Help Your Community {with Walgreens!}

Thanks to Walgreens for sponsoring my writing. Help Walgreens help others! Visit their Facebook page here to learn about their charitable partners and decide which cause Walgreens will donate to with a quick vote.

In America, the hunger statistics are staggering.  1 in 6 Americans right now are struggling to feed themselves and their families, and it isn't just in big cities or certain areas of town.  It's everywhere.

In my community, our local churches run a food bank which distributes to anyone who may need it.  Each church takes turns providing workers, and donations come from many sources:  community and businesses around our town.  I'm hoping we can start a garden swap soon too!

So, how can we help?  Well, this year our family is collecting canned goods and other needs on our local food bank's list {it just takes a quick call, I know ours needs baby formula now!} and making donations of food.  Our food bank also welcomes volunteers and accepts monetary donations, too.

September happens to be Hunger Action Month through Feeding America, a domestic charity dedicated to ending hunger in America.  They have partnered with Kraft with a Huddle to Fight Hunger, which is a super easy way to help out!  I just entered in my zip code and picked my local food bank, and Kraft made the donation for me!  You can also do trivia and a 2 minute drill to donate even more!

What other ways do you help fight hunger?  Please share!

Don't forget to help Walgreens help others! Visit their Facebook page here to learn about their charitable partners and decide which cause Walgreens will donate to with a quick vote. I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity, as I do.

Give Back: Help for the Tornado/Flood victims

Disastrous weather seems to keep railing punches in areas around the globe, and so I thought I'd put together a short list of ways that you too, can help heal the pain.

{Service to others can make our small lives seem so much larger.}




Alabama/tornado relief:


Toomer's for Tuscaloosa
Reading this, and knowing the fierce rivalry shared between these two schools, teaches us all the meaning of community.  See how you can help them!


Red Cross {earmarked for Alabama}
As always, a tremendous organization making it simple to donate monetarily to their efforts in recovery.


Couponing to Disney's Relief Efforts
Not only are there great fundraisers she is hosting, but you can donate goods based on needs that her church is then distributing, directly to the hands of those that need it.  Anyone have a stockpile?  Here's a great immediate need for those goods!

Mississippi Flooding relief


Check out this article here with great resources on how you can help flooding relief, along with a detailed list of donation items needed.


If you know any specific needs or an organization I haven't included, please share in the comments!

{break the chains} March Give Back

Do you know what the second largest criminal industry in the world is, right after drugs?

Human trafficking.

"recruiting, transporting and harboring of persons by use of threat, force or deception for the purpose of exploitation."

{United Nations}

This manifests into forced labor, contract slavery, and sexual trafficking.  27 million people worldwide, in bondage.  In the U.S. alone, over 12.3 million children and adults fall victim to this not oft-spoken crime.  The 2011 Superbowl was said to be the largest sex trafficking event in US history.  And their stories are not told.




Great video!  Thanks Gale!! :)

What can we do?
Be aware.  Get educated!!  There are SO many resources, dive in and see where to look for the enslavement and what you can do to help.  Here are some links:http://abolitionministry.org/statistics/http://www.ijm.org/statistics&factsheets/viewcategory
The commercial sex industry heavily contributes to the sex slavery, and my family's very own livelihood, the agriculture and livestock industry, has been a contributor to contract slavery for decades.  It really CAN hit close to home.

Educate Others. I can't stress this importance enough.  A friend of mine in our small sleepy town has started a movement here, bringing to light the horrors of trafficking and what WE, cowboys and ranch wives, can do to support this mission.  Our local movie theater {yes, we do have one!!} hosted a trafficking movie {Call+Response} and packed the theater full.  Our high school speech team themed many of this season's speeches on the topic.  Our small town grocery store carries many fair trade products.  The spread of awareness has touched the lives of many in our town.  You can be the seed of change!

Fair Trade.  Research the companies you routinely buy from.  {Nestle has long been an offender involving their cocoa and coffee production -- they are addressing the problem}  Seek to buy fair trade products when possible.  Encourage businesses to look into their practices to stamp out slavery, let them know it's important to you.

Watch for signs of trafficking.  Know that it can happen next door, and contact authorities when you have concerns.  Don't be afraid to be a voice; you may be the only one to speak out.



