Mompreneurs - Stay at Home Powerhouses for Change

Mothers have always had the solutions and the know how to change the world and lately the business and philonthropic communities are taking notice. The term mompreneur, coined ten years ago by the founders of www.mompreneursonline.com, has come to mean more than a mother making money while staying at home to raise her children.

It can now be used to describe a woman whose invented a product that solves a health or safety issue for other mothers or a woman who heads a charitable organization. Cynthia Drasler, of Phoenix, Ariz., invented Organic Excellence hair and skin-care products because her daughter's skin was too sensitive for most products already on the market, thus helping other frustrated mothers and sensitive toddlers.

Mama Afrika offers gorgeous fair trade gift baskets, handmade basketry, traditional African clothing, jewlery, carvings, pottery, music, books as well as coffees, teas and chocolates. She provides income for African women by purchasing their products at fair prices and donates a portion of her profits to African relief efforts.

Women are providing services such as tutoring and coaching to other mothers. And some, like Laurie Zerga, teach our children culinary skills in a fun camp-like environment. There are doulas to help with the birth process and women who've invented products to make life as a stay-at-home mom easier. Take Julie Steele, for example, the inventor of the No Squeeze Juice Box. Anyone who's ever handed a child a juice box or packet knows what happens next...Squirt! Granted it's just a small inconvience in a world of gigantic problems but...it's one less frustration and one woman's effort to make life a little better for others.

I personally know a mother of six, who saw the need for a local writer's group that nutured new writers. Now she is the president of a non-profit group of sixty local writers, heads a successful, nationally known, yearly writer's conference and runs her own small press; all in an effort to help other people who share her love of the written word.

We all have inventions or helpful ideas floating around our frazzled mommy brains. Mompreneursonline and other sites like it give mothers the consolidated information and resources to make their ideas a reality. Mothers spend their days giving to and caring for the little people of the world. They problem solve, money manage, and delegate everyday...very much like a CEO or director of a small firm.

It's life affirming to see people taking notice of the efforts of mothers around the world. We have the abilty to successfully contribute to the finances our families, to bring people together in ways that support all involved, and a unique prespective of nurturance and resolve that can only make for a better more peaceful world.

Write down those ideas and sparks of inspiration and pursue the one that touches you the most! You never know how important they can become and what problem they might solve for another human being.

Inspiration from Great Minds Around the World

After sunrise on Saturday, a few easy morning hours, the perfect time to contemplate our place in the world and the desire of our hearts.

Marianne Williamson wrote in "A Return to Love"..."Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

The 14th Dalai Lama advises, "If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion."

Gerald Jampolsky said, "When I am able to resist the temptation to judge others, I can see them as teachers of forgiveness in my life, Reminding me that I can only have peace of mind When I forgive rather than judge."

Christopher Reeve said, "There will be ups and there will be downs, there will be times when things make sense, there will be times when they won't, but you'll always be on an adventure of meaning if you live for self, family, and others. "

Edith Wharton believes, "There are two ways of spreading light — to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it."

In the words of Parahamansa Yogananda, “Giving love to all,feeling the love of God, seeing His presence in everyone . . . .that is the way to live in this world.”

Jimmy Carter said, "We will not learn how to live together in peace by killing each other's children."

And last and most profound in my life at this moment, Mohandas Gandhi taught, "A 'No' uttered from the deepest conviction is better than a 'Yes' merely uttered to please, or worse, to avoid trouble."

Make a Difference Day - What are you doing on October 28th?

A few years ago in Tallahassee, Florida, 350 people gathered to help Disaster Services hand out over 1000 Disaster Information Packets, to help prepare their community for weather related and other threats. How were they able to rally 350 people to help walk neighborhoods on a Saturday morning? USA WEEKEND Magazines organized effort Make A Difference Day provided the platform and people all over the country answered the call.

This year, Make A Difference Day is Saturday, October 28th. Now is the time to begin planning a project to help your community. It can be as simple as collecting clothes for a women's shelter or as labor intensive as opening a new feeding center for the homeless in an abandoned storefront. The beauty is you decide what your town needs, the problem you are passionate about, and how to make it happen. Then execute your efforts this fall on October 28th.

Last year, newly adopted 12 year old Adam Selmon listened to his mother read from the USA WEEKEND magazine about Make A Difference Day. Adam, who was adopted from an orphanage in Liberia, had an idea. He took his African drum to the park and played for passersby. Through donations for his beautiful music, Adam raised $207 to help orphans in his homeland, especially his old friends at Benjamin Britt Academy.

For his efforts, he received $10,000 from Paul Newman's foundation Newman's Own. The money is helping African orphans through a charity in Adam's hometown of Norman, OK.

