Falling into place...

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            It has definitely been an exciting last few weeks with Pass It On, Baby! It seems like ages ago when Heather and I were worried that we were unable to keep this going and worried about how to fix the fact that we constantly felt like we weren't giving enough. Fast forward to our recent write up in the Dallas Child Magazine and some recent posts about us, then glance at our Facebook page and you can see that the spirit of giving and helping is alive and well. So, thank you dear friend s for reading, posting, sharing and keeping this all going. Heather and I talk about this being such a pure and perfect part of our lives. We hope that you feel the same.

            As you may or may not have known from our last post, Giggle Moon donated several outfits for us to donate to those in need. We were able to send 14 brand new, boutique outfits to some deserving mothers. We have received some wonderful thank yous to send along to them, but I know that personally, their gift has changed my perspective on supporting a particular brand. Heather and I sent them a brief note explaining what we did and primarily who we served. After answering some back and forth questions, we received a huge box with instructions on how to gift. Unbelievable….for me, when I do have the option of this brand, I will remember their kindness. People truly serving their community….

            We are SO excited about the amount of matches that have happened via Facebook recently. Soo exciting for us! We love when we are able to write and match donors and recipients, but we are able to help MORE people with less of a time lag when the matches occur naturally with a mother in need and a mother able to help. So thank you to those many who check our Facebook page and comment or browse for matches. It is truly appreciated by SO many!

            For many of us, we are coming upon the season of giving. Getting lists ready to gift teachers, family, children and friends. Those that are struggling are in more of a panic during these times then normally. Every year we hear stories of mothers and fathers desperately trying to figure out how to get their children something for Christmas. I understand times are tough, but if you are in the position to buy something extra this year, please consider us. I can't tell you how many requests we get for warm coats, hats or gloves, etc.

            And for those that donate and wonder if it makes a difference….I can tell you it does. We hear from women who talk about not knowing how they would get through this struggle and the fact that the little glimmer of hope that PIOB provides, helped them to gather the strength to move forward. Or those that were SURE that no one cared until someone did…  You know, it is no mistake that you are here in this moment reading this blog. If you find yourself being lead to help, we'd love to hear from you. And if you are struggling and you have posted on our Facebook wall without response, we haven’t forgotten about you. Hang in there!

In love and kindness,

Elizabeth & Heather

Some Amazing Kindness from An AMAZING Company....Giggle Moon

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Good morning!! Hoping you had a TERRIFIC weekend!! In our last blog I mentioned that I had asked one of my favorite clothing companies to donate an outfit or two to us to give to those in need. Well, I have to tell you, not only did they come through, they SHOCKED us with their generosity. Completely overwhelmed me….I honestly had to sit down and have a good cry. Their name is Giggle Moon www.gigglemoonbaby.com (we'll tell you more about them a little later) and their clothes are AMAZING!!! I posted a sneak peek on our Facebook page, but honestly, that was only a teaser. And we can’t wait to get these clothes out to some very special people!

Heather and I thought a lot about how to structure a giveaway so that the clothes go to people in need, but also keep the circle of giving alive. We wanted to make sure that everyone involved in PIOB had a chance to receive one of these gorgeous outfits or blankets. So here is what we've come up with….a three-pronged approach. Here is how you can get one of these outfits. If you are in need, send us your note or post something on our facebook….either way. If you have given recently to Pass It On, Baby! or have volunteered to, send us a note to remind us or a note saying you are willing to give and we will enter you, and finally, if you haven't given because you haven’t been able to for whatever reason, but still want to keep the goodness going - refer three friends to us on Facebook and just send us a note letting us know. If you win and end up not needing the size, just remember that you can turn around and bless someone else with it.
When I asked Giggle Moon to donate, I truly had no idea that they intended to be as generous as they ended up being. It's funny how it all works out, because Heather and I were brainstorming on how to bring back some energy to PIOB and then we received their shipment. It reminded me instantly that it is all a circle, the giving and receiving. Sometimes you are gifter, sometimes you are the giftee…. (and no, I'm not sure if those are actual words… =) The ONLY condition of this is that if you do win an outfit or a blanket, you send us a picture to forward on to Giggle Moon. They deserve to see how much good they are out there doing in the world.

