A Post for Charity

My Friend Jen at After the Alter sucked me in (basically guilted)! She passed this Easter basket on to me so that we can continue to try to raise $5000 for the Children's Miracle Network. Spring is here! I usually don't do these tag things but if this post donates $10 to children in need than what the heck?!

I pass this on to:
Jess from My Silly Monkeys
Kate from BabyBumble B
Desirre from Preparing for a Better Birth
Sarah from Tech for Mommies
Keep em Cookin
Jessie from Paretning the Tiniest of Miricles
Becca from Mama B


Be sure to visit all of those great bloggers too cause they rock! Also, feel free to grab the basket if you want to write a quick post and earn $10 for kids in need!

HERSHEY’S BETTER BASKET BLOG HOP RULES
Copy and paste these rules to your blog post.
Create a blog post giving a virtual Easter Basket to another blogger – you can give as many Virtual Baskets as you want.
Link back to person who gave you an Easter Basket.
Let each person you are giving a Virtual Easter Basket know you have given them a Basket.
Leave your link at BetterBasket.info/BlogHop comment section. You can also find the official rules of this #betterbasket blog hop, and more information about Better Basket with Hershey’s there.
Hershey’s is donating $10 per each blog participating to the Better Basket Blog Hop to Children’s Miracle Network (up to total of $5,000 by blog posts written by April 4th, 2010).
Please note that only one blog post by each blog url will count towards the donation.

Elana Kahn Avon: March of Dimes Sponsor #34

We've already reached our goal but the sponsors keep rolling in! I've lost count of the total amount of sponsors but it's a sure bet almost everyone will win something! And sorting out these prizes is NOT going to be an easy task for me! haha. Wish me luck Monday!

The next sponsor I want to introduce you to is a wonderful woman i just became acquainted with myself a few nights ago after she made a very generous donation to the charity AFTER we met our goal! Her name is Elana and here is her story (her labor story will keep you on the edge of your seat!):

"I'm 26 and my hubby is 40. We met in November 2005, just 2 weeks after my father passed away. We dated for just about 3 months before getting engaged, and we were engaged for 6 months before getting married in August 2006."

They immediately started trying to have a baby, but with no success. After a year of nothing, they decided to see a fertility specialist who couldn't find anything "really" wrong.

"Yeah there was a hormone imbalance, but even medication didn't 'fix the problem'. Who knew if that was even keeping me from getting pregnant anyway. We had all sorts of tests done (SA, HSG, SHG, hysteroscopy), and they all came back normal. We did 3 cycles of Clomid with nothing but BFNs. We did one IUI with injectible meds, got a BFP and then miscarried a week or so later. We then did 4 more IUI cycles (3 with meds, 1 natural) and got 4 BFNs. The doctor decided it was time we moved onto IVF. I was so nervous because it was our last chance. If this didn't work, nothing would. The doctor was hoIding back a bit on my meds in order to avoid OHSS, so I was a bit disappointed with the number of eggs retrieved--only 8. Of those 8, only 4 fertilized, and of those 4, only 2 continued to grow. They didn't want to risk waiting until a 5 day transfer, so they transferred both embryos on day 3. One of them was 10 cells, grade B and the other was 5 cells, grade C. It was basically like 'you have one awesome embryo with a great chance and one that's not such a good chance, so don't get your hopes up for twins.' Riiiiiight. Thank G-d I did get pregnant, and I had twins. :-) So much for embryo grading, eh?"

They had a few glitches during the pregnancy--placenta previa, and then a shortened & funneling cervix at 20 weeks, so doctors had to put in a cerclage and Elana went on modified bed rest.

"I was in and out of the hospital in February and March, but I held out to 35 weeks! At 35 weeks and 1 day, my son's placenta abrupted, and I needed an emergency C-Section to deliver them. I had wanted to go completely natural and deliver without drugs, but G-d had other plans! The twins were so oxygen deprived by the time they were delivered (from my blood loss and my son was nearly disconnected), that my son had an APGAR score of 1 and my daughter had a score of 3 at 1 minute....not good. They each needed some help getting started breathing--it took my daughter just over a minute to start crying, and my son was incubated and took 3 minutes to start breathing. Seriously, I'm glad they had put me under general anesthesia or I would've flipped the he** out with them not breathing. Anyway, thank G-d they were both ok. As for me, something happened to my uterine artery during surgery so not only had I lost blood from the placental abruption, but now I was bleeding from my uterine artery as well. Whooops! So I needed 4 units of blood and medications to keep my heart going...good thing the doctors know what they're doing. Also a good thing that this was around 7am when the doctors change shift...so I had two sets of everyone in the delivery room making sure we all stayed alive. "

Now, the twins are doing fantastically. They are normal, healthy 7-month-old babies. They roll over, they sit up, and they're starting to eat solid foods!

