My Friend Louise at  Mom Start posted about this wonderful opportunity. For every post written, $10.00 will be donated to Adopt-a-Classroom, up to $10,000. Elmer’s is celebrating back to school with a partnership with Wal-Mart and Adopt-A-Classroom to make a difference in children’s lives.
HOW CAN YOU JOIN? Well that’s easy!

Participate in the Elmer’s Virtual Bag It Forward and by giving away a virtual bag of school supplies and creating a blog post with specific rules described below.
Elmer’s will donate up to $10,000 to Adopt-A-Classroom
You …

KaBOOM! PLAY DAYS PRESENTED BY MOTT’S ARE BACK!
THOUSANDS OF COMMUNITIES ENCOURAGED TO PLAY
THIS SEPTEMBER IN SECOND ANNUAL EVENT
WASHINGTON, DC., June 15 — To ensure that kids across the country get active and playful, national non-profit KaBOOM! is kicking-off the second annual KaBOOM! Play Days presented by Mott’s. KaBOOM! Play Days encourage communities to come together for fun activities and to improve local parks and playgrounds. KaBOOM! Play Days run from September 18 – September 26, but event planning starts now.
KaBOOM! is the national non-profit dedicated to saving play, and one …

Earlier this year I mentioned the Build-A-Bear Workshop® Huggable Heroes® program that recognizes young leaders making positive contributions in their communities and around the world.  More than 1,000 nominations were received for this year’s program.  After narrowing the field down to 75 semifinalists and 25 finalists, Build-A-Bear Workshop is excited to announce the 10 Huggable Heroes for 2010.  I thought you’d like to hear and share their inspirational stories.

This year’s class of Huggable Heroes is tackling a variety of really cool and pertinent issues from illiteracy, poverty and feeding the …

I thought this was cool so I wanted to share it with you.  One of our favorite online retailer, Zappos, is continuing to spread the good word and efforts in support of the fundraising for the Children of Haiti.  In addition to their To Haiti With Love tee, Zappos has joined forces with the Life is Good brand.
Life is Good has always been about spreading the word of optimism.  Continuing with this campaign, the brand has launched a national fundraising effort for children devastated by the recent earthquake in Haiti.  …

As I mentioned before I’m a Juicy Insider for Tropicana, the fab orange juice brand. I now have points building up {have you registered yet?} I decided to put them to use–in redeeming a reward.
I will likely be more selfish and use my rewards strictly for me in the future but for now, I thought I would be a little altruistic.  So for my first reward I saved 100 sq feet of the rain forest. You know me, preserving our World and the wonders that are in it …

This video says it all – Win a LapTop, Give a LapTop & Change the World, One Child at a Time.

Often children have warm and giving hearts and are willing to give when they have the opportunity.  P2 is even like that when she sees an opportunity to give, all by herself.  Heard the term ‘would give you the shirt off her back’?  She just came from Heaven that way and what a delight she is for it.
Of course, P2 and her sisters love and adore Betty Crocker’s Fruit Flavored …

It’s time to celebrate Spring mommies-to-be! On March 10, Nickelodeon’s ParentsConnect will hold its second seasonal Virtual Baby Shower, hosted by celebrity broadcaster and mom, Jillian Barberie Reynolds.
Moms can join Jillian in this daylong celebration featuring online games, tons of prizes, advice and more. They can even invite their friends to participate and make new friends, too. Jump in at anytime, or stay all day!
Jillian recently had her second child in January and a baby shower of her own in December. Some of her tips for …

Frigidaire and Jennifer Garner have teamed up yet to again, this time to support Save the Children, an organization to help children living in poverty here in the U.S.
Frigidaire’s new Spin & Win game gives you the opportunity to win gift cards for spending quality time with your children. They’re giving away a prize every day.  Plus, you could also win a brand new Frigidaire Affinity washer and dryer!
Best of all, once you’ve registered to play, every time you spin, Frigidaire will donate $1 to Save the Children, as part …

