Momathon Blog

Make a Difference: Prints for Brielle

I first heard about this art fundraiser project via the lovely Creature Comforts blog. The fundraiser was created to help Brielle who has Acute Myeloid Leukemia. You can find all the details at P.S. i Adore You. Prints for the fundraiser will only be available this week—the last day is April 13th.

This art fundraiser features 26 downloadable art prints from some of my favorite artists and designers.

Each downloadable print will be just $5 and can be printed out as many times as you want!  
Think baby showers, wedding gifts, Christmas, Birthday's, etc.  

100% of the art proceeds will be donated to Brielle’s family to help cover medical bills.

Recieve a FREE Swanky Jane's bitty doll with any 5 prints (or $25) donation.

Which one(s) will you buy? I couldn't stop with just one :)

Even if you aren’t able to make an art purchase, you can help spread the word about this fundraiser via social media. Just add the hashtag #BRIELLELOVE . 

xo Chris

 

What to Pack {Scarves}

Do you end up sitting on your luggage before a trip just to squeeze in one more outfit? My hubby is always telling me, "Pack lighter!" I know it's  the right thing to do because I always come home from a trip with a few things that never even left my suitcase.

The last week in January I had a packing challenge because I was going to be mingling with hundreds of stylish bloggers at Alt Design Summit in Salt Lake City. So what did I pack? SCARVES! And it turns out plenty of lovely ladies did the same. 

 

 

Here's just a few photos of the scarves at Alt by the talented photographers Brooke Dennis and Justin Hackworth at Alt... 

 

Scarves at Alt Summit (photos, Brooke Dennis)

I always wear a longer scarf, but I'm thinking I need to shake things up a bit. Afterall, notice how Gabrielle Blair (top right) at Design Mom looked tres chic with a smaller scarf tied at her neck. And... She was talking to the awesome actress Jessica Alba, who also happens to be the founder of the natural and eco-friendly products line The Honest Company. (I'm thinking Jessica was admiring Gabrielle's sweet scarf too... Now if only I could get Jessica to see my sketch of her wearing the lovely Oscar de la Renta gown at the Golden Globes.)

Here are a few more stylish scarves...  

Scarves at Alt Summit (photos, Justin Hackworth)

Class, Today's Word Is VOTE

 

Have you voted yet? I hope you do. Bob Schieffer, moderator of the final presidential debate, ended the debate with sage advice from his mother: "Go vote. It makes you feel big and strong."

 

Images: Both VOTE illustrations are by me, Chris Olson. (You can also find the #govote image on @MomathonBlog on Instagram.) Feel free to Pin images on Pinterest with a link back to this post. Thanks!

Hello, November! {A Time of Thanks and Gratitude}

Hello, friends. What a week...

In the wake of Hurricane Sandy, I send a HUGE thank you to all the first responders, the anonymous good samaritans, the city and state leaders, President Obama, the donors who help disaster relief charities, and those countless heroes who helped out with hurricane rescues and disaster relief efforts. Words can't begin to express my gratitude.

I'm sending out special mommy hugs to my family and friends on the East Coast. My son in college in NYC survived the storm and has been giving me updates on the recovery and relief efforts.

My wish for November can be summed up in four words: A spirit of gratitude. If we join together to support each other that is what has the power to make each day truly awesome. Our perspective and acts of generosity can lift us up even during the most overwhelming situations. When disaster strikes we might see the glass as half empty. However, our acts of kindness—small or big—is what gets poured into the glass to make it half full. 

If you want to help relief efforts for Hurricane Sandy, this is a great post with links. (If you are a blogger please share that link.)

xo, Chris

 

Image: MAKE TODAY RIDICULOUSLY AWESOME illustration by me, Chris Olson. Feel free to Pin it on Pinterest with a link back to this post. Thanks!

>•<  Connect on Facebook  >•<   

 

A Man, a Pink Tutu, and a Great Cause: The Tutu Project

Bob Carey, a stout middle-aged man, doesn't make me think of a ballerina. Yet back in 2003, he started creating quirky self-portraits wearing a pink tutu. When his wife was diagnosed with breast cancer that same year, his humorous photography became a type of therapy for the couple and even helped bring a smile to the other patients they met at chemo treatments. As his collection of photos grew, the The Tutu Project began.

To raise awareness for breast cancer, Bob traveled the US taking photos wearing only his signature pink tutu. This autumn, Bob will self-publish a collection of his pink tutu photos in the book Ballerina and the goal is for his book to help raise awareness about breast cancer and raise funds for women with breast cancer:

The net proceeds from the sale of the book will go directly to breast cancer organizations, including Cancercare.org and the Beth Israel Department of Integrative Medicine Fund, that make significant differences in the lives of women with breast cancer and in the people who love them. Our goal is to raise $75,000. But we need your help to seed the book project so it will take root and grow—and positively affect these families.

To find out how you can sponsor this project and receive a special edition 20-by-24-inch signed tutu print plus a copy of the book Ballerina, check out The Tutu Project. You can also follow the @TheTutuProject on Twitter and on Facebook.

Tutu photo by Bob Carey at The Tutu Project.

Companies that Give Back: Warby Parker Designer Eyewear

Shopping and helping others at the same time is easy with smart companies like the designer eyewear brand Warby Parker. They make affordable glasses—plus for each pair you buy, they donate a pair to needy people across the world through their Buy a Pair/Give a Pair Program.

Eyeglasses are empowering—they help kids learn better in school and they offer a way to increase income and improve productivity for adults. Warby Parker has distributed over 85,000 pairs of glasses to people who would not otherwise have access to glasses.

Environmentally conscious Warby Parker is one of the few eye wear companies that is also carbon-neutral. They have mapped out all of their greenhouse gas emissions from frame production —to— shipping —to— warehousing —to— office work and have purchased carbon offsets accordingly.

Facts about glasses via Warby Parker

Almost one billion people don't have access to glasses.
That means 15% of the world’s population is unable to effectively learn or work because they can’t see clearly.

Glasses can increase productivity by 20%.
That’s the equivalent of creating an extra day’s work each week. Glasses are one of the most effective poverty alleviation tools in the world.

