Picnic!

As the sun sets on our wonderful magical week at the beach, I wanted to jump back in and tell you where I'll be tomorrow.



Read about the details to the Tampa Better-Than-a-Picnic Picnic here, and be sure to join me for free food and fun while we help with the efforts toward saving our native wildlife from the oil spill.

You don't have to bring a donation, but if you care to contribute, check out SaveOurSeabirds.org wish list for items we will be collecting for their organization.

Hope to see you tomorrow at 11:30 in Ruskin.

An early gift for me

Picnic with A Purpose

A home for runaway girls in Virginia Beach. An abused women’s shelter in Atlanta. A soup kitchen in Detroit. A resort for terminally ill children in Orlando.

A boy’s home in Safety Harbor.

These are just some of the small charitable organizations around the country that are benefiting from Hebrew National’s “Picnics with a Purpose” this summer.

Actually, our Picnic with a Purpose actually had a dual one. To kick off the summer with a family BBQ with our friends, but also to benefit Attention Home--a local group home for disabled boys and young men. For almost 30 years, they have taken in some of the victims of Florida’s worst cases of child abuse, giving them not just shelter, but a home.



My family and I have worked with Attention Home for almost ten years now. Once we heard their stories and met the boys, turning away wasn’t an option. We have helped organize toy drives every year since, but their need truly knows no season. On Sunday, we gathered with our friends for family food, fun and games, but instead of asking our guests to bring the potato salad, we asked them to bring a new summer toy instead. Nothing expensive--a pack of sidewalk chalk or a new playground ball. We also got a park bench that we decorated, and invited some of the boys over to enjoy the day with us--playing games and making crafts.



It wasn’t a benefit gala or a silent auction raising millions, but supporting a charity doesn’t have to be on that scale in order to be hugely effective. On the contrary, small local community events like a simple outdoor picnic can be the most meaningful way to support a charity that is important to you and your family. We’ve compiled a kit of all of our party instructions, games and recipes to host your own “Picnic with a Purpose” on TheMotherhood.com, but you could certainly get creative with your own. Couple a Sunday BBQ with a summer toy drive or Memorial Day with a canned food drive. And the next Girl’s Night Out could be an opportunity to collect toiletries for your local homeless shelter.



The gestures don’t have to be large to make a huge impact, especially now.

We had a really wonderful day together enjoying the simplest of summer’s pleasures. 2009 will not be defined as what we give up, but rather what we give back.

No words, but pictures!

I am still searching for the right words to adequately describe this weekend. All of the ones that I thought would apply--wonderful, awesome, fun-filled--seem inadequate now. Our Hebrew National "Picnic with a Purpose" to benefit Attention Home was indeed all of those things, but so much more.

So while I look for more awe-inspiring appropriate superlatives, I'll give you pictures.

Thursday

Midweek Update:

Picnic: I have secured all of the craft materials, and might I say, I am pretty proud of my efforts. I’m not much by the way of non-edible crafts, but I’m going to have a house full of room Moms, and so the bar has been raised. The kids will be making summer scrapbook pages and decorating aprons.

As far as the menu, I’ve perfected my cupcake prototype. Here’s a sneak peak.

I swearz if cupcakes were an Olympic sport, I’d medal in it. Since Hebrew National is providing us with plenty of their 100% beef no artificial anything hot dogs and veggie dogs, I’m keeping my sides simple as well. A red, white and blue potato salad which has received rave reviews in the past, and a pasta salad made with orzo, pine nuts and a simple lemon olive oil vinaigrette. After some fruit skewers and lemonade, I think we should be good.

Sean’s foot: Still broken, but at least he has a walking cast as of this morning and has lost the walking aids. He is traveling today, so at least he won’t have to check his crutches through security.

Date night: has officially changed to Wednesdays for the next 8 weeks as soccer for Matty and Amy now occupy our Tuesdays. So last night we did our errands until a dinner of Nyquil croquettes and Sudafed risotto because I’ve got a killer of a cold starting and I am screaming to the Vitamin C gods, “Please, please, please, not this week!”

Picnic with a Purpose

I refuse to define the summer of 2009 as what I give up, but rather what I give back.

That’s why I am honored to partner with Hebrew National to host a "Picnic with a Purpose," this Sunday.

Actually, it’s a picnic with dual purposes. One is to kick of the summer with good friends as we focus on quality time together--getting the kids together to play some games, make crafts, and of course feast on the quintessential quality summer classic--Hebrew National hot dogs.

But we’re also going to give back some summer love. You’ll remember from my annual pleas for Christmas toy donations, that Attention Home, a group home here in Pinellas County for disabled boys and young men, is a special place very near and dear to our family. We began working with Attention Home almost ten years ago when we first moved here after we heard about the wonderful work they do to care for some of the worst child abuse victims in the state.

Every Christmas since, we’ve helped to organize a toy drive for the boys, but their needs are truly year round. So as our guests gather this Sunday for some summer fun, each will be bringing a new summer toy to donate to the home. I’ve also invited Attention Home residents K. and B. to join us, and we will also be able to present them with a new park bench that they can use at their new lake property. They have been working every weekend for a couple of years to get the place ready for the big move.

I’ll be talking about the picnic plans all week, but the very best part of this whole project will be that all of the activities, recipes, and ideas (including hot dog cupcakes!) will be available to download from TheMotherhood.com so you can host your own Picnic with a Purpose this summer. Choose a charity that means something to you and your family, and then share the joy with your friends.

Together, we can make this summer one about giving back instead of giving up.