{break the chains} Give Back challenges:
do something.  help.
I'm leaving this a little open ended, and though I encourage you to do all and then some, but I'd love to really hear what you discover and resources you have found too.  Pleas share and I'll keep adding them to our list!!

love146.org - Absolutely beautiful organization that works to abolish child sex slavery and helps in the restoration of victims.
Chain Store Reaction - Pressure companies to rid themselves of any kind of slavery in their supply chain.  Head to this site, click on a company's logo, send an email {use a pre-written letter or draft your own} and click send.  Literally takes 5 minutes to contact about 15 companies.  Tracks responses too!
Stop Trafficking Petition - via The Body Shop.  Quick to sign, and every signature helps!
Tiny Hands International One Girl campaign - purchase a bracelet to support Nepal's trafficking epidemic.  Support with prayer and monetary donations for the work this charity does.
Fast for Freedom -  Part of Not For Sale's program.  Starts March 13th.
Free2Work - This site and phone app lets you know which companies are working hard to provide fair trade/slave free products.
Stop the Traffik - "When people act, things change."  Tons of ways to help take action, including putting pressure on Nestle and hosting your very own events!
Shared Hope International - focuses on educating the public, with many many resources
Destiny Rescue - this is the organization that my friend is involved with.  They work to rehabilitate victims of sex trafficking by providing a safe haven to relearn how to live.  Sponsor a child, take the 26 second challenge, host a jewelry party {with jewelry made by Destiny Rescue victims}, or become a community leader. 
Stop Child Trafficking Now - focuses on the prosecuting of predators and bringing awareness to communities.  Sponsors community walks and even a Stiletto Run.
Blog about it.  Tweet about it.  Facebook your friends.  Spread the word.


"Be the change you wish to see in the world." - Gandhi

... and please, let us know what changes you are making right here!!  Leave a comment!!

{Show some charity LOVE} February Give Back recap!!!

Wow, can I just say that I love you guys?

You all have such big hearts, and really inspire ME to give back, which I guess was a selfish reason why I even started Give Back in the first place!  I want to be motivated to give more!!  I feel like I'm sometimes so small in a world with so many hurts, but I am convinced that one small action can make a huge difference.  I just love your ideas for your charities and causes near to your hearts, and am excited to start shaping more Give Backs in the future!!

Here are small excerpts of the lovely comments on the February Give Back post {check it out here for it all!!}


"i love that i can support community action in utah by giving them all the stockpile items i accrue through couponing and taking advantage of the free stuff i get at drugstores using coupons"

{I just LOVE this idea!  Does anyone else use coupons?  I must admit I started using them about a year and a half ago, and the savings do create more opportunities to give!  Great idea!!  Let me know if you want to get into it!  I'll direct you to some really helpful sites I use!!!}

"Our charities are the american heart association and the american lung association - helping out with those diseases that are the leading causes of death in men and women in the US. Also locally the MI humane society - advocates for animals. I make cat nip toys and donate food to them also. We only have rescue animals!"
{so true!  Heart health is so important, and very preventable!!  I bet your cat toys are adorable too :)}


"...One non-profit charity with which I haven't yet gotten as involved as I'd like is To Write Love On Her Arms. They spread awareness about depression, self-mutilation, and bullying, and spread the message that "you are not alone." Their cause in general is super near to my heart..."

{I'll have to look this up!  With all the buzz around bullying, this seems like such a great organization.  So many great ideas!!!}

"I support Save the Children- a worldwide organisation dedicated to helping kids with education, health, poverty, human rights etc.
They work consistently with communities as well as travelling to areas affected by natural disasters (such as in Haiti).
I really admire what they do!"
{Save the Children is a really great one!!  They have their hand in so many great programs and movements!!  Thanks!!}

"The first charity that comes to mind is the volunteer work I do with Special Olympics: http://www.specialolympics.org/ as practices for the Spring Olympics have recently started up again. "The mission of Special Olympics is to provide year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, giving them continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy and participate in a sharing of gifts, skills and friendship with their families, other Special Olympics athletes and the community.""
{Great one!!  And such an easy one to get involved with!  As a high schooler, I played volleyball and coached track for our local Special Olympics!  Such a great learning opportunity and a great organization!  Thanks for mentioning it!!}

And this next comment is part of March's Give Back!!

