Making the best of what you have...

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!

Both Elizabeth and I sometimes have LOTS to say or to relay or share within our own personal experiences and other times not. Like she said last week, I am struggling with what to write. I normally have plenty to write or speak about depending on what's been going on in my life but not sure how to share what I've been experiencing or share it in a way that relates to Pass It On, Baby!

I own my own company and times were very very good for the first 5-6 months out of the year. Then, the freelance ended, a promise of a new job, waiting around and then here we are a little over 3 months later. Although business is starting to pickup again and another freelance project will be starting in October and another client coming on board in October, that leaves me figuring out how to float my family for the next few weeks. And of course, right now - everything is hitting all at once. 

My 2 year-old started his first day of Mother's Day Out today and albeit is was SUPER exciting - I struggled with how to do all the things for him that I had always wanted to do. New clothes for school, new things to take that he needs, haircuts, etc. I wanted to make a big deal of it. But our finances definitely put a huge limitation on that. I also have a wedding that I will be in at the beginning of October and although I am very excited for my friend and for going on a destination wedding - it couldn't have come at a worse time. Right in the middle of a drought for my company. 

Although I have so many expectations for what I want to experience and how - I came across this quote the other day that really hit home for me. 

"The happiest people don't always have the best of everything, they just make the best with everything they have."

This really made me think about Cade's experience for school. He was going to enjoy it either way, it was me that was struggling with the expectations that I had placed on what I wanted to experience. I didn't have to buy him anything new for him to enjoy the first day of school. As hard it was for me to realize, I knew that it was about what I did with the day and how I created it without all the "stuff" that I felt was important. I did get Cade 1 new shirt for the first day but nothing crazy - just inexpensive but cute. He didn't get a new haircut (although he still needs one). He wore his hat to school that he loves. I made his lunch with TLC and we talked for a couple of days before about how exciting it would be. My way of handling it I know affected how he experienced it. If I had been down in the dumps about not meeting all my expectations - he may not have been as excited or felt the same way about going. 

The same for everything in my life right now. I guess there are cycles in life for just about everything - including money. I have so many expectations in my mind about how I want to experience something and a lot of becomes dependent on how much or how little money I have and how good or not good that experience will be. 

For the wedding I am attending, it's been the same. I like to go over the top with gifts and have specialty items made that are personalized just for that person. I had wanted to do all the same things for my friend getting married but soon realized that I couldn't spend the same as in the past but I can do a lot for a little. I can put the same love into a gift even if it's not super expensive or what I had envisioned - it still came from the heart and she will hopefully feel that and appreciate it. 

So my lesson for this time in my life where money isn't necessarily flowing in abundances - is that it's not that I have to have the best but am I doing the best with what I have? Most of the time yes, but I definitely need to be reminded of this quote more often. So I will be putting this on my facebook status today as well as Pass It On, Baby!'s as a reminder to me and to all of us. 

And for Cade - his day went fantastic. He was super excited to put on his backpack and go to school. Although he quickly decided he didn't want to carry it.

Drop off was easy and tear free. He just played with the teacher and a new classmate and didn't seem bothered we were leaving.

And when we came to pick him up, to our surprise he was sleeping so soundly. It was adorable and truly amazing!

Here was to a great day making the best with what we had!

In love and kindness,

Email Elizabeth and Heather

"The Days are Long, The Years are Short"

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!

Today, I guess I don't have much to say. I usually have plenty to say, especially when it comes to Pass It On, Baby! but not this evening. My mind is elsewhere. My kids go back to school tomorrow morning. Three of them. My preschooler starts a little later. But, I am sad about it and missing the time I had with them. Wondering if I did enough this summer with them, missing the constant interaction....all of it. Now, that's not to say that we didn't start to feel the lack of structure the last few weeks and I seemed to become a referee much more than I would have liked, but it's more change, and that - I just don't do so well with.

My oldest son is a freshman in high school tomorrow. I could tell you all about his preschool years, though, they seemed like yesterday. And they flew by. I'm trying to fight the thoughts that I've raised him for 14 years now and that I only have 4 more with him before he goes off to college. It's a frightening thought. We worry if we've taught him enough, loved him enough, given him the tools he will need in this world. And my husband just keeps telling me that we are a work in progress and doing the best that we can. That there will be bumps along the road, mistakes we will make and that as long as you pull them close, provide security, teach them all you know, that they will come out ok.

I guess that's true for a lot of things. The same certainly can be said for our Pass It On, Baby! We learn as we go. We make mistakes, we try our hardest, but we build it with love and caring and I guess that's all we can do.

Am I the parent I wish I were every day? No.... But by the same token, I'm not anything every single day of my life. The days I'm the best parent, I'm usually not as available as a friend. The days I'm an awesome friend, I'm probably less of a great daughter or my house is less clean, etc. Some days I'm the best I can be, other days I'm that work in progress that I was talking about. And for me, that has to be ok. I have to forgive myself and keep moving forward. It's all this delicate balancing act. No one can be everything at every moment of every day.

So tomorrow I'll wake up with my goals of what I want to accomplish with my kiddos, my ideas of how to most help with Pass It On, Baby!, where I personally want to grow as a person, who I want to be as a wife. One thing is for sure, I won't be able to do all those things at once in any short period of time. They will be goals I will hold for the rest of my life.

If you find yourself down about any aspect of your life, the beautiful thing about it all is that it's never too late to change. If the end result is too overwhelming, take the first step. You don't have to do everything, you just have to do something.

Tomorrow morning, we'll be up early in our home for a family breakfast. Talking about the year ahead, squeezing out the last little bit of sacred family time together. This year won't be perfect on any of our parts either, but it will be special all the same...and we will continue to grow as people and as a family. And really, isn't it all about the journey in the end anyway? =)

In love and kindness,


Email Elizabeth & Heather

Our growing community...

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!

As Elizabeth wrote in our last blog, we have been inundated by requests from so many families in just the past few weeks looking for a "hand-up" with providing their children with clothing. We have also received some new donors as well looking to help in any way they can. However, right now - the need definitely outweighs what we have in donations. We know that many families would be happy to help if the shipping cost wasn't there.

That's why we are focusing our attention right now on how to create some sort of income or money so Pass It On, Baby! can start covering the shipping. We are working on this in a couple of different ways.

1 - We are up for a grant! YEAH!!! However, that means us filing for our 501c and finally getting our tax exempt status. This is not as easy as it may seem. There are CPA fees and lawyer fees and filing fees, etc. And Elizabeth and I do all of this with our own time and family money when needed. So, keep your prayers coming that everything will line up for us to receive this grant so we can ship SO many more boxes to families! Plus, this new status will just open up so many more doors for PIOB!

2 - We are working with Blogher. We need you to continue viewing our blogs! We earn a small amount of money for each 1,000 page views we receive each month. The money is minimal but it could help to pay for a box to be shipped. Please continue going to our blog site to read our blogs or just to stop by for us even if you are seeing us on Facebook.

3 - Reaching out to you and your network. Do you or someone you know feel a little extra blessed this month? Do you want to help a family in need but don't have the right sizes or maybe you don't even have kids? Maybe you would like to pay for a box to be shipped by donating $15 (the cost to ship parcel post a medium sized box of clothes). Many families want to donate clothes but just don't have the funds. You could help by donating through our Pay Pal right on our site.

As we continue to fill requests and match up our wonderful donors that we do have with those in need, both Elizabeth and I know that we are meant to fill a need in the world. So many of you have told us how much of a blessing our charity is for you and your family or for the families we help. We know that we must continue to move forward at a pace we can sustain so we can help more people.

Keep us in your thoughts and prayers for receiving this grant, share our facebook page with friends, share our blog with those you know and thank you from the bottom of our hearts for continuing to share our message.

Here's to helping change the world - one box at a time!

In love and kindness,

Email Elizabeth and Heather

My Worries....

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!

How I do I begin this blog? How do I tell each and every one of you thank you for spreading the word, sending people our way, sending us heart-warming messages and truly caring? On the flip side, how do I share with all those how badly people are hurting right now. Not to make you feel badly, but just so you know....because we all should be aware.

These days, every day brings some notes filled with sadness intermixed with many wanting to ease the burdens where they can. There are some mornings that I don't want to respond, because it seems uncertain that we will be able to get ALL these kiddos matched up. And it worries and saddens me...

It's strange in a way because most days when I read these notes, I can FEEL the hopelessness, the desperation, the fear in people's voices that we hear from. Many of them are at the end of their ropes. And in many ways, it weighs on me and I'm sure Heather as well. It reminds me of a conversation that I had years ago with a dear friend who felt that she was called to volunteer in a pediatric cancer ward. It was nothing that she ever bragged about, but something that she shared when I was dealing with my second son being hospitalized for the second time with the RSV virus. They had run out of rooms on the floor that he should have been placed on and so they had moved him to the floor where many of the longer-term children with life-threatening illnesses were. I can still recall walking the hospital floors with a sick feeling in my stomach, very confident that my son would be leaving and recovering and that many would not. It felt awful. And so in talking with her about the feelings, she shared that she volunteered at a similar ward. I was floored. I immediately protested and asked her how she was able to do it....to not cry constantly while she was among the children and the parents, how she left it at the hospital and didn't bring it home with her, how it didn't scare her to have children knowing they could get sick too.... She was quiet, and simply responded, "If I didn't do it, who would?"

