auction features part two

Click here to read part one of this series, featuring additional artists and friends who have donated to the Harvest Honey March of Dimes auction.

Continuing with yesterday's theme, I am featuring the lovely ladies who have donated items to the Harvest Honey March of Dimes auction.  This is an auction designed to support two of my dear friends who are walking in the Erie, PA March for Babies in May.  They have a goal of raising $1000 for the March of Dimes, an organization which supports research and enables women to have healthy babies.

Today, I am featuring those ladies who have donated gift certificates and services to the Harvest Honey March of Dimes auction. 

(For those of you wondering, the Harvest Honey's is a group of women from around the globe who have all had babies due or born in October 2008.  We are a tight-knit community of moms who support one another through thick and thin.  I don't know what I'd do without the friendships I have made with many of these fabulous ladies.  But, that's a post for another day.)

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Annabelle's Closet is a Facebook Shop run by Harvest Honey Mama Crystal Lewis.  This page is named for her daughter, Annabelle (aka Belle), who was a long-awaited blessing.  She is Crystal's youngest child and only birth daughter.  Crystal began her resell business many years ago, when she was first trying to get pregnant with Belle.  She started out as an ebay seller and has since joined the Facebook bandwagon.

Crystal's Facebook shop, Annabelle's Closet has amassed nearly 2.000 fans in a very short period of time.  Crystal shops several consignment stores, outlets, and boutiques in a four state radius to find the best bargains to bring to her customers.  Her eye for quality is impeccable, her prices are more than reasonable, and her customer service is superb.  She also has a team of admins who volunteer their time to help keep Annabelle's Closet running smoothly.

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 The Gymboree Closet is another Facebook shop, operated by Catherine.  Catherine specializes in reselling Gymboree, as well as Janie and Jack, Gap, and other name brands.  She sells both new and gently used clothing.  Like Annabelle's Closet, she boasts nearly 2,000 fans and is based in Colorado.  

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The last, but not least, Reseller Gift Certificate in the Harvest Honey March of Dimes auction comes from My Littlemen's Closets, operated by Harvest Honey Mama Jennifer Zwirsky.  Jennifer and her family reside in Saskatchewan.  She focuses on reselling boy's clothing in smaller sizes.

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 Kara's Kloset, another Facebook reseller, has donated this 20% off coupon to Crazy 8, in addition to a clothing item.  This coupon can be used online or in the store, through May 1.  Kara's Kloset is operated by Danielle Matthews, mother of two young girls.  Danielle lives up in Minnesota and I am so jealous!  If I lived up her way, I'd be hitting up the Mall of America quite often!  I guess it's a good thing my husband doesn't want to move that way, huh?  Anyway, she's an incredibly loyal friend and an all-around great person.  

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Lea Williams is the creative genius behind Paradise Productions.  She makes video montages which are so touching, they'll bring tears to your eyes.  Lea will take your own photographs and digital videos and create a personalized DVD slideshow, perfect for sharing with family and friends.  Weddings, babies, celebrations, even funerals, she will put together something just for you.  She has donated a deluxe package worth up to $149.  Lea has a wonderful two year old son, whom she takes to the pool everyday from March through November (or so it seems).  He can really swim like a fish!

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Christa Pena, of Dazzling Darling Designs, has donated one card design to the Harvest Honey March of Dimes auction.  Christa makes beautiful customized photo cards to match any occasion, using your own photographs in your choice of designs.  Christa is a West-Coast mama who just recently gave birth to her third child, a beautiful baby girl (pictured above).  In addition to the card design, Christa has also whipped out the sewing machine just today to produce a lovely burp cloth, which was also donated to the auction. 

To bid on any of these items, click here.  All money collected will be donated directly to the March of Dimes.  Please read the rules before bidding and have fun!

