Tying Together Some Unlikely Allies

I bet you can't figure out how to tie together muffins and tampons, can you? I'll give you a minute to think about it. Go ahead.

No? I'm not surprised. This connection is about as tenuous as they come. Today I wanted to mention TWO things that can help make a difference in someone's life--both big and small.

First, there's o.b.'s Share it Forward Campaign, which helps provide kits to women and girls at risk all over the world. (Yep, that's the tampon part.)

Second, today Kari is hosting a blogging bake sale where all the proceeds head to the charity Kisses for Katie. (You guessed it, the muffins.)

My donation to the Bake Sale Fundraiser!

Since both of these things are really fantastic ways to easily show support and do good, I hope you'll excuse the tenuous and awkward connection and let me go with it.

Head to the Bake Sale at Running Ricig today (Sunday) between 10am and 8pm. There are over 30 items up for bid, including cakes, muffins, cookies and bread. I'm contributing some pumpkin muffins with a vanilla/cinnamon/brown sugar glaze that are AMAZING, and I have already spent a few minutes browsing (ok, drooling) over some of the other delicious items. Each "baker" will donate their time, ingredients, and shipping costs, and the purchase price will go entirely to this charity.

Even after that you're still in a charitable mood, please visit o.b.'s mighty small movement. They are dedicated to raising money to give out kits to women and girls in developing countries around the world without basic sanitation and hygiene kits. These kits include things like reusable pads, clean underwear, detergent to wash these items and information on HIV prevention.

Without these basic essentials, many girls are forced to stay home from school during their menstrual cycle. This truly shocked me - no matter how much charities and organizations can help to build the infrastructure of a developing country (schools, roads, etc.) if the girls can't get basic sanitary items they still have to stay home from school.

All you have to do in this case is "like" o.b.'s mighty small movement, and then visit the tab marked "o.b. outreach". By sharing this message on your wall (there is a big pink "click to share" button to make it really easy), the company will donate $1 toward the purchase of these sanitation kits. Their goal is to raise $25,000 - which will equal 10,000 of these kits!

In the time it takes you to scroll through the next blog on Google Reader, you could follow these steps and help make a difference in the life of a young girl. Please, please spend a minute doing so. 

1. "Like" o.b.'s mighty small movement on Facebook

2. Click on the "o.b. outreach" tab

3. Press the button that says"like to share"

You're done! $1 will have been donated to Huru Kits thanks to o.b. just like that. 

I know it's awkward to talk about tampons. Let's be honest, unless you're asking someone discretely for one in an emergency, who talks about them at all? But it is a relevant issue for many girls in developing countries, so it is something that should be addressed. 

Thanks everyone!

"I wrote this review while participating in a campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of o.b. and received a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate."