To Ethiopia With Love Q&A

In light of my upcoming trip to Ethiopia many of my posts have been dedicated to the trip.   I have received lots of comments, questions, concerns about the trip and I wanted to share the answers with you. 


Where exactly are you going in Ethiopia?

We will be flying into Addis Abba on Friday, February 23rd and fly out on a smaller plan to a small cluster of villages called Dire Dawa on Saturday morning.  Dire Dawa is located in the eastern part of Ethiopia and is near the Dechatu River.

How long will you be there?

We will be in Dire Dawa and visiting a total of 3 villages from Saturday February 24th through Saturday, March 3rd. 

Who are you going on the trip with?

I am going on this trip with a non profit humanitarian group called Global Hope Network International or GHNI.  We have two team leaders from GHNI as well as several other volunteers that are part of our team.

What are you going to do while in the villages?

This particular trip is mostly to build relationships with the already established villages and help with a couple small projects for those less established. We do have a few projects planned and I will be able to share about those while I am there.  One of the villages we will be visiting is a brand new village in the TCG program.  How exciting is that! My personal goal while I am there is to immerse myself in their culture and share all of their stories with you.  I want to bring awareness to these villages and show you how much of an impact a person can really have on villages such as these.

How are you going to communicate with the villagers?

Good question.  Since none of us speak the native tongue which is Amharic we will have translators with us HOWEVER body language and pictures can speak a thousand words.  I plan on bringing some pictures of my family to share and books to show to the kids along with stickers and bubbles.

Are you being compensated to go on this trip? 

No.

Did GHNI pay for your trip fees in order for you to blog about them?

No. I paid for most of the trip myself including airfare with the exception of some money donated by some of my friends, family and loyal blog followers. 

Why travel to Ethiopia to help people there when there are many here in the US that need help?

My trip to Ethiopia is taking my giving back and compassionate nature to a whole new level.  Going on an international mission/humanitarian trip has always been one of my dreams and I hope that this is the first of many to come.  Here in the US our family does give back quite a bit.  I started and run our churchs' food pantry.  I am also leader of our church's Care Team which is an outreach to those less fortunate within our own church body but also in our community.  Our family donates time, money and clothing to several area non profits on an regular basis in effort to help those less fortunate in our community.

Are you scared to go to a foreign country?

I have a little bit of anxiety about it but not much.  I think I am more scared to fly 21 straight hours on the plane into Amsterdam not because I don't like flying but I am going to be bored out of my mind.  LOL.  I am bringing lots of books and hopefully I can sleep a little bit.  Once I get to Amsterdam it is is another 9 hours to Addis Abba so lots of flight time.



Hopefully I have covered most everything, if I haven't please drop me a comment or email.

And remember to check back while I am on my journey from Feb 22nd-Mar 3rd.

Prescription Pain?

This post brought to you by Walgreens. All opinions are 100% mine.

 

I hear that! 

With all the changes in the healthcare industry it is no wonder that it has hit the prescription market now.  What used to be a quick trip to Walgreens with a $5.00 prescription co pay I was a bit spoiled.  But not anymore.  Our company is actually cutting back even more and not sure I will even have prescription coverage at all here in a few months. 

 

Because of that I have been entertaining finding some additional prescription coverage and the Walgreens Prescription Savings Club sounds like it might be the right fit for me.

 

You too can join the Walgreens Prescription Savings Club for $35.00 a year for a family or $20.00 a year for individuals.  Your family memberships includes your spouse and children 22 years of age and younger.

By joining you will get discounts on over 8,000 brand name and all generic medications.  You will also receive discounts on flu shots, pet prescriptions, nebulizers and diabetic supplies.  And did I mention you get other bonus' when you purchase other Walgreens brand items and Walgreens Photo Finishing.

Interested in learning more about the Walgreens Prescription Savings Club and other products?  Check out Walgreens on Facebook or follow Walgreens on Twitter for everything Walgreens!

Cash Cow PayPal Giveaway!

Welcome to the Cash Cow PayPal Giveaway! I have teamed up with some fellow bloggers to bring you a giveaway where you can win $235 PayPal cash!

The contest is open worldwide from Feb 6th-Feb 20th, and anyone with a PayPal account can win.

Enter on the Rafflecopter form below, and good luck!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Bulb Planting..Easy As 1-2-3!

This post brought to you by Bulbs. Dig, Drop, Done.. All opinions are 100% mine.

 

If you know me whether it be in real life or through the blogosphere, you might know that I lack a green thumb.  It is not that I couldn't turn my black thumb green, I think it is more or less because I am impatient.  I want immediate gratification.  LOL.  Which is why bulbs are so much better than planting seeds. 

