Baby It's Cold Outside...

So take your (gently) used coats to Burlington Coat Factory, and in partnership with the One Warm Coat organization, they will distribute them to families in need in your community. Easy peasy!

Give the Gift of Water

A $20 donation to Charity:Water provides one person in the developing world with clean drinking water for 20 years. That's less than my Brita pitcher and I broke that piece of poo after about 5 days. They have 7 different ways you can donate, my favorite is this.

By the way, 1.1 BILLION people in the world don't have access to clean drinking water. That's one in six of us. Of those, most will struggle just to find 5 gallons of water a day, while the average American uses 150 gallons without a second thought. Chew on that. Remember that I love you even though you hog all the water.

The Gift of Self-Reliance

"This holiday season, struggling families in the U.S. and around the world are counting on gifts of hope from generous people like you. Imagine no lines, no parking hassles and no meaningless gifts. Better yet, imagine giving those in need an opportunity to lift themselves out of poverty with a gift that also honors your friends and family."

Through a donation to Heifer.org you can help families become self-reliant and build a better future for their community. The work this organization does is multi-faceted, but they are best known for gifting animals to families in need. Think cows (for milk), llamas (for their fleece and packing ability), sheep (for their wool), etc. You can donate a flock of chicks (that is a whole lot of eggs!) for just twenty bucks. Take a minute to peek around their website. They are doing some great stuff!

CAI

So I'm wondering, have you read Three Cups of Tea? I was incredibly inspired by the story - chronicling Greg Mortenson's mission to change the world, just by building a school. A few weeks ago I was privileged to hear Greg speak at Boise State. So many of the things he has learned on his journey stuck with me, but the line that repeats in my head almost daily goes something like "war will not be won with bombs, but with books". He is an inspiring and selfless man, and is the founder of Central Asia Institute, an organization whose mission is to promote education, especially among young girls, in the more remote regions of Pakistan and Afghanistan.

If you have not read the book, I highly recommend that you do. You can even borrow my copy! And when you're done, float a few bucks in the direction of the CAI and help a girl reach her full potential.

Long Overdue

Blue Moon on tap. What what!!


Dodongo and I went on a date! A real one! With other adults even. Our pizza was mighty tasty, and the company was excellent. Thanks for hanging out with us A & W.

Got ten bucks?

Buy a mosquito net, save the life of an African refugee. Come on. It's only ten bucks! That's less than a pizza. That's less than two movie tickets. JUST DO IT.

I saved up my coffee money for the past week and I'm handing it over right now. In case you were wondering. Love you! Love your outfit! You're the best!

An Easy One

Visit CARE.org today and sign the petition telling Congress to stand up for women and young girls and protect them from one of the most heinous tools of war - rape. By signing the petition, you will encourage your Senators and Congressperson to sign the International Violence Against Women Act, increasing protection and services for women and girls, as well as directing more US funds to violence prevention abroad. It will take you 2 minutes. I promise.

Stampede

Uncle Buck picked us up for a Stampede basketball game on Sunday. The crowd was pretty sparse, and basketball bores me to tears, but Griffin had a great time! My favorite part was the crusty week-old piece of cheese bread I paid 4 dollars for. After the game we had a mini photo shoot in front of the big Christmas tree at The Grove. Turns out you can't take good pictures when it's pitch black outside. Thanks for trying Wes! And thanks for giving us vertigo in the parking garage!

What kinda pass was that huh? I mean fuggedaboutit.
I don't even know what to say here.
Goose was super excited to have his very own lemonade.
I think this was right before he started to run up and down the aisle. You can see that touch of naughty written on his face.

If you're crafty and you know it clap your hands!

"First, it is our mission to provide love, a sense of security, warmth and comfort to children who are seriously ill, traumatized, or otherwise in need through the gifts of new, handmade, blankets and afghans, lovingly created by volunteer "blanketeers."

Second, it is our mission to provide a rewarding and fun service opportunity for interested individuals and groups in local communities for the benefit of children."

I LOVE this charity!! If you're a quilter, a knitter, or (like me) a fan of the no-sew fleece blankets, this one is for you! If you are not in Idaho, you can find a chapter of the Linus Project in your area by visiting here. Craft away kiddies.

Today is World AIDS Day

For 23 years, amfAR has been dedicated to ending the global AIDS epidemic through innovative research. Check out their website to learn more and find ways to help.