The Make A Difference Day website, http://usaweekend.com/diffday/index.html, has a fun project idea generator that will help in brainstorming ideas for projects. The generator lists examples of projects done in the past that might spark your interest, such as the story of a 13 year old who collected 8,500 pair of socks for the homeless; or a couple who used their store to advertise for donations to buy a pre-constructed home for a local family who lived in a tent.

Whatever you chose to do, it's a great opportunity to be part of something larger than yourself and maybe win a $10,000 donation for your favorite cause.

The Forgotten Children of Sierra Leone

All As One asks a sobering question, "Who paid for your diamond?"

More importantly when I look at the rings on my fingers, I think, "Who paid for MY diamonds?" When I glance at the beautiful princess cut stone I wear on my left hand, I wonder, "How would I ever know if a child worked to dig you from the ground and had his arm severed because he didn't find you fast enough?" These are sobering questions that hit at the core of who we are and what we value....want vs. need...greed...social status...supply and demand.

I think about the movie Blood Diamond and how I avoided seeing it..."too sad," I remember commenting. I realized something this morning, the children of Sierra Leone are born into this sadness. If they manage to be the one out of four that survives infancy, this sadness will be their destiny. Unless...and thank god there is always an "unless".

All As One was founded in 1997 in the midst of Sierra Leone's civil war. Rebels and government troops, alike, burtalized the citizens who remained, while thousands of others fled to neighboring countries. The war raged on for eleven years funded by the illicit trade in "conflict" or "blood" diamonds. Children were stolen and recruited as child soliders and ordered to kill or be killed. Limbs of old and young alike were hacked off in horrific acts of cruelty...calling cards left by both factions of the war.

Sierra Leone is slowly recovering since peace was established in 2002. All As One is down in the trenches, helping to provide education, food, housing, and medical care for distitute, orphaned, and abandoned children in Freetown, S.L.

For less than the cost of a three-bedroom house on the West Coast of the USA, they are raising money to expand their clinic, school, and children's center. Then, it's on to Phase Two of the project and raising the $260,000 needed to build the All As One Vocational College.

All As One promotes a program called Children Caring For Children in which they provide educational materials and ideas for school fundraising efforts to benefit the children of Sierra Leone.

It's heartwarming to see the efforts of children at Lakeside Elementary in Cincinnati, Ohio. 4th graders raised $638 for All As One and prepared for days with flashcards and notes to educate the entire school about the plight of children on the other side of the world.

Mrs. Drummond's class wrote personal letters to the children in Sierra Leone and tried their best to understand boys and girls who have nothing, maybe not even their hands or feet.

All As One needs worldwide exposure and support. Very few of us can drop everything and fly to Africa to teach or help in the office but we can buy tee-shirts, make donations, rally involvement in our churches and schools, or simply make a donation with the click of a button.

I'm pledging to never again buy, ask for, or desire another diamond. The price that's been paid is too high and the beauty of a healthy child will always outshine the brillance of any flawlessly cut stone.

For more indepth information about Sierra Leone and All As One go to www.allasone.org

Cast of Guiding Light Helps Rebuild Biloxi

To celebrate the 70th anniversary of Guiding Light, the cast and crew decided to partner with Hands On Network, a volunteer organization, in an effort to bring the shows motto to life...a brotherhood of man.

They kicked off the effort with a week-long studio shutdown and flew the entire cast and crew to Biloxi, MS where they worked to rebuild Ethel Curry's home. The widly popular actors slept in bunkbeds at the Hands On volunteer center, served breakfast, and split into crews to bring Ms. Curry's home back to life.

As a culture, we tend to elevate television and movie stars to the level of Gods and forget that they are simply people, like us, who want to make a difference in the world and don't mind getting their hands dirty. This truth turned out to be a blessing for Ethel. She'd lived in a FEMA trailer since the disaster and had spent sixteen months searching for someone to help rebuild her home that was almost entirely flooded by Gulf waters during the storm.

Ethel survived Katrina by crawling into her open refrigerator while it floated near the ceiling. Ethel is quoted by Marketplace, "And I say, "Lord, please take it down, because if it come any higher, I can't swim. Well, I was through the rafters, holding my head up. Trying to keep it, you know, from getting in my mouth, because I couldn't stand it."

In late Jaunary of this year, Kim Zimmer, who playes Reva Shane on Guiding Light, and other cast members showed up in Ethel's driveway, ready to answer her pleas for help. Some of the cast members had never used power tools or even a screwdriver but volunteers from Hands On made sure no one got injured and the living room walls were plumb.

Ms. Curry's response, "It is really a gift. A great gift. Got a lot of smiles and a lot of things to smile for now."