Now, that's not to say that there are MANY, MANY people out there doing good and helping along children and moms just like us, but the statement gives me a lot of power and strength to refocus and deal.

And, let me take a moment in the same breath to talk to those that are struggling. I KNOW that when you have no money and bill collectors are calling, kids need stuff that you can't imagine how you are going to afford, choices being made between food and bills and that there is not even any money left over for fun that it seems hopeless. That is seems unfair. That getting up the next morning is a struggle. But it's for a purpose. While you are going to work day after day trying to make ends meet, little eyes are watching you. Knowing that you are doing your damndest to make sure that they don't do without, even if it means that you do. That there is a point to this existence, and even if it seems that your burdens are too much to bear, that you need to keep going and still find a way to look at the positive. If your children are doing without and so are you, it still might be worse. If they are healthy, there is your positive. Every rich mother in a hospital praying for her child's life would switch places with you in a minute, no questions asked.

On the flip side, and PLEASE don't take this as judgment....those that have enough, can you make a small sacrifice to help someone directly? If you drink Starbucks once or twice a week, can you make that sacrifice for a few weeks to influence a child's life? You too have little eyes watching. Our children become, in many ways, what we give them the opportunity to become.

You know we all get so wrapped up in pursuit of this nice life. The nice house, the perfect decorations, the kids dressed so cute....but if you turn your back to your fellow man, is it worth it? If you sacrifice yourself in the midst of the accumulation of all this stuff, what's it for?

I do not sit in judgment of anyone, because I have been the mom who thinks I've done enough, I need to worry about my own kids now or my own family. The truth is, when I say that statement and think about the people that have affected the world the most: Jesus, Mother Teresa, Buddha, Ghandi, St. Francis of Assisi, etc...(take your pick)..I am embarrassed, because that is certainly not what we are really supposed to be doing. We are supposed to help until it feels inconvenient or uncomfortable. We are supposed to help however you can, in any way you can.

So....Heather and I are doing our best. Most days. Like everyone, we have days where we aren't sure in which way to head, and days where it seems impossible. But for each of us as a member of this community -- if we don't, who will?

Many more than you imagine are in need. We have received requests in the last few weeks that rival our entire requests from the prior year. Times are hard, and many are feeling the pinch in ways you probably can't imagine....Search your heart. How can you help? Can you directly? Can you reach out to someone else? Do you know someone who has a company and is planning on adopting families for Christmas - would they consider Pass It On, Baby? Have you thought of something that we haven't?

But most of all....get down to the level we all used to be at. When we were all little and someone in preschool had many cookies and another had none, what were we taught? We were told to share, to spread kindness, to ease sadness.....sometimes we forget that simple lesson on how the world works best.

In love and kindness,


Email Elizabeth & Heather

Be more child-like...

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!

Children are unique. They always laugh, tell us how it is, see the simpler things in life and easily get over their bumps and bruises. When we become adults, we begin to slowly lose that part of our self. We lost that  part of ourselves that allows us to be goofy without worrying what other people will think. The part of us that says that it's okay to  make a snow angel, take our shoes off and walk barefoot in the grass or laugh uncontrollably until we cry.

Being more child-like allows you to invigorate your body with the pure emotion of happiness. It allows you to de-stress, it improves your mood and reduces tension. Laughter and child-like emotions alone have been proven to relax tense muscles, increase the speed of oxygen into the system, lower blood pressure and directly improve the immune system. Those child-like qualities help you to see a different perspective to life and especially to problems and it allows you to truly enjoy the moment without worry of tomorrow.

Children are happy and playful most of the time. They adapt easily and continue to operate with a wonderment towards life with little to zero negativity. Every day they have a passion for happiness. As an adult, we need to reconnect more with our inner child. When you feel more child-like, the problems of the world may seem less important or threatening. It allows us to get back to the basics, the important things in life. When we are more child-like, negative emotions can instantly shift to positive ones. This allows us to increase our positive energy and attract better opportunities for the future.

Add a little play to your day, increase your energy for the moment, and rediscover your passion for happiness.

In love and kindness,

Email Elizabeth and Heather