"They're the cutest and sweetest babies you'd ever meet and I feel darned lucky to be their mom. All of the waiting, the anguish of infertility, etc...it was all worth it!" She added. WOW!

Elana started selling Avon because her sister's mother-in-law used to sell Avon when she was growing up.

"After the twins were born, I decided I needed to figure out something to do from home, so I picked Avon. I love selling it because their products are excellent quality, and it really sells itself. Also, it's recession-proof because nearly all of the stuff is things people use on a daily basis and it's generally less expensive than what you'd find in a grocery or drug store. Also, you can buy from my online store or from me directly if you live near me...it's totally flexible! That's only a teensy part of what makes Avon so awesome. It would take me hours or days to mention everything."

You can learn more about Elana by visiting her blog Elana's Musings and by visiting her Avon Website.

This generous mother LOVES March of Dimes like we do, and not only made a wonderful contribution to the fundraiser herself... She is also donating a $25 gift certificate for her Avon products!

If you donate just $10 to the charity I'll give you 10 free tickets to win this prize from Elana to use towards her Avon Shop! Not only are you helping a charity but you get 10 tickets in our GIANT drawing! You can donate by clicking the "chip in" button to the right or by clicking here. (Paypal is NOT associated with the drawing, just with donations. Questions about the drawing? Email me at babymakingmachine{at}gmail.com)

This is just one of more than 40 prizes (worth over $1500) that's up for grabs in the drawing! See the full list here. 100% of the funds raised are going to March of Dimes, to help save babies!
Read how this got started here!
Check out all of the prizes here!
Have a giveaway? List it here! Offer extra entries to your peeps for donating!

A Day I'll Remember

For more reasons than one, today will be a day I remember for the rest of my life. The action started this morning and hasn't stopped.

This afternoon... Probably one of my proudest accomplishments to date... I did something good with my passion for writing, and my new-found passion for blogging.

I took my passion (and my frustrations) and together, you and I met a HUGE goal!

It started with my small idea to donate headbands to a few little girls through March of Dimes.

I then realized I could raffle my hairbows off to you and set a goal to raise $300 in the process. But after a few days of donations, and outpouring of offers to help from other talented sponsors, I realized we could do more.

With the help of you... My loyal bloggy and Twitter friends, we reached out $1000 goal for March of Dimes. I'm SO excited to hand them over this big check!

THANK YOU for donating.
THANK YOU for sharing your talents and donating products
THANK YOU for spreading the word on your blogs and on Twitter
THANK YOU for displaying the MoD button I made with pride (cause it wasn't ways for me to make! ;op)
THANK YOU for showing off your babies and giving me something to look forward to (and bringing more people to this site to vote AND donate!)

The crazy thing is... There are still 3 MORE DAYS of fundraising! I still have NINE more sponsors to introduce you to... So everyone who donates on top of this will be a bonus for the March of Dimes (100% of any additional donations will still go to the charity!).

Thank you! I love you!

Kathleen Cavalaro: Cutest Pet Contest Sponsor

Some people have been asking how to get their photos in this contest... I took pictures for cutest kids/pets all last week BUT if you REALLY want, let me know. And perhaps I'll do one more contest as a closing bang to the fundraiser... and run it the last week of the fundraiser!

My laptop has been sent off and I CAN'T WAIT for it to get back! Oh, and if you're missing my TTC rants... Go here, for today's new update.

If you're wondering how all of this cutest kids contest and fundraiser got started and how you can win too read this.

I've been having a blast looking through all of the cutest photos! Remember to tell your friends the polls are to the left! That's where I'm taking tally of the votes, not in the comments section.. Though you can still represent and tell who you voted for if you want!

Also, you don't have to choose one, you can choose multiple cuties!

Now, on to some of the prizes. I told you the winner may get a prize right? Well I found the BEST sponsors for you proud parents. First, for those who entered the cutest pet contest. You are competing not only for an adorable button for your blog that says you have the cutest pet, but also, a set of earrings from an amazing jeweler!

I want to introduce you to Kathleen, who has the beautiful self-titled jewelry shop called Kathleen Cavalaro. I can't believe she's not on Twitter but this is her Facebook fan page.
She got into jewelry making because she was a stay-at-home-mom of 2 under 2. And as she put it "There was a LOT of napping and not much time out in the evenings," she said, "I am one who cannot just sit still and watch tv. So, I went through all sorts of crafty ventures like knitting/crocheting, needlepoint, etc. Then I walked into a bead store and was floored by the amazing stones. I was immediately addicted. I took classes at the local bead store here and there until I just took what I learned and modified things to fit my own style." And now here she is with a full shop! Not only that... But I found out she's made necklaces like this for celebrities! Yep, that's right, we have a celebrity jeweler on our hands!Her kids are Sophie - age 8 and Michael - age 6. They are both in school and she spend her days making jewelry and trying to make her Etsy shop work (which she said, seems like a full time job!).

