Tornado Relief- Something You Can Do To Make a Difference

This evening I was browsing the blogosphere and came across this post. I hear about disasters like the one in Alabama and always wish that there is something that I can do. I have been so blessed and out there, there are so many people who have had their whole world knocked out from under them. And I love it when someone has a good idea on ways that I can actually help from where I am.
 Kristen Cooper writes the blog Couponing to Disney about how she uses the money she saves from coupons to pay for Disney vacations. Her hometown of Moody, Alabama was hit by a tornado causing wide-spread destruction. Her neighbors are in dire need of basic necessities. Now this is the part where Amazon helps you and I to save the world, you can get on Amazon, order items that are needed and ship them for free if they cost $25 or more, or if you have an Amazon Prime membership. I love that this is so simple, cost-efficient and helps people with something that they really need. If you order diapers or baby wipes and you have an Amazon Mom Prime Membership, you can get up to 30% off. Just add it to your cart and ship to the following address.

Disaster Relief
c/o First Baptist Church of Moody
902 Church Street
Moody, AL 35004


Items that they still need: 
Baby supplies (including diapers, wipes, A&D Ointment, baby food and juices)
Can openers
Convenience food (snack type)
Deodorant
Diabetic Monitors with Strips
First aid kits
Non-perishable food items
Over the counter medications (mainly Tylenol)
Shampoo and Conditioner
Soap Powders and Cleaning Supplies
Socks and underwear *NEW*
Sunscreen and Bug Spray
Trash bags
Water

Now, you don't have to order through Amazon. You can just as easily order from Target, Walmart or where ever you please. I like Amazon because I have found that they generally have the best prices on baby supplies and you can find many other items from the needs list.

Family Night for Japan

Recently when reading a friend's blog about a project that she was involved in for children in Japan. The Sleepy Time Gal has a friend in Ishinomaki, Japan. This friend is an elementary school teacher there, and on the day of the earthquake many of her students' parents never came to pick them up.  (You can read more about the project on her blog.) These children have many needs right now and it is something we can do to help. Simple things that I have around the house would mean so much to them.

I explained to my kids about what had happened in Japan and how there were children there who didn't have houses and some didn't have families. For family night we went through our closets and pantry and found things that the kids might enjoy. Most of these items I got cheaply (and some for free) using coupons and hitting sales.

Here are some the things that Sleepy Time Gal suggested:

• erasers
• crayons
• pencils
• hand sanitizer
• paper/supplies
• shippable foods
• children's clothing and shoes
• toiletries

The most cost-effective way to ship things to Japan is ship in a priority mail box. From what I have read on the internet, a small box cost $14 to ship to Japan and a medium box costs $44.  I grabbed one of each. I discovered that the small box was too small to effectively send much of anything, so I decided to cram whatever I could in a medium box.

I included 6 packs of tuna, 5 packs of instant potatoes, had to incorporate some food storage into this project somehow ;) a notebook, 2 pairs of shoes, 2 boxes of crayons, 2 small bottles of hand sanitizer, a box of instant hot chocolate packets, 6 small sheets of stickers, a box of cereal bars, 2 bags of cough drops (I read that there is a flu-like disease running around there) and a whole bunch of organic fruit suckers. I was pretty impressed that we managed to fit all of that in this box.

Now I don't share this because I want to say, oh look at me, but because I want people to see this and think 'Hey there is something that I can do to help'. And it was something that I could do with my kids, so I am teaching them that it is important that we help others.

Portraits of the Fallen

I found a link to this short video on my friends blog.  I love stories like this about people using their talents to help others. Take the five minutes to watch it, it's definitely worth your time. And I dare you not to cry.

Food Storage in the News

Several weeks ago (it was the mid multiple funeral period, which is why I didn't post it then) I found a couple of articles that I was pretty excited about. The first was in the LDS Church News on January 20, 2011. It was an article talking about the humanitarian work that is happening in Lima, Peru. The Johannes Gutenberg Cultural Association has partnered with the welfare department of the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints to create a breakfast assistance program for children living in poverty in Lima. Each weekday the Gutenberg association provides breakfast for more than 11,000 impoverished children in the Lima area. And it's not just a hand-out, the organization is trying to teach people to be self-sufficient. Parents are encouraged to come and prepare the meals that are given to these children. Hours before the food is served, parents come in to scrub pots, pans and cups, wash and chop fruit and cook the food that is served to the children. What a great story, no? When I read this I thought "Hey, this story is about food storage!" The breakfast that these parents are preparing consist of a cup of apple oatmeal and a small roll. Oatmeal is cheap, has a long shelf-life, is easy to prepare, nutritious and easy to store and transport, making it perfect for this project. I think it goes back to the idea that food storage is about being like Christ. We store food to strengthen ourselves and our families and to serve others when the need arises.

The second article was in the LDS Church News on February 5, 2011. The story was about a solution to hunger in DR Congo. DR Congo is a country in Africa that is still recovering from the effects of a long civil war where a rooty vegetable known as cassava is a dietary staple. Cassava grows well in poor soil with little rainfall and can be harvested year-round. (I imagine cassava being something like the African equivalent of a potato.) Recently cassava fields have been decimated by disease causing much unemployment and starvation. LDS Charities worked with Congo locals and a Nigerian charity called IITA to find a solution to this problem. IITA had developed a virus-free version of cassava. With the help of local Church leaders and two new tractors, 500 families were able to plant crops that were disease and drought resistant, lower in toxins, high yielding and early maturing. Then LDS charities and IITA built a processing facility, where the cassava is washed, peeled, processed and dried which improves tastes and makes it ready for long-term storage. Eureka! The solution to starvation in Africa is food storage. Well that and some agricultural assistance. (I am sure that me getting so excited about food storage in Africa officially makes me a total food storage nerd. But whatever, I can accept that.) I think this story is a good example of not only helping others to help themselves, but storing the food that works for you and your family.

Food Storage Friday: Ways that Food Storage Can Simplify Your Holiday

This week I spoke at a local church gathering about how food storage can make your life easier during the holidays. Although I don't feel like food storage is very holiday specific, because food storage can simplify your life ALL THE TIME. Here is more or less what I said, plus pictures. :) (Ok, more like more. It's easier for me to present in blogpost form and I don't have the time restraints.)

1. If you are prepared you shall not fear. That phrase applies thousands of aspects of life. Food storage is a great way to prepare for the unexpected. Food storage is the Lord's insurance plan. Isn't that why we have insurance, to help protect us from the unexpected? Why not have insurance where you know that you will use the money that you put into it? It is direction that He has given us through a prophet to help us prepare for whatever may come our way. (Yes, I know that many of my readers are not of my faith, but food storage can still bless you too! Just stay with me here.)

2. Food storage is like Christmas shopping. If you plan a little at a time it doesn't have to be overwhelming. A few cans here, a few cans there.  

3. Using your food storage can save you trips to the grocery store. This can save you time and money.  And frankly I try to spend as little time as possible in the stores during the holiday season to protect my sanity.

4. Food storage doesn't have to be strange and can simplify meal planning. Some common examples: chili, wheat bread, mashed potatoes, sweet and sour chicken, oatmeal cookies, chicken alfredo. Do any of those sound strange? 

 5. Using food storage can save you money. $50 worth of rice can feed an adult for 4 months. Now granted, no one wants to eat plain rice for 4 months, but you can use it to stretch your grocery budget. You can take an average meal of meat, veggies, and sauce/gravy and add rice. A painless way to stretch your budget for mere pennies a serving. If you can incorporate food storage into your meals just once a week, think how that can add up.  Pictured below is my taco salad that I use beans and rice in.

6. You can substitute food storage items for things you are missing. (I think I may have to write an entire separate post on this one. ) Get to know what's in your pantry and how you can make it work for you.  

7. Adding food storage items to your diet can improve your health. Most of  the food storage staples are whole grains. The average American diet can stand to have more whole grain in it. When you increase the fiber content in your diet not only are you getting more "roughage", but if that fiber is the soluble variety (as found in beans and oats) you are also lowering your blood sugar and cholesterol.

8. If you are familiar with your food storage you can prepare meals quickly leaving more time for holiday activities. Store things that you like and your family will eat. It doesn't have to be elaborate, in fact it's probably best if it's not. If you store spaghetti sauce and pasta, that totally counts. If you have it and know what to do with it, you can have a meal ready quickly.

9. There are only 2 things that the Prophet has asked us to purchase: Temple clothing and food storage. Think about the significance of that. If you are a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and believe that the Prophet is inspired of God, don't you think that it is important that we follow his council? If you plan, prepare and sacrifice to build your food storage, blessings will come. I promise. And who isn't interested in blessings?

