Category: Theme Thursday

The Road Not Taken: A Different Kind of Road Trip {Staycation}

My son and I embarked on an adventure: a mission to explore some curious back roads we had been on, but never seen the end of. Many thanks to Robert Frost and his poetic inspiration, and also those glorious Arkansas hills (the ones we couldn’t see around) which piqued our curiosity.

Our very own road trip, Staycation-style.

Our first chosen road runs past the bus drop off at my son’s elementary school. There’s a hill and a curve and after looking down that road one day, I wondered aloud about where it led.

My son said, “We’ll have to find out where it goes, Mom.” And I thought, yes, we will.

Earlier that week, after an evening in town with the family, we were on our way to our rural, northwest Arkansas home. I couldn’t find a back road to our neck of the woods, even though I remembered being on one before. Somewhere, I took a wrong turn.

We added this lost back road to our queue.

And we found an evening to leave little brothers and Daddy and we took off from our driveway with a bottle of water and a semi-plan on our very own version of a road trip. I didn’t get a teacher’s education for nothing, so I had my son make some predictions.

All roads leading to a park is a nice idea, don’t you think?

We drove up that bus loading hill by his elementary school, and went right on passed the building.

We drove by some big, fancy houses that we never knew existed, the kind with fancy gates in the entrance, and brick walls surrounding property. Then the paved road turned into this:

And then this. Two roads diverged, even.

That’s really where the fun began. At the fork in the road, we chose gravel. We crossed over little creeks on narrow bridges and peeked at houses tucked way up into the woods. It was kind of dark in places, thick with lots of overgrown trees, and slightly spooky. We kept going and going, and when I was sure we had delved deep into the notorious backwoods, we went a little farther and saw this:

So, that was good.

We came out onto a familiar road, about ¼ a mile away from the school. We’d practically gone in a circle. It was fun, and my son was thrilled. We checked that road off our list, and made notes to try the left side of the fork next time.

And then we went on to find that long lost back road. Again, I took a wrong turn on our search for it, but found some beautiful Arkansas hills we had never before seen, went on roads we never knew existed, and lost mobile phone coverage. We also found the other side of the lake.

At a “Dead End” sign, we doubled back and finally found that back road, which we promptly took into town, where we stopped for a treat. (A crucial part of any good road trip, yes?)

And then we took that back road all the way home.

Create your own version of a road trip. Discover a route that steers you clear of rush hour traffic and enjoy the state’s beauty. Turn a different way on that street you’ve never been down. Maybe find out what the “Dead End.” looks like. When you’re not pressed for time, grab a bottle of water and get in the car and look for new roads to drive from here to there and back again. Take a kid or two. Make a map. Draw a picture. Record what happened.

Take the road you haven’t traveled. Don’t forget to stop for a treat.

Rhonda Franz is a writer and educator who lives in the woods of northwest Arkansas with her husband and three young boys. She is a city girl who has learned to appreciate the space and quiet that comes from living out of town. She loves cooking, long walks, and road trip adventures that culminate with fruity drinks.

RhondaFranz.com
coffeehousemom.com
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Not All Gardens Grow in the Ground

Not all gardens grow in the ground

By Jamie Smith

When I was a kid, my parents had what I would consider a large garden sectioned off with railroad ties. My husband’s family had even more garden space with fruit trees and all kinds of plants.

When we got married, we had the goal of having a garden so we could grow flowers, some of our own food and just enjoy the nature of the whole thing.

Living in downtown Bentonville and renting for the first year of our marriage made this goal a tad difficult. I don’t think our landlord would have cared if we tilled up the ground but we didn’t think it was a great idea to put that much effort to build a plot at a place we didn’t own.

So we created a container garden. I’ve been asked before what that means and it is literally a garden in containers. You can use traditional pots and planters, or you can get creative and even cute. My goal is sometime to have a planter made from an old children’s play pool or a wheelbarrow just because it’s cute.

A container garden is also not just potted flowers—we had at one point blueberries, strawberries, corn, flowers, bell peppers and tomatoes. It was small, but it was ours. And you want to know something ironic? Since we moved into our own home two years ago we’ve been so busy that we’ve not planted a so-called “real” garden yet.

Why do a container garden?

We created a container garden because of where we live. Living in the city and lacking a yard is one reason to have a container garden.