This was the first in several volunteer project taking place this year within the partnership. Here is a list of the cities and the various Hands On Affiliates that Guiding Light’s cast members will be working with in the coming months. This is posted on www.findyourlight.com

5-4 to 5-5-07
Pittsburgh, PA
Pittsburgh Cares

6-2-07
Los Angeles, CA
L.A. Works

7-14-07
New Orleans, LA
Hands On New Orleans

8-18-07
St. Louis, MO
St. Louis Cares

9-29-07
Nashville, TN
Hands On Nashville

10-27-07
New York City
New York Cares

11-3-07
Miami, FL
Hands On Miami

12-2007
Baltimore, MD
Baltimore Volunteer Central

To find out how you can be part of this volunteer effort and the added benefit of possible face time with you favorite soap opera star visit www.findyourlight.com and make a difference for someone like Ethel Curry.

Las Vegas Writer's Conference Begins Today

LifePrints is quickly building a readership! I want to thank you for your support. I hope you, as a reader, find the articles in LifePrints helpful and inspiring. Soon I will have an email dedicated to LifePrints and I will welcome any comments and suggests for articles.

I am off to participate in the annual Las Vegas Writer's Conference. It is a wonderful 4 day long event. Every year that the Henderson Writers' Group sponsors the conference it gains recognition and bigger names in the writing world.

This year we have some real powerhouses coming to share their knowledge about the craft and business of writing.

Look for a new post on LifePrints on Monday. And thank you again for your readership.

Operation Gratitude - A Thank You From Home

We've all said, "There's nothing I can do. One person can't make a difference." Next time you feel like your hands are tied think of Carolyn Blashek and Operation Gratitude. The 9/11 tragedy so moved Carolyn that she tried to join the Army Reserves but was turned down due to her age. When that didn't work she volunteered with the USO at the Los Angeles Airport. While there she had a conversation with a solider before he headed back to the fighting. He told her he was alone in the world. No one would care if he died and he was certain this time he wouldn't make it back alive.

Operation Gratitude was born out of that conversation. "That was when I realized the need for service members facing war - time danger to know that someone back home cares about them," quoted Carolyn to Defend America News.

With her own money she boxed up care packages in her living room and sent them to war zones. Now Operation Gratitude is a non-profit organization staffed soley by volunteers. They use the facilities at the 746th Quarter Master Battalion Armory in Van Nuys, California and during the 2006 holiday drive voluteers packaged and sent out more than 57,000 boxes.

Each box is lovingly filled with letters, candy, Beanie Babies, toiletries, DVD's, hand-held games, novelites, magazines, and other items.

Operation Gratitude receives countless letters of thank you from soliders like this one:

Dear Ladies & Gentlemen of Operation Gratitude,
Thank you very much for the care package that you sent. What it contained was very helpful, but more than that the thought really meant a lot. Please know that because we do our job not for gratitude but for love of our country, you as civilians have gone above and beyond – taken your time to do something for us noone asked you to, and that makes this package special. We have just found out we are getting extended and your support makes it that much easier for us. Thanks, Sincerely, 2ND LT GFM

Even JEEP has gotten into the act by making many of their dealerships "drop zones" for donations and giving away a brand new car to a Marine in Fallujah, the recipient of the 200,000th Operation Gratitude package.

The 2007 Patriotic Drive will kick-off during the Memorial Day Weekend: May 26-27, 2007. They began accepting donations the 2nd of April. At www.operationgratitude.com there is a list of needed items and directions to follow for donations.

Political leanings aside, everyone can get behind this effort. This is about encouragement and kindness, not politics. It's a way to say thank you to men and women who are willing to give their lives because they believe their country needs them too. They are our brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, neighbors, and friends. And they are American strangers willing to risk losing limbs to an IED for the safety of their countrymen.

To join Carolyn and the efforts of Operation Gratitude visit their website, make a donation, volunteer, send money, if you own a company offer to partner with her. As one person, you can make a difference. Just look to Carolyn Blashek as the example.

Pandora - Music My Way, Your Way, About to Go Away?

Thanks to Tim Westergren and the analytical team at Pandora - The Music Genome Project anyone can build up to 100 streaming radio stations that fit their individual tastes...all for free.

Thanks to Pandora underplayed, never-played and ignored artists gain exposure to people who will love their music if given the chance to hear it. And at Pandora the artists receive royalties, unlike the music sharing sites that break instead of make careers.

What makes Pandora different from other streaming radio is the way they chose the songs played on your station. They break each song in their enormous (and growing) database down to individual musical attributes they call "genes". The user inputs a song or artist they like and Pandora streams songs to them that have similar genes or qualities.

After reading an article in Newsweek Magazine about the founder of Pandora, Tim Westergren, I immediately went to the site and began to experiment. I have to agree with him when he talks about the near religious experience of listening to a new artist for the first time. I might of never known they existed without Pandora's help. I now have 30 stations custom tailored by ME. As I write, I'm streaming my U2 station, which gave me Kashmir, a band I've never heard until now and Arc Angels, a talented 1990's band from Austin, TX that never got their due.

What I love most about this concept is it's ability to expose new and ignored bands to an unprecidented mass audience. Because Pandora signs on upwards of 25,000 new users a day, they may very well be responsible for launching the careers of infant bands. By circumventing the "Major Label Industry Machine", they give talented musicians an opportunity to break in and be heard. And instead of having the same artists shoved in my face over and over by the traditional radio format gurus, I get to listen to something different and inspiring.

I've long been frustrated that musical creativity and vision seem to be completely ignored in favor of so called "Star-Quality" bankability, doesn't matter if the artist can't hold a tune in a bucket or insists on shouting degrading and vile lyrics, just because it will buy them more "bling".

Now for the kicker, which totally changed the focus of the article I intended to write and probably turned it in to a near rant.

Pandora may soon be shutting down due to a recently passed ruling that requires Internet radio to pay close to 300 times more in royalties and fees than sattelite or terrestrial radio stations. This effectively triples Pandora's estimated operating expenses. And the debt will only get more catastropic as the company grows and the number of streamed songs increases.

Westergren worries that when this regulation goes into effect all Internet radio, not just Pandora, will disappear. When asked by Create Digital Media about his plan in the wake of this new decision, Westergren answered, " We’re sort of taking this day by day. They may easily come a point where it’s irresponsible of us to continue streaming, because we’re accruing liability — it’s not fair to our investors. If we think it’s heading the wrong direction, I think we have to stop. We have to turn it off, shutter. At some point you have to make a reasonable calculation to cut your losses. The problem is, no industry can survive when it’s constantly under threat of some, like, tripling of its basic costs..."

The company knows it will take a grassroots effort from Internet radio lovers to turn the tide.

Try out Pandora www.pandora.com and if you feel the same as many of their users follow this link www.savenetradio.org to sign a petition voicing your opinion. It will be sent to your state senators and congress people.

I for one am not willing to give up my new discovery that's a win-win-win situation for all involved...artist, listener, and industry.

Gratitude Changes Attitudes

Simple Abundance. The two words seperately are, well, simple to understand. But expressed together, exactly what does the phrase mean? Ten years ago, Sarah Ban Breathnach set out to explain. In her words, Simple Abundance is a way of life that embodies caring for oneself, making conscious choices, expressing gratitude, and avoiding materialism.

In the years since her book, Simple Abundance, burst on the scene with an endorsement from Oprah Winfrey, Sarah's life has been anything but simple. Yet she's tried hard to live true to her principles while continuing to evolve within them. Isn't that what we all desire to do?

In my experience, the most powerful of her tools is the gratitude journal. She suggests, as do other authors like Anne Lamott and Julia Cameron, that the best way to end or begin your day is to write. Sarah's method is to curl up in the bed and before turning out the light grab a beautiful journal and list five things you are thankful for.

I received the book, Simple Abundance, as a gift from my mother. It couldn't have come at a better time. The idea of a simpler life and gratitude for what I had brought me through some difficult years. Since then, I've discovered that recovery centers, twelve step programs, and counselors suggest their clients use gratitude journals. The journals allow them to step back from their problems and see good, no matter how small, in every day.

I found it was difficult to stay mad or morose when I allowed myself to be grateful for the sloppy kisses of my children or the warm, soothing water of my bath. And on the days when it seemed like I lived under a curse, I remember writing more than once, " I'm grateful that everyone I love is still alive."

Sarah Ban Breathnach's book has effected many people this way. There are online communities of people seeking and finding a simpler way of life. Teachers use the concept in creative writing classes. Even, Oprah says that keeping a gratitude journal changed and enhanced her life.

In a 2004 interview with WomenOf.com, Sarah said about her experience with gratitude, "When I wrote Simple Abundance it was never intended to be a book. I woke up one day 11 years ago and I was sick of the sound of my own whining. I never complained to anyone else, but I did to myself. I just couldn't take it, and I told myself, sit down and don't get up until you give me 100 reasons why your life is perfect. Six or seven hours later I had done that and it really opened my eyes, and continues to open my eyes."

Currently, Sarah has a new book on the shelves entitled Moving On, lives in an old chapel in England that once belonged to Sir Isaac Newton, and works fulltime writing for the Simple Abundance website.

Join the Simple Abundance community and see how gratitude can turn a life around.

www.simpleabundance.com

Evos - A Different Way To Eat Fast Food

"Let's stop at Evos." This is my son speaking.

Stop where?" This is me playing the confused mother.

"The healthy fast food place I told you about. Remember?"