This post is linked to Things I Love Thursday, hosted by The Diaper Diaries.

auction features

The March of Dimes auction that I wrote about last week is still going strong, though bidding has slowed a bit.  Don't forget that you have until April 10th to bid on all of the fabulous items that have been donated for this great cause.  Also, if you live in the United States, your purchase will be tax deductible as a donation to the March of Dimes.  We all need a little help on our taxes, right?

I've promised to share some of the wonderful shop owners and friends who have so generously donated their time, talents, and products to this cause.  I can't possibly show them all here, so be sure to check back the rest of the week for a complete listing.  Or, you could just hop over to the auction page and get a sneak peak of all the lovely goodies!

This 3T/4T handmade skirt is from Halo Boutique.  Angel set up shop a year or so ago, if my memory serves me correctly.  She makes and sells little girls dresses, skirts, tutus, and hair bows.  I just love that she gives all of her dresses a unique name, typically pulled from a growing list of girls in our Harvest Honey group.  (an internet group of moms who all had babies in or around October 08).  What I find amazing is that, though Angel sews for girls, she only has two sweet little boys of her own.  Of course, for them, she makes superhero capes and costumes!  Her family has had a rough time of it, with her oldest son having undergone surgery for multiple brain tumors over the past 18 months, as well as having been diagnosed with autism. What a trooper!  Angel is such a strong mama.  The Harvest Honey March of Dimes auction is blessed to have multiple donations from her shop. 

 

Choose one of these tooth fairy pillows to make retrieving those little teeth in the middle of the night even easier.  Just grab the strap, retrieve the nugget, leave a surprise, and you're out!  I can't guarantee you won't trip over a truck or impale your toe on a Barbie shoe, though!  This item was donated by Sweetie Marie Designs.  Diana also carries bandana dresses, tutus, and hair bows for the special girl in your life.  

 

Every little girl needs a great selection of bows.  This very-springy set of 12 comes from Pipsqueak Bowtique (love the name!).  In addition to traditional bows, pictured above, the Bowtique also has a selection of hair bows topped with bottlecap images and korker bows.  Chrissy has two darling little girls, ages 2 and 3.  She has been making bows for about a year, but just set up her Facebook page this past January.  

 

Need a great birthday or anytime gift?  How about something different for the Easter basket?  This handmade crayon roll is perfect.  Stay away from those clumsy, hard-sided pencil boxes or flimsy crayon containers and use this instead.  Great for on-the-go mommies.  We take crayons everywhere, don't you?  My children especially love to "leave their mark" on the examining table paper cover in the doctor's office, or on those paper menus provided to kids in restaurants.  This item was donated by a brand-new Facebook shop, Domestic Engineer Gone Crafty.  Hillary also has two small girls, a 2 year old and an infant.  Wow, does she have her hands full! 

 

Like Hillary, Jennifer has a two year old and an infant.  In fact, their babies were born within a week or so of one another!  I don't see how she found the time, but Jenn has donated three hand knit scarves to the March of Dimes auction.   She doesn't sell these things for profit, but she does love to knit!  This is the scarf that I've bid on (currently losing, by the way...), but she has also made two others, including one for a toddler.  

 

Another mommy with lots of love, but no shop, is Kristen.  She had donated a TON of items to the March of Dimes auction.   Again, I'm in awe.  This woman is like a supermom.  She sews, she bakes, she gardens, she raises her two young children, and takes care of her husband.  It has been joked that she would make her own breast-milk butter if she could.  (TMI?  I don't know...)  Anyway, I chose to share this dress with you today because I just lurve it.  In fact, again, I've bid on it (winning this time, hurrah!).  Kristen was my inspiration to learn to sew clothing for my daughter.  I just adore this shirring technique that she introduced us all to.  Last summer, she was such a super-shirrer that she mailed these dresses out to Harvest Honies all across the country, for no cost whatsoever.  What a good friend!  Kristen has also donated another shirred dress, a hot pink minky stuffed pig, and a whole bunch of little springy bird toys.  So cute!

So, what will you be bidding on?  Does anything strike your fancy?  Visit the auction page to see more great items, including jewelry, aprons, nook covers, gift certificates, scrapbook pages, and tote bags.  An array of vendors and friends have made donations, so there is something for everyone's taste and everyone's budget.  Besides, who doesn't love babies?

march of dimes auction

Happy April 1st!  Do you know what day it is?  Aside from April Fool's Day, that is?  Today is the start of the Auction over at Team Ella & Johnny's March of Dimes Facebook Page.  I'm so excited because there are tons of cute things to bid on.  And, most of them are handmade!  But, the best part is that everything up for bid has been donated to the cause, so 100% of your money will go to support the March of Dimes.  Another plus... it's all tax-deductible!  The auction will close on April 10th, so let's start the bidding!

Over the course of the next ten days, I'm going to feature some of the items up for sale here.  Why?  Because I think that all of the things are just great and I want to showcase the generous mamas who donated their time, talent, and supplies to this important cause.

The March of Dimes is an organization that helps moms have full-term pregnancies and researches the problems that threaten the health of babies.  But, they do so much more than that.  They work to prevent birth defects, premature birth, and infant mortality.  They fund research, support NICUs, and educate women about the importance of folic acid and good nutrition.  The organization, which was originally founded to fund research for polio and support those who had suffered from the disease, now focuses solely on helping babies receive the best start possible.  Who wouldn't want to support that?

Specifically, this auction is a fundraising attempt by two women whose lives have been personally touched by the devastation of infant illness and mortality.  Shannon and Katie are two of the strongest women that I will ever have the privilege of knowing.  Shannon's daughter, Ella, was born premature in the fall of 2008.  Since that time, she has had a very difficult time.  Katie's son, Johnny, was also born in the fall of 2008.  Sadly, he earned his angel wings shortly after birth.  Shannon and Katie have turned their struggles into a mission to help others by participating in the May 1 March for Babies in Erie, Pennsylvania.  Please consider helping them to reach their goal of $1000 in donations.  If you choose not to bid, or lose the item for which you are bidding, you may choose to make a donation in the amount of your choice.  Details can be found on the auction's facebook page, here.

love bird grocery tote

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Some of my friends are planning to walk in the Erie, PA March of Dimes March for Babies on May 1, 2011. In order to raise money for the March of Dimes, they have organized a Facebook auction and have been collecting donations of handmade goods to support their cause.

When I heard about this endeavor, I knew I wanted to donate something, but I wasn't sure what.  While perusing the aisles of Joann's last week, this fabric jumped out at me.  A week of brainstorming and a day of sewing later, this is what I came up with.

This handmade canvas grocery tote measures 12 inches wide by 6 inches deep by 14 inches high. The straps are approximately 16 inches long. Includes a fabric-covered cardboard insert for base stability. The tote is made from coordinating fabrics. Side panels and pockets (front and back) are green. Straps and front and back panels are red and tan print. Coordinating pockets are hand-appliqued in felt and lined.

For more information about Team Johnny and Ella and to bid on this or any of the other great handmade items and gift certificates, go to their Facebook page and follow them.  I hope to feature more of the great items up for auction here, if they'll let me, so be on the lookout for that as well.

weekend recap

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 Raked leaves for someone who needed a little help

 Played with snow

Snow's COLD!

Built and decorated a gingerbread tree.  Ate a lot of candy!

Went to Sesame Street Live

Squealed with delight over seeing Elmo

What did you do?

a sunday rant

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Oh. My. God. If I could just get five minutes of peace and quiet in the morning, I'd be happy. But, I think the only way to make that happen is to get up before everyone else. When Alex insists on getting up between 6:30 and 7 AM every day, including weekends, that seems to be darn near impossible. What can I say? I like to sleep.

