#5: Top Ten Gifts That Give

International Justice Mission

Say it out loud to yourself...go on...

International Justice Mission

It just sounds good doesn't it. Sounds right.

IJM is a human rights agency that secures justice for victims of slavery, sexual exploitation and other forms of violent oppression. If you aren't familiar with the statistics of this problem. They're sick. They're staggering. They're hell on earth.

• The total market value of illicit human trafficking is estimated to be in excess of $32 billion (U.N.)


• Each year, more than 2 million children are exploited in the global commercial sex trade (UNICEF)


• 27 million men, women and children are held as slaves. (Kevin Bales, Disposable People)


• 1 in 5 women is a victim of rape or attempted rape in her lifetime. (U. N. Development Fund for Women)


• More than 1 million children live in detention, the vast majority awaiting trial for minor offenses. (UNICEF)

Check out this clip from Dateline NBC in 2003...



IJM investigators, lawyers and social workers intervene in individual cases of abuse in partnership with state and local authorities.

By pushing individual cases of abuse through the justice system from the investigative stage to the prosecutorial stage, IJM determines the specific source of corruption, lack of resources, or lack of good will in the system denying victims the protection of their legal systems. In collaboration with local authorities, IJM addresses these specific points of brokenness to meet the urgent needs of victims of injustice.

So, what role can you play in IJM this Christmas season?

Let's visit their gift catalog, shall we...the gifts focus on investigation expenses, advocacy and aftercare. We would like to highlight a half day of investigative work. What will that run you? Only $25. And, the recipient of your gift will receive a “Gift of Freedom” card explaining their gift and the work of IJM.

Oh, and another beautiful thing...rest assured that 75% of your financial gifts to IJM go directly to the need while the rest are used to run the ship, so to speak. Here is their Charity Navigator write up.

We have a tooth!

So, today was the arrival of Boatboy's first tooth. He was laying on my lap, I had just finished nursing him, and he was chewing on a piece of LA's foam toy...as happy as one could be! Then, he just started screaming and sure enough while he was chewing on the toy, his tooth popped through the gum. Poor little guy! I know, he will never remember. He is getting so big and becoming such a big boy. We are now eating prunes and will add some pears to his diet tomorrow. How times flies by... I guess we will just have to have another one soon!:)

Smile For Santa Photo Outtakes

Check out this carnival we just entered over at DesignHER Momma. Great idea!

We readily admit our photo isn't near as good as the hostess's own entry. See here. BUT, this one of our boys makes us laugh...

LA "hugging" Boatboy. Which is really just a brother bear belly hug so that he can hurry up and get done and get his reward for being so good. Marshmallows!

More on the rest of our little photo shoot once we sift through the 70-some shots we snapped in two minutes.

Giveaway: MUNCHIE MUG

If you are looking for a functional snack container look no further. The Munchie Mug is so great and my little guy loves it!

Here are a few things that differ from every other snack trap we have in our home.

* The Munchie Mug features a screw on top that makes it very difficult for the children to open. My little guy has tried and has had no luck. YEAH for no more messes in the back seat, right?

* It has a patened fabric closure that your child reaches through and it conforms to their hand, preventing spills. And a solid lid is included to keep the snacks fresh when the Mug is not being used! It really is such a great product. It is also 100% made in the USA and 100% recyclable.

Want One Less Mess?

Buy it - For you or a friend in need for $12.95

Win it - Leave your email address and a comment telling me your favorite feature this Munchie Mug has to offer. Any stories about messes your tot has made would be great to read as well! :)

I will close the giveaway December 10th. Be sure to check back for many more giveaways to come!

--------------------

Winner is # 38! Congratulations!

A Family Completed... said...
I LOVE the fabric sleeve I have avoided snack cups with both kids because of the hard plastic tops and the design looks like it would get chubby finger stuck. Thanks for the entry! I have a toddler mess story but it isn't one a munchie mug could solve... is that okay? I was driving home from the grocery store YESTERDAY and I kept smelling blueberries. I adjusted my rear view mirror to see my sweet innocent 16 month old son had gotten into my bag and opened a yogurt and had dumped it all over himself. I caught him mid "sip" and he froze and stayed like that until we got home with his eyes closed. I think he believes if he closes his eyes I can't see him?? I never realized how much yogurt those little cups held, I didn't even know where to begin!tonyamcrain [at] aol [dot] com

The Giving of Thanks Hoosier Tour

Our long Thanksgiving weekend was full of much travel, much fun and very little stress. Sounds a bit oxymoronic from most people as travel and time with family typically equates to rising blood pressures and tempers, but not so for us.

All the boys of BPM.

LA and Boatboy with their Great Grandma Grace.

Tryptophan coma? Nah, this was taken at about 10:30am.

On to the other Great Grandma's (& Pa's)...more affectionately known as The Farm.

LA takes his first ever picture with a smidge of help from his Dadda. We call this one..."Aunt Eesha!"

Reading some extremely cool books Great Aunt Doris got him.

Mrs Blonde has a tradition of making a gingerbread house with the other chicks from her family.

Hers was totally the best. :)

Momma, Nana and the boys at BW3's before the Circle of Lights ceremony.

The entire BPM family. Or, what you can see of us anyway.

All bundled up and ready to "go home." This shot was taken about 3 minutes before the big "switch" got flipped on the Monument lighting all 18,567 lights (completely made up number). Followed by fireworks. And, somewhere in the middle of all of that, both boys started bawling! Guess late bedtimes, juxtaposed naptimes and cold night air brings on a bit of sensitivity to the wee ones. Nonetheless, a wonderful weekend!

Quench Thirst Give Life - Fashionthropic Tee Cyber Monday giveaway

DesignHER Momma and s.i.m.p.l.e. love them some Fashionthropic! Check out the plug & giveaway on the Quench Thirst Give Life Tee's! Make sure to sign up for the giveaway on s.i.m.p.l.e.! Get your own shirt! AND, get one for a friend! (Could we get more links in two sentences?)

#6: Top Ten Gifts That Give

Black Friday review time! (Don't they call it "Black" because it's when all companies finally go in the black in their accounting records?)

Number six on the list is likely going to be our favorite. Because it's one that is so close to our hearts. A new store over at Skreened called Fashionthropic has new Well Water Project T shirts. There are four designs to choose from. Our favorite is this long sleeve tee. Don't like the designs Fashionthropic has available? No problem! You can customize your own at Skreened.

Every single cent of proceeds from the sale of each shirt goes to fund the Well Water Project. A vision cast by folks from The Well in song with Horizon International to get clean water to AIDS orphans in Zimbabwe, Africa. Learn more about the project via this handy little digital brochure.

Another very cool plus with these shirts is that they're made sweatshop free on American Apparrel digs, inked with water-based inks AND Skreened as a company gives away 10% of it's monthly profits to local causes they believe in. Sweet! More on Skreened ethics here.

If ever there was a time for a gift like this, it's Black Friday. You don't even have to wait in any lines or fight traffic. Just click on over.

LA goes bongos

For the last year and a half or so, we've had an exercise bike in our back room. We recently gave the bike back to Crystal's parents re-exposing our window sill to LA. So...we heard drumming and came to the back room and found he had climbed up and was banging away...(pics and video below; a special thanks to Uncle Cecil for the drum donation many years back)...

#7: Top Ten Gifts That Give

Now, this is so simple, it's genious. The GiveNow Card. A gift card to give the gift of giving. Brilliant!

JustGive is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to increase charitable giving by connecting people with the charities and causes they care most about.

JustGive's database contains nearly 1.5 million charities. How does one sift through all of that content? The charities are grouped into 19 categories to make your search easier and faster.

Their core values...

