DIFOP — We are THAT Family

Love Mercy

10:06 pm Bykristen

I know I ask a lot of y’all. I never thought my blog would turn into a place where I ask for things (Hospice blankets, preemie clothes, baby formula, pillow cases, shoes, etc), but it has.

I’m not sorry.

It is what it is.

I’m going to keep putting opportunities before you and asking you to put yourself in other people’s shoes (or lack thereof). Speaking of, we are still collecting shoes until the end of September. Please consider sending a pair or two. So far, we have ~~144~~ 150 pairs in my garage! You can read more about the project here.

In the last few months, it’s become very clear to me that my blog has grown and gathered influence for a specific purpose. I will be sharing more about it in detail,but I know this for sure: God has a plan.

God is using you to change the world, one project at a time.

I’m just a regular mom and I don’t want you to think for ONE minute I’m something special or better in anyway. I yell at my kids, nag my hubby, worry about money, my kids, decisions I make, I even sweep dirt under my rug and restart the dishwasher because I don’t want to empty it.

But it feels like the last year has been leading up to THIS moment and I can’t wait to unveil it.

My 3 year blogging anniversary is coming up, but in lieu of a party or a ton of giveaways to celebrate, I’m going to share with you what God has been leading our family to over the summer. We’ve been working furiously the last few months and during the week of September 13, I will be revealing the next chapter of this blog and our lives.

I’m going to ask you for one more thing: will you pray? I know you don’t know the details yet, but will you ask God to continue to lead us and for your own heart to be open to what He might ask of you the week of September 13 and the months to come?

I’m so glad y’all are on this journey with me!

I will tell you: It’s BIG. Because that’s how God likes to do things. And I’m going to need your help!

(Please note: WFMW will continue and I will put up a linky on Wed. Sept. 15)

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[Back to School] Do-It-For-Others Project: Shoes

11:03 pm Bykristen

School starts in our part of Texas two weeks from tomorrow!

We have ONE thing left on our back-to-school shopping list: new shoes.

We’re using last year’s backpacks and we brushed up wardrobes at our local kid’s resale shop.

But shoes? I like my kids to each have a new pair. But it isn’t their only pair: They have church shoes, Crocs, flip flops and play tennis shoes.

Recently, I read in a magazine that the average woman has 19 (nineteen!) pairs of shoes.

I can’t help but think of the estimated 300 million people around the world who will wake up tomorrow without a pair of shoes to protect their feet from injury and disease.

Several months ago, I learned that one of my readers from the United States moved to South Africa with her husband with one goal: to provides shoes for people who didn’t have any by starting Samaritan’s Feet South Africa. I was so impressed by their simple goal and profound leap of faith that I decided WE MUST HELP THEM.

Guilt aside, is it really right that I have racks of shoes in my closet while so many people have none?

I’m happy to announce that our newest DIFO project is collecting new shoes for the people of South Africa! The shoe drive starts today and runs thru the end of September.

There are several ways for you to be a part of this shoe drive:

Shop for and mail a new pair of shoes to the address below
Order a pair of shoes from an online store and have it shipped to the address below (see online deals below)
Donate (tax deductible) a financial gift for a pair of shoes here

What will your donation do?

Samaritan’s Feet South Africa is working to make a difference in the lives of kids and adults in need of shoes throughout sub-Saharan Africa. At our Shoes of Hope Distributions, we partner with local organizations, churches and schools to achieve three specific goals:

We TOUCH each person, by washing their feet.
We TEACH each person a message of hope.
We TREAT each person to a new pair of shoes.

Address to ship shoes to:

We are THAT family

8000 Research Forest Dr

Ste 115-110

Spring, TX 77382

**Online stores like JCPenney have great sales on shoes right now! As a matter of fact, you can shop here at the kid’s clearance shoe section, enter this code TEN2YOU which will get you $10 off your $10+ purchase for a sweet deal! Plus, right now, there’s FREE SHIPPING! You can purchase a pair of shoes for less than $5!! PLEASE NOTE: ONLY ONE COUPON PER PERSON CAN BE USED.

**So many deals to combine at Famous Footwear!!! First off, all shoes are B1G1 50% off! You can shop from the sale section where shoes are already marked down up to half price.

