A devoted PIOB donator..

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Elizabeth and I are still humbled at the amazing people we continue to meet through this journey of helping moms who are stressed with moms who are blessed. Givers and Receivers alike are all willing to do what they can to give back. Many have been in tough situations before and feel the need to help others in a tough spot too. Many of those who have been in need have turned right around and also donated the clothes they have to simply pay it forward and "Pass It On". 

One particular mom has touched me. Her name is Kym. I have known Kym as one of my class members at the gym who took spin regularly from me until she became pregnant with her son Cooper. We tend to miss each other these days at the gym but luckily we have found a new connection - Pass It On, Baby! Kym has been a devoted donator ever since the first need we listed for the family who had a fire in Ohio back in May. I mentioned a little about her in a previous blog. She gave brand new clothes that she had stocked away to this family and what wasn't used for them - was just sent to a family needing winter clothes. On top of that - she contacted us last week about a children's clothing store closing in a mall near us and asked what sizes she could purchase in order to help a couple of Pass It On, Baby families. Amazing! Why - you ask - would she consider spending her own money to help other families in need. Below she shares with us how giving to Pass It On, Baby also helps heal the little girl inside of her that has needed it. 

Honestly, I give to PIOB because I've "been there".  Not as a mother (praise God), but as a child.  My father left the country to become a "missionary" when I was 6...to avoid paying child support.  So, my single mother worked full time, then went to school part-time every evening...therefore, we didn't have "stuff" and we didn't even get time with the only parent still around.  Luckily, she had learned how to sew and made clothes for my brother and I; but I remember her sewing patches on top of patches to keep our clothes together.  I will never forget the feeling, when in Junior High, I went to the mall for the first time to get new "store bought" clothes.  My mother never complained and always taught us "you make bad decisions, you deal with the consequences"...unfortunately, sometimes our children are the ones to "deal with the consequences" of our decisions.  Granted, the world is not fair, but I vowed to be home with my children no matter the sacrifice.  I worked for Ralph Lauren for 7 years, and bought clothes (girl and boy, just to be "fair") the entire time.  My children will have clothes until High School, and as they outgrow those "name brand clothes" we will pass them on, baby!!  I quit that job when my son was born in 2007, and we definitely struggle to make ends meet some months...but when there is some money left over we buy extra PIOB clothes.  Somewhere, there is a child opening that box, feeling the thrill of cutting the tags from her/his "store bought clothes".

Wow! Amazing! We are truly blessed to have the wonderful people we have attracted into this community - the givers and receivers alike. All of you are beautiful and we thank you for helping us to build this group of like-minded individuals who all want to make a difference - whether it's now or later. Thank you Kym - Thank you all!

In love & kindness,

Email Elizabeth & Heather

Through a Child's Eyes....

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I love children…I learn so much from them everyday. I love how they see the world and I think there are so many important lessons to be learned on how to live a good life from them. This is no real revelation, the Bible has plenty of quotes on how you must become like children to reach God. But take a moment and think of the lessons that us parents impart on children that somehow as we become adults, we run the risk of losing sight of. Sharing, being kind, using nice words, helping a friend….

I was at the pool today with my little ones. We had brought several kiddie toys with us to play with. Once we set them in the baby pool, there were several little children who came over to check out the new toys and naturally, they started to pick them up and play with them. My three year old started to protest, but I calmly explained that the toys were for all the kids to share. Another mother came up and explained that her kiddos would be sharing their toys too. And so the kids went on, sharing their toys, playing together – happily.

Before we went to the pool, I picked up my three year old (Riley) from preschool orientation. My one year old daughter and my six year old son were with me, waiting for Riley’s class to be dismissed. Another little girl was also waiting for her brother outside the classroom and she was eating goldfish crackers. She came up to my children and offered them both some. It was so cute…and I smiled at how much I learn from children, and how much we all could learn from children everyday.

Children are pure. They believe in kindness, they forgive instantly. They smile often, laugh unrestrained and consider life an adventure. Somewhere along the lines, we get a little mixed up. And for today, my goal is to remember how I was as a child and to make sure to see the world in just that way….if only in fleeting glances.

When I was younger, and even more of an idealist that I currently am, I had a huge poster on the back of my door with a beautiful poem reminding me all the things that you learn when you are a child. Thank you, Robert Fulghum for being such a beautiful observer.

Everything I Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten

Most of what I really need to know about how to live and what to do, and how to be, I learned in kindergarten. Wisdom was not at the top of the graduate school mountain, but there in the sandbox at nursery school.

These are the things I learned:

Share everything.

Play fair.

Don't hit people.

Put things back where you found them.

Clean up your own mess.

Don't take things that aren't yours.

Say you're sorry when you hurt somebody.

Wash your hands before you eat.

Flush.

Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you.

Live a balanced life.

Learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work every day some.

Take a nap every afternoon.

When you go out into the world, watch for traffic, hold hands and stick together.

Be aware of wonder.

Remember the little seed in the plastic cup? The roots go down and the plant goes up and nobody really knows how or why, but we are all like that. Goldfish and hamsters and white mice and even the little seed in the plastic cup -- they all die. So do we.

And then remember the book about Dick and Jane and the first word you learned, the biggest word of all: look.

Everything you need to know is in there somewhere. The Golden Rule and love and basic sanitation. Ecology and politics and sane living.

Think what a better world it would be if we all -- the whole world -- had cookies and milk about 3 o'clock every afternoon and then lay down with our blankets for a nap. Or if we had a basic policy in our nation and other nations to always put things back where we found them and cleaned up our own messes.

And it is still true, no matter how old you are, when you go out into the world, it is best to hold hands and stick together.

Have a beautiful day, friends, and be kind. Take these lessons and share some, smile some, comfort some, help some and just enjoy some.

In love and kindness,


Email Elizabeth & Heather

Planning a life vision

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The last couple of weeks have been pretty chaotic for me and my family as well as we move into a new direction in our life. As I have mentioned in past blogs - my husband, baby and I have been helping to take care of my mother-in-law's home while she has been taking care of her mother who hasn't been physically able to. During that time, my advertising and marketing business began to sink and my husbands day trading wasn't netting out the income we needed to live on either. So we have had to come up with a new vision for our life. 

Luckily my brother-in-law has been doing well in the Real Estate industry and has recruited my husband to help out. Chris just passed his exam yesterday and what do you know - I got a new business meeting all in the same day. YAHOO! The broker we have chosen for him is very agressive in their marketing efforts and does help new agents with leads. With my marketing and advertising background - I am working on a plan for how to increase business. We have to be willing to beat the streets and talk to anyone about his vision for his Real Estate company. He wants to truly help people find a place that is affordable and fits their lifestyle. 

We've definitely been shifting things around for the past few months and been praying for things to move in the right direction. We can't be excited enough for the new shift in energy and momentum that we are feeling. Now its time to make a plan on how to move forward. Not just financially, but for the lifestyle that is important to us. Health, Wealth (not being rich - just smart with the money we do have/make) and Happiness in my opinion is the foundation that is necessary to sustain an abundant quality of life. It's important to us for someone to take care of our child from home and I also have to balance my business time, PIOB time, marketing Chris' business, family time, workout time, cleaning time, and so on and so forth. So we have to schedule how much business will work within my time constraints but we also have to make a certain amount of money. We are planning out every dollar in order to get us through the next couple of months while we continue building on this momentum (sometimes robbing Peter to pay Paul - as I'm sure many of you know the game). More importantly - we are planning out where each dollar will go once the money starts coming in. How can we pay off debt, put money away, and get ourselves in a position to allow my mother-in-law to take back over her home so we can move on. Maybe not right away but down the road in the near future. Its tricky and very overwhelming at times. Chris and I usually get out the whiteboard and start putting down each item that needs to get down and then prioritize and determine what's realistic to fit into our already hectic schedules. This board gets filled with 100's of things but then we narrow down and decide what's a must and what can we hold off on handling or planning until we knock some other items off our list. But we can at least see the big picture. 

