sarah's blog

Just wanted to take a moment to say thank you to those of you who gave to my birthday charity:water campaign. We raised $131 which will provide clean drinking water for 6 people.

Because the money was collected during September there is a good chance our contributions will go to the Bayaka people of the Central African Republic, with a goal of eventually providing clean drinking water for every member of that displaced people group.

I love doing campaigns for charity:water and I don’t plan to stop. In fact, maybe when the twins are born they can help me and we’ll do a family campaign. I would love for them to grow up with an awareness of the needs of others and that they would hold their money in open hands as a resource to care for people in need.

I think that’s a good thing to model to kids. So thanks for modeling generosity to me, again.

Charity:water is doing it again this year, their forth annual September Campaign, a tradition since their founder first gave up his birthday four years ago. This year they are doing a live well drill at 4:30pm EST, the first of their committed efforts for the Bayaka people of the Central African Republic.

I’m still raising money for my birthday, I’ve got 23 days left and we’ve raised $131 of my $280 goal. I’d love to see our goal reached, but in the mean time, check out this video about the well that will be drilled in a matter of hours, and the people whose lives it will change.

charity: water 2010 September Campaign: Clean Water for the Bayaka from charity: water on Vimeo.

If you’d like to donate to something like this, you can give through my birthday campaign here. 100% of our donations will go towards a well, very likely drilled for the Bayaka people of C.A.R.

Watch the live drill at 4:30pm EST

I turned 28 on Thursday. As you know from years past, it is becoming an annual tradition for John to be away at training the whole week of my birthday. This year he was again across town in a dorm room with a pile of people but was able to come home on Wednesday night, beautiful flowers in hand, so he could wake up and say happy birthday to me on The Day. Coming in a close second was an early morning text from my mommy!

Last week my in-laws were here and we went out to dinner as an early celebration – I picked Swiss Chalet. My family knows what I’m talkin about. Then we had ice cream cake. I saved the cards I got in the mail to open on my birthday, so thanks Grandma H and Grandma and Grandpa B.

It wasn’t as bad to have John away this year because circumstances aligned to make Thursday an incredibly busy day with work and I ended up having to go in to the office to pick up packages and to do a million last minute things for the this conference I am helping to organize. All this kept me nice and distracted from the fact that my birthday was whizzing by.

But then some people in the office found out it was my birthday and ran out and got a cake and my sister-in-law, brother-in-law and nephew stopped by with desserts. I was starting to feel quite spoiled on a day that is considered to be postponed and will likely be celebrated again when the dust of conferences settles.

All in all it was a very full day and a very good one. I wouldn’t say relaxing, but productive, which can have a similar affect. Not much time to reflect on another year gone by, maybe in August I can think like that!

Hey, if you’re interested, I did a charity: water campaign for my birthday like I did at Christmas, just an opportunity to give a gift to someone who really needs it instead of me who has too much stuff in my house already. The campaign is still open for awhile longer so please consider helping me reach my goal of $280, clean water for 14 people. You’ve heard me go on and on about charity: water before but they’re good people, and 100% of your donation will go directly to the projects.

And don’t feel bad for me not getting gifts. My husband is buying me an iPhone 4.

As we’ve started another month I thought I’d give an update on how I’m doing with my New Year’s Resolutions.

In original order.

1. Belly dancing class is going well. I’ve been twice and learned how to do hip lifts, shoulder shimmies (though my year on drillteam already taught me those. Hey Charity, remember doing shoulder shimmies in the stands and being warned this did not mean to shake “other things inappropriately”? Ya, turns out it’s the same in belly dancing), belly dancing hands as well as several other moves and some abdominal exercises.
2. Four more weeks and I will have completed my first class at the community centre. I think I’ll just go straight into my next class when this one is over since I’m in a routine. Not sure which one though… (more…)

I only have one more day to reach the goal I set before Christmas, of raising $500 for clean water in developing countries. It’s not much in comparison with the $80,000-something someone recently raised. But it’s big to me, and to each person who gave.

It’s big to the 25 people who by this time next year will take a drink of water that will nourish their bodies and not make them sick.

If you’ve got 20 bucks, or 10 or 50, put it towards changing life for the people of the Central African Republic, and many other communities who have been through so much.

Donate to my campaign here and watch my favorite new video from charity: water. So good.

charity: water promo featuring “Time Bomb” by Beck from charity: water on Vimeo.

You are probably wondering why the word Christmas has shown up on my blog just a few days before the end of January. For exactly that reason actually: there are only a few more days in January people!!! That means the campaign I started in November to raise funds for water well projects in developing countries will come to an end and I’ll have raised $360 of my $500 goal.

I’ve mentioned Charity: Water before and several of you have given to the campaign (I also mentioned it in a post on giving back at Christmas time. I know that Christmas is a time when many worthwhile charities compete for your dollars and in the wake of the earthquake in Haiti it might be overwhelming to think of another need. But if you’ll indulge me, I want to tell you why I fundraise for Charity: Water and why you might want to get involved. (more…)

Lest you begin to suspect that I don’t follow through on things (no comment, Mom, Dad or husband) I will update you on my very real progress regarding my New Year’s Resolutions, in original order. (more…)

Christmas 2008 at our place

So far I have figured out our Christmas budget, and how much we can spend on each person, and have figured out what mailings we’ll do and to whom. As far as setting up the mailing, we have our addresses in place and have designed our photo card we just need to print them. I’m hoping to handle that this weekend so we can get our cards and Christmas letters ready to go by the end of next week.

Onward and upward.

Week 10 of Simple Mom’s 12 Weeks to a Peaceful Christmas is all about starting your Christmas shopping. I’ll admit I have been on the fence about this one. I know in theory that finishing my shopping before the holiday season is suppose to help me save money, be less stressed and enjoy Christmas. But I enjoy being out among people this time of year, drinking an egg nog latte and feeling the collective cheer. I’m concerned that I’ll miss out on the fun if I skip the holiday shopping.

However, it is true that being in stores with the music playing, the beautiful displays and a festive mood in the air makes spending too much money seem like it might not be that big of a deal. This year we’re serious about not overspending (and following our budget more closely in general) so I’m willing to try staying out of the stores this year. I won’t know until I try.

That being said, I have made a list of everyone we want to buy for and a gift idea in the agreed upon price range. Now my goal is to purchase whatever I can online and whatever is left before December.

Still playing catch-up with Simple Mom’s weekly plan so I’ll do a second one this week again.

Week 9′s assignment is to make plans to give back. Well I know right away what we’ll be doing this year. I’m a huge fan of charity:water and all that they do and have already set up a mycharity:water campaign to raise money for wells. I’ll be talking about it a lot this Christmas because I am trying to raise $500 in place of receiving gifts, cards, baked goods or anything that costs $$!

I support charity:water because 100% of public donations directly fund water projects in developing nations. I love being able to make the campaign my own instead of just sending in a cheque. So visit my Christmas Water campaign page, sign up to follow me, donate, help me get this campaign off the ground and give back this Christmas. I’ll post more on that soon.

Follow charity:water on Twitter
Follow Scott Harrison on Twitter

As long as I do get those photo cards printed this weekend, some online shopping and some promotion of my charity:water campaign I’m on track. How are you guys doing with your Christmas plans? What’s causing you stress already and how are you trying to tackle that?