Updates.

A couple of updates for you.

#1. The Martinez family is killing it with over $500 in ONE day! That's insane. That's fantastic! You guys are amazing! Keep it up! Those Martinez siblings will be here before you know it.

#2. We have an update too. Today was our first home study. I told you guys I'd keep you posted, so here goes. You know how we wanted two older girls? Yeah, that's apparently not going to happen. Not anytime soon anyway. Our social worker thinks that younger will be better for us since we have such little ones already (3 and 6). It was hard to hear, I'm not gonna lie. I had a picture painted in my head of what our family was going to look like, but she had a million good reasons for us to change our game plan. And she's the expert and we're going to heed her advice on this one. So it looks like the next member of the Cupitt tribe will look more like one of these adorables. We are going to be adopting one 4 or 5 year old girl. And we're actually really excited. I mean 4-5 year old girls are pretty darn cute. It's just different than we planned. But that's ok. God has the right child for us and we're going to find her. She's just shorter than we anticipated.

Say Hi to the Martinez Family!

New week, new family. This is my favorite part of the week. Starting fresh with a new family to bless! So this week we'll be blessing the Martinez family. They have two kids, Maddy and Ben, and are adopting two more. Sibling sets often have a lower chance of being adopted, so it's always nice to see a family willing to take in more than one! BUT it's also more expensive, so we want to make sure we're giving this week so we can really ease that burden. Hop on over to hear from Mom and Dad on their choice to adopt.



And remember, there are more ways to give than one! You can join the Dollar Mob, donate directly to the Martinez family, or you can do a little Christmas shopping in the Give1 Shop. Hopefully tomorrow I'll be able to provide one more way to give too. It's kinda fun stuff!

 

Strength and Dignity

Ladies, you did something so awesome this week. You gave Asha strength by letting her learn how to sew. Strength to feed all of her kids and put them through school and take care of herself. And dignity to work. This will change her life, I'm sure of it. You should be proud of yourself. Take that warm fuzzy feeling with you all weekend and bring it back on Monday. We've got a new family next week and you're bound to love them.

Peaceful Parenting: The Morning Series. Get dressed.

I know you think I'm joking but I'm not! This one I have learned to my core. You must get dressed. It must make you feel good (or at least not bad). Accessories are the cherry on top and you need the cherry on top. Let's break down some possible cute Mommy outfits and why they work. And then we'll chat about how getting dressed is going to make you a more peaceful parent. I'm sure of it.



This is a winner because it's comfortable, cute, and covers the Mommy bump and butt crack. Yes, I'm talking about butt crack becaause you know how often we have to bend. Picking up stuff off the floor ALL day. You want all your stuff covered. So I'm a fan of this outfit.



More of the same reasons. Thank you, long shirts. By the way have you seen this cute long shirt? One of my favorite adoption shirts to date. Just bought one yesterday. I'll be pairing mine with boots and dangly earrings.



Another fave. Sweater dress with leggings and boots. Except my boots don't have big scary heels. I go for leggings and dresses in the winter because they're super comfortable and look pulled together.

And now for how getting dressed (properly and all the way) makes you a better Mom. It's because you're ready for anything and don't feel ashamed of how you look when the UPS guy comes or your mother in law pops in. You're confident and you feel at peace. And that radiates. You know that Proverbs 31 wife? Verse 22 says "...she is clothed in fine linen and purple."  That means she doesn't look like Franny in sweats. Taking care of yourself is the first step to taking care of your family. So get dressed. Put on some earrings even. And face your day with a smile. Your little ones will smile back. I promise.

A Must See.

[vimeo http://www.vimeo.com/20685850 w=400&h=225]

Home At Last from dan owens on Vimeo.

You guys, this video is a must see. MUST see. It's the most beautiful, artistic gotcha day video I've ever seen. I just love it. And when you're done you might want to pop over and visit  this inspiring family's blog.

Maybe Beth should go to sewing school.