 10. Having food storage puts you in a position to be more Christ-like. When you are prepared, you are prepared to share. I believe that when it comes down to it that's what this whole holiday season is about. Being grateful for what we have and then giving to others in remembrance of Our Savior. There, the holiday season = food storage. (Just kidding, but it certainly helps.) And you don't have to have lots of money to start preparing. You can start right now. Several years ago, my aunt who lives outside of Seattle decided to take the food storage council to heart. She didn't have a lot of money to invest in food storage, but she did start storing water. She saved juice and soda bottles, cleaned them out and stored her water. Her friends and neighbors thought that she was insane. The Seattle area is never going to have a drought, she was never going to need the water that she was storing. Then one winter they had a very hard freeze and every one of her neighbors' water pipes broke. Because she had water stored she was able to share with them and help them in their crisis. (And it helped that her water pipes happened to not break.) That's just one example, there are hundreds. When you have a little set aside it makes it easier to give when canned food is collected for the needy, or when a neighbor is ill and can use a pot of chicken soup. When you have food storage you are prepared to literally feed His sheep.

myezdeal: IHOP- All Labor Day Weekend

Here's a heads up on a great deal for IHOP gift certificates in Utah. You can get a $25 gift certificate to IHOP for $15. That's a 40% savings, plus 10% of every purchase goes to the Muscular Dystrophy Association. Normally myezdeals last only a day, but you can purchase this one anytime this Labor Day weekend. (And you can purchase multiples if you please.) Certificates are good at 19 Utah locations and expire December 1, 2010. See myezdeal.com for more details.

Be A Hero, Be The Match

Saturday night after being at work for more than 13 hours I hauled my family to the county fair. And no, it's not because I was aching for that special smell that can only be found at the fair, the smell that is a combo of cheap cigarettes, swine, cooking grease, pickles and who knows what else, or because I wanted to blow 85% of my weekly grocery budget on one meal. We went because it was the last night of the fair and the mother of one of our cancer kids was running a booth there to raise awareness about the national bone marrow registration program. Her child has a donor, but so many people are not that lucky.

On many occasions people have asked me 'how in the world I can take care of sick kids?' 'It seems cruel to stick them with needles and hold them down for procedures'. It generally doesn't bother me. (Yes, I would rather not do it if it can possibly be avoided, but I won't hesitate to do it when I know that's what needs to be done.) I would much rather hold kids down for an IV start than contemplate the possible outcomes if we didn't take the measures that we do. I know that the things I do will make them better.  That's not always the case with our patients with cancer. The cancer kids tear me up inside. It's just not fair that someone so innocent should suffer so very much. And their poor families. Having a child with cancer can turn your world upside down and rip your heart out. That is why I am challenging everyone who is able, to join the national bone marrow registry. Take the chance to save a life.

Here's how it works:

1. Go to BeTheMatch.org. You can either request a donor registration kit to be mailed to you, or you can locate a donor drive that is taking place in your area.
2. If you are between the ages of 18-60 and are in general good health, you will probably qualify to donate. Go here to see more details about conditions that do and do not limit you from donating.
3. Once you have filled out the appropriate paper work and have the donor kit in front of you, you will take the four cotton swaps and wipe them, one at a time, on the inside of your cheek. That's it! You're registered and the genetic material in your cheek cells will be analyzed and archived so that doctors from around the world can look for potential matches to help save their patients.
4. If you are a match to someone in need there is no cost to you. One of two things will happen, depending on what your match needs. 1) You will receive a few injections (5 days in advance) of a medication that stimulates your body to make more blood stem cells. When it is time to donate your blood will be removed, the blood stem cells separated and your blood returned to you. No surgery required and most donations are done this way. 2) Your bone marrow will be removed from your hip bone with a needle, while you are under general anesthesia. It is an outpatient procedure and your body will replace the bone marrow that is removed.

 If you have questions the National Marrow Donor Program has the answers. So yes, there are some needles and discomfort involved, but isn't that worth being a true hero?

I have a secret...

..but I can't tell yet. I know that's not very fair, but I'm really excited about this. I'll let you know as soon as I am able. It's something that may save you money, include fun things for your family and is helping others at the same time. Stay tuned.

Ways that Parents Can Reform Healthcare

Yesterday at work I read a short article on ways that parents can reform healthcare. I know that I've mentioned some of these before, but I think they're worth repeating and not one of them requires an act of congress. Each of them are ways that you can improve the health of you and your children immediately and in the long-run. By taking care of yourself and your children you can decrease healthcare costs for yourself and everyone else.

1. Eat healthy- Providing healthy meals for yourself and your children is a simple way that can give you more energy and give your body the building blocks it needs to fight off infections. Improving your diet decreases your risk for cancer, diabetes and heart disease.
2. Exercise-Active kids are far more likely to be healthy. Exercise improves your blood circulation which makes the organs and processes in your body work more effectively.
3. Prevent accidents- Vigilantly watch your children. Make them wear helmets. Make them wear seat belts. Make sure that you have the appropriate car seat.  Don't let them sit on the ledge of the back of a pickup while off-roading through the country. I know these are boring suggestions, but they are so important! I have seen so many sad stories of kids whose parents didn't make them do these things.

Progress on the Write It Out Project

 Unfortunately, this week has been far busier than anticipated. But I have one journal done and the others cut out. This is how I plan to spend a big chunk of my Memorial Day weekend. It seems appropriate. My first one is not perfect, but descent for someone who has almost no sewing skills, whatsoever. (In high school my mom wanted me to take sewing. I took Spanish and extra science classes instead. I don't regret it.)

 

Sunday evening update: All done!

The Power of Coupons

I've been debating for awhile whether I should share this, I'm generally not the type who says "ooh, look what I did" (Then 'why do I even keep up a blog?' you may ask. I'm just hoping that the things I say are of use to someone out there.) But I decided that this is important enough to share.
Last week while we were running errands my daughter told me that she wanted to buy toys for kids who don't have any. I'm ashamed to admit that my first thought was 'Mommy is trying to save money.' Then I thought 'No, this is the type of person that I want her to be. The kind of person who thinks about the needs of others. I can find a way to make this work.' The first place that I thought of where we can take toys for children without, was the DOVE Center. The DOVE Center is an local emergency shelter for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. I called them to see if my plan would be feasible and to find out what things they were needing. They actually were desperate for toys and games and would also appreciate toiletry items and women and children's underwear. Then I took my coupons and let my daughter pick out some toys. We managed to get $10 worth of small toys for $1.83. Then we managed to find several packages of Disney themed underwear on clearance for $3 for a 5 pack and a few packages of plain women's underwear. Then I went through my "stash". In my stash I have many toys and games that I've gotten on clearance or other ridiculously great deals. I also have multiple toiletry items that I have gotten for less than a dollar (often for free) using coupons. I filled an over-sized department store bag with items that all total cost me less than $30 (much of which I had spent previously). Once it was gathered in one place she threw a tantrum because she wanted one of the new games and I tried to explain it was for kids who didn't have anything. She pouted for several hours about it.
  A few days later, we took our bag o' booty to the DOVE Center. It's kind of difficult to find, and I suppose it's that way for the safety of its victims. It looks like a nice little place, other than the fact that it's behind a very tall locked chain-link fence. The lady who came out to take our donation was very appreciative of things we brought. My daughter was disappointed because she wanted to give the toys to the kids herself. I tried to explain to her that the kids were hiding inside because they were safe there. I tried to explain that their daddies had done mean things so they had to hide. Her four-year-old mind did not seem able to wrap around this idea. I suppose in some ways that's a good thing. So the experience was not exactly what I had envisioned. I don't think my daughter  understands what it means to go without, and she doesn't really understand that there are people out there who are genuinely suffering. But hey, she's four. Hopefully this experience and others like it in the future will help her to be a better person. And the moral of the story is you don't have to have lots of money to help those in need. Coupons can do the job too.

Crafting with a Purpose: The Write It Out Project

Yesterday I came across a service project that sounded so awesome I committed before I thought whether or not I was getting ahead of myself. The Write It Out Project was started by an Iraqi War widow who wanted to do something to help other military widows out there cope with their loss. So she decided to enlist as many women as she can to make handmade journals for these women. This is such an awesome idea. I am a firm believer that writing is a great way to deal with stress. I was so excited I committed to making five before I even looked at the instructions. Oh shoot, I don't craft and I don't own a sewing machine. But if ever there was a reason to craft, this is it. Here is a tutorial with pictures. (It doesn't look that hard.) So I'll give it a shot. And since I committed to making these journals there is now an option where you can help, no crafting involved. You can donate a few dollars to pay for shipping. Plus extra bonus, there is a giveaway involved! When you donate money for shipping, commit to making journals, blog about the service project, comment on the prizes or become a follower of We Talk of Christ, We Rejoice in Christ you can be entered into a giveaway to win one of several very cute patriotic themed prizes. Hooray for prizes! But that's not why I'm saying this, sure great bonus, but the real reason is I am so very grateful for our servicemen and women and their families. Yes, our country is not perfect, but I am so grateful for the freedoms that we have. And those freedoms come with a price, a very high one in fact. We have the freedoms that we have because of the sacrifices of the millions of young soldiers since this country was founded, many who sacrificed their lives leaving many loved ones behind. I am asking anyone who possibly can to get involved. If you craft, fantastic! If not, donate or spread the word.

"This is the best day of my life."

 Check out this story. The Make A Wish Foundation is so awesome. Just wanted to share.

Fighting Pornography- Start with the Family

As a member of the LDS church, I've been hearing people speak against the evils of pornography for as long as I can remember. So I found it interesting to read about someone outside the Church talking about it. In an article that I read recently, Patrick A. Trueman, the former chief of the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section of the United States Department of Justice said that the answer to combat the scourge of pornography is to "Start with the family." He said there are three major things that average people can do to fight pornography.

1. Strengthen their families- Know what your kids are doing and get Internet blocking software
2. Survey communities- Boycott stores that display pornography, and let the store owners know (He says he has seen this work over and over again.)
3. Lobby public officials- There are laws against hard-core pornography. Make sure that they are enforced.

I feel like pornography is one large massive lurking evil that I don't want to look at too closely, but I can't pretend that it's not there.  If you think that pornography doesn't effect you, you're wrong. It effects the ways people are portrayed in the media. It effects the ways children view themselves, it effects the way that adults view themselves. The article states that "Children are harmed by looking at pornography. It effects them for the rest of their lives." But that's only one of many ways that pornography assaults the family. Pornography is a seed that can grow into rape, abuse and child molestation. (Recently I read parts of a series of articles about a columnist who spent some time following investigators for the Utah's Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. I warn you, what she discovered was disturbing, but it's important to be aware of the lurking evil. But one interesting thing that she said that most of the time the child abusers started with adult pornography, which led to child pornography which eventually led to victimizing real children.) Even if it doesn't lead to that, it still destroys marriages, families and lives. For the love of all that is good, take a stand and purge it from your sphere of influence.

What To Do With Your Expired Coupons

So I had heard before that expired coupons can be used by military families stationed overseas for 6 months after their expiration date. However, I could never find out how to get them to them. I did a little searching on-line, but no where could I find a place to mail my growing mountain of expired coupons. This past weekend I finally stumbled upon the answer:

You can send your expired coupons to U.S. military bases around the world. The coupons are placed in various common areas throughout each base and families can use them for up to 6 months after they expire! We have family friends currently stationed in England who have confirmed to us that the coupons really do make it into the hands of the military families and are valued and appreciated.
For over 17 years, the Overseas Coupon Program has facilitated the transfer of coupons to U.S. military bases. To sign up to send coupons, just visit the website, and click on Base List to browse the list of bases that you can mail your coupons to. After you choose a base, send an email to adoptions@ocpnet.org to let them know you will be participating. You can find more details and information here. And since the packages ship to APO/AFO addresses, the cost to mail the coupons is the same as sending a card to Grandma in Texas. You can drop your coupons in the mail for the cost of a stamp or two and you will help our wonderful service men and women (and their families) at the same time!

Thanks Mama Cheaps for the great tip!

 How it works is you "adopt" an military base and you mail them coupons. That's it. They do ask that the coupons that you send are expired by no more than two months because it does take time for the organization to process, organize and distribute them. So instead of just throwing away those old coupons, why not help someone else out? And really I feel like it is the very least I can do for the families of those in military service. I am grateful for all that they sacrifice.

Help fo Haiti Part 3- Hygiene Kits

In my last post in reference to Haiti I mentioned humanitarian kits. Here's the instructions to make a hygiene kit: Place the following items in a heavy duty one-gallon sealable bag. Remove the air before sealing.

