Fashion and Philanthropy

There are few things better in life than knowing you made a difference in someone's life. Maybe it's donating to your favorite charity, volunteering, or even just brightening someone's day by giving them a compliment.

I recently saw a commercial on TV about Tom's Shoes. For every pair of shoes you purchase, TOMS will give a pair of shoes to a child in need. I thought this was a fabulous idea so I went on their website to check it out. The shoes are so unique and different from anything I've seen in any store. I will definitely be ordering a pair. It's a win-win situation - not only do I get a stellar pair of shoes, but I will be helping a child in need.

Because I became so enthralled with this kind of idea, I wondered what else was out there that did the same type of thing as TOMS. So I put Google to work and found a few other really cool organizations.

*FEED Project - Eco-friendly bags with functional and fashionable styles. For every bag you purchase, money is donated to the World Food Program (WFP) The site breaks down how each bag you purchase helps children in need. For example, every "Feed 100 Bag" purchased provides 100 school meals for children in Rwanda.

*To Write Love On Her Arms - I specifically searched for this on Google after a friend of mine had a "To Write Love On Her Arms" t-shirt on. Most of the designs for the t-shirts and hoodies are simple but powerful. This organization helps people with depression, addiction, self-injury and suicide. Their store consists of clothing, books, and accessories and a portion of the proceeds goes towards different organizations, such as the National Hopeline Network, Teen Challenge, and S.A.F.E.

*Invisible Children - This non-profit organization brings to our attention the tragedy of child soldiers in Uganda. Their store has clothing, books, films, bracelets, and more and proceeds go towards developing programs to help improve the lives of children in Uganda.

I encourage everyone to check out these sites. I think a lot of gratification can be felt by purchasing items for any/all of these organizations. Not only do you get a unique and fashionable item, but you get to take pride in it, knowing you made a difference in someone else's life. And a bonus - every time you wear/show that item, you are serving as an advertiser and advocate for the cause.

Food for Thought

I am a big chips 'n salsa girl. Love the stuff! I usually buy it out of a jar but after flipping through my newest Taste of Home magazine and seeing a salsa recipe, I was inspired to make a homemade batch of my own. I'm all for sharing recipes and this one is so easy and delicious so here it is!

Presto Black Bean & Corn Salsa:

1 can (15 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups fresh or frozen corn, thawed
5 plum tomatoes, chopped
1 large sweet red pepper, chopped
1 small green pepper, chopped
1 can (4 oz) chopped green chilies
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
2 Tbsp. lime juice
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 jar (16 oz) salsa

In a large bowl, combine beans, corn, tomatoes, peppers, chilies, onion, cilantro, lime juice, garlic, sugar, salt, and cumin. Stir in salsa until blended. Serve with chips

Enjoy!

Did You Know?

Do you ever notice that when you are in a class/meeting/workshop/seminar of sorts it always kicks off with introducing yourself and stating an interesting fact about yourself? I used to dread that part. My heart would start pounding, my hands would start to sweat, my mind would be racing with such questions as, "What on earth am I going I say?" and "Is there an interesting fact about me?" But when I think about it, I realize that I do have a few interesting facts to share with the unfamiliar.

Did you know:
-I can name all the U.S. presidents in order
-I can also name all the books of the Bible, Old and New Testament (thanks to my elementary school music teacher)
-I was one of 12 in my graduating class
-My best friend and I have known each other our entire lives (literally, our moms met when they were pregnant with us)

What are your interesting facts?

Priests To Say "I Do?"

In the past few weeks, the controversial topic of whether or not priests should be able to marry has been brought to my attention. It all started in early May when photos of a popular Miami priest hugging and kissing a woman on the beach surfaced. Shortly after the news broke, I listened to a segment of NPR's Talk of the Nation. The topic - should celibacy be voluntary for priests. Then the subject came up again last weekend at the church I attended. It was the main topic of the priest's homily. And what do you know, today's lunch conversation was steered in that direction yet again.

I was raised Catholic and attended a Catholic school all throughout my elementary and high school years. Needless to say, my life has been heavily influenced by this. (insert Catholic guilt joke here) That being said, there are several traditions of the Catholic Church that I do not agree with. Priests not being able to get married is one of them.

I can't help but question this tradition. One of the guest speakers from the Talk of the Nation segment (that I mentioned above) pointed out that marriage used to be an option for priests before the 12th century. In fact, some of the first holy people (i.e. Moses and Aaron) were priests who were married. But for the last 450 years or so, remaining celibate has been mandatory for priests. Why did the Vatican enforce this change? Are celibate priests more capable? Are priests today serving the church and God better than Moses and Aaron did? I get that priests devote their lives to God and that is supposed to be their main focus. But I wonder, could married priests be just as devoted to God? Could they provide the same sort of support and service as celibate priests do?

When Catholics prepare for the Sacrament of Marriage, they have to go through a preparation course. Priests are heavily involved in this process. I question this. Can a priest really know that much about marriage if he himself is not? Can a priest really provide a couple with advice and wisdom on the subject of matrimony? I know the priest is acting as God's messenger, but I still question...

And I won't ignore the elephant in the room. What about all the cases of sexual abuse and molestation priests have been accused of? If celibacy was simply an option and not forced upon, would all those unfortunate acts have happened?

Maybe these questions could be answered by someone more educated than myself on this topic. But I then would ask this, can you ignore the startling statistics that are out about the shortage of priests? In the homily I listened to last weekend, the priest said that by 2015, there will be a loss of more than 15,000 priests in the U.S. alone. Add into the equation the fact that our priests are aging. More than half are over the age of 55. He said in his Diocese this year, only 2 priests were ordained. 2.

With fewer and fewer priests available to serve the Catholic Church, the logical part of me thinks that some sort of change will be inevitable. Maybe it's the hope in me. Either way, something has got to give.

It's the Little Things...

Anyone who knows me well enough knows that I truly appreciate the littlest things in life. The cheap thrill of finding a good bargain, hearing an old school memorable jam on the radio, or whatever it may be. Today it was discovering that there is indeed a Pizza Hut Buffet in the Metro! When I think back to my college days, some of my most cherished memories stem from those spontaneous trips to Pizza Hut with KC after class (or sometimes during!) We have been on the hunt to find a buffet spot locally and the mystery was solved today! *note that it was probably a lack of effort on why it took so long to discover the prized buffet* Anyhow, my co-worker thought there was one on Army Post Rd and sure enough after a quick phone call to that location - JACKPOT! We immediately gathered our things and off we went on our merry way! It was glorious! The mini breadsticks, the pasta dish, the numerous pizzas - Canadian bacon, pepperoni, cheese, supreme - it was all delicious! Good day today, good day.

Blog it!

So I have been thinking about starting a blog for several months now. I even made an offline prototype - just to see how it would feel....but I still was unsure. Would I really have that much to say? Would I successfully be able to capture the attention of the readers? Just as I thought of retiring the idea, the subject of blogging came up during a dinner conversation at a friend's house several nights ago. My roommate announced she had started a blog and after discussing it for a few minutes, I realized amidst the laughter that had erupted at the dinner table, that I should just take the plunge. So this first post is for you L - for giving me that oh so subtle push I needed into the world of blogging!