Fitting with the cutest pet contest, she has two cute pets herself. Two 1-year-old chihuahuas - Carly and Gizmo.

Kathleen gives to a lot of charities. She says she can't always contribute financially, and her children keep her busy but she helps that way when she can.

She's already helping my March of Dimes fundraiser by donating a beautiful set of french hoop earrings to the winning pet-mama! Just look at some of these choices!So if you weren't excited before, get excited now! Tell your friends to vote for your furry child, and remember... Tell them to check your number box to the left!

Also, remember to let them know about the fundraiser! This is all for a good cause! 100% of donations are going to the March of Dimes charity. I started this because I realized making a baby isn't as easy as I thought, so I'm raising money to help save other babies. Please let them know that March of Dimes is a great charity spreading awareness about prenatal care... EXACTLY what I've been studying and what I'm all about!

Thanks and good luck!

Enchanted Dandelions: March of Dimes Sponsor #6

Read how this got started here!

Sometimes I wonder why try at all? Why be so adamant about steering my car of life when God has other plans? I wish I could see his roadmap for me... Just have a little peek. I imagine it would save me a lot of grief.

So far we are still on pace to make our goal of $1000 for March of Dimes! And our next sponsor has some of the most unique stuff I've seen!

I want to introduce you to April. She is the owner of Enchanted Dandelions. Of course, her first and foremost title is momma to her three little Sprouts- ages 4 years, 3 years and 14 months. They live in the gorgeous mountains of Virginia, where you'll often find them out working in the garden, hiking and camping.Their goal to live as naturally as possible is the inspiration behind Enchanted Dandelions. April strives to offer eco-friendly items, with fun and funky prints to encourage imagination and creativity.

I know a lot of my readers are into cloth diapering and things like that so I think you will LOVE her shop! Just look at this cloth diaper wrapped up in a sushi roll!She also has things like these adorable burp cloths... And can you believe everything is handmade? I'm so blown away by the talent of all of you women!She loves what we're doing for March of Dimes and has offered an adorable mini version of the sushi cloth diaper and is giving one donor a Handmade cloth wipe deliciously disguised as an adorable sushi roll! This handmade cloth wipe looks yummy enough to eat!

The cloth wipe is 100% cotton, topped with bright green marbled flannel, and backed with looped terry cloth. Turned-and-topstitched design make these wipes hard-working and long-lasting. It is a generous 5 x 8 inches and fits in a standard wipe box. Plenty big enough for even the yuckiest of messes- while keeping your hands clean!It is made to look like a sushi roll, complete with veggies in the middle made with felt scraps, and a fleece seaweed wrapper. The terry cloth's texture gives an excellent appearance of rice.
The cloth wipe sushi roll comes packaged in a small chinese take-out box, making it ideal for any gift-giving occasion or even as party decoration and/or favors. Don't forget about baby showers! (Take-out box measures 2.5" tall, and approximately 2.75" wide.)
Why use cloth wipes? They are multi-purpose and can do it all:
...Wiping baby's bum
...Cleaning up after mealtime
...Scrubbing in the bathtub
...Cleaning up spit-up and other spills
...Wiping drooly chins
...Blowing runny noses
...Freeze to make a great teething rag

And not just for little ones, these wipes can also be used:
...As a gentle facial cloth to remove make-up
...As an alternative to paper towels and napkins
...As a replacement to boring dustrags
...For family/mama cloth

Using cloth wipes are both environmentally-friendly AND economic. Reduce waste, and stop throwing away expensive disposable wipes and other paper products.

These cloth wipes are machine washable and dryable. Made to be used again and again!

If you happen to donate just $1 to the charity I'll give you a free ticket to win this prize from Enchanted Dandelions! Not only are you helping a charity but (for free) I'll give you 1 tickets in my GIANT drawing! You can donate by clicking the "chip in" button to the right or by clicking here. (Paypal is NOT associated with the drawing, just with donations. Questions about the drawing? Email me at babymakingmachine{at}gmail.com)

This is just one of more than 30 prizes (worth over $1000) that's up for grabs in the raffle! See the full list here. 100% of the funds raised are going to March of Dimes, to help save babies!

Read how this got started here!
Check out all of the prizes here!
Enter my Cutest Kid (and pet) Contest here!
Have a giveaway? List it here! Offer extra entries to your peeps for donating!

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Winner of the Self-Fertility Massage DVD: #70 Emmy! Congrats! And get me your address so I can send it your way! :)

Stephanie Caldwell's Shop: March of Dimes Sponsor #5

Read how this got started here!

We were falling asleep when there was a knock at our door. Snoop howled and ran downstairs. Ironically we were watching COPS... The same figure was on our porch.

"Is that your Toyota over there?"
"Yes" we told him.
"It just been burglarized."
(This JUST happened less than 10min ago)

Great, just what we need... Our "hood" strikes again, and leaves me wondering if this is REALLY where I want to be when we have a child. I know things like this could happen anywhere, but I still wonder.

... More on my thoughts of that later! But let me as you this... Do you live in da hood? Or have you when having kids? Do you worry about that with having kids? I imagine I probably should. Our lease is up in November, we'll be thinking long and hard about this over the next month.

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Paypal got of my back after I re-wrote all of my posts... Thank goodness! Thanks for sticking with me. It's frustrating experiencing HUGE misunderstandings like that that just seem to mess things up!

Anyway, we are still on pace to make our goal too! I think if we continue to raise about $25 a day for the rest of the time period, we'll make the $1000 goal by October 18th! Awesome right? Keep telling your friends! I know a few of you have blogged about it, and/or added my button and I REALLY appreciate it! I'm so happy we are doing something so great for this amazing charity! I think their purpose goes hand and hand with the point of my blog.

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In other news, a couple of my friends nominated me for these awards on The Bump. I'm so excited because finally there's a "Fertility" section that I fit in! If you get a chance please go over an nominate BabyMakinMachine.com for the Mommy Blogger awards in the "fertility" section!

I also got a few blog awards recently and it's made me realize I have a LOT of awards to pass on! So I'm going to try to get around to that over the next month. But enough about me, I want to introduce you to our next awesome sponsor who is donating a prize to one of my March of Dimes donors.

Stephanie Caldwell is the owner of her own self-titled shop and makes ADORABLE children's accessories. Just look at this beautiful baby cocoon!Stephanie is a wife and mother. Her daughter, Louella Irene, will be two this October! They live in Michigan in a house of seven people! Her husband, daughter and her along with her parents and two sisters. She says it's chaotic, but they love every minute of it. Louella gets to spend tons of time with her family. Which is very important to her (and something I hope I can somehow have the same thing for my little ones one day).I just love how Stephanie got into making these things. She said when Louella was born she wanted to make something special for her, but at the time all she could crochet was a square. So "I took my lack of knowledge and skills and turned it into something beautiful," she said. "I'll admit my first scarf was horrible. But I practiced and got better and the scarfs turned more elaborate and colorful."

Now look what she's created! She said she never thought to herself 'oh scarfs for babies! what a great idea'. It just came naturally. She likes and wears scarfs..."Why not have my baby wear them too?" she asked.

And that's how it happened. Then her business evolved from that. She now makes knitted hats, crochet scarfs, and knitted infant cocoons, along with some adult items.

I must admit when I saw these I immediately wished I still lived in Utah (not many things can make me do that). I think little babies in scarfs are just too adorable!! Check out her shop and her blog to see more of her work. Also, check out her Black Dress Project.
As a thank you to those who donate to this March of Dimes fundraiser, sponsors are donating items for a giveaway! Stephanie has done the same and offered this beautiful Anne-Claire Children's Scarf to one of the donors of $15 or more. (Paypal is only affiliated with donations, they are not affiliated with the drawing/giveaway/raffle)This is a hand crochet from a cotton blend yarn. The scarf made for children 12mo and up. It is warm enough for winter and light enough to wear during autumn and spring. The Anne-Claire scarf measures 43 inches long and 2 inches wide. Made from bright yellows, orange and fuchsia. Bordered in a vibrant fuchsia. This scarf is adorable wrapped around a wee one. And they will love the texture and colors. Normally worth $20 and one of you will get it for FREE as a thank you! :)If you happen to donate $15 to the charity I'll give you a free prize (from me) and free tickets to win this prize from Stephanie Caldwell! Not only are you helping a charity but (for free) I'll give you 15 tickets in my GIANT drawing! You can donate by clicking the "chip in" button to the right or by clicking here. (Paypal is NOT associated with the drawing, just with donations. Questions about the drawing? Email me at babymakingmachine{at}gmail.com)

This is just one of more than 30 prizes (worth over $1000) that's up for grabs in the raffle! See the full list here. 100% of the funds raised are going to March of Dimes, to help save babies!

Read how this got started here!
Check out all of the prizes here!
Enter my Cutest Kid (and pet) Contest here!
Have a giveaway? List it here! Offer extra entries to your peeps for donating!

Reclaimed Designs: March of Dimes Sponsor #4

Read how this started here.

