YUMMommy

Blog

  • MFC Twitter Party and Raffle

    Hey there!!  In case you’re new to my blog, haven’t been reading it for a while or whatever the situation may be, I’m hosting an awareness and fundraising event called March For Charity.  What is it and how does it work you ask?  Well, for the entire month of March I have chosen to highlight one charity or organization in a post on  my blog telling about their mission, how they help others and what we can do to get involved.  I also thought that it would be a great idea to try to raise at least $2000 for one of these wonderful charities.

    With a lot of states seeing cuts in government funding and grants for charities, it’s very imperative that we continue to support them so that they can continue to help those in need.  Therefore, I decided to host a raffle as well.  How it works is that you donate a minimum of a $1 using the lovely ChipIn widget either in the sidebar or right below.  For every $1 that you donate you will receive an entry to win a prize from one of our lovely sponsors featured to your right in the top sidebar area.  Then, on Friday, April 1st at 10 PM, I will be hosting a Twitter Party in which we’ll be discussing the importance of charities and giving back.

    We will also be pulling names for the prizes during this Twitter Party.  So, if you donate please RSVP and join us that night.  From April 1-7th, I will post a poll in which you, the readers and supporters, will get to vote on which charity or organization we should donate the funds raised to.
    Why am I doing this?  Well, as I have mentioned a few times before I was not born with a silver spoon in my mouth and have experienced some hardships even in my adult life.  So, I have received assistance from charities in my hometown.  Not only that but I’ve always been  the kind of person who’s desired to help others.  I’m a firm believer that you improve your station in life by giving to others so that they can improve their’s.
    So, check out our lovely prizes we have up for raffle below.  Also, if you own an esty shop or business and would like to donate a prize to our raffle please feel free to contact me via email.
    The Prizes
    Wonder Bumpers (excludes Wishes of Windsor) from Go Mama Go Designs
    ReUsies Reusable Sandwich and Snack Bags from ReUsies (2 winners)
    Ruffle Leggings from Kangacoo Designs
    Decorative Wall Vinyl Decal from Trading Phrases (3 winners)

    Well, if you haven’t checked out our March For Charity highlight for today click here.

    *List of prizes will be updated throughout raffle.  So please check back often for updates*

  • MFC Twitter Party and Raffle

    Hey there!!  In case you’re new to my blog, haven’t been reading it for a while or whatever the situation may be, I’m hosting an awareness and fundraising event called March For Charity.  What is it and how does it work you ask?  Well, for the entire month of March I have chosen to highlight one charity or organization in a post on  my blog telling about their mission, how they help others and what we can do to get involved.  I also thought that it would be a great idea to try to raise at least $2000 for one of these wonderful charities.

    With a lot of states seeing cuts in government funding and grants for charities, it’s very imperative that we continue to support them so that they can continue to help those in need.  Therefore, I decided to host a raffle as well.  How it works is that you donate a minimum of a $1 using the lovely ChipIn widget either in the sidebar or right below.  For every $1 that you donate you will receive an entry to win a prize from one of our lovely sponsors featured to your right in the top sidebar area.  Then, on Friday, April 1st at 10 PM, I will be hosting a Twitter Party in which we’ll be discussing the importance of charities and giving back.

    We will also be pulling names for the prizes during this Twitter Party.  So, if you donate please RSVP and join us that night.  From April 1-7th, I will post a poll in which you, the readers and supporters, will get to vote on which charity or organization we should donate the funds raised to.
    Why am I doing this?  Well, as I have mentioned a few times before I was not born with a silver spoon in my mouth and have experienced some hardships even in my adult life.  So, I have received assistance from charities in my hometown.  Not only that but I’ve always been  the kind of person who’s desired to help others.  I’m a firm believer that you improve your station in life by giving to others so that they can improve their’s.
    So, check out our lovely prizes we have up for raffle below.  Also, if you own an esty shop or business and would like to donate a prize to our raffle please feel free to contact me via email.
    The Prizes
    Wonder Bumpers (excludes Wishes of Windsor) from Go Mama Go Designs
    ReUsies Reusable Sandwich and Snack Bags from ReUsies (2 winners)
    Ruffle Leggings from Kangacoo Designs
    Decorative Wall Vinyl Decal from Trading Phrases (3 winners)

    Well, if you haven’t checked out our March For Charity highlight for today click here.

    *List of prizes will be updated throughout raffle.  So please check back often for updates*

  • Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International

    Mission
    The mission of the  Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International (JDRF) is “to find a cure for type 1 diabetes through the support of reseach.”

    Why You Should Support Them

    As some of you may know, a year ago I lost someone very special to me–my aunt.  She was more than just an aunt to me though.  I always referred to her as Ma or my second mother and she always told people that I was the daughter she didn’t birth but that God had sent to her.  I spent most of my childhood feeling misunderstood, but she was the one person who got me and let me be myself.  I even lived with her for short periods time on and off.


    Well, right before my senior year of high school she got sick.  At the time I didn’t know how serious her condition was and I think that she tried to hide it from me at first because she didn’t know how I would take it.  But eventually, as her health worsened I learned that she was suffering from type 1 diabetes.  My heart was a little broken because I knew that there was no cure for this disease.


    Type 1 diabetes pretty much causes your immune system to attack the cells that stop your body from producing insulin and from preventing glucose overloads.  Without sufficient production of insulin the glucose ends up destroying your organs because it doesn’t get converted to energy for your beta cells.  While this type of diabetes is usually found in children as young as infants, teens and young adults it’s not uncommon now days to show up in older adults as was the case with my aunt.  However, like I mentioned there is no cure this disease.  Patients can manage it with insulin shots or an insulin pump.


    Founded in 1970 the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International is helping to fight this disease by funding research for cures, better medicines and immunizations for type 1 diabetes.  Not only is JDRF about research but they also fund campaigns to help raise awareness about this illness and educate those who are, have been or could possibly be affected by type 1 diabetes.  For information on JDRF’s fight for to defeat type 1 diabetes click here.


    Juvenile Diabates Research Foundation International is a registered 501(c)(3).

    How You Can Help
    If you have been affected by type 1 diabetes through the lost of a loved one like I have then one way to help JDRF is through spreading your story.  It’s important to inform people that type 1 diabetes doesn’t just affect the people who have it but their families and loved ones as well.  You can also participate in cure walks, donate money, become a JDRF member or even participate in clinical trials.

     For a complete list of ways you can become involved with this organization click here.

    Want More 411

    Or Write:
    Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International
    26 Broadway, 14th Floor
    New York, NY 10004

    Or Call:
    (800) 533-CURE (2873)

    Or Email:
    info@jdrf.org

    *Don’t forget to donate $1 to help raise funds for one of the highlighted charities and be entered to win one of our amazing prizes.  The more you donate, the more chances you have to win!*

    http://www.chipin.com/widget/id/8ee3e4b6aaa5c18d

  • Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International

    Mission
    The mission of the  Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International (JDRF) is “to find a cure for type 1 diabetes through the support of reseach.”

    Why You Should Support Them

    As some of you may know, a year ago I lost someone very special to me–my aunt.  She was more than just an aunt to me though.  I always referred to her as Ma or my second mother and she always told people that I was the daughter she didn’t birth but that God had sent to her.  I spent most of my childhood feeling misunderstood, but she was the one person who got me and let me be myself.  I even lived with her for short periods time on and off.


    Well, right before my senior year of high school she got sick.  At the time I didn’t know how serious her condition was and I think that she tried to hide it from me at first because she didn’t know how I would take it.  But eventually, as her health worsened I learned that she was suffering from type 1 diabetes.  My heart was a little broken because I knew that there was no cure for this disease.


    Type 1 diabetes pretty much causes your immune system to attack the cells that stop your body from producing insulin and from preventing glucose overloads.  Without sufficient production of insulin the glucose ends up destroying your organs because it doesn’t get converted to energy for your beta cells.  While this type of diabetes is usually found in children as young as infants, teens and young adults it’s not uncommon now days to show up in older adults as was the case with my aunt.  However, like I mentioned there is no cure this disease.  Patients can manage it with insulin shots or an insulin pump.


    Founded in 1970 the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International is helping to fight this disease by funding research for cures, better medicines and immunizations for type 1 diabetes.  Not only is JDRF about research but they also fund campaigns to help raise awareness about this illness and educate those who are, have been or could possibly be affected by type 1 diabetes.  For information on JDRF’s fight for to defeat type 1 diabetes click here.


    Juvenile Diabates Research Foundation International is a registered 501(c)(3).

    How You Can Help
    If you have been affected by type 1 diabetes through the lost of a loved one like I have then one way to help JDRF is through spreading your story.  It’s important to inform people that type 1 diabetes doesn’t just affect the people who have it but their families and loved ones as well.  You can also participate in cure walks, donate money, become a JDRF member or even participate in clinical trials.

     For a complete list of ways you can become involved with this organization click here.

    Want More 411

    Or Write:
    Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International
    26 Broadway, 14th Floor
    New York, NY 10004

    Or Call:
    (800) 533-CURE (2873)

    Or Email:
    info@jdrf.org

    *Don’t forget to donate $1 to help raise funds for one of the highlighted charities and be entered to win one of our amazing prizes.  The more you donate, the more chances you have to win!*

    http://www.chipin.com/widget/id/8ee3e4b6aaa5c18d

  • 27 weeks and Counting

    88 more days!!  Yes, that’s how many more days I have to go (give or take) until I can to meet Baby JJ.  I’m so thrilled. I know that I haven’t been overly drowning you guys with details about my pregnancy or taking tons of belly pics, but I am truly excited to be having another bundle of joy soon.    I guess my fears from my first pregnancy kind of carried over to this one and I was afraid to really put much out there in case something went wrong and then I’d have to talk about that too.

    But now the end is in sight. I am down to the last trimester and Baby JJ is doing well.  In fact, the doctors think that he’s going to be almost nine or ten pounds once I finally deliver!  Gosh, I sure hope not because Moo was not a small baby and there was some tearing down there.  And let me tell you that while it didn’t hurt when I pushed her out, the aftermath was quite painful.  I was soaking my booty in ice baths for two weeks!

    Not to mention, a ten baby is going to be pretty heavy to carry around.  Anyways, I went to my 27th week checkup and they gave me my O’Sullivan’s test.  It pretty much just checks my sugar level to make sure that it’s not high where it would affect the rest of the pregnancy or the baby.  I’m hoping the results will come back fine.  Although, I have to admit it did put a cramp in my style because I had a hard time figuring out what I was going to have for breakfast.

    I mean my usual breakfast consists of pancakes with maple syrup, maple sausage, grits and some butter toasted dipped in the syrup from my pancakes.  So, because of the test I couldn’t have the pancakes or the sausage and I didn’t really want to just eat toast and grits. I ended up dozing back off to sleep until almost eleven.  By then it was time to prepare lunch but I did have some stir-fry I had made the night before while I waited for my lunch to cook. I didn’t want to get too hungry.

    Oh, I did get pic of the inside of the waiting room.  I’m just so taken with the comfortable furniture and the fact that the Bradford Clinic doesn’t feel like a doctor’s office at all.  See for yourselves.

    The couches are very cozy and I love how the decorative pillows match the foot ottomans.  I kind of cut my foot ottoman out of the pic but it’s that blue thing in the corner there to the right.  I still think that it’s so cute and thoughtful that they have them for us pregnant ladies to rest our tired and swollen feet on.  I mean I haven’t seen ottoman’s in any other doctor’s office yet.

    Well, by now JJ is 2 pounds or a little over that as my doctors think and is almost 15 inches long.  He’s opening and closing his eyes and doing a lot of moving.  Because my belly is sitting much lower than it did with Moo, it feels like he’s about to fall slap out of my womb every time he moves. In fact, this past week I have sort of been freaked out about it because it’s been more intense than usual.

    Sometimes, it actually hurts when he kicks or stretches or does his Zumba workout in there. LOL.  It does feel like he’s having his own party and has invited some friends to join him.  So now that I’m going to be going to the doctor every two weeks, you all can  look forward to more belly pics and tons more posts about baby stuff.  It just seems like now that I am so close to meeting my little man, I can’t stop talking or thinking about it.

    Hope everyone has a great weekend.  Thank you to everyone who is supporting March For Charity. It truly means a lot to me.  Don’t forget to check out our lovely sponsors in the right sidebar.  They have donated some awesome prizes for our Twitter Party raffle. I will be putting up a post about that tomorrow for those who don’t understand how it will work.  And if you’d like to donate a prize or gift certificate that would be great. Remember our aim is to raise money to donate to one of these lovely charities that I have and will continue to highlight all this month.

  • 27 weeks and Counting

    88 more days!!  Yes, that’s how many more days I have to go (give or take) until I can to meet Baby JJ.  I’m so thrilled. I know that I haven’t been overly drowning you guys with details about my pregnancy or taking tons of belly pics, but I am truly excited to be having another bundle of joy soon.    I guess my fears from my first pregnancy kind of carried over to this one and I was afraid to really put much out there in case something went wrong and then I’d have to talk about that too.

    But now the end is in sight. I am down to the last trimester and Baby JJ is doing well.  In fact, the doctors think that he’s going to be almost nine or ten pounds once I finally deliver!  Gosh, I sure hope not because Moo was not a small baby and there was some tearing down there.  And let me tell you that while it didn’t hurt when I pushed her out, the aftermath was quite painful.  I was soaking my booty in ice baths for two weeks!

    Not to mention, a ten baby is going to be pretty heavy to carry around.  Anyways, I went to my 27th week checkup and they gave me my O’Sullivan’s test.  It pretty much just checks my sugar level to make sure that it’s not high where it would affect the rest of the pregnancy or the baby.  I’m hoping the results will come back fine.  Although, I have to admit it did put a cramp in my style because I had a hard time figuring out what I was going to have for breakfast.

    I mean my usual breakfast consists of pancakes with maple syrup, maple sausage, grits and some butter toasted dipped in the syrup from my pancakes.  So, because of the test I couldn’t have the pancakes or the sausage and I didn’t really want to just eat toast and grits. I ended up dozing back off to sleep until almost eleven.  By then it was time to prepare lunch but I did have some stir-fry I had made the night before while I waited for my lunch to cook. I didn’t want to get too hungry.

    Oh, I did get pic of the inside of the waiting room.  I’m just so taken with the comfortable furniture and the fact that the Bradford Clinic doesn’t feel like a doctor’s office at all.  See for yourselves.

    The couches are very cozy and I love how the decorative pillows match the foot ottomans.  I kind of cut my foot ottoman out of the pic but it’s that blue thing in the corner there to the right.  I still think that it’s so cute and thoughtful that they have them for us pregnant ladies to rest our tired and swollen feet on.  I mean I haven’t seen ottoman’s in any other doctor’s office yet.

    Well, by now JJ is 2 pounds or a little over that as my doctors think and is almost 15 inches long.  He’s opening and closing his eyes and doing a lot of moving.  Because my belly is sitting much lower than it did with Moo, it feels like he’s about to fall slap out of my womb every time he moves. In fact, this past week I have sort of been freaked out about it because it’s been more intense than usual.

    Sometimes, it actually hurts when he kicks or stretches or does his Zumba workout in there. LOL.  It does feel like he’s having his own party and has invited some friends to join him.  So now that I’m going to be going to the doctor every two weeks, you all can  look forward to more belly pics and tons more posts about baby stuff.  It just seems like now that I am so close to meeting my little man, I can’t stop talking or thinking about it.

    Hope everyone has a great weekend.  Thank you to everyone who is supporting March For Charity. It truly means a lot to me.  Don’t forget to check out our lovely sponsors in the right sidebar.  They have donated some awesome prizes for our Twitter Party raffle. I will be putting up a post about that tomorrow for those who don’t understand how it will work.  And if you’d like to donate a prize or gift certificate that would be great. Remember our aim is to raise money to donate to one of these lovely charities that I have and will continue to highlight all this month.

  • Bread For Life




    Mission
    The mission of Bread For Life is “to work alongside indigenous Africans…and help them become spiritually, socially and economically vibrant by helping to pioneer self-sustaining ministries and churches where needed and serving the church and communities through relationships that build vision and provide resources for strategic impact in the city and among unreached people…”

    Why You Should Support Them
    We have all seen those commercials about the underprivileged families in Africa.  While some of us may find it hard to believe that such conditions can exist in the year 2011, the truth is that they do.  Many countries in Africa are still very under developed and are in extreme need things like running water, medical facilities and staff and educational as well as spiritual institutes.   However, in the early 80s, Cameroon native, Ernest Ehabe had an overwhelming desire to create a ministry “that would help Africans become spiritually, socially and economically” rich and to trim dependence.  What started off as a one man journey to America to better himself in order to better his community turned into an international ministry effort.

    Bread For Life is now working to serve and deliver much needed resources and programs to hundreds of people in and around West-Central Africa.  Their ministry includes church planting, the development of Christian Medical Centers, agricultural programs and educating residents on HIV, AIDS and abstinence to name a few.

    They are a registered 501(c)(3) charity.


    How You Can Help
    Bread For Life is always looking for missionaries of God to help spread His word and good deeds. You can help by becoming a sponsor, making a financial donation or even joining a short term mission team.  

    For a complete list and other ways you can assist Bread For Life in their efforts click here.

    Want More 411


    Or Write:
    Bread For Life International
    PO Box 291307
    Kerrville, TX 78029

    Or Call:
    (830) 896-8326
    (800) 872-5404

    Or Email:

  • Finding Courage in Friendship

     In The Dragon and the Turtle Go On Safari, written by Donita Paul and Evangeline Denmark, best friends Padraig the dragon and Roger the turtle to camp outside at the base of Mount Sillymanborrow aka the backyard.  And what starts out as a fun adventure on the safari roasting marshmallows and eating baked bugs quickly turns frightening under the blanket of night. For these two young friends the darkness and sounds of the night heighten the boys imaginations as squirrels, elephants and other safari animals are transformed into ferocious beasts.  Padraig who is obviously the more scared of the two tries his best to hide his fear from his best friend.

    However, Roger senses Padraig’s uneasiness and works hard to be a source of comfort to him and encourage him to not give up on their adventure.  The boys nestle up in their tent prepared to call it a night until a loud cry for help draws them out on a true adventure.  Armed with a flashlight they set out to help whomever or whatever is need.  They put aside their fear and find courage in their friendship to vier out into the darkness and unknown to help another.

    This is a great story to help teach children the true meaning of being a friend.  Paul and Denmark do a beautiful job of writing a story that is not only easy to read but easy for children to understand.  And thanks to Vincent Nguyen they have lovely illustrations to accompany this wonderful tale.  Also, the reading guide at the end makes this a great book to use in a church library and teach children about how God is always with us even during our time of fear.

    The Dragon and the Turtle Go On Safari
    Authors: Donita Paul and Evangeline Denmark
    Illustrator: Vincent Nguyen
    Release Date:  January 2011
    Pages: 40
    Genre: Children’s, Fiction

    *Please stop by and rate my book review here.  I was not compensated for this review. However, I did receive this book free of charge.  All opinions expressed above are my own.*

  • Project Night Night

    Mission
    Project Night Night’s mission is “to provide Night Night Packages, free of charge, to homeless children from birth to pre-teen who need our childhood essentials to feel secure, cozy, ready to learn and significant.”

    Why You Should Support Them
    Imagine being a five year old child and your family has no home.  You go from shelter to shelter or sleep in your car or even worse maybe you even have to sleep on the street some nights.  How traumatic would it be to get up every morning and not know where you’re going to sleep next?  Well, for approximately 1.35 million homeless children here in the United States, it is very traumatic.  Even more saddening is the fact that according to the National Coalition for the Homeless, 42% of that 1.35 million are children under the age of five.

    So from as early as being a newborn many kids are robbed of the experience to feel safe, secure and stable.  Instead of being able to focus on their schoolwork and building friendships like others their age, they’re stressed about where their next meal is going to come from, if they’ll have a warm place to sleep or somewhere to bathe.  Homelessness among children is becoming a growing problem in the United States, especially with the past wave of economic depression we recently experienced.

    Thus, Project Night Night works to help combat the emotional and educational needs of these children by providing them with ‘a new security blanket, an age-appropriate children’s book and a stuffed animal–all nestled inside of a new canvas tote bag.’  While this may not seem like a lot for a homeless child who has nothing being able to own something so simple can be a huge boost of self confidence and a source of security.  These Night Night Packages serve as a beacon of hope for over 25,000 children a year.  Project Night Night currently serves shelters in just about all 50 states. To see if they serve a shelter in your town or state click here.

    They are a registered 501(c)(3) charity.


    How You Can Help
    If you’re interested in helping to fight the damaging effects of childhood homelessness, then Project Night Night has several ways you can assist.  You can contribute through monetary donations, material donations or even participate in their Adopt a Night Night Package Program.

    For a complete list and other ways you can get involved with Project Night Night click here.

    Want More 411
    Or Write:
    Kendra Robins
    Project Night Night
    148 Beulah Street
    San Francisco, CA 94117

    Or Call:
    (415) 310-0360

    Or Email:

  • Project Night Night

    Mission
    Project Night Night’s mission is “to provide Night Night Packages, free of charge, to homeless children from birth to pre-teen who need our childhood essentials to feel secure, cozy, ready to learn and significant.”

    Why You Should Support Them
    Imagine being a five year old child and your family has no home.  You go from shelter to shelter or sleep in your car or even worse maybe you even have to sleep on the street some nights.  How traumatic would it be to get up every morning and not know where you’re going to sleep next?  Well, for approximately 1.35 million homeless children here in the United States, it is very traumatic.  Even more saddening is the fact that according to the National Coalition for the Homeless, 42% of that 1.35 million are children under the age of five.

    So from as early as being a newborn many kids are robbed of the experience to feel safe, secure and stable.  Instead of being able to focus on their schoolwork and building friendships like others their age, they’re stressed about where their next meal is going to come from, if they’ll have a warm place to sleep or somewhere to bathe.  Homelessness among children is becoming a growing problem in the United States, especially with the past wave of economic depression we recently experienced.

    Thus, Project Night Night works to help combat the emotional and educational needs of these children by providing them with ‘a new security blanket, an age-appropriate children’s book and a stuffed animal–all nestled inside of a new canvas tote bag.’  While this may not seem like a lot for a homeless child who has nothing being able to own something so simple can be a huge boost of self confidence and a source of security.  These Night Night Packages serve as a beacon of hope for over 25,000 children a year.  Project Night Night currently serves shelters in just about all 50 states. To see if they serve a shelter in your town or state click here.

    They are a registered 501(c)(3) charity.


    How You Can Help
    If you’re interested in helping to fight the damaging effects of childhood homelessness, then Project Night Night has several ways you can assist.  You can contribute through monetary donations, material donations or even participate in their Adopt a Night Night Package Program.

    For a complete list and other ways you can get involved with Project Night Night click here.

    Want More 411
    Or Write:
    Kendra Robins
    Project Night Night
    148 Beulah Street
    San Francisco, CA 94117

    Or Call:
    (415) 310-0360

    Or Email: