Happy Birthday to Me: Project 40

This is all because my mom called me a spoiled brat on facebook...can you even believe her? (don't answer)

Well, here are some pictures from last year about this time. And if you remember I was like, "Poor me. I can't walk. My foot hurts. Refill my ice pack. Wah Wah Wah."

And then I petitioned all of you to help me feel better by sending me birthday cards with funny, happy, feel good stories.

And you filled my mailed box and email box with cards and letters. And it was so fun!

Well, I was sitting on the beach this last week thinking that when this vacation ever ends I will get home and settled back into reality just in time to celebrate my big milestone birthday. So, it crossed my mind to fill my suitcase with chocolate covered macadamia nuts and to deliver it to the person who sends me the sweetest birthday card this year.

And then I was blog surfing and I found this cute girl named Kelli and this is how she is celebrating her birthday this year:

She is doing a service project that will result in one newborn kit for each year she is old to be donated to the LDS Humanitarian Services. She did it last year and it was so successful that she is making it a yearly tradition. And because I have no original ideas of my own and I copy others ideas, I am going to do the exact same thing.

This is how it works:

my church has a super-organized world-wide humanitarian effort, and the service missionaries who work in that area have given lists of supplies that are the most beneficial to third-world families with babies.

in places where women are bringing home their babies wrapped in newspapers, without hygenic means of changing and washing them (please, just imagine yourself in that situation for a moment), there are some basic items that really help:

• 1 double receiving blanket
• 4 flat fold (single thickness) cloth diapers.
• 4 diaper safety pins
• 1 pair booties or baby socks
• 2 regular-size bars of non-allergenic soap
• 1 newborn layette gown

these things put together in a 2 gallon ziploc constitute one kit. then they are collected in the humanitarian center, and then sent off in huge shipments to areas of need. so the 32 i want to put together this year is just a tiny drop in a bucket, but it's something. and even as little as this is, i can't do it without you! the donation guidelines are super strict because of the experience the service workers have with what works and what doesn't.

i need donations of the following items to equal these amounts:

• 40 double receiving blanket (see receiving blanket guidelines below)
• 160 flat fold (single thickness) cloth diapers- 100% cotton birdseye Cloth or 100% cotton diaper flannel approximately 25". Please do not use pre-folded or disposable diapers.
• 160 diaper safety pins
• 40 pair booties or baby socks
• 80 regular-size bars of soap (ivory or other non-allergenic brand)
• 40 newborn layette gown (please, no footed sleepers)
• 40 2 gallon sized ziploc bags

receiving blanket guidelines:

• fabrics: cotton flannel or lightweight fleece
• size: two pieces of fabric, each between 36" square and 45" square
• you may also use a medium weight fleece. it needs to be a single layer, 36" by 36" with the edges serged.

to make the blanket:

• with right sides facing each other, sew the two pieces of fabric together with a ¼" seam around the edges. leave a 6" opening.
• turn the blanket so the right side is out.
• you may also serge two pieces together, no turning needed.
• baste opening edges and topstitch around the entire blanket for durability.
• sew a 10" square in the center to keep the fabric from shifting.
• a narrow crocheted edge or piping border is acceptable but not required.

check over the list of things we need and email me with what you would like to donate. You can drop them by, or you can email me and I can give you my address if you need to send them. I will fill in the holes, assemble the kits, and drop them off at the Humanitarian Center.

here is the link for the newborn kits from Humanitarian Services.

I'm hoping that this little project I can redeem myself with my spoiled brat status that my mom has placed me in.

This is for you, Mom: I just want to serve.