Watch a short video about the  program Buy a Pair/Give a Pair program here.

 

Image by Chris Olson. Photographs and video via Warby Parker. 

Make a Difference: How you can protect dogs from puppy mill abuse

 

I am writing to you today because I want to give a voice to the thousands of dogs who can't speak for themselves and suffer inhumane treatment in puppy mills each and every day. Sadly, even if you or I witness inhumane conditions at a puppy mill, we could do nothing to stop the cruel treatment unless the current laws change. That's why I am writing this blog post to show you how you can help pass a new law to make the cruel treatment at puppy mills end! Showing your support for these dogs takes less than a minute in just two steps (details below). 

 What's a puppy mill? Close your eyes and picture hundreds and hundreds of dogs kept in small cages at each breeder facility--I think a better word these places are torture chambers. The more dogs each puppy mill can cram into cages, the more money they make selling puppies to pet stores and on the Internet. Hundreds of breeder females accross the United States NEVER leave their cage. Their paws suffer from cuts that won't heal because they walk only on wire cage floors. These females are bred so often and so many times they end up being "discarded" when they don't produce fast enough. (Discarded females are treated like livestock and rarely get a second chance unless they are rescued by an animal rescue group.) The puppies are crammed into the filthy cages that are so crowded they can end up sleeping on top of each other--and on top of their own excrement . And the puppies live 24/7 in these cages without any chance to walk or have social interaction with people. 

This inhumane treatment of dogs does not have to continue! Best Friends Animal Society and thousands of animal lovers across the nation are working to protect animals by showing their support of a new PUPS Bill (H.R. 835: Puppy Uniform Protection and Safety Act). This bill will crack down on the puppy mill offenders who because of a loophole currently operate without any oversight or regulation to protect the pets they sell.

7 ways to share books with troops overseas

The Jason Boog and the clever editors at GalleyCat put together a great list of programs that allow you to share books with the troop overseas. Here it is: 

1. E-Books for Troops will help you share your used Kindle with our troops overseas.
2. Operation Warrior Library connects writers with military personnel.
3. Books for Soldiers mails books to troops.
4. Operation Paperback sends paperbacks overseas.
5. Books-a-Million will let you select and purchase Books for Troops in a special program.
6. Operation eBook Drop focuses on eBooks.
7. Follow this Google search to find many more options for sharing books with soldiers.

(Thanks, GalleyCat!)

Cool + Plus: Eco-Friendly Sunnan Lamp

Today is the first in my Cool + Plus series featuring products that not only have amazing design, but also benefit the environment and society.

IKEA Sunnan rechargeable solar lamp 

Thanks to a collaboration between UNICEF and IKEA, for every lamp purchased another is donated to a child living without electricity in the developing world including:

• remote areas of Pakistan
• rural school children in India
• children in the cotton districts in Maharashtra, India (Save the Children)

“Millions of children can’t draw, write or read after sunset, limiting their horizons and possibly their futures,” according to Marianne Barner, head of IKEA Social Initiative. “We hope our lamps are a small but important contribution to improving the lives of children in developing countries.”

Sunnan Solar Lamp features

• rechargeable batteries and solar panel
• use this lamp practically anywhere--no plugs or cables needed
• charge lamp and/or solar unit on the window sill as needed
• built-in LED light source with a life time approx. 25,000 hours
• weighs only 2 lbs
• affordable at $20

 

Photo: IKEA

 

Blog for Digs: My childhood bedroom was...

My blog post today is part of Blog for Digs--a great charity blogging event for the non-profit Dwell with Dignity. This non-profit group of interior designers and volunteers is dedicated to creating soothing, inspiring homes for families struggling with homelessness and poverty". Learn how you can help make a difference, click here.

My childhood bedroom was...

If I close my eyes and imagine playing on the floor with my dolls in my childhood bedroom, I can almost feel the warm summer breeze coming in through the windows, hear the crickets chirping in the meadow grass outside and taste the sugar cookies baking in the always busy kitchen oven. I loved looking outside and my windows were a favorite feature of my tiny corner room. In the winter I would fall asleep warm and cozy under my pillowy comforter while listening to the snow machines rumbling as they magically blew man-made snow across the runs at the ski resort down the street.

Although my super organized parents might disagree, my childhood bedroom was very neat. Every toy, gadget, and doll had a special box, shelf, or drawer to call home. On one wall my parents added shelves to create a large dollhouse. In my closet they built another shelving system to house my other toys. My desk, my bed, my dresser and my chair were all antiques passed down through the generations. As a child I always wanted a bean bag chair, but when I grew up I realized the beauty of restored wood and handsewn cushions.

I will always be grateful that my parents neatly boxed up and saved many of my toys when I went to college. Here are just a few of my favorite childhood things that I photographed in my studio yesterday:

  

More childhood bedroom posts to come!

Sending special MOMMY HUGS to Claudia and Beth who organized this event and, of course, to everyone at Dwell with Dignity.

If you can, please donate so that we can help create special memories for some great and deserving children.

A talented group of bloggers will post about their childhood bedrooms and one decor item they wished they had. Claudia's Blog for Digs schedule over at StoneHouseLove features a few bloggers for each day.  

Passing the blogger keyboard over to blogger Emily at Notorious MLE. She will be posting her stories about childhood bedrooms tomorrow. Looking forward to reading all of the posts of blog for digs over the next few weeks. You can see the entire schedule for bloggers here.

 

Photo doodle: Believing in Christmas magic

 

Believing is not just for children. I think my dog senses a little Christmas magic in the cold winter air on our evening walks.  We have lots of mule deer in my neighborhood, but on the night I took this photo my pup was certain he had discovered tracks from Santa's reindeer on the hillside.

Friday, Dec. 10, is National Believe Day. As part of Macy's Believe campaign, children can mail letters to Santa using the Santa Mail Letterbox - $1 for each letter is donated to the Make-A-Wish Foundation, up to $1 million.

You can celebrate the spirit of generosity and goodwill and spread the holiday season's message of joy and kindheartedness toward all. Locate a Santa Mail Letterbox here.

(I took this photo when the fresh snow had a lovely blue color under the evening sky. Photo doodle by me, Chris Olson. A 5x7 fine art print of photo is available at my Etsy store: Luna Blue Studio.)

 

Daily doodle: Be part of the cure on World AIDS Day

Approximately 2.6 million people each year become infected with HIV worldwide. 56,000 become infected each year in the U.S. Today is World AIDS Day 2010 and the perfect time to be part of the cure.

"Eight million people die every year for the price of going out with your friends to the movies and buying an ice cream. Literally for about $30 a head per year, you could save 8 million lives. Isn't that extraordinary? Preventable disease - not calamity, not famine, nothing like that. Preventable disease - just for the lack of medicines. That is cheap, that is a bargain."

~ Bono

 

 

(you) RED

Product (RED) was created by Bono and Bobby Shriver to raise both awareness and money to help women and children affected by HIV/AIDS in Africa. The parenthesis is "the embrace." When companies become Product (RED) Partners they put their logo/name in the embrace--elevated to the power of red. You can be (RED) too.

The World AIDS Day 2010 illustration above by me, Chris Olson.

 

 

Blog Red, Buy Red, and Support World AIDS Day

 

Last week the NIH announced a major advancement in HIV prevention research: A daily pill that treats HIV also apprears to help prevent HIV infection. A new vaginal gel shows promise in preventing HIV infection in women.

Research studies like this are key to helping save lives. Approximately 2.6 million people each year become infected with HIV worldwide. 56,000 become infected each year in the U.S. Today is World AIDS Day 2010 and the perfect time to be part of the cure.

Blog Red

Bloggers and Tweeters check out (BLOG) RED to find out how you can turn the World (RED) here. You can turn your profile picture red too.

Tweeting ideas from (BLOG) RED:

Dec 1 is World AIDS Day @joinred fact: 430,000 babies born with HIV last yr. By 2015 that could be 0. #turnred www.joinred.com 

Dec 1 is World AIDS Day. Tell the world that an AIDS Free Generation is due in 2015. #turnred to map it. @joinred www.joinred.com 

Tweet #turnred & turn this map of the world (RED). Dec 1 is World AIDS Day. Join @joinred www.joinred.com  

 

Buy Red

When you buy (PRODUCT)RED™ items, up to 50% of the profits go directly to those who need it. Some of the (PRODUCT) RED Partners include American Express, Apple, Bugaboo, Converse, Dell, Emporio Armani, GAP, Hallmark, NIKE, Penguin Classics, and Starbucks. Product Red Partners support the global fund to help eliminate AIDS in Africa. Here are just a few examples of how the Partners are helping:

NIKE: 100% of the profits from every pair of Nike RED laces you buy go to help fight AIDS in Africa. 

GAP: 50% of profits from the sale of all (GAP)RED (GAP)RED products go to help eliminate AIDS in Africa

APPLE: Buy the Apple (PRODUCT)RED™  iPod nano and Apple donates portion of the purchase price to the Global Fund to help eliminate AIDS in Africa. 

STARBUCKS: The (STARBUCKS)RED Ceramic To-Go Cup contributes $1US/L3/E3 from the sale of each Cup to the Global Fund. (STARBUCKS)RED Jonathan Adler Card. The (STARBUCKS) RED Card generates 5c/5p for the Global Fund every time it is used. 

Many more companies are involved in Buy (Red). Check out the link to see the many other companies are involved in BUY(RED). 

 

 

A little coffee with my sugar

Hope you are having a lovely holiday weekend. I have so much to be thankful for. Sending special mommy hugs to my family and friends.

Holiday Thanks Giving Idea

Help feed the hungry at Food Bank NYC: Hunger is a reality for more than a million New Yorkers. One in five NYers relies on Food Bank NYC's programs & services—including one in five children. You can give $10 to help the hungry in NYC with a text message. It's easy. Just text: FBNYC to 50555. 

Check out @FoodBank4NYC on Twitter. 

>•<  Connect on Facebook  >•<  

Image: Coffee Break graphic is by me, Chris Olson. Feel free to Pin it Pinterest with a link back to this post. Thanks!

 

 

Pack a shoebox with gifts via Operation Christmas Child

It is so simple. Give a gift to someone who has very little. Share the love of the holiday season by packing a shoebox with toys, school supplies, personal hygiene items, and a note from you. You can show you care thanks to Samaritan's Purse and Operation Christmas Child. 

 

This week, November 15 - 22, is Operation Christmas Child's national collection week. Shoe boxes for Operation Christmas Child will be collected for distribution to more than eight million needy children internationally. Detailed instructions for participating at Operation Christmas Child. Nearby drop-off locations listed here.

Share this project with a friend and pack two boxes.

Note: I think it is always a good idea to check the details of a charity before donating. According to the online charity evaluator, Charity Navigator, Samaritan's Purse and their program Operation Christmas Child receives a 4-star rating out of 4 stars.

 

 

Daily doodle: Vote!

 

 

"If  you have knowledge,
let others light their candles in it."
~ Margaret Fuller

 

Check out more of my doodles at Momathon doodles.

Illustration: Chris Olson © 2010.

Knit a baby cap, help a newborn with Save the Children

Gabrielle over at DesignMom.com brought to my attention the very cool baby cap knitting project organized by Save the Children. According to the organization:

In many developing countries, something as simple as a knit or crocheted cap can help the baby keep warm, which is key to helping newborns survive.

Save the Children is looking for volunteer knitters. Directions for knitting the caps at this link. Caps you knit will be sent to Save the Children’s newborn health programs in Africa, Asia and Latin America.

 

 

Good things do happen: An awesome mom gets a second chance

This post is dedicated to one of the most amazing moms I've met. Her name is Miya. She beat the toughest odds and saved her abandoned young family too. We probably will never know how she did all of this because Miya can't talk. She is a two-year-old German Shepherd with a heart of gold.

Every other weekend I work at adoption fairs for a local animal rescue. I am honored to introduce some awesome dogs to prospective new adoptive families. It's both a rewarding and challenging job. Some dogs take several weeks--even months--to find new homes. At the animal rescue we never give up on them. And I think these precious souls realize this.

