This Bud’s For You

Today is my handsome and talented husband’s 38^th birthday and every year for the last nine years I have given him the same gift. Matter of fact, it is the same gift I give him for Valentines Day, Father’s Day and Christmas, BEER! He absolutely loves it and gets very excited when a holiday comes around because he loves getting his special beers. Of course, he loves all beers from the watered down versions that we drank in college to the Belgian Trappist Ale. For his birthday I got him a selection of the 1 pint Belgian’s with a mix of porter’s and stouts from around the world. These beers cost $8-$10 a bottle (1 pint, 9.4 Fl. Oz.) but with 7-10% alcohol one bottle will do.

If you are looking for a special gift for the beer loving man or woman in your life I would suggest putting together a selection of special beers. I like to place the beers in a basket with a few additional goodies like CD’s, balloons, beer glasses, fishing gear, etc. but you can customize your basket with your sweeties favorites. I promise, if you deliver this basket of love to your significant other it will be a huge hit!

The Greatest Gift You Can Give Your Kids

April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month, a time to raise awareness about child abuse and neglect and encourage individuals and communities to support children and families. To support this effort we decided that instead of celebrating our kids birthdays with gifts we would request that everyone bring a donation for the Women’s and Children’s Alliance which is a not for profit organization that provides comprehensive supportive services to women and children victimized by physical and sexual violence.

Our family has been blessed, are needs are met, so I want to make sure that we teach our kids to give back instead of “give me”. We leave a fairly sheltered life and are rarely exposed to those that are truly in need. That is why I want to teach my children to be thankful for what they have and make an effort to help those that don’t have. My kids are young and won’t have a good understanding of what these donations will mean to those family’s in need but I also know that a year from now they won’t remember the gifts that were given to them either. If I can teach them now to be a giver rather than a consumer then I know they will have the tools to be contributing member of society. Teaching them the gift of give will last them a life time and that is the greatest gift I can give.

If you would like more information and resources on National Child Abuse Prevention Month please go to www.child welfare.gov/preventing/preventionmonth /

Women’s and Children’s Alliance donation wish list:

CHILDREN’S WISH LIST

( New items are appreciated. * indicates priority items.)

March 2008

Boys Clothing

*Shoes, boots or sneakers sizes 4 child - 10 men’s (especially wide widths)

Outfits (pants, jeans, sweaters or shirts) size baby 0-3 month up to extra large/18-20 child

*Boxers sizes 10-20

*T- shirst size 2T – 20 child

Girls Clothing

Outfits size baby 0-3 months up to extra large 18/20 child

*Shoes & sneakers sizes 4 child – 9 women’s

*Pants sizes 3T, 4T & 5T

*Underwear size 3T – 16 child

T-shirts size 2T-20 child

Other

$20 and up gift cards to department stores (like Target, Shopko, Walmart, Fred Meyer, etc) for clothes for picky teens, and a personalized shopping trip so mom can let her kids pick their

own staff

Bionicle

Magnetic shapes or building sets

Deluxe Marble Race

Children’s DVD movies & music CD’s

Baby/Toddler

Baby bouncers (such as Fisher Price or Bright Stars)

Diapers and pull-ups size 5 and up

WCA SHELTER WISH LIST

(New items are appreciated. *Indicates priority items)

2008

All items except food are placed in resident “store” and made available for them to purchase with points they earn through participating in the Residential Program.

Shelter Home Environment

*Live plants (all sizes)

*Pots for patios (all sizes)

*Soil for pots

*Fresh flowers

*Relaxing music cd’s

*Throw blankets and pillows

*Inspirational books and magazine subscriptions

*Prompted journals

*Picture frames (all sizes)

Clothing

Women’s shoes sizes 6-8

Women’s clothing (all sizes)

Food

(We cannot accept any expired food

Items, or prepared food, as it is a health code violation) Thank you!

* Nonperishable food items

USDA approved meat

Produce

Coffee

Cereal

Baking ingredients

On-the-go snacks

Organizing

2008 Day Planners

Plastic organizer bins (with drawers, all sizes)

Accordion folders

White copy paper

*White copy paper

Household Items

Air freshener

Air purifiers

Aluminum foil

Area rugs (all sizes)

Bath mats (fabric only, no rubber bottoms, please)

Bedding – all sizes

Blenders

Child-proof door knob covers

Curtain rods (closet, window, and shower)

Electric Mixers

Handheld vacuums

Humidifiers

Juicers

Kitchen knives

*Protective pillow covers

Plastic wrap

Toasters

Towels

Zip lock bags

*Liquid low-sud laundry soap

Gift Certificates

*Gas

*All-Purpose (Fred Meyer, Albertsons/SUPERVALU, Target, Wal-Mart)

*Taxi Funds

Auto Mechanic Services

Clothing stores

Groceries

Home Depot

Cooking lessons

Personal Care

*Blow dryers

Curling irons

Straightening irons

Hair conditioner

Bubble bath

Shelter Garden

Seeds, plant starts

Gardening tools

Expertise/advice for setting up a meditation garden