For those that purchase boutique baby clothes, remember the kindness that this company has shown. It's very easy to grumble about business today and the greed involved, but there is the exact opposite going on as well. If we want companies such as this to survive and continue to do good, then when we have the choice, we have to consciously support them as well. (They didn't ask me to blog this, but if I didn't hop right up on my soap box, then really, would that be me?...ahaha! )
Here is what they did send us:

Giggle Moon began as a mother-daughter venture in the 90’s with a simple focus on newborn layettes and irresistibly soft minky blankets with their signature satin trim. Over the past few seasons, Michelle Clark, owner and designer, has re-invented and expanded the design direction toward boutique fashion, while still keeping the sweetness of her original palette.

The Fall 2011 Collections will vary from soft and sweet to vibrant and bold, complimenting the richness of the season.

Giggle Moon is especially excited about the upcoming Spring 2012 Line which will be sure to surprise it’s consumers, with the introduction of several fresh, unexpected pieces. “Our goal is to stay current while remaining true to our niche in the market.”

Giggle Moon knits are made of 100% premium stretch cotton mixed with wovens and lacey tulle overlays with sizing ranging from newborn up to size 6 girls. All products are made the the U.S.A.

Visit Giggle Moon at www.gigglemoonbaby.com

I hope you are as excited about this new little contest as we are! We can't wait for people to enjoy these beautiful clothes….and we can’t wait to hear from you!! As a side note, most of the clothes we received are girls. We have a few baby boy outfits and a few super soft blankets in boys colors also. Individually, if you are chosen, we will keep in mind your particular need.

In love and kindness,

Email Elizabeth & Heather

Well -- HELLO out there!!! We're BAAAACK!!

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The last time Heather and I blogged, it was because we had decided we were taking a break from Pass it On, Baby! Life had gotten busy, kids were growing up, we were taking on new ventures, expanding families and we knew that we weren't devoting the time and energy that we needed to, to make PIOB what it deserved to be. We felt like we were letting people down. So we stepped back. And waited for that sense of relief…..but it never came. I missed it. I wondered how people were doing, felt guilty that we had our auto-response on our email and felt like something was missing in my life, some indescribable emptiness . Heather and I were texting back and forth and from the other side of the country,  and at the same time, she was feeling the exact same way. And doors started opening again. People offered to jump in and give us a hand. Energy and excitement has started pouring in again and  you know what?.............WE'RE BACK!! And this time better than ever!!

Why better, right? Because I've learned…..a lot. You know, it doesn't have to be perfect. It won't be. My life isn't. Nothing is….and that is a-ok. Because it's not about the perfection - it's about the effort. People who really follow us will get that as mothers, wives, workers, volunteers, athletes…..we're doing our best…..and it isn’t always going to be 100% perfect.

So - let's give this a go again. We are still going to be trying to utilize our Facebook page more, but we are going to let other people help us out too. (Novel idea, right? Ask for help….ha ha!) I missed hearing from you guys! I missed the little notes that tell us to keep on going or how PIOB has reinstated someone's faith in people. I missed the tears we shed with others, the laughs and happiness…seeing photos of the kids….ALL OF IT!!! So now I don't have to. Write us, Facebook us, give us suggestions, recommend us to people….whatever. Just jump in. Because this is a good place to be. A place where the people you are reading about or responding to are of a like-mind. Where no matter what wrongs we done today, we can do a good deed. We can make someone feel a little better….and hey, that counts for a lot!

I told you we had some good energy pour in recently and I meant it. We usually deal with gently loved children's clothes, which is great. BUT - I have some FAV kiddos clothes designers that we asked to donate an outfit or two to us….and you know what? They DID!! So, we are going to do some fun giveaways and promote some awesome companies…..they didn't ask us to - but there are some AWESOME companies, doing some AWESOME things out there in the world today and they deserve some recognition….and if it strikes your fancy, some business. We gotta fight for the good ones to stay in business!! J I can't wait to tell you all about them….you are going to LOVE them!