So in keeping with the sewing theme, let me just say that I'm not fantastic at sewing, but definitely have fantasies and aspirations. If I was decent at sewing this is what I'd be trying to make:







And these little darling pocket pixies are going to happen. I bought the pattern. You can too if you just click on them. It'll take you right to Gingermelon's Etsy shop. I adore these and can't wait to get started. They are 7.5 inches tall all done. I'm going to make some to put in Blessing Bags for Christmas time. I'm determined. I already ordered my felt and I can't wait to get started! I'm pretty sure my Abby's going to go bonkers over them too.



Ok, so maybe I won't make it through sewing school, but this week we're working on sending Asha to sewing school to learn a trade and get a job with Noonday Collection. And guess what?! We're actually $28 away from doing just that. And then we can sponsor another gal. Wouldn't that be awesome? How about you guys? Anybody working on a cool sewing project?

New week, new project

UPDATE: Hew's our running total for the week. So far we're at $206!!!



Hey ladies,

It's no secret that I'm a big Noonday Collection fan. Though I will always encourage you to shop there, that is not the focus this particular week. It's our Project Week, and Noonday is doing something so cool that we are going to help them if that's alright with you. Noonday normally sells jewelry and a few home goods, but they are now opening a new line of products. Ten women will now be attending sewing school to learn to make new products for Noonday. And I'd love to sponsor at least one of them.

So we're starting out by sponsoring Asha. She's a 28 year old widow. She has 2 biological children and has also taken in her sister's children when she died. We need at least $180. That's easy peasy for us, right?! Allowing Asha to learn how to sew will teach her a skill that she can use for income all her life. Want to know why work matters (alot)? You must read this post. So, let's send Asha to school, give her a chance, and give those sweet little bodies a life that they deserve. Donate just this week by hitting the red donate button on the top right hand side. OR join the Dollar Mob so you never miss the opportunity to bless a family adopting from Africa or a beautiful project like this.

How about a giveaway? I love giveaways.

I'm feeling a little cheerful today! We've had some beautiful weather lately and I'm just enjoying it like crazy. Even cleaning isn't so bad when the windows are open. Our home study is next week and I know you don't have to clean like crazy. But I just do. And I think that's just natural when a social worker comes to hang out at your house! I just have to! But I'm aiming to be chill and take it in stride.

Anyway, off topic. Let's talk giveaway. Normally I have you guys leave comments for giveaways, but I think I want to try something different. I'm going to wake up tomorrow and draw a number out of the Dollar Mob. If you're in the Dollar Mob, you're in the drawing. If you don't know what the Dollar Mob is, allow me to explain. The Dollar Mob is the group of people who give $1 every week. It automatically comes out of your Paypal account each week. The great thing about the Dollar Mob is that you won't have to remember to come here every week to check in on the family. Life just gets busy sometimes and we forget about blogs. Even some really really cool ones. But this way, even if you forget to pop over your dollar still makes it to a deserving family or project. It's a cool thing.

FAQ's regarding the Dollar Mob:

When does my $1 come out of my account?  On whatever day you signed up for it. So if you sign up today, Friday, then it'll come out again next Friday.

Can I give more than a dollar a week? Yes. All you do is just join it again for as many times as you like. I have some people who give $5, some that do $2. Just whatever you feel good about.

What if I want to donate more to a particular family?  You'll just hit that red donate button on the top right hand side and donate anything above $1 directly to that family.

Up for grabs is this most fabulous set of bracelets. Wood, beads, and feathers deck out this adorable set. Random, I know, but I loved them and I thought you would to. Join away and spread the word.

Peaceful Parenting: The Morning Series, part 2. The Coffee Bar.

Hey! Want to see my bedroom? It's totally relevant. I know it's a dark cave, but I like that in bedrooms.



Want to know why I'm showing you my bedroom? OK. It has to do with peaceful parenting. Ready?

You know how I usually (ok, still often) wake up? To someone in my house saying "Mooooooom". Do you know how bad that sucks to wake up like that every day? I bet you do. I'm not fond of that first plea from the depths of my unconsciousness. Sure, it's nice to be needed, but a girl's got to sleep. I started thinking that life would be alot more peaceful if I didn't wake up on everyday. You know what I mean? That it would be nice to be awake before being thrust into the day unwillingly. But how? How can I wake myself up without waking everyone else up? That would defeat the point. I bought a coffee pot with a timer, but when the coffee started brewing in the kitchen and I would wake up and go turn on the light, fish around in the fridge, and bang around some mugs, the kids would be up too. So we did this. It's a little bit brilliant.



We set up a little Starbucks in my room. Now the timer is set and coffee starts brewing right there in my room. A few of my favorite mugs are in there. And some girly creamer that my husband won't touch with a ten foot pole.



And as an added bonus, once the coffee starts brewing I make my bed and get dressed. So by the time the coffee is done, I'm good to go. And then I get to sit there alone and drink my coffee and do my Bible study early and ready. That, girls, is a totally peaceful morning. Unconventional, maybe, but it's working wonders. By the time those little bodies wake up and need me, I'm ready and charged.

The Blessing Bag Party

Whoa! What we have here, folks, is the ugliest photo to have graced this blog yet! Bad photography, which I have attempted to cover up with overly funky processing. And now it's sort of just an unrecognizable mess that I'm going to have to explain. So.... this is the result of my little blessing bag pow wow. A couple of gals came over for whiskey sours and blessing bags. We had a nice evening and stuffed 112 bags which I will be mailing to Ordinary Hero tomorrow. How about you guys? Did anybody get any bags made? I've had several people ask, so I'll just tell you, don't worry if you haven't done it yet. There's no deadline. OH makes a trip every few weeks and they can always use donations. So send away. All the details of what goes in them and where to send them is at the bottom of this post.

New week. New family.

Hey guys,

I hope you had a good weekend. I had a pretty good one. My little impromptu party was last night and me and the ladies ended up stuffing 112 Blessing Bags! So that feels good.

Well, you ready to say hello to the family we'll be blessing this week? Meet the Narunsky family. They have two biological sweet girlies, Jenna and Kallista, Josiah (adopted from Russia) and are at the home stretch of their Ethiopian adoption journey! Soon to be joining the Narunsky home is Joel Firew. He is ten years old and has a court date set for next month!!! That is so exciting! To hear their thoughts on adopting a 'waiting child', go read Mom's letter. And then let's give give give! It's travel time for this family and 2 trips to Africa is not cheap. Let's do what we can to lighten the load, shall we? You know what to do. Hit that red button on your right to give just this week. To give $1 every week be sure to join the Dollar Mob, also on your right in the sidebar.

Thoughts on Giving.

Wow, we've talked alot about giving this week, huh? We've talked about giving our money, our possessions, and a better version of ourselves. I've been so incredibly floored with what a generous group we have here. You guys were actually eager to give this week. Y'all are on fire! I wonder how many blessing bags have been created this week?!

Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.  Galatians 6:2

And talk about carrying a burden!... you raised almost $500 for the Hirth's adoption fund. That's a nice chunk out of it. Adoptive parents have so much to think about. Birth families, traumas, paperwork, traveling to a foreign country, and a million other things. We all know what it feels like to worry about money. It feels awful and hangs over your head. I am so glad to relieve a bit of that burden from this family. Thank you so much for your giving. If you haven't donated yet, you still have time. They'll be on until Sunday afternoon, when we switch over to welcome the Narunsky family. Also, think about joining the Dollar Mob if you want to make sure that you give each week. I know it's so easy to forget! Have a good weekend!

Peaceful Parenting: The Morning Series.

Hey ladies,

I'd like to start a new little series on here that I'm going to run on Thursdays called Peaceful Parenting. This is ironic because I'm usually the opposite of peaceful. Man, it's a word that I love and it's one of my top 3 favorite feelings, but sadly it's probably not the word that you would use to describe me. And that's always bugged me, but I'm entering a realm of parenting with this adoption stuff that requires me to calm down and chill out. Easier said than done, right? Adopted kids need a high level of predictability and peace in the home to function at their highest. They may have been abused or threatened in their past and obviously a screechy spazzy moody mom is not going to foster a safe feeling, right? I know we're not all adoptive moms on this blog, but most of us are moms. And mamas, guess who else thrives on predictability and peace? You. Your kids (adopted or natural). Your husband. My family is thriving as I'm trying to embrace some of these principles. So join me and let's all just chill out.

I have found that the most helpful thing that I can do for myself is to PLAN ahead and predict everybody's needs. And do as much as I can when I have energy and time, not necessarily when it's normally done. For example, mornings are usually chaos, but we can predict what needs to be done in the morning and do it beforehand. Like breakfast. Obviously the little tikes are going to need breakfast. If I make breakfast ahead of time, that's one thing off my gigantic morning to-do. Here's a few ideas.

Breakfast parfaits in mason jars. I love anything in mason jars.

Make ahead breakfast burritos.

Make ahead muffin melts.

I'd say the morning sort of sets the tone for the day so starting it right is important. Nothing feels worse than feeling behind before you even get started! Of course, there's more to the morning than breakfast and we'll chat a little more about that next week. Do any of you have any fabulous morning tips?

Blessing Bags

Hey Guys,

I am really excited to show you what I've been up to over here. I don't know if you came across this, but I saw this post on Ordinary Hero last week. If you missed it, let me summarized for you. My pals at OH travel to Ethiopia often. Every few weeks they go do mission work. Their purpose is simply to serve on the most basic level. Finding people who need help and need love and giving it freely. They did something a little differently this time. They drove out into the country to see what they could find. And this is what they found.







The need there is obviously great as we all know. But this post, as sad as it is looking like it's going to be... is not. We all know there are starving kids in Africa. Yeah, we know. And we know there are great organizations that we can fund to feed them. Yeah, we know that too. But today I want to talk to you about what YOU in your house in front of your computer can do right now to give love, light, and hope as well as food and clothing to one of them. This is a post about POWER. Your power.

God didn't call us to have compassion and feel sad when we see these pictures. Yes, we have a heart like His and it breaks to see this, but...

If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? James 2:16

Now hear me out. We're not going to go into a guilt trip. We're going to do something fun. Here's a challenge. I had alot of fun doing this. In fact I'm having a little party with my girlfriends this weekend to make more. Here's the mission. Blessing Bags. We're going to mail them to Ordinary Hero and they're going to take them out to the country. It's really that simple. Do you have some clothes that your kids have outgrown? A plethora of toys from The Golden Arches? How about some extra Nutrigrains in your pantry? We're going to assemble bags that can be not only a blessing, but possibly sustain life for another day in a country that, right now, has people literally starving to death. What can you do? Give them some food. Here's what my bags look like.







Ordinary Hero is asking that you include an outfit with socks and undies and a treat. I went ahead and included some snacks. It must fit in a gallon sized bag. Then you just label it with the size and gender. They'll distribute.

Let's let go of our perfectionism on this. Don't not participate because you can't complete a whole bag or because you only have girl stuff. Don't shop if you don't want to. But don't feel bad if you do want to. God knows your heart and your intentions. Give from your heart. There's plenty you can do to meet the physical needs of a child and give a sigh of relief to a mother. I think we are in the midst of a revolution in learning that each of us, a common person (not a preacher, not a missionary, just a person) can do something to help. So here's one more way to Give1. Give 1 Blessing Bag. I'll post next week and let you know what my party came up with. Maybe you can have a little party too. Or maybe you just have a bag to contribute. When you're done send it to:

Amy Bealle

Ordinary Hero

105 Keeton Drive.

Hopkinsville, Ky 42240

And Now For Something Completely Different...

Hey Guys,

I'm about to do something really weird and it might freak you out a little, but I think we need to have a heart to heart. I love this blog and all the people that read it. Like LOVE. But I have this little issue. And that's that I have this double life going on and I don't know if I can keep it up much longer! Here's the scoop. I am just one person, and like all people, there's lots of facets to me. Oh, yes, I'm a complex gal. You see as you know me I'm all Adoption Girl and Save Africa and everything. And that's true and real. But there's another part of me you don't know. The truth is that there's more to me than that, and my blog just has to show it or I'm all stifled. So here's the real deal. In addition to being Adoption Girl, I'm also a sugar fiend, a design nut, a photographer, and avid Flylady enthusiast, a Christian, and a mess. And I think it's time you got to know the real me. Because I bet most of you are just like me. If you really want to talk adoption all the time there are so many awesome blogs that do that. And if you really want to talk recipes and crafts and design all the time there are so many awesome blogs that do that. But if you can handle it, I'd like to do both. Maybe the internet has room for something like that. We're still going to give $1 every week to a new family adopting from Africa. That's the whole point, people! We'll do that on Monday, but every other day we'll be talking straight from my heart. Of course there will still be adoption and Africa and Jesus in there because I'm still writing it, but if you don't mind, right now I'd like to talk about rice krispy treats. :)

The Modern Marigold is one of my favorite blogs and Amanda has started doing this super fun thing where every week we have to actually DO something we saw on Pinterest and blog about it. Then we link up. And I just have to play! So this is what I did. Brown Butter Pumpkin Spiced Rice Krispy Treats. Kind of lame because that's what Amanda did last week, but I was out of inspiration and they just looked pretty good. And they were, really good. I recommend. They were easy peasy and the kids thought they were fancy, but not too fancy to eat a whole pan in one day. Here's the pin I found it on. But here's another rice krispy fave. Cake Batter Rice Krispies. I love those.

Now, hang with me while we try out this new weird format. I really want to get to know you guys too. I'm sure Lindsay, our mama of the week is freaking out right now, so if you haven't given your $1 yet, please do to reassure her that it's all going to be ok if we cut up a little too! We're going to be a dynamic group of girls that can whip up a wicked rice krispy treat and still fund an adoption a week. No problemo! Right? Can I get an amen if you don't think this is way too wacky?

I have a little announcement

Some really awesome artists have been at work behind the scenes to bring us this little announcement. The Give1 Shop is open for business. All items have been donated by various artists. When you buy from the shop you can know that your money will go straight into the Dollar Mob fund, which is given to the family of the week every week. It's like making a donation to that family and getting something cool as a super awesome bonus. Thank you so much for all contributers! This week our contributers are Michelle Armas, For the Love of Joy, Violastudio, Enduring Arts and 29Blackstreet. If items are sold out in the Give1 shop, just head over to their usual storefront to make a purchase. If you are an artist or crafter and have something you would like to contribute, email me! I'd love to add it. My email is b.cupitt(at)yahoo(dot)com.

New week, New family

Hey guys!

It's time to gather round and lift up another family. This is the Hirth family. Hi Hirths! They actually spent their honeymoon, 4 years ago, in Ethiopia. While they were there they met a young lady named Poppi (pictured here on the top right) who inspired them to learn more about empowering girls in developing countries. When they made the decision to adopt, they knew they wanted to give a girl a future. And they also wanted to give their two year old little guy, Hudson, a baby sister. So they are in the process of adopting a baby girl, age 0-2, from Ethiopia.

The Hirth family lives in Arkansas. Lindsay is a writer, and she volunteers for nonprofits. Bob is getting a PhD in business, studying social entrepreneurship and economic development in Africa. Their son Hudson is working on becoming a super hero and is excited to meet his sister.

So ladies, I ask you... is this the week we bust $1,000?! Please say yes. I'm dying here! We've come so close a few times. Let's round up the troops. Email your girlfriends. Join the Dollar Mob and you'll be supporting the Hirths adoption as well as 51 others in a year! It's over there on your right. That's a pretty good deal for $1 a week.Or just give to the Hirths this one time right here.

***UPDATE: I thought we'd keep a running total. I'll update you every day. So it's early Wednesday morning and the Hirths have received $293.

The Future You Are Dreaming.

Buenos dias, ladies. Happy Friday! Well, we're wrapping up another week here on Give1Save1. If you haven't had time to give to the new school in Ethiopia, please do. It's just a tiny dollar and less than a minute of your time. Imagine how many children will have a safe place to be, food in their bellies, and a chance at life once this school is constructed. But the true fact of the matter is that it's going to take dollars to put a building in. And dollars to hire caring teachers and cooks. The Good Book says that where our treasure is is where our heart is. Let's show those kids that our hearts are with them and send a bit of our treasure over their way.

A Giant Collaboration

Alot of rockstars teamed up to create this very cool line for Nordstrom's. Disney, TOMS, and Petunia Picklebottom, just to name a few. All proceeds go to Unicef's FEED campaign. Usually Nordstrom's is just not on my radar. I'm more of a Target girl myself. But check this stuff out and you'll see that the price tags are not ridiculous. So keep them in mind when shopping for your little ones (and mamas, there is a cool line from clarins too!)

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Don't look now, but it's time to shop.

Yep. It's October, which is almost November, which is almost December. So no one can deny that it's time to shop. Want to see me use a big word? Here it is. Sustainability. This week we are talking about supporting sustainability in our Christmas shopping. I feel so smart right now. Sustainability is when our money not only fills a need, it does so in a way that will keep going beyond the immediate need. It's the sort of thing that spreads HOPE.  Let me provide a prime example. Noonday Collection. I found this site through Wynne Elder, one of our upcoming mamas. She's a Noonday Ambassador and now I'm dreaming of being one too now. Another day, another day. Today we shop. Let me showcase a few awesome pieces real quick and then tell you why you should shop here. Click on the pic to go see some more.



This one is my first time purchase. I thought I'd start my Christmas shopping last week and this one caught my eye immediately. But I think it's mine. It wants me. How am I going to give this stuff away? Anyhoo, it was made by a woman named Coral. Read her story here on the Noonday blog. A portion of the purchase goes to her.



I'm sort of in love with this one too. It's an infinity scarf so you don't have to know how to wrap one. I'm sort of ridiculous when it comes to wrapping a scarf.



These sandals can have a different fabric every day and can be wrapped a gazillion ways. Ok, so sandals for Christmas might be weird for some of you guys, but I live in Texas and sandals are 10 months out of the year.



This is the Daughter's First Diamond Necklace. Do you have any idea how sexy my husband would be if he bought this for my daughter? Quite.

Just one more pic. You have to check out the site because I could put a picture of all their products on this blog and that would be super weird so I won't. But one more.



I think I'm going to have to go with the patchwork clutch. But just do yourself (and a bunch of other people) a favor and go on over to Noonday Collection.

Now let me tell you why you can feel good about doing such a thing. Noonday portions out their profits in such a fair and fantastic way. Some money goes to orphan care, some to the consultant (Wynne is one of our upcoming adoptive moms, so her portion is funding her adoption), and some to the women who make the products. That, my friends, is a crazy awesome Christmas gift.

new week, new cause

Hey guys,

Time to gear up for a new week! This week we're supporting our project of the month, Awake and Alive. Let me tell you a little about what Awake and Alive is doing for orphans. Danielle and Jolene are two mamas who have both adopted from Ethiopia. While they were there they really developed a heart for the children who weren't in the orphanages. Not all of the children don't have parents. Some parents are sick and the children have to lead the household.  Some are left home while their single mothers make a living collecting and selling sticks. They are gone for up to seventeen hours a day and those babies are alone. Sometimes very small children caring for infants. There's no one to watch out for them. This village is so poor it is thought to be cursed, so even the government won't offer any assistance. Awake and Alive is a nonprofit founded by Danielle and Jolene, two moms just like us. And they are opening a school there in September of 2012. Education is the key ticket out of extreme poverty. We all know that. But this school is going to provide much more than that. It will be a safe place for the children to be. A place with safe adults and hot meals. I want to be a part of making this happen! Don't you?

Give to Awake and Alive right here. It's their blog. Just look on the right hand side and you'll see the donate button. Sorry about the extra click, but it's easy peasy and I'm working on getting the direct Paypal code. I'm just super slow this Monday morning! My bad!