This weekend, my husband has been kind enough to get up with the kids both mornings. I really appreciate the extra sleep. But, when I do finally roll out of bed around 8:30 or so, I am bombarded with questions, as if I had been away for days. Today, the kids woke me up by playing catch. Right outside the bedroom door. Throwing a ball. Or, maybe two balls, seeing from the evidence. What fun.

Groggily, I got up, walked down the hall, and around the corner to the kitchen. My plan was to fix a pot of coffee, so I might be a more pleasant person as the day wore on. Do you know what I found? A dog. That is, a dog standing in the middle of the kitchen table. Yes, on top of the table. WTF?

We need to go grocery shopping again today, though we just went yesterday.  Of course, I forgot to buy a couple of things on my mental list.  You would, too, if you only kept a mental list and had to take both kids and your husband shopping.  Distractions, anyone?  Also, I thought we had two more full boxes of cereal in the house, enough to last two weeks.  Upon getting up this morning, I discovered we had half of one.  I swear, my oldest kid would eat every last crumb in the house at one sitting, if given the chance.

photo by gmnonic, via a Creative Commons license

 What do you do?  How much should a nine year old eat?  Should I let him eat whenever he wants, as long as the food is healthy?  Or, should I attempt to moderate his intake?  He is a normal weight (seriously, not just normal for now, but completely normal).  If he says he's hungry, which he claims to be all the time, do I feed him?  Really, I feel like I wouldn't be able to keep any food in the house if I let him eat however much he wanted, whenever he wanted.  I have trouble keeping the snacks stocked now.

Fifty years ago, I bet parents didn't worry about this sort of thing.  But, with the rising obesity crisis, how can one not worry?  Even the so-called "healthy" snacks aren't as healthy as they used to be.  We have over-processed every last morsel of food.  Even when it appears to be whole, it has been sprayed with pesticides, chemicals, waxes, and other toxins.  The food that we eat is slowly killing us, and yet we always want to eat more.

Yesterday, my son's Cub Scout den went and raked leaves for a woman who's husband is terminally ill.  He has leukemia and was just readmitted to the hospital on Wednesday.  She is watching the love of her life die, and though she is a physician, she can do nothing for him.  One day, this will be us.  Not my family, per say, but all of us.  We are the fattest nation in the world, yet we are the most undernourished and chemically stressed.  How many of us will actually die of old age?  How many of us will pass due to something like cancer, caused by the carcinogens that we have so easily welcomed into our homes?

So, what do we do?  Do we ignore the risks and live the best lives that we possibly can?  Do we go to the other extreme and only buy organics. locally grown foods, and hormone-free meats?  Do we grow all our own fruits and vegetables, so that we know what is in or on them?  Do we raise chickens in our backyard? Will that even help?  There is cause to wonder.

photo by Darin Barry, via a creative commons license

Blogladesh

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I've tried to remain unaffected.  I've tried to avoid their blogs.  I've tried to keep my distance while three mummy bloggers (from the UK) traveled to Bangladesh to learn more about the struggles of the more than 9 million children who suffer and die in that country each year.  Save the Children has sponsored their trip and is hosting Sian, Eva, and Josie while they are in Bangladesh. 

But, try as I might, I catch glimpses of their blogs, bits of their twitter feed, and pieces of their hearts.  Those ladies are doing a great thing, spreading the stories of so many helpless children.  Their plight, described through words and pictures, might bring more help to their corner of the world.

To think, inflictions as common diarrhea take the lives of 9 million Bangladeshi children each year.  Diarrhea.  A common irritant here in the states, but one that can be cured so easily.   While we can easily monitor our children, take them to the doctor, feed them pedialyte, and generally nurse them back to health, the conditions in poverty-stricken countries are so poor that many children suffer and pass away.

I can't even wrap my head around it.  I can't fathom not being able to afford the care that my children needed for simple childhood illnesses.  So, I'm going to send you over to Josie's home, Sleep is for the Weak, where she will describe the importance of the work she's doing there.  Then, maybe more of us can come to understand.

