DIFOP-Mothers Give Back to NICUS

By far, one of the most challenging and emotionally barren seasons of my life was giving birth to my premature daughter. My third baby spent three weeks in the NICU (neo natal intensive care unit) and it was a roller coaster with high highs and low lows.

Every Christmas we return to remember and honor the people who saved our daughter's life. We also empathize with the exhausted, new parents on their long and frightening NICU journey.

In honor of Mother's Day and our new Do-It-For-Others project, I am pleased to introduce you to a brand new organization, Hailey's Hope, born out of a grief most of us will never know. Kristin, Hailey's mom, lost her precious daughter in January this year when she was just 36 days old. She has turned her sorrow into a beautiful testimony and ministry in her baby's honor by blessing other NICU families with special gift bags.

The gift bags for NICU parents provide a gentle touch of comfort during a difficult time.

What we are collecting to add to gift bags (ITEMS MUST BE NEW):

• Stuffed animals, stuffed rattles, stuffed animals w/small blankies attached
• Preemie clothes-boy, girl and unisex (most Dept. stores carry preemie clothes, including WalMart)

Please let me know BY COMMENTING if you think your family can send an item!

Some of you can send a lot, some only a little. Please consider sending something (I will collect the items the month of May and send one large box to Hailey's Hope).

We are THAT family

8000 Research Forest Dr. Ste. 115-110

Spring, TX 77382

Deadline for this project is June 1st. If you can participate, I have a treat for you, please visit my community for a chance to win something special for yourself or Mom on Mother's Day!

DIFOP-Christmas Jars:An Idea for All Year Long

As I took ornaments down from the tree on New Year's Day back in January, my toddler wandered in the room.

"Mommy, what you doing?"

I reached on tip toes, answering, "I'm taking the ornaments off. It's time to put away our Christmas tree."

I'm not sure what my 3 year old heard exactly, but the next thing I knew she was WAILING, and blocking the tree with her BODY, screaming "Noooo!!! I want Christmas!"

Well. That was unexpected.

I felt like the murderer of Christmas as I pried ornaments from her chubby fingers.

But Christmas doesn't have to end. (Even if you were ready for it to). Have you ever heard the book Christmas Jars?

Our family loves the idea behind this book: Collect spare coins and loose change in a jar all year long and on the week of Christmas deliver the jar to someone's front door! Keep it a secret and quietly celebrate making a difference with your family!

I found a clearance jar at Target and we've already started!

I think this would be a great Do It For Others Project (DIFOP)! So, grab a jar, put it in a high traffic area in your house and designate loose change and spare dollar bills to it. We have one rule with our jar: ONCE MONEY GOES IN-IT CAN'T COME OUT (in other words, we can't use it when we hear the ice cream truck!)

In December, we'll share the who/how/why of our Christmas Jars!

Are you in? (that means Yo, leave a comment if you are)!

*Updated* I'll be randomly choosing a commenter to win a copy of the book Christmas Jars! Congrats to the random book winner, Kristin of this Sweet Country Life!

The World's Largest Nerf Party LINKY {Giveaway}

*UPDATED* Thanks for participating! Here are the two random winners of the Nerf sets: Mom's Just One of the Boys (#7) and There Must Be More Than Dishes and Laundry (#14). Congrats!!

Thank you for helping Mason celebrate NERFING cancer! I hope you guys were able to have your own little party (just your family or a big bash with neighbors and friends)!

Today is the day to link up your pictures! Every participant will be entered to win one of the prizes below (two winners will be announced tomorrow).

While we're partying online, Mason and a few hundred of his friends, family and community members are having a LIVE Nerf party in Colorado! He's counting on my readers from all over the country to help make this the BIGGEST party ever!

Here's how we celebrated:

We invited some friends to a local park: The Eck Life, Bake at 350 and Magnolias and Mudpies, but had to move it indoors due to rain (to which I tweeted: "Moving Nerf party inside my house and I'm not even worried. This is what happens when you go to Africa.")

My daughter made bulls eye vests from construction paper:

The kids divided into two teams: boys v. girls:

And the battle began:

All over the house:

It was awesome.

We did it, Mason! We celebrated your victory over cancer!

How about you?