We are also currently working on planning out our meals and how to make sure that we continue to get the proper nutrition we need to continue to stay focused on our goals. We have to make sure we get our regular workouts in as it fuels the body and the mind to stay energized. We know that good food, supplements, and exercise is important and it has be apart of our vision for our daily life.

This is probably a re-focus time for lots of families out there. People are having to re-invent themselves, find new ways to earn incomes, learn how to manage on less, as well as try to live a balanced happy life. It can be difficult when times look bleak as I too can attest too but its all about starting with a game plan - a vision for our life. What is important to us, how do we want to feel everyday about ourselves, about our life. What are we willing to get out there and do? Can we push forward past our fears and take a chance? Are we willing to step outside the box and really sell who we are? Are we willing to try a nutrition or workout plan that is completely foreign for achieving a new health goal? Are we willing to really know how to budget our money, and plan out how to think in terms of maybe networth instead of just income? Again, to me its all about the little things that help me to achieve health, wealth and happiness. At the end of the day - isn't that the foundation to an enhanced quality of life? 

What's your game plan? What new vision are you looking to create? I know it may be personal but all you need to say is - I'm planning out how to reinvent my career or I'm working on a new vision for the mom I want to be. It can be anything. 

Take care and good luck! I'll keep you posted on how we are doing with implementing our vision. :)

In love & kindness,

Email Elizabeth & Heather

The Man on the Street....

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Hi friends! It feels like its been a while. It’s been one of those weeks where you live a lifetime in a few short days. I’ve taken a child to camp for three weeks, we’ve visited what we call home for a few days, seen some friends, walked down Memory Lane in so many ways and well, here I am….no worse for the wear and tear.

I mentioned that we took my oldest son to camp. He will be gone for three weeks living on a college campus. After we dropped him off, we walked around the campus and the town area with my second son. The area is a fairly upscale area and we watched a bike race, browsed through the shops and enjoyed the beautiful day. As we were preparing to walk back to the car and head back home, we stopped in a CVS to get some drinks for the drive. In the middle of this gorgeous, happy day, there was a man collecting change and obviously struggling in many ways. It bothered me….We gave him some money and walked inside. Not seconds after we entered the store, he entered behind us and went to grab some snacks that he paid with in change. Immediately after paying for his inexpensive snacks, he sat back down where he had originally been. I watched him for a while. I wondered how people were able to walk by and not say a word. Then I remembered that I too had passed by a couple quite recently in my own area and was unable to do anything to help. I also thought about when I worked in a major city. There came a point where I became immune to their struggle. I saw 10+ people every day collecting change and eventually, I stopped feeling the sadness. I think it’s your minds way of protecting you from too much sadness. But as I watched him sit there, head down, I became scared. Scared that we are capable of shielding ourselves from the true pain that is out there. Scared that we are able to become immune to what I consider our social responsibility.

I know the arguments, I know that people say that there are more productive ways to go about getting yourself help. Its probably true….if you have the capabilities. If life has not overwhelmed you to the point that you are just a shell, and are no longer present in any moment – just getting by. I know that people feel that they cannot be sure of the poverty or struggle of those they see. I know that they feel that they cannot give to everyone….again, both of these are true. If you choose to give to people in need, you cannot verify that they are truly in the struggle. There are always ways to “trick” any system. But, does this mean that we just stop giving altogether? Does it matter if they are poor in spirit or poor in monetary means? Is the act of giving truly between you and that person or is it between you and God? See, if I give to someone and they are a fraud, my act of kindness isn’t diminished. I still helped another, I still did as I feel I am called to do. I still put good in the world. For them? They can take that issue up with God – it isn’t my concern or frankly, my business. And as far as not being able to give to everyone, no you can’t. But give to someone and for that moment feel their struggle without any judgment. It makes you more compassionate, it makes you more understanding – it makes them less bitter and for the moment makes the world seem a little less rough of a place on their spirits.

I watched that man with his head down and I felt that sadness. I know that there are people who say that they are “scammers” but I think there is a lot of emotional pain behind each and every person who is out on the streets panhandling. Most of us have a built-in sense of pride that prevents us from asking too much of another. Now I don’t know if its good or bad, but I know its there. Many of the people that you see panhandling have been stripped of that pride. The world has probably dealt them a hand that you couldn’t imagine. There are flaws in the reasoning, in the method that they go about asking for help, but they are still in need of that very help or kindness.

I choose not to judge any one person’s belief system. Live your life in the best way you know how. Most of us are all doing the best we can at any given moment. Whether you see Jesus as God or as an amazing individual that walked the face of the earth isn’t for me to pass judgment on. But, it shouldn’t escape any of our thoughts that Jesus, Mother Theresa and countless other amazing individuals chose to spend their time ministering to these very people, people in need. They found God in them, they never walled off their compassion. I think it speaks volumes in how we are called to care for others – and I know so many in our little community already do. =)

For whatever you have in life, be thankful. As always, I have no answers, but think it is so important to ask ourselves about these issues.

In love and kindness,


Email Elizabeth & Heather

Letting them go on their own path

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The last few days have been a bit difficult for me as my younger sister who lives in a different state has been struggling with her personal life. She is a single mother of 2 beautiful kids - Kalyn 8 and Frankie 7. You would never know that these kids have had to struggle through life, have had several male figures around and have even had to endure a shelter at one point.

Me being the older sister - I am always one that is quick to jump in and save the day. I have provided countless calling cards, co-signed for credit cards that never have been paid, given several hundreds of dollars as needed and have emotionally drained myself at times in hopes to help save the moment, the day, the situation - whatever it may be. 

Not to get into to much detail about my family history but my sister never had it all that easy. She had some behavioral problems as a teen. My mom and step-dad were divorced when she was young, then my mom left, her dad eventually put her in a children's home, she struggled with her obesity and things just continued in her life to get worse over time. She became pregnant at a very young age with a man that wasn't able to provide for her and her family. He was incarcerated for quite some time. She had to learn how to do things on her own and luckily our family was able to support her. Her self-esteem has never been good and she has battled with "daddy" issues her whole life. I feel for my sister as life has rarely ever given her a break. Currently she finds herself pregnant again with another man that is not so good, and because of him is in a situation where she may lose her children. Luckily my mother is able to take the kids indefinitely until my sister is able to sort things out. 

I tell you all this because I have struggled with how to help her for many years. I can not change the past experiences that have shaped her life and her decisions. I can not change the fact that our mom left and then her dad left her as well. I can not change that she chose bad men or that she had kids at a young age. I can not change her or her life. I can only change the way I respond to her and love her. I have tried countless "talking" sessions over the phone as she wasn't in a position to afford counseling. I thought if she could only talk this out with someone who won't judge her actions but will only help her view herself differently and work through her pain - then maybe she can overcome. 

My soul wants to swoop in and save everything. Give her money, counseling, workout/eating plans, parenting skills, etc to help her achieve the life I know she wants and deserves. But I have to remember that the teacher can and will only appear when the student is ready. My intervening trying to guide her and tell her how to live her life may only make it harder for God to move in during her darkest hour and help guide her through. I can not deny her that. As long as my niece and nephew are safe and well taken care of - I have to let her go on her own path. I can provide the help if she wants it but unfortunately the only help that she really needs that can change her life is understanding her purpose - understanding how she "feels" everyday is the most important thing - understanding that the "energy" she creates for herself in her home affects her and her children - understanding that the most important things in life are health, wealth and happiness and from that foundation will stem everything life has to offer her. 

It's difficult for me to sit back. I have to help in a way that is healthy for me and my family as well as it is for her. Sometimes the road to enlightenment is filled with many rock bottoms - but if I try to save it or fix it. I may not allow the entire lesson that God has in store to be learned. 