So - nothing ground-breaking - just a new hello, a thank you and an invitation to help us help others…..it's the way its supposed to be….right?

In love and kindness,

Email Elizabeth & Heather

A Bittersweet Post....

Heather and I started Pass It On, Baby! as a way of helping others on their journey and sharing a helping hand where we could….of passing along all the kindness that had been shown to us. Along this journey, we've laughed with you, cried with you as we read heart-wrenching stories and shared our hearts with you. We've loved every minute of this journey. We feel proud that we were there to share in all the kindness that was passed along, all the children who were helped, and the hope that was given. But the time has come for us to take a break from Pass It On, Baby! We both have big changes occurring in our lives, and need some time to focus on our own lives. We are both better people for having met so many wonderful people via this tiny little charity.

I clearly remember when we first began PIOB, we thought if we helped a handful of kiddos and their parents in turn, passed that kindness along - we would really have helped. Hundreds of kids later, people taking this kindness and paying it forward - it has truly been such a blessing to be a part of it. To hear people's excitement when they received the box or likewise the excitement of passing along the clothes that we once saw our own kiddos run, play and grow in.

Who knows where the future will lead us. All I can tell you is that as a community as well as individuals, you have impacted our lives so very deeply. Heather and I truly treasure the opportunity and the time in our live devoted to making this place just the teeniest bit better. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts for sharing this special time with us.



In love and kindness,

 
            AND   

Email Heather and Elizabeth

A change is as good as a rest...

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“A change is as good as a rest.” ~Proverb

It sure has been awhile. We do apologize for the long laps in posts and the emails that haven’t been responded to. Elizabeth and I have been struggling for a few months now with how to continue Pass It On, Baby! in order to fit it into our lives. We LOVE giving, we believe in giving and we both have such huge hearts that giving means so much to us. However, when giving means sacrificing something else important in your life – it’s not really giving from the right place. That’s what Elizabeth and I have been doing. Giving so much of ourselves that it hasn’t been from a place of love but from a place of guilt and commitment. That in turn has created neglect. Neglect to those of you that we have hoped to match up and neglect to writing more regularly on our blog and facebook.

We are busy moms. Elizabeth runs a household with 5 children (if you don’t include her husband). You can only imagine how busy a full-time mom of 5 can be. Ranging in ages from 3-15. She is demanded constantly. I have been running my own consulting business, freelancing on the side, teaching fitness classes, and also trying to be mommy & wife. It’s hectic and exhausting for us both.

BUT – PIOB has come to mean a lot to us and I think to many others. We have been deliberating over this for a few weeks now but feel we have decided that it so important to us to keep PIOB available to others for assistance. To those willing and able to donate and those who are in need. However, we are working on changing the structure in order to make it more manageable. So bear with us as we go through some growing pains and overcome obstacles. To us it was more important to find what works than to just close our doors and walk away.

One of our first changes is that we will be more facebook focused than writing on our blog. We love to inspire through our posts but feel we can handle our facebook posts more so than our long-winded soapbox blogs. J The next change we will work on is having those in need post on facebook their child's sex, size and season and those able to donate to respond to those in need. In essence, our facebook page will become a forum for people matching themselves up. We’re not sure how all this is going to work but we’re going to try it out. We just don’t have enough hours in the day or week to manually match up donors and recipients. Hopefully this format will work out. All we can do is try and see how it goes.

We know that change is hard. It’s hard for us too. We’ve been struggling with this for awhile and how to make it work. We hope that these adjustments will allow us the opportunity to continue to be apart of this community we love so much! Bear with us through the transition. In the meantime, we are doing our best to match up everyone we can. If we don’t have matches, we will post this on our page and let you know and hopefully those who can donate will reach out on our page.