I can see us having some form of a container garden even if we do an in-ground garden because I’m a person with a disability. People with mobility issues including seniors and people with disabilities can benefit from a raised garden bed or a container garden because it reduces (or completely gets rid of) the need to kneel on the ground. It seems like it would also be a fun way for families with kids to let their children take ownership of some of the plants

A container garden doesn’t force you to keep your garden in one location. So want to grow something that needs shade but also something that needs light? Use containers and place them in different parts of the yard. It also makes it easier for when you want to grow plants that require a different soil type than other plants.

You know another reason to do a container garden? It’s fun. It allows for creativity.

A few tips for a container garden

I don’t claim to be a gardener but we did learn a few things in our three years of having a container garden.

Always make sure there are holes in the bottom of the container. Even if you purchase planters designed for plants, check to make sure the drainage holes have been punched.
Most containers can be used including wheelbarrows, plastic pools, pails and even old storage containers (I had a giant green storage bin that had its lid break so we converted it to a planter).
Use nutrient-rich planting soil. It costs more than topsoil but it will protect your investment in the plants. However, if you have a large deep container, you can use the cheaper top soil to build up the base then use the nutrient-rich soil at the top where the plant roots actually are located.
Know what kind of soil the plants need and consider placing some plants together that can have similar or complementary needs. For example, we grew Roma tomatoes and blueberries together in the same planter. Something about their soil needs were complementary and they grew like gangbusters.

Do you have a container garden? What do you grow? Offer your tips in the comments!

In the Garden

By Laurie Marshall of See Laurie Write

When my grandmother died, my mother bought her house and continued to care for the small cottage garden that had become grandma’s showplace. Around the hand-built rock fountain my grandfather built when I was a toddler, she planted lamb’s ears, azaleas, blue bells, daffodils, and several varieties of iris. All the garden goodness was watched over by a small statue of St. Francis of Assisi.

St. Francis and Iris

When my mother died in 2009, the task of cleaning out the house fell to my sister and me. It was difficult to part with the furniture and mementos that mom left behind, but because of the genuine love of the digging in the dirt that seems to be a genetic trait in my family, it was perhaps even harder to give up the years of passionate work that built that garden. One of the final things I did before I left the house for the last time was to fill a few tote bags with iris tubers. And St. Frank. Call me greedy. Or grieving.

Grandma’s irises have been in the ground in my front yard for several years now, and this year they have apparently reached their adolescence or something, because they are fantastic! There are several purple and lilac varieties, and a pink and gold one that is truly special.

Purple Iris 1

Pink and Yellow 2

The garden that was already in place in our back yard when we bought our house has provided white, yellow, pink and peach iris as well. It’s been a lovely spring for hand-picked bouquets. I know this fall will be a perfect time to cut a few pieces off to share with friends, so before they stopped blooming, I wanted to mark them.

I’ve been collecting mismatched pieces of old silver plate, knowing that I’d find a use for them “someday”. I am drawn to the tarnished and the rusty, you see. To create some plant markers, I dug out a box of old canning lids from my stash, and wrote the flower colors on them before wedging them between the tines of the forks.

Plant markers 2

I tend to decorate my garden with found and repurposed objects, so these markers fit right in. And they remind me of the thrifty“wear it out” sensibilities of my mother and grandmother. A fitting tribute, don’t you think?

Plant markers

Laurie is a writer and junque-hunter living in Springdale, Arkansas with her husband, son and three goofy cats. She raises kids and chickens and makes messes in her craft room. She loves to create good food, pretty gardens, and happy kids. But when that doesn’t happen as planned, she simply reads about them on Pinterest. You can follow Laurie at See Laurie Write.

Confessions of a Semi-successful Gardener

by Jeanetta Darley

“April showers bring May flowers.”

And yes, May flowers bring pilgrims but this time of year they also bring bees to the garden. And bees bring pollination. And pollination brings a bountiful harvest.

Well, that’s the theory of gardening anyway.

When that theory is proved right you feel so successful. You feel like the queen cultivator out to provide food for her family from the dirt of the earth. Crowned with your over-sized sun hat and your trusty trowel at your side. You envision an ever vigilant summer where weeds tremble at your hands, beetles and aphids have retreated in terror and the neighbor’s dog has banished any thought of digging in that fresh smelling dirt. You can and freeze and dehydrate. Fresh salads are fixed every night. And your kids no longer snub the dark green vegetables from days of yore because they have been enlightened and now know where their food comes from and will eat it happily.

Sorry to burst your bubble but the dream of gardening nirvana just doesn’t exist. Not even for professional farmers and gardeners. The reality is a garden, like anything worthwhile, is hard work. It’s dirty work during the hottest most humid times of the year. But don’t let the fear of failure or the harsh conditions stop you from pushing on.

I have only been gardening with minor success for maybe the past four years. I say minor success because each year I learn some things I need to stop doing and some things I need to start doing. So this is my garden confessional for this year.

Things to stop:

I’m a hopeless over-planter. I envision myself harvesting and washing and cooking and canning every evening during the summer when the reality is I’m lucky to give them a quick rinse and blanch and pop them in the freezer.
Don’t get angry at my family when they don’t share my gardening passion. I can get grumpy being the only one that ever waters or mulches or shells peas. Even if they do enjoy the eating.

Things to start:

Keep a better journal. I use a fantastic online journal with the website SmartGardener. It is very easy to use and helps with your garden floor plan and even sends email reminders.
Prune! I’m terrified to prune. So by mid summer my over-planted, over-grown raised beds resemble a small jungle.
Compost. It’s time I gathered all the chicken poop and tossed it in with the eggshells and other matter and get some composting bins started
Plan our meals around the harvest and give our abundance to food pantries.

I am always asked questions about starting a garden and when you’re supposed to do what when. The truth is I’m still learning all that too. I ask questions. I look things up and most importantly I just go ahead and do it. Start simple. Don’t get discouraged. Pay attention. And have fun. Happy gardening!

My Favorite Gardening Resources:

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Karen Kingsolver

SmartGardener.com

P. Allen Smith’s Youtube Channel

Stop, It’s Handle Time!

by Keisha Pittman, Miss April 2014

NAME – it’s something you’re born into, something you’re given or in the case of social media, it’s something you pick for yourself.

Sometimes it fits like a cozy sock, slipping on and fitting tight as a glove. Sometimes it’s something you have to grow into like your dad’s clumsy shoes when your little and stumbling around the house.

Sometimes its representative of a time in your life of even better an embarrassing moment you had.

Maybe it’s my inner You’ve got Mail Meg Ryan psyche, but as social media continues to grow and we all have to keep developing our “handles”, I’m always curious what the letters and numbers that make up who we “are” to the world say about us. Of course, we all stay on heightened alert to not use any important numbers like our social security number, address or birthday (yes, those are all typical pin codes…be smart people!), but when you choose a number, I’m assuming it has to be something very important to you; and the letters even more significant.

BIGPITTSTOP – it’s a name that chose me.

My sister has always been the athlete in the family. And, when I say “the” athlete, I’m referring to the fact that only one existed. I’m clumsy and I don’t like to sweat; it’s a title she earned all on her own! She’s never been one to be called her actual name and you can tell what part of life people know her from based on the name they call her. But, the one that stuck for the majority of her life was lil pitt. When she started her freshman year of high school, I started my senior year. So, being the younger, and opposite, version of me she had to have her own identity. So, lil pitt stuck and somehow big pitt developed.

While I never really “went” by it, I kind a liked it because I knew to be big pitt, lil pitt had to be just around the corner…and I’m a BIG fan of lil pitt.

So, sometime later when I developed a landing page for my shutterfly photo account, I came up with my own combination – “big pitt” and “pit stop” and mashed them together. Seemed like a cheeky little play on words in an emerging “personalized” website forum. Yes, I’m talking like 2004.

March of 2008 came and I found myself quickly needing to develop one of those “blog things” to communicate a series of information to a large and somewhat anonymous group of people. I wasn’t interested in inundating my Facebook followers with the news of my recent cancer diagnosis, but I was also tired of sharing the same thing over and over. So, as I typed in “blogspot.com” for the first time, I felt the pressure of forming a creative name that might not just be representative of this “time” in my life but would be personal enough to be a space only I could use for a long time.

Drunk on the emotion of a tough diagnosis, I was stripped of creativity and normal thinking so I just went with something I already had created – bigpittstop. Made sense. Seemed short. So I hit submit and my blog world opened.

It wasn’t until a week later, while I was having a conversation with a way more savvy communications friend that I realized an underscored play on words that had organically come about. Cancer (which we’ll talk about next week) wasn’t going to get me… it was just a pit stop.

I’m not sure what a pit stop is to you – might be a gas station, a scenic pull off, or a friendly visit along the way to somewhere else. If you’re a NASCAR fan, you know a pit stop as a place where cars go to change tires, repair mechanics or sometimes even change drivers; all of which are necessary for optimum performance.