One of the more remarkable dogs I have been fortunate to know is Miya the German Shepherd. This week she finally found a  forever home too. She is the sweetest dog despite the tough life she has had. She came to the animal rescue after she was discovered abandoned in a garage with her young puppies and her mate. Somehow they survived in the garage alone for over a week in the hot summer heat.

Why someone would abandon a dog and her pups is unimagineable. How all of the dogs managed to survive is due to Miya's awesome maternal instincts and a miracle. I'm happy to say all of her puppies and her mate have been adopted.

If Miya could talk, I know she would tell you to give your dogs and cats and hamsters a hug each and every day.

I'm sending out MOMMY HUGS and a big THANK YOU to all of you who adopt shelter dogs. 

 

A Mother's Day gift for moms in need: Mercy Kits

So many moms around the world are in desperate need of basic support. This Mother's Day you can make a difference in the lives of women worldwide by donating a Mercy Kit through Mercy Corps. 

The gifts come in many forms--supplies to provide clean water, a beehive kit, job training, wells and many more basic supplies to improve the lives of women and children worldwide.

Something as small as an $18 donation can supply an Emergency Food Kit that quickly delivers nutritious food such as grains, cooking oil and canned goods to families displaced by conflict, natural disasters and other crises.

A donation of $75 can supply a Breastfeeding Kit that covers the cost to train a breastfeeding counselor to support mothers and their families at a neighborhood health clinic in Jakarta.

A donation of $45 provides a Fuel-Efficient Stove Kit that helps displaced women in war-torn Congo learn to build fuel-efficient cookstoves, which minimize charcoal use and give women a marketable skill.

You can choose from dozens of Mercy Kits, just go to the Mercy Kits link.

Peace and love.

Momathon Fave: New cuddly stamps help homeless pets

 

Starting April 30th, helping shelter dogs cats can be as simple as buying the new USPS stamps to raise awareness of the plight of homeless pets. During the launch Ellen DeGeneres's natural pet food company Halo will be donating a million meals to animal shelters. A pane of 20 stamps with 10 animal images is $8.80

To find out more about the US Postal Service's "Animal Rescue: Adopt a Shelter Pet" stamps go to this link: USPS Stamps to the Rescue. 

How to get the cuddly stamps: 
Stamps will be available at post offices April 30th. You can pre-order them at www.stampstotherescue.com, or calling 1-800-STAMP -24 (1-800-782-6724).

About the pets featured:
The images of the five shelter cats and five dogs on the 44-cent stamps were taken by photographer Sally Andersen-Bruce. All the pets featured have been adopted! 

(Stamp photo: USPS Stamps to the Rescue.)

Knitting for charities with author Debbie Macomber

 

 

Ever wonder how you and fellow knitters can raise funds for a charity by knitting? Avid knitter and bestselling author Debbie Macomber's book Knit Along with Debbie Macomber: Charity Guide for Knitters includes tips, knitting patterns, and guidance to help your craft bring comfort to individuals in need. ($16.95)

Book includes simple to intermediate knitting patterns that can be used to support newborns in hospitals, the military, and many more charities. Patterns include:

• knit blankets
• sweaters
• socks
• hats
• mittens
• slippers
• vests
• helmet liners

For more great reads, check out my reading list on Momathon books.

Spay Day Saves Lives

 

The heartbreaking truth is approximately half the 8 million dogs and cats brought to shelters each year are put down. Unfortunately animal shelters don't have the resources to end the pet overpopulation epidemic.

Together we change this tragic trend. Please spay and neuter your pets.

The 16th annual Spay Day is Tuesday, February 23. If you would like to support this event, go to this Humane Society of the United States link for events and sponsorship opportunities.

You can support the HSUS and Spay Day by entering the free Spay Day 2010 Online Pet Photo Contest presented by VISA and Zazzle. The contest will be judged by professional photographers and plenty of prizes to go around. 

(Image at the top of the post "a dog and it's boss" by: Pixie Addict)

Ways to help Haiti now

When disaster strikes, we reach out to help our family, neighbors, and even strangers. 

On January 12th, a 7.0 magnitude earthquake hit outside the capital of Haiti causing widespread destruction to homes, schools, hospitals, roads and more. Relief efforts are ongoing, and we can help out by donating. Now.

President Clinton is the UN's Special Envoy to Haiti and the Clinton Presidential Center has details on many relief efforts including: The Clinton Foundation, The American Red Cross International Response Fund, UNICEF and more at this link: Haiti Earthquake Relief.

You can also go directly to the relief organizations:

• Clinton Foundation

• Donate online at www.clintonfoundation.org/haitirelief to help provide immediate relief and long-term support to earthquake survivors. Text "HAITI" to 20222 and $10 will be donated to relief efforts, charged to your cell phone bill.

• • American Red Cross International Response Fund

  Donation link

• • International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies

  Donation link

• • Mercy Corps Haiti Earthquake Fund

  Donation link

• • Partners in Health

  Donation link

• • UNICEF

  Donation link

• • UN World Food Programme

  Donation link

Who knew from pap-schmears!

Okay. I already know this CBS Cares PSA is controversial. But in this case, I think that's a very good thing.

See what you think...

Just a schmear could save her life. 

Give a laptop to children in developing countries and change the world.

The XO laptop: A small computer that serves a big cause. 

Most of the more than one billion children in the emerging world do not have access to education. The rugged and inexpensive XO laptop can help solve that problem. 

The nonprofit organization One Laptop per Child provides poor children in developing countries a sturdy laptop that works even in harshest conditions. The OLPC has big goals that have met some criticism in part because the OLPC has has only distributed laptops in smaller, isolated areas. But after three years the nonprofit has expanded its outreach. According to the NYTimes.com: "Late last month the Uruguayan government completed the process of distributing an XO to each of its 415,000 elementary school children as the first phase of the Plan Ciebal initiative to provide a laptop for every student and teacher in the country."

You can make a difference. Give a laptop. Change the world.

