Wednesday, January 20, 2010

...make a brighter day... just you and me!


people need our help. children need our help.
i'm one of those people that avoids the news so as not to upset myself with the details of
some of the horrors of everyday life. pain inflicted on children and the elderly most especially keep me
up at night. it's not because i don't want to be bothered with it, but mostly because i lack the ability to not internalize
it. i'm sure this happens to most everyone. i have had a harder time with it since i have had babies of my own.

i am sad and ashamed to say...i have also doubted my ability to help. i'm just one person. what can i do to help
without unlimited funds. really, will it matter if i help, so many others are helping. i reason that i throw some
money into santa's bucket...you know the one that rings the bell at publix around christmas time.

well, it's time to step up. help is needed, and as much as i would love to adopt and bring home 10 children,
i need to find another way to help.

kelle and i have been thinking of doing something to help later next month, but when peyton started asking
me questions about why a child was crying on a news segment, i thought this was the perfect time to make a small
but meaningful difference.

"why is she crying. where is her mommy?" she had died in the earthquake.

so i was thinking that maybe peyton and i could host a lemonade/hot cocoa stand in our neighborhood sometime in the
next couple of weeks with all proceeds benefiting the american cross haitian relief effort.
maybe even a raffle where the holder of the winning raffle ticket will win a free family photo shoot!

i wanted to post this to possibly give ideas as to how to help out. every little bit helps and the difference it may make
in peyton, knowing she is helping. learning to love and have concern for those who have less or are going through a
difficult time will be immeasurable, and at the same time and more importantly, it will help other little kids
in haiti who have lost so much, and need so little to survive.

another way to help:
click here
you know girlfriend loves oprah. i trust her site, so that is why i included it here.

also, for the next month i am challenging myself. this challenge all started when i realized my food pantry so was
full of food, i could hardly close it. it is seriously ridiculous how much food i buy and don't cook. no more.
the challenge is this.

instead of spending my normal $150 a week on groceries with an emergency visit midweek for another $30-50. i
am challenging my organization skills and integrity to limit my grocery money to $50 a week to be used on fresh
vegetables, fruit, lunch meat, and milk. (somewhere right now jeff is doing a happy dance!)

with all of the frozen chicken, shrimp, and beef i have in the freezer...i know we can do it. $200 total for the month.
then, i will donate some of the money saved to the red cross. it's an easy way to help and clean out the pantry:) I'm not
going to lie...this helps on a few different levels.

this post is not meant to preach at all...just me trying to make myself useful in some way and i don't
really know what else to do. and i love how it instantly makes one feel good. to be able to help others really is
a blessing. maybe this post will inspire a challenge for you and your family to do something special for others in need!
if so, post it!!! my readership is small, but passing on ideas to even one person can and will inspire someone.


"and the truth, you know love is all we need,"
we are the world
heidi

8 comments:

April said...

Heidi, please give Kelle a squeeze from me next time you see her!! I would truly appreciate it. You two (and your network of friends and family) are AMAZING.

Sending much love,
April

Heather Polleti said...

you rock!!! love the song too :)

Jen Biasi said...

Love this.
Need. New. Post.
Missing them, hot tamale.
xoxox

April said...

I'm missing you, too!

Happy weekend, Heidi ...

Tisha said...

just thought i would say thank you for being such a wonderful friend to Kelle. she is so blessed to have you in her life.

Kelly Hutcheson said...

We need to grocery shop together so I can get some tips!! Love this post! Love yous! xoxo

Jen Bacarella said...

Love the grocery shopping thing...Tony hates when I say once a quarter that we are eating everything in the house, before I shop again! Makes for some interesting dinners...but is so liberating to start new :)

The Manrings said...

hey there, love your post and beautiful pictures. missed checking your blog and have to get back to it! i love your point about being the best mom doesn't always mean you are with them and i think 100% you are showing them what a wonderful friend and woman you are. great brunch btw...thanks again for being the hostess with the mostest. xo