I didn't. But playing the I-always-remember-everything-mother-of-five and intrigued that my teenager would even use the dreaded word healthy and food in the same sentence, I answered. "Oh, yeah. That sounds good."

And it was more than good. From the moment we stepped into Evos at 10895 S. Eastern Ave. in Henderson, NV, I was sold on the concept of fast food without the guilt. The resturant was clean and shiny, the lime green paint and art work inviting, and the food choices intriguing. Looking at the menu, I expected the sticker shock that goes along with eating health conscious food but no. The items were reasonably priced and I could eat here for around the same price as other fast food chains.

After I ordered the Crispy Thai Trout Wrap, a Corn Dog off the Kid's Menu, and a Free-Range Steak Burger for my teenager, we stopped at the Ketchup Karma Bar to sample the four flavors. Garlic Ketchup was my favorite.

The food tasted terrific and I was even happier to find out that Evos is an enviromentally conscious company. The founders, Alkis Crassas and Michael Jeffers of Florida, have built a chain designed to contribute not exploit. The paper products are made from recycled materials with soy-based inks. The products used in the building process are eco-friendly. Even the lights in the bathrooms turn off automatically.

In an interview with Franchisewire, the founders quoted a business strategy that I feel will serve them well in the future. They stated, "There is a balance in everything. While there are vegetarian and vegan menu items, Evos is not a health food restaruant. We are a restaurant that offers food for everyone done in a way that's sustainable. We found a balance in health and taste, and we found a balance in making environmentally-sound decisions. You have to be a pragmatist, not an extreme idealist."

All I can say is, "Amen, Evos. Thanks for giving me an option."

And more options are on the way. Evos has three locations in Florida and one in Nevada but the good news is Evos recently signed an agreement with a sucessful developer to open 207 stores in 12 states over the next 10 years.

To learn more about Evos visit http://www.evos.com/

Ancient Art of Weaving Alive in Northern New Mexico

Tapetes de Lana translated means woven rugs. Since the time of the Anasazi Indians weaving has been in intregal part of Northern New Mexico culture. Once sheep grazed on the hills of San Miguel and Mora counties and provided a livlihood for 70% of the people. But no more.

As the textile industry in the United States died out and young people fleed rural communities, the beautiful area of the Rio Grande sunk into poverty. By the 1990's most of their residents were unemployed and in need of government assistance to survive.

Enter Carla Gomez, a weaving teacher at New Mexico Highlands University in Las Vegas, NM. When one of her students, a single mother of six, needed a job, Carla saw a need and filled it. She secured the woman a job through the Department of Labor work training program. The non-profit Tapetes de Lana was born out of the need of one woman and the problem solving skills of another.

Nine years and two sizable grants later, Tapetes de Luna operates two store fronts, one in Las Vegas (that's NM not NV) and the other in Mora, NM. They run a spinning mill to process the needed alpaca wool, which has revitalized the textile and alpaca industries in Northern New Mexico. They operate a community kitchen, a performing arts center, and a cinema in the town of Mora where before most of the buildings stood empty.

Walking into the store on the downtown plaza of Las Vegas is like visiting a friendly classroom. Weavers work on spanish looms which in the beginning of the program they constructed by hand out of scrap 2x4's. Colorful rugs and garmets for purchase hang from the walls. On the tables are weaving books open to the patterns of rugs in progress. Baskets filled with rainbows of hand-dyed yarn dot the floor.

Tapetes de Lana has grown from a place where women and men came to meet their welfare reform requirements to a place where weavers come to work, sell their products, and take home a real paychheck. Today, two out of every ten weavers the program trains stays at Tapetes de Lana-they've trained more than 100 people to date.

"This is a story of successful social venturing and partnerships," says a spokesperson from the Hitachi Foundation, one of Tapetes de Lana's grant sources. "At Tapetes de Lana, social entrepreneurs are creating a flourishing social venture project out of the rich cultural history of Northeastern New Mexico."

Products can be bought online from the Tapetes de Lana store and considering it may take many months to weave an intricate design, the prices are fair and reasonable. After all, it's not a rug off the shelf of a crowded department store. Each rug is a one of a kind work of art that will last for generations.

Visit www.tapetesdeluna.com to see and buy the work of these talented artists. Buying a rug not only benifits the buyer but sustains the growth of a cottage industry that is truly changing the lives of an entire town.

Billy Jonas - Industrial Re-precussionist Extraordinaire

How often does a two year old introduce his mother to her newest favorite recording artist? Not often when the daily disc rotation is Barney, Dora the Explorer, and the Alphabet Song. But every once in a while a miracle happens, like popping a Billy Jonas DVD into the player and discovering a myrid of sound, visual rythym, and lyric that is so unique the adults in the room stop everything to listen.

That's what happened in our house the first time we watched Bangin' and Sangin', a musical experience meant for young audiences. We watched, mouths agape as Billy Jonas made music with instruments made of recycles pots, plastic barrels, buckets and Bungee cords. My personal favorite are the drumsticks duct-taped to his Vans, allowing him to play percussion with his feet.

The Fayetteville Morning News said about the Asheville, NC artist, a Billy Jonas performance is an explosion of energy. In singalongs, bangalongs, whisperalongs, as well as improvised songs, his primary instrument is the audience. Everyone becomes part of the performance that reaches out and touches even the most hardened of hearts.

My toddler is known to spontaneously yell, "Are you in the band? Yes I am!" This being his favorite Billy "call and response".

What makes Billy Jonas more than unique is his ability to teach through music without being preachy about recycling, health, and our connection to the environment. When the audience finally stops smiling and humming, the lyrics stay inside them and they begin to mull over the bigger concepts. Maybe I do have an important role to play in life. Maybe what I do really matters.

Billy also makes music for big people, aka. grown-ups. With his background in anthropology, commitment to religious inclusiveness, and interest in tribal dynamics, he builds music that is thoughtful yet fun. His musical motto is, "I believe music can happen anywhere, anytime, with anyone, and anything. We are all musicians, we are all part of the band."

He stated in an interview with Ear Candy Magazine that his vision and wish is that his concerts will prove his motto as sonorously as possible.

Billy Jonas music brings people together, tuning them into a collective instrument vibrating with a message of hope.

One fan commented, "It is important for people like Billy who perform to audiences to keep the hope alive that we can all live in a more peaceful and equitable world."

In the words of a toddler, "Billy Jonas, please, mommy!"

Visit www.billyjonas.com or MySpace Music, keyword Billy Jonas, to learn more about this dynamic performer.

Freecycle.org...New Twist On You Get What You Give

Wanted: Mother on northside of town needs stroller in good condition.


Offer: Truck load of concrete blocks. You pick up.


"What's this?" you might ask. It's a typical listing from Freecycle.org, an online community of givers and receivers. Freecycle.org's motto? Changing the world one gift at a time.

Freecycle.org is unique. Unlike websites like Ebay or Craigslist, money never changes hands. Exactly as the name implies, the items listed are always free. After joining a local group, the members simply list items they want to give away or post a listing for something they need. Response is usually quick with several members competing to be the first to take the free item off your hands.

In 2003, Freecycle.org began in the Tucson, Arizona area as a grassroots effort to promote waste reduction and save the pristine desert from being buried under landfills. The idea took off and today 4,017 online communities exist with over 3 million members recycling unwanted items. As Freecycle.org claims, one person's trash is truely another's treasure.

There are only a few rules. Items must be completely free, legal, and appropriate for all ages...so don't try to freecycle old Playboy magazines. When an account is first set up, Freecycle.org asks that a new member's first post be to offer up an item to give away.Give first, then receive.... sounds like something a mother would say and as in all areas of life, it works.

I joined my local Freecycle community a few years ago. Items go quickly in my town so in order to have an opportunity at the listings I receive constant updates when a new item is posted. I've been given everything from a on old cookbook to our family pet, a loyal Australian Red Heeler named Blue. And Freecycle.org has afforded me an efficient way to get the items I no longer use into the hands of someone who needs them.

Freecycle is a fun alternative to garage sales and definately preferable to throwing a reusable item in the trash. And there are unexpected bonuses, like making a new friend during the exchange of a coffee pot or the satisfaction of helping a family that desperately needs a crib. Freecycle.org is good karma for everyone...if you believe in that sort of thing.

To join the a Freecycle.org follow the instructions on their website and happy giving!

www.freecycle.org

Evos - A Different Way To Eat Fast Food

"Let's stop at Evos." This is my son speaking.

"Stop where?" This is me playing the confused mother.

"The healthy fast food place I told you about. Remember?"

I didn't. But playing the I-always-remember-everything-mother-of-five and intrigued that my teenager would even use the dreaded word healthy and food in the same sentence, I answered. "Oh yeah. That sounds good."

And it was more than good. From the moment we stepped into Evos at 10895 S. Eastern Ave. in Henderson, NV, I was sold on the concept of fast food without the guilt. The resturant was clean and shiny, the lime green paint and art work inviting, and the food choices intriguing. Looking at the menu, I expected the sticker shock that goes along with eating health conscious food but no. The items were reasonably priced and I could eat here for around the same price as other fast food chains.

After I ordered the Crispy Thai Trout Wrap, a Corn Dog off the Kid's Menu, and a Free-Range Steak Burger for my teenager, we stopped at the Ketchup Karma Bar to sample the four flavors. Garlic Ketchup was my favorite.

The food tasted terrific and I was even happier to find out that Evos is an enviromentally conscious company. The founders, Alkis Crassas and Michael Jeffers of Florida, have built a chain designed to contribute not exploit. The paper products are made from recycled materials with soy-based inks. The products used in the building process are eco-friendly. Even the lights in the bathrooms turn off automatically.

In an interview with Franchisewire, the founders quoted a business strategy that I feel will serve them well in the future. They stated, "There is a balance in everything. While there are vegetarian and vegan menu items, Evos is not a health food restaruant. We are a restaurant that offers food for everyone done in a way that's sustainable. We found a balance in health and taste, and we found a balance in making environmentally-sound decisions. You have to be a pragmatist, not an extreme idealist."

All I can say is, "Amen, Evos. Thanks for giving me an options."

And more options are on the way. Evos has three locations in Florida and one in Nevada but the good news is Evos recently signed an agreement with a sucessful developer to open 207 stores in 12 states over the next 10 years.

To learn more about Evos visit www.evos.com

Earthship Biotecture - Say goodbye to utility bills forever

Sustainable housing. Off the grid housing. These terms may be unfamiliar but understanding them could possible be vital to the future of mankind. What if housing were available to everyone that did not require power from electrical plants or water from utility systems? Thanks to Earthship Biotecture the "what if" is a reality.


An Earthship is a structure built with natural and recycled materials such as rubber tires packed with dirt, glass bottles, concrete, and aluminum cans. Each Earthship contains its own water capturing and treatment system and passive solar and photovoltic cell energy system, allowing a family to live, in most cases, completely independent of commercial water and power supplies. What could be better than never again paying a power bill? And there's the added benefit of knowing you are part of the global warming solution instead of the problem.


Since its inception in 1968, Earthships have been built around the globe using materials indigenous to the area, providing quality housing where none was available before. Outside of Taos, New Mexico an entire community of Earthships stretches across hundreds of acres. At The Greater World Earthship Community families live out the dream of architect Mike Reynolds....affordable, sustainable, off the grid housing.

For a small fee of $5, the visitor's center at The Greater World Earthship Community is open for self-guided tours. Visitors are shown a video about the construction and basic operation of these unique homes then allowed to wander through a working Earthship. The interiors are surprisingly beautiful with indoor gardens and decorative glass and tile. A turn-key Earthship costs an average of $165.00 per square foot. This is a bargain considering that the intial investment includes all the sustainable power systems. And for the adventure seeker, a completely unique design can be created...limited only by the imagination and pocketbook of the prespective owners.

For those interested in finding out what it might be like to live in an Earthship, Greater World has houses available to vacationers for nightly/weekly rental.

For more information about this fun and smart way to live visit www.earthship.org or take a drive to Taos and ask the locals to point the way to Greater World...it's well worth the small fee to catch a glimpse of the future.

Free Hugs Campaign hits Las Vegas

Juan Mann says, "Sometimes a hug is all we need." How can anyone disagree with that? A hug is the universal sign of compassion. With it we say to one another, "I understand what you are going through." But Juan Mann and the Free Hugs Campaign take it one step further. He's made it his official mission to reach out and hug complete strangers, just to brighten someone elses day.

Juan's friends, the band "The Sickpuppies", were intrigued by how Juan spent his days. They videotaped him at a shopping mall, holding up his FREE HUGS sign and set the images to music. The band posted the video on youtube.com and the response was amazing. Millions of people were touched by the video depicting Juan's day at an Australian shopping mall and the reactions of the people who accepted his kindness. Oprah Winfrey was so moved by the Free Hugs Campaign she invited Juan to be a guest on her show.

People all over the world have caught the Free Hugs bug and planted themselves on busy street corners holding up scribbled signs that read FREE HUGS. One such kind soul was Daniel Kaufman, a fifth-grader from Las Vegas, NV. After seeing the youtube video, he pestered his mother to take him to the local shopping mall so he could be like Juan and make people happy. She hesitated, after all, this was Las Vegas - Sin City. For months she resisted, even though she secretly wanted to be the one holding the sign.

Finally she gave in and called the local police department to tell them her plans and make sure Daniel had their blessing to hold up signs at the Freemont Street Experience, a walk-thru tourist attraction at the north end of the famous Strip.

At first, Daniel was apprehensive and shy. In all honesty, his mother relates that she had butterflies, too. But she took the sign and got the ball rolling. After a few false starts and strange looks, people began to respond. An entire family, visiting from the South, hugged Daniel one after another. People took pictures with their camera phones. One man recited a Navajo Blessing as a thank you to the gracious young man.

"Now I've seen everything!" one man laughed as Daniel passed by with his sign held high.

Daniel's hope is that some of the people he hugged were inspired to start Free Hugs Campaigns in their own neighborhoods. "It really felt good. My face hurts from smiling."

For more information about the Free Hugs Campaign go to www.freehugscampaign.org or search youtube for videos from grassroots efforts like Daniel's from all around the globe.

An Evening with Al Gore

Once upon a time on a cold November night not long before election time, everything in the McGlaun household was humming along like a well oiled machine and then...

Ethan stuck out his hand just as Todd shut the door. His little fingers throbbed and he wailed out in pain.

"Oh crap! Is he okay?" I yelled as Todd cuddled Ethan.

"Fine, I think.." Todd handed him to me for inspection.

In the midst of the confusion, the phone rang. Todd reached for it. "Hello."

I could tell from the expression on his face that he was listening to a recording. Elections are coming up on Tuesday, so we've been innudated with recordings from candidates stumping for our vote. I waited for his eyes to glaze over but instead he grabbed a pen.

Ethan, not sufficiently soothed, let out another series of loud cries and I tried to comfort him once more so his daddy could hear.

"Who was that?" I asked when he hung up the phone.

"I think we just got invited to see Al Gore." Confused and smiling, he scratched his head.

"What? What did the message say?"

"It said be at this address at 6:45," he held up the scrap of paper he'd scribbled on, "to hear Al Gore speak."

"It's already after 4." Now I was the one confused. "Who was it? How'd they get our number?"

"I think it was the Democratic Party but I don't know. It was hard to hear. Wanna go?" His eyes lit up.

It was a no-brainer. I thought back to the spring, sitting in the theater watching the credits roll after "An Inconvenient Truth". Once we'd collected our thoughts we couldn't stop talking about how to change the world...and every answer went back to meeting Al Gore, working with him to devert the destructive path we are now on.

"Yes I want to go!" Then everyday life creeped back in. "But that's in the middle of Hunter's football practice."

The children heard us talking. "This is once in a lifetime kind of thing! We have to go!" That was Natasha. After seeing "An Inconvenient Truth", she'd been inspired to draft a letter to our Nevada Sentors.

"You're right!"

So we loaded the kids in the car, headed toward Chandler Street, and started making phonce calls to rearrange our schedule.

The meeting was actually being held in the American Federation of State and County Employees office. They'd offered up their meeting space for Tessa Haffen's campaign to bring in Al Gore and Senator Harry Reid to help push Tessa over the edge in polls.

We were the first ones there at shortly after five. They welcomed us and we staked out seats directly under the podium. When Mr. Gore stood to speak, we'd be right under his nose.

"I'm going to tell him I want to work for him," Todd declared.

"I know you are." I smiled.

The entourage was not due to arrive for over an hour so we passed the time by talking to the other early birds that filtered in and exchanged stories about how lucky we all were to be home for the call. Todd ran out to McDonalds and the children ate chicken nuggets, did homework, and generally tried hard to be patient as the minutes ticked away with agonizing slowness.

By 7pm it was standing room only. TV cameras perched behind the last row of chairs and the media lined the back wall. Finally, the drone of conversation turned to rythmic clapping. We turned to see Haffen, Nevada Senator Reid, and Vice President Gore, sandwiched between secret service, enter from a side side door.

My first thought, "He's shorter than I imagined." I watched him intently as the other two dignitaries spoke first. He leaned back in the chair, apparently at home admist the political excitment. He smoothed the lapels of his blue suit and whispered something to Tessa while Senator Reid was singing her praises.

She smiled. He smiled and tapped the toe of his black cowboy boot gently on the floor. He displayed an easy peaceful demeanor. I instantly liked him. I knew I would.

The room gave him a standing olvation when he stepped behind the podium. He spoke about our rights as American citizens and how our founding fathers would view us and the state of our beloved country. He talked about checks and balances, the responsibility of the legislative branch to the public they represent, and most profoundly...about how our current administration has forgotten a ban on torture that began with an order from General George Washington.

He ended with, "I'm honored to be here to tell you to vote for Tessa Haffen," and stepped toward the crowd. My children greeted him and shook his hand. I think I said, "It's an honor to meet you."

Todd, seizing the moment, saying, "How do I give your speech, Sir?"

Gore took his hand. "This speech?"

"No Sir, your global warming speech. How do I learn to give that speech?"

He smiled. "Oh. Write to me in Nashville. We'll talk."

And he was gone, herded through the outstreached hands, flashing cameras and calls of, "Mr. Vice President! Mr. Vice President!"

Todd seemed in shock. "Nashville? Where in Nashville?"

"It's okay. We'll look on 'The Google' when we get home." and I laughed. What a day!

Fast forward to a few months later...Mr. Gore and his movie "An Inconvenient Truth" won accolades at the Oscars. Senator Harry Reid is now the Senate Majority Leader and Tessa Haffen almost won a seat in state government. And I've been inspired to write about events and people who shape the quality of our world.