Study Break!

I was taking a break from studying today (surprise, surprise! --although I actually did get quite a bit done), brooding a little over our finances, not the least of which is that I've gotten called off of work twice this week and also our ING Savings rate has dropped another point. Then I saw that there was $22 left in our charity budget for the month and thought that a little charitable CVS-ing might be just the thing to cheer me up.

And so it was. Here's what I got:

Sure deodorant (3), $2.79 each
Pert Plus Shampoo (1), $3.99
Colgate MaxFresh Toothpaste (1), $2.99
Powerade (1), $1.69
2-pack CVS-brand sensitive-skin bar soap (2), $1.99 each
Not pictured: WellPatch Arthritis Relief Patches (4), $5.99 each

Here are the coupons I had:
$0.75/1 Sure
$1/1 Sure
$1/1 Pert Plus
$1/1 Colgate MaxFresh (CVS coupon)
$5/$30 CVS coupon (printed out when I went in the store and scanned my card)
$2 ECB

Total before coupons: $34 and change
Total after coupons: $22 (right on the money, or what? I didn't even necessarily calculate it out, just took advantage of whatever deals they had. My mom would call that shopping with God)
ECB: $24

Net: -$2

Not bad at all!

The way I did this trip was to take a certain amount of our predesignated charity budget and go to the store (with a list of the sales and my corresponding coupons pulled ahead of time) and see what I could get for it. Anytime I make a list ahead of time, one which intricately requires buying one thing to qualify for another, I am inevitably frustrated when something is out of stock and my plan is derailed. This was much better.

During my first transaction (in which I bought everything except 2 of the WellPatches), the clerk asked me if there were any more WellPatches left because she really depended on them for her arthritis. I told her no, I'd snagged the last two, but that I would be happy to give them to her because I was planning to donate them anyway and wasn't sure whether the shelter would take them. She went back and forth with me a time or two but I could tell she actually did want to take them, and finally she did. She also raved over my receipt at the end, saying "Smart girl! God bless! Look at all these Extra Bucks!" Yes, that's how I was feeling too.

I was bummed that they hadn't had any of the GUM toothbrushes in stock (2-packs for $3.99, free after ECB, limit 5; that's 10 free toothbrushes, and $1.25 in overage after coupons) so I went ahead and went to the other CVS in town. They also didn't have them (bummer), but they did have two more WellPatches, so I went ahead and bought them with my ECB from the previous two, received $11.98 more in ECB, and went back and gave them to the clerk at the first CVS, who was thrilled.

So now I have a net earning of $2 to spend, plus a pile of stuff to donate to the shelter, plus the experience of having personally helped somebody out in a little way. Not bad for an hour's work, and it definitely gave me back some perspective about the value of a dollar--or an Extra Buck.

Put Your Money Where Your Mail Is

The ACNM released some sweet-ass midwifery stamps in celebration of Midwifery Week last week! The stamps are limited-edition and, unfortunately, at almost a buck apiece ($18.99 per sheet of 20), they're kind of expensive, but the proceeds go to support the ACNM and its Education Fund. Ways to make it a little cheaper: if you order two or more sheets, they're $16.99 apiece; and if you enter the code "tenoff" before checking out, it should knock 10% off your order. For two sheets of stamps, this took me down to about $0.76 a stamp--still a little pricey, but worth it for the cause. Plus, they're beautiful stamps.

Day 2 and More

Today was a harder day than yesterday, especially not waking up with Katie. You grow really used to that, and it hit me really hard at 5:00 this morning that I didn't have my best friend to groaningly get out of bed with. I miss you and cannot wait for your return!

I did have a good time this morning during my first day volunteering at the Embry Rucker Community Shelter. All I did was vacuum and wash windows, but it was nice to do some physical work. Everyone there is very nice, including the guy who I am doing tasks for. It really puts things into perspective seeing people and entire families who have almost nothing, and a shelter and a warm breakfast is really all they may have too look forward to. It is incredible to have so many things to rely on in my life, but it is so important seeing those who have far less. There are so many biblical passages in the New Testament (and some in the old) that tell you to give to those with less than you. It is for their good, the good of everyone, but it is hard to deny that it is for your good too. Seeing those in really needy conditions puts your problems into a different perspective. It does not make them go away, but it is truly one of the best therapies that you can have. I am really happy that Katie and I chose to get involved with this place, and I am looking to getting to know some of these people more.

