Twice the Giving for the Same Price :D

I loove Christmas!

I have never been a big fan of shopping for myself but I love buying gifts for the special people in my life. I am also very picky with the gifts I choose for people. I wouldn't be caught dead buying someone a gift certificate. In my opinion, the perfect gift is not necessarily expensive, but definitely personal. The more personal the gift, the happier the recipient. It makes them feel special and loved. The best gift I ever received was a card from my best friend. On the front was a black and white picture of two little girls. She had colored in their hair herself with a marker so that one had blond hair (like her), and the other had brown hair (like yours truly.) Next to them she put two arrows. By the first arrow she wrote "you" pointing to the brunette, and by the second pointing to the blonde she wrote, "me." Inside was a letter so long it could not fit on the inside and back of the card combined. In fact, it carried on for another page and a half of ripped notebook paper that had been tucked in the card. It was and still is the best gift anyone has ever given me, and ever since when Christmas comes around, I have done my best to get my friends and family something they would truly cherish. The old adage, "It's the thought that counts" is right on target.

Last year funds were a little short so many of the presents that I gave out were small or homemade. As a result of my lack of money in the bank I wasn't able to give money the way I usually do during the holiday season to my favorite charity. I never gave a ton of money but I would do my best to send $10 $20 to whatever non-profit sent us information in the mail. So this year, I decided that I was going to do all I could to make up for last year. However, I am still not able to afford giving a large sum of money to charity while buying gifts for everyone I care about. Luckily for me, many non-profits have recently found ways to allow you to give gifts to your friends and lend financial support to their organization at the same time. :)

Below I have listed some great organizations that will help you give your loved ones that special something that will make them truly happy and allow you to make the world a better place.

1. The National Geographic Society

Let's just say I am a big fan. They pay attention to the stories no one else cares about, inspire us to care more about our planet and the entire human race. But unlike the short segment on the nightly news you may see about an injustice occurring somewhere in the world, National Geographic always gives suggestions on ways you can help. In my opinion this is the most important part. Awareness is worth nothing if there is no action involved.

Not to mention the fact that they offer the most amazing gifts! One of my best friends is of Egyptian descent and I was able to get her a personalized silver cartouche with her name embedded in Hieroglyphics. I know she is going to love it and I am able to contribute to one of my favorite organizations. Win win. :D

Go to: http://shop.nationalgeographic.com/ngs/category/shop-by-catalog;jsessionid=4065218AEC4DD84111D920A326F4CD3F to

order the holiday catalog or download it

2. UNICEF- The United Nations Children's Fund

The entire idea behind this incredible organization is that a better future for our world is only possible when children are provided with an education and a peaceful home. The people behind UNICEF save children from hunger, violence and discrimination so that they may have the opportunity to grow and thrive in safety.

Every year I spend money on Holiday cards to send family and friends. This year I am getting them from UNICEF. You can get these cute and low-cost cards from your local Barnes & Noble.

3. Barnes & Noble Holiday Book Drive

At the checkout line at your local Barnes & Noble you will find a whole shelf of discounted children's classics. They are sold at such a low-cost you barely notice the amount that has been added onto your receipt and they are given to children in need. Not only can you pick the book you want to give but they also give you a small card to write a message to the child who receives it. <3

To See what kind of impact the book drive has made visit http://bgcnms.org/page34154519.aspx

4. Saint Jude

I can't imagine what it would be like to have a sick child. As a mother, it is one of the most terrifying things I can think of. I know that if I were in their shoes I would pray that the general public was doing everything possible to help fund the research and care that is done through their hospital. Go to http://shop.stjude.org/GiftCatalog/shop.do?cID=12682 to find everything from kids toys to fine jewelry.

5. (Red)- Project to Eliminate Aids in Africa

This organization has been a major player in helping the funding for AIDS prevention, treatment, and research to go from $300 million to more than 13.6 billion. Top brands in both clothing and technology have contributed to this organization which means you can buy everything from a gap v-neck to an ipod from this website and know that it is going to benefit a great cause. How cool is that?

Go to: http://www.joinred.com

If you are still craving other ways to change lives around the world during this holiday season...have a party! If you are one of those people who has a big Christmas bash every year put out a basket for donations to your favorite charity. This year I am raising money to buy a goat for a poverty stricken family through Heifer(http://www.heifer.org). This non-profit allows you to buy bees, goats, chicks, and other farm animals for needy people whose survival depends on the productivity of their farms. It's cheaper than you think too. Bees are only $30 and a goat is $120. You get enough people over for a holiday celebration and you can make a huge difference in the quality of life of an entire family!

I hope this inspired you to find new ways to give this holiday season. If you have anymore suggestions please post them!

XO

~MIMI

Attention All Employers: ‎"A leader cannot demand of others what they do not demand of themselves."

Hello everybody!

I have talked to you about a lot of things over the past few months. The environment, religion, overpopulation, mental illness blah blah blah...but I have neglected to talk about something that is on the minds of all American people.

The job market.

Unemployment has hit 10% in the US and people are constantly wondering whether or not they will still be employed tomorrow. Many people who are let go do not qualify for unemployment because they did not get paid enough in the first place. Apparently it does not matter that the 500-1000 dollars a month made at one job, could determine the survival of a family, especially since most of us are living paycheck to paycheck. Another sad fact is that people who are miserable in their work are scared to leave because they don't want to risk having less job security at another workplace. People are having to choose between their lifelong goals and their immediate survival. Frankly, it sucks.

There was an article on Yahoo a few weeks ago addressing employers on how to keep a happy work environment during the economic crisis. I was really happy to read it because the employees are suffering the most right now. Not only are they in constant fear of being laid off, but employers can be much more picky with who stays and who goes. If one employee makes a stupid mistake he is expendable, and there are thousands of people with more experience ready to take his job if he is fired. It was about time someone called on employers to take care of the people who work for them.

I understand that not all employers are huge corporate big wigs who do not give a thought to their employees' well being, but even in small businesses, it is not rare for a boss to be on a power trip. In my life I have had six jobs including the cleaning bathroom, bottom of the totem pole ones. Out of those six I have had a total of 2 bosses who I liked and kept in touch with after leaving on good terms. The other four were made up of a sexist, a woman who said my smile annoyed her, a boss who cried when the flip flops at the bathing suit store were arranged by size instead of color, and an egomaniac. At these four workplaces that didn't work out for me I noticed three things.

1. There were never the same people working there. The staff on Monday was always different from the people who came in to work on Friday.

2. Loyal customers would be upset or stop coming when their favorite employee was no longer working, which in turn, hurt the business.

3. Most importantly, "The Boss" not only saw themselves as better than others but lacked appreciation for their employees and had a half ass work ethic.

This last part is the most critical because no employee is going to work hard if their leader doesn't acknowledge their achievements or take care of their own business. I had a boss a long time ago who was constantly at work, but it never seemed like she was doing anything.

However, she was also the first person to bark at a waiter if something had not been done. As a result, the average employee was there no longer than 2 months.

On the other hand, the two places I worked for where I LOVED my bosses, the businesses thrived. I worked at a tiny movie theatre in Santa Monica for two years. When I got there the same people had been working there for the past 3-10 years, (which is a long time when you are serving popcorn.) When I left, the same crew was still there along with another few newbies. :) My coworkers and I were like a tight knit family. People loved working there so much it became a family affair. My sister worked there for seven years during highschool and college. When I became old enough I got a job there. At one point we had a father and his two sons all working at different locations. People looked forward to going to work. I remember I disappointed my boss once and he had a long talk with me. I felt so guilty afterwards I that I tried harder than I ever had before. Not because I was scared of losing my job, but because I really respected him and I cared about where I worked. In addition, we had hundreds of regulars who liked not only our movies, but the conversations they had with same employees every week that they couldn't have with the 13 year old working at the AMC across the street. Celebrities, yuppies, hippies, homeless people...they all spent the 11 bucks to see a movie and carry on a 3 hour conversation with our resident conspiracy theorist/popcorn server once their film had ended. :)

The other place was a nonprofit where I worked for four years. I started as a volunteer and was soon there so often they began paying me. The energy in that office was amazing. Everyone was so excited about the change that they were making in the world, and no one was made to feel less than anybody else. No matter what our role was, it was important because it led to a greater goal. And achieve our goals we did! The encouragement and understanding we received from each other everyday helped us to go out into the world and accomplish great things for that organization. Not only was I changing other peoples lives, I was changing my life, in the best of ways. I wanted to work hard because our leader was an amazingly strong woman and everything she did I wanted to emulate. As a result of watching her, we all accomplished more than we could have ever imagined for ourselves and others.

My point is, when you hire someone, you are duplicating yourself. SO...if you are angry, don't give a crap about your employees, or put effort into your own work...guess what? That is exactly what you are going to get back from your workers. However, if you work hard, and love the people who put time and effort into your business everyday, they will care as much about your life's work as you do, which helps to make your business thrive.

So bosses out there, do yourself and your employees a favor. Work hard at your own job and recognize your employees for all the hard work they do too.

Links:

www.richdad.com

Movies to See:

Entry Level

Overpopulation...There's No More Elbow Room

"In the natural community, whenever a population's food supply increases, the population increases. As the population increases, its food supply decreases, and as its food supply decreases, that population decreases. This interaction between food populations and feeder populations is what keeps everything in balance.....Once you exempt yourself from the law of limited competition, everything in the world except your food and the food of your food becomes an enemy to be exterminated.....You end up with a community in which diversity is progressively destroyed in order to support the expansion of a single species."

- Excerpt from Ishmael, by Daniel Quinn

Although I had heard about the issue of overpopulation, it had never really concerned me until I read Ishmael. (It's a fantastic book if you ever get the chance read it) There are many lessons one can learn from this little novel but I think everyone who has read it can agree that it was mainly written to describe humanity's place in the world. However, like most pieces of philosophical literature it led to more questions than answers, but as Socrates once said, "The unexamined life is a life not worth living." So maybe the questions I began to ask myself were a good thing.

There is something genuinely frustrating about philosophy. We keep searching for answers only to realize we are even more clueless than before, which is partly the point I suppose, but after a while it just seems like these books and magazine articles I read are just like one long episode of LOST. I may now know that Sawyer has a daughter somewhere but it is completely irrelevant to my question of what the hell that sand monster is.

I keep reading more and though my understanding of what is going on in the world increases, there is still no clear cut solution, and as a person who likes to take action I find that sooooo irritating. After I read Ishmael I did some research on overpopulation, and found out that it is in fact deeply entwined with most of our political and environmental problems. Every cocky human being has that idea in the back of their head that if things get bad here we can always go somewhere else. If the Earth gets too fucked up we'll just move to Mars or something. Number one, it is not that easy. Number two, I like this planet, and number three, there has to be a solution. It just may not be as easy as the one of sitting back while the world gets destroyed a little more each day. We might each have to work for it as individuals.

Perhaps the first time we became aware of the overpopulation issue was in 1798 when Thomas Malthus predicted that our population would outrun our food supply, leading to a mass famine, but more than 200 years later we are still here. Our numbers are still booming. We have been both lucky and smart enough to find different ways to combat this problem, however the main way has largely been through deforestation in order to make way for more farmland. Over time our soil has been depleted of many of its nutrients, which means the vegetables we eat today do not have the same nutritional value that they had 20 years ago.

The greatest spurts in population growth tend to be seen in developing countries, such as many African nations and third-world countries such as India. This leads to war over scarce resources, lack of employment since there are not enough jobs to go around, crime, starvation, and disease. The more people there are, the more difficult it is to find clean water, and diseases are allowed to thrive. What I found to be particularly strange, was the trend in which citizens of countries who are more prosperous have less children than citizens of nations plagued by war and famine. As a result of this pattern many researchers have concluded that improving the way citizens are taken care of within a nation could help reduce the amount of children they have each year. This means the issue of human overpopulation could largely be solved by an increase in stable governments throughout the world who are able to bring peace to their nations. The general fertility rate of women also goes down when they are able to reach high places in society, and become educated about their own sexual health.

These two solutions must be used in conjunction with better farming techniques in areas throughout the world. This includes rotating the crops to prevent depletion of nutrients. Citizens of more prosperous countries, such as the United States, have to stop seeing water as something that just comes out of a faucet. We need to see it as a finite resource and learn to both appreciate it and conserve it the way those who have to walk miles each day just to bring a few buckets home to their families do. Conservation means more clean water, and more clean water means less disease. In addition, the more we conserve, the more food and water there is for all the other people we share our beautiful planet with.

It is reassuring to me that overpopulation is something that can be solved by helping other people live more stable and secure lives.

So how do you take action? You know I wouldn't leave you hanging without any ways to help!

To Do Your Research:

http://www.overpopulation.org/solutions.html

http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/printFriendly/11035

http://www.apda.jp/en/poverty.html

To Help Out :D :

Visit http://www.sraproject.org/opposing/ to learn how farmers can transition to environmentally friendly techniques and how you can make more informed decisions as a consumer

http://www.caff.org/

http://www.amnestyusa.org/our-mission-and-the-movement/page.do?id=1101178 Amnesty International has a goal of providing basic human rights to everyone on the planet. As you just read not only is it important that every human is able to thrive in their own environment but it also helps to prevent overpopulation. One of their leading campaigns strives to prevent violence against women around the world. When women are no longer seen as second-class citizens, they are then able to make their own choices when it comes to sex and fertility.

http://www.unfpa.org/public/ This is the most important website out of all of these. Not only does it list the causes for overpopulation in detail but it also gives solutions and tells you how you can help! Check it Out!

As usual, I hope you learned something new and you share something good with the world because of reading this.

XO,

MIMI

Cancer- Must There Be Only One Treatment?

Cancer is the second leading cause of death among Americans. It claims more than 550,000 lives in the United States each year. 1.4 million people are diagnosed with it annually in our country alone. Many of these patients must then endure radiation, chemotherapy, and an entire cocktail of drugs each day which makes them feel incapable of doing much of the activities they are used to performing on a daily basis. It has plagued humanity since ancient times. We find evidence of it from the moment humans invented forms of writing. Fossilized tumors can be found in Egyptian tombs. It has been studied by scientists since the time of the Ancient Greeks when it first got its name. Doctors began performing autopsies on deceased cancer patients during the Renaissance to better understand the way tumors spread and what their causes might be. Operations have been performed to remove tumors for the past 300 years, and Oncology became its own specialized science in the 19th century. Yet we still don't have a cure?

How is it that we can send a man to the moon, use voice commands on telephones to call anyone in the world, have our cars give us directions, and blow out birthday candles on our iPad but we can't solve this basic problem? We have to be doing something wrong. With all the money we donate to research each year we should have a more clear cut solution by now. Right?!

There is an old story in my family about a wise man named Adeline. Members of my family first met him in post-WWII Paris. My great aunt's youngest son Jean had died of cancer during the war, partly because there was no way to get him the medication needed to stop the cancer, and also because the medical technology we have now simply did not exist yet. The poor boy was 13 and died in tremendous pain. To this day it remains a very soft spot with our older family members. Tears come to their eyes when they speak his name. Each boy born after him has the name Jean as either a first or middle name. Part of what infuriated my family the most was that after they met Adeline and heard his theories, they felt that his death could have been easily prevented.

Adeline maintained that with a diet of only green raw foods and continual cleansing of the body, the cancer would stop spreading. While at first this sounded like hocus pocus he soon began treating members of my family who had cancer. My young uncle, my great uncles and aunts. They were all plagued at some point with a malignant growth and Adeline was able to stop it in its tracks. He convinced all of the men to stop smoking long before it became understood that smoking was a leading cause of cancer. After years of research Adeline went to the greater scientific community to present his theories and research. At first they would not accept it because he was not an Oncologist. Then once his theories drew more attention he began getting death threats. When he asked one of the heads of research at a cancer institute in France why they didn't want him to help cure people he said, "Do you know how many people would lose their jobs if it were that simple? We can't make it that simple!" Adeline was disgusted with the scientific community and unfortunately, after his death, his son was too afraid to continue his father's research.

Whether Adeline was right or wrong, it does raise the question...

