Well Now What?

I started this blog to help people fund raise for their adoptions and give you the reader ideas to make your Christmas more meaningful. Now that the tinsel is gone and the tree is back in the attic, I debated for some time as to the fate of this blog. It seemed sad to put it away until next holiday season, since it seems as if we Americans can conjure a holiday at least every other week.

I've decided to stay and since people still need to help have their fundraising projects (and I really love to shop), the blog will continue to highlight products that give back, make you think and perhaps make you laugh.

Meet the Marquis family. This fellow Ethiopian adoptive family had such a fun time making their bottle cap necklaces for their adoption, they are doing it again to raise money for Ethiopia Reads,an organization which brings books to children in Ethiopia.

Check out these awesome designs just in time for Valentine's Day: Go here. Send some love.

There Is Still Time!

I buy a new ornament every year for our Christmas tree. It's acutally my first gift to my husband every year. This year, I knew we had to have an Africa ornament to celebrate our adoption.

Meet the Jenkins family. They are currently in process of brining home a toddler from Ethiopia. Debi makes these amazing ornaments. Check them out. She can even customize them.

All the proceeds go towards their adoption costs. Hurry and get one for you tree this year.

Emails & Noonday!

I love getting emails from people who are fundraising for their adoptions. The Mortellite family is fundraising for their adoption and they have partnered with Noonday Collections. Noonday is a company that partners with craftsman and artisans all over the world and create unique products that produce sustainable jobs. When you go to http://noondaycollection.com/ and purchase something, put "Mortellite" in the memo line and a portion of your proceeds will go to the Mortellite family. Also, if you want to host a trunk show for Noonday, you can request information on their site.

Check this out:

This is an Inca Steps necklace which is made in Equador from nuts off the tagua palm tree. TOO cool.


Check out the paper mache bracelets:

This handquilted journal was made in India:

And these fabulous arm warmers are made in Peru and are currently on their way to my house!

So head on over to Noonday Collection and then head to the Mortellite's blog and read more about their story and Just. Love. http://www.justloveethiopia.blogspot.com/

All She Wants For Christmas!

Check out these necklaces:

I ran into this blog awhile ago because the fabulous woman who did my blog layout also did one for an 11year old girl. You might think that a blog for the average 11 year old would be devoted to shoes, clothes, boys and makeup. NOT the case at Little Goody Two shoes. While this girl does blog about clothes, shoes and boys, it is devoted to raising money for clothes, shoes and boys and girls in a carepoint in Africa.

Recently, several more children have been brought to this orphanage and they are all lacking shoes. Little Goody Two Shoes is seeking to change that by Christmas and she only lacks a little over $1000.00 for 6o pair of custom made feet in Ethiopia. She has made some amazing bottle cap necklaces that can be purchased for only $5 and all the proceeds go to her shoe fund with Children's HopeChest. I LOVE this idea and I can't think of another 11 year old who is so focused on someone else this Christmas. I'm going to buy my necklaces now. Come with me!

Our Very Own Tradition

Traditions are cool because they are your own. It's something unique to you and/or your family. It creates a memory to relive forever. It's also the hardest thing to think about when you are a young family.
Thanksgiving is always hard because if any amount of people you love live close by, then you race across town or state to have breakfast/lunch/dinner with everyone you know. With this being the first year our kids were home, EVERYONE and their dog wanted to have a meal with us. Which is great, but to two kids who ate small portions maybe twice a day, this concept was really over their heads and I really wanted to cook my own turkey.
So that's what we did. We visited with family, I took the day off from cooking and on Friday, I got up while everyone was invading the toy aisle at Target, and I bought a turkey for .25/lb. and we had our first four-some feast, a week after everyone else.

What do you do that is unique to your family and how did the tradition start?

My Favorite Giving Gift So Far!

You've got to go here and here to read about my favorite giving gift so far this season. I have some of the coolest friends ever!

I'm That Brave

Tomorrow is a big day. People to see. Places to go. Yummy things to eat. A time for family, friends, food, football and fun. I should be cooking. Or cleaning. Or packing our car. But I can't. I have a million other things to do and waning time left in which to accomplish it all. And yet, I cannot move. I am paralyzed knowing that across my city, only a few miles from my house, sits a mother whose heart is breaking.
You see, my friend Alecia leaves in 12 days for Russia. She is taking her husband and three small children and getting on a plane to bring home two angels, a 13 year old boy and a 6-8 year old girl.
But my friend Alecia may not be able to get on that plane. And only one thing is stopping her. Money. They have 12 days to raise $19,000. In order to save on costs, they went through a facilitator instead of an agency, which saved them a ton of money. But with fees, tickets, travel costs and immigration paperwork, it still adds up. This amazing family has applied for grants and loans, only to be denied because they didn't go through an agency. Does that infuriate you? It does me. And it should you.
Now, adoption is tricky and hard and a complete miracle of redemption. But it is also expensive. Emotionally, physically, and financially draining. Raising a teenager is no easy business, but signing up for a teenager, well, that's just God at work. I don't think I'm that brave. And I can't imagine sitting across town wondering about my two children across the world and wondering how tomorrow I'm going to be thankful. I know I'm not that brave. Our God is the God of miracles and tonight, while I know we all have a million things to do, re-printing this post, donating some $, getting on our knees and begging the God of heaven to come down and provide for what He favors and shouting that this Thanksgiving, we're going to be thankful that two more children have found their forever home! I AM that brave!

You can go here and read the Horner's story. You can go here to shop my Etsy store and 1/2 the proceeds will go to their adoption.