Ways to Win Free Cards or a Charitable Donation

Already, I have several people entered in my first weekly giveaway contest. You can win too, by doing ONE thing to help spread awareness of my blog. Find out what you can do here. Those of you who have voted for me on the Bloggers Choice Awards you are automatically entered!! Voting is open until almost the end of the year, and I have been in a tight race for first place, so I really appreciate all of your votes!

Tomorrow, I am starting my pajama drive at my school to support the Pajama Program. I would like to say THANK YOU TO MY PRINCIPAL MRS.PARSONS for helping me. THANK YOU VERY MUCH TO EVERYONE WHO HAS BEEN ENTERED IN THIS WEEK’S CHALLENGE TOO!

Also! I am still collecting bottles this month! So far, I know that our neighbors, the Jungs, and my Aunt Kate and Uncle John have bottles for me. All of my bottle money this month will be donated to Project Linus!

Remember that there are chapters of the Pajama Project and Project Linus all over the place, and whether you support the Buffalo chapters with me or your own local chapter in some way, please let me know! You could win this month’s 25 Day Challenge!

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Your Turn to Make a Difference: Win the February 25 Days to Make a Difference Contest!

This month, I am helping to support our local chapters of The Pajama Project and Project Linus! There is a lot that you can do to support your local chapters as well!

If you live in my area, you can organize a pajama and book drive, or fundraise and donate money directly to their organizations, or even simply SPREAD AWARENESS! Mrs. Cardena said that because her chapter of the Pajama Project is so new and the demand for pajamas is so high, she really needs to get the word out in our area about what she is trying to do! This is a great service project for groups, families, and even just one person!

If you don’t live in my area, there are local chapters of the Pajama Project just about everywhere! You can help your local chapter out too and still be entered to win a prize in my challenge.

This works the same way with Project Linus! You can help our local chapter by making and donating handmade blankets for babies, children, and teenagers. You can also make a donation directly to their organization! And there are chapters of Project Linus all over the USA!

The individual who makes the most difference for one of these organizations in February will win a $20 donation to any charity of your choice!

The group that makes the most difference for one of these organizations will also win an additional $20 donation to a charity of their choice!

I will also link to you on my site and list you on my sidebar too, so everyone who visits this page can see how you are making a difference too!

If you want to join in this 25 day challenge, please email me or leave a comment on this site so I know this!

To Kick Off A New Month

This month I am supporting the Pajama Program and Project Linus!!!!! The Pajama Program donates pajamas and books to local homeless shelters and other organizations that care for children in need. Our local Pajama Program is run by a woman named Ann Cardena. She just started our local chapter in OCTOBER OF 2007! She would really like help spreading awareness of the Pajama Program too! Even though Mrs. Cardena started out helping just four area organizations in need, she told me that in order to keep up, they need about 850 pair of pajamas per month!

Those who run Project Linus make blankets to donate to children who are very sick, homeless, or who have been abused. We have been talking with Christene Lewandowski from our local chapter, and she has given me some ideas for helping to support them!

I am supporting the Pajama Program at school by holding a pajama drive and asking everyone in my school to donate NEW pajamas that will fit babies, children, and teenagers. They can also donate NEW BOOKS. My principal, Mrs. Parsons, has been a really big help to me as I get ready to do this. Thank you, Mrs. Parsons!

Also, my daddy is supporting  the Pajama Program by also holding a pajama drive at his office too!! I am supporting Project Linus by going to Make a Blanket Day at a local firehall to make tied blankets all day on February 16. I AM REALLY PUMPED UP ABOUT THIS!!! I will also be holding another bottle drive this month and will be donating the money to the Pajama Project and Project Linus. SO PLEASE CONTINUE TO DONATE YOUR BOTTLES TO ME!

REMEMBER, I am holding a  contest this month for you to win handmade, blank Valentine cards. The contest is about spreading awareness of my blog, because when I get more readers, the charities I am trying to help get more support too! If you link to my blog, blog about my blog, put my badge on your blog, Twitter about me, or vote for me in the Blogger’s Choice Awards, you will be entered to win my handmade cards on February 7th! You can also do my MEME below. Just answer the questions here or on your own blog (and link back to me, please)! Make sure to leave me a comment or email me to let me know how you are spreading awareness of my blog, and you can win!

1. Did you have a special blanket when you were a kid (or now if you are a kid)? Explain what you liked about it.

A: Yes, I do have a special blanket. I call it Blankie ( it’s capitalized because that’s it’s name) and I’ve had it since I was a baby. I still sleep with it and love it very much!

2. What is your favorite pair of pajamas like?

A. My favorite pair of pajamas have colorful, fuzzy and striped bottoms and a light blue top. I like them because they keep me warm and they are comfy.

3. What is your favorite book(s)?

A. I would have to say Esperenza Rising and The Paper Bag Princess. Both of these books are filled with adventure and they both have strong characters who are girls! I like this!