I wanted to cry this morning when I saw I had an email from Paypal telling me they were "reviewing" my account because of the "raffle" going on here. Apparently they don't want to be associated with "gambling." I've been sending emails back and forth to them all day and calling them trying to figure out how I can make it clear that this is not about gambling but about donating to a CHARITY for heaven's sakes. Winning a prize is a bonus, but it's not all about buying "raffle tickets." I'm sure all of you donors are happy to be giving to a good cause and not in it for the prizes right? Ugh!!

Anyway, so here, I am, for the MILLIONTH time, (and in every post here on out, adding this disclaimer that:) Paypal is ONLY associated with donations to March of Dimes... They are not associated with the free prizes that will be given out at the end for my lovely and generous donors. If have questions about the raffle email me at babymakingmachine{at}gmail.com and I'll tell you how we're doing that.

Sorry that I'm going to have to state that a bazillion times, but I'd hate for all of this work, and the outstanding sponsors, and generous donors to be confused, and not given or heaven forbid... March of Dimes not see any of this money because of a stupid technicality.

Whew! You still there? ANYWAY! I hope you're having fun cause this is only the beginning. For those of you missing my normal rants about TTC and life don't worry... If you've noticed I've kept my blurbs going at the top of every post, and I'm also still blogging over here.

No new news as of yet, I'm just BLAH and just out of my follicular phase, so you pros know what's next. As of next here, introducing you to another talented woman!

Jenny Strohm is a nurse and I've LOVED getting to know her via email. She's a sweet woman and has a talent for making unique mosaic art, and shares it with the world through her store Reclaimed Designs.

She lives about 100 miles north of New York City. She's a mom and a step-mom. She has two daughters, aged 23 and 21, and 2 step-sons aged 18 and 16. Like I mentioned before, she works full-time as a Registered Nurse... But what I didn't mention is that it's in a school for autistic children. She says when she's not working, she spends much of my time creating mosaics like this:
This box is my favorite so far. I love the butterfly. And I know I could be a great gift too.
Many years ago she attended two years of art school, and has taken classes in ceramics. I asked her how she got into making these and she said she taught herself how to mosaic after picking up a book on mosaics several years ago. She has a vast collection of broken china, and any time a mug or dish breaks in her house, she's actually pleased! She also gets lots of donations of broken or chipped china.Aren't these beautiful? And I can't get over the fact that they're handmade! She is donating an original beautiful hand-made mosaic to one of you wonderful March of Dimes donors! If you happen to donate $5 to the charity I'll give you free tickets to win this prize! Not only are you helping a charity but (for free) I'll give you 5 tickets in my GIANT drawing! You can donate by clicking the "chip in" button to the right or by clicking here. (Paypal is NOT associated with the drawing, just with donations. Questions about the drawing? Email me at babymakingmachine{at}gmail.com)

This is just one of more than 30 prizes (worth over $1000) that's up for grabs in the raffle! See the full list here. 100% of the funds raised are going to March of Dimes, to help save babies!

Read how this got started here!
Check out all of the prizes here!
Enter my Cutest Kid (and pet) Contest here!
Have a giveaway? List it here! Offer extra entries to your peeps for donating!

Owen and the Princess Desgins: March of Dimes Sponsor #3

Read how this started here.

My emotions are up and down now. I think this Reverse Psychology thing is really working... Mentally at least. Maybe even working too good. I think I'm starting to believe myself... We'll see if it works physically, though I'm beginning to think if it doesn't, I'll be ok... really ok. Maybe it's because my schedule had been so busy and I have a lot on my plate. The stress factor is out the door this month... Even with all of the relaxation training and yoga I'm trying. But it's ok... It's hard not being in control of this, but it's given me some more perspective and really made me think I can be a lot more patient. It'll happen in God's time, right?

I think this fundraiser is going WONDERFULLY! We've gotten donations EVERY DAY (it was a close call yesterday but Jessica, Shannan and Kayce came to the rescue!) so far, and we've already raised over $250! At this rate, if we keep raising about $28 a day until the contest is over we'll make the goal of $1000! I think that's reasonable! If you know ANYONE who you think is looking for a holiday gift for a friend, or anyone who loves a good cause please let them know about this event! Like I've said before 100% of the donations raised are going to March of Dimes, a charity aimed at helping women learn about prenatal care, and helping to save babies before and after they're born!

