Inexpensively Frugal Blog Network » Thankful Thursday

Thankful Turkey Centerpiece

Renae — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 16:41:37 +0000

Last year I found a Turkey Centerpiece craft idea in Parents magazine. It is my goal to teach my children the true meaning of holidays. I don’t want them to just focus on the food but to truly be thankful. Our Thankful Turkey will be making a repeat appearance this year!

Here are the basics:

Purchase a 9″ and 4″ polystyrene ball from a craft store. These can be pricey. I bought mine with a 40% off coupon from Michael’s.
Cut the bottom off of the 9″ ball to make a flat surface.
Wrap the polystyrene balls with yarn.
Connect the small ball to the body with a craft stick. Or use Popsicle sticks.
Make the face out of felt. It doesn’t take much to find scraps around the house. Leftover fabric will do too!
Cut feathers out of construction paper. I used whatever paper we had on hand.
Glue a craft stick to the back of each feather.
Have each person write what they are thankful for on a feather.

We read each person’s feather out loud before dinner. It was really neat to hear what the kids were thankful for!

Crafts don’t have to be expensive. Make sure to look around the house at items you may have on hand. Improvise and make what you have work. The only thing I had to purchase for the Thankful Turkey was the polystyrene. No, mine doesn’t look as perfect as the original version, but the kids loved it!

One of the things that has always been a party of our mission is encouraging our community to get involved and share with others, even when they are on a tight budget themselves. It is often surprisingly easy to help others just by being aware of what is available to you. Thankful Thursday is our chance to share the opportunities, organizations and services we have found!

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Johnson & Johnson Cause Party Recap

Heather Sokol — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 01:57:32 +0000

Last week, I had the absolute pleasure of hosting a J&J Cause Party. While the party was sponsored by Johnson’s, I was able to choose my own cause and plan the theme. My girlfriends and I were pampered with Johnson’s body care products while I shared more information about Be Bright Pink. This means my theme was readily established—our “Feel Your Boobies” party was all pink! I racked my brain for pink foods and came up a menu beyond pink frosted cupcakes (but, of course, we had those too!).

I served ham & cheese roll-ups, bacon-wrapped sausage, chips & pink hummus (well, okay, so my red roasted pepper hummus turned out more orange than pink, but the idea was there) and white chocolate-covered strawberries (because white + red = pink, get it? Let’s overlook the fact that I burned the chocolate so we really only had strawberries). I also served pink punch and Cointreaupolitans (because that’s what came up when I googled ‘bright pink cocktails’—yes, seriously!).

J&J sent the cutest drink tags with fun icebreaker questions on one side and space for me to add information about Be Bright Pink on the other. I chose to use a few of their cheeky sayings—”Treasure your chest.” and “Mind your melons.”—as a way to introduce their new Underwire Alerts. You can text “Pink” to 59227 or register online for monthly self breast exam reminders from Be Bright Pink. Because early detection is key, and I have a bad memory! Several of the gals signed up for text alerts right on the spot.

Johnson’s kicked off the fund-raising with a check of their own, and each lady was also asked to contribute $1 (or more!) for each bra they own. Our get together included 5-6 women (and 1 tiny baby girl!). We talked, we laughed, we sampled lotions and we raised nearly $200 for breast cancer education programs. Not bad for a small circle of friends. Huge thanks to J&J for the opportunity and Be Bright Pink for the inspiration & education!

If you’d like to support my cause as well, I have a few of the awesome Johnson’s body care goody bags left. I’ll send them out to the first 10 people to donate $10 (or more) through PayPal. All proceeds will be sent to Be Bright Pink with the rest of the funds raised.

Johnson & Johnson supplied everything for the evening’s event. They provided J&J body products to pamper us as well as a donation to kickoff our efforts. I also received a stipend to pay for food and beverages (and I get to keep the pretty white frames that displayed our menu). This is an exciting, creative way to support charities across the country and I am honored to join them as a Cause Party host. The theme and designated charity, however, were of my own choosing.

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Johnson’s Body Care Cause Party for Be Bright Pink

Heather Sokol — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 11:55:11 +0000

I am excited to have the opportunity to support one of my favorite organizations through a cause party sponsored by Johnson’s body care. Tonight, I am hosting a party for my girlfriends where we will learn more about Be Bright Pink, raise funds for breast cancer education & early detection programs and treat ourselves a bit with the fabulous body products from J&J. They have gone all out in support of this event—the goody bags are amazing!

My girlfriends have been invited to a “Feel Your Boobies” party to learn more about the innovative programs Be Bright Pink has created. Underwire Alerts, PinkPals and The Little Pink Book are creative ways to raise awareness for breast cancer and the importance of early detection. Each guest has been asked to bring $1 (more, if she is able) for each bra she owns to raise funds for the organization.

