Wordless Wednesday - Jolie's Second Locks of Love Donation

Locks of Love

Donating to Locks of Love

After Jolie donated her hair to Locks of Love in May 2008, I decided that I would grow my hair out and make a donation as well.

Locks of Love is an organization that makes prosthetic wigs for children who have medical conditions in which they are unable to grow their own hair. The organization creates prosthetics with donated hair for children who are financially disadvantaged. The use of donated hair helps the organization provide quality prosthetics to needy children. Donated hair that does not meet the 10 inch requirement is sold to help cover manufacturing costs.

It has been over a year since I've had a haircut. In the Florida heat, all I have been able to do in recent months is to put my hair up in a bun or a ponytail because my hair is so heavy and thick. Leaving it down was just getting to be too much. I decided a few weeks ago that tt was time to take a big step and get my hair cut to donate, but I had to wait until after the Navy Day Ball so I could have my hair put up for the Ball.

Here are the before, during, and after photos.

I'm happy to be able to do a little something to help make a child smile. It will take some time to get used to my new "do," but I think it's going to grow on me.

Happy Mother's Day to Me

We spent this year’s Mother’s Day with my parents. Because we weren’t going to be home for Mother’s Day itself, the kids (Justin) wanted to do Mother’s Day early. You have to understand that Justin is a terrible surprise-er…a wonderful gift giver, but terrible with surprises. Case in point, I was proposed to at a stop light, while driving two of my younger sisters to youth group, with Justin leaning through the front seats from the back seat of the car (it’s a great story that I’ll have to tell some day). He just couldn’t wait any longer. The ring had been in his possession for maybe six hours. Justin gets that excited to give me gifts, which I think is really sweet, but somewhat annoying. We’ve decided that he can’t purchase any gifts more than two days before a holiday or event, that way I only have to listen to him ask me if I want to open the gift early for at most two days.

So, last Thursday (before dinner, of course) I was presented with my presents.
1. Ice cream maker – electric and hand crank capabilities
2. Running clothes – shorts and sport top
3. Marley & Me dvd
4. Electric griddle

Needless to say, he went a bit above and beyond his gift giving limit for Mother’s Day. I have been somewhat sloppy with our budget so far this year, and am in the process of reining in our spending a bit, so although I loved all of my gifts, it seemed a bit excessive.

Ice cream maker – this has been on my Wish List for quite some time (we keep a running wish list on the refrigerator so that I know who is in need/want of what when a holiday or birthday rolls around). I am finding that we eat a good amount of ice cream. In trying to eat as healthily as possible, I purchase organic/natural ice cream without any additives. Having an ice cream maker will allow us to create the healthy(er) ice cream I feel better about feeding my family. Grade – A; good functional gift

Running clothes – these too have been on my wish list for some time. I try to run at least 10+ miles a week, and need to update my running wardrobe from the old cheerleading shorts from high school that ride up as I run and sports bras that reveal a bit more that I’d like, to something a bit more functional. This outfit is great…I will be able to wear the shorts for running or biking, and the top covers my midriff, which isn’t always my favorite feature. Grade – A-; another functional gift

Marley & Me dvd – I don’t watch much if any television except for the occasional PBS special. Instead, we have a Netflix membership and get weekly movies. Because of this, we don’t purchase many movies. If we do, they are usually just those that we have seen and truly loved. I really enjoyed the movie, although I cried my eyeballs out for what seemed like hours, but I’m not sure that it will be watched all the time, thus decreasing its functionality (we hadn’t previously seen it). Grade – B; beautiful movie, not very functional

Electric Griddle – we are breakfast people. I make a lot of pancakes, French toast, etc. Justin was trying to be sweet and get me a pan that would allow me to make more pancakes at one time so that we could all eat together. Right now, I usually stand over at the stove making pancakes while everyone else eats. I hate when food that I’ve worked hard on gets cold, so I want everyone to eat, but I too would like to be eating with them. I, however, was concerned with the non-stick coating on the pan. Plus, finding the receipt in Justin’s pants sealed this griddle’s fate. I took it back to the store and will instead add an enamel coated cast iron griddle to my Wish List. Grade – C-; functional, but not needed

I had a wonderful Mother’s Day…both early and actually on Mother’s Day. I’m hoping to finalize the updated budget and brief Justin on it in the next week or so. Then he’ll know who much he is “allowed” to spend on gifts that he has to purchase at the last minute so as not to spoil the surprises that I so love. I love you, Bub.

Just for the record...all I "asked" for for Mother's Day was a small bamboo plant. Go figure.

Learning While Feeding the Hungry

For all of you interested in helping out those less fortunate and learning something in the process, you need to check out FreeRice. FreeRice works to provide education to everyone for free and to help end world hunger by providing free rice to people that are hungry.

Here’s how it works. On the FreeRice website you choose the subject you would like to brush up on. The subjects available are Art (famous paintings), Chemistry (chemical symbols – basic and full list), English (grammar; vocabulary), Geography (identify countries; world capitals), Language learning (French; German; Italian; Spanish), and Math (multiplication). Then you choose the level you want to start on, and you're off. FreeRice will donate 20 grains of rice through the UN World Food Program for each question you answer correctly.

I hope you’ll check out the FreeRice website too and help to feed hungry people while learning a little something while you’re at it.