Nerf is generously donating a couple of sets of guns to two lucky participants in today's party, as well as stocking up Mason's real live party:

(Ages 8 years & up/Approximate Retail Price: $39.99/Available: Fall 09)

Gear up and go with the new NERF DART TAG FURYFIRE 2-Player Set. Complete with two new rapid-fire FURYFIRE blasters featuring auto-advance barrels that hold ten darts, two redesigned scoring vests, two sets of VISION GEAR eyewear and 20 DART TAG DARTS, the NERF DART TAG FURYFIRE 2-Player Set inspires engaging, energetic team play.

NERF DART TAG CAPTURE THE FLAG Set

(Ages 8 years & up/Approximate Retail Price: $34.99/Available: Fall 09)

You'll have to use your stealth and speed to win NERF's adrenaline-pumping twist on capture the flag. Complete with two redesigned scoring vests, two STORMFIRE blasters, six DART TAG DARTS and a new Electronic Flag, the NERF DART TAG CAPTURE THE FLAG Set offers an advanced way to enjoy classic DART TAG action.

This Little Boy is Counting on You

Mason is celebrating his defeat of cancer by having The World's Largest Nerf Party! Tomorrow (Friday, March 19th), I'm hosting a virtual party (as a part of my DIFOP series), so please link picture(s) of your kids, neighbor's, friends or yourself nerfin' it up!

(Participants will be entered to win some cool Nerf stuff!)

Watch your back,

P.S. If you don't have a blog, but would still like to participate, please send me a picture and I'll share it for you!

____________________________

Thank you for sending the Award Cut-Out Shapes for African Sunday Schools! We've collected HUNDREDS!!!!

DIFO Project #3 World's Largest NERF Party

(DIFO Project #2 is still going on, there is still time to cut out shapes with your kids for African Sunday School classes! This needs to be sent to me by the end of February).

I am thrilled to be a part of next month's (March) do-it-for-others project! Several months ago, I received an email from a mom. She had stumbled upon an old post about my son's Nerf birthday party.

She was in the early stages of planning a party of her own, but not a birthday party. I learned that her 7 year old son, Mason, had been fighting cancer since he was 2 years old, five long years. He is just finishing his last round of oral chemotherapy and he wanted to celebrate this huge accomplishment with his family, friends and town. (You can read this beautiful post by Mason's mother to learn more about this amazing boy).

His dream is to have The World's Largest Nerf party. Mason's mom asked me if I had any ideas. Why, yes, yes, I do. Because I know some amazing people, my blog readers love doing stuff for others!

Thru the power of Twitter, I found a Nerf representative and she hooked them up for their local Nerf party on March 20:

Mason's mom has worked so hard on making the local party a success. But in order to make it THE WORLD'S LARGEST PARTY, we need YOUR help.

On Friday, March 19, I'm going to be hosting a linky party in Mighty Mason's honor for you to link up pictures/post about your own family/friends NERF PARTY. You can just include your own family or get friends and neighbors to join you in a battle.

Not only will you help make one special little boy's DREAM come true, all the participants in the MARCH 19th LINKY will be entered to win some VERY COOL Nerf products!

This can be as simple as a Nerf battle between your kids or a big party for the neighborhood!

(Ages 8 years & up/Approximate Retail Price: $39.99/Available: Fall 09)

Gear up and go with the new NERF DART TAG FURYFIRE 2-Player Set. Complete with two new rapid-fire FURYFIRE blasters featuring auto-advance barrels that hold ten darts, two redesigned scoring vests, two sets of VISION GEAR eyewear and 20 DART TAG DARTS, the NERF DART TAG FURYFIRE 2-Player Set inspires engaging, energetic team play.

NERF DART TAG CAPTURE THE FLAG Set

(Ages 8 years & up/Approximate Retail Price: $34.99/Available: Fall 09)

You'll have to use your stealth and speed to win NERF's adrenaline-pumping twist on capture the flag. Complete with two redesigned scoring vests, two STORMFIRE blasters, six DART TAG DARTS and a new Electronic Flag, the NERF DART TAG CAPTURE THE FLAG Set offers an advanced way to enjoy classic DART TAG action.

If you don't have a blog, I'd still love for you to participate! Just email me a picture of your party and I'll post it on my blog!

You can also send Mason a Congratulations card to this address:

Mighty Mason

7334 S Shawnee St

Aurora, CO 80016

Let's unite on March 19th RIGHT HERE for a Nerf Linky party to make this a very special event for Mason!

Please leave a comment if you'll be able to take a few pictures/write a post to link up/ to help Mason celebrate.

DIFO Project #2

I am really excited about our new do-it-for-others project: Making awards for Sunday School children in African villages!!