And there's something in it for you too! Prizes... I counted yesterday and we're up to about 33! That's more than 33 winners and so far there's only 18 donors... So needless to say there's a lot to go around! AND if you donate $15 you're GUARANTEED a prize made by me! Read more on this post. Paypal is not associated with the drawing, just with the donations. Questionsabout the drawing donations? Email babymakingmachine{at}gmail.com

One of the awesome prizes up for grabs is From Elizabeth from Owen and the Princess Designs. She makes beautiful custom wall prints like this:Elizabeth says her designs are inspired by her two beautiful blessings, a daughter who is 6 and a son who is 3. Her husband -- also a HUGE inspiration and encouragement -- is her high school sweetheart, and they have been happily married for eight years. I personally love her work, and that fact that she can make something custom and cute for any child! I think this would be the PERFECT gift for any of my siblings. Talk about something from the heart!
Elizabeth says she has a huge passion for all kinds of art. Her favorite artists are Claude Monet, Auguste Renoir, and Mary Cassatt. She enjoys art museums (her two favorites are the Musee D'Orsay in Paris and the Metropolitan in NYC). She also loves reading, writing poetry and journaling, painting, cooking, shopping, scrapbooking, and going for a nice long run with her iPod.
She says she absolutely loves color and children's rooms. And happy things! :-) So that's what her artwork tends to reflect. She told me it's always an absolute joy to help someone custom design something unique for their child's room. She knows that anything you pick out for your child's room is very special, and she considers it an honor to be part of that process.
And she says she'd love to be a part of that process for you! This generous artist has offered to give one of you donors a gift certificate to her shop. You'll get a customized canvas painting done in acrylics on a high quality 16x20 gallery wrapped canvas (no copyrighted images can be used however -- i.e. Disney characters, Nickelodeon characters, etc). The retail value is $50 based on her Etsy site but they're sold in boutiques for $90! The gift certificate would include packing and shipping, which is an additional $15, so the total value is $65!People who donate $20 to March of Dimes will not only be helping a good cause, they will have a chance to win artwork from Owen and the Princess Designs. That's for generous donors of $20 to the March of Dimes Fundraiser. Not only will you be entered to win that, but also more than 33 other items AND you get a thank you prize from me... Plus, you're donating to charity! Oh, did I mention this is just one of over 33 prizes? You can donate by clicking the "chip in" button to the right, or by clicking here. (Paypal is only assocated with the donations, NOT with the drawing).

This is just one of more than 35 prizes (worth over $1000) that's up for grabs in the free drawing (I'll give you free tickets for every dollar you donate)! See the full list here. 100% of the funds raised are going to March of Dimes, to help save babies! Paypal is not associated with the drawing only with donations. Questions about the drawing? Email me at babymakingmachine{at} gmail.com

Read how this got started here!
Check out all of the prizes here!
Enter my Cutest Kid (and pet) Contest here!
Have a giveaway? List it here! Offer extra entries to your peeps for donating!

Merto Baby Cards: March of Dimes Sponsor #1

A few days ago I was hoping the excessive bloating in my stomach was a sign I was with-spawn. A couple days following I learned that wasn't the case and I was overwhelmed with disappointment. ... And a little surprised by my own discouragement. But you have been so kind. I worried expressing my honest feelings about just a short time of trial and "error" that those who have experienced much (much) worse would be annoyed by my inpatients. Instead, people have been so kind and encouraging, and the one piece of advice I think I've heard more than anything else is "RELAX"... Yea, easier said than done. But I'm TRYING!

Last month I was excited, not nervous or stressed. This time I've been more anxious. People tell me "don't think about it." And a week ago my response would have been "HA!" But the past couple of days, I can honestly say it hasn't been on my mind... Not nearly as much. Turning my mind to March of Dimes has truly taken my focus and put it on something good and positive.

I'm blown away. Completely blown away! In 24 hours we more than half-way passed my month-long goal to raise $300. So I've upped it. I know it's a big goal but seeing the generosity that's already pouring in, I think we can do it.

I'm still getting emails from people wanting to chip in and donate products to be raffled, and the list of things that we'll be giving away is over 30 items and all totalling more than $1000.

To further acquaint you with the items that are up for grabs I'm going to introduce you to the generous sponsors individually, and tell you more about who they are, and what you'll be winning. I'll feature one or two of them a day.

The first woman I want to introduce you to is the woman behind Metro Baby Cards.

Christina Butorac is the owner/designer of Metro Baby Cards - a modern photo birth announcement, invitation, holiday card and stationery business that she began in 2005 after the birth of her daughter. Having worked for years as a designer, she could not find modern photo announcements at a reasonable price anywhere online... So she decided to make her own.

After many positive comments from friends and family, she decided to sell her designs online. She says she never intended for her announcement designing hobby to become her 'full time job', but the business took off. So she stopped looking for an office job, and focused her attention on growing her business and staying home with her daughter.

She is married to Mountain (that is his real name!) and they have 2 girls - a 4-year old named Amelia and a brand new 4 month old baby named Lily. Just look at some of her work:Hopefully it won't be too long until I'm needing one of these ;)

I loved getting to know Christina and she's donating her talents to this wonderful cause! I admire her passion and creativity, and just look at what she's done!! Her website is gorgeous, and she now has the ability to work from home and spend more time with her children! ...Talk about win win!

Speaking of winning... You can win too! She's offered to donate a set of 25 Halloween cards to a donor of the free drawing! You'll also get free shipping! This is over a $50 value!

I looked in her holiday section and was just oogly-eyed over these cute cards. I can't wait until I have a little one to dress up and take trick or treating! I even contemplated dressing Snoop up and sending out some of these cards with his picture in it.
Here are a few of my favorites:Check out her site to see them all! There are TONS more! And if foreveryone who donates $10 to the March of Dimes fundraiser, I'm giving you a chance to win these for free (you're donating, not "buying" or "gambling for" these, but I want to do something for the generous donors so I'm giving away prizes). Paypal is only associated with donations, NOT with the drawing. Questions about the drawing? email babymakingmachine{at}gmail.com)

I'm happy to say that 100% of the money raised is going to March of Dimes... A great charity that helps educate mothers, so we can bring more healthy babies in this world!

You can donate by clicking the "chip in" button to the right or by clicking here. (Paypal is ONLY associated with the donations.)

That's just one sponsor. And at 8pm CST I'll introduce you to our next sponsor, who is donating a gift card to her adorable shop for children!

To see the complete list of sponsors (more than 30 and $1000 worth of free prizes) click here.

March of Dimes Fundraiser Drawing Prizes

If you missed it, here's how this got started. Basically, the self-proclaimed future Baby Makin' Machine found out making a baby isn't as easy as I thought. So to take my mind off that, I'm raising money to help other people make healthy babies through the charity of March of Dimes.

It's come to my attention that "raffles" are not allowed through Paypal, so here's what I'm changing this to... A free drawing. You're just DONATING money to March of Dimes, NOT buying "raffle tickets," however, as my gift to you, I will put your name in a bucket FOR FREE for every dollar you donate, because me and these outstanding sponsors want to return the favor for your generosity. Paypal donations are not assciated with the drawing. If you have questions on the seperate raffle drawing or how to donate please email me at babymakingmachine{at}gmail.com

Now, without further delay, here are the products that will be up for grabs in this drawing(sponsors are continuing to be added):
PS: Exciting news for my sponsors at the bottom of this post!

1
Gift Certificate for 1 Dozen Cookies to Franks Big Ones

$15 gift certificate to Bows by Jess
Handmade Washcloth Sushi Roll from Enchanted Dandelions
Clipboard Magnet and Matching Frame Set from L and S Designs

Surprise (special reveal soon) from Fired up Ladies

$20 Gift Certificate to Original Tag-Maker Erin and Celeste
Pre-Made Blog Design from The Design Girl
Set of Cards from Flowery Greetings
iPhone ap from Pimp My Ultrasound
Daddy Mug, Preggo Measure and Breastfeeding Cover from Belly Itch (3 Winners)

5
Customized Baby Announcement from Bella Expressions
Baby Sling and Matching Pouch from Crafted by Design
Hand Painted Earrings from JM Tolman

Hand-crafted mosaic from Reclaimed Designs

Black Hemp Ribbon Choker from The Hempsphere

Surprise (special reveal soon) from Baby Dickey

10
ANY one item from Henry Pete's Pasture
Set of 25 Halloween MetroCards from Metro Baby Cards ($60)
Surprise (special reveal soon) item from My Favorite Shop
Surprise (special reveal soon) item from Kona Creations
Bear Basket of Goodies from Momma Bear

Custom Announcement and Tutu from Modern Blitz Designs (2 winners)
$25 Gift Certificate to Elena's Avon Store
15
Hand Crochet Children's Scarf from Stephanie Caldwell's Shop
Surprise (special reveal soon) item from Glen and Constance

Custom Favor Cakes and $15 gift card from Hippo Baby (2 winners)

Custom Accordion Photo Album from Iris and Lily
Large Twilight-Inspired Scents from Essence of Twilight

8X10 Professional Photograph from Color Me Silly (3 winners)
Surprise (to be revealed soon) from Coco Bead Designs

20

Surprise (to be revealed soon) item from Hot Mama Gowns (worth over $150)
Surprise (to be revealed soon) from Garden of Life (worth over $180)- 3 Winners
$90 Customized Children's Canvas Paining from Owen and the Princess
$200 Natural Fertility Program from Natural Fertility Prescription
Custom Clutch Purse and Custom Necklace from Christina Jones Exclusives (2 Winners)

$50 Gift Certificate to Dittany Baby

Gift Certificate to Loreleis Atelier
Custom Canvas Name Sign from Meli Faif Life
Custom Dog Collar and Leash Set from Just Fur Doggies (my shop!)

(if you are a company interested in donating a product please email me)

My 4 special sponsors for the cutest baby, cutest kid and cutest pet contests are:

ElleBows and More

Bonzai Beadwear

Rathina

and Kathleen Cavalaro
Contest #2 Sponsors:
CJ's Fine Designs
Hampshire Rose

Throughout the month I'll be featuring each of these wonderful sponsors, and telling you more about them.

(I'm also adding more daily so check back to this list).

1= $1
5= $5
10= $10
15= $15
20= $20

Now here's the kicker... Everyone who donates $15 to this wonderful charity will get something! You will not only get your name in my bucket 15 times (for free), but you will get your choice in a custom bandanna for your pooch, or two custom little girl headbands... Both items are made by ME! I just ask that you also tell a friend, or mention the raffle on your blog too so we can spread the word!

I didn't have a huge heads-up for this fundraiser, but I'm hoping you'll help me out! If you donate at least $1 and add the blog button to your blog, or post about it, let me know, you'll get an extra chance at a prize!

Again, you are putting in a DONATION, but I will give you a FREE chance to win for every dollar you donate... You aren't "buying a ticket" and Paypal is NOT associated with the drawing. :)

If you don't want to be put in the drawing let me know!

Each section is broken up into $1/$5/$10/$15/$20 donations. I'll draw names based on your donation and you'll have a chance to win those prizes for free! However Paypal is NOT assocaited with the drawing. Questions on how to donate? Email babymakingmachine{at}gmail.com

Remember 100% of the money donated is going to charity, so if you don't win something (which is unlikely) you just donated towards saving a child's life! If you can't donate anything, I understand, but help me spread the word so we can raise more together! You can donate by clicking the "chip in" link to the right or by clicking here.

If you tweet about this during the month please use #marchofdimes as the hashtag thing on Twitter and maybe at the end I'll have a "twitter party" for the drawing, or something, I dunno yet. But come back to this post for updates! :)

**update** If YOU have a giveaway going on and want to promote it you can link to it on my blog HERE. Spread the word about this raffle at the same time... Add my button to your giveaway, and give your participants an extra entry for donating!**

**update** The goal was $300 but after raising 40% of that in a day I decided to raise it to $1000. That's $1000 in a month, but I think we can do it! There's well more than $1000 worth of prizes! Tell your friends!***

***New! For Sponsors*** I'll be doing a drawing for a sponsor in each category (1, 5, 10, 20) to win a prize from ME! You can choose a either little girl headband or a doggie bandanna! You get points for each comment one of your friends leaves on your feature post here, you also get a point for posting about it on your blog and/or twitter! I'll draw the winners at the end of the fundraiser!***

The raffle ends October 18th and shortly after I'll be drawing the winners. Each person can win up to two (2) prizes (not including the guaranteed prize for a $15 donation).

The Good Cause

When I first started noticing blogs I saw it as an interesting way to express oneself. Not necessarily to anyone in particular either. A lot of blogs I came across were for the purpose of self-expression, or a way to ventilate one's opinions on a particular topic or two that's crossed their mind.

I started this blog as a way to put down my feelings about taking on the next milestone in life. What was a journal and hobby has become a true joy an treasure. But what's better... I've met some of the most amazing people though blogging which I wouldn't have had the opportunity to come across otherwise.

I'm a journalist. And one of the things I pride myself in is doing stories that help and inspire people. Stories that move people to action. It's not me, but the people I meet and interview... The people in my stories that bring about the greater good in the world.

Just recently I've started to realize that same movement is visible... If not more so in the blogging realm. Never have I crossed paths with so many inspiration people trying to do good in such a short time span.

One example of this is with Danielle, the woman who re-designed my blog. She's offering her design services for free to a lucky donor who gives toward helping starving children in China.

You see... Due to limited resources, many government orphanages in China can’t afford to purchase formula powder. Instead, babies are given substitutes like sugar water or rice powder to ease their hunger pains. As many of you mothers know, these substitutes do not provide the nutrition a child needs, and the result is malnourishment, sickness, and underdevelopment.

I won't go into all of the details but I hope you'll consider going over here and donate what you can, no matter how small. One hundred percent of the money goes toward the New Day Foster Home's Formula Project! I'm going to give up one fast-food meal this week so I can chip in!... It'll be good for me, and these children. And hey... Your contribution could also get you a new free blog design!

Is it just me, or does like just seem so inspiring at times? I've always been a believer in the fact that people are good. And sometimes running into little things like this just go to show that! What other blogs/ people/ things inspire you? I love inspiration!!