Early detection is the key to breast cancer survival, and innovate programs like theirs will help even more women beat cancer. I think this organization has some of the most fun ways to support young women before, during and after a diagnosis and it is my pleasure to support their work. I would love for you to join me in my efforts to raise the funds they need to support young women across the country.

Please, if you are able, consider donating to the cause, through the Network for Good badge I have created. If you know me personally, you should have received an invitation. If you didn’t, please let me know as I’d love to pamper you tonight! The rest of you will have the chance to share in our experience next Thankful Thursday, when I will share pictures & and updates.

Johnson & Johnson has supplied everything for tonight’s event. They have provided J&J body products to pamper us as well as a donation to kickoff our efforts. I also received a stipend to pay for food and beverages. This is an exciting, creative way to support charities across the country and I am honored to join them as a Cause Party host. The theme and designated charity, however, were of my own choosing.

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Thankful Thursday: Families In Need

savingswithsadie — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 11:33:14 +0000

One person can make a difference; two can make twice the difference…

My favorite time of year is the holidays from October through December. I enjoy everything about the season… from being with family and friends, good food and parties, decorating, the hustle and bustle of shopping, being in my warm home on cold winter nights and the smell of the wood burning fireplace mixed with scented candles.

However, with all the excitement and anticipation of the upcoming holidays, I can’t help but think about the many families that won’t celebrate Christmas in their home this year due to foreclosures and job loss. I think about these homeless families moving from shelter to shelter in need of support and trying to seek warmth and a nourishing meal for their children. I hope you will be thinking about them too!

This holiday season while you sit in the warmth of your home and are fortunate enough to be surrounded by your family and enjoy meals around your table — be thankful and count your blessings. While you are counting your blessings and enjoying your family, remember these homeless families. Food shelters around the country are short on food and need your support. Just a few cans from your pantry would be a big help. Look in your closet and clean out unwanted clothes and household items and take them to your local shelter. Don’t wait until November or December. Start now so that these shelters can plan ahead.

No donation is too small. If you would rather donate your time, there are many charities, such as the Salvation Army, that would love to have you as a volunteer.

If you see this post, I hope it will make a difference and get you motivated to help others. Not only will you make a difference in someone’s life, but it will do your heart good!

One person can make a difference; two can make twice the difference and so on… Keep these candles burning – Retweet this post if you want to make a difference. Let’s keep it going all day, every day!

Art by Alexandra 2005

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Hasbro Toy Coupons

Heather Sokol — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 11:52:15 +0000

This month, there are several printable toy coupons from Hasbro. Save $3 on Glo-Worm, $5 on My Little Pony and many more! Typically, internet printable coupons from sites like this one will give you 30 days after printing until the expiration date. However, this one is printing with longer dates—allowing you to print them while they are available but save for a great holiday sale! Click on the Hasbro Savings Center to the left and print the ones you want.

Even if you do not think you will purchase the included items, it might be a good idea to print them all. There is a good chance that holiday sales combined with these coupons could result in free or nearly free toys! They may not appear on your own gift lists, but they could really brighten the holidays for a child in need. There are many programs throughout the season for donating gifts to those who may not otherwise receive any.

Toys for Tots, Operation Christmas Child, Salvation Army, local churches, retail stores, Angel trees and other community organizations will organize toy drives to reach those in need. I have also found a great resource for tracking down collections in your area. Secret Santa helps support toy programs across the country by compiling a database of drives based on zip code. It is a bit early still for the 2009 drives to be listed, but it isn’t too early to plan ahead for how you will spend your charitable funds this holiday season. Or, more importantly, to start finding ways to help even if you don’t have a charitable budget this year.

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Shop for a Cure

Heather Sokol — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 21:21:06 +0000

: Image via Wikipedia

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. {First things first: Feel your boobies, ladies! Seriously.} Many stores, brands and other companies are getting involved in the fight, raising awareness with pink labels, products and jerseys. (Yes, real men wear pink.) You are probably seeing pink items available for purchase everywhere you go. I appreciate the pink ribbon for its symbolic reminder to do monthly self exams. I also appreciate companies that donate a portion of their proceeds to programs that support research and early detection programs.

However, it is important to be sure that your purchase has value. The presence of a pink ribbon is not specifically an indicator that proceeds will be donated to a related cause. Think Before You Pink is a project of the Breast Cancer Action organization, focused on transparency and accountability in the growing pink ribbon market. They encourage consumers to ask questions, such as how much money from your purchase actually goes toward the cause, before they purchase items they believe will support breast cancer awareness and research.

Think Before You Pink was instrumental in getting General Mills to remove growth hormones linked to cancer from the Yoplait yogurt that sported the pink ribbons. In addition to donating a percentage of each yogurt sale to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation through its Save Lids to Save Lives program, several other General Mills brands are participating in breast cancer awareness this month. There was a bonus coupon insert in Sunday’s newspaper featuring the brands that support breast cancer research. Check them out in our coupon database before you shop.

If you are interested in having every purchase support breast cancer awareness, check out The Breast Cancer Site as part of Charity USA. It is a for-profit site, but a percentage of each purchase will be donated to breast cancer research. They also have a daily click program, in which your clicks are sponsored and help donate a free mammogram to those in need. In addition to pink ribbon products, their store features apparel, gifts, eco-friendly items and more. A percentage of every sale is granted to provide even more mammograms to someone who needs one.

Early detection is the key to surviving breast cancer, so feel your boobies, schedule a mammogram and remind your girlfriends to do the same!

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Charitable Gift Baskets

Renae — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 12:00:36 +0000

It has been a tough year for charities. Many of us do not have extra money and are uncertain what the future holds. Therefore, monetary donations to charities have been down this year.

There are ways that you can be charitable without giving money. If you are addicted to CVS like myself, you probably have ten tubes of toothpaste, seven packs of razors and eight bottles of hair products on hand! I actually stopped getting some of the free after extra care buck items due to my ever growing stockpile. Donating household products is one way to help those in need.

However, think outside the box a bit. Many organizations hold fundraisers throughout the year. Some hold silent auctions and raffles. Think about donating a gift basket full of items for an organization to raffle. Madame Deals has done this several times this summer and it is always a hit. Look for baskets at Goodwill, yard sales, off season clearance and the dollar store. Last year I stocked up on wicker baskets after Halloween for less than a dollar each. The Halloween basket liners came out easily!

There are so many different themes you could do: a baby care basket, spa package, snack attack, pet goodies, school supplies (we did this one in August when all of the school supplies were free), holiday themed, etc.

If you have a business, donating items for a raffle or auction are a great way to receive advertising for free. Make a gift basket full of goodies you have received for next to nothing. The charity wins by being able to raffle the basket and you win since they will credit the donor.

I usually place the basket in a large cellophane bag and tie it with a big bow. This finishing touch really makes the basket look professional. The baskets can be large or small. We have done some that have over $50 of items in them and some smaller baskets like the one above.

What are your ideas on giving to charities without spending money? We would love to hear from you!

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The Great American Dine Out

Heather Sokol — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 15:09:33 +0000

This week, you can join the fight against childhood hunger just by feeding your own family. Share Our Strength’s Great American Dine Out is September 20-26. Some restaurants are donating a portion of their profits while others are selling special t-shirts, bounce-back coupons or offering special menu items to raise funds to end childhood hunger.

Find a participating restaurant in your area for dinner this weekend to help Share Our Strength earn much needed funds. The proceeds will support community gardens, food banks, child nutrition and other advocacy programs. What a great way to cap off Hunger Action Month!

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Thankful Thursday: The Power of Community

Heather Sokol — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 12:24:15 +0000

Last year, my oldest daughter’s Girl Scout troop participated in a Journey badge program called Agent of Change. There were 3 parts—the power of one, the power of team and the power of community. The girls learned about recognizing & defining their strengths, working as a team and empowering a community. All three lessons were vitally important, but the ultimate goal was teaching the girls how powerful it is to join forces for real change. Yes, each girl is just one person, but together they can make a difference.

That’s the real power of community. What can 1 person do? Well, a lot—really—but major change can happen when people join forces to make a difference. The idea that little things add up to huge impacts has always fascinated me. I am only one person and while I can use my deals to buy a few extra groceries every week, a community of people doing the same thing can end childhood hunger!

It’s how a guy from Indiana can raise hundreds of dollars by getting his followers to send $.36 each. It’s how one blog’s readers can pull together what little they each have to support a family in need. And, it’s how $1.50 can save hundreds of lives in the Congo. You can’t change the world, but together we can make it just a little bit better!

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Thankful Thursday: Mommymoon Network

Heather Sokol — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 12:08:36 +0000

Today’s featured organization, Mommymoon Network, is near and dear to me because I have watched it grow from a tiny seed of an idea in the founder’s head to the fabulous non-profit it is today. I have gotten to know Meg and Leticia as part of the IndyMoms online forum. In the beginning, Meg organized gift baskets to deliver to new moms in the community each month. Her goal was to bring a smile to the face of moms who are often isolated after the birth of a new baby and at risk for mothering-related mood disorders, including postpartum depression.

The Mommymoon baskets are still alive and well, but the organization has grown leaps and bounds. The Mommymoon Network now features online resources for mothers facing baby blues, an Indy area Moms and More support group and a team of fabulous ladies dedicated to easing woman through their transition to motherhood. While the Mommymoon Network is currently local only to Indiana, I think their mission can be spread across the country. I encourage you to reach out to new mothers in your area. Take them a small gift—for mom, not just the baby—even if it is something you got for free at the grocery store. Offer your help, but be specific. It is so easy for moms to say no to a broad question; if you offer to pick up a gallon of milk or bring dinner for the family, her answer may change.

Moms, what was the most help to you in the weeks after the birth (or adoption) of your little one?

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