2nd Journal and Coloring Book Donation to Athens, GA Children's Clinic

On Monday, Mama and I took another donation of journals (this is the sixth trip in all!) and coloring books to the children's clinic in Athens.  The worker who took them said, "The kids are always asking, 'Do you have anything for us?'"

This donation included beautiful scrapbooks from Paperchase in London. Juliet White, manager of Ten Thousand Villages store in Atlanta, was kind enough to send an assortment of journals also.

These notebooks were donated by Katie Leamon, a luxury card and stationery company in England. Their notebooks are so whimsical! I know the kids will love the five notebooks you sent!

I also thank Chanel Cobb for her contribution to this project! This project of giving has become bigger than I ever dreamed when I started over a year ago! THANK YOU to everyone who has given! So many kids will smile knowing that someone cares about them this Christmas!

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Journal and Coloring Book Donation to Athens, GA Children's Clinic

I  finally got the chance to take a box of journals and coloring books to a children's clinic in Athens, GA. They treat various problems in children. Mrs. Gordy's Honor's Spanish class collected journals, coloring books and notebooks throughout the semester and gave them to me at the end of the school year. Life happened, and I was unable to take them until now.

An employee said, "This is AWESOME!" The kids will LOVE this!  I also bought several journals thanks to a donation from Nancy Moureau. Thanks,  Nancy, Hart County High and Mrs. Gordy's students!

I have another box filled with goodies from various companies that I will take at the end of November to this same children's clinic.

If you would like to donate to this project, feel free! I just ask that you get journals suitable for girls and boys, bright colors, and preferably no composition notebooks. It is always great to give back! Pens and colored pens are ALWAYS welcome!

Giving Back to Greenville Memorial Hospital Journal Donation 2

My mom and I took a second journal donation to Greenville Memorial Hospital this afternoon. Some will be given to parents who have children in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and teens. This is my fourth journal donation total since I started last year.

There were around 385 journals.

Spector & Co. donated 362 7x10 eco journals that say "You are Just Awesome!"

Ex Libris Anonymous in Portland, OR donated again. This time Jacob sent around 20. I didn't count them all this time. Ex Libris Anonymous is unique because they make blank journals out of old books. Each cover is unique and every book has some of the original pages throughout.

 Morgan, one of the volunteers with Child Life Services, said, "Thank you so much for thinking of us!"

This was more than just a nice thought. Greenville Memorial Hospital did SO much for my brother and I as premature babies. I can't say enough about the fabulous NICU team, including our nurses, Jill and Nicole. These are special people who work tirelessly in the most fragile environment. 

This was a way to say, "Thank you!" Even though I took one donation last year, I wanted to keep on giving. Kids need to know someone cares! 

As I told Morgan a little bit about myself and why I started the journal donation project, she was ecstatic!

No sooner than I had written down my contact information, I felt the pangs of an unwelcome visitor. My mom was talking with Morgan, but I was in pain. My left leg seized up from the pain of a muscle spasm. My last one happened about two months ago. 

I told Mama and she said, "Try to relax it."

"I can't move it!" I didn't shriek from fear. This was familiar to me. I was struck by the intense pain. I knew I had to get it out of the position it was in if I had any hope of relaxing the muscle. I shifted in the car. The pain was still there.

"You know you can lay the seat back," Mama said.

As soon as I did that, the pain felt deeper. I felt more pulling. That was NOT going to work. Mama was trying to drive, but her mind was also focused on me.

"See if you can hold your leg up and let the muscle relax that way." I just couldn't get it into a good position. "Ow, ow, OW!"

"I'm going to stop the car and help you stand up. I don't know if you can, but we're going to try."

Mama stopped the car and got out to help me. "Just ease your legs over the side," she said.

I didn't know what would happen. The last time this happened, I was doubled over in pain and could hardly stand.

I got out to stand up and held onto my mom. As I stood up taller, I could breathe easier. I closed my eyes. All I was focused on was relaxing. 

"Do you need some help?"

"Do I need to call someone?"

"No, she's fine. Her muscle locked up, and I'm letting her stretch it. This has happened before."

I kept my eyes closed. I couldn't deal with anyone in that moment. I felt the muscle relax. I stood there for a few seconds, hoping that intense pain wouldn't return.

After I was better, Mama told me a lady in another car had stopped to offer help. That was very nice of her. I normally don't share much about what I go through, but the Bible says I overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the word of my testimony. Even though many people say I look like I have it all together, I don't. I have messy, unpredictable moments just like everyone else. In spite of that, I choose to focus on the good things today. I choose to focus on the kids' lives that will be touched through my journal donation made possible by generous companies.

Giving Back to Greenville Memorial Hospital

Today I took a large donation to Greenville Memorial Hospital and the Ronald McDonald House of the Carolinas. Longtime readers will remember me mentioning them in my About Me posts. This is where everything began, so I was honored to be able to give back to them today.

Without God and the help of knowledgeable doctors and nurses, my brother and I would not be alive today. This was also another way of saying thank you to Dr. Griffin and all of those involved in my care after my surgeries related to cerebral palsy.

 A local school gave generously. I was able to buy lots of nice journals for the teens at Greenville Memorial.

I also want to thank my grandmother and Aunt Gwen for giving money so I could buy journals. My mom and I had a lot of fun shopping for them!

Several other companies agreed to donate. Each one is listed below.

 Studio Oh! sent some of their journals. These were perfect for teens because of their compact size. The pages inside had colorful drawings and inspirational quotes throughout. I loved that these journals had so many pages!

 Linda Singh, owner of Sitara Collections, was generous enough to donate a second time. These are a few of her fabric covered journals. Aren't they beautiful?

 Paperblanks blew me away! These journals were each unique and well made. Many closed with magnetic flaps. If I were buying a gift for my mom, these would be at the top of my list!

 W.S. Badger Company sent some of their all-natural lip balm. I know the teens will appreciate this often overlooked item. It was a necessity for me during my hospital stays.

 Scout Books is another generous company. They sent a wonderful selection of their various journal designs. These are perfect for doodling the hours away.

Elum Designs sent these beautiful fabric journals. I am continually in awe of what great stationery companies produce. Eye-catching designs and quality products. It doesn't get much better than that!

Last but definitely not least, Thimblepress sent a very fun package of a few of their notepads. The "Do Something Awesome" notepad and a couple of floral notepads.

When starting this journal project, I never dreamed I would meet so many great people. There really are great businesses if you search long enough. My goal has always been to put a smile on other people's faces, but each one of these companies has put a face on mine. I appreciate your generosity more than I will ever be able to convey.

I already have another donation planned tentatively for November or December!

More Journals and Lip Balms for CHOA

Today, I took a second donation to CHOA - Scottish Rite. In all, I took 238 journals and 60 lip balms! The beige and pink journals in the bottom right of the box came courtesy of Hammerpress Letter Press & Design Studio. They were so kind to send 50 journals.

The lip balms were donated by EcoLips, an organic and natural lip balm company.

 NightOwl Paper Goods located in Birmingham, Alabama donated ten of these cute journals. I love the animals!

 Ex Libris Anonymous donated fifteen of their super cool journals made from old textbooks and books. What a great way to reuse books!

 In Blue Handmade was gracious enough to donate five of their small, handmade leather journals. I got to pick out the stamps for each one, so that was a lot of fun!

 Sitara Collections sent six of their exquisite handmade leather journals made by women in India. These were stunning! They are not lined.

Thistle Farms totally floored me with their response to my email. Penny Hall and Tonya Sneed took time out of their busy schedules to make 90 - yes, 90 journals for this donation. How awesome is that?! Thank you from the bottom of my heart, ladies!

Lastly, my friends Tanya Hudson, Chanel Cobb, and Sarah Parker's MCG Bible Study group sent these journals. I cannot thank everyone enough! It is my hope that the teens at CHOA have a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

You might be wondering what my next stop is. The next donation will be going to Greenville Memorial Hospital. I spent several months in the NICU there as premature twin and two major hip surgeries as a teen.