I know many of us in this community may be in similar situations to either me or my sister. The helper can only help when the person is ready and willing. We have to help in ways that we can without intervening. Sometimes God wants to help by just loving and praying for them at a distance. If you relate more with my sister - life hasn't given you many breaks - seek out the support of a "teacher" when you are ready. Someone who can help guide you to heal the pain inside so you can start feeling every day the way life was intended to be lived. With high, loving, happy energy every day - no matter the circumstances. We start by just learning to love ourselves, love our past, appreciate what life has taught us and be willing to move forward with an openness to learn, attract and obtain our purpose.

Sorry for my soap box today. This has been heavy on my heart the last couple of days and I feel it so cathartic to use this forum to release my own feelings and emotions. Thank you for allowing me share. 

In love & kindness,

Email Elizabeth & Heather

Reflecting Morning...

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No kind action ever stops with itself. One kind action leads to another. Good example is followed. A single act of kindness throws out roots in all directions, and the roots spring up and make new trees. The greatest work that kindness does to others is that it makes them kind themselves. – Amelia Earhart

How beautiful are Amelia Earhart’s words?! I just LOVE this quote. Whenever I read it, it reminds me why we do what we do, and how we all benefit.

Sometimes when I find myself worried, stressed, tired or just in need of some reflection, I look to those with words of wisdom. These little moments where I read and reflect on what others have said help perk up my spirit and keep me headed where I want to be.

Kindness can become its own motive. We are made kind by being kind. – Eric Hoffer

The quote above at first glance seems negative, but I don’t read it that way. In fact, I feel it is SO very positive. Whatever you want to be in the world, head in that direction. You may not be exactly what you want at the start, but in the end, by beginning the act of what you envision, you will get to your end goal. You want to be a kind person? Do the acts of kindness, then you will think the acts of kindness and all the while, your spirit is becoming kind.

Remember there's no such thing as a small act of kindness. Every act creates a ripple with no logical end. – Scott Adams

That’s all of our hope, right? I’m sitting here at the computer, with my coffee, enjoying and reflecting on these words. I know all of you that are visit our site, hear our words and join in our mission feel in much the same way.

If you have words of wisdom that help you on your way that you’d like to share, please know that we’d love to hear! =) And if not, have a beautiful day today!

In love and kindness,


Email Elizabeth & Heather

Making Sense of it All...

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Life sometimes seems unfair. Somehow we all know that and make our way in the best way we know how. We trust in God’s purpose for us all, and that the trials and tribulations that befall us are learning experiences and opportunities to grow and become who we are meant to be. But that doesn’t change how bitter the moments can be when faced with another of those times that remind us again of how unfair life can seem.

My heart is heavy today, my oldest son’s friend’s father passed away. He was young, fit, in good health and the father to four. We had my son’s friend over last evening to spend the night and have a chance to catch his breath through the grief. The great thing is that kids are resilient…and adults? Not as much. As I thought of the mother, telling her children, taking the next steps alone – my heart broke and I was again reminded of how unfair life can seem.

I’m no stranger to this feeling, when I read some of the stories we receive here from Pass It On, Baby!, my heart breaks. I wonder how some of these mothers and children can endure so much. It’s almost overwhelming when I allow myself to really let the feelings in. I found that I’ve stopped asking the “why” questions and now just accept that terrible things DO happen, and they happen to people who are good. For me, there is no point in the “why”….those answers belong solely to a Higher Power. My questions now come in the form of “what”. What can I do to help? What do they need?

And so it goes….Kindness flows through even the darkest of hours. That is how I find God in the worst of times. My son’s friend’s family is completely overwhelmed with food. They literally can’t take anymore. That makes me smile. Many people, feeling equally as helpless, did what they could. The same is true with our Pass It On, Baby! community. I wish I could tell you how many times we have heard from mothers whose own hearts were broken upon hearing or seeing the stories of children in need. They do what they can. They reach out in kindness. They send their own kiddos clothes along, even when they themselves are just a niche above struggling themselves.

