REMINDER to wear RED!

National Wear RED day - Friday - February 5, 2010



Ross Dress for Less Department Stores are teaming up with American Heart Association so find the location near you to donate and have fun shopping for less as well! If you donate $5.00 or more you will receive a RED Dress pin to wear!


lend a hand, save a life

Ross proudly supports the American Heart Association. Donate $1 $5 $10 and 100% of the proceeds benefit lifesaving research and education programs. Make a difference from January 17 to February 14 by donating in stores or online.


http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=1200000

Congrats Rae - she will compete at Miss Florida 2010

Congrats to Rachel Stowe I am such a proud Aunt/Momma Janice!

Here are some photos of her Jounery so far yes, she is Miss River City Jacksonville 2010 and will compete at Miss Florida in St. Petersburg, Florida this coming July 2010 for the title of Miss Florida!





Miss Florida - Rachael Todd





For more information please visit missflorida.org and if you would like to help Rae you can contact her at raestowe@yahoo.com or go to CMN http://missamerica4kids.com/


Thanks to everyone for all the support! It is going to be another wonderful year!

Efforts still going on to help Haiti

Here is some ways to help!

President Obama urged people around the world to donate to the various humanitarian relief organizations who are helping in the rescue and rebuilding effort in Haiti (a list of some of them is provided below). The administration has also set up a way to text-donate $10.00 to the Red Cross via cell phones: Text "HAITI" to "90999" on your cell phone to donate $10 to the Red Cross. That donation will be charged to the cell phone bill of anyone who makes it.
Humanitarian Aid and Relief Organizations Helping Haiti:

Medical Teams International
Samaritan's Purse:
Show Mercy International:
Red Cross:
Operation Blessing:
Mercy Corps:
Salvation Army:
Mercy Ships:
Compassion International:
Catholic Relief Services:
YWAM (Youth With A Mission)
Food For the Poor Inc.
Feed the Children
CRI (Crisis Response International)
Love A Child Inc.
American Bible Society
Convoy of Hope


The State Department has also provided a toll-free information number for information on family members who may have been injured or lost in the total devastation in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. That number is: 1-888-407-4747.

Finding Loved Ones in Haiti
For those who have friends and family members in Haiti and do not know whether they survived the earthquake, CNN has provided a page on their website to help make those connections. http://www.ireport.com/ir-topic-stories.jspa?topicId=381628&hpt=C1




As the world responds following the earthquake in Haiti, Bank of America is helping customers contribute to the ongoing rescue and aid efforts.

Bank of America will accept donations to support the American Red Cross’ Haitian Relief and Development Fund at its more than 6,000 banking centers across the United States. All contributions will be transferred to the fund established by the American Red Cross.

In addition, the bank will, at a customer’s request, waive associated foreign transaction fees for customers making a donation with a Bank of America debit or credit card to charitable organizations supporting Haitian relief efforts. This follows an announcement made yesterday by Visa, Mastercard and American Express to waive fees to select charities providing relief.

“As news continues to pour in from Haiti, our customers and associates continue to ask how they can help the survivors of this tragedy,” said Anne Finucane, Global Strategy and Marketing Officer. “Bank of America is privileged to help by making it as easy as possible for customers who want to provide financial support.”

This support is separate and in addition to the corporate support from the Bank of America Charitable Foundation. On Jan. 13, the foundation announced a $1 million commitment to Haitian relief efforts, $500,000 of which will be donated to the American Red Cross.

As relief efforts evolve in the coming weeks, the remaining $500,000 contribution will be directed towards the long-term recovery efforts to restore basic medical services and fund the rebuilding of homes, schools and other structures critical to the affected communities.

Associates and the bank’s Associate Affinity Groups are also contributing aid to the earthquake survivors. Bank of America matches associate contributions to established 501(c)3 nonprofit organizations, up to $5,000 per associate annually. Recognizing that every donation is important to support relief efforts, the Bank of America Charitable Foundation has reduced the minimum matching gift amount for disaster relief donations from $25 to $1 until March 15, 2010.

Reminder to Wear RED

It's three days to National Wear Red Day. What better time to acknowledge the energy, passion and power we have to band together and wipe out heart disease?

