Tough Economy Makes Families Want to Stock Up

Any part of the week we have extra kids in our house.  Can you
guess which two are not mine?  Tee hee....

Wow, I can't believe I've gone 4 days without blogging.  It's UNREAL how crazy busy I am and I don't even go to work every day!  Sometimes I sit there and day dream about only cashiering like I did back when I worked at JCPenney.  I told Charles that if I ever had to work again after my kids grow up, that'll be my dream job.  Just ringing people and and talking to them.  Forget about the pay.  I can't believe I complained about it when I was a teen.  Now I'd be all excited to just talk to people and help them buy stuff.  Remember those days?  Crazy, crazy....

Here is another point of view though that I was thinking about today.  There is NO money.  No material thing. No gadget.  No Cable.  No car. No house that could ever get me to change my mind and want to go to work while my kids are being raised.  There is just no temptation for me whatsoever there.  The only regret I can see myself ever having is not spending enough time with my kids. I can't imagine laying on my death bed saying "Man, I never really lived because I never got to buy that Hummer I always wanted."  Nope.  I am not joking when I say that we cut every unnecessary expense in our life so I can stay home. Our bills are very, very simple on purpose.  I'm not knocking at all people who have to work!  I am only saying for myself. I know how hard it is and I've had all my cards crumble. It is really tough times out there and more and more families are just really struggling.  Been there, done that.  I guess that's why I'm putting so much time into saving and stocking up right now.

Part of my stash of dishwashing soap

How can my days POSSIBLY be so insanely busy?  You know what's been making me crunch time?  Couponing.  I learned a hard lesson from waiting to cut coupons till they add up.  I just went shopping again so I had to sit and cut coupons.  It took me soooooo long.  I'm talking hours to catch up.  I will always cut and put away my coupons as soon as I get them now.  That was just ridiculous.  Then I went to the store and saved huge.  But still... it really takes some time and dedication.  Maybe even practice.  The first time I went coupon I settled for 50% of savings.  I was kind of sad about it and was determined to try harder. Then it was in the 60's, then 70's, and now 80's.  I guess the biggest thing is not just getting excited about using a coupon but truly waiting till it's a rockin deal.  I've never had my pantry and both fridges soo full so it's exciting and my family is reaping big time.  

Free toothpaste

It's really cool having 32 toothpastes I got all for free, the toothbrushes too.  Or only paying 88 cents for expensive shampoo or whatever it is.  We'll definitely have deoderant, shampoo, toothpaste, shaving stuff, feminine products, dishsoap, etc that'll last us about a year.  That's from only couponing the last two weeks!  I won't pay for anything unless it's at least 80% with sale and coupon.  Otherwise, forget it.  It stays on the shelf.

Stacks of kids crayons

I really need to start getting my shampoos for free.  If I would've saved my coupon I would of gotten 10 free Aussie shampoos today and even got money back.  ARgh!  Patience.  I'm hoping to get good enough where I can give them away to people in need.  Seriously, I'm not gonna need 100 packs of toothpaste. But I sure am heck gonna aim for them to give.


Anyway, tomorrow is a HUGE laundry day and I'm babysitting so I'd better get some rest.  


I LOVE MY BLOGGY friends!  

Savings Lives Takes Action

It's been a wonderful journey with Reece's Rainbow and helping to give to families that want to adopt, but don't have the funds. Thank you to my friends and bloggers for supporting it. All the times I've thrown money at a morning coffee, went thru a drivethru for a quick burger, or just saw a sale for something I didn't really need..... it's not nearly, a million miles, close to what it feels like to help bring a child closer to the waiting arms of a wonderful family.

It's funny because just before I heard about Reece's Rainbow, I was searching online for a charity I wanted to support. Within the same week, Patti contacted me about a giveaway she wanted to do, using her own Christmas present she never got to open. All so that she could bring people together to save a life.  What started out as an idea, became an action, and is saving lives.

That life was sweet Olga. (Has a family!)

Then it was Kareen (Has a family!)

Then Peter (Has a family!)

Now, little Artem

I got a message on facebook from a lady I don't know. She said that donating wasn't important and that prayers are more powerful anyway. 

I agree that prayer is powerful.

But I also think giving AND prayer makes for a pretty POWERFUL combination.  As you can see!

Kind of like hoping and praying that the world will know about Jesus.  But are we willing to share Jesus with people around us?

I think it's pretty darn cool that with the money we gave, that was pooled together, was able to save a life.  I would rather trade a lifetime of Starbucks coffee's anyday than miss out on saving a precious life such as these.

**************************************


Then I found

Campus Book Rentals offers new and gently used textbooks for typically less than half the price you'll pay in your school bookstore. Search for the college books you need and save!


Here's the part that hits my soft spot....


For EVERY book rented starting now, they will donate a portion of those proceeds to...   

Before

After

"We're ecstatic to announce our 2011 Making a Difference Program. We have officially teamed up with Operation Smile, an out of this world, awesome organization, that performs life changing cleft lip surgeries on children whose families could not otherwise afford it. The long term Improvement in quality of life for the children that receive these surgeries is almost incomprehensible. We have committed to donating enough to cover a minimum of 1,000 life changing surgeries. We hope To beat that number, but it's a significant commitment."


Not ONLY can you save HUGE on your textbooks you need to get anyway for college, you are helping to give smiles to these precious kids.

Pure Love Giveaway- ENDS TONIGHT!

UPDATED:  Contest ENDS tonight.  If you have already donated, you can put in a $10 entry for Artem plus an extra entries for facebooking and blogging about it.  Even if we don't win, giving the gift of a family is the best gift ever! :D

UPDATED: To the right on my side bar you can see that Artem is added!  Click on PURE LOVE GIVEAWAY below to read more about it!

I made it all simple on where you go to donate and also where you go to enter contest once you do.

Peter has a family looking into adopting him. He is in danger of being transferred to a mental institution forever in just a few short months.

Click HERE to donate to Peter's fund or on my sidebar.

So far $11,000 is in his account.

Goal Met! $13,154 raised.

Thank you for giving so Olga could have a home!  She has a family that is looking to adopt her.  We'll keep you updated!

Goal Met! $15,711 raised

Kareen has a family and is in the process of adopting her!  :)

(Visit http://kareensjourneyhome.blogspot.com to see current adoption process)

ONCE YOU HAVE DONATED you can enter to win prizes and the odds are really good for the Pure Love Giveaway!

ALL the details are here on how to enter:

PURE LOVE GIVEAWAY


View video to see why we want to rescue these children

Team Peter: Needs Funding Badly

Patti has a new update about Peter on her blog. The news is good and bad.

First the good.....

Peter has a family!!!!

 His health is declining and he can't wait a year to come to the US and get dr's help. The wonderful family that is adopting him seriously needs the full funding to bring him home. They will be taking care of his medical once he gets here. They are so, so, so grateful of what everyone has done. Without you, Peter would get no help and end up in a Mental Institution.

Patti says if everyone just donates $10, he'll reach his goal. Even if you've already donated and put an entry in, if you donate another $10, you can add an extra entry for the contest (Pure Love Giveaway). Contest ends on Friday.  Please, Please consider just the extra $10. Together, we can help bring Peter home.

To donate, go HERE, or just donate to Peter on the top of my sidebar. -------->

 Your donations ARE tax deductible.

Thank You From My Heart

Thank you for reaching out to Olga and Kareen this holiday season.  We may have given during this season  of our life but the gift for them lasts a lifetime.
Totals: Olga $12,549
Kareen $3,256

"Whoever welcomes a child like this in my name welcomes me." Matthew 18:5

Merry Christmas!

Update On Olga

UPDATE: The family has pulled out that was possibly going to adopt Olga. Please pray and lets storm heaven's gates for a miracle! She only has one month left till she is transferred to a mental institution.  Please, please, please pray......

Gifting a Family

Her Fund: $3,256
Cost of adoption: $20,000-$25,000

Although I'm excited that Godtube is featuring "From Orphanage to Mental Institution", donations are creeping slowly in for Kareen. 

So far, in writing this, there has been 1,830 visitors to see the video.  Even if each person donated $10, do you know what that would amount to for Kareen?  A full amount for adoption.  Can you imagine how easy it could be to let go of $10?  What could you let go of?  A couple of Starbucks coffee's?  One trip to a Mcdonalds?  What could it mean for Kareen to have those small sacrifices from us? 

A family for Kareen in 2011

A family that can rescue her before it's too late and she is transferred. 

Patti is giving the drawing for an iPad because she has a purpose.  She is trying to bring more people to donate. So if you've donated to Kareen, you can put in for an entry HERE!

From Orphanage to Mental Institution

Pssst! Did you know Patti is hosting an iPad Giveaway on her blog if you donate?  5pm on Christmas Eve is the deadline!  If you donated, head to http://babynumber10.blogspot.com to leave a comment and enter!!!

Godtube asked me for a video that they could use to show their audience.  I didn't have one so I figured it was good time to make one.  After watching the original story on it and crying and crying, I finally set out to make this one.  It took about 9 hours but finally finished it at 3am.  I hope it touches your heart like it touched mine making it.  I had to watch it about 50 times while editing and working out the bugs so the song and images really sank in.  REALLY SANK IN. 



We are in a bubble.  Our life is cushioned by shopping, sports, friends, family, money, jobs, etc.  It's easy to turn a blind eye to something that is not right in front of my face every day.  We have it really, really good. 

Then there are little ones that are waiting to be rescued.  Some have families waiting but just don't have the funding.  Even if we can't adopt, we could provide the funds for a family that can. 

Let's rescue Kareen before she has to be transferred to the mental institution forever.  We made a difference for Olga.  Let's do it for Kareen!

HER DIRECT LINK IS: http://reecesrainbow.org/kareen-35-2

REMEMBER: If you didn't see what I said at the top, Patti, who started all this for these precious girls, is hosting an iPad Giveaway on her blog.  So if you donated, please go to http://babynumber10.blogspot.com/ to leave a comment that you did.

New iPad Giveaway! Updated Again!

(Keeping Giveaway at top so scoll down to see latest blog entries!)

You guys are so awesome for giving and spreading the word about Reece's Rainbow!$12,549 was donated for Olga.

Words alone can not express what you gave to Olga. Thank you so much!  Guess what?  A family is already working things out for Olga.  Just imagine that you were able to contribute and give such an amazing gift!  UPDATE: The family has pulled out that was possibly going to adopt Olga.  Please pray and lets storm heaven's gates for a miracle!  She only has one month left till she is transferred.

Because of the success, Reece's Rainbow is now looking to rescue another girl facing the institution and is asking for your help for Christmas!  Together we can make it possible! 

There was such an awesome response from previous giveaway, the winners were posted, and now Patti has a new giveaway! This time it's for an...

iPad!!!

This time you can have 10 entries and Patti tells you how on her blog.  Check out her

Home For Christmas iPad Giveaway!


UPDATED
If you want to see the direct links here, then I will go ahead and post them.  Some have told me they wanted to donate but were unsure where to go:
-------------------------------------------------------
Step 1:
This is the next one Patti would like us to rescue!
 http://reecesrainbow.org/kareen-35-2
($3,256) She needs donations!

Step 2:
After you donate, remember that you can put in an entry for an iPad at: http://babynumber10.blogspot.com/2010/12/winners.html

--------------------------------------------------------
Patti tells you how you can get 10 entries for donating to Kareen. 2 for donating, 2 for tweeting, 2 for following, 2 for blogging, and 2 for facebooking. She tells you how on the link I gave you to her blog. :)

If you would like to watch funds raise yourself then go to http://reecesrainbow.org/sponsorship/angeltree2010/angeltreesponsorpage
Scroll down to the section called "I've Reached My Angel Tree Goal" and look for Kareen.  This is where it shows the correct amount donated. :) Average cost of adopting a child is around $20,000.  With your help, it is becoming possible!

Olga's Fund Now At $12,504!!

Below this is my latest blog entry. :)

You still have time to enter to win the iPod Touch by donating before the end of the night! 

• Click here to donate: http://reecesrainbow.org/olga-r-3

• Click here to leave comment at the end of the post for an entry to win: The Most Important Post I've Ever Written

God is doing miracles for little Olga.  Come see a Christmas miracle happen on Patti's blog.

P.S. Remember, the link to Olga is not showing current amount.  Patti is in contact with Reece's Rainbow for current amount and we will keep updating our blogs.  If you want to see the amount shown on Reece's rainbow, Olga is found on the Angel Tree HERE.  She is almost at the bottom of the page and her button is placed under her picture to donate.

Giveaway Extended

We are keeping Olga as top priority but scroll down below this to see my latest blog entry.  ;)

$12,504!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We are still pulling for Olga and desperately need your help.  On facebook I have 250 friends and I told them that if each donated $20, that would add up to $5,000.  If they donated $50, it would add $12,500 towards Olga's adoption.  It's the Christmas season and we have a chance to give the gift of a family to a precious little girl. 

Here is an idea Patti has which is fantastic.  From her blog:

"My husband also got his company to donate $1 for every new subscriber to zipdeals. A zipdeal is a coupon that comes in an email offering 50 to 70% off local restaurants and businesses. If you've ever heard of "groupons" - it's the same thing. Anyway- his company (Ziplocal) will donate a dollar to Olga for every person who subscribes to get these emails. ***they will not spam you, and you can unsubscribe at any time, and Olga will still get the dollar.** Sounds like small potatoes- but if 500 people subscribed, that's $500 for Olga! If you want to subscribe, click here: http://tinyurl.com/RRfundraiser (subscribing is free)"


Lets pull together for Olga guys.  It would mean so much.  If you have a Facebook, Twitter, blog, website....please repost. 

To donate to Olga directly: Click HERE (Remember amount shown is not correct amount donated.  We are updating you here and on Patti's site.)

When you donate, be sure to go put your entry in the comments for a chance to win an iPod Touch for Christmas by going HERE.

Team Olga

Patti at A Perfect Lily (Click to read current info) has a good idea for Olga (Click here to donate!). 

Remember the girl we are trying to rescue?  She's a beautiful little girl with Down Syndrome.  If she is not rescued by next month, when she turns 5, she will be transferred to a mental institution forever. Patti talks more on the link I gave you.  What life will be like for Olga. 

Why save just one?  I look at my daughter and I imagine if something were to happen to me.  Say she had no living relatives and was put in an orphanage. What if she had a "flaw" that prevented people from choosing her from the others?  What if people did want to rescue her but didn't have the funds?  What if she wasn't chosen and her fate was that of a mental institution?  Just because she was too old for the orphanage? 

What if it was my daughter?  Your daughter/son?  Just saving one means so much to that one. Of course we can't save them all.  But if we worked to save that one, it matters to her. 

Anyway, Patti has an idea about reaching out to local radio stations.  Wouldn't it be neat if we all wrote Dr. Laura an email with the same link?  They read the emails every day.

Lets work together!!

Click here to email Dr. Laura!

The little girl's name is: Olga
Link to her donation page: http://reecesrainbow.org/olga-r-3

Remember, the amount shown so far is not the correct amount.  Patti is updating her site daily of the correct amount added up.

Win an iPod Touch and Other Prizes!!! UPDATED Again!

Please keep visiting Patti's site to see updated funding for Olga!  The actual website is not showing the current account but it started at $78 and is

$12,504!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am going to keep this up to make sure she can have a chance at adoption.  She has till next month or she will be transferred....you can read more on Patti's site for updates.




You can have a chance to WIN an iPod Touch just by putting in a donation to a very important cause.  Please come visit my friend's site to read more!!! 

A Perfect Lily

Olga turns five next month. In Eastern Europe, babies with Down syndrome are deemed unacceptable at birth. Olga has spent her life in an orphanage...until now. Soon she will be transferred to a mental institution. Forever....read more.

If you can post my friend's link on your blog also it would be a great help to the little girl!