Now, copy the questions and answer them below. Or answer them in your own blog! That’s all you have to do to be in the drawing to win the cards I’ve made!

What Does it Mean to Make a Difference?

Several of our readers have been doing my MEME about making a difference! Coco, Dr. Cason, Kelly, and Orange Soda 2000 all have responses to my MEME up on their blogs! I am really excited about this. I hope you will go and visit their pages.

When I started this blog, you know that I only thought a few people would be reading it. The fact that so many other people are reading it is incredible. And now, people are starting to think about what it means to make a difference. They are writing about it too! I think this is really important. My mom has been teaching me a lot about how blogs can be conversations between people. It’s really great to think about things like making a difference and to share our ideas about that.

The whole point of my project is that all of us make a difference by doing little things. Everyone tries to do the sorts of things that I am doing here. I am not the only one. It’s nice that everyone is reading and saying nice things, but there are people doing way bigger and better things than I am. When I wrote about it on a blog though, it started a conversation and people started sharing what they were doing. And it is so fun and really rewarding to see how many people are doing good things in our world, because sometimes all you hear about is the bad.

I hope that you will read Coco, Dr. Cason, Kelly, and Orange Soda! And then, it would be great if you did the MEME too! If you do, let us know, and we will link back to you here so others can read what you have to say too.

How I Made a Difference on December 19,2007

 Frank is like another  Grandfather to me. He is kind, generous, loving and caring. He always makes me feel special. Whenever Frank comes to our house for dinner, he always makes a big deal out of seeing Nina and me. He always calls me “Laura dear,” and then he gives me a big hug. Frank gave me my fish bowl for Sushi (my fish) and he always brings me little gifts and tells me funny stories. Frank is Polish, and he is very proud of that. He was also a sailor with the Merchant Marine and he was a private detective too for a long time. He has lots of great stories.

Today is Frank’s birthday, and every year, we bring him cookies. Now that I am a little older though, I wanted to do something special for him because I love him so much!

Today I made a difference by making Frank dinner. He is out celebrating his birthday right now, but when he gets home we will take it to him so he can snack on it tonight and tomorrow. I made him a chicken pot pie……and all my mom did was thicken the broth up toward the end. I did everything else myself (we bought the crust). I also made him a plate of Christmas cookies. Frank always says ” Oh I am too skinny!” and I hope I can fatten him up! 

I’m lucky to have Frank in my life and world! I also love his cats. He has one named Stanley and one named Boris. They are very fortunate to have Frank as an owner because he keeps them nice and plump!

A Meme About Making a Difference

My mom has been teaching me about memes. I came up with some good questions about what it means to make a difference. I am going to answer all of these questions myself, and then I am going to tag some of YOU to answer them in your blogs or in my comments section! Memes are one way to start a conversation between blogs or between a blogger and his or her readers. I answered all of this by myself, but my mom is typing for me tonight so I am not staying up past my bedtime : )!

1. In your opinion, what does it mean to make a difference?

It means you are helping someone or making something better. It doesn’t mean you have to do something really big (like saving the Rainforest). It means you can do something small (like recycling).

2. What is an example of a unique way to make a difference?

The most unique thing I’ve done to make a difference, I think, was to recycle bottles and then donate the money to Suneel’s Light. Some of the unique things that other people are doing through my contest were saving a cat, feeding expired parking meters, and paying for the Tim Horton’s order of the person behind them in the drive thru!

3. Who has made a difference in YOUR life this week?

My family has and all of the people who are reading this blog and leaving comments. I’ve really learned that a little good goes a very long way!

My teacher, Mrs. Nabozny, has also made a difference in my life this week. She’s taught me that having a book club can be complicated but fun. I started a book club at school because she helped me! I love books!

4. If I didn’t have a blog, would you still be making a difference?

I would still be trying to make a difference, but the difference wouldn’t be as “big.” First of all, I know that I need to come here every day to blog about what I’m doing, and if I don’t do anything, I won’t have anything to write about. Having an audience encouraging me makes me want to do even more good things! I also think it is kind of fun making a difference every day and writing about it every day. I love looking at my comments too! It is fun to see what everyone else is doing.

5. What is your favorite thing about the internet?

That the internet can teach me things. Sometimes, people don’t give accurate information about things, but when you use the internet well, you can get a lot of good information. It is also fast! I like finding answers quickly. I have also been able to talk with people from all over the world who have things in common with me! I have new friends in India and Guam and New Zealand and Chicago!

I am tagging Orange Soda 2000, Coco, Sarah W., Lillian, Duncan, Hunter and Drew, Sheila Cason, and Kelly Genet! I’d also like it if some of the students and teachers who are participating can blog about this too!  Can you please answer these questions on your blog or in my comments? And then, if you can, tag someone else too!