Go Red celebrity spokesperson, Jennie Garth, speaks up against heart disease because of her family history and her own heart condition. “I am motivated to make the right choices for my heart and want to motivate other women to do the same.“
Friday, February 5, is National Wear Red Day. It's the day to wear your favorite red clothes or accessory - a red blouse, a red dress pin, a fabulous red handbag - put on red lipstick, or sport a red tie and red socks. Go red in your own fashion to show your support for women and the fight against heart disease. Protecting your health and supporting others. Now that's great style that touches all of our hearts.
“The website is fabulous. The links, information and resources are amazing.”
M. Amato, A Wear Red Day Coordinator

Happy Groundhog Day

PUNXSUTAWNEY, Pa. – The groundhog has spoken. And it's bad news.

Punxsutawney (puhnk-suh-TAW'-nee) Phil has emerged to see his shadow before chilly revelers in Pennsylvania, meaning winter will last another six weeks.

German tradition holds that if a hibernating animal sees its shadow on Feb. 2 — the Christian holiday of Candlemas — winter will last another six weeks. If no shadow is seen, legend says spring will come early.

The Inner Circle of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club annually announces Phil's forecast at dawn on Gobbler's Knob, about 65 miles northeast of Pittsburgh.

Phil's announcement came before hundreds of onlookers who huddled as temperatures hovered in the teens.

The Groundhog Club says since 1887 Phil has predicted more winter weather by seeing his shadow nearly 100 times, but there are no records for nine years.

Peter Pan and Feeding America

Did you know that 1 in 6 American children—nearly 17 million—struggle with hunger? Peter Pan® believes no child in the United States should grow up hungry, so we're making a monetary donation that will provide more than 1 million Feeding America® meals.

We want to help, but your family can help, too. How? Simply enter your child's first name below and read a story that helps teach children the importance of helping others. Then find out specific ways that you and your family can spread magic to make a difference in the lives of hungry children.


Keep Childhood Magical - help us end Child Hunger with Peter Pan!

1 in 6 kids in Americam Struggles with hunger

Join Our Fight

*visit www.peterpanph.com to learn more about our donation and 6 ways your family can help.

New Year 2010

Happy New Year!

What a great opportunity to leave the past behind and start with a clean slate!

I love this time of the year when we can reflect on previous accomplishments and failures, and commit to making some positive advancements or changes in many aspects of our lives.

How will you start off this year?

I really believe that 2010 is a great year for community and humanity.

Let me challenge you as we enter this first week that is often filled with resolutions, hopes and dreams:

As we enter 2010, Will It Change You? Or will you be right back to your old self by February?! What value can we offer to other people this year?

Have a great year, you deserve it!


Pay It Forward

A few years ago I watched Pay It Forward, a movie from the year 2000 based on the novel by Catherine Ryan Hyde.

While the movie probably could have been improved upon in it’s delivery of the theme, the concept of paying it forward is really intriguing.

The basic premise of the movie is as follows:

An 11-year-old schoolboy in Las Vegas, Nevada named Trevor McKinney (Haley Joel Osment) is given a class project to complete by his social studies teacher, a man with terrible burn scars on his face and neck. His task is to come up with a plan that will change the world through direct action.

On his way home from school later that day, Trevor notices a homeless man, and decides to make a difference in his life. Trevor then comes up with the plan to “pay it forward” by doing a good deed for three people who must in turn each do good deeds for three other people, creating a charitable pyramid scheme. (Wikipedia)

I don’t wish want to be unrealistic about this concept, or find recruits for the “together we can change the world!” foundation, but here’s what I love about paying it forward: it’s all about taking action rather than talking about doing good things.

There’s a whole heap of things we can do to pay it forward in the real world.

How can we pay it forward?
Just off the top of my head, here’s a couple ideas:

Buy someone lunch
Give someone some movie tickets
Wash a car (that’s not yours!)
Buy Eric Hamm & Leo Babauta’s new Motivation Handbook
Give someone a massage (ooh la la!)
Cook up a storm in the kitchen (3min noodles don’t count)
Take the Smile-Therapy Challenge!
Give away some free advertising on your website
Any other suggestions? I bet you could think of something and or somehow to pay it forward!

Let me ask you: Has anyone done something remarkable for you recently?
More importantly, what have you done this week to Pay It Forward?


GO volunteer it does the body good!

Have a great NEW YEAR!


Love JO