Is there only one way to treat cancer?

Before I tackle this question I should fully explain the general treatments performed on patients today to cure cancer.

Currently, if a malignant growth is found the doctors will first see if it is possible to remove it by surgery alone. If this is not possible or the cancer has spread more than was originally thought the patient is forced to begin radiation treatment and chemotherapy. The National Cancer Institute lists the side affects of radiation therapy as fatigue, skin changes, mouth problems, swelling, nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, trouble swallowing, and urinary issues. Chemotherapy also includes all of these side effects plus everything from hair and weight loss to taste changes and hearing loss. The complete side effects of chemo can be found at www.chemocare.com/managing . Chemotherapy is effective because it prevents cancer cells from producing.

The good part of chemo is it kills the bad cells.

The bad part of chemo is it also kills the good cells.

For in essence, it is made of poison.

I know it sounds like I am completely against radiation and chemotherapy, but I am not. I simply do not think it should be the only option for patients. A dear family member of mine currently has stage four cancer and the nurse handed him a piece of paper with two options on it. The first was chemo. The second was the Gerson Method. "The cancer doesn't kill our patients the chemo does," he told them. "They come in here looking uncomfortable and worried, but once the chemo sets in they come out of here looking like death."

And honestly, this is not something I have a hard time believing. My favorite professor died from side effects from her chemo after she had supposedly gotten better. A close friend passed away not from the cancer but from the pneumonia she caught during treatment because the chemo had weakened her immune system to such a degree that she could no longer defend herself against airborn diseases.

There are plenty of conspiracy theorists out there who will tell you that the reason chemo remains the number one treatment is because it rakes in the most money. I have no doubt that this is in some ways true. However, I don't believe that most doctors have that greedy idea in mind. I truly believe most oncologists want the best for their patients and as far as they know, chemo is that person's best chance at life. This is why when someone comes up to them and says "I know I have stage four lymphoma but I wanna try this the natural way," they flip out.

All I am saying is perhaps cancer patients should be given more options. It is in fact their choice and not the doctor's. I am not saying however that we should all do the Jim Henson and "see what happens."

If you are a cancer patient or know someone who is I am not telling you what treatment to get. What I am telling you to do is DO YOUR RESEARCH! Do not let yourself be pushed around by your doctor. Perhaps try to find an oncologist who is more open minded and has a good success rate. Do not forget that you are in charge of your body and what you put in it, not your insurance company.

Below are some helpful links.

As usual I hope this helps and I hoped you learned something new.

XO,

MIMI <3

http://www.healingcancernaturally.com/

http://www.cancertreatmentforums.com/

http://optimal-health.org/ - this website may seem like nothing much but this center performs miracles <3>

To Kindle or Not to Kindle?

I love my books and unfortunately since we moved in with my in-laws most of mine are in storage. (Not enough room) However, most of my favorites are still stashed around my husband and I's little bedroom. :) Next to the TV there are some old favorites such as my art books on Frida Kahlo. A stack of National Geographics and Anthropology books from school that I haven't had the heart to sell lie on my dresser. By my bed are the necessities, an army bible my friend gave me before he went to fight in Afghanistan, poems by Hafiz, Ishmael, and an old poetry book my mother-in-law gave me that dates back to the late 1800's. Finally, stashed behind a bunch of Cd's are some newer books like The Other Boleyn Girl (which I have to admit I never quite finished), The House on Sugar Beach, and Dan Brown's Angel's & Demons. That does not include my husband's fantasy novels that are scattered all over the damn place and a few of my son's classic fairy tale books that I keep by my bedside for early Saturday mornings. If you can't already tell,our room is a mess. :P

When we did have our own place we had two large bookcases plus more of our favorites displayed on the coffee table such as The Red Tent and The Complete Works and Poems of Edgar Allen Poe. They may cause mess, dust, and clutter, but each of them has a story other than the one the author wrote. I read the Poisonwood Bible when I was nine months pregnant with my baby boy and finished reading it bit by bit while breastfeeding. Now everytime I look at it I think not only about what the words inside the novel meant to me as a new mommy, but that incredible time in my life. In a way, it's like a souvenir.

I read Where the Heart Is when I was in the eighth grade. My friends and I all loved it so much we passed it back and forth between one another for a year before it finally ended up back in my hands. The cover has been completely torn off and the pages are littered with highlighter marks. Every few pages there will be a note such as, "Hey Mimi, I really like this part. <3"

When people see books in your home they see part of your identity.

These are the reasons why I am having a lot of trouble accepting these new fangled iPads and Kindles.

For someone who loves the idea of saving paper and trees I am struggling a lot with the idea of this new technology. Worst of all, I have a feeling that because of this invention, books will become obsolete and one day we're gonna end up like those obese humans in Wall-E that only interact through a screen. Perhaps I am being too dramatic, but I'm at my computer enough dammit!

So I am trying to tell myself these new reading screen thingamabobs can be a very positive thing. There is less wasted paper, they are less expensive, and they don't end up taking over your house. Perhaps they are not the devil after all.

I try to comfort myself by thinking that no matter what people may use their Kindle but they would still end up finding comfort in a real book, the same way I get my news from cnn.com everyday, but still like to read the newspaper on Sundays. I hope this ends up happening, and that this does not simply spell the end of my hanging out at a bookstore with a cup of coffee all Sunday afternoon. Because if my local Barnes & Noble starts looking more like an internet cafe' then a book store, I might become depressed.

Am I being an old fart or do you agree? Let me know!

XO,

MIMI

There's Oil Friggin Everywhere!!!!

The most frustrating thing about watching the news and reading the newspaper is hearing about all the awful things going on in our world that we cannot control. The main reason I began this blog was to spread the idea that we are not always helpless when it comes to world events. There is no purpose in the information we receive daily from the Internet, magazines, television etc. if it is not put to good use. Awareness is important because it is the first step before action is taken. If I read about the oil spill and just sit with the idea that it is happening, the information has done nothing to benefit the cause. I believe this is the main problem with the information we get from the media today. A lot of information, very little solutions. It is our responsibility as citizens of our state, our country, and of the world that we put our knowledge of current events to good use. What better place to start than the oil spill?

Instead of standing by and watching there are many things we can do as individuals to help this environmental crisis, but before we enter into that subject I feel I should give you a brief explanation on what is going on in the Gulf of Mexico. When most of us think of this man-made disaster we think of fish and turtles being covered with slick oil. Obviously, the oil poses a huge danger to wildlife in the region, but the problem is far greater than that. The last great oil spill comparable to this one took place off the coast of Alaska more than 20 years ago. In that time petrol companies have not taken the necessary steps to finding solutions for plugging up leaks caused by drilling. While technology used to clean up the oil in the ocean has been created, nothing of importance has been created to fix the leak itself. With the amount made each year by oil companies there is no excuse for the tiny amount of research done both to prevent and put a stop to oil spills. The practice of praying and crossing our fingers is simply inexcusable.

And poor Louisiana! As if the state has not been through enough these past five years since Hurricane Katrina hit, fisherman are losing their livelihood to this disaster. The unemployment rate in the US is now past 9%, the last thing we needed was a catastrophe that literally wiped out the income of hard working men and women. Thus, this problem goes beyond an environmental issue. It's affecting our fragile economy as well.


BP has tried several strategies to plug up the well. One was a giant dome designed to siphon the oil from the leak. After a few failures the infamous "top kill" was tried. This basically involved pumping gallons upon gallons of mud into the well in order to plug up the flow of oil. If this would not work bits of tire and plastic would also be added to the clay to seal it indefinitely. Unfortunately, this plan seems to have failed miserably. Now we are even thinking of dropping chemicals into the ocean that may help the oil spill but be toxic to the wildlife. Great idea.... People have been complaining that the problem has been left in that hands of BP for far too long already, and expressed the desire for our government to take bigger steps in solving the problem.

President Obama, as usual the burden of millions rests on your shoulders. :/

As a result our president made a visit to the Gulf on Friday and stated that he takes full responsibility for finding solutions to this issue. However Ladies and Gentlemen, this doesn't mean you get to close your eyes, sit back, and let the king of hope solve everything for you. We are a democracy, and supposedly our government is run primarily by us. So lets take some action! I'm tired of Louisiana getting butt raped all time!

Ways You Can Help:

1. Be like yo mama and write a letter when something pisses you off. Contact your local congressman, state senator. Hell..write to the White House! The more we continue putting money into oil drilling, the higher chance there is to something happening like this again. If you are one of Palin's "Drill baby drill!" darlings, I may think your wrong but I have a solution for you too. You may not be an advocate for renewable energy but you can at least write and let the oil companies know more money needs to be spent on research for preventing and stopping oil spills. They can't just drill and hope for the best. There needs to be a back up plan. Writing letters and emails may not be an immediate solution but it can urge our government and petrol companies to prepare for and prevent future oil leaks. That way we don't experience this scrambling "What the hell do we do now?" attitude all over again.

2. Collect your hair, pet fur, and nylons! Believe it or not these three things can be used trap oil found in the ocean. Salons and pet owners around the country have been collecting these items and sending them off to help clean up the mess. To sign up visit www.matteroftrust.org

3. Visit www.nwf.org to donate money which helps save the the wildlife affected by the oil spill.

4. If you are able to commit your time to volunteer you can visit www.lagulfresponse.org which is advertised by the World Wildlife Fund as a safe source for donations as well.

Hope this Helps!


XO,

MIMI

P.S. Watch this Video!!!!!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHmhxpQEGPo

Post-Partum Myths and the Superheroes that Debunk Them

It's amazing how little education there is on post-partum mental illness, especially since it affects so many women.

I was 20 when I was diagnosed with postpartum ocd, but I started feeling the symptoms when I was 18. I struggled with this disorder internally. There was a time I truly felt I was going mad. For more than a year I tried to find somebody...anybody who could tell me what the hell was going on inside my brain, and for a long time, there was no clear cut answer.

I became pregnant with my son at the age of 18. Le Gasp! :P However, my boyfriend (now my husband) and I loved each other very much. In my mind there was no question of what to do. I knew I was going to have my son. I knew he would be loved. I knew we would be great parents and would do everything possible to give him a good life.

My ocd actually started during my pregnancy. My first insane thought was that I could not serve steak knives at the table. I could hurt someone with steak knives. Who knows I might go crazy and stab someone from across the table. I put out butter knives instead.

My mother wanted to take me to Palm Springs for a relaxing vacation and I refused to go simply because I was afraid of hurting her. Soon I got scared of driving my car because I thought I would hit someone.

When these thoughts first invaded my brain, I did not tell anyone for two reasons. One, it made me sound like a lunatic and two, because I thought maybe it was just the stress of being young and pregnant. I began to get scared about what would happen after my son was born. He would be so fragile. I bought every book I could on baby care and first aid. Every first time mommy is paranoid but my paranoia reached unhealthy heights. I became scared of hurting myself, my baby, and others.