I love the Salvation Army.  They do good things for people and make it easy for the rest of us to bring out our best selves by caring about others.  I love it at this time of year when we to a store and the bell ringers are there, greeting you and hoping that you will your donation to the little red kettle.  I love to give my girls the chance to learn compassion and to have giving hearts when we see them by giving them whatever change or cash …

When you are waiting for your precious child, it can seem like forever and as we all know, money does not grow on trees.  Most adoptive families get very, very creative in ways to save, find and/or make the money they will need for the expenses that just normally accrue with the adoption of a child.  In our case, we held some awesome garage sales, saved, and incurred some debt.  We were incredibly blessed by the kindness and generosity of others and will be forever grateful.
Listed here are some of …

I am really struggling with the upcoming Christmas Season.  Struggling with the needs vs. wants thing this year but not for myself, for my kids.  We have a nice roof over our heads, plenty of clothes to even be able choose what to wear on any given day, food, well, certainly not an issue and plenty of things to fill up our spare time.  My children have two parents who love them dearly as well as extended family, we have friends, people who love us, and a bright future ahead.  …

So what do Miley Cyrus, Jesse McCartney and Demi Lovato have in common?  Beside the fact that they are all a part of the Disney Music Group, they are also participating in the 2nd Annual Concert for Hope on October 25th at the Nokia Theatre in LA. The proceeds go to the City of Hope for cancer research, treatment and educational programs.
The sold-out 2008 Concert for Hope raised in excess of $1.2 million for City of Hope’s cancer research efforts. Cyrus is donating $1 from every ticket sold …

Yesterday I learned of a wonderful combination and I am so excited to announce the news today!!  Many of my friends have been sharing the merits of Frigidaire’s incredible new appliance line.  Well they have chosen now to kick it all up a notch by taking their commitment to mothers everywhere one step further by joining forces with one of my favorite oft-admired and philanthropic celebrity moms, Jennifer Garner!  I knew I liked that woman!
You see, not only is Jennifer a huge fan of the time-saving features of the …

And while this video was actually made for the cool Lands’ End FeelGood Campaign , you can actually benefit so many others in the same or similar manner.  Knitting for Charity,  Crocheting and More, Crafting for Charity, and Provident Living are all great sites for ideas on how to use your talents to help others.  Happy crafting!

And while this video was actually made for the cool Lands’ End FeelGood Campaign , you can actually benefit so many others in the same or similar manner.  Knitting for Charity,  Crocheting and More, …

THE FRESH AIR FUND, an independent, not-for-profit agency, has provided free summer vacations to more than 1.7 million New York City children from low-income communities since 1877. Nearly 10,000 New York City children enjoy free Fresh Air Fund programs annually. In 2008, close to 5,000 children visited volunteer host families in suburbs and small town communities across 13 states from Virginia to Maine and Canada. 3,000 children also attended five Fresh Air camps on a 2,300-acre site in Fishkill, New York. The Fund’s year-round camping program serves an additional 2,000 …

“Smart Cookie” Contest Ends February 10th!

Two Minutes to Help Save Lives
The Cookie Magazine “Smart Cookie Reader’s Choice” contest ends in one week!  Please take two minutes to vote for Amy Eldridge and help LWB win the $35,000 donation.
This is a free, no-obligation way to help children receive the life-saving surgeries they need to survive and thrive.  Please forward this email to at least one more person and encourage them to vote as well!

Cast your vote! Click here…

Well, November came and went before I blinked twice! So much for the best laid plans regarding special activities for National Adoption Month! Ha! Could be because we were having a Rockin’ good time with something called Because It’s Christmas!!:) Y’all were so truly amazing about coming out and playing along and I know I really never thanked you. I truly have THE BEST READERS EVER!!!
Even though November has passed, I still wanted to share this wonderful piece of jewelry with you. This foster …

For our Because It’s Christmas Kids & Charity Giveaway, every prize that was included in the giveaway, an identical item was donated to charity. Kim and I each selected a local charity and roughly divided the items in half and each charity got some wonderful toys to donate to some needy kids. The charity I selected is the Relief Nursery of Collin County located in Plano, TX. While the need is great in Collin County, it often goes overlooked due to the great affluence of some …

Okay all you Moms out there – would you please call your kiddos to the screen for a minute? You can go do your nails or have a bon bon while I chat with them for a minute, okay?:) Thanks!

