Larissa's Blog

Wow

DonorsChoose.org just sent me an email recapping the fund raising efforts made during the 2009 Social Media Challenge and I'm blown away.

$637,000 was raised for 116,000 students by 4,500 donors. Compare that to last year's $270,000 from 1,162 donors. (Yeah.) And on top of that, 1,203 of the 4,500 donors had never given to DonorsChoose.org before. Wow. Just, wow. That's amazing.

I really enjoyed being part of the challenge these last two years and to those of you who helped support the cause...a BIG thank you! This year your donations to my Giving Page reached 451 students (compared to 147 last year). I think that's amazing, too. Virtual group hug!

And that's not all - The Gap is saying thank you, too. DonorsChoose mentioned in their email you can get a 30% discount at any Gap, Banana Republic and Old Navy store from November 12th through November 15th (with 5% of your net purchase going to DonorsChoose.org!). Just print this coupon and bring it with you into the store. Also, share it with abandon. A discount is a terrible thing to waste.

The Swear Jar

I'm sure this is one of those things that everyone has seen but me, seeing as it's been around for over two years now, but I only learned of it recently and think it's hilarious.

I can't say it inspires me to want to go out and buy Bud Light (I'm not sure what would), but the next time I see it on the shelves I'm pretty sure I'll be thinking... "Erica, I have a douchebag on line three for you."

Greetings from Kate Gosselin

My friend Shelly just emailed me this picture of herself - she's been working on her Halloween get up for weeks and I believe she's perfected the look.

I don't watch Jon & Kate plus or minus anything, but I know enough to realize this is one scarrrrrry costume.

 

The eyeballing game

I'm not sure if it's because I'm a bit of a geometry freak or because I eyeball every picture I hang, but I could spend hours on this site.

Hours.

HP raises the stakes - donate by Sun Oct 25th and your donation goes even farther...

HP, sponsor of the DonorsChoose Social Media Challenge, is one several donors who have made a contribution to DonorsChoose through my Giving Page. (Thanks HP!) And today I received a lovely letter from DonorsChoose telling me that HP has some additional dollars they'd like to share, this time with a twist...

Next week, DonorsChoose will distribute the rest of HP's contribution - $200,000.00 - to all Social Media Challenge Giving Pages, but this time the share will be calculated on a pro-rata basis based on the amount raised by this Sunday.

So the more I raise by this Sunday, October 25th, the more HP will contribute to my Giving Page!

Translation: whatever amount you donate by October 25th will go even farther toward helping more schools and students. You gotta love it.

AND, if I understand correctly, after the challenge is over, everyone who donated to my Giving Page will receive a DonorsChoose.org Giving Card courtesy of HP. Which seems extremely cool so I hope I understand correctly - I have an email into the lovely people at DonorsChoose and will let you know once they respond. [UPDATE: I confirmed with DonorsChoose - everyone who donates to my Giving Page from Oct 1 through Oct 31 will receive a DonorsChoose.org Giving Card from HP allowing you to make another donation to a worthy project!]

Happy donating!

Also, if you're considering buying a new printer, or scanner, or laptop, might I suggest...

Grace in Small Things: Part 13 of 365

1) Leaves changing color with the season

2) Streets lined with eucalyptus trees

3) Candace in town for a visit!

4) Rain (where did it go?)

5) The Airborne Toxic Event's Sometime Around Midnight

Wage a battle against embitterment at Grace in Small Things.

Garden variety

Last weekend I went to visit my family in Biloxi, Mississippi. My cousin (technically first cousin once removed) and great aunt hosted an Oktoberfest party - something they used to do annually, but took a break from for a few years - and it's obvious when you go that the prep time needed to pull it off is a killer. Not just on the food and drinks, but preparing the house (they host several out of town guests) and the yard. Especially the yard. You see, to say my cousin is just a gardener is like saying Picasso is just a painter - he's a master, a full on artiste. He really is.

I brought my friend Paula along and we helped make this fountain, which I think is probably as close as I'll ever get to becoming a master gardener. We can take no credit for any of the other shots. Except we did lay by the pool.

There are worse places to visit.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Grace in Small Things: Part 12 of 365

1) A crisp fall day

2) Looking forward to seeing family and friends

3) Chocolate chips

4) Getting more than I expected crossed off my to-do list

5) The new Ingrid Michaelson CD

Wage a battle against embitterment at Grace in Small Things.

Movin' Sit Cushions

This is one of the projects from my Giving Page...a speech-language pathologist in Virginia needs 10  Movin' Sit cushions to provide her highly active students the continued sensory input they need to focus.

From her project page:

"The trick is having something for them at their seat that can provide this constant motion without requiring their attention. A Movin' Sit cushion does just that! Students are able to sit at the rug or at their desk with these inflatable cushions that simulate sitting on an exercise ball. Students are then able to be in motion without having something in their hands to distract them or doing extraneous movements in their seats that distract others. The Movin' Sit cushions allow students to not only remain in their seat during instruction, but also be more attentive and focused during the lesson."

A single sit cushion is a little under $35. Wanna donate? I'll get one if you get one...

The 2009 DonorsChoose Social Media Challenge

Last week DonorsChoose.org launched their 2009 Social Media Challenge, a fund-raising competition, a thrown down of sorts, to encourage funding of much needed projects for students in public schools. I participated in their Blogger Challenge last year and I'm back, in the Twitter category this year, where I plan to tweet, tweet, tweet away to help raise money for this great charity!

DonorsChoose.org is a non-profit organization dedicated to addressing the scarcity and inequitable distribution of learning materials and experiences in our public schools and I just love what they're all  about - connecting teachers and students in need with inspired people who want to help fund their lessons, buy supplies, and enrich the classroom. You can read up on my first experience with DonorsChoose.org to get some background and see how they work...you'll quickly realize you aren't going mind parting with your money on this one.:-)

Last year I hand selected projects to fund that called out to me - technology, writing, art, science - but this year I'm going for something different...my giving page is filled with Literacy and Language projects in the most need of funding. And while I have a bent for technology, writing, art and science, without literacy there is no learning, and learning is what it's all about.

So, here's how it works:

1) Visit my Giving Page on the DonorsChoose.org web site
2) Peruse the projects on the list and see which one(s) speak to you
3) Select one(s) to fund and donate (any $ amount, partial funding is allowed!)
4) Bask in the glow of giving to students and schools in need

What do you get when you donate? A thank you from DonorsChoose. Maybe even a feedback package if you donate $100 or more. Oh, and a warm heart, if you're into that kind of thing.:)