Wikipedia can give you way more strategic analogies than my life experience may have found. We’ve all be there. We’ve all gone through things that don’t seem to make sense. Our mechanics may have needed repairing, the tread on our tires may be been a little worn and the standard crowbar may not have been enough to get our hubcaps replaced. But, afterall, life is just a journey of pit stops that we are moving through to refuel for the next part of the drive! Live your journey BIG!

lifeHighway

Choosing a Hotel {Have Suitcase, Will Travel}

By Amy Bradley-Hole of Freaky Perfect

Traveling to a new destination is almost always fun. It’s exciting to see new scenery, check out new attractions, and find great new places to dine.

But all that newness can also be a little stressful. When you’re traveling somewhere you’ve never been before, deciding where to stay can be tricky. Is that hotel you’re considering in a safe neighborhood? Does it have the amenities you need? Is it the best value, or is there a better hotel you’ve never heard of just a block away?

My family and I have stayed at, worked at, and even lived in all types of hotels all over the world. Despite that, I still get a little nervous when it comes to choosing a hotel in an unfamiliar territory. So how do I make a decision? By following these tips, I almost never go wrong.

First, figure out what type of hotel you need. Is this just a stop-over on a road trip? Then location matters most, and you’ll probably want something by the interstate. Staying a few nights for the trip of a lifetime? You’ll likely appreciate the comfort and service of a luxury property. Quick business trip? You probably don’t need a bellman, but that free breakfast might be very important. Also, think about whether you’d prefer a chain or independent hotel. Chain properties offer consistency and brand standards, but little excitement. Independent or boutique hotels are typically more interesting and special, but you don’t always know what you’re getting. So before you start looking, narrow down your search parameters. Figure out which amenities you need, and which you can do without. That will make your search much less overwhelming.
Ask for recommendations. Even if I’m going to some random, far-flung destination, I always ask my social networks for advice. Ask around, and you’ll be surprised at how many friends (and friends of friends) know of a perfect hotel that’s just what you’re looking for.
Check out the review websites, but be a savvy shopper. My favorite go-to review site is Trip Advisor. I like how it gives me a hotel’s ranking in its area.

This feature allows you to compare unknown properties very easily. When you know nothing about all the different hotels in an area, this shows you quickly and easily how a prospective hotel stands up to its competitors.

But there are two things to remember when perusing these review sites. First, ignore the stars. Star rankings are subjective and inconsistent. What one site considers a five-star property would only garner three stars on another. This makes them practically meaningless.

Second, toss out the most glowing and most horrible reviews. Some people think everything about every hotel is absolutely wonderful! And some people have an axe to grind. The truth always lies somewhere in between.

Check out a map. Before I book a room, I always find the hotel on a map. Let’s face it — hotels embellish the truth in their marketing materials. What they consider “walking distance” may be, in reality, a mile away over a busy highway. And “quiet neighborhood” may mean “completely isolated from all the attractions.” Plus, there’s a safety factor involved. When you’re unfamiliar with your destination, you have no idea which parts of town are safe and which are sketchy. A quick glance at Street View can alert you to any abandoned buildings, iron bars on windows, or dirty, unkempt vacant lots in the vicinity of your hotel. These are all signs of a less-than-desirable location.

Call the hotel directly. The best way to get a feel for a place is by calling it! Trust me — you can get a good idea of what kind of service a hotel provides by a quick chat with a reservations or front desk agent. (Hint: Don’t call a chain’s 800 number. Call the direct local number for the hotel.) Ask questions about the property or the area. Whoever you speak with should be willing and able to answer your inquiries with patience and care. This goes for inexpensive chain hotels and grand luxury hotels alike. You’ll know you’ve chosen the right hotel when your pre-booking and pre-arrival experiences make you happy and comfortable.

Travel should always be an adventure, but this doesn’t mean you have to take chances when it comes to finding the right place to lay your head. Take my advice, and chances are, you’ll find the perfect property for you and your needs.

Amy Bradley-Hole is a freelance writer and speaker who covers tech, travel, business and parenting. She’s a true Southern girl, but she’s lived and traveled all over the world. She blogs at Freaky Perfect about the freakiness of her not-so-perfect life. When she’s not goofing around on the internet, she dreams up new ways to drive her husband and two young boys crazy. Follow her on Twitter at @amybhole.

Tradition and Travel {Have Suitcase, Will Travel}

There’s always that moment, usually sometime in mid-February, that I throw my hands in the air and give up. “Spring will never officially arrive” I exclaim to anyone who might be listening. It doesn’t matter that I’ve seen it’s arrival and departure 30 times now. It doesn’t matter that the days are getting longer. And it doesn’t matter that, generally speaking, the worst is behind us. I generally just give up and start believing I will have to start living the life of that notorious groundhog; if you were forced to live without the benefit of sunshine you’d most likely be the bearer of bad news as well!

It’s only after I bother to flip through my calendar that I realize there’s only a few weeks until our annual trip to the horse races.

Host Springs Image Credit: Boston Public Library via Flickr

And I feel my eyes grow large with the realization.
And the butterflies in my stomach migrate back from wherever is was that they were hiding since before the holiday season.
And for the first time in several dark weeks, I realize that Spring really may come.

I remind my husband and he reminds our mutual friends. We force ourself to be nonchalant about it. We make the same reservation in the same room of the same bed and breakfast and the same reservations that we made last year and the year before. We whisper about the weather forecast, knowing that if we dare to speak in normal tones we will jinx our chances of enjoying our first chance of pink skin this early in the year.

And it’s in those mid weeks when the world is gradually growing lighter and warmer and even occasionally dusted by the occasional snow that we realize that our repeated actions from years past that have grown into the sweet traditions that quite literally add sunshine and warmth to our lives.

I highly recommend adding an element of tradition to your travels whenever you can.

What are some ways that you have added tradition to your travel?

Paige is a creative, a blogger, and a believer in the power of community and red lipstick. Check her out at http://www.approachingjoy.com/ or on social media @approaching_joy.

Making Memories Together {Have Suitcase, Will Travel}

Written by Whitney Jordan of Polka-Dotty Place

I have fond memories of traveling with my family when I was young. My parents planned several road trips -from Indiana to New York, Indiana to California and lots of little trips in between. At the time, I wasn’t thrilled about spending hours in the close quarters of our car, but I always enjoyed the trips. I have many happy memories of traveling with my family so I wanted to be sure to make traveling a priority when I had my own family.

My husband also loves to travel and we started making plans together as soon as we got engaged. He planned our honeymoon to Disney World and loved researching great deals for hotels, rental cars and restaurants. I loved planning the details of sights to see, road trip snacks, packing for the family and finding fun things to do while we were tourists. Those roles have continued throughout our almost 10 years of marriage. My husband gets daily emails from hotel and travel sites to keep him up to date on the current deals and we have also done some off season traveling to save money. You don’t have to spend tons of money to travel with your family. You can pack food to save money, stay in affordable hotels that serve breakfast and you can get local deals on-line for activities you are planning to do.

We have lived away from “home” our entire married life. We were both raised in Indiana and have lived in Utah and Arkansas for our married years. We’ve flown and driven home more times than I can count. It’s important to us to make it home as much as we can especially for big holidays, special family events and for extended trips when we can. We are lucky to have family come to visit us and we always enjoy being tour guides for their travels.

I am thankful for my husband because he plans so many fun adventures for our family. I like to be home and enjoy routines. He appreciates that, but also knows that we will have a great time together on the trips he plans. We’ve always traveled on a tight budget. We don’t stay at the fanciest hotels, eat the nicest dinners but we do splurge on special things here and there. He will sometimes clear plans with me in advance and other times surprise me with a little getaway. I love him for taking the time to do special things for us. He’s a fan of making memories too!

We have a 9 month old baby girl and she’s already traveled more than 10,000 road trip miles in her little life. We’ve moved across the country (Utah to Arkansas), taken several trips and she is an amazing traveler. We pack all of her familiar toys, blankets and favorite items. We try to keep her routine, bring lots of toys and snacks for the car and she does great in hotels. She really doesn’t know any different and we’re hoping she’ll grow up loving to go on our family adventures.

We made the decision to decorate our home with pictures from our trips. I take tons of pictures when we are traveling, print them and then decorate our home. We currently have pictures on display from: Mt. Rushmore, Jackson, Wyoming , San Francisco, Indiana, Mexico and Utah. We love reminiscing about those fantastic trips together and each time we glance at the pictures we are flooded with happy memories. We even have a special travel themed Christmas tree. We pick out a local ornament from all of the places we travel and add to our collection each year.

Do you travel with your family? Where do you like to go? I’d love to hear your family friendly travel recommendations. I hope you plan some fun adventures for your entire family and make some special memories in the process.

Hello! My name is Whitney and I blog at Polka-Dotty Place. I am a new mom and my family recently moved to Arkansas. We are enjoying the state and like to spend our weekends exploring our new home. I love to take pictures, blog, organize, make lists, bake, accessorize, do DIY projects and watch football. I am always looking to make new bloggy friends so please stop by and say hi.

Making Holiday Traditions with Crafty Hands

by Laurie Marshall of Junque Renthunque.

I’ll admit it. I’m not the perfect mom when it comes to creating holiday traditions. I like the idea of holiday traditions, but I also like the idea of folding clean clothes right after they come out of the dryer, and spending an autumn weekend to put my garden to bed, and inviting people over for casual dinner parties every now and then. But along with those lovely ideas, holiday traditions tend to get overlooked in my busy house, and I’ve (mostly) come to terms with that.

I think the best way to create traditions is to find something you enjoy doing, and just do it over and over. That’s a tradition, right? One thing that my mother did when my siblings and I were young that I’ve managed to adopt myself is making or purchasing annual Christmas tree ornaments for each of her children. This year, now that my oldest has moved into her own place and has her own tree, I’ll be pulling her ornaments out of our boxes for her to take home with her, just like my mom did for me.

In the early days of having kids, mom put her Crafty Hands to work and made ornaments out of felt and craft foam balls and tiny bits of trim. I’m kind of amazed that they have lasted, but I’m so glad they did. There’s the one-eyed soldier, the Santa who looks as though he got a little tipsy on peppermint mocha, and the elf who has managed to stay pristine. Those elves… they’re sneaky.

When I was celebrating my first holidays as a mom, I – like my mother before me – lived on the cheap in a mobile home. Oh boy,was I thankful for my Crafty-Hands genes. We made a lot of paper ornaments and garlands out of Cheerios and Froot-Loops strung on yarn. These little beauties were made from a simple kit I purchased at a craft store. The teddy bear and angel were for my daughters and the train represented the family.

As our family was able to spend a little more money during the holidays – both as a child and as an adult – we purchased ornaments instead of making them. My mom was obviously proud of me when I joined the band-exemplified by two years of flute-playing ornaments (my band career was a short-lived endeavor, bumped by drama club in junior high).

I’m not sure that my store-bought ornaments all represent something about their recipients, but these Angry Birds do. And,my son was pretty stoked about them a couple of years ago…and that’s what matters most, right?

But even as the years passed, my mom and I both kept fiddling with ribbon and wire and making ornaments whenever we could.She beribboned these sweet baskets in the late 1970s. I created fabric and beaded acorns when I discovered these huge acorn caps under a tree in my neighborhood. They’re the only two I made and I gave them to mom that year.

Sadly, my mom passed away four years ago. As my sister and I divided up her craft supplies (No small task! There was a kiln involved, y’all!!)we went through decorations in the old boxes and big blue suitcase where she kept Christmas, and picked out the ones that we gave her or she chose for us. I can’t decorate for the holidays without remembering the love – for family and for creating beautiful things – that mom passed down to each of her kids. Holiday traditions aren’t just about keeping up with the Joneses… in my house, they’re about passing down the Happy Holiday Crafty-Hands!!

Laurie is a writer and junque-hunter living in Springdale, Arkansas with her husband, son and three goofy cats. She raises kids and chickens and makes messes in her craft room. She loves to create good food, pretty gardens, and happy kids. But when that doesn’t happen as planned she simply reads about them on Pinterest. You can follow Laurie at See Laurie Write and Junque Rethunque.

ARWB to Celebrate #GivingTuesday on December 3

Do you have a favorite non-profit organization that is doing wonderful things in your community? We want to hear about it!

#givingtuesday

We are coming upon the busiest shopping weekend of the year, so just as Black Friday promotes holiday shopping the day after Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday encourages online sales, #GivingTuesday, on Tuesday, December 3, will help spotlight charitable giving.

We ask that ARWB members write a blog post on their blogs about their favorite organization/s and then we will have a Linky on the Arkansas Women Bloggers site on #GivingTuesday where you can share the love with your Arkansas sistah’s.

This is a nationwide event, but we are teaming up with the Arkansas Nonprofit Alliance (ANA), which represents over 360 nonprofit organizations throughout the state, to get the word out. For more information about the Arkansas Nonprofit Alliance or #GivingTuesday, visit www.ArkansasNonprofits.org.

I can not wait to read your posts.

Let’s kick off the holiday season by giving back.

The Park Wife