Hey gang -
Do you have a Wii or games for a Wii on your list for Santa? Well, let me tell you about something else you might want to add – a new game for the Wii from The Game Factory called Build-A-Bear Workshop® A Friend Fur All …

Hey gang…in case you have not heard, the awesome girls over at Mommy Gossip – GNO (Girl’s Night Out) have been spearheading a Virtual Food Drive benefiting FeedingAmerica.org. I am so pleased and impressed to say that once again, the Blogosphere has risen to the occasion to help others in need! Helped to the tune of raising $1300 as of yesterday afternoon!! Wooohoo!! Now, here is where you come in…
Carissa and Jyl set a goal to raise $1500 and TODAY is THE LAST DAY!! So …

Did you know about this – Bloggers Give Back? Am I just slow? (Don’t answer that!) I just discovered this great idea that fits right in with my love of GIVING. RookieMom Whitney is who set this all up and here is what she wants this blog to encourage:
When my blog, RookieMoms.com, began to catch the eye of public relations folks who were in search of bloggers who would write about their products, the pitches started rolling in. Many of them are for things that don’t interest …

Remember this story? About a little girl who wanted to know if there really is a Santa Claus? Well, a large portion of the story revolved around Macy’s…you know, the classy Department store. Yes, they have been around THAT long.:)

Well, this holiday season, Macy’s is asking America to Believe. Macy’s wants everyone – from the most enthusiastic to the most cynical- to Believe in and embrace the holiday spirit of love and charity.
Writing letters to Santa Claus is an age-old Christmas tradition for children …

Today is THE Day!! The day we are kicking off our Christmas giveaway event, Because It’s Christmas that we are doing as a partnership with Kim and Lori from What’s That Smell? The event will be run here, on 3 P’s in a Pod, on 3 P’s Mama Says…, my Giveaway & Review Blog, AND on Kim and Lori’s What’s That Smell? Talk about a party!

Let me give you an intro post about the charities we are supporting and some basic info on our giveaways. The …

Today is THE Day!! The day we are kicking off our Christmas giveaway event, Because It’s Christmas that we are doing as a partnership with Kim and Lori from What’s That Smell? The event will be run here, on 3 P’s Mama Says…, on 3 P’s in a Pod, my Family and Fun Blog, AND on Kim and Lori’s What’s That Smell? Talk about a party!

Let me give you an intro post about the charities we are supporting and some basic info on our giveaways. The …

You may have noticed we are moving right on into Christmas-mode around here already. I have seemingly completely skipped Thanksgiving simply because not only is this a crazy busy fantabulous time of year but on November 10th we are starting our Christmas collaboration with What’s That Smell with reviews of great Christmas gift ideas for kids, lots of toy giveaways and some really special charity toy giveaways. And, if I can count correctly (always a might questionable , we have almost $1,800 in toys to giveaway to charity …

Well, the competition has come to a close for the American Express Members Project 2008 and although my favored group did not win the top prize, I was thrilled to see so many great opportunities getting some much needed funding.
And the winners are… Thank you for being part of Members Project® ‘08. People from across the country submitted inspiring ideas for projects that could make a positive impact in the world. Which projects will get funding from American Express? The votes …

We are currently accepting sponsors for consideration for participation in this project. Please contact me at 3girlzmama@gmail.com or email kim@accidentalmommies.com for more information.