I think it is a wonderful thing, what these mommy bloggers are doing, especially given the bad rap that mommy bloggers have gotten recently.  We aren't all sitting at home, watching soaps, eating bonbons, and blogging away our days.  Some of us really do make a difference.  So, be inspired by what these ladies are up to and find your own niche.  What can you do to change the world, one day at a time?  How can you make a difference?

Through our actions today, we can likewise inspire our children to do great things.  Take them with you, if possible.  Even little things like picking up trash in a park or delivering a lunch to a homeless person will make a mark on their tiny little lives.  Your moment of caring can transcend time, spreading through your children as they go on to volunteer in bigger and better ways as adults.  Imagine.  If a butterfly's tiny wings could possibly cause a huge hurricane, what will your selfless actions accomplish?

One Missing Gift

The spirit of volunteerism seems to be failing across the country.  There are just fewer and fewer people who are willing to step up and lend a hand or take on a leadership role within an organization that relies on volunteers.  Those of us who do step up are often so inundated with requests that we can easily become over-committed, overwhelmed, and burnt-out. Why is this?  Why are so few people volunteering now?  I believe the problem stems from multiple reasons.  Primarily, our children are over-involved in multiple activities and there are fewer parents who choose to stay home.
        

(source)

When children have too many activities on their plates, parents spend much of their free time shuttling their kids from one place to another.  This cuts down on the time that the adults are able to pledge to each organization.  Therefore, the organizations find themselves short on volunteers.  Additionally, when parents work outside the home, they don't necessarily have the time or ambition to spend additional time dedicated to a volunteer organization.

Furthermore, teenagers who play multiple sports and/or work no longer have time to commit to a volunteer position, as they may have done in the past.  How many of us held volunteer positions as young adults?  Whether we spent time with residents in a nursing home, cleaned up trash along a road, or volunteered as candy stripers at the hospital, volunteerism was once encouraged amongst youth.  

I have to wonder if this is still the case.  How do today's teens have time to volunteer when their lives are filled with work, school, sports, dance, drama, music, etc, etc, etc?  It is no wonder that organizations are scrambling to fill volunteer positions when everyone is consistently busy with multiple commitments.  At some point, we need to teach our children to prioritize while developing selfless hearts.  The best way to do this could just be to teach by example.    

Writer's Workshop: Loss

I am writing this post as a participant in Mama's Losin' It's Writer Workshop.  This is not a lighthearted, happy post, but one I must share.

I got up this morning planning to write about a different experience that caught me off guard.  However, as I got my wits together, I chose to read the local paper's website.  There, right at the top, was a story about a family that my family has gone to church with.  Now, we've been absent from services off and on since the birth of our daughter, so we had not heard their sad news.  Quite frankly, I think I would have been better off, in a way, if I had never heard their story.

The Craighead family helps to raise money for MDA by holding a huge car show every year.  This year should have been no different.  In fact, the show did go on.  But, an important piece of their family was physically missing.  This morning, I learned that their 12 year old son, Cory, passed away last October.  He would have turned 13 this weekend, the same weekend as their annual show.  Cory was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy when he was younger and the disease finally overtook his body.  I admire his parents for continuing to volunteer with the car show, though their young son is no longer with them.  I honestly don't see how they do it.  If I were in the same situation, I would have been distraught for months on end, and perhaps they are.  Yet, they continue to make a difference for other families struggling with this horrid disease.

Children should not pass before their parents, yet sometimes they do.  This story affects me even more strongly, I believe, because we also celebrated a birthday this weekend, as my son turns 9 today.  Thanking God, I remember that he is happy and healthy.  Another friend's son, Caleb, turned 13 this weekend, the same age Cory would have been.  How is it that most children are born healthy, and retain their health, while others perish at such a young age?  How are we supposed to cope with that?  I just can't imagine the anguish that parents who lose their children must feel.  I pray that the Craigheads, and other families facing similar hardships, find comfort and hope in God's presence.  What more can I do?