Giving Back to CHOA

Today after a doctor's appointment with Dr. Brosky, I dropped off a donation of journals and lip balms to Children's Healthcare of Atlanta(commonly known as CHOA) - Scottish Rite campus. As of right now, there were 97 journals and 100 lip balms donated!

Lauren, the hospital volunteer in the picture, said, "Thank you! This is such a kind and generous gift. The little kids always get stuff, but we rarely get things for the teenagers." 

She also said, "Journals are such a nice gift!" She was elated over the lip balms, too!

Thank you to all who gave! We have made a difference!

It all started on June 25, 2014. I was getting ready for my foot surgery, and I decided to do something good for others instead of focusing on my pain. 

Here's what I posted to my personal friends on Facebook and friends of my blog's Facebook page: 

"Okay, since I feel better when I am doing something, I've decided to tackle something that has been on my bucket list for at least four years. Longtime readers will know that for my 21st birthday, I wrote a blog post called "21 Wishes." Oneof those things was to give back to Children's Healthcare of Atlanta(CHOA), a hospital I have been a patient at a various times in my life. During one of those hospital stays, I won a journal playing bingo. 

Ever since then, it has been my goal to give back to kids who are considered adolescents because they are often forgot about when it comes to donations. I chose journals because I want to provide them with the materials to spark their creativity and expand their horizons beyond the hospital walls. Dreams start as thoughts in our heads, then go to words on a page, and eventually become reality. 

I am going to buy the first case, which will contain 24 journals in various colors, suitable for young men and women. If anyone else would like to buy a case and give to something bigger than yourself, please let me know. I am only one person, but together we can ALL make a difference in the lives of these children. A case is $24. (If purchased separately they are $1, not including tax). If you still want to help, but can't contribute that much, let me know. You can mail a check for any amount and I will buy the journals for you and add them to the box. This is not about me. I have already arranged to meet a volunteer at CHOA when I bring the donations."

I emailed eleven companies, only two donated. One donated without me asking. Sally, of Heavenly Homemade, gave of her time to make her all-natural lip balms in various flavors that kids would like. Two friends also gave. THANK YOU SO MUCH!

So, blogging friends, if YOU want to help make a difference, just click the contact link and send me an email. Any color or design is acceptable, just no composition notebooks. Most people have been giving 4x6, 5x7, or 5x8 journals. You can buy hard cover, soft cover, leather, etc. I will gladly give you my home address in a message so you can ship them to me. I plan on making a second trip in November. Writing friends, feel free to share this on your blog or website as well. 

How a Toddler Left Me Speechless

Two weeks ago, I was getting ready to go eat at my Memaw's. I came into the living room ready to go. All of a sudden, my oldest nephew, Mason said, "Aun-dee, hold this." He had some frozen yogurt in an ice cream cone.

I said, "Okay, baby." 

He said, "I want to push du."

Then, he did something that left me speechless. And that doesn't happen very often. He pushed me a short distance, and then said, "Now, I am going to back you up."

He backed me up so I would be close to the door when my mom came to get me out of the house. 

Then, he took his little hand and opened the screen door. He was going to try and get me out of the house himself. We have a small ramp over the threshold of the door that I have a hard time getting over without help.

I said, "Wait. You've got to wait on Gram to come help hold the door." I couldn't help him back up and hold the door too.

"Gram, gram!" he said, undeterred from his mission. "Come hold da door." 

My mouth was wide open. I said, "Gram, you will never guess what your grandson wanted to do!" She was getting everything put in the car, so she didn't realize what had happened. 

I just have to say, he did all of this unprompted. I guess he has watched me back up and wait by the door. He just has the most caring heart and excellent memory. Mason never ceases to amaze me. I am so proud to be his Aun-dee! 

(Yes, my name is Auntie. When Mason was little, he called me Aun-ie. Now that he's older, he's learning to pronounce things better. I guess I will be Aun-dee for awhile.)

Adventures in Athens with Mom

My mom and I decided to go to Athens to try some places our friends had recommended or went to.

The first place was Your Pie, a pizza place that lets you make pizza any way you want. The way it was set up reminded me and my mom of Subway. The best part was the brick oven. By the time we got our drinks, our pizza was done!

We chose to make ours with sausage, cheese, and mushrooms. We also put onions on one half with the other toppings. I liked the fact that the toppings didn't get melted together so much that they were mushy.

 

The second place we stopped at was Menchie's frozen yogurt. Some friends of ours had tried this place and my mom and I wanted to see if it compared to Sweet Monkey.  I got pomegranate raspberry tart mixed with Georgia peach, topped with granola and pecans. While Menchie's doesn't have nearly as many flavors as Sweet Monkey, it was okay. I really liked the fact you could purchase a carton to go!

This next place was kind of spur of the moment. I spotted a sing for Gigi's cupcakes out of the corner of my eye on the way home. Since we don't go to Athens much, we decided to stop.

We tend not to like overly sweet desserts. I'm glad we only got one cupcake because it was RICH, as we say in the South. :)

We chose the salted caramel and chocolate cupcake. It was good, but I could only eat a little bit. The saltiness was a nice contrast to all of the chocolate. There was even chocolate inside the cupcake! Overall, a great day in Athens with my mom!

What are some of YOUR favorite places in Athens?

Best Insoles Sale!

I love sharing good things! A few months ago, I made my first purchase from Best Insoles, a fabulous website that carries insoles for different shoes among other things. Since I have a leg length discrepancy, I have to wear a heel lift in my one of my shoes. With all of my foot pain, I decided to go ahead and get a new one just to be safe. It is SO much smaller than the one I got from the guy who made my last pair of AFOs. Now I won't be so stressed when looking for shoes.

The best part is they're having a sale! They don't have a clue who I am, but I wanted to share the code with everyone I got in my email. Use the code SPORT10 for 10 percent off! They have insoles for men and women as well as things for orthopedic shoes and those who suffer from plantar fasciitis.

Good Stuff

Even though I have been busy with schoolwork, some good things have been happening.

In late February, Deborah, my very first baby sitter came to visit me from Kentucky. They used to live in my hometown but they moved for work purposes. It's great when we can catch up with them.  

Last week I went to visit my little nephew, my brother was not home to carry me into the trailer, so my mom carried me.  I walked holding onto her into the bedroom.  Even though wasn't the easiest thing. I was determined to see my little nephew. At the end of our visit,  I was able to ease myself down from the wheelchair to the floor with my mom's help. That's the first timt I've been able to do that without serious back pain in years!  We did this so she wouldn't have to carry me a second time. I could just slide into her arms. 

I'm not where I want to be in terms of progress just yet, but I'm not where I was even a few months ago! Woo hoo!  

Sneak Peek

My church recently launched its new monthly magazine! We've been doing weekly publications for a long time, but we now have a fantastic team that helps with the articles and design.

My article is on page 6!

I will post my article, Don't Let Your Dream Die" here tomorrow!

New Haircut!

I got my hair cut yesterday and I just wanted to share it with everyone.  My hair is thick, so it had gotten very heavy.  I've always had okay haircuts, but never one I've really loved.  That changed yesterday!  I feel like a new person!  I doubt my classmates will recognize me. :)

I took a picture to my hair stylist and she did an excellent job.  I got 5 inches cut off.

This is a side view.

Hope everyone is having a great week!  Don't forget to enter my giveaway!

MyMemories Software Giveaway!

A few months ago, Liz Gardner contacted me about reviewing My Memories digital scrapbook software.  Since I'm all about making and sharing memories, I jumped at the chance!  This software comes pre-loaded with TONS of papers and embellishments!  It is very easy to use! 

