Cupcake Update and a Question

Remember Cupcake? Well.... My fiance and I are fostering her short-term starting on Saturday! I am really looking forward to taking care of her this weekend, and I am hopeful that she is now one step closer to finding a great family to love her.

I also hope that she likes Happy Ta*ls Mini Hot Dogs because she has a pack with her name on them waiting for her!

Now for the Question: Even if you have not made extreme changes in your life because of the financial situation in our country (if you live in the US), what are some things that you have done to cut back? And, what are some things that you like to do for free/inexpensive entertainment?

What we have done to cut back: Turned off the A/C in the end of August and have not turned on the heat, turn off lights we are not using, un-plug appliances when they are not in use, and the big one...we don't have cable or internet right now. We use internet at (law) school, work, or cafes. We can pick up a few channels of TV, but we aren't really big "TV people," anyways. I think we are probably saving about $100.00 a month, possibly more.

That savings helps in several ways: We can work the same amount and have more money left over, which translates into less stress. And we have more time and energy (that we aren't using stressing over finances) to spend doing volunteer work or doing other fun things.

For free or inexpensive entertainment we plan to go to the park and play soccer and tennis this weekend. We may also (weather permitting) go on a great Fall bike ride, and have been going out to eat less. We also try to go to Costco on Sundays for sample day. That might sound cheap, but we really are buying things anyways while we are there, it's just always more fun on sample day :)

Someone Out There Needs You

I'm sure we have all heard the news, our country is going through a financial crisis. The politicians are talking about this crisis hitting "Main Street" and what this means to middle class Americans. Thankfully, even though times are tough and we have cut back on certain spending, my fiance and I are blessed enough to have a nice home, food on the table, and warm clothes to wear.

Unfortunately, not everyone has that luxury. With more and more foreclosures, where are all of these people going? I have seen news reports of families living out of their vans, or living in a tent at a campsite. And those aren't the worst of the stories. I'm not pointing fingers on whose fault that is, and each case is different, but it is definitely not the children's fault when their family is homeless.

The children, who need stability and security, can be traumatized when their family becomes homeless, and schooling often becomes an afterthought. When the parents have enough trouble just figuring out where they will live that night and what they will feed their children, you can't blame them if education is not their top priority. Or maybe it is, and the ends just aren't meeting. Whatever the situation, sometimes these homeless children need extra assistance with their education.

There are some great programs out there that facilitate volunteers spending an hour or more a week, helping children in homeless shelters or YMCA's with homework, tutoring, or general school support.

Here is more information homeless youth:

http://www.bisd.us/State_compensatory_UIL/homeless.htm

Here is a list of many organizations that help homeless youth:

http://www.zoominfo.com/Industries/foundation/charitable-organizations-foundations/tutoring.htm

Helping with schoolwork is obviously only one of the ways that you can help homeless youth. It is a growing problem in our country, especially now as economic times are especially tough.

Education is a window of opportunity for the youth of America. It is so very important in breaking the cycle of poverty. When a child is constantly being shifted from shelter to shelter, couch to couch, or place to place, gaps in education are highly likely. Without extra outside help, many of these gaps will never be filled, and educational progress is difficult when you don't understand the underlying concepts. How can you learn multiplication and division if you never correctly learned how to add and subtract?

Maybe you could help be a tutor, mentor, or friend to a child or teenager during a time of crisis in their life? If this appeals to you, please find an organization in your area and get involved.

Joyful?

It is so totally refreshing to find someone who is cheerful and joyful despite the goings on of life. No one can control what happens every second of their life, but people do have the amazing ability to choose joy in their hearts.

No matter your religious beliefs, this is really a lifelong lesson that everyone would benefit from learning. How to choose joy, despite the doom and gloom and the naysayers that may surround us. It is a hard, hard thing to learn, even for those of us who are generally the "glass half-full" type. But, as I am personally on this path, I have found it necessary to surround myself with teachers who have found that inner joy and can express or explain this journey to others. When I find an article or a person who I believe is really on that path, I think it is important to share with everyone.

Here is a great website, it is written by a Christian, but you don't have to be at all religious or Christian to identify with what this woman has to say.

http://liveinjoy.blogspot.com/

Check it out, and check back more often to get your "daily dose" of joyfulness. It's contagious!

It can't be coicidence that many faiths and old Eastern principles profess that finding joy is the PURPOSE Of life. Why should one go through life without giving the whole purpose a fighting chance?

It doesn't mean that you have to be blind to things going on around you. But if you can accept things as they are, be joyful, and go about making the necessary changes, all of these "enlightened" authors say things will undoubtly be better, that things will start coming to you. And, I don't know about you, but I could use some of that!!! So I am on this journey. Want to discuss? Leave a comment!

Here are some other great reads on the subject:

The Way of the Peaceful Warrior, by Dan Millman. Website: http://www.danmillman.com/

A New Earth, by Eckhart Tolle. Website: http://eckharttolle.com/a_new_earth

Okkkkk!!! Sorry for the hiatus! I am back!

I have had a very busy summer but that is no reason to just give up and not continue this very worthy cause.

Sometimes its hard to decide exactly who I should talk about on here, and sometimes it is sooo easy! I try to only profile those organizations that I have either worked with, or have done extensive research on. I can't make any guarantees about how good or corrupt any group may be, but I do my best to only talk about the "above board" groups.

This is one of those easy times where I just KNEW who I had to talk about on here!

I love animals and lately have been bitten with the "I need a dog" bug. But, let's get real. I am in law school, live between two houses and like to be able to go on trips. That is not to say that I won't be ready for a dog in a few weeks or months, but I am not ready today.

So, when I saw Cupcake, my heart broke for her. She is only 6-9 months old and was scheduled to be put to sleep TODAY!!! But she is just a baby! How could someone do this to a baby? She has so much time ahead of her and if you look at her eyes you can tell she is a great girl.

Yep, thats Cupcake, up at the top!

Right? Isn't she just adorable? Exactly! So, with the aforementioned knowledge that my life is not perfect for making a lifetime commitement to an animal (their lifetime that is), I ventured out to try to help. I talked to my fiance and we agreed that we could foster her and look for another home. But we never finalized anything and my heart was breaking when I woke up this morning knowing it might well be her last day. I realize thousands of dogs are put to sleep every day, so you don't have to tell me I can't save them all. BUT I thought... I can save this one. She made me think of the "Starfish Story."

There was just something about her and I had to help. So I got up, got on the internet, and started googling shar pei and chow chow rescues. Those are her identified breed mixes, but I'm not sure she looks a ton like either one. But, they were an option where I could advocate for her. So as I pushed "send" on each one of the "Can you help Cupcake?" e-mails, I said a little prayer. Actually, a big prayer because I knew she was running out of time.

Not an hour later I got an email from Carol. I won't use her last name here for her privacy, but she is truly an angel and she made some calls and found a plan to work with me to save Cupcake!!!

We SAVED Cupcake!!! Talk about instant gratification! This woman deserves an award for the work she does. She is going to help find Cupcake a new family AND my fiance and I might still get to foster her for a little while. I have no problem pampering that adorable little face until her "forever" family finds her.

So here is the organization of the week:

U.S.A. Shar Pei Rescue Network
http://www.sharpeirescuenetwork.org/
Look for your state!

Please! Remember to be a responsible pet owner and spay/neuter your animal, do not buy your pet from a puppy mill, and don't forget about the breed rescues when you see a dog in a shelter that can be identified as a specific breed.

There are breed rescues for almost every major breed, and all you have to do is google the breed + rescue. You too can advocate for animals. They don't have to die in vien. If you can't find a rescue, you could always start one too!! There is information on how to start a rescue on e-how and many other sites.

Kiva Post #2

There is so, so much more that Kiva is doing. They truely are helping individuals (like me!) around the world help to change the lives of others by lending small amounts of money.

Besides loaning your own money there are other ways to get involved. Try this one if you have a blog, myspace, facebook, even Linkdin:

Kiva ads! They are very easy to set up and don't require any maintenance. Maybe you can help others become involved with the Amazing Organization of the Week!

Credit where credit is due: The text below is from the Kiva.org website, so go check it out again there!

Host a BannerShow your support of Kiva by placing any of the banners below on your website, blog, MySpace profile - wherever!

By linking to our site you are helping fight poverty, one loan at a time. Please choose from the banners below, and use the code provided by following these steps:

1- Choose a graphic.
2- Highlight the code under the graphic.
3- Copy the code (usually Ctrl+C).
4- Open your page with any text editor.
5- Paste the code into your page (usually Ctrl+V).
6- Save your page. These banners will display a randomly selected Kiva entrepreneur in need (each page refresh will load a different entrepreneur).
*This is the type of ad you see on my sidebar.

These banners are static, and will display what you see below.

Amazing Organization #1: KIVA

The basics: Kiva is a micro-loan organization that helps ambitious people in many countries obtain loans to start or further their business. By signing up with their website you can choose who to loan your money to- AND- you get your money BACK when the borrower repays their loan. The repayment rate is very high, almost 100% last I checked, so no need to worry about that.

10 Crazy Cool Things About Kiva:

1- You choose the individual(s) that your money goes to. That way you can directly see who you impact. A lot of places you just donate your money and hope for the best.* Not this site! You decide!

2- You can see how your money has helped the borrower(s) to achieve their goals and improve their lives through updates posted to the website.

3- Once you get your money back, you can lend it to someone else, and then someone else. Its just like recycling your favorite old shirt.

4- You can collaborate with other like-minded individuals. Usually, when you choose someone to lend to others will already have lent their money to that person or group. Together a group of people make combine their money to reach the total loan amount. No one gets the money they invested back until the entire loan amount is re-paid. There are some pretty fabulous people on there doing great things. Go check them out- right NOW :) Wait, no, finish the 10 Crazy Cool things, THEN go!

5- Kiva allows people to obtain the money they need to start or improve a business. In many areas of the world, one cannot just go and get a loan with a reasonable interest rate. This organization may be many of its' borrowers only hope for ever coming across the type of money they need to improve their lives by starting or improving a business.

6- By making one person in a community more self-suffiicent, the whole community benefits. A a new or improved business can mean more opportunities for employment, a reason for tourists to visit, etc.

7- If more people are employed, or more tourists come to the area, the money supply goes up, and demand for more goods and services won't be far behind. With more money in the area more businesses can be created to provide the necessary goods and services, and in turn more jobs and opportunities.

8- If whole communities can become better places to live because there are more jobs and peaceful, sustainable commerce, crime will likely decrease.

9- As the world becomes (theoretically, of course) "smaller and smaller" more and more people realize how important it is that EVERYONE has a sustainable life, not just those you see every day.

10- Go see for yourself, 10, 20, 100 more reasons why Kiva is incredible! www.kiva.org

*The charity is likely doing good things with the money. Just pointing out the benefits of this type of transparency.

I have a list of organizations ready to profile, I am so excited to get this going. Cheers to great people and groups getting the job done all over this wild world!

Feel free to add a suggestion in the comment section as to a charity or person who is profile-worthy! Thanks!