One Laptop per Child : Zimi's Story FULL
Uploaded by olpcfoundation.

Will e-books save the planet?

 

(image by cote)

I'm not worried about too many hardcover and paperback books filling up our landfills. I hope we keep them on our bookshelves instead. Even if e-books don't save the planet, this greener publishing alternative is a healthier option for many. Do you like to read books on your laptop or e-reader? I still like the feel of turning paper pages, but I am gradually becoming a convert. I love the convenience of digial downloads and the fact e-books are greener because they cut down on paper use.

Now more and more libraries are offering free digital downloads that reside on your laptop for a couple of weeks--the length of the paper version of a library book check-out. Digital library downloads are not currently available in all formats. 

According to a recent NYTimes.com article, e-books "cannot be read on Amazon’s Kindle, the best-selling electronic reader, or on Apple’s iPhone, which has rapidly become a popular device for reading e-books. Most library editions are compatible with the Sony Reader, computers and a handful of other mobile devices." Apple will be introducing a new e-reader tablet with a touchscreen next year. Perhaps the Apple tablet format that allows an impressive range of graphics to be displayed will change the way many of us view e-readers. This tablet sounds like a perfect fit for digital textbooks too. 

E-books could be a healthier choice for your body too. Considering how heavy a student backpack can get with bulky textbooks, consolidating all the books in a slim e-reader is really good news for keeping backs happier also. 

The cost of an e-book is often lower for customers and technically they never wear out. (With a puppy at home that chews anything made of paper or even resembling paper, this is really good news.) The average e-book sells for about $10 because online retailers subsidize their price. Unfortunately libraries can't buy a digital book for the same discounted price. 

The concept of e-books in libraries is not popular with all authors and their publishers including Stephen King and Bob Woodward. Simon & Schuster has refrained from distributing e-books to libraries. 

I am hoping more authors and readers will support e-books as the book hybrid for a healthier planet.

For more information on libraries that offer e-books check out this link on NYTimes.com.

Helping the Hungry Children

Did you know that 1 out of 4 people in a soup kitchen line is a child?

In this tough economy, every family is looking for ways to save money and stay within their budget. Often the second largest expense for families is food. Unfortunately lost jobs, reduced wages, and rising costs for things such as medical care and housing has made it difficult for many to buy groceries. 

Matthew Emerzian and Kelly Bozza at Oprah.com have come up with a great list of five easy ways you can help feed the hungry:

1. Locate organizations near you that support the hungry. Find out what they need and help provide it.
2. Donate your time and volunteer at a food pantry/distribution center, a local soup kitchen, or a homeless shelter.
3. Go through your pantry and gather up canned and dried foods to donate.
4. Create or support a local canned food drive.
5. Purchase and hand out fast-food gift cards to homeless people. Buy extra cards to have on hand for spontaneous giving.

Read the entire Oprah article for more ideas and facts on how you can help the hungry. The good news: You and your kids can be part of the hunger solution and make a difference in the lives of hungry families. 

True Love: An Old Dog Finds a New Home

Adopting a big dog takes a big heart. Adopting a senior big dog requires even more love. When an older shepherd mix was abandoned back in 2008, I prayed that some kind soul would adopt him. He waited for a very long time. And all that time he never lost his cheery outlook and he never lost the enthusiasm for giving kisses to visitors at the adoption fairs. I think the world would be a better place if people could manage that same optimism.

I am so happy to share the news that Duke found a home because of the good folks at a local animal shelter that never gave up on trying to find him a new home. 

God bless the kind souls that looked beyond his senior age and discovered this amazing forever friend to adopt.

Spread the Word and Help Shelter Dogs

Pet adoption and
rescue powered by

To help find homes for millions of shelter dogs waiting to be adopted, Shepard Farley, the artist who made Barack Obama's face an icon on posters and stickers, has made an icon out of an American mutt. Are you looking for a pet? Click on Farley's and Adopt-a-Pet.com’s image above to find a shelter pet near you.

You can download the "Mutts Like Me ADOPT" image for creating posters, stickers, T-shirt, badges and more at this link.

Creative fun for your family

Spread the word about adopting shelter dogs and have fun doing an artsy family activity. Click on this link for printable PDFs, a coloring page for kids, and much more. You can post your Mutts Like Me artwork at home, work and school. Of course, ask permission before posting your the Mutts poster because posting this image where it is not welcome will only hurt homeless pets.

Six Easy Steps to Save 60 Gallons of Water a Day

It has been raining like crazy all month here and it's all too easy to forget about the fact we still need to conserve water.

According to Planet Green here are 6 easy things you can do to save big:

Take a 5-minute shower instead of a 10-minute shower (Savings: 12.5 gallons)

Put a bottle filled with gravel in your toilet tank (Savings: 7.5 gallons)

Turn off the water while brushing teeth and sharing (Savings: 8 gallons)

Filling your dishwasher to max capacity (Savings: 2 gallons)

Mulching your garden (Savings: 25 gallons)

Fix that leaky faucet (Savings: 5 gallons)

TOTAL Water Savings: 60 gallons

Don't forget to talk to your kids about the water saving tips. If you do, your family could save more than 60 gallons today. You can follow PlanetGreen.com on Twitter  

(Thanks for the tips Planet Green.)

Be Happy: Do One Nice Thing

Want to make the world a better place and feel better yourself? It all starts when you do one nice thing. When you help someone out, it gives you hope too.

According to Debbie Tenzer, author of the book Do One Nice Thing, being nice can be habit-forming. Find out how Debbie got hooked on being nice in the video below. 

When you view this video, a donation will be given to Feeding America, the nations food bank network.

Check out this link for more information on Debbie and Do One Nice Thing™.

Momathon Fave: New Moon Girls Magazine

Finding a magazine for girls that isn't loaded with diet advice, popularity contests and ads might seem impossible. That is, until you discover the wonderful New Moon Girls Magazine.

"New Moon Girls magazine is about helping girls discover and honor their true selves, engage in meaningful pursuits and dialogue, and express their voices in ways that matter."

In every issue readers will find: 

• Articles about girl athletes, adventurers, and activists
• Girls internationally teaching readers about countries and cultures
• Features about women in careers that girls can aspire to 
• Life stories about fascinating historical women 
• Fiction stories about girls 
• Honest, accurate information about our bodies
• Inspirational messages from accomplished girls and women 
• Book reviews, cartoons, Ask a Girl, Dear Luna, and more 

You can read a full issue at this New Moon link.

Why Should We Love Our Bees?

If you like flowers and fruit and veggies, then you need to thank our busy bees for all the hard work they do. A third of the food we eat depends on bees for pollination, but the honeybees are disappearing fast. Why are they disappearing? The cause is still unknown, but scientists call this environmental issue Colony Collapse Disorder (CDC). Without the honeybees for pollination, the fruits, vegetables and flowers will disappear too. 

Burt's Bees recently made it a priority to educate the public about CCD. According to Burt's Bees:  "CCD is a mysterious disorder causing the disappearance of millions of honeybees that if left unsolved, could affect the availability of the food we eat." Häagen-Dazs - Help the Honey Bees also wants to "keep these little heroes buzzing" and get the word out.

The good news is you and your kids can work together to help save the bees too:

• Support your local organic farmer.
• Plant a seed a create a bee-friendly garden in your backyard, deck, or a neighborhood park.
• Make a donation to programs that support research into CCD. Pennsylvania State University and University of California at Davis have two of the world´s leading honey bee research facilities.  

Donate to the Penn State Entomology - AG Science Haagen Dazs Honey Bee Project

Donate to the UC Davis Honeybee Research Fund

You Can't Overestimate the Power of Giving

Blake Mykoskie calls himself the Chief Shoe Giver of TOMS Shoes. For every pair of canvas shoes his company sells, they give a pair away to a child in need.

This year the company's goal is to give away over 300,000 pairs of shoes.

Since the company's beginning in 2006, TOMS Shoes has given over 140,000 pairs of shoes to children in Argentina, Ethiopia, and South Africa. 

Women understand the lure a great pair of shoes, but in places like Ethiopia, even the most basic shoe is priceless. Having a pair of shoes means living a healthier life. According to the Los Angeles Times, Mykoskie also hopes donating shoes will help eradicate podoconiosis in Ethiopia, "a form of elephantiasis believed to be caused by walking barefoot in silica-rich soil."

Shopping for shoes never sounded so great. TOMS Shoes start at $44 for men, women, and children. They also feature some styles made with recycled materials. You can buy them at Nordstrom, Whole Foods and over 500 more stores nationwide and internationally. 

Way to go Mykoskie. TOMS Shoes is a Momathon Fave!

It's Hip Hop, Baby!

Kids love music. They bounce to the beat. They love to sing rhymes. Why not pair hip hop music with learning? That's exactly what Candi Carter, a Chicago mom and Emmy-winning television producer did when she developed the educational (and fun!) "It's Hip Hop, Baby!" DVD series. 

Warm Mommy Hugs go to Candi Carter who realized music was key to helping her son Emerson learn. According to Oprah.com:

"Candi's son was born with a chromosome disorder, which affected his ability to learn. Because he can't speak, Candi says she began making up catchy tunes and beats to help him communicate, have fun and learn."

Musical learning is great for all kids--especially kids with developmental delays. Carter's son Emerson has a severe speech delay and she noticed that making up songs about bath time, bed time, and more was key to helping him communicate. 

The "It's Hip Hop, Baby!" educational DVD series is available for $15.95 at specialty retailers, 

Amazon.com and online at  HipHopBaby.

"It's Hip Hop, Baby" educational benefits according to their website:

• Encourages reading
• Teaches children to follow instructions
• Encourages, dance, movement, and freedom of expression
• Helps children master concepts like repetition and rhyme

  

Go Green with Ecofont

Events this week celebrate Earth Day on April 22nd. All week Momathon Blog will be focusing on simple ways you can celebrate Earth Day every day.

Go green with a new Swiss-cheese design font.

Use the environmentally friendly Ecofont and you will minimize ink and carbon use. The Dutch company SPRANGQ developed this green font with tiny circular holes in the letters. When you use this font you won't see the holes unless the font is too large. The font is readable because the micro holes are not visible in a smaller size (16pt or smaller). The design of this typeface cuts ink usage by 20%.

It's free. Download Ecofont here.

Feeling the Love: Instant Karma

Back in March I wrote a post about Finding Instant Karma and I mentioned that a few years ago, a friend gave me a tiny book filled with suggestions for nurturing good karma. Despite it's compact size, this book includes a lifetime's worth of suggestions--8,879 ways to give yourself and others good fortune. I keep the book by my desk and when life goes a little insane I open it on any page and read a few ideas. Sometimes the suggestions I read make me smile. And they always make me think.

From the book Instant Karma by Barbara Ann Kipfer, here are a few suggestions I like for improving your karma:

• Send your spouse a Valentine on the 14th of every month (that's today!)
• Make someone laugh.
• Forget the number on the bathroom scale.
• Put on your favorite CD and dance.
• Focus on the moment rather than dreams or regrets.
• Empty your mind during a walk.
• Remember that the best things in life are free.
• Instead of running errands, stroll them.

  

I Just Love Dogs

Found a wonderful Etsy photographer who donates 20% of sale price to animal rescue. So COOL! Love Melissa McDaniel's puppy pics.  Check out this Etsy screenshot of an adorable print by her titled "Dog Eyes, Ears, Nose." The fine art print is available at McDaniel's Etsy shop.

Melissa's fine art print is 8" x 8" and printed on archival paper using archival inks. The signed print sells for $24.50 with 20% of sale price donated to animal rescue groups.

This is a Momathon Fave.

 

Finding Instant Karma

A few years ago, a friend gave me a tiny book filled with suggestions for nurturing good karma. Despite it's compact size, this book includes a lifetime's worth of suggestions--8,879 ways to give yourself and others good fortune.

I keep the book by my desk and when life goes a little insane I open it on any page and read a few ideas. Sometimes the suggestions I read make me smile. And they always make me think.

From the book Instant Karma by Barbara Ann Kipfer, here are a few good karma suggestions that I like:

• Love your age.
• Hold hands in the movies
• Abolish yelling
• Share your umbrella
• Give confidence to others
• Complain less and listen more
• Keep a record of good things that happen
• Life is too important to take too seriously  

  

Celebrate St. Patrick's Day and Go Green

 

With all the green mania today, why not join the sassier shade of green folks at Ideal Bite and get their eco-living tips for "light green" consumers, delivered daily via email, Twitter. and Facebook. Tip archive available on their blog. As their name implies, Ideal Bite offers bite-sized ideas for light green living. Tips cover everything from biodynamic wine to organic cosmetics, to seasonal recipes from local chefs.

Recently they added an Ideal Bite for Mamas to:

"Give you the scoop on everything from junk in the trunk (we're talkin' chems in disposable diapers that aren't great for babies, baby daddies, or Mama Earth), to safe alternatives to conventional plastic toys. Ideal Bite delivers easy eco-mommy tips via a short, sassy email each weekday."

Here's a recent tip from Mama at Ideal Bite:

"St. Pat's Day have you coveting green-colored foods?

The Bite

Eat your heart out, just make sure you use organic and plant-based food coloring in your holiday recipes. You'll keep artificial ingredients off your kid's plate without begrudging them a clover-hued cookie." 

(Images from Ideal Bite)

Today is Spay Day USA

Approximately one cat or dog is euthanized every eight seconds in U.S. shelters. That's about four million cats and dogs who die each year just because they are homeless. 

Spaying and neutering is the only 100% effective method of birth control for dogs and cats that reduces the vast numbers of animals that are put down in shelters because they are homeless. 

The 15th annual Spay Day USA is today, February 24th, 2009. The Doris Day Animal Foundation came up with Spay Day USA to promote spaying dogs and cats. The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) also sponsors this day.

Vet clinics across the country are offering low-cost spay and neuter services today to help those who need assistance with paying for the procedures.

In tough economic times like now, more and more "foreclosure pets" are being surrendered in to animal shelters or abandoned on the street. 

How can you help? Support the HSUS and other animal welfare programs that educate people on how important it is to spay or neuter pets. For tips on how you can take action, check out this link: Spay Day USA | The Humane Society of the United States

I am always amazed when I meet pet owners who have not spayed or neutered their pets. They have a variety of reasons--they're too busy...it's too expensive... or they think spaying/neutering will change their pet's personality in a negative way.  (The good news is low cost procedures are available and spaying/neutering will not harm the psyche of your pet.) Unfortunately, these same pet owners usually don't think their dog or cat will accidentally get pregnant (or be the unexpected new father).  And they obviously haven't considered how many homeless pets end up dying prematurely because of pet overpopulation. Building awareness about pet overpopulation is just one reason why Spay Day USA is important. Today or tomorrow or the next day is the perfect time to remind pet owners to spay and neuter.

Moms Make a Difference: Buy Pampers and Help Eliminate Tetanus

Every three minutes a newborn baby dies because of tetanus and this is a completely preventable death. Most of us have been immunized against tetanus, but for many in developing countries tetanus is deadly. And tetanus can be contracted during childbirth. That's why tetanus vaccines are so important to prevent maternal and neonatal tetanus.

Pampers and UNICEF team up to help eliminate tetanus in the 1 Pack = 1 Vaccine campaign. You can help protect women and their babies against tetanus each time you purchase a specially marked pack of Pampers. For just pennies a vaccine, these desperately needed tetanus vaccines save lives. For each pack of specially marked Pampers diapers sold, Proctor and Gamble will donate the cost of one tetanus vaccine to UNICEF. The 1 Pack = 1 Vaccine campaign has generated funding for more than 45 million vaccines since the beginning of 2008 according to ABC News.

When UNICEF vaccinates moms who are pregnant, then the moms pass that vaccine onto their unborn child so that the child will be protected against tetanus until they are old enough to be vaccinated. Now moms everywhere can work together to help other moms who need to be vaccinated. 

Actress Selma Hayek teams up with Pampers and UNICEF  to help build awareness of the  1 Pack = 1 Vaccine campaign. 

This NightLine segment above covers Hayek's visit to devastated Sierra Leone.

Actress Salma Hayek travels to the african nation of Sierra Leone with UNICEF and Pampers. 

Recycle Your Jeans and Help Homeless Teens

One in three homeless people in America are under the age of eighteen. Now you can donate your jeans for charities that help homeless teens. Just clean out your closet and recycle your jeans.

DoSomething.org and Aeropostale team up in the national campaign Teens For Jeans so you can donate your jeans and help homeless teens. Last year teens helped them collect over 125,000 pairs.

It's simple to help out. Just drop off any pair of your teen's gently worn jeans to any Aeropostale store between January 26th and February 22nd and Aeropostale will donate the jeans to a local homeless shelter or charity.

To say thanks for your donation, Aeropostale will give you an additional 25% off your next pair of jeans.

Find out how you and your kids can get involved, just check out the Aeropostale Teens For Jeans Take Action Guide.

Gossip Girl star Chace Crawford wants you to clean out your closet and do something to help homeless teens.

Adopting a Dog? Consider a Shelter Dog

Every year 5 million pets are killed simply because they are "unwanted." If the dogs and cats in shelters could talk, they would tell you they once had a family and a warm bed to sleep in. 

And they would ask you: 

Maybe you could give me a forever home. 

In return, I will be your friend always.

If you are considering adopting a dog, please visit your local animal shelter.

The video below by Jessica Hansen tells a story in photos of beautiful shelter dogs waiting to find forever homes.  

A dog doesn't care if you are rich or poor.
Give him your heart and he'll give you his.
--MARLEY & ME (The Movie and Book)

Doggie in the Shelter: Make a Difference and Donate to the Humane Society

Page re-recorded her classic hit, "How Much is that Doggie in the Window" to steer the public away from the cruelty of mass breeding places in puppy mills.

You can watch the The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) video featuring Patti Page on the You Tube clip below. 