I created a calendar for my Granny for Christmas, and it was a breeze to drag and drop the photos into place.  I added frames and shadows around some of the pictures to make them pop.  My grandmother is a simple lady, so I didn't add too many extras.  For my next project, though, I will add lots of things!  The possibilities are endless (recipe albums, photobooks, etc).  You can also add music and narration to your pages for a complete package.  I'm going to experiment with creating a DVD next.  All you have to do is download a simple plugin.

If you don't have the My Memories Software, you can still use their awesome designs! Just select general files when downloading your papers and embellishments then play with them in Photoshop or whatever software you use.  Here are a few of the pages I created for the calendar:

This is the front of the calendar created using paper, tags, and embellishments in the My Memories software.

Liz has been generous enough to offer one of you a chance to win a copy of My Memories digital scrapbooking software!!

To enter:

"Like" MyMemories on Facebook (Required)

For additional entries: (leave a separate comment for each entry)

Follow my blog

• Like Making my Mark on Facebook
• Post about this giveway on your blog, making sure to link back to this blog post.  Leave the link of the blog post in your comment

Winner will be announced on Friday, January 27th!

As a special for all of my readers, they have given me a  code that provides a $10 discount off the purchase of the My Memories Suite Scrapbook software and a $10 coupon for the MyMemories.com store - $20 value!)

Special Code:
STMMMS39106

Disclosure statement: I was provided one copy of the MyMemories digital software to review and one to give away.

Free Books for Kindle!

Just wanted to share a great resource I found with all of my friends who might have a Kindle.  It's called Pixel of Ink.  They send out daily emails with several free e-books.  Not all of them are free, so make sure it says $0.00 before you click buy. :) 

I downloaded two completely free books this afternoon, The Fence my Father Built by Linda S. Clare and Caged: Memoirs of a Cage-Fighting Poet by Cameron Conway.  I'm excited to read these when I have time because I've never read any of their books. A new book to read is great. A new FREE book is even better!


If you go to this link, they do have some free books for the Nook as well.

Happy reading, everyone!

Sweet Monkey Frozen Yogurt

My mom and I took a trip to Sweet Monkey, a delicious frozen yogurt place in Gainesville.  It was nice because my mom doesn't have too many days off.

This was their cute logo on the back wall. They had a few couches and chairs that beckoned us to relax and stay awhile. 

This was the self-serve stations that housed flavors like tiramisu, eggnog, peanut butter, red velvet cake, and espresso. 

Fruit toppings abounded! I can't wait to go back in a few months to try the mango or peach yogurt with some fruit!

They had lots of candy options to top off the yogurt, but I preferred the salty nuts like pecans and cashews.  The best part is Sweet Mokney is coming to Athens and Augusta soon! At least I'll have something to make my routine doctor appointments a little more enjoyable!

Best Birthday Gift Ever!

My mom gave me the most awesome gift for my 22nd birthday a few weeks ago: A 30 minute massage!  I had never had a massage, but I know how much it helped my mom when her back was hurting.  As it got closer to my appointment with Kayla from Absolute Muscular Care in my hometown, I became more and more excited because I'd I had almost forgotten what it was like to live without neck pain! My neck had been hurting for months with no relief. I couldn't even sleep good at night because of it. After visiting Kayla, I have noticed a TREMENDOUS difference!  I have slept better ever since my visit! 

I didn't have the typical massage, though. I had something called the CranioSacral massage that is designed to help migranes, fibromyalgia, and even childhood disorders like cerebral palsy! Click this link to learn more about it. I couldn't believe there was a massage designed just for me! 

Anyway, I just had to share this with everyone.  Kayla didn't not ask me to write a review.  I just believe in sharing good stuff!  If you live in my hometown, I highly recommend her!

Knit with Love

The weather is turning chilly, but that's no excuse for not being fashionable!  My aunt is selling the scarves she has made. 

How great would this look over your favorite sweater or new winter coat?

She doesn't have an Etsy page, but email her at gwenshiflet@hartcom.net if interested!  (Hint: to all you locals who live near me!)  Make sure to put Scarves as the subject line so she will know. She will be making more, so I will be adding pictures.  These would make excellent Christmas gifts and don't forget birthdays!