Charity | She Scribes

Hearts and Handbags

May 22, 2013 By Kimberly Leave a Comment

As a blogger I receive A LOT of pitches every day. Many of them are clearly not a good fit for my site (I honestly don’t care about diaper cream…LOL). Sometimes something comes through that I feel is worth sharing with my readers. Most especially when it has to do with health matters and charitable campaigns.

Personally my heart is in good health, although my age and being overweight might change that in the near future (I hope not!). I already had one scare and had to see a Cardiologist when I had chest pains and it hurt to breath. Turns out I pulled a muscle in my chest when I was giving our dog a bath. Needless to say it was an eye opener for me. What if it was heart disease?

WomenHeart and Bayer HealthCare have teamed up for a wonderful campaign to not only bring awareness to women’s heart health but also to help raise funds for the The National Coalition for Women and Heart Disease. The campaign is called Handbags & Hearts.

Here is some more important information about the campaign.

Forty-two million women have or are at risk for heart disease. It’s the biggest killer among women in the U.S., as heart attacks claim the lives of more than 250,000 women annually, which is six times more than breast cancer. With the help of actress, singer and author Vanessa Williams, who is currently starring in “The Trip to Bountiful” on Broadway, Bayer HealthCare, the makers of Bayer® Aspirin and WomenHeart: The National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease, launch Handbags & Hearts, a national campaign that leverages the link between women and their handbags – the one item they do not leave home without – and urges women to pledge to carry aspirin at all times and learn the symptoms of heart attack to be prepared for one.

How to Participate:

Take the Pledge: For every Handbags & Hearts pledge and share received, Bayer HealthCare will make donations ($1 for pledge, $2 for share) to WomenHeart up to a total of $200,000. Together we can save hearts – one handbag at a time.

Donate: Bayer has designed a Heart Attack Preparedness Kit that carries aspirin and provides tips for what to do in case of a heart attack. You can make an additional donation of $5 to WomenHeart to receive the kit at HandbagsAndHearts.com.

Advocate: Encourage all the important women in your life to take the pledge and learn the symptoms of women’s heart attacks, which can be different from men’s symptoms.

Visit: Go to www.HandbagsAndHearts.com to take the pledge and learn more about heart disease in women and Vanessa William’s personal connection to heart disease.

I’ve visited the site and found that it’s overflowing with great information about heart health.

The Heart Attack Preparedness Kit includes:

2 Genuine Bayer Aspirin
$1 off coupon
Preparedness card
ProHeart pouch

I would like to encourage you to take the pledge and share this campaign with your family and friends, especially those with heart disease or anyone who has been touched by it. It only takes a minute of your time.

Kimberly

*I was not compensated for this post. I am sharing the information for the benefit of my site readers. Any opinions expressed are my own unless otherwise noted.

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Filed Under: Charity, Health

Attention LUSH fans – New Limited Edition Mermaid Bath Bomb

May 9, 2013 By Kimberly 4 Comments

I ♥ LUSH. I am a huge fan of their products. Currently we don’t have a store in my area but I heard through the grapevine that a LUSH store might be coming to a new mall they are building about 10 minutes from where I live. I hope so! That would be wonderful.

My husband tells me I should apply for a job at LUSH. I have a feeling that would not be such a good idea because I would spend my salary on buying everything in the store. That store is amazing!

If you are a fan of LUSH and LUSH products I thought you might be interested in a new limited edition Mermaid bath bomb that benefits a wonderful charity.

Here is a little more information.

At LUSH, we’re passionate about protecting the world’s oceans. On May 13^th, we will be launching a limited edition bath bomb called The Mermaid, with all sales being donated to Sea Shepherd Conservation Society to further their good work. This gorgeous blue bath was bomb inspired by “The Mermaid Song” written and performed by artist Ysanne for “The Coldwater Project” album.

The Mermaid bath bomb will be available ONLINE ONLY at www.lushusa.com starting on May 13^th while supplies last. Customers will also be able to download “The Mermaid Song” directly from the LUSH web site.

The Mermaid bath bomb ($4.95): For a sea-inspired experience, we’ve added some of nature’s finest ingredients to this blue bombshell – sea salt and seaweed. Packed with minerals, salt helps the body rid itself of toxins, while seaweed softens and soothes skin. Lavender instantly relaxes the body and mind, and lemon oil adds a bright, uplifting touch. Just lay back and sail away to shores of uncluttered thoughts, softer skin and warm, blue seas. (Vegan).

To learn more about Sea Shepherd and Ysanne, please follow the links below:

Sea Shepherd

For the last 36 years Sea Shepherd, founded by Captain Paul Watson (a co-founder of Greenpeace), has been dedicated to marine wildlife conservation. Their mission is to end the destruction of habitat and slaughter of wildlife in the world’s oceans and to conserve and protect ecosystems and species for future generations.

Ysanne

Ysanne’s “The Mermaid Song” is being released in partnership with Sea Shepherd and LUSH Cosmetics, where all proceeds from the song download will be donated to Sea Shepherd, and their ocean conservation efforts. “The Mermaid Song” is the first release from “The Coldwater Project”, an eclectic collection of 13 songs by Ysanne (who has previously collaborated with the Smashing Pumpkins), featuring a symphony orchestra. Every song is paired with a non-profit organization and an exclusive brand to support a variety of important issues.

The bath bomb sounds so nice. I’m going to have to make a note on my calendar to check out the LUSH website on May 13th and pick up a few of them, not only for myself but also because they would make a great gift.

Are you a fan of LUSH? What is your favorite product or products that they offer?

Kimberly

*I was not compensated for this post. I am sharing the information for the benefit of my site readers and for a wonderful charity.

Filed Under: Beauty, Charity Tagged With: Lush

Share Our Strength’s 10th anniversary Bake Sale for No Kid Hungry

April 16, 2013 By Kimberly

If you read my blog on a regular basis you know that I feel strongly about hunger, especially when it is happening in our own backyards. It breaks my heart that in a day and age when people don’t think twice about spending $500+ on the newest cellphone, yet their neighbors children are going to bed hungry tonight because their parents simply cannot afford a decent meal for their family.

One thing that I have learned over the years, especially as a blogger, is that you cannot tell what “hunger” looks like. For example, people might assume their neighbor is well off because they own a nice home. What you might not know is maybe that same neighbor lost their job and is facing foreclosure and struggling to put food on the table. You might also know someone who appears to make a lot of money, but maybe you don’t know about some astronomical medical bills they must pay which forces them to give up many necessities, such as a good meal, in order to pay them off.

When it comes to hunger never assume that someone is safe from it. Food instability can hit anyone at anytime, whether you are middle class or wealthy.

This year marks the 10th Anniversary of the Share Our Strength’s Bake Sale for No Kid Hungry.

The idea behind is Bake Sale for No Kid Hungry is to not only raise funds, but also awareness, about hunger issues in our country. Incredibly just $1.00 can help provide up to TEN meals for a hungry child. The next time you are enjoying that $4.00 mocha latte on your way to work think about how that same $4.00 could have provided up to 10 meals for four hungry children. It certainly makes you think twice about ordering that drink next time. If you could give up just ONE expensive gourmet drink a month you could make a world of difference in the life of a child.

Hosting a bake sale and submitting the funds to the Bake Sale for No Kid Hungry is not only easy to do, but also fun for your family and your community. Here are a few suggestions I hope you will consider. You can even win prizes for raising money for the campaign.

I would encourage anyone considering hosting, or participating, in a Bake Sale to check out the Resource Center. There you can find valuable tools like planning checklists, templates for flyers, location and pricing advice, and other helpful tips to make events successful and fun.

Participants will be rewarded for completing their bake sales with a variety of gifts on a monthly basis. For bake sales raising between $250 – $1,000+, bakers will receive select items from Kmart’s Sandra by Sandra Lee collection, ranging from silicone oven mitts to ceramic ramekins to a travel cake keeper. They can sign up at Bake.NoKidHungry.org/GetStarted.

If baking isn’t your thing, you can recruit friends and family to contribute to your own personal Virtual Bake Sale and raise funds online. Sadly I’m not much of a baker (although I always give it my best effort). This easy-to-use guide can help you set up your very own fundraising web page. It also provides you with an email template to share with friends and family. In four simple steps, your Virtual Bake Sale can make a great contribution to Bake Sale for No Kid Hungry.

Need some inspiration? Check out this important video about the No Kid Hungry campaign. Just take a look at the faces of the children who need your help. I hope it wil inspire you to get together with family, friends and your community to host a bake sale and help provide meals for hungry children.

If you happen to be reading this post via e-mail you can also find the video here, http://bit.ly/118Tuai.

Kimberly

*I was not compensated for this post. I am sharing this information for the benefit of program and because I feel strongly about hunger here in our country. Any opinions expressed are my own unless otherwise noted.

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Filed Under: Charity, Children, Food & Beverages Tagged With: Bake Sale, No Kid Hungry, Share Our Strength

Make a Wish – World Wish Day #WorldWishDay

April 15, 2013 By Kimberly

I have a friend name Amy who I never met in person, but I hold her and her family near and dear to my heart. We met man years ago when she contacted me to make buttons for her son Kasey’s Relay for Life team. Kasey suffered from a cancerous brain tumor. His story touched my heart and I donated the buttons for his team. Since then me and his mom Amy because friends. Over the years I did what I could for Kasey, including helping to get him postcards from around the world, along with a very special young lady name Samantha.

Sadly Kasey lost his life to brain cancer. He was only 11 years old.

Before Kasey passed away he was lucky enough to have a wish granted by the Make-A-Wish® program. If you have never heard of the program, Make-A-Wish grants wishes to children with life-threatening medical conditions. Some child wish to go to Disney World with their family, other children wish to meet their favorite celebrity or sports hero. Whatever their wish might be, the Make-A-Wish Foundation does everything it can to make their wish a reality.

In 1980 a young boy name Christopher who was being treated for Leukemia had a wish to become a Police Officer. A U.S. Customs Officer name Tommy Austin became friends with young Christopher and wanted to help make his wish a reality. Together with the Arizona Department of Public Safety they were able to let Christopher spend the day as a Police Officer, including riding in a Police helicopter. He even received his own custom made DPS uniform and was sworn in as an honorary patrolman.

Sadly Christopher passed away shortly after his wish came true. That act of kindness helped to inspire the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

The Make-A-Wish has since gone global, granting wishes to children around the world. Last year the Make-A-Wish program granted almost 14,000 wishes. That is truly amazing. Although it saddens me to think that so many children suffer from life threatening conditions.

Many wishes that are made by the children in the program require air travel. As you know, air travel can be very expensive. On average the Make-A-Wish Foundation needs 50,000 airline tickets to help make wishes come true. That equals $37.5 MILLION dollars!

This April 29th is World Wish Day. The Make-A-Wish Foundation is hoping they can inspire people to donate their airline miles that will be used to help make wishes come true. Some airlines, like United Airlines, is matching donations from it’s Mileage Plus members (up to 3 million miles). Even WWE Superstar John Cena has offered to personally match every frequent flier mile that is donated in April (up to 4.5 million). WOW! That is amazing. I commend John and United Airlines for their generous offers to help children have their wishes granted.

You can help make a wish come true. If you happen to have any extra miles that you are not using, please consider donating them to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. I know that many airlines and credit cards give consumers extra mile points/credits. If you have any that you know you won’t need, please consider donating. It would be nicer to see a child with a serious illness smile and happy rather than see those points/credits expire in your account.

This World Wish Day please consider donating your miles. Visit Wish.org/Tickets and donate miles. You can even donate money too. Every little bit helps.

For more information about the Make-A-Wish Foundation please www.Wish.org. You can also find them on Facebook and Twitter. To follow the conversation on Twitter please use the hashtag #WorldWishDay.

This year, 10,000 wish kids and their families will travel for a Make-A-Wish® experience. That’s 50,000 roundtrip tickets or 2.5 billion frequent flier miles. In honor of World Wish Day®, the day of the wish that inspired the founding of Make-A-Wish, visit wish.org/tickets and donate miles and dollars – and help wish kids take flight.

Kimberly

*This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Make-A-Wish®. The opinions and text are all mine.

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Filed Under: Charity, Children Tagged With: #WorldWishDay, Make-A-Whis

Have an “Egg-stra” special Easter & Help the Make-a-Wish Foundation

March 17, 2013 By Kimberly

One of my family’s Easter traditions is coloring Easter eggs. Even though my kids are getting older they still enjoy gathering around the table and coloring eggs. It’s fun to see what they come up with year after year. When they were little they used to make a mess (but it was a fun mess). Now that they are old they are a bit neater about it. My daughter, for example, tried to make a tie-dye looking egg this year.

We have only ever used PAAS Easter Egg coloring kits. If you do a search on my site you’ll find a few of the posts I have done over the years featuring PAAS kits.

Did you know that every year 180 MILLION eggs are decorated during the Easter season. WOW! That is a lot of egg salad. LOL!

This year PAAS has seven brand new decorating kits for you to enjoy.

Volcano Eggsplosion – Use crayon shavings to create eggsplosive designs on your Easter Eggs.
Deggorating Doodles – Food grade markers you can use to doodle on your Easter Eggs.
Touch of Velvet – This kid uses double stick adhesive and “flocking” powder to create fuzzy, velvet shapes on your Easter Eggs.

What I love about PAAS kits is that they have everything you need with the exception of eggs, vinegar and water. If you don’t use the PAAS egg cups you’ll need cups too.

Did you know that vinegar, like Heinz Distilled White Vinegar, helps to make the colors bright. I never knew that vinegar did that. All I know is that my mom always used vinegar when we colored eggs. It wasn’t until a few years ago that I knew the reason why.

The best way to use Heinz Distilled White Vinegar is to add one tablet of egg coloring and 3 tablespoons of Heinz Distilled White Vinegar to a PAAS Coloring Cup (or a disposable cup). Once the tablet has dissolved completely add 1/2 a cup of water and stir.

Did you know if you add 2 tablespoons of Heinz Distilled Vinegar per quart of water before placing eggs in the pot you can keep the eggs from cracking. It will also make the shells peel off faster. I never knew that. I’m going to do that every time I make hard boiled eggs from now on.

Heinz Distilled White Vinegar is readily available at any grocery store, drug store and mass retailer. You can get a pint (16 ounces) for as little as $1.34 and $1.99 for a quart (32 ounces). Since we use vinegar for a lot of things around our home, from cooking to cleaning, I like to pick up the larger bottles.

My family had a great time coloring eggs this weekend. We used the PAAS kits pictured above with the exception of the Volcano Eggsplosion. Normally we color eggs shortly after they are done boiling, which we had planned on doing yesterday. However something came up and we had to leave so I put the eggs in the fridge. We didn’t get to color them until yesterday evening. By then the eggs were cold. In order to use the Volcano Eggsplosion the eggs have to be hot enough to melt the crayon shavings. I did’t want to boil the eggs again because I didn’t want to overcook the inside. I also didn’t have anymore eggs to boil more. So we were unable to use that kit. That is OK. We’ll save it for next year.

Here are a few photos from our “egg-stra” special evening.

My kids (including my hubby and myself) had a fun time coloring eggs. We did nearly 2 dozen. I say nearly because the kids had a few prior to coloring them.

Here are a few of the finished eggs.

My husband used the PAAS Egg Doodle Markers to write the word “Dallas” on one of the eggs (top right photo). You can see some of the Velvet eggs (blue velvet egg design in the bottom left photo and the green/yellow egg with the pink velvet bunny- top left). There is also a heart that was drawn with one of the Doodle Markers (top left0. We used some of the stencils that came with the Doodle Markers but the only one seen in the photos above is a blue butterfly that was accidentally smudged because it was still wet when put in with the other eggs.

This year PAAS and Heinz have teamed up to create a fun, FREE Easter Egg Decorator App. It’s available both online and for the iPad. Simply search for PAAS/Heinz in the iTunes App Store. If you would like to decorate eggs on your computer simply visit www.HeinzPaasEaster.com.

In addition to enjoying decorating virtual eggs, Heinz and PAAS will donate $1.00 for every virtual egg that is shared with family and friends, up to $25,000, to the Make-A-Wish Foundation (www.Wish.org). The Make-a-Wish Foundation grants the wishes for children with life-threatening and terminal illnesses.

I think this is a wonderful thing. You get to enjoy decorating eggs, your friends and family get to receive virtual Easter Eggs and money is going towards the Make-a-Wish Foundation to help make wishes come true for very sick children. ♥

The app is available now until March 31st.

I decorated several eggs using the app and shared them with family members. Here are a couple of my designs.

Decorating the virtual eggs is super easy to do. Even children can enjoy decorating the virtual eggs. It might also provide them with some inspiration on ways they can decorate real Easter eggs.

PAAS Kits can be found at most major drug stores, grocery stores and mass market stores. They retail for around $4.25 on average.

For more information about PAAS please visit www.PaasEasterEggs.com.

If you would like more information about Heinz Vinegar visit www.HeinzVinegar.com.

Kimberly

*I received free product samples from PAAS and Heinz to help facilitate my review. There was no compensation. The opinions expressed are my own and were not influenced in any way.