It’s that time of year again where the air turns crisp, ghouls and goblins run loose and we all anticipate turkey and the big fat man in the red suit who inevitably arrives SO much faster than we are ready for. The “holiday” season as it is referred to more and more, is a season for family and gift giving, but it is also a time …

If you are a mom of girls, you have most likely heard about American Girl dolls. Really, I never knew what the big deal was about them but now that my 2 oldest girls each own one I have a better appreciation for them. Recently we went to the Dallas AG store and I noticed they had a Chinese American doll, Ivy. As the mom of an adopted Chinese daughter, I was really pleased to see that and I figured eventually I would purchase one for P3. You see, …

Operation Gratitude, a program that sends care packages to soldiers deployed overseas, is asking for your Halloween candy this year.
Dentists who “buy-back” candy from their patients are encouraged to send it to Operation Gratitude to include in their packages. The program plans to send 70,000 care packages in their sixth annual holiday drive. Helpers will begin putting packages together Oct. 18.
They are also looking for financial donations to help with rising postage costs as they need $700,000 to successfully complete the holiday drive.
Candy and other items can be shipped until …

GREAT NEWS!! Every vote counted and International Medical Corps has progressed to one of the Top 5 in American Express’ Members Projects, ‘Saving the Lives of Malnourished Children’!!!! Thanks so much to those of you who helped by voting. If you did not get time to vote, you get another chance! Now through October 13th, head over to the American Express’ Members Projects. This is FREE. It will cost YOU nothing and you will be helping IMC feed starving children. They have already …

International Medical Corps has been matched to one of the Top 25 in American Express’ Members Projects, ‘Saving the Lives of Malnourished Children.’
Chosen out of 1,190 projects, “Saving the Lives of Malnourished Children” is now eligible to receive up to $1.5 million in funding. The project with the most votes receives …

Check this out!

I had read about the Balsis family before and I am humbled by their open hearts. Adoption alone is not an easy thing then add the international quotient and top that off with the child being special needs – Down’s Syndrome like their other daughter. WOW! That is a handful and then some! And they are getting ready to go RIGHT NOW!!Almost equally, I am THRILLED to see the retail and blogging community getting behind them and helping them out! This will be …

Welcome to NieNie Day!! What is NieNie Day? See HERE. Thank you so much for coming by to help me help them! So let’s get this party started! Listed here are the remaining 4 items from my 3 P’s in a Pod Olympics in China Giveaway Fun. To benefit NieNie and Christian, I am including them all together into one huge WINNER TAKE ALL prize. Let’s look at what you can win!

A terrific cookbook to spice up your life and give direction …

I have just learned of a tragedy that has occurred to a fellow blog queen and her hubby,
Stephanie and Christian. You may know them through the Nie Nie Dialogues. If you are unaware as I was, Stephanie (Nie) and Christian were in a private airplane crash on Saturday evening. They are both being in treated for serious injuries locally. The doctors have said that they are in for months of recovery. Simply reading this disturbed me. I wanted to help. As I read on, …

As you may recall, I posted several times regarding the horrible earthquake that occurred in China back on May 12th. What follows is an update written a few days ago by Jenny Bowen, Executive Director of Half the Sky. Half the Sky is a wonderful humanitarian organization that, among other things, helped communicate with the orphanages in the affected communities to ascertain their true needs and ways that we as a world community could help.

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This morning as I write, typhoon winds batter Hong Kong. Yesterday there was …

I have not posted about China basically since my last post on the Earthquake recovery but like China, I too have recovered. One of my favorite humanitarian organizations is, as many of you know, Love Without Boundaries (LWB) out of Oklahoma. They have worked wonders for millions of China’s darling children. Here is the July update from Amy Eldridge, their Executive Director that I print with her permission. Enjoy!
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Hi everyone!
July has been an amazingly busy month for Love WithoutBoundaries, and I want to mention …

LWB Medical Program – Bringing Hope

Karen Maunu
Medical Director
Having been a part of Love Without Boundaries for over three years, I have been able to see some miraculous things. My most favorite thing of all is to see the children we have helped find their families. Over the last month, I have seen more than ever, many of these children on the shared adoption list or have been contacted by families who have completed their adoptions. I …

If you are not aware of Love Without Boundaries and the wonderful, life-giving and life-saving work they do, you are in for a treat! Please take a moment and learn about one of their most exciting and painless ways of contributing to better lives for the children left behind in China. This is the charitable organization we suggested people donate to on behalf of my Dad when he died. They are a truly wonderful group of individuals.
Alyson
Happy May everyone!
We are writing our update a week early because today is the …