We can’t thank each you all enough for being patient with us and for continuing to be apart of PIOB. It’s hard to believe that we’ve been at this for almost 2 years and have helped so many children receive clothes. We couldn’t do it without all of you wonderful donors. We look forward to helping many more in the future!

Let us know your thoughts about these changes, if you are still in need or able to donate if we haven’t contacted you, or just a shout out or words of encouragement for us to continue. Any and all feedback is welcome!

Much love to you all! And as always – PASS IT ON!

In love and kindness,

Heather & Elizabeth

Email Heather and Elizabeth

Feeling the shift...

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This year has been like a horse race already - at the beginning of the starting gate and we're off!! It's been an unbelievable month in many ways. I've been struggling with so many changes in my life that seem to be all happening at once. However, whether good or bad it all seems so necessary.

When this New Year started, I didn't set any specific goals like weight loss or eating healthy, I just decided that what I really want to work on the most is being present or in the moment at all times and to accept whatever that moment may bring. I resist change in all forms (most of the time). I get comfortable and decide even if it's not bettering me, that I know what it feels like. Anything different or unknown is too fearful. I'd rather be stuck in where I am than change my comfort zone. But deep down I know that change is not only inevitable but necessary. 

This past year I've been juggling alot! Between handling my company's clients, freelancing for other companies when my clients were slow, teaching fitness classes for insurance, partnering in Pass It On, Baby!, being mom and wife, trying to engage with my family in friends in whatever spare time I may have had....it's exhausting!! Although I am used to going 180 miles per hour, my body and spirit have finally said enough! So, when the New Year started, of course the universe responded to my need. Although I was comfortable with the way things were, I knew deep down I couldn't continue giving 100% in 100 directions. 

Sometimes when you can't understand why something bad (or that you thought was bad) was happening, you suddenly realize why you had to go through that. To allow this new opportunity to come through. It sounds so cliche but really it holds true - "When God closes a door, he opens a window." A client that threw me a curveball about possibly looking for a fulltime employee instead of using my business for their services - really upset me. We've become fairly close friends but in the meantime, this was all business. And we had agreed on our professional future through many personal and professional conversations. When things suddenly changed and not in a way I felt was open and honest, I wanted to lash out. I was angry. After allowing myself to feel the anger, I said what I needed to say. I lost my voice the very next day. Strange but true and definitely NO COINCIDENCE in my personal opinion. I had released but it was time to reflect. I began to realize that this was crazily a blessing in disguise. Although I had helped build my client's business' success to be what it was, and although this client had become a close friend...I realized that I didn't have to choose anymore. Because just a few weeks before one of the companies I had freelanced for was wanting me to come on full time. I didn't want to give up my client because I felt loyal. I had been trying to configure a way to do both. But luckily with the new situation, I didn't have to choose. It was being done for me. It hurt at the time but it was allowing me to easily move into the new direction. It was through awareness of the feelings, the moment, talking it out and reflecting on the bigger picture that I was finally able to see that. So what had once felt so painful and upsetting - turned into acceptance and peace. 

All while this new career path was shaping, so too was my living arrangements. My family has been living with my mother-in-law for the last 5 years. Some of you know the story but to put it briefly - we moved here to help out when my husband's grandmother needed full time care in another city. My mother-in-law went to care for her. We took over the house but once we hit our own financial difficulties it was a blessing we were living there or we would have struggled even more. Mom-in-law and grandma moved back and it was 4 generations under one roof for awhile. But for the past few months, we'd been fighting the feeling like it was time to move on to our own place. MIL has struggled with a recent divorce, putting her mother in a nursing home, and battled finding passion in her life amongst her depression. So to make this choice, especially for my husband, it never felt right leaving her. Recently my husband and MIL had a blow up. We decided, finally, it's time to go. We need to separate so we can heal some things within our relationships. But until then we weren't ready. It took what felt at the time as negative to become the catalyst for change. As soon as my husband and I made the decision together, literally within a couple of days a friend was sending us a link to a house on her street that she thought we would love! And we did! Within 2 days, we were leasing a house that was exactly what we had hoped for! All because we were able to feel the shift inside of ourself, put the intention out there and release it. Like a boomerang, it came back to us exactly how we needed it to. And although, MIL and husband have made up, the path has begun for us to move on and luckily it's all positive for everyone.