 

Dig.Drop.Done is a fabulous website that gives you all the basics and then some of planting bulbs.  Bulbs are a self contained flower factory with nearly everything you need to plant and have a bountiful of flowers in your yard in the appropriate seasons.  All you have to do is Dig.Drop.Done.  So even those of us with the darkest black of thumbs, can't mess it up. 

 

visit www.digdropdone.com to learn more about the different kinds of bulbs, the planting seasons, etc.  They have this really great Garden Guru Tool that makes planting the right bulbs simple.  And planting bulbs is not just for the garden.  They have some cute ideas for indoor bulb planting too.  They liven up a bleak interior and make great unique gifts.  Put a couple bulbs in a cute little container and watch them bloom.  I gave a gift of bulbs for a housewarming gift.

 

Visit their planting chart so you know what you can plant when and how for the best results.

 Curbside Chaos lets you select your own planting guide by entering in your country, state, and type of bulbs you want to plant.

Chionodoxa, the ultimate garden accessory!

        

Steps for better growth

• Start with firm, plump chionodoxa bulbs, free from cuts, bruises or mold. Plant in Fall (Sept 23-Dec 22), when soil has cooled off.
• Using a spade, dig a hole 3-6 inches deep and place the bulb pointed end up.
• Cover and lightly pack soil, then water thoroughly- and you’re done!

Tips: In areas with mild winters, plant later and chill your bulbs up to 8 weeks prior to planting. Plant in a sunny or partially shaded area. Space your bulbs 2-4 inches apart. 

 

As I was perusing their website I couldn't help but relate to Marcy (not necessarily the Super Mom of course) but I don't have a lot of time so bulbs they make it so easy to beautify my yard season after season.

 

 

Which lady are you most like?

 

Right now, Dig.Drop.Done wants us women to get excited about bulb planting so they are offering a $5000 yard makeover.  All you have to do is go to Curbside Chaos and upload a picture of your yard.  The winner will not only receive $5000 but will also receive a visit from Taniya Nayak who will give you tips on how to incorporate bulbs into your landscaping plan. 

 

And for every share on twitter of Dig.Drop.Done they will donate $1.00 to Rebuilding Together.  A nonprofit that is working to preserve affordable home ownership and revitalize communities like yours and mine.

Foosball Gluttony!

Remember the Adam Sandler movie Waterboy with Kathy Bates how she always called Football, Foosball?  Although, I don't tend to enjoy most of Adam Sandlers movies these days (must be my age) I do however like Kathy Bates. 

The Super Bowl, it is like a national holiday here in the states.  Everyone has their Super Bowl parties with food & drink to the point of gluttony.  Even for those that don't typically watch football, I bet they are watching the Super Bowl if for nothing else but for the commercials & food.  Scarfing down platters of nachos, chips & dips, chicken wings, chili...  You name it, it is probably on the menu. 

Which brings me to a bit of a debate that my husband and I had today about our menu. 

My husband has the school of thought of go big or go home on days such as these and in years past I was right there with him.  But now it is different for me. As of late I have been taking the stance more often that we don't *need* to overindulge nor do I *want* to overindulge.  And we didn't need to overindulge in the past but unfortunately like many Americans and the like we wanted to and did.

Now it is different.

During our debate I reminded him of the trip to Ethiopia that I will be going on in a few short weeks and that I will be going to a country where many people are lucky if they receive one meal a day.  And he was complaining that I didn't get *enough* wings. Even though I will be making Chicken Tacos, Nachos and Wings...I didn't get *enough* wings.  Look at that... Even when I am not trying to overindulge, an argument can easily be made that we are.

Now it is different.

I am no longer talking the talk but rather trying to walk the walk when it comes to my families overindulgence, needless spending, material possessions, etc.  It is obviously a work in progress but one that I want to and need to make.  Don't be surprised if when I return from Ethiopia if we downsize, give away tons of our *stuff* and live much more simpler, meaningful and happier lives.  And please don't take that the wrong way because I am not saying that those that do indulge or have tons of possessions live complicated and less meaningful lives. 

Here is a little bit more proof of Americans overindulgence.

According to The Wall Street Journal Americans will consume:

• 13.2 million pounds of pretzels
• 45.8 pounds of chips
• 111 million gallons of beer.

Which means there is probably going to be a whole lot of Drinking & Driving.  Statistics show that 40% of accidents today will be caused by an impaired driver most likely coming from a Super Bowl party.

If you drink, please do not drive.  Designate a driver or call a cab.