(This was planned before I knew I was going to Kenya with Compassion Bloggers in March!)

This is a simple project that requires cutting, gluing and copying African words on paper. ANYONE can do it! There are very specific instructions though.

Instructions for Bible awards:

Ask your friends, family & church to save their used greeting cards. From the card fronts cut out basic shapes – hearts, stars, circles, etc. from the templates we provide. ONE SHAPE PER CARD (should take up most of the card, so when you copy them, enlarge them too).

My mother-in-law handed me a pile of Christmas cards she had saved for the grandkids to play with. I eagerly snatched them up! (If you don't have used greeting cards, you could also make this project from scrapbook card stock).

We also provide Bible verses or slogans in African languages, make copies then cut each verse out with fancy scissors if available, otherwise regular scissors are fine.

Paste a Bible verse or slogan on the front (picture side) of each cut out. It does not matter what is on the back, most kids hang them on the wall.

The Africa Shaped Awards- When making the Africa Shaped award it is important that they be made only from white or solid color, picture free cards or cardstock. You can trace Africa shapes onto white or plain card backs — it is okay for the back of the award to have pictures or writing, but the front, where you will glue the slogan, should be plain. Only use the slogan “Pray for the children of Africa” for this award.

Finishing the Project: Punch a hole in the top, thread a short piece of embroidery floss through, and tie.

Send whatever you can complete to me and I will pack like shapes in groups of 50. I will put each group in a small plastic bag such as what the newspaper carriers use.

Shapes are used as awards to encourage African Sunday school children!

Please email me (kristenwrites@yahoo.com) for my P.O. box.

Project Deadline is March 1st.

We are working in conjunction with:

Every Child Ministries
25 years going the distance
"for the forgotten children of Africa"
1985-2010
VISIT OUR WEBSITE !
www.ecmafrica.org

Please ONLY leave a comment if you think you're going to contribute to this worthy project!

African Shapes and Versus to Print, Copy, Etc.

DIFOP #1: Fleece Blankets for Hospice {Update}

Eighty-two is a beautiful number.

Can you believe it? Eighty-two fleece blankets for Hospice!

Thank you, thank you, thank you (and if you didn't have a chance to participate...stay tuned because I'll be listing the next Do-It-For-Others-Project TODAY).

Statement From Hospice:

"There are seasons in life when softness counts. A soft touch can reach deeply into a heart and soul . How especially true this is for our hospice patients. What a delightful surprise to receive a phone call from you offering our patients lap blankets! Please express our heartfelt appreciation to each person that invested their time, prayers and cares by making a lap blanket. Our patients will be comforted."

P.S. I'm giving away a TON of Integrity Kids music CDs in my Blog Frog Community, EIGHT random participants will win!

DIFOP Update

The fleece blankets for Hospice are starting to roll in.

Please email me for the P.O. Box to send your completed projects to: kristenwrites@yahoo.com

The deadline (for me to RECEIVE) the blankets is January 31st!!

Do-It-For-Others: Project 1

I really hope that you'll join me in making a difference through the projects and stick around for some great gift ideas too. You don't even have to be crafty! I will pick easy projects each month that you can do with your family.

Our first project:

Fleece Blankets for Hospice

Hospice is such a needed organization. They come in at the end of someone's life and help ease the tremendous burden from the family. They are needing fleece lap blankets for their patients.

I love this idea: to make one blanket, buy 2 fleece baby blankets at the Dollar Store (most $1 stores carry these). Tying two of the baby blankets together makes the perfect size and weight needed for adult lap blankets. So, basically, you're just putting the blankets together!

We bought ten blankets for $10 and this will make five blankets for Hospice. Our kids are helping too! You can do one or twenty. (If you don't have a Dollar Store near you, you can also get fleece at WalMart or any fabric store. One yard, should make about two lap blankets.

• Fringe the edges by cutting approximately 2" strips on each blanket.
• Lay them on top of each other and match up the strips to tie into knots.
• Repeat this on all four sides. Actually, I just showed a tutorial a few weeks ago, and here is another.

Project Deadline: Jan. 31 (please try to send them to be received by this date) because the next project will be announced the first week of February.

PLEASE tell me in the comments if you're participating. I won't actually announce the number of blankets until I receive them. But you can check back on my sidebar to see the ongoing count of received blankets.

When you've completed your blanket(s), please email me kristenwrites@yahoo.com and I will give you a p.o. box to mail it to. I will send all the collected blankets together in one shipment.