Remembering a Special Grandma with Stand Up to Cancer @MasterCard #DoGood #MC

I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community.  I have been compensated to share my experience with you by Collective Bias and their client, MasterCard. Today I'm helping to get the word out about MasterCard's Dig In and Do Good campaign.  All opinions are honest and are my own.  

It was just before my 7th birthday when I first understood the word cancer.  The year was 1986 and my Grandma Betty had come to live with us so she could be closer to the town where she received her daily chemotherapy treatments.  

My Grandma Betty (left) was a daughter, mother, grandmother, and friend.  She loved to write poetry, work in her garden, and play puzzles and board games that would challenge her mind.

Cancer sent my Grandma Betty to Heaven much earlier than any of us had planned on.  She was 49 years old when we lost her.  26 years later, I miss her still.

MasterCard is partnering with Stand Up to Cancer to "Dig In and Do Good." You can join in by using your MasterCard to pay for any order, $10 or more, at any restaurant between July 12th and September 28th.  Every time you do, MasterCard will make a donation to Stand Up to Cancer.  If you use your MasterCard PayPass, they'll double the donation. 

Stand Up to Cancer is an innovative enterprise that seeks to accelerate revolutionary cancer research. The goal of SU2C is to get new therapies to patients quickly and save lives now.

When Grandma Betty passed away, she was in the middle of reading a novel called Tara's Song by Barbara Ferry Johnson.  She never got to finish it, but my Mom did.  While she was reading it, she came across this passage that Grandma had underlined:

"Nothing had been changed by my presence. Or had it? Maybe a pebble, lying for years in the same spot, had been dislodged and now being carried down to the sea by the stream. Here and there, underwater flora had been disturbed, bent down by my feet. Was a person the same way? On the surface appearing unaltered, moving along as always, with no apparent difference in character, but underneath changing from day to day because of encounters with people and events?"

My Grandma's short life on this Earth made a huge impact to those who knew her and came after her.  I can only imagine what my life would be like if she were still here. 

Let's work together to help find a cure for cancer---one cent at a time!

Linking with:
Wisdom Wednesdays @Simply Helping Him
Winsome Wednesday @ My Daily Walk in His Grace
Whole-Hearted Home Wednesdays 
Encourage One Another @ Deep Roots at Home
A Wise Woman Builds Her Home
Homemaking Link Up @ Raising Homemakers
Home @ Rose Chintz Cottage  
What's It Wednesday @ Ivy and Elephants 
Wednesday Link up at Adorned from Above
Shoe Lace Linkup @ Living In the Shoe
Home Link Up at Raising Arrows
Homemaking Party @ Hope In Every Season
Thursday Favorite Things @ Katherine's Corner
Thriving Thursday @ Serving Joyfully
Homeacre Hop 
Desire to Inspire @ A Royal Daughter
Think Tank Thursday @ Saving4Six 
Home Sweet Home @ The Charm of Home 
Open House @ Bernideen's Tea Time Blog 
Share Your Cup Thursday @ Have a Daily Cup of Mrs. Olson
Inspiration Friday @ Dear Creatives
Show and Tell Friday @ My Romantic Home
Family Fun Friday @ Happy and Blessed Home
Farm Girl Friday @ Let This Mind Be In You
Fit & Frugal Family Friday
Faithful Fridays
Ultimate Blog Linky Party
Show and Tell Saturday @ Be Different, Act Normal
Finding the Pretty & Delicious @ Your Homebased Mom
30 Min. Linkup @ 30 Days
Sharing Creative Ideas @ Made By Joey  
Motivate Me Monday 
Modest Monday @ The Modest Mom 
Living Proverbs 31
Better Mom Mondays
Marriage Monday
Manic Monday @ Cupcake-n-Bake
Mommy Mondays
Making Your Home Sing Monday
Inspire Mondays 
Teach Me Tuesday @ Growing Home
Character Corner
Women Helping Women @ Teaching What Is Good 
Domestically Divine @ Far Above Rubies
(Titus 2)s Days @ Time Warp Wife
Tending the Home Tuesday
Tuesday Link Up Party 

Donating School Supplies with Champions for Kids #BagItForward #cfk

I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias® and their client. All opinions are honest and are my own.

This afternoon, Selah and I went to Walmart to shop for some school supplies to donate to our homeschool co-op through the Elmer's Bag It Forward campaign.  We are hoping the kids can get some great use out of these basic things!  Check out my Google+ album for more on our shopping trip.

Our community's homeschool group includes about 25 local families.  We do lots of great activities throughout the year like science, biography and geography shares.

We also do fun non-academic activities like dances and sports.

One thing that makes our group so successful is that we all work together and help one another.  That is why I'm excited about working with Champions for Kids on the Elmer's Bag It Forward Campaign.  It's important that children have the resources they need to learn and imagine.

Public and private schools start in just a few short weeks.  Many homeschoolers have already gotten back into their school routine.  This is a great time to donate some school supplies to local kids.  Do you have a favorite kids' organization to which you'll be donating this fall?

For more on Champions for Kids and the Elmer's Bag It Forward Campaign, visit:

Champions for Kids
BagItForward.org
Elmer's on Facebook
Elmer's on Twitter
Bag It Forward on Pinterest
#BagItForward

Linking with:
Wisdom Wednesdays @Simply Helping Him
Winsome Wednesday @ My Daily Walk in His Grace
Whole-Hearted Home Wednesdays 
Encourage One Another @ Deep Roots at Home
A Wise Woman Builds Her Home
Homemaking Link Up @ Raising Homemakers
Inspire Me Wednesday @ MamaBuzz 
Watcha Work-Up Wednesday 
What's It Wednesday @ Ivy and Elephants 
Wednesday Link up at Adorned from Above
Shoe Lace Linkup @ Living In the Shoe
Home Link Up at Raising Arrows

Chocolate Coconut Brownies for the Homemaking Party

Welcome to the Homemaking Party!  I'm getting the party started a little early today because I'm headed out to my first Writing Group night tonight and won't be here to post it at the normal time. A friend invited me and a few other ladies to meet once a week to share our writing and inspire one another.  I'm so excited!  

What I'm really excited about is the diversity of ages in the group.  My friend who started it is almost 19, I'm 33, another friend is in her early 40s and, yet another, is in her 60s.  I love it how we can all learn from one another and grow.  It's going to be a great thing!

Another thing I'm excited about is getting to share some of our favorite treats, since we're all bringing a snack to share.  I have a potluck tradition of always bringing my Cucumber Dill Treats and Chocolate Coconut Brownies when I get together with friends.  Jamie is allergic to coconut so this is the only time I get to have them! 

Chocolate Coconut Brownies
1 pkg. brownie mix & ingredients to make them
small bag sweetened coconut
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 egg
chocolate for melting

Bake brownies in a large pan---at least 13x9.  (I use the Pampered Chef large bar pan...I think it's 15x11).  Let them cool for a few minutes and then mix up the coconut, sweetened condensed milk, and egg.  Spread coconut mixture on top of brownies and bake until the top is light brown.  Melt chocolate and spread over top of brownies and cool.


I love to feature some of the neat posts that are linked up---Please make sure and put my button or a text link on each blog post you link up.  Here are a couple of my favorites from last week's party:

The first post that caught my attention was this one from Tablescapes by Bev.  I've just started collecting this pattern from Johnson Brothers called Friendly Village, and am hoping to have a few pieces by Christmas.  So far, I've found one plate at a yard sale.  Ha!  Check out Bev's post on how she organized and decorated her dining room.

Penny's Vintage Home is someone that I feature regularly because her home and ideas just take my breath away!  It's never too early to start thinking of Christmas decorating and I am DEFINITELY thinking about it now!  I think I'll go check out some yard sales this weekend and see if I can snag some pretty things to craft with!

Thanks to everyone for the great posts!

If you have been featured, please grab a button!

<div align="center"> <a href="http://www.hopeineveryseason.com" title="Hope In Every Season"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ_8Simx8LXBcNVgzSEqqUWkZRNoqqJ2eHGhjG3WsZPx4SPH5DEvNmD7VIYeKqhODAL6MNAIRnsXeYvXVR6I1LSlgSPbs6fbzcjHzGkno0XDBpqA6q70L3WD1FW_gGzp7rpOvCLOMUnPp2/s1600/featuredbluebird5.png" alt="Hope In Every Season" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

***Are you a blogger looking to increase your Social Influence and make some money too? Sign up for Sverve to receive influencing money-making opportunities! http://www.sverve.com/dashboard/6658***

Now for the linkup.  Please remember to return the favor by adding my button or a text link to your post.  Have a great weekend!




<a href="http://www.bloggingwhilewaiting.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnl3MBC08OHdVfVNA2p4AbXHr0RahzOHBRCnosiG00ylKdhunwQJxc6PdOC0n5x99dzbkOheOOhZHAiKstxXgMRdgmbBh-NrDdCn2QxdvHbGldwZ7vlnZcu5_lwiBita04s5UmA5IexKfn/s240/bluebirdbutton1.png " border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a> Hope In Every Season is on Facebook!  If you like what you've read here, please follow me and keep up with the latest posts.

Linking with:
Homemaking Party @ Hope In Every Season
Thursday Favorite Things @ Katherine's Corner
Strut Your Stuff Thursday @ Somewhat Simple
Pearls and Lace Thursday @ Faith, Grace and Crafts
Thriving Thursday @ Serving Joyfully
Homeacre Hop 
Tutorials, Tips and Tidbits @ Stone Gable  
Think Tank Thursday @ Saving4Six 
Home Sweet Home @ The Charm of Home 
Create It Thursday
Open House @ Bernideen's Tea Time Blog 
Share Your Cup Thursday @ Have a Daily Cup of Mrs. Olson
Thrifty Things Friday @ The Thrifty Groove
Inspiration Friday @ Dear Creatives
Show and Tell Friday @ My Romantic Home
Foodie Friday @ Rattlebridge Farm 
Family Fun Friday @ Happy and Blessed Home
Farm Girl Friday @ Let This Mind Be In You
Fit & Frugal Family Friday
Faithful Fridays
Show and Tell Saturday @ Be Different, Act Normal
Or So She Says...
Saturday Nite Special @ Funky Junk Interiors
Finding the Pretty & Delicious @ Your Homebased Mom
30 Min. Linkup @ 30 Days
Sharing Creative Ideas @ Made By Joey  
Show Me Saturday
Metamorphosis Monday @ Between Naps on the Porch
Craft-o-Maniac Monday  
Motivate Me Monday 
Modest Monday @ The Modest Mom 
Living Proverbs 31
Make the Scene Monday @ Alderberry Hill 
Inspire Me Monday @ Create With Joy 
Masterpiece Monday @ BoogieBoard Cottage 
A Round Tuit @ Creating My Way to Success 
Monday Funday @ C.R.A.F.T. 
Better Mom Mondays
Marriage Monday
Manic Monday @ Cupcake-n-Bake
Mommy Mondays
Making Your Home Sing Monday
Inspire Mondays
Teach Me Tuesday @ Growing Home
Tutorial Tuesdays with Hope Studios
Character Corner
Women Helping Women @ Teaching What Is Good 
Domestically Divine @ Far Above Rubies
(Titus 2)s Days @ Time Warp Wife
Tending the Home Tuesday
Tuesday Link Up Party 
Make Bake Create @ Hope In Every Season
Wisdom Wednesdays @Simply Helping Him
Winsome Wednesday @ My Daily Walk in His Grace
Whole-Hearted Home Wednesdays 
Encourage One Another @ Deep Roots at Home
A Wise Woman Builds Her Home
Homemaking Link Up @ Raising Homemakers
Home @ Rose Chintz Cottage  
Inspire Me Wednesday @ MamaBuzz
Watcha Work-Up Wednesday 
What's It Wednesday @ Ivy and Elephants 
Wednesday Link up at Adorned from Above
Shoe Lace Linkup @ Living In the Shoe
Home Link Up at Raising Arrows