I know people say that the world is a cold, hard place. I’m not buying it. There are bad things, inexplicable things that happen – but there is good in the face of it all. I don’t know about you, but I always root for the underdog, the one who needs the hand. I love shows like Extreme Make-over: Home Edition….I cheer along with those being helped. I know that it’s unfair that they are in the situations they are in, but I also know that I see it that way because I don’t understand the Master Plan. When the underdog does triumph – its an unbelievable feeling! And maybe a little more of that Master Plan being revealed….

I also know that in my moments of struggle, I grow. I become a different person, a better person – and hopefully, a more understanding person. These tough moments are a turning point for so many of us….in the end, they define our character. When Heather and I wrote about a family who lost everything in a fire, we had a woman reach out and tell her story to us. She had been in the same horrible situation, felt the same grief, sorrow, heart-ache, but had healed, and was now ready to reach out to help another through. Maybe that’s why we go through the tough moments that we do….maybe we go first to help another one after us and show us the way. [There is a HUGE parallel that I’m feeling here…but I have to be careful not to get too preachy….LOL! Especially when I’m such a work in progress….(ask my kids! =) ]

Back to my thoughts, before I got a little off topic….If each of us were untouched by sorrow and heartache, what type of understanding and empathy would we have? Do you think that we walk through these different trials so that each of us bring a different understanding to the world?

Pardon my random ramblings today….I guess I’m just trying to make sense of it all. Like you, I have no answers. I do have some faith along the way, a bigger wanting to do good, and the renewed knowledge that tomorrow is promised to no one. Sooo – since we only have this moment…become the person that you want to be today…..

In love and kindness,


Email Elizabeth & Heather

If you build it - they will come

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Welcome everyone who may be new to our site and thank you to all of you who have been with us from the beginning of this journey helping and connecting as many families as we can.

Elizabeth and I sometimes struggle to decide what topics to feature in our blog posts. As this is a charity site, we want to be sure that we are sharing our stories, sharing your stories, and relaying the experiences that so many have in the joys of giving and receiving through our blog. We want to focus on topics that are important to you but don't want to stand on our soap boxes for too long either. :) That's why we are looking to you to let us know what  you are looking for from Pass It On, Baby! So many other blogs are sharing the daily stories of being a mom, the stories of struggles, joyous moments, funny moments and so on. But since PIOB is still in its infancy stages - we want to be sure we are building our blog around you. We want to write about topics and share stories that are important to you - that will keep you coming back - that get you involved, interacting in discussions with us. 

We have been considering in the near future also building a site similar to craigslist where families that have clothes to donate can post what they have to offer and then families in need can sort through and contact directly. Similarly, a family in need could post what they need as donators sort through and see if they can fill that void. It's not that we don't want to be personally touching each and every person but as we grow it becomes a little more difficult to determine proper matches. We have created a spreadsheet that we keep that has donors and recipients on separate pages with what they need and what they have to offer. Elizabeth and I then manually go through each time we have a new need to see if that need can already be filled by someone who has offered to donate. We love being able to find someone we already have but if we don't then we reach out to our networks via our blog's immediate needs section, facebook postings and twitter. We have yet to find ourselves in a situation where we haven't been able to meet a need but are fearful of how to handle if that does present itself. Especially when we have been have been receiving more requests for larger children sizes. We are determined to help each and every family so we would love any ideas on how to tap into these older kid demographics. What do you think about the automated posting like Craigslist? Is this a good idea? Any other suggestions on how we can better match families together?

Please guide us so we can build a site that will stand the test of time. We aren't looking to be a fad or a place where someone donates/receives once and then never comes back to visit. We want to be efficient in generating matches and most importantly we want to create a forum where we can help each other in anything! We want to donate our time, our resources, our stories, whatever it may be - to stay true to our online community of helping others. 

So please tell us - What is it that draws you to our blog? The simple fact that we are helping other moms, the opportunity for you to help? Do you check our immediate needs list to see if you have a fit?  Do you enjoy the stories of those in need, those helping? Do you wish we touched on other topics? Do we need more giveaways or other incentives to draw people to our site? Let us know how we can build it - and they/you will come (and stay). 

In love & kindness,

and

Email Elizabeth & Heather

And the winner is...

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Thank you for everyone who participated in our first ever PIOB giveaway! Thank you all for the wonderful comments and for sharing with us your thoughts and feelings about PIOB! It provides both Elizabeth and I the validation that we need sometimes to know we are on the right path doing what we are called to do. Many of these shared thoughts brought us a vast array of emotion from tears of joy, contentment, peace, love, and most of all unity. We feel your love and we love you back. We are truly invested in this community and everyone in it. We pray for those that are finding difficult times and know that with each box that is sent, the giving family is also providing positive thoughts and prayers. We also pray for each family that has been a giver. We hope that they are over-filled with the love that giving to a family in stress has to offer them. We are all united together in this little online community and we couldn't be more satisfied, elated and joyful to all the families whose lives have been touched from giving and/or receiving. 

Due to the nature of all the wonderful comments, both Elizabeth and I decided it was just not fair nor possible for either one of us to choose a winner. Each comment touched us in a unique way - especially knowing who the comment came from. So we did a little research and was able to find a very sophisticated online software that randomly picks winners called - Random Line Picker. You type in the text, re-arrange the text several times, and then click "Pick 1 Line Winner" and it picks randomly for you! How cool! We were very relieved that that the responsibility of choosing was left to complete randomness. 

THE WINNER IS........SUZANNE! 

Just to share with you a little about Suzanne. She contacted us about a month ago letting us know that she is the mother of 4 children - 3 boys (7, 5, 2 1/2) and 1 girl (5 weeks) and had lots of boys clothes to share to a family in need. She amazingly gathered her boys together for a summer project of going through clothes, boxing them and donated to 4 different families!!! Check out pictures of their crew from a previous post. She and her family have blessed so many. We are happy that she has been randomly chosen for PIOB's first contest giveaway to Nicole's For Children. 

Thank you again to all who entered! We will be doing more contests in the near future. So tell your friends and family about our site, how we together help others and how we can make a difference! Please continue to share with us your thoughts. Your comments keep us going - even if they are brief. Let us know what you think of a post or provide ideas for reaching more people. And as always - continue to Pass It On!

In love & kindness,

and

Email Elizabeth & Heather

On my mind....

Please note: If this is your first time visiting our blog, please click here to hear the premise of Pass It On, Baby! and how it all began.... Pass It On, Baby!

Hello dear friends! I hope you had an enjoyable fourth! I meant to write yesterday on the actual day of the fourth, but the holiday slipped away from me and I spent some much needed play time with our little family.

Yesterday, for me and I’m sure many of you, was a day filled with pride for our country and our freedom. Throughout the day, my mind kept drifting back to those who are military families in our Pass It On, Baby! community. I just wanted to say thank you; thank you to fathers, sons, husbands who keep us safe. Thank you to the mothers who at times need to be mothers and fathers to their children when their soldier is away. Thank you for the frequent moves, the fear and worry that comes with the job and unfortunately, too often the little thanks that come along with it. You are heroes and examples of duty, honor, tradition and courage, and if you know a soldier, you should be proud to know a soldier, regardless of any of our political views.

Heather and I have been so moved by many of your comments on the giveaway. We will announce the winner tomorrow (contest is still open!), but really, how awesome is our little community of kindness? Stemming from our little giveaway, one of our readers owns a wonderful motivational, spiritual store that does beautiful work (I know, I’m being vague on purpose! Lol) and after reading about our giveaway offered to sponsor another one for us. We are pretty excited! Because it is a little bit of fun, and yes, you all deserve it!

If you’ve been on our Facebook page lately, you’ll notice that there are some new fan photos that have been uploaded. They are from a family that is very close friends of mine. Neely (the mother) is one of my closest friends and has been aware of Pass It On, Baby! since it was only in the brain-child stages. I love her for many, many reasons, but I respect her for always wanting to make this world a little better and for teaching her children the same philosophy. On any random weekend, you might find her husband shaving his head to benefit children’s cancer, her daughter growing her hair for locks of love, or their family simply just passing along clothes to someone in need. While Neely was finishing her teaching degree, she volunteered at a school that dealt with some of the poorest children in a very tough area. All of her friends worried about her going there and tried to convince her to head back to the suburbs to teach. She was undeterred, and simply stated that the children she dealt with needed her more. If you’ve read the comments from the giveaway, you will have read her beautiful comment. (I have to confess, I’d love to be the person she says I am….let’s just say I’m a work in progress, still learning as I go.) I LOVE the comment she includes from Jesse Jackson. It’s a philosophy I know that each and every one of us here at Pass It On, Baby! likely agree with. Enjoy the pic of her beautiful son and daughter packing up clothing for another Pass It On, Baby! family.


I don’t know about you, but I love sharing and reading all of your stories. They are so beautiful, so real and they keep me headed in the right direction. So – keep shining your beautiful light (yes, I stole it from a comment I loved…hee hee) and let’s keep our little community growing. Right now, we are fielding many, many requests from mothers with older children. Maybe you know someone who might have those sizes? Maybe you know someone having a garage sale that may have left-overs? We will take them and appreciate it more than you know. Maybe you have some ideas for us? Let us have ‘em! Two people can come up with some ideas….many people can come up with many ideas!

In love and kindness,

Email Elizabeth & Heather

Giving Thanks With a Giveaway!

Please note: If this is your first time visiting our blog, please click here to hear the premise of Pass It On, Baby! and how it all began.... Pass It On, Baby!

Our Pass It On, Baby! community of kindness is built upon the foundation of helping another out, however we can. Although we have only been actively connecting mothers who are blessed with mothers who are stressed for a little over 2 months now, we have had a number of individuals who have helped us tremendously along the way. We want to recognize you all as well and thank you. Now it's our turn to give a little back to all of you. So we thought we would do a contest giveaway. Before we share the details of the contest - first - here are the thanks we'd like to share. 

• Thanks to a soon-to-be mother who has helped at least five families each with brand new clothes...
• Thanks to a wonderful woman who shared our message on her popular blog without asking anything for herself and even donated to two families
• Thanks to the mothers who received items who wrote us to share their feelings and include all of us on their journey
• Thanks to all the mothers themselves in need who offered the clothes they did have for their children
• Thanks to all the mom bloggers who have taken the time to share this whole world of blogging to us as we didn't have a clue where to begin
• Thanks to those who took our message and spread some kindness in the world by passing it along
• Thanks to our little angels who put us up on Craigslist and helped us to reach even more people
• Thanks to all our cheerleaders who kept us going when we got scared and doubted ourselves....
• Thank you to our husbands and families who have given up countless hours with us while we built this. Thank you for your love, support and guidance.
• Thank YOU - each person that reads our blog, each person that has been willing to give or receive the love that this little community has had to offer.

So in order to give back thanks, here is the giveaway contest info.

Nicole's For Children is a wonderful boutique located in Powell, Ohio where Elizabeth lives. When Pass It On, Baby! was launched, we contacted Nicole about possibly getting the word out through some advertising. She immediately responded with much more than we ever expected. She offered help, donations and even donated time on behalf of her family. So, its our time to say thanks. We know there are many of you kind-hearted individuals who read our blog, but we just haven't heard from you. So, here is your chance....We are going to pick one reader who can comment on anything and everything they like...advice, how they have passed it along, things they'd like to see, how they give back, get creative if you want - we just want to hear from you! We are giving away a $50 gift certificate to Nicole's For Children (www.nicolesforchildren.com) to use on anything you'd like. It is a wonderful boutique run by a wonderful woman. Even if you don't win, take a minute to check out her offerings. We will keep the contest open until Sunday July 5th and will have a 3rd party pick the winner. We will announce the winner on Monday July 6th. Good luck! =) And once again - thank you!

In love & kindness,

and 

Email Elizabeth & Heather