Make a Difference: Girls for A Change

The following is a post sponsored by Yahoo! Every time someone clicks here to make Yahoo! their homepage, they're showing their support for Girls For A Change.

I was selected for this opportunity by Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity, as I do.

When I was in college I was part of a group celebrating women in technology. Since I was enrolled in a primarily male college (all engineering) this made a lot of sense. Us girls though, we stuck together, and the organization was a way for us to bond, just us girls, and help each other out. It was also a way for those of us who were upperclassmen (that's me) to help out the freshman who may not know anyone.

It was so much fun to meet the girls coming in and bond. We organized and held a fun overnight conference at the school so that we could bond even more. We had a fancy dinner where we could network with other women at the school and mingle with each other. We had activities and lectures and even did some fun community service together. It was so much fun to plan and be a part of. At the end of the conference it was always easy to keep in touch with the women I met there too, because they were so great. I loved being a part of it and knew that we made a difference.

About This Campaign

Yahoo! will donate $10 to Girls For A Change (GFC) for each person who clicks here to make Yahoo! her homepage by July 1...up to an amazing $10,000! We're counting on you to help us find 1,000 people willing to make a change worth $10,000 to this fantastic cause.

About Girls For A Change

Clever Girls Collective selected GFC as the non-profit for this generous Yahoo! campaign because it matches our mission of empowering women to help each other. Clever Founder Sheila Bernus Dowd was a GFC volunteer and member of the advisory board, so we have first-hand experience with their commitment to helping girls become community leaders. Here's how they describe themselves:

“Girls For A Change (GFC) is a national organization that empowers girls to create social change. We invite young women to design, lead, fund and implement social change projects that tackle issues girls face in their own neighborhoods. GFC empowers girls for personal and social transformation. The program inspires girls to have the voice, ability and problem solving capacity to speak up, be decision makers, create visionary change and realize their full potential."

Day 17: 30 Days of Photos

Today's Prompt: A picture of something that has made a huge impact on your life recently.

Perhaps this is a little weird, but Everett has made quite the impact. Puppy love and cuddles and fluffy paws are now part of my every day life. He brings structure to my day. He requires that I go outside and go for walks (rain or shine or heat or blizzard.) He's incredibly entertaining and funny and adorable and I have no idea what I took pictures of on a daily basis before we got him. He keeps me company in a way the cats couldn't (he cares that I'm around... hehe.) It's great to have him in our home and we're so glad he found his way to us.

Day 16: 30 Days of Photos

Today's Prompt: A picture of someone who inspires you.

Here we go again... This one is legit though (well, so were the others... hehe.) Jason has been running for a while now and recently finished his 5th half marathon. That's 13.1 miles. Can you imagine running that far? He gets up early to work out, comes home and runs outside if the weather is nice, goes to the gym if it's not... He's incredibly dedicated and inspiring. I need to find the motivation to run as well, since I'd love to be able to join him in races. That's a loooong way off though since he's come so far in his training and is registered for a (gulp) marathon in October (that's 26.2 miles... all at once!) Go Jason go!

Samson the Foster Pup

Today (actually, in about an hour) Samson's new family is coming to pick him up. We've had him for a little over 2 weeks and he's a really great dog. It's really hard not to get attached to our foster dogs, but especially hard when they are as sweet as this guy.

It helps that Everett loves him too. They play and play and then nap and play some more.

He loves toys and whenever I try to pick up all the dog toys and put them in the basket he just takes them out again. Apparently they don't belong there, they belong all over the living room floor.

The family that's adopting him is going to give him an excellent home. He will be the only dog in the house so he'll have more attention than he knows what to do with. They have already bought him toys and treats and everything he could possible need, and more.

The couple adopting him have an 11 year old girl and an 8 year old boy. The girl is especially excited to have a dog. When I was visiting the house last week she told me that the evening after meeting Samson they were sitting down to dinner and the little girl was going on and on to her father about how happy she is to get a dog and how cute he is and how he would sleep in her bed... and on and on. The mother told me that she sat back and thought that "this is one of those moments in life. One of those that you remember. One of the important ones."

I almost started crying right there. I had a hard time choking back the tears, knowing how perfect that was for her to say, and how she didn't even know how perfect it was for me to hear. "Moment" is my One Little Word for 2011 and it's been close to my heart all year. I knew that this family was right for Samson, and that they would give him a loving home, but at that moment I knew that they were perfect for him. I'm sad to let him go, but excited for him and the family.

Day 15: 30 Days of Photos

Today's Prompt: A picture of your night.

My nights are long and always look different, but on a good night (especially in the winter) I am in the tub with a good book. I'm seriously spoiled now that our house has a whirlpool tub (though, Jason has appreciated it after long runs as well.) I don't know that I'll be able to live in a house without one now! It's magical.

Day 14: 30 Days of Photos

Today's Prompt: A picture of someone you could never imagine your life without.

These prompts are getting somewhat repetitive in that the answer to a lot of them is the same. Obviously the answer to this one is my husband. :) I won't bore you with more mushy gushy stuff about how much I love him, just know that he's the one I couldn't imagine my life without, and hope I never ever have to.

Day 13: 30 Days of Photos

Today's Prompt: A picture of something in your home.

I kind of wish this machine had a better story, but here it is: I wanted an old Singer sewing machine so I looked on Craigslist and someone was getting rid of this one. So I bought it and brought it home and now I'm in love with it. Right now it lives in our living room where I get to see it every day. Isn't it beautiful? (And the kitty too?) Though I love my sewing machine that I actually use, this one is much prettier. I wonder who used it and what has been sewn on it. I may try and fix it someday... I think it just needs a new belt. We'll see. For now I just love looking at it. :)

Day 12: 30 Days of Photos

Today's Prompt: A picture of something you love.

My friend Corinne is responsible for this obsession of mine. She originally introduced me to the awesomeness that is the cupcake when we lived in Boston. Since then we've planned a cupcake tour (5-6 bakeries in one afternoon!) in Boston and San Francisco. Like the pennies, I seek out cupcake shops and bakeries when I travel to make sure I get to taste the local cupcakes. If you ever need to know where the best ones are in Minneapolis, I've likely tried most of them by now.

The above photo was taken by Kristen. The cupcakes are Black Velvet (some of the best I've ever had, and that's saying something) from Cocoa & Fig in Minneapolis. We refer to this photo as a Cupcake Glamour Shot. :)

Day 11: 30 Days of Photos

Today's Prompt: A picture of a collection you have.

A few years back for Christmas Jason got me a book to store squished pennies in. I had been saying that I wanted to start collecting them (Jason and I are both collectors by nature.) He got me a book and even did a little research and found out that pennies which were minted prior to 1982 are best to squish. So he looked through a bunch and also wrapped up $5 (or some obscene amount) of pennies which were the best for squishing. :) Since then I always have to check to see if there are penny machines where we travel. People even look for them on their vacations and bring them back for me! This hand full is a small fraction of the squished pennies I have... these are actually all just from Disney World, where it was like a huge scavenger hunt to find the machines. :)

Day 10: 30 Days of Photos

Ha! Jason told me I wouldn't be able to keep up with this project. Posting every day is hard, even if it is structured like this. Instead of stressing about it, I'm just going to keep going. So, enjoy the rest of this series of photos of my life. :)

Today's Prompt: A picture of a relationship you admire.

Jason and Erin have the best relationship. They even have nicknames for each other which started around the time of our wedding. Erin is SIL and Jason is BIL (Sister-in-Law and Brother-in-Law.) They goof around and act like siblings. You can tell that they love each other and it's amazing to me that two of the most important people in my life can be so close.

Day 9: 30 Days of Photos

Today's Prompt: A picture of the person who has gotten you through the most.

It's certainly not the first, or the last time my answer to one of these prompts is "Jason." Through it all, and certainly in the years to come, Jason has and will be the one to be there for me and to get me through the toughest parts of life. And you can bet I will be there to do the same for him.

Day 8: 30 Days of Photos

Today's Prompt: A picture that makes you laugh.

I've blogged about this photo before, but I still think it's one of the funniest moments that happened to be caught on film. :)

Day 7: 30 Days of Photos

Today's Prompt: A picture of your most treasured item.

I suppose I may be cheating a little bit here, since my favorite item is actually three items, but I'm going to go ahead and count it as one set. :) By far my most treasured items are my wedding rings. I've been wearing my engagement ring for the last 7 years, since Jason proposed when I was 19 years old. The set consists of my engagement ring, my wedding ring (the wrap around my engagement ring) and the band on the bottom which Jason bought me for our 1 year anniversary. (I'm spoiled. Seriously.) Not only are they pretty and shiny and sparkly, they symbolize something special, something forever. They symbolize the relationship I have with my husband, who is also my best friend, and I love wearing them every day.

/

Day 6: 30 Days of Photos

Today's Prompt: A picture of a child you adore.

My niece Abigail is definitely my favorite little munchkin. Like all my family I don't get to see her often enough (only a handful of times every year) but oh boy do I savor the time I do get to spend with her. I soak it up like a sponge. Perhaps that is the silver lining to living 1,500 miles away from her, that I never take for granted the time I get to hold her. As with everyone who lives back east, I miss her terribly, but it's that much more difficult with Abi because she changes SO MUCH between the times I do see her. Thank goodness for technology though. Amanda (my sister-in-law, Abi's Mama) regularly sends along updates and photos and videos of this little girl so we can stay connected. :)

Day 5: 30 Days of Photos

Today's Prompt: A picture of your favorite memory.

This photo was actually taken the day after we got engaged, as part of a fun reenactment. We were alone the night Jason proposed, which was completely perfect. It was also pretty dark (so much so that Jason asked me if I liked the ring and I had to tell him I couldn't see it between the dark and the tears running down my cheeks!) The fountain was actually lit up and I had just ran under it, which you can do without getting too wet. It was absolutely perfect and I wouldn't change a single moment (except maybe I would have paid more attention to what was going on instead of just freaking out as soon as Jason got down on one knee!) At that moment when I went from having a boyfriend to having a future husband I remember feeling that I had never been so happy and so excited about my future. It was an amazing feeling that would be replicated 2.5 years later on our wedding day. :)

Day 4: 30 Days of Photos

Today's Prompt: A picture of something you want to do before you die.

I don't just want to visit Italy before I die... I need to. I would say that I would be really disappointed if I couldn't, but really, I'm not sure I would know. Either way, it needs to happen, and if I get my way, it will happen soon! :) I look forward to being completely absorbed in the culture, awe-struck by the architecture, inspired by the history, and completely in love with the food.

Day 3: 30 Days of Photos

Today's Prompt: A picture of the cast from your favorite show.

My most favorite show is Scrubs. I love Zach Braff (especially his hair... hehe) I love the type of random comedy the show entails, and I love the characters. The best part about this show is that I can honestly watch reruns over and over again without getting sick of them. I even love the music they use in the show, and have downloaded multiple tracks they use in the episodes. The show has been canceled, but I have all the seasons on DVD (I actually got them for my bridal shower from my MIL, who wanted to get me something I would really enjoy!)

Day 2: 30 Days of Photos

Today's Prompt: A picture of you and the person you've been closest with the longest.

With the exception of my immediate family, I have been closest to Jason the longest. We have been dating since 2002, our senior year of high school. This is the first photo taken of us, shortly after we began dating. I think we look so young! Hehe.

Happy Birthday Little Sister!!!

Today is my little sister Erin's 23rd Birthday. It's a little hard to believe that she's 23. Even though I am only 3 years older it's still crazy to me!

Some of these photos were taken last week when she was here visiting me in Minnesota (her 4th of 5th time visiting us here!) The rest are just photos I like of her. :)

Happy Birthday Erin!!! I hope you have a fantastic day! Love you girl!

Day 1: 30 Days of Photos

Many of you may have seen the lists from sites like Facebook where you post a photo a day for a month. I thought that I would play along on the blog this month. :) First up, a photo of me with 15 facts.

Photo taken by my Kristen when she visited Minnesota last year. In the background is the famous Spoon & Cherry statue in Minneapolis.

15 random facts about me that you probably don't even care to know but I am going to tell you anyway:
1. When I laugh really hard I cry.
2. I've known my husband since we were 2 years old and we've been dating since we were 17.
3. I hardly ever wear socks that match.
4. I have Trypanophobia, the fear medical procedures involving needles.
5. I don't like the taste of milk and never have. Same goes for coffee.
6. I am nocturnal... like an owl. I get the most work done between 10pm and 2am.
7. I just recently stopped biting my nails, at age 25.
8. I would love to live in Europe someday.
9. I remember almost all my dreams and I could tell you about them in detail (but you wouldn't want to know because they are WEIRD!)
10. I sleep with a fan on every night but I despise ceiling fans because they always seem to be rattling.
11. I hate being cold but I love living in Minnesota.
12. We've moved 7 times in the last 7 years.
13. I believe that Diet Coke is the nectar of life. ;)
14. When I took the Myers-Briggs Personality Test I came up as a 100% Introvert, which I honestly think is 100% accurate.
15. I would love to write a book someday.