The biggest issue which you must understand is I never felt the desire to do these things. It was an intense fear that I could not shake. If I tried to stop the thoughts they would only increase. One night my husband woke up and I could not stop crying but was too scared to tell him why.

After my son was born the thoughts went away. (Most likely because of hormone changes) I have to mention that both when I was pregnant, when he was born, and ever since I have loved my son with my whole soul. Even when I was going through this inner turmoil I always felt like my son was this magical gift from heaven and I still do not know how I got so lucky as to have a baby boy as a amazing as him. Despite my feelings of pure, unconditional love towards my son, the fears came back when I suddenly stopped breastfeeding once my son was six months old. (Again, probably because of hormone changes)

I soon became terrified of giving him a bath, changing his diaper, even being alone with him. What confused me and terrorized me the most was that the fears I had were not logical. I loved my son so much, why would I ever be scared of hurting him? I became terrified that I might have schizophrenia or be psychotic.

When I finally decided to start doing some research all I found were disturbingly awful stories of mothers hurting their children. "Oh my God!" I thought. "What if these women started out like me and gave into their fears!" I went to a doctor and told her everything. She told me I was anxious, that this was normal and she gave me some xanex. It did nothing but give me an allergic reaction.

I soon decided to change my whole diet. I was eating more raw foods, cut out coffee and sugar, took more vitamins.

It didn't work.

So I started exercising and meditating and praying....

the thoughts would not stop.

I could not sleep, eat, or go to the bathroom normally.

I was scared to watch my son, drive the car, use a fork. I was literally incapable of doing anything for myself. Worst of all, while I still did everything for my son and showed him tons of love and affection, I could not truly appreciate him the way I wanted to.

I finally checked myself into the emergency room and told them everything. You know what they did? They put a security guard in front of my door and carried me by ambulance to the Los Angeles County Mental Hospital.

I was there for three days and I can tell you I have never been more terrified. One night I went into my room and there was a man already sleeping in my bed. The nurse had not even noticed him walk in. They gave me drugs that made me feel like a zombie and released me on the third day.

Once I got back to the real world I went to a psychiatrist who, like a total idiot, immediately took me off of the addictive medication I was taking, and onto anti depressants that don't take affect for a month. Now I was nineteen, scared, with an 8 month old to take care of, going through a deep depression, and withdrawal from a highly addictive substance.

This is where my family showed how wonderful they can truly be. My husband, my mother-in-law, my father-in-law, and my mother literally nursed me back to health for two weeks while the medication started working. The love and help I got from them was exactly what I needed and words do not express how grateful I am to this day that they granted me that time and patience to heal.

Once the anti depressants began doing their work I was once again able to function normally and appreciate my son. However, the thoughts were still lingering in the back of my mind and I could not help but think that anxiety was not what was going on in my brain. Neither was it the "psychosis" that they imprisoned me in that hospital for. So I began doing my research...

Then I found my savior.

Dr. Emily Dossett in Pasadena was the only one among the 5 doctors and two therapists I visited who properly diagnosed my condition. It was then that I learned the biggest myth about post-partum disorders. They are all grouped as depression. Baby blues and wanting to hurt one's own children are all the same to the "old school" psychiatrist. In fact their are many different kinds of post-partum mental illness.

Baby Blues- the feeling of despair mothers often get within the first few weeks of their child being born. This passes rather quickly.

Post Partum Depression- the mother may feel hopeless, exhausted, apathetic, and/or full of despair for an unknown reason

Post-Partum OCD- (what I have) the mother becomes terrified of hurting her child either purposely or accidentally. Women with OCD do not act on these thoughts since they are fears and not desires. They are illogical and go against the feeling of love and protection the woman has towards her baby. The thoughts cannot be stopped willingly and must be eased with both medication and cognitive behavioral therapy.

Post-Partum Psychosis- the mother has a desire and will to act on harmful thoughts.

As you can see each of these conditions is very different from the last. Perhaps the scariest part is not all psychiatrists know the differences between these disorders. Thus, why I ended up in a mental hospital. When I told my current psychiatrist, Dr. Sparago, what I went through he was outraged. There needs to be more education about this not only in the public but also within the psychiatric community. This should not have been so hard to diagnose. I had all the symptoms, the doctors simply did not understand that such a condition existed. Instead of admitting that they did not know what was wrong with me and referring me to someone else, they tried to group me in a box with other people who had a different but similar disorder.

This is simply not acceptable. I pity the woman who deals with this on a daily basis since there is no reason for her suffering. Once I began the proper treatment, a combination of medication and cognitive behavioral therapy, my symptoms simply disappeared. No woman in the modern age needs to live in agony because of these conditions. We have the medical knowledge and technology. What we need to do is spread the word!

The professionals who have helped me

Dr. Emily Dossett- Pasadena

Dr. Sparago- Westwood

Dr. Otelsburg- Westwood

are superheroes to me. Help them educate the world about these disorders which can so easily be treated. Then we can get back to what is really important, appreciating the beautiful children God has generously placed in our lives.

XO,

MIMI

Links:

http://edossettmd.com/

http://postpartum.net/

Stuff You Didn't Know You Could Recycle

Hiya folks!

