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

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

Expressing Gratitude

One thing that can drastically change a gloomy mood is being thankful. People often forget to be thankful. We're all busy people and after we've gotten what we wanted, it's easy to forget how we got it.

The point to being truly thankful is to do it daily and to thank even when things didn't quite go the way you wanted them to. This is hard - I often forget to do this myself, but it's a valuable habit that needs to become more of a habit for more people.

Being thankful is just another way to give and it goes along with receiving. It doesn't have to be elaborate, it just needs to be sincere.

My general rule is: when someone does something for you, whether you asked them to or not, but especially if you asked them, say "thank you". This goes for the waiter who just filled your water glass, even though he is "just doing his job" and it took him 15 minutes to notice your glass was empty. Same goes for your housemate for taking out the garbage each week (and so often we forget to thank our lovers/partners for the little things!).

Another rule I have is: even if you have said thank you in the past to a particular person, you may need to say it again. One reason for this is people often don't hear compliments or thank yous the first time. They might not even hear it the second time. It depends on the person. One might respond better to you saying it in person. If you know the person doesn't take compliments very well, try writing them a card.
I'm not saying you need to bend over backwards trying to use every method possible to express your gratitude, but I am advocating putting at least a little effort in and by all means, not being forgetful or lazy about it.
A hand written card/letter is always lovely. Hand picked flowers are even nicer than store bought. Home baked cookies better than store bought - because it's about the time and effort you put into it. It's the thought that counts!

Never assume that the person "just knows" you are thankful. Let's say you ask to borrow your neighbour's lawn mower every weekend. You've said thanks the first few times and maybe you've invited him/her over for a bar-b-q, you feel, as an exchange. This does not mean you're even and get to stop being grateful. After all, you still haven't bought your own lawn mower. As long as someone is being helpful, you need to keep being grateful.

Here's a little exercise to help you practice gratitude in your daily life:

Stand in front of a mirror: you have a lot to be thankful for. Can't think of anything? Start small. Afterall, you're standing (or maybe sitting, but that's just as good. You have a seat!). You have a mirror! You can see yourself and/or hear yourself. You're breathing!
You are engaging in the act of trying to be thankful and that's a start.
Once you've come up with a few things, say thank you out loud. Thank your hands for all the things they do for you. If your hands don't work so well anymore, thank them for the things they once did. You don't have hands? Thank the next best thing to them! You get the idea.
Once you start there, you can move on to bigger things. Say thanks for your family, health, love, money, sunrises and sunsets, music, absolutely anything. Soon you'll find you won't be able to stop coming up with things to be thankful for.
Just make it a part of your life and I guarantee you'll feel happier. It's just that simple :)

Expressing Gratitude