-Use code: SCHOOL3 and get 20% off your entire purchase!

-Free shipping applies when you buy 3 or more pair. Two pair is $4.50 shipping
(thanks to Moms by Heart for sharing the shoe deals!)

*updated* Walmart has .97 cent shipping and Old Navy has some good shoe deals. Let me know if y’all find other online deals and remember you can make a secure monetary donation here.

Mostly kids shoes are needed right now, boy or girl (especially kids size 3 or 4 up to women’s 6) and Samaritan’s Feet only accepts NEW shoes. Thank, y’all!

Please leave a comment if you’ll pick up/send a pair of shoes!

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DIFO Pillow Case Project GRAND TOTAL

8:53 pm Bykristen

I’ve been counting and recounting, checking and double-checking.

Y’all.

I’m blown away by the number of pillow case dresses we made as a community to dress little girls in Africa!

The grand total………………………………………………………………………

THREE HUNDRED AND SIXTY- TWO (362)

Thank you. A million times to the dozens and dozens of seamstresses who created dresses and for everyone who sent supplies!

My daughter and I are just about done sorting them by size and packing them in zip locks to be shipped this week.

Please don’t miss out on the NEW PROJECT that will be announced in a couple of hours: Shoes (to go with all those pretty dresses!)

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There was a need. You rallied. Thank you.

9:00 pm Bykristen

“God doesn’t require that you succeed. He only requires that you try.” -Mother Teresa

And sometimes you do both.

I’ve never been so proud to be a blogger, but I couldn’t have done any of this alone. Thank you for giving, praying, sharing it with your friends, family and readers.

“The miracle is not that we do this work, but that we are happy to do it.”-Mother Teresa

More than 200 large cans of baby formula were committed (that’s more than $2000 in powder!), plus $2000 cash was given (to match your donations). There will always be a need, so feel free to continue to give if you feel led.

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There are hungry orphans in Africa. We can help them.

4:26 pm Bykristen

[Warning: There is a faith-put-into-action opportunity at the end of this post. PLEASE do not miss it!]

I believe in a Divine God that connects dots.

I’m a dot.

You’re a dot.

He draws a line between you and me and we are connected.

I can’t explain it, but I know in my heart that God wants to use my blog to mobilize mothers to do good things for Him. I don’t have time for a catchy logo or cute graphic-there are hungry babies in Ethiopia right now and there is a baby formula shortage.

My dot was connected with Dinah, one of America’s greatest pro-life leaders. Besides setting up more than 30 maternity homes in America and her first in Africa, she is using her pro-life warehouse to ship formula into the suitcases of people traveling into Africa. It is saving the lives of precious starving babies in four of Ethiopia’s orphanages, some in remote areas.

Dinah is running low on formula and that’s where your dot comes in: There are hungry babies in Africa and we can help them.

It is a fact that 30,000 (yes, you read that right: thirty-thousand) children die every day from hunger and preventable disease. That number is so large it’s hard to comprehend. But your donation will make a difference to one. Your gift of formula will save a life. (the tiny faces of these babes have been covered to protect their future adoptions.)

Can you send formula? Will you connect your dot with ours?

For the next 30 hours, I will be pushing hard, updating, mobilizing and partnering with Into the Streets of Ethiopia to get cans of formula committed to send to Arizona (and then on to Ethiopia)!

TWO generous donors have offered to MATCH the first ~~100~~ 200 cans that are donated (that’s $2000 in formula!) from my blog.

Please leave a comment with how many of the large cans of WalMart (milk based only, no soy), you can send to this address:

Heritage House ’76, Inc.

919 So. Main St.,

Snowflake, AZ 85937

If you do not have a WalMart near you, you can purchase a WalMart gift card online and have it sent directly to the address above. Please make sure you make a notation that it is for formula if you can. But they have been notified that all WalMart gift cards are designated for formula. You can also send a check for formula (for a tax deductible donation) to Living Hope Women’s Centers. Formula will be bought and sent.

[from Dinah: "We will send the formula with work crews and adoptive parents as they go over. We have shipped close to 400lbs since April but are running out. Check out the Post Office one price if it fits and see how many cans can fit in a box]

God connects dots.

Please leave a comment if you can send a can of formula.

*Update* As of 9 am CST on Monday morning, there have been 115 cans of formula donated!!! Let’s keep going!
*Updated Again* As of 2pm CST, there have been 156 cans of formula donated!!!

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Red, White and Do (July: DIFO Project)

10:14 pm Bykristen

Over dinner, when we pray for a different country from the book, Window On The World, my kids ask the same question, “Is the country we’re praying for free?”

They may not understand politics or the reason we have troops stationed all over the world, but they know freedom.

My kids understand that we have freedom to speak and worship as we please because we are Americans.

And while I might not agree with our current government, I’m proud to be an American and I thank God for our service men and women.

Can I encourage you to remember them this weekend?

Buy a special edition military Bible for $4.99, write a personal note of thanks and Lifeway Bible bookstore will get it into the hands of a US soldier. Don’t have a Lifeway near you? Order a military Bible online.

Red

White

And Do.

July Do-It-For-Other Project: Help Wounded American Soldiers

This is from the wife of a wounded soldier:

“My husband was wounded in Iraq on January 26, 2005. He sustained permanent shrapnel injuries to his face, right leg and knee, leftshoulder and arm, and right hand. He also has a traumatic brain injury from the blast and post-traumatic stress disorder from the ordeal.
Wounded veterans leaving the current theaters of operation in Iraq and Afghanistan are evacuated to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany. This hospital is the first landing place where they are operated on and begin their treatment and rehabilitation. Many are brought there with literally nothing. The clothes that were on their backs were cut off in the theater to check for wounds before they were evacuated first by helicopter and then by plane. Their gear often fails to make the trip with them or was so badly damaged it is no longer able to be used.
Imagine that is your husband, your brother, your son. Imagine that’s someone YOU loved sitting in that hospital room alone. If he has a buddy there, he wishes he didn’t, because they’re both there for the same reason. For his family to arrive, it’s an 8+ hour flight from America and many can’t afford to make the trip or aren’t prepared for it. He’s as alone as he’ll ever be in his life at a time when he should never have to feel alone.

Granted, we can’t just reach out and give him a hug but we CAN make a difference. When my husband arrived at Landstuhl the generosity of strangers made that wait until I could get there so much easier. He was given clothes that had been donated, model cars to put together and paint, and cards from across the country of people showing their support and telling him that his sacrifice was appreciated.”

Here’s what WE can DO (send the following items):

Burger King Gift Certificates
International Calling Cards
Sweatsuits (small to x-large)
Athletic Shoes (men’s 9-12, women’s 6-9)
Men’s and Women’s fall and winter jackets (med to x-large)
Backpacks, Gym Bags, and Small Suitcases (something to store their
clothes in)
DVDs to put in the hospital wards for them to watch

If you don’t know what to send but want to do more, checks are also accepted made out to: IMA-E CTOF-WW

Mail ANY of this to:

Landstuhl Regional Medical center
Wounded Warrior Ministry Center
CMR 402
APO AE 09180

Please note that shipping to an APO AE address is IDENTICAL to shipping rates for New York. You can use flat rate packages to ship large amounts of cards.

Leave a comment ONLY if you are able to send something during the month of July to support our American soldiers, wounded in battle, keeping us FREE.

P.S. I’m sending out hundreds of pillowcases to seamstresses early next week! I will update y’all with the totals on dresses in early August-I think we might be close to 300!! We aren’t collecting supplies anymore, but we are accepting completed dresses until the end of July. You can get more details about that project here.

(Have a safe and happy 4th of July…I’ll see y’all on Monday!)

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DIFOP-Update on Pillow Case Dresses

2:03 pm Bykristen

We are at the half way point in collecting supplies for this wonderful project for little African girls.

I am simply overwhelmed at your generosity! Please continue to send in pillow cases and supplies until the end of June. I don’t think we can make too many! New goal: 200 dresses

Received so far:

95 pillowcases (+plus a lot of flat sheets/fabric)

11 completed dresses

$225 for shipping to 15+ seamstresses both ways

14 spools of ribbon, 15 packs of bias tape, 7 packages of elastic, 20 spools of thread.

PLEASE make sure I receive your donations before July 1st. I will be undertaking the huge job of dividing out supplies/mailing the first week of July to give our seamstresses time to make the dresses.

I’ve heard from several that you are making groups with your homeschool kids and churches!! Please make sure the dresses are completed by mid-July, so they can be counted in the total.

(If you are a seamstress, I will be contacting you soon. Please feel free to let me know if you can make these dresses w/ribbon only, bias tape, only or elastic only or ALL THE ABOVE, so I can send you the right supplies in July).

xoxo to all of you!

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DIFOP: Using Pillow Cases to Dress the Poor

10:10 pm Bykristen

[The deadline for me to receive items for the Do-It-For-Others NICU project for Hailey's Hope is Monday. Thanks to all who were involved in this special project. At last count there have been more than FIFTY preemie outfits mailed in!]

I am SO excited to tell you about our newest project that will actually be for June and July: pillow case dresses for little girls in Africa!

IF YOU DON’T/CAN’T SEW———>PLEASE KEEP READING!!!

One of my readers suggested this project and directed me to Little Dresses for Africa. This is a wonderful non-profit organization that is providing simple, sweet dresses for children in Central Africa, hit hard by the AIDS epidemic. Many of these children are orphans cared for by sibling and sometimes clothes are a luxury. This organization also holds classes during the dress distribution to educate the kids on sanitation, nutrition and family skills.

I was a little worried about the sewing part of this project because I want these DIFO projects to be easy enough for whole families to get involved. And every time I attempt sewing, I break a needle or I trip on something (that last part is probably totally unrelated). So, I asked Twitter for help. I was simply overwhelmed with the response of 15 seamstresses who are donating their time and skill to create dresses from the pillowcases we collect in June!

Our goal: ONE-HUNDRED dresses!!

A special thanks to the seamstresses:

Sweetie Berry, MollyFulton, My Blessed Life, Joy in the Journey, Mommy Daily Vent, robinvisbal, Amy_G, Parris Ponderings, Smock Lady, My Soul Reflects, One Stitch Rachel, Signing Charity, Little Miss Random, Troop Petrie, Shouting for Ha, Our Life Upstaestate, Beth Sew Anyhow, Cheerios UnderFoot, Angie.

June 1-30 PILLOW CASE/MATERIALS DRIVE

We need 100+ new or lightly used pillowcases!!

July 1-31 SEAMSTRESSES MAKE DRESSES/MAIL

Items you can send for this project:

New or gently used pillow cases
Double bias tape
1/2 inch elastic
thread
air tight vacuum space bags
money to help with shipping (I will be dividing supplies and shipping to seamstresses. I will also provide them with a postage-paid envelope to mail completed dresses to the organization).

If you sew and would like to complete your own pillow case dress(es), please send them to the address below. If you can make your own dresses, please note that you DO NOT have to use actual pillow cases, elastic, bias tape, etc. Make them in your own unique way and they WILL be sent to Africa! Here is the dress pattern that the organization suggests.

You can mail these items to:

We are THAT family

8000 Research Forest Dr. Ste. 115-110

Spring, TX 77382

Please ONLY leave a comment if you are able to contribute in some way (every little bit counts!)

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DIFOP-Mothers Give Back to NICUS

7:00 am Bykristen

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!

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DIFOP-Christmas Jars:An Idea for All Year Long

11:00 am Bykristen

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!

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The World’s Largest Nerf Party LINKY {Giveaway}

12:01 am Bykristen

*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.

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This Little Boy is Counting on You

7:24 am Bykristen

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!!!!

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DIFO Project #3 World’s Largest NERF Party

7:00 am Bykristen

(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)

NERF DART TAG CAPTURE THE FLAG Set

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

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.

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DIFO Project #2

12:00 pm Bykristen

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. http://d1.scribdassets.com/ScribdViewer.swf

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DIFOP #1: Fleece Blankets for Hospice {Update}

7:00 am Bykristen

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!

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DIFOP Update

9:00 pm Bykristen

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!!

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Do-It-For-Others: Project 1

7:00 am Bykristen

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.

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