"The issue that has been on my heart since I heard of it, and until a few years ago I didn't even realize existed anymore, is slavery. Slavery is illegal everywhere, but it exists EVERYWHERE (even in the United States) and there are actually more slaves now around the world then there has been at any other time in history. This is actual slavery, where someone is forced to work by threat of violence and not payed. One source I read said that 50% of human trafficking (the modern term for slavery) was children. 75% to 80% of human trafficking is for sex. And yes, millions of children around the world are being sold to be abused sexually. That's the thing that breaks my heart the most."

Thanks so much Gale, for putting this on my heart.  We have a local group of abolitionists and a woman in my community who works so hard to bring awareness to human trafficking and what we can do to help.  So, I'm off to put together a month of awareness and focus on modern-day slavery.

And thanks to you all for your suggestions and charities near to your heart!  I can't wait to incorporate your ideas in the upcoming months!

Please please please shoot me an email if you have any suggestions or ideas!  I'm all ears!!
Happy weekend!!!

January Give Back wrap-up!

WOW!  Thank you all so much for hanging out for January's New Year, New You give back!  It is so encouraging to read your goals and thoughts of 2011.  Being healthier, crafting, writing in journals, getting organized... you all have some really great goals!!  Well, we're a month in, so how am I doing with mine?



I have to say, I have taken an non-traditional approach this year to a resolution.  Instead of listing out everything I need to be improving {which is quite long} I decided instead to go with One Little Word.  I like the holistic focus and the ease of remembering just one word, and how it permeates through many levels of your life.



I chose my word as create.In January, here are some things I've created:-scattered curriculum for preschool {I'm excited to share them with you here!}- healthier meals for my family-more time for the Lord, my health, {and my sanity!!} through maximize your mornings{that's why I've been tweeting #hellomornings lately!  come join us!}-a cleaner kitchen :)-a much renewed spirit




Now it's your turn!  How have you been doing on your goals?  Hugs to you all!!  

 

{Show some charity LOVE} February Give Back

Are you feeling the love this February?  I don't know why, but poor February's name has come up so many times as the most hated month.  Especially around here, February has a mixed identity and often brings spring like weather and sunshine along with freezing temperatures and blizzards.
I happen to love February.

1.  It is a short month.2.  Valentine's Day!  Before you go thinking that my sweet husband and I actually recognize this holiday, we don't.  I'll explain in #3.3.  My birthday happens to fall right before Valentine's Day, so by default we lump the two together. :)4.  Lincoln's birthday! :)

On to the fantastic Give Back this month!  Here is the challenge!


Because I don't really have planned what Give Backs lie ahead for the rest of the year, I would LOVE to be introduced to specific causes/charities that you all support! 

Comment below with your favorites charity/charities/organizations, any cause you think is worthy!  I know there are tons of big hearted folks out there reading, so tell us who you support and maybe a bit about the organization!  

I am so excited to hear what is on your hearts!  Happy February all!!

Happy New Year!! -- New Year, New You! Give Back

Wow! To say that this year went by fast would be an understatement!
I hope yours was filled with many blessings :)
As I look onto 2011, I know that it promises many wonderful things, including getting to know you lovely readers and working to make The Ivy Twines a place to yes, score some seriously cool products, but also a place where we can continue to encourage each other to give back to our families, our communities, and our world.  I think it's safe to say that one small act can really change someone's world.  Let's do it!
To start things off for this fabulous new year, in the spirit of all things relating to resolutions, January will be New Year, New You!  After all, we can't spend a whole year of giving back without giving a little to ourselves, can we?
No, I'm not condoning complete selfishness, but I will go out on a limb to say that you lovely readers probably pamper and take care of those you love and who are most important to you before taking care of yourself!  January will be a month to explore the ways we can treat ourselves, in little but very meaningful ways, to make ourselves a little healthier!

New Year, New You January Give Back

 Comment here to tell us about your resolutions, goals, thoughts, ideas, about how you will improve you in 2011!  These can be physical, spiritual, emotional, etc.  Thanks for sharing!!
Here is mine:  I am a terrible finisher.  I have all sorts of ideas, but never seem to care long enough to actually FINISH what I've started, so one thing I'm really going to aim for in 2011 is to be very intentional with my projects, and my completion of them!

{Share Our Gifts} November Give Back

Introducing November's Give Back:

{Share Our Gifts}


I've just finished a fabulous book by Tom Rath called StrengthsFinder 2.0. Actually, it's more of a quiz that calculates and determines your 5 most prominent strengths out of 34 possibilities. My favorite theme from the book though, is how we focus so much on our weaknesses, that we forget to celebrate our strengths, and continue to grow with them. "Do you do what you do best everday?" the book asks. Definitely not saying you ignore your weakness {hello, ms. always late?!?!} but I'm a glass half full kind of girl!


So in the spirit of Thanksgiving, {and we already have thankful hearts from here!} I've thought up a new challenge for this wonderful season. We are going to {Share Our Gifts}!!


We'll be doing this Give Back in 4 different parts, with each week bringing a new challenge! Join in and let's push beyond our comfort zone! :)

Week 1 Challenge:
-{this is a two-parter!!}

1 - think of what your top 5 strengths are {if you need help, check out this awesome resource from the Happiness Project!} and comment one this post with your 5!

** Here's mine :)  Positive thinking, Encouraging, Communication, Strategy,  Empathy

2 - Ask someone near and dear to you, be it your spouse, sibling, friend, or your mama what they think your biggest strength is {you can even tell them theirs :)} and comment on this post with their answer!

**My sweet husband said my biggest strength is motivation!

That's it! Easy Peasy! Happy Week One! :)

Week 2 Challenge:

1.  Brainstorm ways that you can utilize your strengths to help out someone close to you--and put them into action!  Maybe your sis is struggling with making friends, or your co-worker needs someone to listen to her ideas.  Whatever it may be, focus on playing up your strengths for those around you this week, and share them in the comments!!

**My example:  I am a pretty positive person, and I have a single friend who feels like she will NEVER find a good guy to settle down with.  This week I'm going to try my best to lift her spirits and make her see what a catch she is! :)

 Share them here so we can all get some good ideas on using our strengths!  Happy week 2!!

Week 3 & 4 Challenge:

1.  Step outside the box!  For these two weeks, try to find random acts of kindness, big or small, to complete strangers, or to those who least expect it.  Someone passing by on the street, donating time to volunteer, or maybe it means showing compassion to someone who has wronged you in the past.  Try your best to fill each day with taking your strengths and living it to everyone around you!

***I'm thinking that this year we'll adopt a family for Christmas!  Even though my kids are pretty young, I think we can always emphasize how important compassion and giving really means!

What will YOU do?  :)  Happy November, and Thanksgiving too!

Give Back: Treasure Your Chest

I was so excited to find out about the Bright Pink Foundation. They are currently the only foundation that focuses exclusively on prevention and early detection of breast and ovarian cancer in high risk women.

I think prevention is so important, so I thought I'd share this "Treasure Your Chest" video!

Watch live streaming video from TreasureYourChest at livestream.com

Tons of great information about small lifestyle changes to take steps for your best health!


Plus, for every pack of Orbit White Bubblemint that is purchased in September and October, Orbit will donate a portion to Bright Pink, up to $75,000! Get chewing and support this wonderful cause! :)






Thanks to MomSelect for informing me about this fabulous opportunity! Oh, and lucky me has a chance to win some Orbit gum too! Yay! Thanks!!

{Give Back} Hello My Name is...

Another simple way to fight for the cure!!


Simply go to facebook.com/quill and you'll pull up the Hello My Name is campaign. Quill, a office supplier, will donate $1 for every sticker created, up to $20,000 to City of Hope!!

It's super easy from here. Type in whatever inspiring word you'd like and click to preview it. Once there, you have to allow the application to access your profile, and it will post your sticker in its album! Here is mine!


I'm number 797! Let's see if we can't bump this number up!! It takes less than 2 minutes, and every dollar counts!!

Another way to give back!!






I was informed about this opportunity through my participation with Mom Select and because of my spreading the word I have a chance to win a gift card! Thanks for giving back!!

Share Your Milano Moment for Susan G Komen!

Another opportunity to join in the fight against cancer from Pepperidge Farm and Milano cookies!


Head over to Milano's facebook page, click on the link that says "share now" (make sure you "like" Milano first!) and away you go! You also have to allow the app to your profile.


What is a Milano Moment? Have you ever had these yummy cookies? Pure, sweet, and delicious. My best friend from college and I used to pick up a package(raspberry chocolate if you were wondering :)) and indulged while studying :) Every time we see each other we'll grab a bag for old time's sake.


So click over to share your Milano Moment, which can simply be anytime where you have realized how sweet life really is, and Pepperidge Farms will donate $.50 to Susan G Komen for the Cure for every moment shared! They are pledging up to $50,000!

Let's help max it out :) And support each other and the fight against all cancers, including breast cancer.






in joy,





Although this fits perfectly with October's Give Back theme, through posting this message I could possibly win a package of free Milano cookies or a $25 gift card thanks to One2One Network. Check them out for a great site for women!

October Give Back : Fight for the Cure

After a summer hiatus, we are back with a very important give back.





Statistics show that 40.77% of men and women will be diagnosed with some form of cancer throughout their lifetime. 1 in 2 men and 1 in 3 women.





Chances are pretty high you or someone you know and love is fighting cancer.





Last month happened to be Childhood Cancer Awareness month and Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, and October is thinking pink with Breast Cancer Awareness month. The quickest way to support is monetarily, but there are so many other ways to be there for those loved ones who are fighting the fight. I've compiled a big list of organizations and ideas to help! (Please let me know if I left something out!)





Let's fight for the cure -- together!!





-American Cancer Society's Relay for Life - An annual event that involves teams of cancer survivors and loved ones who celebrate survivors, remember those who have fought, and pledge to healthier lifestyles.




-Yoplait's Save Lids to Save Lives - Raising over $25 million over the past 12 years, this month Yoplait is again starting their drive for the pink lids. It's easy: buy yogurt, save the pink lids, and send them in before December 31st! Every little bit counts!


-Alex's Lemonade Stand - Such a beautiful and inspiring story. Get involved by organizing your own lemonade stand and donating the proceeds to Alex's to fight childhood cancer. Check out the site for support. Host one this Halloween!


-Play for P.I.N.K. - Get together to and organize a fundraiser through golf/tennis/any sport tournaments, workshops, and even spa days to donate 100% of the proceeds to Breast Cancer Research.



- Susan G Komen Race for the Cure - Find a race near you, and raise funds for Breast Cancer Research.



-Cat Nap for the Cause - Simply "like" Purina Cat on Facebook (sorry non cat lovers :)) and you can make a pledge! Purina will donate up to $150,000 when you pledge to take a nap with your cat (seriously!) $2 per pledge - one for you, one for your cat! See if you can find mine :)


-Click to Give - The Breast Cancer Awareness site has sponsors that pay for mammograms when you simply click! No strings attached! You can do this once daily!

- Stand Up to Cancer - Through their Facebook site, you can donate your credits (think Farmville!) to their cause! Their site is here, and focuses on raising money for cancer research.

-Pantene Beautiful Lengths - From how to prepare your hair for the cut to which short style you should choose, Pantene has a wonderful site full of resources for hair donation. From what I've heard and read, this is the most legitimate company to work with!

- Cars Fighting Cancer - Really! Donate your running or non-running car, and they will send a towing company free of charge to take it offer your hands. After the car arrives and they have the title, you are even eligible to receive a Visa Gift Card or an iPod Shuffle, just for donating! Available in all 50 states.

If you happen upon any while browsing around, be sure to comment and let me know! I'll keep up and add to my list! Let's get involved and make an impact!

Project Night Night {a recap}

You didn't think I forgot, did you? Nope, just going on summer's clock ... which means extremely slow! Sorry for the delay of this, but I wanted to post about our successes with Project Night Night.

Yep. that's a stack of 17 fleece blankies, ready to find a new home. (I have one more to collect from a neighbor) Now, I wasn't as organized as Jen at getting them done all in one party, but they are done! I had two wonderful friends and my mother in law help one drizzly afternoon where we got a bunch done. Then my daughters "helped" me finish a couple more. We just had my wonderful cousin staying with us to help watch the girls and experience a little MT for the summer, and she and her friend finished 8 blankets in one night -- EIGHT!

Before my cousin came to visit, she and her friends in Alaska spent tons of time making this special quilt just for Project Night Night. Did I mention she's 12? She and her two friends loved the idea of making it for other kids, and this beautiful quilt is the result! My heart overflows...

The grand total for Project Night Night's Give Back...

39!

Thanks so much to all who helped with this great cause! My mom's group here decided that we'd have another party this winter, (which would be much more seasonally appropriate) and donate again. Giving back can last all year long :) Can you imagine that 39 more kiddos will have a cozy night's rest? Soon enough sweet ones!!

Any other blankets to contribute? Let me know if I'm missing you in the final count!

June's Give Back: Project Night Night (part two!)

No dear readers, we have not gone crazy. See, remember this post? Well, we made a somewhat ambitous goal of donating 100 "helps" to Project Night Night. Although our tally may be a little off, we've done about 30. Thanks to all who have helped, donated, and worked on getting that many donations! Can you imagine 30 snuggly kids sleeping soundly tonight? Just awesome!!


Not that they all have to come here and now, but I know that we, myself included, can do better!

Here is what is on my agenda for this month:

1.) I'm hosting my very own Project Night Night Blanket making party! Inspired by our very own Jenny's very successful party! 20 blankets! (if you're in my area, let me know! :)) Because we were traveling much of May, I've finally set a date, and am recruiting all able-bodied persons to help me tie, sew, crochet, or whatever we can do to help us reach our goal!

2.) Call the local shelters! (yay! already done!) Because my local shelter does not take direct donations because of their lack of space, they did fill me in on various ways that I could volunteer my time and talents to their programs. My little sister is currently volunteering her time as an activity director at the local shelter in her town! Although I love Project Night Night and their hard work, I am also committed to helping local programs, and encourage you to do so as well!

3.)Our very local (and very small town) food bank constantly needs volunteers! Whether it is helping to hand out on certain days or organizing and stocking, every little bit helps! I'm even going to enlist my two year old... she's got a knack for organizing! Find out what kind of ministries and programs are in your area!

4.) Explore other ways to help out in the fight against homelessness. I'll keep you posted on this one!!


While we expand our ways to help Project Night Night and other great causes, I urge to you give a little. A little time, a little fleece, a little anything. If all of us can come together, big things can happen!

I'm chalking it up to a crazy May for us all, and so we're going to work hard this month to do our part to help. We're not under-achievers, are we?!?!?!

Feel free to leave with us ideas on helping too! Or maybe what your June plan of attack is! :)

Project Night Night and Borders!

Anybody been busy making blankets? I sure hope you get a chance to support this wonderful cause.


If blankets aren't your thing, Borders and Project Night Night are partnering up May 20-22 to donate a percentage of their total sales to helping homeless children in need. Simply print out this voucher and take it to your local Borders store, or, use the online promo code PNN522BD to participate! Every bit helps!

May's Give Back: Project Night Night

Happy May to you all! I'm so excited to unveil May's Give Back project. Let me tell you a little story behind it first.







The three of us at The Ivy Twines have been discussing what would be the best Give Back project for May. After going back and forth, and looking into several options, we were having trouble deciding on a cause. Then we recieved a message from Angie from Frolicking Leaves.







You know her from this giveaway, but this wonderful woman emailed us about something she's been thinking about, and a project she'd be happy to collaborate with us for a Give Back. Enter Project Night Night.

A blanket, a book, and a stuffed animal. Sounds pretty basic doesn't it? The mission of Project Night Night is simple: deliver Night Night packages to every homeless child in the country that needs one. Currently they are delivering over 25,000 packages per year, but the staggering statistics of child homelessness is upwards of 1.35 million children. So what does Give Back have to do with it?

Well fabulous readers, let's make a dent! We have many different ways that we all can contribute to this wonderful cause.

1. Get crafting! Project Night Night accepts donations of new or handmade blankets. That means knitting, crocheting, sewing, or even making those easy peasy fleece tie blankets.

2. Can't do a whole crocheted blanket? You're in luck! Angie has offered to collect 12x12 squares that she will put together for the packages. Contact Bethany for her address!

3. Project Night Night also accepts new or like new children's books and new stuffed animals. See here for more guidelines on these donations.

4. Not feeling the craft bug? Donate $20 to sponsor a Night Night package here.

4. Get networking! Organize a group to make blankets, take donations, or brainstorm for other ways to make an impact! Think church groups, play groups, co-workers, book clubs, families, friends ... the possibilities are endless!

The Ivy Twines' goal? 100 blankets/donations/books/stuffed animals. We can do it!! Think of those 100 kiddos who will sleep so much better at night.





Leave a comment here when you make a donation (here are local pick up sites and addresses to send to) so we can keep a tally.











Come on everybody! Let's snuggle up for this good cause!!



















(If you have any ideas on a feature that we could use as a future Give Back month, please email!! We'd love your input!!)

Give Back: "Love Our Earth"

Happy April to you all! March was filled with lots of inspiration, and thanks, and was so fun! We're switiching gears this month to a very popular, yet very important, theme.

"Love Our Earth"

Going green is the all the rage, but some have been building into their lifestyles ways to be eco friendly for a long time. Now, we're not trying to be political whatsoever, I'm talking about the things you and I can do to help take care of this beautiful earth we've been given.

Since being green is already probably a part of many of our lives, we'll try this month to find ways to stretch beyond what we already do, to become even greener. It's good (and easy) to be green, right Kermit?

Pretty please, leave your comments or your suggestions on living an eco-friendly right here so we can encourage all the lovely readers to "Love Our Earth!" And remember to give yourself extra entries into the giveaways too!

We're excited to showcase some pretty awesome shops this month, but also bring some light to ways that we can reduce, reuse, and recycle, and the newest craze, upcycling. Ready to jump in?

Weekly Challenges:

Week One: Reuse something in your house. Whether it is furniture you're about to take to the dump, plastic baby food containers, old boxes, take something and give it a new purpose!

Week Two: Reduce your garbage output. Be creative! Whether it is recycling more, composting, reusing, upcycling, just find a new way to reduce how much you throw out!

Week Three: Check out this article here, and choose 1 idea to incorporate something new into your green lifestyle. While you'll probably see many ideas that you may already use, try implementing a new one!

A Thankful Heart Roundup

Wow, March has flown by! We'd like to thank everyone for participating in our Give Back "A Thankful Heart" month. It's so inspiring to read your comments, and it is so great to see so much support! We're making a difference, one thank you at a time! Here's a sampling of some of the wonderful things our readers were doing this month:





Love this! I make a point to send (at least) one hand-written note each week. I flip through my address book and mix it up... it always makes me feel good to provide a loved one with a personal touch! :)





For the past two days I have made an extra efforts to say thank you to everyone and I do notice because of that I find my kids saying thank you to each other. It really does work. My kids seem to mirror what they see me doing.







I told hubby thank you for working hard so I could stay home. I thanked my mom for driving 2 hours to baby sit my kids and I thanked God for my healthy kids. :)





You know I named my blog Little Yayas and Blessed. Because not a day goes by that I don't feel truly blessed. Thank you for this one. I think that is feels so good to not only think about our blessing but to write them down.





(a little inspiration from week four)







SMILE, at a least 5 strangers or more. They usually always smile back

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AND, check out this awesome digital gratitude journal that creative Samantha has started!! Leave her a little comment! Show her a little love! What a great idea Samantha!





It's been proven over and over by research that a thankful heart is a happy heart. When we all count our blessings, life gets a little sweeter! For me, this month has been a great opportunity to take the time to really focus of the many blessings in my life, and





We've got big things in the works for the rest of the year! April will be a fun month, so stay tuned for the new April Give Back post and the unveiling of the theme!!







As always, if you have any suggestions or comments, please let us know! Do you have any ways you think we can make this run smoother?

A Thankful Heart: Week 3

Week Three's challenge is going to be a little more difficult.


This week, try to commit to a writing a "gratitude journal" entry each day.

(aren't these beautiful? find them here)

Studies show that when we think thankfully, we in turn act happier and more positively. I have been waiting to try journaling, so here's my chance at something a little more specific. Gratitude journals are simply writing and recording your blessings each day. I'm thinking that reflecting on our gifts is going to be pretty powerful! Let us know how it's working out!