Thankful Thursday - People are Awesome

I posted yesterday about a collection going on in Fairfax, Virginia to be delivered to those in need from Sandy.  It was so heartwarming and I hope a lot of people take advantage of this time to do something so huge for people so in need.  

While I was trying to figure out screen shots to share the information - I saw something else that just made me so thankful and happy and get all weepy.  My favorite place to go for drinks and dinner, Vino e Formaggio, shared some information on their wall about Thanksgiving:

Doesn't it make you cry?  Its beyond sweet and I can't wait to hear how it goes.  Maybe I can install hidden cameras or something so I can sneak a peak at the happenings while we are doing our own Thanksgiving.

And then my friend Kristin posted this on my wall: 

This was such good news as I wouldn't be able to drive out to Fairfax tomorrow and we really don't have the funds this week to buy extra.  Now I can get into the attic for our extra coats, pull together the clothes I had set aside for donating, and check sale ads for deals on items that are needed.  Yay!  

Source - Liveinthenow.com

So besides being thankful for these people in my life and in my town who want to pull together to help others, I have spent a lot of time this week thinking of how thankful I am for the little things that others might not have had with Hurricane Sandy and then with the Nor'easter Athena. 

I am so thankful for my home, my 75 year old furnace that heats my home, my silly striped socks that keep my feet warm in my boots, my favorite blankets that I keep in each room ready for snuggling.  I am thankful for my old wood floors that don’t ever seem cold on our feet.  I am thankful for my coffee maker that brews my favorite organic, fair trade coffees for me. I am thankful for my not so creepy basement that has a french drain and keeps it from flooding.  I am thankful for neighbors who look out for each other and my great location so we can walk anywhere.  When I was 9 months pregnant with Liam, Tim was out of town and we got the first of two huge snowstorms. We had 2 feet of snow on the ground and I was home with the 2 boys thinking that if I went into labor - I could just walk to the hospital!  

I am thankful for old friends and new friends and knowing that I can count on people if we need anything.  I am thankful that today I got to have lunch with Tim and Liam and Kyle at Kyle's school.  We even stayed for recess and got to see Kyle keeping an eye out for Liam and Liam hold his own with the big kids.  We got to get lots of hugs from Kyle in front of his friends.  And once we got home Liam brought me a teddy bear that was scared of a raccoon and we worked it all out.  I am thankful that the Angry Birds people made a Star Wars edition because it has made my kids so happy from the moment it was downloaded.  I am thankful to be here and to get to enjoy all of this every day.

How to help after Sandy - really really help

Today I read this awesome Facebook status update from some awesome, crazy women I adore. 

I am so not on top of this screen shot stuff but I wanted to get you all the info.  Please help in any way you can!  Something as simple as picking up an extra $10 worth of groceries (things that are ready to eat would probably help most.  We don't know if cooking  is an option).  Coats that you or your kids don't wear (seriously - you know you have some you won't fit in, don't like the color of, don't wear often, is so last year).  Towels (Target and Walmart have surprisingly nice towels that are inexpensive).  Imagine needing diapers or formula or hand soap.  Think of things that you would bring to be comfortable camping:  those facial wipes (I love Simple brand), granola bars, toys and games to keep the kids busy and to keep you all sane.  These people need us.  Please help however you can. 

Check out Rants from Mommyland's awesome blog here.  And enjoy.  You're welcome.  

Tropical Smoothie Fundraiser!

Come and join us for a fundraiser with Tropical Smoothie Cafe!  15% of your sales will go to MOMS Club of Front Royal and our Clean Birth Kits service project (be sure to mention this fundraiser!).  Tropical Smoothie Cafe has great variety of menu items for breakfast, lunch, dinner and a post-workout refuel.  I am very excited to indulge with the Hummus Veggie toasted wrap (minus the pepperjack cheese - of course!) which I would enjoy with the Lean Machine smoothie (dairy free!).  You can view their menu online and then check the nutritional calculator to see what items you want to add or change to customize your order to your liking!  

I love that the fundraiser goes all day so that I can bring my guys in for an early lunch before the pool or a summery dinner after a day at the park.  The kids menu options allow you to pick a fruit, chips or cookie to go along with their meal (and your sanity level).  I hope to see you all there!   

 

Did you know that every minute a woman dies of complications related to pregnancy and childbirth?  99% of these deaths occur in developing nations.  For every woman who dies in childbirth, another 30 women incur injuries and infections which are often preventable.  (Source: World Health Organization.)

The MOMS Club of Front Royal, VA is excited to announce that we are working on a service project to help reduce maternal and infant mortality in developing nations.  We found a program that provides Clean Birth Kits to very poor areas around the world.  The Clean Birth Kits include eight simple items in a plastic bag including a piece of soap, plastic gloves, squares of gauze, cotton string, a utility blade, plastic sheeting, a clean cloth to wrap the baby, and a pictorial diagram.

As stay at home moms, this project is very dear to our hearts.  As Americans we have access to state of the art medical services.  These small bags of supplies could help ensure that moms in developing nations will survive the birth of their child to raise them into adulthood.

Please consider donating supplies, gift cards, and/or money to help the MOMS Club achieve the initial goal of 250 Clean Birth Kits by the end of July 2012.  The MOMS Club of Front Royal, VA is a 501(c)(3) publicly-supported charity registered with the IRS.  As such, your donations may be tax deductible, check with your tax advisor.

Thank you in advance for your support with a life saving project!

Sincerely,

The Clean Birth Kit Project Committee

The MOMS Club of Front Royal, VA

Front Royal Preschool Fair!

I haven't blogged in a while - this winter has brought mild weather (yay for hikes!) and lots of viruses that won't go away.  But it is March now and spring is in our midst.  It is also time for our:   

 MOMS Club® of Front Royal, VA
3nd Annual Preschool Fair

Are you planning on enrolling your child in preschool for fall 2012 and don’t know where to start?  Do you wish you knew what preschools were available and what they have to offer your child? 

 

The MOMS Club® of Front Royal is hosting a gathering of preschools in the area. This is a great way to get information on many of the preschools and programs for young children in the area while only visiting one place.

Come join us at Samuels Public Library, White Meeting Room in Front Royal. The Fair is FREE and open to the public. 

Saturday March 3, 2012 from 10am-12pm

For more information or to participate, contact us at FrontRoyalPreschoolFair@gmail.com

Finding My Fit

We have a cute neighborhood coffee shop, the Daily Grind, which has incredible dark coffees and cases full of sweets (including vegan options!) and it is just a cozy and wonderful place.  I love walking there with Liam on weekday mornings and I always envision us sitting together me with my coffee, him with his juice, people-watching, and sharing something ridiculously delicious.  It normally works out to me trying to keep him wrangled near the table without me spilling my coffee or tripping over a table leg.  We stopped in last week before browsing the thrift stores and an older gentleman started talking to me while I was putting up our dishes.  He began by telling me about a friend or relative who had written a computer program and ending up selling it to pay for college.  He kept saying that one day Liam was going to go to college and that computer science is where it’s at.  Being that Liam is only 2 (and was not doing a good job staying out of trouble) – I was trying to just be polite but ended up leaving with a lot to think about.  The moral of his story was to figure out what you want before you go to school.  He had thought about being an engineer - and before he took the steps to go to school - he sat down with 4 or 5 other engineers to ask them questions.  He wanted to know what they loved and what they would have done differently.  He said of the 5 only one was really helpful and it led him into a very interesting career as an engineer.  He said that his chosen field was limited to mostly military and government - so he didn't feel he had a lot of latitude if work wasn't around.  He words definitely struck me and I believe it is definitely something that everyone can benefit from.  

When you are a high school student, most conversations with adults revolve around college and your choices of schools, majors, minors, and all the rest.  I am sure I was asked these questions and I am sure I blew them off.  College never seemed an option for me.  I worked full time and didn’t want to think about more school when I couldn’t even think about the following weekend.  Finances were a part of it (although I know my family would have found a way if I really had my heart set) but it was more the huge decision of what I wanted to go to school for.  In my experience, it seemed you either knew what you wanted to do from around the age of 10 or you went to school hoping to figure it out on your journey.  And then there were those people who went to school and graduated only to be unable to find a job in their chosen field.  This was 10 years ago – I can only think things haven’t changed much.  So do you go to school with an idea of what you really want to do and then have a back-up plan (or 3)?  Or do you choose something you hope will still be a big field when you graduate?  It makes my stomach hurt.  How can a 17 or 18 year old make this kind of decision? 

I began working at a law firm when I was 20 and stayed there for 3 years.  I loved the attorneys I worked for and loved researching and liaising with clients (and using phrases like “liaising with clients”) but after 3 years I was about to have a baby and I realized that family law was too depressing.  I detested too many of the criminal law clients and all other kinds of law were too boring to even begin researching.  While I was busy with having two kids in 15 months, I didn’t think about work, let alone school.  Then when we were buying a house I watched lots of HGTV and I spent my waking moments trying to figure out how to make our house (and others) more perfect.  After writing the Biggest Loser program for our MOMS Club – I thought maybe health would be a career to pursue.  But then I got into this blog and realized how many great non-profits there are in my town alone.  So I think non-profit is where it is at.  One idea that has remained constant is the idea of helping. 

But non-profits are still such a wide range!  I have been researching and came across some websites and blogs (of course) and I have decided to join up with some of the non-profit groups in town.  The Humane Society of Warren County is obviously a very fitting choice for me – my Dad used to call me Ellie May as a little girl because I wanted to adopt every animal I saw.  Another group I am interested in is the FrontRoyal Women’s Resource Center.  They seem to be made up of such an interesting group of women whose goal is to help other women in all areas of their lives. 

I am looking forward to a 2012 that will hopefully send me down the right path – or at least shine some light on my options. I am ready to find my inspiration and get moving!