If you are still deciding on your year-end donations, consider help stop animal cruelty by making a donation to HSUS. The HSUS is rated a four-star charity (the highest possible) by Charity Navigator, America's premier independent charity evaluator.

Gifts with Heart: Gingerbread House Kit

I love giving gifts that also support worthy nonprofits. Dancing Bear makes an adorable Sweet Home Gingerbread House Kit and 35% of the price goes directly to help homeless families find jobs and move into homes of their own. 

The kit contains gingerbread mix, icing mix, a piping bag for the icing, girl and boy cookie cutters, a special house cookie cutter and step-by-step instructions. After you mix up the dough, use the cute house-shaped box from the kit as the template for cutting the house pieces. Next just add the gingerbread pieces to the box to build the house. ($22.95)

The folks at Dancing Deer Baking Company have huge hearts. The bakery offers several Sweet Home options that benefit charities to help homeless mothers and children fund educations, find jobs, and move into homes of their own. Check out  Sweet Home, gourmet baked goods from Dancing Deer.

Ginger Bread House Kit by Dancing Deer Bakery

Kid Tech Charity: Give 1, Get 1

Give a laptop.

Get a laptop.

Change the world.

Imagine a real world laptop--durable enough to function even the toughest conditions--that's brilliantly functional, energy efficient, low cost, and fun. Sound incredible? Now imagine a nonprofit program that wants to place perhaps the greenest laptop ever in the hands of children in the developing world. The XO laptop has the perfect features and software to get kids excited about learning no matter where they live.

One Laptop per Child (OLPC), a nonprofit, sells the sturdy kid-friendly XO machines at a super low cost to governments in developing countries so they can give the computers to schoolchildren. These low-cost green machines use less power that regular PCs and are designed to work in demanding, rural conditions.

Want to help more needy kids get a laptop?

To foster learning in developing countries, The One Laptop per Child project has restarted its "Give One, Get One" program with a new retail partner, Amazon. 

You can buy one open-source, Linux-based XO laptop for your family for $399 at Amazon.com and the OLPC program will donate another one to a needy child in a developing country. If you don't want a laptop for yourself, you can still donate one of the devices to OLPC for $199 per machine.

"The phenomenal success of last year's Give 1, Get 1 program created tremendous demand from both the public, who wanted to give more, and from countries that saw an opportunity to attack poverty through education," said Nicholoas Negroponte, founder and chairman of OLPC, in a statement. Mr. Negroponte is also the founding director of M.I.T. Media Laboratory.

Watch Zimi's story below in the YouTube clip.

Also you can watch David Pogue at the NYT in the video clip below from last year (Oct. 4, 2007) 

Please note that the dates of the Give 1, Get 1 program have been updated since Pogue made this video. See the link at One Laptop per Child (OLPC) for all the current dates and prices.

Make A Difference: Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF

This October make Halloween count by Trick-or-Treating with UNICEF.  Participate in one of the many UNICEF activities and you and your kids can help get clean water, education and medicine to the children who need it most.

Fun and easy ways to participate:

• UNICEF Trick-or-Treat Boxes: Order today and get everything you need to Trick-or-Treat for Unicef.
• Trick-or Treat for UNICEF Online: Create your own UNICEF fundraising webpage in just a few easy steps and invite your friends and family to help raise funds for UNICEF.
• Text-or-Treat for UNICEF: Now you can Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF with your mobile phone. Just text the word "TOT" to 864233 (UNICEF) to make a $5 donation and help UNICEF save kids' lives. 
• Host a Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF Halloween Party 
• Send a Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF e-card: Before Halloween let your friends and family know you are fundraising for UNICEF.

Make A Difference: Non-Toxic Art Supplies for Kids

If your kids like art chances are you have a drawer or box full of art supplies. Did you know some of the common art supplies contain ammonia, formaldehyde, or turpentine that emit asthma-inducing chems? According to the go green nonprofit IdealBite.com, "Up to 36 billion pounds of toxic acrylic polymer solvents, found in many traditional art supplies, are produced each year." (If you are looking for more green living tips, Ideal Bite offers easy to do eco-living tips for busy moms and kids).

How safe are your art supplies? To help you decipher the confusing list of ingredients, check out Children's Health Environmental Coalition.

The good news is you can buy non-toxic art supplies for you and your kids. Here is a list of product suggestions I found a IdealBite.com and a few of my faves including art supply recipes from NatureMoms.com.

• Nunu finger paint: These non-toxic crayons and paints are food grade. ($25 for four big finger paint containers including red, blue, yellow, green)
• Stockmar Modeling Beeswax Clay: Non-toxic alternative to polymer clay which contains PVC ($15, 6 colors)
• Prang Soybean Crayons Tuck Box: Non-toxic crayons made from environmentally friendly soybean oil instead of petroleum. (Less than a dollar for a 4-color box)
• EcoArt Works art supplies: Eco-friendly art supplies for kids and adults. 
• Stubby Pencil Studio: Eco products for creative kids.
• NatureMoms.com: Easy recipes for natural play dough, silly putty, and finger paints. 

Make A Difference: Buy Pink, But Do Your Research First

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Seems like almost every company is pushing pink products this month in the name of breast cancer, but not all pink products offer the same philanthropic benefit. StarTribune.com has a great guide to buying pink. Here a few tips:

• Unfamiliar with a specific charity? You can always check out CharityNavigator.com to evaluate a charity dedicated to breast cancer awareness.
• A pink rubber wrist band is just that unless you double-check to make sure the product you buy is officially affiliated with a foundation you want to support. 
• Read the fine print. When a product claims to give a "percentage of the net proceeds," look for a specific figure of the percentage donated.
• Comparison shop. How much of your purchase will go to a charity? A more expensive item does not necessarily give more to a  breast cancer charity than a less expensive item. See the pink tank below.

Pink Avon Walk for Breast Cancer Tank from Avon.com

$20
According to Avon.com: All of the net proceeds from the sale of Avon Walk for Breast Cancer merchandise (65% of the purchase price) are donated to the Avon Foundation Breast Cancer Crusade to support access to care and finding a cure for breast cancer