I learned some valuable info the other day and I figured it would be a good idea to share it with y'all. :D

My son has a habit of destroying his clothing, which means all those shirts and cute outfits that I have bought for him are not even good enough for goodwill. We're lucky if a pair of white socks survives my son's abuse for more than three months. They can't handle the sand, mud, and plastic sword fights for very long. After looking through his drawers I had about five nice outfits which another child would be happy to wear, and about 20 that were fit for the garbage. I dropped the former off at Goodwill. The rest sat in a bag by the door for about a week because I felt wasteful just throwing them away.

Later that same week my computer decided it was no longer going to work, in the middle of me doing my homework... just to make life a little more difficult for me. Fantastic....

I put it under the bed with my other five year old dead computer plus several other ancient electronics. I feel bad just tossing it. I spent so much on it. Throwing it in the trash not only seems wasteful, it also makes me feel like I'm throwing all my money out the window...which makes me kinda angry.

Anyhooo...

I realized that if I did not get rid of all of my family's junk soon we were going to end up on an episode of Hoarders so....

TO THE INTERWEBS!

Here's what I found out, you can recycle a lot of your useless crap! YAY!!!

Unfortunately, you can't just throw these things in the blue bin, but there are a good number of companies out there which can make recycling your old junk pretty easy. Patagonia has a wonderful recycling program. When you have old clothes which are torn or stained that you don't feel are fit to give away, you can drop them into a specially marked bin at any of their stores. If there isn't a Patagonia store by your house they also provide an address (listed below) to which you can ship your old clothes. Patagonia recycles your tattered clothing and turns them into brand new apparel.

Awesome huh?

The next environmental superhero company is Best Buy. They will take your dead or unwanted electronics at any of their stores. Sometimes, if they feel they can use some of the parts, they will even give you money for it. WOoot! Best Buy is not the only company or organization that can help you recycle your old gadgets. To find more electronic recycling facilities you can visit

http://www.electronicstakeback.com/recycling/find_a_responsible_recycler.htm

Old makeup takes a lot of space in our landfills. Though many of the containers are metal or plastic, they are usually not sorted out by your neighborhood recycling truck. MAC will take back any of their old or used containers and recycle them for you. If you bring 6 MAC containers at once you get a free lipstick, and if you read the previous blog about animal testing, you should also know that MAC is also cruelty free! If you're like me and most of your makeup is bought at the drugstore you can bring any brand of old makeup containers to your local Origins store. Not only will they recycle them for you, but they will also give you a baggie of free samples :D

I hope this helps faithful reader <3

Below is the Patagonia recycling address and some useful links, including one on how to recycle plastic grocery bags!

XOXO,

MIMI

www.earth911.com

www.plasticbagrecycling.org

www.patagonia.com/recycle

Patagonia Common Threads Mailing Address:

Attn. Common Threads Recycling Program

8550 White Fir Street

Reno, NV 89523-8939

The New Catholic Guilt

It takes bravery to be a proud practicing Catholic in 2010.
I say bravery because there is a lot of conflict occurring both in and around the church. Society cannot seem to decide whether our religion is good or bad. Some of this is because of the pre-Vatican II Catholic school upbringing that turned many future hippies away from the church, others are turned off by the violent history, and still more refuse to join a church that cannot "keep up with the times."
Though pedophile priests are nothing new in Roman Catholic history, many victims surfaced in the early 2000's demanding justice. To many this was a shock, and caused a large number of people to leave the church, especially when they found out cardinals had known about these crimes and simply switched the priests to other parishes. :O
In this blog, we're gonna explore more fully what is going on with the church in the present day. For as many stances that the church has taken which are unpopular, there are instances in which they have shown great clarity, good will, and intelligence. For example, Catholicism is one of the only Christian religions in the nation that does not see the study of evolution as a conflict to the belief in God. This may sound like an obvious decision to many people. However, if you think about what the Catholic church has been teaching for 2000 years, it is amazing that they so easily gave up their belief that everything was created in a day. This also shows something else which is very positive. They are learning from their mistakes! I bet Galileo and Copernicus wished they had been more forgiving the first time around....but we're making progress dammit! 8)

While the Catholic Church is sometimes talked about as "The World's Largest Corporation," it is also one of its largest benefactors. Catholic priests, nuns, and parishioners are seen around the world doing good works such as providing medical care for those who cannot afford it, taking steps to reduce poverty, and trying to eliminate hunger. Catholic Charities USA is also moving forward by encouraging people to recycle in order to raise money for impoverished children. I remember watching "The Mission" when I was a teenager and becoming nauseated by the way Catholics treated the natives in the Americas. Luckily the church has let go of their past stance of, "Oh, you're not European and don't want to become part of our religion?...okay you shall die now." The fact that the word of God was abused for the love of power, though not surprising, is still disgusting. However, without excusing this immoral behavior, I think I can explain it.

For a long time, becoming a priest or a nun was not so much of a choice as it was an assignment. In most cases, the first son got the land while daughters were married off to improve the family's wealth and alliances. What were parents to do with the ugly daughter who nobody wanted to marry, the wild child who they needed to control, or the third son for whom there was no inheritance left?

Off to the church with you!

This provided their children with an education, a high position in society, and increased the prestige of their family name. As a result of this, us Catholics have a long list of lunatic popes, sadistic priests, power hungry bishops, and nuns who really got around (if ya know what I mean ;) )

Nowadays, becoming a nun or a priest is a very personal decision in which a person feels called by God to serve the church. The vast majority of those who join convents or seminaries in the present day, do so with good and holy intentions. Yaay Catholics! Another step in the right direction!