So now I go home to our warm aparment, where there is dinner to make and very hungry kitties to feed. I have lots to be thankful for, but I can' help but be melancholy without Katie there. I love you and miss you my lady, but am glad you are having a great time!

A Walk to Beautiful

Matt and I were looking forward to seeing this movie, but we had an even better time than we expected. The movie was well-done and heartbreaking, though ultimately uplifting. There were speakers there who had actually worked at the fistula hospital, and there was a prizewinning photo exhibit about the organization called Trail of Tears. Local Ethiopian restaurants had donated tons of food, and the Unitarian Universalist Church of Fairfax has a beautiful sanctuary, lined with old timbers and with huge, round windows that look out to the woods and sky beyond. We were touched by the movie and the stories told by people there, and I was struck by the poverty and despair faced by the women whose stories were told. It occurred to me for the millionth time that it isn't that the world lacks resources, it just lacks equitable distribution of them. Case in point: these women are dying for lack of a lifesaving Cesarean while, ironically, women in the United States have to fight for the eroding right NOT to have Cesareans that aren't medically indicated. In the same way that I sometimes wish we could box up all the wasted food from US tables and send it over to people who really need it, I wish we could mail them our extra Cesareans, too.

A little more background on obstetric fistula: the condition is caused when a woman or young girl (because they are often married between the ages of five and ten) goes into labor, but the baby is too big to successfully navigate the pelvis, most often because the girls are small, weak, and malnourished, with poorly developed bones. Eventually, the baby generally dies, and the pressure of the baby's head up against the pelvic bones erodes soft tissue between the birth canal and either the bladder or the rectum (or both), leaving a hole that results in the constant leakage of urine and/or feces. This makes them complete social outcasts in their community, and the vast majority of their husbands simply move in with someone else. Some girls eventually do give birth to the dead baby on their own; others describe finally getting to a hospital and having to have it removed "in pieces." Because of the advent of Cesarean--but, more importantly, the improvements in nutrition and the delay of childbearing past the childhood and very early teenage years--it's a condition that has disappeared from developed nations, and most doctors in those countries aren't even trained in how to repair them.

We were impressed by the work of the Fistula Foundation for many reasons, not the least of which because it helps train doctors from all over in how to successfully repair fistulas, and selects girls to be trained as local midwives(!), but also because it seizes on the convalescent period of the women after their surgeries to train the women themselves. They're often taught to read and write, they spend long hours in conversation with each other, and they help out however they can--helping clean the hospital or tend to other, newer patients. It's amazing to see the transformation from downtrodden to joyful, and it's amazing to think that aside from basic human decency, this isn't the product of any kind of psychotherapy--just the realization that they aren't alone in their problems, and that somebody in the world cares for them. Someone in the film also points out that these women would likely die before they would allow their daughters to be given away as child brides, making them agents of change in their communities. It is the hope of the Fistula Foundation that the condition will eventually be eradicated; the Fistula Hospitals would then become centers of prevention, well-equipped maternity hospitals where fistula could be prevented by providing necessary Cesareans.

I'm also continually amazed at the resilience and generosity of women who have themselves been so poorly mistreated. One of the women, 17-year-old Wubete (whose sweet face and childish voice make her seem half her age), had had several failed fistula surgeries already after a prolonged labor at 13 had left her with a dead baby and a constant urine leak, and refused to go back to her village, where she knew she would be an outcast and nobody would care for her. Instead, she went to work at Grace Village, and orphanage for children whose parents have died of AIDS. Rather than accept a life of begging and mistreatment, or end it herself prematurely, she chose to devote herself to others even less fortunate than she. Some of the final images of the film are of her shining face as she cares for orphaned children, and she exclaims happily, "I love them."

