Diaper Delivery!

Due to scheduling issues (I was only able to get a babysitter this afternoon) I made the delivery to Elizabeth House today.

The final diaper total was:

Cloth diapers = 108
Diaper covers = 79
Disposable diapers = 72

In that pile there were also glass baby bottles, formula, lotion, coupons for formula, soaps, toothbrushes and some spa products from Spa Diva for the moms - yup, we can't forget them!

Thank you to everyone who contributed and I think we should do this again sometime!

If you'd like to read how someone felt making a difference, I recommend my friend's post: A Christmas Donation.

Diaper Delivery!

Update for Montreal Diaper Drive

I know this time of year everybody and their mom is asking for donations and things are tight. But even if you're not able to donate, please forward this info to people you know. The "more the merrier," right? I'm not going to fool myself into thinking I can do this alone.

I've taken some pictures of what I have to donate so far (two boxes!) and I'm sorry I've been slow to upload them and motivate you all!
I have contacted CTV News, but they haven't made a time to send a camera yet.

Good news though - Baby Auric has promised to donate and Huggies has contacted me with some support. So please help me keep the ball rolling!

Thanks!
Kelly

Update for Montreal Diaper Drive

Diaper Drive - Elizabeth House, Montreal

I'm happy to announce all donations of diapers are going to go to Elizabeth House, a center for young moms. Elizabeth House helps these young women finish their education and receive the support they need.

They currently need small sized diapers - newborn to 6 months.

To maximize our donation, I'm extending the appeal to collect disposable diapers, as well as wipes, cotton cloths, baby soaps, baby powder and lotion.

I'm hoping to make a big delivery to them on Dec.17, 2010. Please contact me before then with any donations!

Diaper Drive - Elizabeth House, Montreal

CLOTH Diaper Drive

Perhaps you've heard of Huggies diapers Every Little Bottom Campaign trying to collect donations of diapers to give to those less fortunate. Their studies show 1 in 5 families in North America do not have the funds needed to provide clean diapers to their children on a regular basis. I'm no longer a baby, but this makes me cry!

So while I do use and like Huggies diapers (my son wears them at night!), I want to do something more in line with my beliefs. I am a huge advocate of breastfeeding (it's cheap!) and of cloth diapering (my son wears cloth 90% of the time). I believe cloth diapering is more healthy, more environmentally sustainable and cheaper than constantly buying diapers.

I believe more people on a limited income would choose cloth diapers for their family if they could afford the often intimidating upfront costs of cloth diaper starter packs - often starting at $200 and going up!

However, cloth diapers do not have to be expensive! You can make them yourself if you buy cotton material at the store (around $10/m) and cut them into squares. Often you can get them used, as they do last a long time (and for more than one child), but I know it's not always easy.

All this to say, I'd like to collect new, used or handmade cloth diapers and water proof covers to donate to people in need. The following are some mighty words but I believe giving cloth diapers instead of disposable will do more to eliminate poverty in the long run.

Please help me collect cloth diapers and covers! I will wash and package what I receive into "starter packs" of about 15 diapers, along with care and washing information. I will then deliver them to a Montreal charity (or more than one, if this works well!).

If you have ideas on which charity to donate to or want to help, please contact me here!

I see this project having long term potential: perhaps once a child has grown out of one size, they can bring them back in exchange for the next size up. But before I get too excited, let's start small and see what can be accomplished between now and the new year.

And thanks to Huggies and The Yummy Mummy Club for giving me the motivation!

CLOTH Diaper Drive

Don't Be Afraid to Live

I found out just yesterday that an old friend of mine died and I was able to get to the wake in time to pay my respects. I'm still processing all this, so I won't go into too much detail about it, but I spent a sleepless night trying to make sense of her death. I wanted purpose and a meaning or lesson to come out of this death. In the end, what I came up with was that, in essence, she wasn't afraid to live.

So many of us are scared of death, which I think is perfectly normal, but so many of us are simply scared to live life to its full potential. We become paralysed by the unknown and bogged down by all the "what ifs?" that we never take the plunge and fulfil our wildest dreams. I truly believe we can accomplish many, if not all, of our wildest dreams if we work through our fears and make a plan of action.

I'm not saying that my friend was never scared or had doubts - that would mean she wasn't human! But despite those fears, she plunged into life fully and because of that, was able to make a difference in her world.

The only lesson I could glean from her death, and it's a painful way to be reminded, but one I think does her memory justice, is to work through our doubts and fears and stop being more afraid of living than of dying.

In honour of her, please take a moment today to think about what you want out of life and work through whatever fears are stopping you. I'm sure her spirit is up there watching and would gladly help guide you along.

In loving memory of Jasminder Kaur Virdee December 11, 1980 - September 18, 2010

Don't Be Afraid to Live

How To Be Alone

How To Be Alone

Some of My Fave Quotes

"Easy is right. Begin right and you are easy. Continue easy and you are right. The right way to go easy is to forget the right way and forget that the going is easy." -Chuang-tzu


"Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack in everything
That is how the light gets in"
-Leonard Cohen

Some of My Fave Quotes

Just about every year, I participate to raise funds for Parkinson's disease because my father was diagnosed with it in 2006. We really appreciate any donations and we want you to know every bit does make a difference. Thank you!

5 Easy Ways to Give

I'm on a mission - I want everyone to start donating. You really don't have to sacrifice very much to make a difference. Here are a few easy ways to give back to your local community:

Hotel soaps
1) Take those little soaps, lotions, and shampoo/conditioner from your hotel room (or spa, if those things are provided) and donate them to a local shelter. Take the slippers, too!
Many of us take a hot shower for granted, and shelters always need things like soap and shampoo. It helps to make someone feel a little more human for one day and isn't a big deal for you to carry home.

Clothes
2) I'm sure you have lots of perfectly good clothes in your closet that you no longer wear. Do NOT throw them in the garbage! There are lots of second-hand stores that will take them. So will churches, and some cities have drop-off bins at grocery stores. There are even some associations that will pick up stuff from your house. Grab a large bag and go through your stuff every few months. It will free up your space and help someone else.

Coupons
3) Are you a coupon cutter? If you're already cutting coupons for yourself, cut out the ones for products you don't need and donate them to a food bank. It will help keep their costs down and it really doesn't take that much time to do. You can mail in any coupons you don't use, especially ones for diapers and formula.

Volunteer
4) Set aside a day a month for volunteer time. One day a month, that's all I'm asking! There are plenty of places one can volunteer at as a "one-off" - no on-going commitment necessary. Look for art festivals, fund-raisers or soup kitchens. These little opportunities also benefit you by giving you something extra to put on your resume, and also getting you out and meeting people. Single people - what better place to meet a great person than at a charity event, huh? Makes a fun next date!

Make it Automatic
5) Set up an automatic giving program with the charity of your choice. Most big charities now take pre-authorized bank debits, as well as monthly credit card debits. If you set up a monthly plan, it can be as low as $5. a month and not hurt your budget.

If you've got it, give it and everyone has a little something to give. You'll see in the long run, the more you give, the more you get back. It's that simple!

**What about you? Do you have any simple tips to get other people donating? Comment and let me know.

5 Easy Ways to Give