• 2 unbreakable combs without sharp handles
• 4 toothbrushes sealed
• 1 tube of toothpaste (6-8 oz, no pumps)
• 2 bars of soap (3.5-5 oz each)
• 2 hand towels (approximately 15x25")

For this and other patterns go to the following link. I found that the best place to get the hand towels is Sam's Club.com. I got 2 dozen hotel hand towels for $21. The other items I picked up from Walmart, but that doesn't mean that that's the cheapest place to get them, it was just most convenient at the time. They were easy and fun to make, even my four year-old-was getting involved.

If you live in Utah you can drop them off at the nearest Deseret Industries or bishop's storehouse in a sealed box labeled "LDS Humanitarian Services" or you can ship them to:
Latter-Day Saint Humanitarian Center
1665 South Bennett Road
Salt Lake City, UT 84104

Help for Haiti- Part 2

It is becoming part of my Sunday morning routine. I read about Haiti in the newspaper and I cry like a close friend died.  And I have awful vivid dreams that I'm a nurse there and I can't do my job as well as I would like, because I'm limited in available resources. I've donated money, which is important and I do encourage everyone who can, to do so. But I want to actually do something. Really, if I did not have young kids, I would be there. I imagine there are a lot of people out there who feel the same way. I found this short list in the newspaper that offered some good suggestions of things that I can do.(For the story that accompanies the photo above click here.)

• Donate items to Deseret Industries
• Make humanitarian aid kits
• Volunteer labor hours at bishops storehouses, welfare farms, canneries or other Welfare Service projects

I can do at least some of these things. I have lots of old baby clothes that are just taking up closet space that someone else could put to better use. DI donations, humanitarian aid kits and  food items canned in LDS Church canneries will go directly to those in need or will be set aside for future need. I don't have tons of money to donate, but I sincerely want to help. I'm certain other people feel the same. And if you don't live in Utah, you can still reach out to those around you in need. Donate to your local food bank, or your local consignment store. If you are looking to help and lift others in need, you can find a way.

Self-Reliance

"Self-reliance means using all of our blessings Father to care for ourselves and our families and to find solutions for our own problems.' Each of us has a responsibility to try to avoid problems before they happen and to learn to overcome challenges when they occur. …
"How do we become self-reliant? We become self-reliant through obtaining sufficient knowledge, education, and literacy; by managing money and resources wisely, being spiritually strong, preparing for emergencies and eventualities; and by having physical health and social and emotional well-being."
Julie B. Beck
Today I came across this quote today and I thought 'Yes, this is exactly what I'm trying to do! I've heard the term "self-reliance" thrown around, but if this is what it's about, I'm on board.' If I can be organized and self-reliant, that give me more time and power to be Supermom, and hopefully have the time and resources to help others too. I sincerely hope that my postings here will help someone else too.

Help for Haiti

I'm copying this straight from a blog that has been pretty helpful for me. For all you facebookers out there it takes a couple clicks to become a fan and afterwards you can also share the message on facebook. Think of all the difference that could be made if you encouraged for friends to become fans and then they encouraged their friends. It's like a pyramid scheme where everyone wins.

Help for Haiti - PYP will donate .10 for each new PYP Facebook fan!

Have you been wondering how you can help the people of Haiti?  There are numerous options for donating to the cause.  These are two we recommend:



LDS Humanitarian Services - 100% of funds donated are used for humanitarian services and programs - the Church uses other funds to cover administrative expenses for the humanitarian program.

Donations can be mailed to:

Humanitarian Services

50 East North Temple Street, Floor 7

Salt Lake City, UT 84150-6890

Red Cross -  .92 of every dollar donated is used for humanitarian services and programs. The public can also help by texting “Haiti” to 90999 to send a $10 donation to the Red Cross, through an effort backed by the U.S. State Department.  Funds will go to support American Red Cross relief efforts in Haiti.

You can donate to the Red Cross online at THIS LINK.

You can also help by spreading the word that PinchingYourPennies.com will be donating .10 for each new Facebook fan, up to a maximum of 20,000 fans, or $2000.00.  As of this posting, we have 18,777 fans.  We'll donate .10 for each new person that becomes a fan of PYP on Facebook in the next 48 hours.  We will make the donation through LDS Humanitarian Services, where 100% of donations are used for humanitarian services.