In other words, this is an organization that truly saves and changes lives. We're hoping to sponsor a couple of surgeries a year from here on out (each one costs just over $400, or $37.50 a month if you choose to spread it out over a year), in the hopes of giving these suffering women and grieving mothers a second chance at life.

Too Hot to Handle

The weather, that is. After a couple of lovely cool days, and lying in bed this morning noticing that some of the leaves outside had turned, and thinking happily that we just may be headed for fall, Matt and I were disappointed when we ventured outside this morning and the air was sticky, heavy, and already in the high 80's.

So our jog turned into sort of a half-run, half-walk down to the Farmer's Market and the bookstore and back. We were planning to run a couple of errands on bike, but at this rate we've decided to just hang out and keep cool, and get up to do them early tomorrow, before the weather gets too hot.

On the docket for this weekend:

-Clean up our adopted spot

-Clip and sort coupons (I'm way behind)

-Pack for Frontier

-Plan a menu and shopping list for cooking dinner at the homeless shelter next month
We've decided, at my mom's excellent suggestion, to make her tuna buns recipe, which was a surprisingly huge hit at our engagement party two years ago. It's easy, high in protein, and feeds a crowd for relatively cheap!

-Stop by the library, to return books and pick up more coupons!

-Return a swimsuit to Eddie Bauer
They had a great sale on their website, but they don't sell suits in the stores--though you can return them there, for free!--so I needed to order a couple of different sizes before I got it right. Now, I'm thrilled to death with this suit (and with getting it for half price!), which is basic and flattering and should last a long time. I've decided this past year that I am so done with cheap two-pieces, since I've owned so many and never been happy with them; they're never flattering, and I'm never in the sun enough to get a tan belly, so I just wind up hanging my pale one out there for all to see. No more!

-Grocery shop

-Make homemade lavender laundry soap

Tonight we're also going to a showing of A Walk to Beautiful, a documentary we've wanted to see for awhile which deals with the heartbreaking condition of obstetric fistula (incontinence of urine/feces due to birth injuries) in Africa, and a humanitarian organization's efforts to combat it. Check it out if you have a chance (you can rent it or watch it online at Netflix), or consider making a donation to the Fistula Hospital.

But because of the heat, today we're focusing on the indoor activities. Some couponing, some reading, some blogging; Matt's whittling, and we'll probably watch some Cosby show. Mostly, we're just enjoying the day. Things have felt so much lighter and easier between us in the past few days, like the heaviness of the past, which--though forgiven, not forgotten--has been a nearly constant part of our subconscious for the past few months, is finally lifting, and we're getting back into the groove of the relationship we thought we had, found out we didn't, but are getting closer and closer to every day.

Additional Charities We Like

I wanted to add two other charities that we are interested in to the list. Both of these charities are connected directly to my first college band director, James Arrowood, who recently passed away. Mr. Arrowood was one of the most quality people I have ever met, in addition to being a great conductor, musician, and educator. I have met very few people as honorable and loving as Mr. Arrowood, and he asked on his passing that rather than send flowers to his family, donations be made to the two charities below.

First, upon the retirement of Mr. Arrowood, the James Arrowood Music Service Award was set up by the Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Xi Omicron chapter at UW-Stevens Point. This scholarship is actually linked to an endowment that the chapter is working to fill which will generate a yearly $500 scholarship for a music student. When the endowment is full, it will last forever, no matter what happens to the chapter. Donationas can be made through the UWSP Department of Music.

The Southern Poverty Law Center is a non-profit that aims to fight white hate groups and is noted for its tolerance education programs. These people are doing some very difficult and meaningful work to combat destructive beliefs and practices right here in the U.S. This group also monitors the activity of white supremacist groups such as the Klu Klux Klan, which must be an extremely daunting and difficult task.

I hope people will consider giving to one of these two groups in memory of Mr. Arrowood.

More Blessed to Give

On the sidebar, you'll notice we've added a number of links to Organizations We Care About. If you find yourself looking for charities to support, or just want to know more about some of the issues close to our hearts, feel free to check them out. Here's what's currently listed:

The Weston A. Price Foundation. Named for a dentist/anthropologist who advocated eating food that was whole, local, and traditionally cultivated. Advocates for traditional diets (including foods like raw milk and butter from grassfed cows) instead of dietary fads based on the presence or absence of spotlighted nutrients (eg high in Omega-3s, low in saturated fats, etc). Also work for the rights of small farmers and consumers. Our dietary philosophy has slowly shifted from one that was just primarily vegetarian to one that now focuses not just on what categories of food we do or don't eat, but where that food came from and how it was raised. As a result, we've come to agree with many (though possibly not all) of the premises espoused by WAP. That's why you'll notice that in the past six months or so, we've started to consume more eggs, milk, butter, and even meat upon occasion, because we've found a local farmer who provides humanely raised animal products of exceptional quality, and whom we're proud to support with our food dollars.

Women for Women International, whom I've mentioned before. Individual sponsorship programs are a great way to feel like your donations are really making a difference to another human being.

The Society of St. Andrew, named after the apostle who brought Jesus the boy with the loaves and fishes that fed the 5,000, represents a perfect marriage of our burgeoning interest in Christian charity and our passion for high-quality food. Through donations of cosmetically imperfect produce, as well as taking part in the biblical practice of gleaning, they provide thousands of pounds of fresh produce to homeless shelters, Indian reservations, and other groups in need. We're hoping to take part in a gleaning operation nearby sometime soon.

The Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network (RAINN) is the largest ant-sexual assault organization in the country, and a clearinghouse for support, resources, and action. I'm currently undergoing training to staff their online sexual assault hotline (a better choice for me than manning the phones like I did in Iowa City, since our basement apartment doesn't seem to be friendly to cell phone reception). Sexual assault has always been a topic close to my heart, and I've seen firsthand how devastating it can be to victims--also how much hope and healing can be offered by appropriate counseling. I'm excited to take part in this newer front for helping victims of sexual violence, particularly for those who may not have a local rape crisis center to help them, and donations to RAINN help strengthen laws and do a variety of other important grassroots work. Of course, donations to local rape crisis centers do the same (and keep them open for person-to-person support), so don't forget about them!

Some of my best childhood memories are of the summers I spent at Grace Youth Camp (now Grace Adventures) in Mears, Michigan. I spent many happy times, as well as some tumultuous times, in my life there, and I know they've touched literally thousands of other lives as well. My godfather (who married us) used to be the director at that camp, as well as the one where he met my mom as a camper many years ago. Matt and I are both huge believers in the value of outdoor skills and recreation for kids, and it's also where I learned a lot about faith and the Bible and met some truly outstanding people. You can donate for general needs or a scholarship fund for kids and families who wouldn't otherwise be able to afford summer camp. Both are important!

I was introduced to the Heifer Project by one of my former oboe students who gave in my name as a Christmas present. Basically, you donate money to purchase an animal or animals (such as a cow, goat, sheep, flock of geese, etc) that will provide a moneymaking enterprise for a family in a developing country. Throughout their projects are woven their values of agroecology, animal wellbeing, gender equity, HIV/AIDS education, urban agriculture, and youth initiatives.

Kiva.org is a little bit different because it's an international microlending company--meaning that after a year, you get your donation (usually $25) back, or, if you give it as a gift, your recipient will get $25. You can browse projects by enterpreneurs in a variety of developing countries and make a small loan to help them lift themselves out of poverty. Not a true donation in the sense that you get it back, but a wonderful cause and perhaps a good steppingstone for those having trouble completely parting with their money.

This is just a sampling of a few organizations which are doing really good work for people in need. Matt and I really enjoy finding out more about the incredible things people are doing to help others, and doing our small part to help that along. It's a fun and meaningful thing each month to choose a couple of agencies to help together--so much more so than if we took that money to the mall or out to dinner (though we do budget for those things, too). I would encourage you to consider a one-time donation to one of these organizations or one of your choosing, and to consider making such a gift a regular part of your monthly budget. Feel free to leave a comment if you do, or if there's another great organization you think we should know about!

CVS'ing Like Mad for the Homeless

At first glance, the CVS deals for this month/this week didn't seem too stellar. The standout was the free-after-Extra Bucks Children's Advil, which is made even freer by the presence of a $1 off coupon printable online. It says limit one, though I was able to print at least two. I didn't get to use them both, though, because the CVS I went to only had one left. I was bummed, because I had just under $12 in ECB and buying two of those at $5.79 would have been a perfect way to roll those over.

Instead, I participated in the Colgate deal ($0.99 after ECB, would have been free if I'd brought my coupons!), and the buy-one-get-one-free deals on Pert Plus and Sure deodorant. These were made particularly excellent, despite the lack of ECB offered, due to the fact that the paper has recently had awesome coupons for both of these products and so I was able to get all four items for free. I used two $2 off of 1 coupons on the Pert (which was $3.99, with one free) and I think a similar deal for the Sure. With coupons and ECB, my total was something like -$0.50, so I got a pack of Trident gum, which was over $1 but which comes in handy when you work in close contact with others and have a propensity for oniony, garlicky lunches (like I do). The rest are products we don't use, so we'll donate them. I love the warm fuzzy feeling of giving, combined with the thrill of the hunt I get from avid coupon shopping! So out of pocket I paid $0.41 for all of the above, and earned about $10 in ECB. My return would have been a little higher had I been able to get two Advils and use coupons for the Colgate, but I'm not complaining!

Glad HavingTwins Hasn't Slowed Their Philanthropy

As you may recall, Women for Women is an organization I've supported for several years now and have sponsored women from Afghanistan to Sudan. They're consistently rated with the highest integrity by agencies that evaluate nonprofits, and do a lot of good work for women and communities in war-torn areas. So I was excited to see this in a recent email from the organization:

Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt Donate $200,000 to
Women for Women International

The Jolie-Pitt foundation announced a $200,000 pledge to Women for Women International’s program in Iraq to sponsor 300 women, and more than 1,000 children who will benefit.

“These educational support programs for children
of conflict are the best way to help them heal.”
– Angelina Jolie

The donation will help mothers in Iraq to feed their children, pay for their school fees, and earn a sustainable income to support their families. Ms. Jolie has visited Iraq twice in the past year.

“We hope to encourage others to give to
these great organizations.”
– Brad Pitt

To learn more, please visit our website at http://www.womenforwomen.org/jolie-pitt-iraq-donation-women/.

Weekend

That's about what we've been up to this weekend: taking it easy. I work overnight tomorrow, so Matt (bless him) and I have been trying to sleep more during the day so I/we will be fresher during the nighttime. We did get a little bit accomplished; Matt's bike has had a flat tire, so since we needed to drive it to a gas station anyway, we went ahead and did our grocery shopping while we were out because it's so darn hot. We picked up our produce at Harris Teeter this week because we've been pretty disappointed in the price and quality of some of Trader Joe's (moldy potatoes, anyone?), and we also stopped at Whole Foods because it's the only place to get flour in bulk. Trader Joe's did have pine cat litter though, which last week they didn't and which prompted a scare that maybe they were discontinuing it. So this week we stocked up: we bought 3 bags, as my mom would say, "so the hoarders wouldn't get them." That gives us 6 weeks of litter changes in case anything were to happen to our supply chain.

CVS deals haven't looked great in the past week or so, even given my looser restrictions these days, so we've pretty much stayed out of there.

The menu for this week:

Potato soup

Tamales

Pasta with roasted vegetables and olive oil

Pizza (type TBA)

Pasta with mushrooms and cream sauce

Hummus and pitas

Nothing terribly exciting, but a few old favorites.

In other news, Reston Interfaith (the same group that runs "our" homeless shelter) is having a new-backpack drive and so we decided to direct some of our charity dollars in that direction. We were able to maximize them by utilizing a 20% off coupon from eBags (which it generates when you rate a product you've bought from them; even if, like me, you bought it many months ago). This meant we could get nice Jansport backpacks for under $20 apiece. I had a Jansport for many years, which I got out of the "share box" at Interlochen (meaning it had already been used) and which carried me all the way through nursing school, and Matt has an old green one he's had since he can't remember when. They're incredibly durable and we're also always happy to do business with eBags, which has treated us really well in the past. Anyway, I would encourage you to see if there's anything similar going on in your community!