Mama's Kitchen Pie in the Sky Thanksgiving Bake Sale #MKPies2012

It's that time of year again... Pie Time!!

I know it might be a bit early for most but I've had pie on the brain for a while now and it's for a good reason. This year I'll be selling pies for Mama's Pie in the Sky Thanksgiving Bake Sale and I cannot wait to see how many pies my friends and family order from me to enjoy on Thanksgiving day.

And It's So Simple
Instead of slaving in a hot kitchen for hours making enough pies for the family, you simply click on the link below and purchase a pie from Mama's Kitchen! Each pie sold enables Mama's Kitchen to prepare and deliver over six meals to a neighbor with AIDS or cancer who is in need of nutrition.

Buy Pie! 

Don't forget you can order a Love-A-Client Raffle Pie, too. This provides holiday meals and pie for Mama's clients and also enters you into a raffle to win a new 3rd generation 64 GB iPad. The more Love-A-Client pies you order, the more chances you have to win!

As you sit down to your Thanksgiving celebration, I hope you take pride in knowing that you have made a positive difference in someone's life.

Get Involved and Do More
Many of San Diego’s top pastry chefs, caterers, and bakeries donate traditional Thanksgiving pies for the annual Mama’s Pie in the Sky Bake Sale. Individuals and teams sell pies for a chance to win prizes from generous sponsors, and Mama’s Pie in the Sky volunteers deliver the pies to more than 20 sites throughout San Diego County for pick up the day before Thanksgiving.

Thousands of people – corporate sponsors, committee members, bakers, sellers, buyers, donors and volunteers—generously contribute their time, expertise, resources and enthusiasm to the Pie sale.And if you want to be involved, all you have to do is purchase a pie!

Want to do more? Sign up to sell pies this holiday season and help us expand our reach.

Strong San Diego Woman with Brain Cancer Fights Back {Guest Post}

On the Sunday before Thanksgiving last year, we received shocking news. My husband's sister, Melanie had a seizure in bed and was rushed to the emergency room. After a few tests, they found a tumor. In her brain. We were floored. As we scrambled to catch an airplane to San Diego, a hospital worker told her the kind of tumor she had. The prognosis? 18 months to live.

My husband and Melanie are only 18 months apart in age and are very good friends. As we drove to the airport in Seattle and took a flight to San Diego - we were devastated. To lose a loved one, at such a young age, is heart breaking. My husband barely spoke at all.

Thankfully, when we arrived and spent time in the hospital and met new doctors, we found out that she was misdiagnosed. She did not have that particular tumor. But it was brain cancer. Stage 2 Astrocitoma mixed Oligodendroglioma to be exact. This brain cancer has a 3-8 year life expectancy.

After two brain surgeries and an experimental vaccination, we are hoping the tumor does not grow back. A recent PET Scan was done as a 6 month follow up and showed a "glob" and we are praying it is just scar tissue. With 4 children (3 of them under the age of 8) and a large family who loves her - we want her to live much longer than the 8 years.

My sister in law Melanie has stayed so strong during this time. Not even a year has passed but she joined a half marathon, bought an RV, traveled our country for 7 weeks, and just finished a walk for her brain cancer support group. She alone raised $4K for the walk. They have switched to an organic, vegan diet, and the improvement in their life spiritually, physically and as a family has been phenomenal.

This is why I nominated my sister in law Melanie in the Yahoo! Women Who Shine contest. I nominated her in the survivor category. Because no matter what, she is a survivor. Even if brain cancer takes her one day - she is the ultimate survivor. Please take a moment of your time and vote for Melanie. You can vote one time per person, even if you voted for someone else in the contest you can still vote for her. (You must be logged in to Yahoo! to vote.)

This is a guest post by Seattle area family blogger, LaVonne, author and owner of Long Wait For Isabella.

The Pin That Changed the World {Kids for Peace Guest Post}

Something very near and dear to my heart is building up our children and creating a positive environment for them to learn, laugh, and grow. Connecting with my children is something I cherish and as they grow I can only hope that we continue to connect and then continue to trust that they can talk and share with me.

Today I'm bringing you a guest post written by Jill, the co-founder of Kids For Peace. I was introduced to Jill by my dear friend Stacey of Positively Kids and love the message she has to share! But that's not all, Kids For Peace needs our help! They are entered to win the Chase Community Giving Award but they can't win without your help!

So after reading Jill's post, please visit the link below and vote for Kids For Peace!

I am a mom. Joyful, proud, hopeful, sometimes exhausted, intrigued, invested, optimistic, involved. I am a mom who believes passionately in the power and purity of our kids. I am a mom who believes that peace is possible.

Six years ago I first saw Gandhi's quote, "If we are to create lasting peace, we must begin with the children." This stopped me in my tracks. At the time, I had the privelege of being a stay-at-home mom after a decade of teaching elementary school. My experience with kids showed me that children are innately kind, caring, curious and accepting of people. Gandhi's words wisely summed up what I intuitively knew.

One weekend at a neighborhood party, I met a teenager, Danielle Gram, who would forever change the course of my life. Inspired by my Gandhi pin, we began a conversation about our beliefs and views of the world. This pin drew us together. The pin fueled our hopes and dreams, and next thing we knew, we were planning a gathering of a few kids in my backyard. We asked these kids, "What is peace?" "What are your wishes for the world?" "What do you want to DO to make those wishes come true?" From that, our Peace Pledge was created and kids got busy making a positive difference. Kids for Peace was born.

Our Peace Pledge
I pledge to use my words to speak in a kind way.
I pledge to help others as I go throughout my day.
I pledge to care for our earth with my healing heart and hands.
I pledge to respect people in each and every land.
I pledge to join together as we unite the big and small.
I pledge to do my part to create peace for one and all.

People heard of the actions of these trailblazing kids and soon, Kids for Peace chapters were sprouting all over the world. Now, six years later, we have launched 145 chapters in 6 continents with over 35,000 kids participating.

Inspired by our Great Kindness Challenge, our kids have completed more that 750,000 acts of kindness in 69 countries. They have learned about other cultures, helped kids in need, served their communities and transformed their schools while practicing our simple motto, "KINDNESS MATTERS."

I am still a mom first, and I am now also the Executive Director of Kids for Peace. I clearly see that Gandhi knew what he was talking about. The kids will lead the way to a brighter future for all. The kids ARE leading the way. Peace IS possible.

To help continue the important work of Kids for Peace, please VOTE for them to receive the Chase Community Giving Award. A couple of clicks can change the world: https://apps.facebook.com/chasecommunitygiving/charity/view/ein/26-1564351?ref=18ca781446