There is only one problem. We can't find enough people to join the priesthood or become nuns. Eeeek! There is a major shortage of priests and in order for the Roman Catholic faith to survive another 2000 years we need more leaders. But there are so many young Catholics out there! Why can't we find anyone to fill these positions?

In my opinion there are two main reasons. The first reason being...you guessed it...no sex. Perhaps, more importantly, no romantic love. Whether it is considered to be right or wrong, society drills the idea into our brains from the time we are out of our mother's womb that our self worth and happiness is found with someone else. Biologically we crave sex, and our culture forces its importance on us each day. There would be many more leaders within the church if marriage were allowed. However, I do believe I understand why celibacy is considered necessary in the priesthood and to live as a nun. For one, it is a great sacrifice which helps to show your commitment to the Lord. In scripture, Jesus' apostles left their jobs, their wives, and their children to follow him. In addition, the church did not gain the wealth it has today with priests making babies and leaving half of their assets for their children after their death. Granted, this is purely my opinion, but monetarily speaking, it makes sense. However, Catholics are not the only ones who value celibacy. Buddhist monks also abstain from sex and romance as well.

The second reason the Roman Catholic Church is running out of leaders is women are not able to become priests. (Perhaps, priestess sounds a little too Pagan for them...lolz) There are many women who feel the calling to preach, serve their community, and be at the pulpit. They could become nuns, but in reality, modern day women want a more active role in the church. In my opinion, if the Catholic Church does not grant women the right to become priests, they need to increase the powers of women as nuns in the church. They claim it is because only men were present at the last supper when Jesus presented the gift of the Eucharist. In actuality, I think even the pope can admit we have no idea exactly who was in the room at the time. It was not common for women to share meals with men in that period so it seems that we lose by default. Not fair! I do not mean to discount the role of nuns in the church. It is obvious that they are an essential part of our faith community, but their subservience is something that needs to stop. Women should have equal say in church decisions, and honestly it has taken us waaaay to long to realize this. Frankly, it is a stance that repels many from converting to Catholicism in the first place.

Our stance on abortion and birth control makes us even less popular. I understand both of these positions. However, making abortions illegal doesn't lead to less abortions, it leads to more dangerous back alley abortions which can cause accidental death and disease. This is where I believe the church is making a big mistake. Though they may see it as a religious issue for them, for everyone else it is in fact a state and health issue. There is separation between church and state for a reason. The same goes for issues such as gay marriage. When I put my cash in the basket on Sundays I do not do it to influence politics. I do it so we can help the local homeless, supply soldiers with care packages, and put gas in the popemobile. ;)

This brings us to another big mistake I believe my religion is making today...calling homosexuality a disorder. Forgive me if I do not recall the last time we put a gay man in a mental ward for this "illness." Most people have at least one person in their lives who is openly gay. At my parish we sing, "All Are Welcome" at the beginning of mass. I don't think that stance makes gay couples or their friends feel very welcome. While Catholic leaders maintain this is not something derived out of fear but morality, citing scripture with examples, I have to say I highly disagree. Even if they believe marriage is only for a man and a woman, I do not remember a single phrase in the New Testament told by Jesus which said that homosexuality was wrong. The Book of Leviticus says it is a sin right next to where it says I need to be in a red tent during my period. Therefore, it is not the Catholic stance on gay marriage within their own church which makes me angry as much as it is their intolerance, and yes, fear-based, claim that it is a disorder.

So Ladies and Gentlemen, this is the NEW Catholic guilt. It isn't your guilt revolving around the fact that you did naughty things in the back of Davy's car when you were 15, or that you lied to your grandma last week. It is the guilt that arrives when you say you are Catholic and someone says, "You mean the religion filled with pedophiles, homophobes, and misogynists?"

"Yup that one." :)

So after all this why are me and so many people in this world Catholic? Here it is...

I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
the Maker of heaven and earth,
and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord:

Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, dead, and buried;

He descended into hell.

The third day He arose again from the dead;

He ascended into heaven,
and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty;
from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Ghost;
the holy catholic church;
the communion of saints;
the forgiveness of sins;
the resurrection of the body;
and the life everlasting.

Amen.

This is it. These are our core beliefs. This is what unites us as a faith. For all the bad rep Catholics get, we do a lot of great, good, and powerful deeds. Our religion is beautiful, from the murals on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel to the inspiration it gives us in times of hardship. Millions of people find love, solace, and comfort in our traditions and our faith. Most importantly, things are changing. Slowly but surely we are getting closer, I think, to what Jesus really wants from us as a people. To treat others the way we would like to be treated, and to love others as he loves us. We cannot let the crimes of a few men destroy us as a faith. We know the truth. We know our beliefs and we stand by them. Even when Catholics disagree, such as with my stance versus the church's on women's role in the church and gay rights, we work within our faith to improve things rather than just leaving. We love our faith so much we try to make things better from within it rather than calling it quits.

So next time you hear someone bashing the Catholic Church you can tell them that all of our parishioners, priests, nuns, popes....they are all just men and women who make mistakes sometimes, but the vast majority do our best to serve God and those we love. We go out of our way to help people we do not even know halfway across the world, and we're doing the best we can. Just like you. :)

So in essence whether the majority of our society thinks I should be or not.

I am proud to be Catholic <3

For more information on the Roman Catholic Church's stance on modern day issues you can visit www.catholic.com orwww.americancatholic.org

For more information on Catholics trying to make changes within the church you can visit

www.catholicsformarriageequality.com

and

www.womenpriest.org/preasons.asp