Virtual Great American Bake Sale

Even though traditional roles are changing, women still are the ones who are primarily responsible for nourishing the family. We plan the meals, we buy the food, we prepare the food and we serve the food. For some of us, this is a joy and for others it is just a chore. But for those mothers without income, it is a heartbreaking impossibility. Here is where we can put down the weapons of the "Mommy Wars" and help a fellow mother feed her family.

Cooking During Stolen Moments is hosting a Virtual Bake Sale today! They are a selling an ebook filled with recipes from the Virtual Great American Bake Sale participants (I am one of them!!). The books are now available for a donation of your choosing and all of the proceeds will go to Share Our Strength. So stop by and help to stop hunger today!!

Join the Army!

Yes, that’s right! I’m shouting out to all women to join the army – the Army of Women. Have you heard about this yet? It’s an incredible movement, a collaborative effort between Dr. Susan Love, Avon, and scientists to find the cause of breast cancer once and for all in order to bring about an end to this terrible disease that brings about the death of about 40,000 women every year. The Army of Women’s goal is to find one million volunteers, adult women of any age, ethnicity, and all walks of life, to participate in scientific research studies involving breast cancer. Here is some information about the Army directly from their website:

When you register with the Army of Women, you are indicating your interest in learning about active research studies in need of volunteers. You will then receive email updates from the Army of Women announcing new research studies looking for volunteers just like you. The email will detail the research project and who and what the researchers need. If you fit the criteria and you’d like to participate, all you need to do is reply to the email and let us know you’ve accepted our “Call to Action.” If you accept the Call to Action, you will be contacted by an Army of Women staff member, who will make sure you meet the study criteria and answer any questions you might have about study participation. You will never be pressured to take part in any study. The decision to take part is yours — and yours alone. If you meet the study criteria and are interested in taking part, the Army of Women staff member will let you know what you need to do next.

I registered with the Army of Women a few months ago. My reasons for doing so include the fact that my mother had breast cancer at the age of 40 (and luckily came through it just fine) and I have a keen desire to make some kind of impact in helping to fight this insidious disease.

So far, the Army of Women has called all of its volunteers, which as of today number over 270,000 women, to action for about five studies. I have not fit the parameters for any of the studies yet and therefore have not been able to participate in any kind of research but I hope to do so some day. I do find that I feel great knowing that I’ve put myself out there as a volunteer, and even if my services can’t be used right now, I’ve offered them up to the organization; in doing so, I’ve taken a crucially important first step in helping scientists fight the battle against breast cancer.

I challenge you to do the same.

Check out the Army of Women’s website at: www.armyofwomen.org.

Causes

I am sure we all have causes that are near and dear to our heart. Today, I thought I would write about one that is important to me. Recently, someone close to me (who I will not identify out of respect for her privacy) was diagnosed with breast cancer. She is currently undergoing chemotherapy.

When those someone I love is hurting, I want to do something to help. Other than prayers, there was little I could do to help in this situation. I did some research, and I came up with the Pantene Beautiful Lengths program. This program takes donated hair and turns it into wigs for women who have lost their hair due to chemo. It is similar to Locks of Love, except LoL uses donated hair for wigs for children suffering from baldness. While LoL is certainly a worthwhile cause, I wanted something specifically designed to help women going through chemo.

Last Friday, I went to my favorite salon, and cut my hair. The stylist asked me if I wanted to wait a couple months more, but I said that it was time as chemo had started the day before for the person I was doing this in honor of. I should clarify a few things at this point. I do not like my hair short, so this was kind of a scary thing for me. I had to close my eyes as she cut the ponytails. She cut off eight inches. I am really glad I did this! It was for a great cause!

Here is the result: