so much from our troops, and they make that sacrifice without asking anything in return. The least we can do is support them with some love and comfort from home, with a message of appreciation.

Send the heroic men and women of our U. S. military a Thanksgiving care package filled with tons of good treats and other comfort items to offer them a gift from home while these heroes are serving their country in the Middle East.

For Thanksgiving we are including 2 special seasonal items: sweet Candy Corn and delicious Baked Pumpkin Seeds!

Sponsor multiple packages to help touch the lives of literally hundreds of U.S. military personnel stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan this holiday season.

Your donation for this care package includes shipping to our U.S. servicemen and/or women stationed in Afghanistan and Iraq, plus your own personalized message included with the care package!

Emily Rose: Cute and Inexpensive Doll Clothes for 15 & 18" Dolls

I wished my little girls played with dolls but they are all into the toys for boys!  A fellow blogger Mommy has this great doll clothes and furniture store that she manages with her little daughter.  Not only does she have the most reasonably priced adorable clothes but she also has extra stuff that helps you take care of your dolls and more!

With Emily Rose, you can even host a party to earn free stuff!  I think that's a great idea if your circle of friends love dolls.  What better reason to get together but to have fun and shop!

If you join the Emily Rose Club, you receive:

• A weekly coupon for your $12, $14 or $16 "Pick of the Week"
• An extra free entry in to our monthly contests (you could win a doll trunk, doll bed or other great prizes)
• Exclusive Club Only "Free Shipping" offers
• Our fun and informative monthly emails packed with contests, articles and "club-only" announcements.

More details as to why EmilyRose should be your place to buy doll clothes, furniture and accessories:

• Free Gift Boxes
• Free Trading Cards
• Flat Rate Shipping
• Fast Delivery
• Product Reviews

ZhuZhu MomSelect Twitter Party Win!

Last night I participated in the MomSelect #ZhuZhuPets Twitter party and my daughter won her own Zhu Zhu Pets™ hamsters!
 Follow both hosts on twitter.com:

• @MomTalkRadio (Maria Bailey, Founder of MomSelect)
• @resourcefulmom hosted the party.

Are you a mommy blogger and want to join? 

Virtual Step Up and Get Fit Challenge Update

The challenge is on and after only

ONE WEEK,

MaryAnn has lost 5.4 pounds!

Great job, MaryAnn! 

Colleen lost 1.5 pounds!!! 

Great job, Colleen!

Carrie lost 2.8 pounds!!!

Great Job, Carrie!

I've lost ..... 0!!!! Shame on me!  I was wrong!  I lost 2 pounds!

11.7 Pounds in ONE week total!

Give some support and look at the participant's blog:

http://momsjournel.blogspot.com/ <-- MaryAnn
http://miiandmywiifamily.blogspot.com/ <-- Colleen
The princess and the monkey <-- Colleen


Keep up the great work and you have a lot of time to be the ultimate winner!

Next week is prize day!  Submit your weigh in on Monday and the biggest loser wins!

Other participants have a blog?  Send it to me!

Didn't sign up and still want to, it's not too late!  Join us!

Neiman Marcus Gourmet Food Event $50 Off of $175 Expires 11/12/09

ONLINE ONLY Now through November 12

GOURMET FOOD EVENT

Receive $50 off* your select regular-priced online Gourmet Food
purchase of $175 or more with code GOURMET

*Online only. To receive $50 off, enter the promo code GOURMET in the promotion code box in your shopping bag during checkout. The value of your select regular-priced gourmet food order must total $175 before shipping and tax. Discount applies to select gourmet food merchandise total only. Does not apply to previous purchases, gift baskets, chocolates, boxed treats, or bridal registry items. Selected merchandise only; qualifying items will be designated on the site with an indication on their product page. Savings reflected at checkout. Value of discount will be distributed across regular-priced qualifying items in proportion to their value. Refunds for returned merchandise will be based on the discounted value of the item. Canceled items may disqualify order for discount. Not valid with any other discount offer, the NM Gift Card® purchase, or in store locations. Offer expires 11/12/09 at 11:59 PM CT.

Top Three Green-Living Tips & More

I used to not think too much about living greener until recently where I started changing habits to live a little better.  Just by looking at my own household and the volume of trash taken out, I knew I had to do something to help reduce the waste we produce not to mention going green can mean lower costs.  TwitterMoms and LighterSaferGreener is sponsoring this great awareness blogger contest for the top three green-living tips.

Thanks to my blogging, I was introduced to the Pur Water Filtration Pitcher which is a very obvious change to make to reduce wastes considering I would normally throw away at least five empty plastic bottles a day.  This change reduces waste, eliminates the growing expensive purchases of bottled water and provides a little control in what my family and I are actually drinking.  This is probably my biggest green-living tip.  The great thing about the Pur system is they have flavor cartridges to allow a little jazz in every glass of water.  Lemon is my favorite but they have other flavors that should appeal to anyone.

My second Green-Living tip is eliminating the need to use all those plastic shopping bags at the store and use the great recycled shopping bags that I picked up for free.  It's amazing how much you can actually carry in those bags which makes it easier to get back into the house.  I was reluctant to use them until my 21 year old kept needling me to switch as she works at Publix and loves the bags herself.  They fold up nice and neat and can be put away in the car for the next trip out.  The amount of waste due to these bags is unreal.  The only thing I used to do with the bags is reuse them for the small trash can liners which Target bags work the best for that task.  I found the bags from Publix and Walmart were useless and there was no point in not doing my part by switching. 

My third Green-Living tip includes purchasing as many organic fruits and vegetables, wherever possible, since that means a reduction in the number of harmful chemicals in the soils and our groundwater plus we get healthier food.

Other tips I use for living green:

• We participate in the school's Capri Sun Pouch recyling program where the school works with a vendor who exchanges the voucher for school for cash and they recycle the pouches.  They also recycle paper and newspapers.
• I avoid printing e-mails for work as I'm a telecommuter.  The documents that are not confidential, I let the girls draw pictures on the back.
• Use your local FreeCycle program from Yahoo.  Many products are reused thanks to this great program that allows communities to give and take items for free.
• I use energy efficient light bulbs that may costs a little more but they use less energy and require less changing.
• I use canned vegetables cans during the holidays to bake decorative homemade bread gifts.  The cans be decorated with left over Christmas wrap from last year and the ribbons and bows can be added to spruce up the presentation.
• I use past Christmas cards to make my own gift tags by layering other papers and ribbons and projects I print off my computer to personalize such as photos.
• We drink a lot of lemonade and with all those empty sturdy cans, I reuse them to start plants in late fall to be planted outside.

Want to get involved, learn more about what you can do or participate in the blog challenge? 


Go here:

20% Off EVERYTHING at CVS November 9 & 10

Well, the e-mail reads "everything" but the small print (below) shows otherwise.  Still, you might find some good bargains by using code 2DAY20 at checkout at http://www.cvs.com/.


Here's the small print:

*Offer available online only. Expires 11/10/09 at 11:59 PM EST. These products are not discounted: AeroGarden, Alli, As Seen on TV products, Beauty 360 products, Burts Bees, Conair Infinity, DS Laboratories, Epilady, GHT, Jitterbug, Kelemata, Kidco, LaRoche-Posay, Lierac, Lifetone Fire Alarm & Clock, LipFusion, Maxoderm, Medela, Medical Nutrition Products, Olay Pro X, Omnilux, OXO, Philips Heartstart Home Defibrillator, Rapidlash, Resperate, Rock Hard Weekend, Sinupulse, Skin Doctors, Vichy/Dermablend, Violight, Zanfel, Zeno. The 20% sale cannot be combined with another product sale running at the same time. You will receive the larger discount. Valid on nonprescription items only.

I'm Looking for Unique Stocking Stuffer Ideas

Calling out to all the mommy bloggers and business women!  I'm on the hunt for unique stocking stuffers for my family.  Ages from 2 and up.

Have anything neat or unique?  Please leave a comment!

Thanks!

One Year Anniversary Post Hospitalization

It's been ONE year since my precious baby almost died from a mysterous ailment that no one figured out what was going on.  She was born prematurely and was in the PICU for over a week and never had another issue until a couple of weeks post vaccinations.  Suddenly, out of nowhere, she developed asthma per the ER doctors.  We went on a roller coaster with the Army hospital until she crashed hard and was taken to the local children's hospital.  They ran test after test but to no avail.  However, she became healthy again and thankfully as my husband was in Iraq at that time. 

After his return, we took her trick or treating and she developed a cold.  It all went downhill fast after that.  The Army hospital didn't know how to tend to her as they didn't even have a pediatrician at the entire facility.  After HOURS spent, they finally had to take her to a children's hospital over two hours away in Savannah.  Luckily for us, we had the most amazing ER doctor ever and she owes her life to him.  The Army hospital and local children's staff who accompanied us to the other children's hospital (the local was full), saturated her heart and lungs with IV fluid to try to get her heart rate down from too much albuterol.  Her lungs started to collapse but they were able to resolve the heart saturation with no long term effects.

They ended up intubating her and it was touch and go.  Numerous specialists were called in and after many procedures, a swollen baby, she finally came out of it much to my sheer delight and joy.  It was a very trying moment as I had my then five year old at home still adjusting to her very new epilepsy that came out of nowhere within two weeks of the asthma for my then one year old.  This is sounding confusing now!

After a very long, drawn out story, I'm happy to say that she has not been in the hospital since February of 2009 and I've finally been able to treat her without crashing thanks to the wonderful doctors at the local children's hospital.  She started to croup two day's ago and my heart sank with fear.  I started the albuterol regularly on top of her twice a day Flovent and once a day Singulair and luckily it's passing ... shew!

Now if I can only keep away the flu and H1N1!