• Passion. We have an unwavering commitment to charitable giving. As a charitable organization ourselves, we understand the nonprofit world and how charity can improve life both for you and for the charities you support.
• Integrity. We have one of the highest-pass through rates in the charitable giving arena and are dedicated to keeping the cost of every transaction as low as possible. Ninety-seven cents of every dollar you contribute goes straight to the charities you designate.
• Relationships. A continually growing group of partners and sponsors believe in and use JustGive to support their charitable giving programs and to receive their charitable donations. Creative and responsive to both donors and partners, JustGive has been named as one of the Best of the Web for online donations.

You can even determine the financial increment of your gift card. The do cards for as low as $10. JustGive only skims $5 per card to cover admin fees. The rest goes straight to your recipient's chosen cause.

keep it low

Because it's this cold around here, we've been laying low this weekend.



Grandma came over on Saturday night and brought a couple new books along for LA. The boy loves his books.



...and it looks like Boatboy is getting into them too.



Papa and Nana stopped over on Sunday. LA was in a football frame of mind.



The long ball



We've been working a lot on his receiving game. The throwing he's got down.





Boatboy loves snuggling with his Nana.



...and laughing at his Momma



...and laughing more at his Momma

simplify the holidays

Just learned of this little pdf booklet from a friend of ours via the New American Dream website.

Caught our attention from the opening line...

No matter what you celebrate, this guide provides many meaningful ways to have more fun with less stuff this season!


Lots of great gift ideas in here and reminders of the truly important things in life. Along with a couple staggering statistics like...

• Shoppers spent a total of $460 billion during the 2007 holiday season. -National Retail Federation
• The average credit debt per household is $7,430. Consumer Federation of America

Click on the cover image above to view the booklet and sign up for New American Dream's email newsletter while you're at it. Have a super weekend!

#8: Top Ten Gifts That Give

Since #9 was a bit on the expensive side, let's drop it down low for this one. Like $12 low. Even you college folk can ride that train.

Who likes mosquitos?

Exactly. Nobody. They aren't too much of an issue for us Americans in that we can lock them out of our homes. Well, what if you have no house? No windows. And, no bed for that matter.

In the poorest parts of the world, where effective window screens are lacking, insecticide-treated bed nets are arguably the most cost-effective way to prevent malaria transmission. One bed net can safely last a family for about four years, thanks to a long-lasting insecticide woven into the net fabric. Studies show that use of nets can reduce malaria transmission as much as 90% in areas with high coverage rates. (NothingButNets.net)

Might you remember the good folks over at Horizon International. We've talked about them before and they've been over in our Make A Difference dropdown for a while. Our brother/sis-in-law ("Uncle O" & "Aunt Eesha" as LA calls them) just did a trip with them in August.

Since 2002, the work of Horizon has impacted thousands of AIDS/HIV orphans. From clean water to children’s villages to educational opportunities, projects in Zimbabwe, Uganda and South Africa provide tangible, long-lasting help to people in need while showing them Love in practical ways.

That practical love continues through Horizon's Christmas catalog featuring our highlighted mosquito net and several other gift ideas. Check it out here.

My girls!

I was so blessed by Katelin, Abigail and Elizabeth this past weekend. Abigail, Boatboy and I headed up to Ball State to visit Katelin... and it so happened Elizabeth was there visiting from Purdue. I was able to attend Katelin's church gathering and it was great. I am overwhelmed with joy every time I am around these girls. As most of you know I have had the privilege of being a part of their lives since they were in 7th grade! Wow! They are turning into such beautiful young woman and they are walking with the Lord every step of the way. They have shown me and taught me so much over the years. When I pray for LA and Boatboy's future wives, I can only dream that God would bless them with a girl like these three. I love you girls and miss you like crazy! Wednesday nights are just not the same!

What "Sweet" Sixteen?

Sadly, we aren't shocked over here at BPM over this. In fact, other research we've heard indicates the average age for a girl to give herself away is approaching FOURTEEN, not 15 as reported here by NBC.

Nonetheless...watch the video.

Be informed.

Don't be ignorant parents. It's lackluster apathetic parenting causing these horrifying numbers, not uncontrolable teenage hormones.

Personalized Photo Necklace WINNER!

Congratulations to DesignHerMomma! She won the Little Fish Design custom Wearable! Enjoy!

No further entires will be accepted for the giveaway. Thanks everyone! I'll do another giveaway again soon.

#9: Top Ten Gifts That Give

Now, here is a gift with some heart and sole!

What if buying a pair of shoes could change a village? Provide health care? Educate a community? Protect against terrorism? Save a child’s life?

Introducing Preemptive Love's Buy Shoes. Save Lives. project. First they invest tens of thousands of dollars into Iraqi mountain villages in the purchase of these hand-dyed, hand-spun, and hand-knit Klash shoes by Kurdish families @ 40 hours/pair.



Watch this amazing video on how they're made...



Then they invest all the profits into heart surgeries for poor Arab and Kurdish kids that are dying from lack of government interest in their well-being. Outstanding!!

Their blog is moving. The joys and pains shared there are incredible. These aren't statistics. They're little boys and little girls. Like yours. Like ours. With names. Needs. Smiles. Fears. And, broken hearts that need mending.

from Monday, October 30th entry on Shanaw and Kale...
"...On Monday both girls had their final echocardiogram, revealing beautifully strong beating hearts. Shanaw and Kale have been fully released from the doctor’s care and are now on their way back to homes and families in Iraq with new hearts. Besides the presence of scars on their chests, you’d never know that these energetic, expressive girls were once dying from heart problems. How incredible that we get to be part of saving these kids lives!..."

At $100 a piece, the shoes aren't cheap. And, the style might not be for everyone. But, the energies behind the scenes are of the most admirable in the footwear business.

Here is a nice little interview from Relevant Magaizine with the founders of Buy Shoes. Save Lives.

#10: Top Ten Gifts That Give

The first of our Gifts that Give this year is one of our favorites. It's extremely practical. It's done via a fantastic organization in Oxfam. And, while very serious, it's just very funny to us.

A goat!

You can gift the gift of a goat for only $50 through Oxfam's Unwrapped gift-giving program!

Check out this video...



If the video player is too large for your screen, just click on this link to view it: http://blip.tv/file/1443221/

"No kid-ding here—this gift is an invaluable resource for rural communities. A hardy goat is the gift of sustainability, which means fertilizer and food for families—especially those living in areas that cannot support less durable critters."

Boatboy's first cereal

Talk about night and day. If you remember how LA "liked" his first cereal, this is that much better. Because the Boatboy absolutely loved it!



"What just happened?"



"Hey! This is pretty tasty!"



"THIS IS THE BEST DAY OF MY LIFE!"

What boys have learned...

We're not really the forwarding type of people here. But, the content in this forward was pretty funny. Enjoy...

1.) A king size waterbed holds enough water to fill a 2000 sq. ft. house 4 inches deep.

2.) If you spray hair spray on dust bunnies and run over them with roller blades, they can ignite.
3.) A 3-year old Boy's voice is louder than 200 adults in a crowded restaurant.

4.) If you hook a dog leash over a ceiling fan, the motor is not strong enough to rotate a 42 pound Boy wearing Batman underwear and a Superman cape. It is strong enough, however, if tied to a paint can, to spread paint on all four walls of a 20x20 ft. room.

5.) You should not throw baseballs up when the ceiling fan is on. When using a ceiling fan as a bat, you have to throw the ball up a few times before you get a hit. A ceiling fan can hit a baseball a long way.

6.) The glass in windows (even double-pane) doesn't stop a baseball hit by a ceiling fan.

7.) When you hear the toilet flush and the words 'uh oh', it's already too late.

8.) Brake fluid mixed with Clorox makes smoke, and lots of it.

9.) A six-year old Boy can start a fire with a flint rock even though a 36-year old Man says they can only do it in the movies.

10.) Certain Lego's will pass through the digestive tract of a 4-year old Boy.

11.) Play dough and microwave should not be used in the same sentence.

12.) Super glue is forever.

13.) No matter how much Jell-O you put in a swimming pool you still can't walk on water.

14.) Pool filters do not like Jell-O.

15.) VCR's do not eject 'PB & J' sandwiches even though TV commercials show they do.

16.) Garbage bags do not make good parachutes.

17.) Marbles in gas tanks make lots of noise when driving.

18.) You probably DO NOT want to know what that odor is.

19.) Always look in the oven before you turn it on; plastic toys do not like ovens.

20.) The fire department in Austin, TX has a 5-minute response time.

21.) The spin cycle on the washing machine does not make earthworms dizzy.

22.) It will, however, make cats dizzy.

23.) Cats throw up twice their body weight when dizzy.

24.) 80% of Women will share this information with most all of their friends, with or without kids
25.) 80% of Men who read this will try mixing the Clorox and brake fluid

Personalized Photo Necklace GIVEAWAY!

I am so excited to share this incredible company with you. You can actually wear your kids in a very fashionable, funky, creative way! Amy Baas, a freelance graphic designer and full time SAHM is constantly finding new ways to show off her kids, make gifts for friends and family and having fun while doing it!

Little Fish Designs "Wearables" jewelry was born January of 2008 while creating gifts for Amy's grandpa's 90th bday celebration - her first trial run necklaces and key chains were for her 7 aunts and uncles with photos of her grandparents - and from there she has done over 65 custom orders. Necklaces come in 3 different lengths and can be made horizontal or vertically, charms come in 2 sizes and can be purchased alone or can be paired with a necklace. Each design is sandwiched between microscope glass and hand soldered using lead-free solder. Necklaces come complete with 18" - 20" of ball chain to give it that dog tag feel.

I have so many favorite designs.

I of course have my favorite posted below! A wearables necklace is such an incredible unique gift. And let me tell you...a Nana and/or Grandma goes absolutely crazy over these wearables! It is such a treasured piece to have or giveaway. Not only are the prices great, but Amy is so incredible to work with!




FREE CHARM OFFER:
Any order placed (custom or pre-made) will receive a FREE SMALL CHARM from now until Dec 15th by putting "blondespoopmascara" in the subject line. You can purchase pre-made necklaces from the Etsy store at littlefishdesigns.etsy.com


THE GIVEAWAY GOODS:
Your very own custom 1" x 2" necklace with small charm.

TO ENTER:
All you have to do is head to Little Fish Designs, take a look around and...

A) Leave a comment telling me one thing you just LOVE and...

B) Let me know who will be featured in your small charm if you win.

I will pick a winner November 14th. Be sure to leave your email address. You will be notified via email and I will post your first name in a victor post here on my blog. Subscribe to my blog and you can earn an extra entry! Thanks for stopping by!

(re) introducing the Top Ten Gifts That Give

We're gonna try this again. A valiant effort was put into it this time last year, but we didn't have time to pull it off. What's "this" you ask?

There are only two potential histories behind the reason for the season. One is the birth of Jesus Christ. One is the life and legacy of Saint Nicholas. Both of which relentlessly gave to those less fortunate. One of those guys even died for the cause.

Research tells us that if we make over $48k household income a year, that we're in the richest 1% of people in the world! Those things considered, doesn't Christmas come with a responsibility to give to those less fortunate? Which we have determined is not us. "Us" meaning that if you're reading this, you have a computer and therefore are rich...or at least employed by the rich.

We don't claim to be staking new ground with this topic. And, this is no War on Christmas, either. We're just feeling a bit more personally accountable to respond to the Christmas consumption mindset our culture is promoting. Thankfully, others have gone before us in the effort. In the days to come, we'll outline our Top Ten Gifts That Give. So, here's to saving one less gift receipt, wearing that sweater Aunt Pollie gave you (but, only when she's in town) one less time, and keeping one less paisley tie in the closet for the next white elephant gift exchange.

...stick with us as we work to gift the gift of giving this Christmas season.