I'm not sure where our society is going in the future. I look out and see so many negatives but can quickly change my thoughts to also see so many positives. This New Year has created an energy inside of me that is in search of peace in each moment, looking to accept all circumstances without passing judgement of whether it's positive or negative - because it's neither - it is what it is. It's leading us to a place where we can choose to fight that moment and what it has to offer or to accept and embrace. I am feeling that shift inside of myself. And for so many others out there too. 

I hope that this New Year is bringing new opportunities in your life. Whether they are opportunities to reflect, to grow, to appreciate, to release, to change - we have a chance to shift our life in whatever direction we choose.

In love and kindness,

Email Heather and Elizabeth

Prayers for The Best of Times...

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This song has a very special meaning to our family and is mixed with happiness and sadness. The words however contain the beauty of life and love for each other that I hope and pray we all have in our hearts and souls....to the very best 2011!

Happy New Year! Wishing each one of you who reads this peace, happiness and change in the new year. If you are anything like me, you used the beginning of the year as a time to take stock of your life and look at what you do like and what you need to change. Lately, I get that it's kind of a joke to tease about New Year's resolutions and how foolish it is to make them, but I completely disagree. Even if you don't stick to them as long as you wish you had, the time spent looking at yourself and deciding upon areas to change is wonderful. All of the changes we ever make start with a thought. Does it work the first time? Probably not. But each time you try, the thought becomes a little more ingrained in your mind. With that the first steps of action take hold....we each just need to keep moving in the right direction.

When I looked at myself and areas in which I hoped to change, I decided I wanted to be a more thoughtful person that gives simply to brighten people's day. I've been blessed enough to have AMAZING friends in my life that are great models for me and I look at what they do and want to try to create that within myself. I have a few cousins and friends and other family that never forget anyone's birthday. Each year without fail, I receive a card wishing me a wonderful day. They too have families and struggles, but they take the time out to make sure that the other person knows they are thought of and cared about. I have another friend who picks up items at a grocery store that she loves and wants me to try. It's something so easy, but I literally feel so good just receiving whatever she is giving me....not because of the item or gift, but because of the thought. Right after the New Year, I was in line at Starbucks. I ordered my drink and drove through to pay. The cashier wouldn't accept my money and told me that the car in front of me had paid for my drink with the message "Happy New Year and here's to new beginnings. " I honestly had to pull over because I was so overwhelmed by the kindness that I had to sit and have a good cry. I have another friend who was buying her daughter a shirt from a local store and picked one up for my daughter and sent it in the mail. These people are wonderful gifts in my life, but also examples for me.

In life, your attitude and outlook has incredible power of how you view the world, other people and your own future. Have you ever noticed that when something goes wrong during the day and it really upsets you, it's likely going to be one thing in a string of occurrences? Perhaps that's because the first mishap changed our outlook enough to cause other annoyances to really build to something much bigger that affected us in a much bigger way. We all have situations to deal with. And how we deal with them shapes the happiness in our life.

Take a simple example that has happened to me....a party invitation goes out and I am not invited. (I know, this should be SO juvenile, but I'm being completely open and honest so bear with me... =) Now, I have no idea who was invited, maybe it's only a handful of people or people for some specific purpose, but my feelings are hurt. I begin to wonder why they don't like me and feel a little rejected. I start to personalize and internalize those actions which throw me off and make me think, "Maybe I don't socialize enough, I need to get out more." So silly....no need to internalize....let it go. I don't know why I wasn't invited and I can't do anything about it, so accept it and move on in a more positive direction. Easier said than done, but nonetheless can be done.

So here's to new beginnings!! Here to a creation of a happy life! Here's to people helping people! And here's to better times for so many....we only have this one life, so you may as well give it everything you've got. Lots of love, tonight to all reading these words....

In love and kindness,

Email Elizabeth & Heather