GOOBER GANG ADOPTS A FAMILY FOR CHRISTMAS

 

Hey Gang

I thought it would be a nice gesture as an organization this year to try and adopt a family for Christmas. It's something our family tries to do each year but in these economic times and being a single income family (like many of us!) I know it can get difficult to commit to something like this on your own... So I thought doing it as an organization this year would be a great option for all of us to contribute how we can :)

Many of you may have heard, seen or even known a family who has been assisted by The Yellow Brick House Organization. One of their homes is actually right here in Aurora!! I've personally known moms and went to school with kids who were helped in times of need from this organization and coincidentally our friend, Amber Gordon-Bunn, from Goober Gang works there as a Fundraising Coordinator. So what a better organization to pick ~ helping women and children being affected by abuse!!...

How Can You Help?

The answer in short is IN ANY WAY YOU CAN! Below are the details of "our family" that we are loosely sponsoring as a guideline. Those who would like to donate monetary gifts, gift cards or the items specified below can do so.

Furthermore, there are TONS of other families with a wide arrangement of needs, including the organization itself which is always looking for supplies for use in the homes. So basically anything new / unused goes! Here are some ideas.....

• toiletries for mom and baby (samples are great! i.e. mini shampoos, soaps, razors, toothpaste, floss etc.)
• unused ladies and children's clothing, shoes, purses, scarves, hats, mitts etc.
• toys, art supplies, colouring books, books, learning toys / items
• chocolates, candies, "stocking stuffers", nick nack toys
• non-perishable food items
• cosmetic products (we all have so many hand soaps, perfumes, creams and such!)
• diapers & diapering products (..have unused ones that your kids grew out of? Loose unused diapers are ok...)
• unused Christmas decorations, good condition gift wrap / bags / ribbon /wrapping supplies etc.

...and more! the list goes on.. If you are not sure on an item, just ask!

How To Submit Your Items?

Drop Off: to Connie's house ~ 58 Ross Patrick Cres Newmarket *at your convenience. A bin on my porch will remain available.. Just call or email me when you'll be dropping off so I can look out for the items or arrange to be home (connie@connieberenguer.com 416.885.9709). You can put your name on the items if you like.....

Email: you can send an email money transfer (EMT) to my personal email address connie@connieberenguer.com and I will cut a chq to the organization as a whole from all the EMT's I get

Mail: you can mail your chq's or gift cards to me at:
Connie Berenguer
58 Ross Patrick Cres
Newmarket, ON L3X 3G9

In Person: you can personally give my your donations when you see me next :) I'll be at most of the upcoming Goober Gang and Life With A Baby Play Dates :) If you prefer to give your gift directly to the organization (I totally don't mind and understand!) ~ Amber is happy to accept them also.... You can email or call her direct:

Amber Gordon-Bunn,
Resource Development Coordinator
52 West Beaver Creek, Unit 4
Richmond Hill, ON L4B 1L9
T: 905.709.0900 Ext. 2230
Toll Free: 1.800.263.2231
F: 905.709.1308
amberg@yellowbrickhouse.org

For those looking to receive a tax receipt for a cash donation, please make your donation through www.yellowbrickhouse.org -- “donate now” button or provide to me directly and I will collect the information we need to get your receipt: (name, address, postal code and amount (over $20).....

We are hoping that gifts for families can either be delivered (or picked up if absolutely needed) by December 7 (preferred) or December 14 (absolute deadline!). PLEASE DO NOT WRAP YOUR ITEMS. THE ORGANIZATION WILL TAKE CARE OF THAT!

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Yellow Brick House - FAMILY #54

Mom Female 21 M Ladies 9
Wish List: Mom didn’t request personal items so on her behalf, a gift basket or gift cards (grocery, clothing or gas) would be lovely. Also a journal or digital camera to capture memories.

Child #1 Male 2.5 years T3 T8
Wish List: warm clothing, diapers (size 5), wipes, Train set (chugginton) snowsuit and boots, pajama’s, board books, Leap frog Tag reader or Leap pad, superhero sheets/comforter

Child #2 Female 2 months 3-6 months Infant 2
Wish List: clothing, crib sheets, wipes, diapers (Size 1), toys, formula, bundle me car seat cover, bath items

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Thank you and looking forward to seeing what we can come up with as a group :) Hopefully a BUNCH of happily mommies and kids :)


UPDATE:

Here is a thank you mail to all Goober Gang moms for donating and Connie personally for organizing this event:

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Please, take my picture!

Its the holiday season. I consider Thanksgiving pretty much the start of the holiday season, that brings along the photo sessions together at the table, near the fire place, everybody in costumes, and so forth. I do try and stay away from the camera as I don't feel comfortable looking at myself these days. More often than not I hate myself on the photos I see. Plus, my kid and my relatives all look much better than me, so I just wait aside for all the snapping cameras to stop.

I am wrong doing that. I do have a few pictures of myself with Santino, but I somehow now I feel its not enough. He will want to see as much of me as possible when he grows up. He loves me as I am, loves my tummy, my hands, my smile, and never pays attention to my make up or hair.

I spend my life trying to make my son's life happier, better and fuller. I don't really have much energy left for myself, so should I be left out and always be on the background? The answer is NO! I want to be there as much as possible, be in the picture, in the life and in the memories.

This article here really made me change my attitude towards picture taking as a mom with a child. Well, first it made me cry, and then I changed my attitude. Such a great article, so true, so down to earth simple and ingeniously positive. I tagged this post under "easy tips for beautiful moms" because it is so easy and so simple: we all are already beautiful as we are! So let's just be in that picture.

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Life Changing

It’s funny isn’t it? How as soon as you are introduced into mummy world, it’s like entering a whole new realm you never even knew existed.  Talk about boobs and poops become acceptable topics of conversation, messy buns and yoga pants become your uniform of choice, and daily trips to the store and park are your social scenes. It’s funny isn’t it? How when we have a baby we just sort of forget about all the things we did before. The late night drinks with friends and late morning greasy spoon breakfast, going away for weekends with just one bag packed, last minute dinner plans because there was nothing else to do.

The truth is, once you have a baby all of those things you used to be able to do just sort of dissipate, without a second thought really. Instead of having only a couple hours of sleep because you were out all night dancing, you are on a couple hours of sleep because you were up all night rocking and hushing. Instead of trying to figure out what shoes go with that dress, you are wondering if anyone will notice you have been in pajamas for two days.

I’m not saying this is what it will be like forever, but let’s face it, were mums now. Nights filled with tequila shots, and singing along to Eminem’s latest album is over. Yes, there may be a night or two in your near future where you can feel like your college years again but it’s going to hurt a lot more since your getting up at 7 a.m. with a hungry and charged up baby.

All of a sudden you understand what sacrifice means, what love is, and how patience really is a virtue. All of a sudden your favourite song is Butterfly Kisses instead of Disco Stick, and feeling tired at the end of the day is more of a reward then a punishment.

When I was pregnant, I was told that I’ll never be free to do as I please, that I will forever be tied down and my whole life is going to change. People are always so quick to say that, “your whole life is going to change.” Obviously, your life will change. What they leave out is that your life is changed for the better. Every morning you wake up and get to see this little person smiling at you because they are genuinely happy to see your face, you get to watch someone you created, the greatest miracle of life, grow right in front of you.

So do I miss the person I was a few years ago? No, I don’t. Do I miss being able to sleep in, go out with my friends whenever I want, spend my money on a new purse instead of a new car seat? No, I don’t. I wouldn’t give up what I have now for all the coach purses and greasy spoon breakfasts in the world, even if that meant unlimited eggs benedict and Nutella crepes.

To read more of my blog please visit http://newmumontheblog.wordpress.com

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Happiness Is...

This post is a wee bit out of the ordinary for me but I wanted to share my thoughts. These last couple weeks have been a whirl-wind of different things happening. Aud has been a little under the weather, I have been planning two major events in her life (baptism and 1^st birthday), most of my amazing mum friends went back to work, I’ve had interviews and meetings trying to figure out what I am going to be doing in a month’s time, oh ya, I started my blog, and am writing for two other online blogs, and not to mention I still have my domestic duties like housework, cooking, and being the best mum I can be to my baby girl. Remember when I wrote that post about having me time, well I can honestly say this last little while I haven’t felt I could squeeze it in! We all have those moments right? Moments where a whole day, week, even an hour goes by and we wonder where it went, what we did? I think it only gets harder as we have families, get older, priorities change, goals get bigger. This post will be about a couple different things so stay with me because I’m feeling inspired this morning and I need to share it, you know my motto, sharing is caring!

Today I started to write a list, I should say a new list, because I have about 100 “to do” lists around my house, just waiting to be checked off. So today’s list consisted of everything I need/want ‘to do’ with no timeline. Included in that list- get out scrapbooking stuff, start scrapbook, organize front hall, organize closet, sort through Aud’s clothes, sort through pictures on computer, figure out stain remover for babies clothes, organize kitchen cupboards, pick up birthday invitations...you get the picture, a smorgasbord of things to do. Behind that list was another list of things to do for her baptism, pick up decorations, confirm guests, pick up cake, pick up catering, go to costco, decorate and set-up ect, ect...I can say I’m feeling a little overwhelmed by the amount of work I have given myself for the last little while. I know you’re thinking what about Jon? Well he works, he’s the breadwinner, besides I love the man but he just learnt how to turn on a vacuum let alone be able to use it properly.

As women we automatically assume the need to be a multi-tasker even if it means putting ‘me’ on the back burner. If I were in an interview and they asked what my biggest strength is, that would be it, but it is also my biggest weakness. I take on a lot at once, I am a people pleaser so if someone asks me to do it I will, even if I have a million other things to do. It’s just the way I am. I like to make people happy, who doesn’t? These last few days I have had some major mood swings and poor Jon has been on the receiving end of those. You could say it’s stress, or exhaustion, or busy mummy brain, but I think I have figured out the root.

Happiness. As I’ve mentioned before I am a bubbly and positive person in life, I have lots of friends, a great family, a beautiful baby girl, I’m healthy, you know all the staples to leading a happy life. I guess some day’s I forget. Some days I let the moment’s of true happiness pass me by, forgetting to focus on the things that make me happy. I think as mums we can all relate to this.

I came across this blog I used to read that I had forgotten about in the shuffle of life. He writes about the 10 things that always bring happiness. I read through each one carefully and have hung onto every word. It was so soothing and inspiring to read. It just takes one moment, one action, even one post to read to bring you back to that place. I’m realizing that all these things I have to do, all the tasks I need to check off my lists, I’ll get to it. I know this post doesn’t quite jive with my others but I just felt the need to write about this. I’m going to leave you guys with one of the things he writes about in his blog:

“Focus on things that truly matter. The simple fact that you are even here, alive, on this planet is a divine miracle. You should not spend the time you have being busy, being miserable. Every moment you get is a gift, so stop focussing on unhappy things, and spend your moments on things that truly matter to your heart.”

Taken from www.marcandangel.com

If you would like to read more of my blog visit http://newmumontheblog.wordpress.com

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