and the winner is...

Well the names went in the hat...for the Christmas Giveaway with a Difference!
And Evangeline drew out...NADENE

CONGRATULATIONS Nadene! I have donated the money! I know your email so I can let you know when the Essential Care Package for Children of the Forest has been received by CoF for you!

A year's supply of the necessary soap, tooth paste, shampoo and washing powder (and sanitary napkins for older girls)…for one child at the Children of the Forest...It costs $ AUS 24 (£15) to provide these every day essentials for a year...

And the Christmas Rice Appeal is going well...thanks too Kylie for donating! £886 raised so far! You can donate here...

They eat £10 (30 kg) of rice a day! So they have raised about 88 days worth of rice...277 more days of rice needed to ensure a supply for 2011...£10 is about AUS $16...


Merry Christmas!
Lissy

christmas rice appeal...

Children of the Forest are having a Christmas Rice Appeal....

Here's the details....

A unique way to help Children of the Forest this Christmas.

With COF continuing to grow all of the time, providing food to all those within the project is a constant concern.

Currently COF requires 1000kg of rice per month just to feed all of the children and mothers within our protection centres.

In order to help COF cope with this need, we're launching a Christmas Rice Appeal.

We are asking you to consider buying 30kg of rice for Children of the Forest on a friend's behalf as a memorable and unique Christmas present for them.

To put this into context, 30kg of rice will feed all 150 children in the Child Protection Centre for one day.

You will receive a card to give to your friend, marking the donation and explaining what has been done in their name .

We hope that this will be a great way to raise funds for a supply of rice for 2011, whilst also spreading the word about COF's work to your friends and family.

The cost of this is £10 (about $AUS 16) per card, but we ask that you add 80p to your total donation in order to cover the costs of postage & packaging. After printing costs, £9.50 of your donation will go directly to Children of the Forest to buy the 30kg of rice.

To place your order for the card, please email Karen on karen.hargrave@gmail.com. You will need to include in your email:

The number of cards you wish to order, Your method of payment and amount paid, and Your postal address
You can pay for this in two ways:

1. You can send a cheque made out to 'Children of the Forest' to: Karen Hargrave, Heatherleigh, Bonsey Lane, Woking, Surrey, GU22 9PP UK

2. You can pay via the justgiving site (http://www.justgiving.com/ChristmasRice). PAYPAL or Credit Card....Just follow the instructions to donate, ensuring that your name is visible with your donation (for our ease in keeping track of who has paid). Please note that this donation is not eligible for gift aid.

If you could pass this information about the Rice Appeal on to anyone else you think might be interested, we'd be extremely grateful!

Thank so much for your time -
Merry Christmas from Children of the Forest

So I donated for Morganne and Evangeline...easy to do through paypal...

And I have just donated for another friend Pierre who gave me the cash today! So go ahead!

Make a donation as you know you will be enjoying a little more than rice for Christmas! 

And a lovely freind gave me a bag of coins this morning...$6.40 of 5c coins...to add to our collection! Thanks Michelle! That is three months of  essential supplies for one child!

And don't forget to join in my Christmas Giveaway...see post below...ends December 16th... Lissy

three and a half...

Morganne is 3 years old today!

But she is telling everyone she is 3 and a half! And holding up 5 fingers...maybe she wants to be bigger!


And everytime her birthday was mentioned she requested a Dora party...so that was it!

She slept in a bit this morning and Ben couldn't wait any longer so woke her up at 7.30...she was pretty excited about the presents...especially the Dora gifts!

And birthday phone calls...


Then things took a big of a down turn ..she wouldn't eat or drink anything and just wanted mummy....oh dear...guests were arriving and she just didn't want to know about it...not usual for our happy chatty little girl...

But then she did perk up after some panadol...and sat outside with some water and her blankie for a while...
And then rather enjoyed her little Dora Cupcake party with her cousins and a few friends...

And she kept saying Swipper was going to get the cakes!

Mum made the cake...

And we have these very cute silicone cupcake holders with feet!
Then as it was heating up everyone went home and we had a swim...very nice...and then Morganne crashed and had a sleep!


Her temp was up to 39.6C this afternoon...so more panadol and lots more sleeping and she has perked up tonight...and she has been drinking plenty of water and ate some tea so she is doing fine!

We were all going to go to the Christams Carols but Evangeline has gone with friends...And Morganne has watched Maisy!

And so that is about it for this birthday...Happy 3rd Birthday dear little Morganne...Lissy

last day of school...

Today was Evangeline's last day of school for 2010...

and it was the Christmas Corroboree...

And this is Evangeline with her fabulous teacher Natalie...she will stay in Natalie's lower primary class for two more years...I love this about Montessori as the children develop real relationships with their teacher and their learning progresses naturally each year....

And look at this amazing picture Morganne drew today...it is of our pony Bella! You can definitely see the long pony head with ears and forelock...and the body..and lots of legs....lol...pretty good for three years old!

Tonight we watched a Christmas Movie to celebrate...Santa Buddies...so tomorrow is the first day of our summer holidays...Lissy

it's raining toys...

I have posted off 8 bags of donated soft toys in the last couple of weeks to the Children of the Forest...about 120 toys....

for Something to Love for Christmas...and I have a few more to send...the last two bags will be posted today...

Evangeline bought a couple of toys last Friday with her pocket money...from the market day at school...It was her idea...she is getting to an age where she can understand about the true joy of giving...

And look they have started arriving!

Goodness knows where the staff will hide them all for the next 19 days!

The Children of the Forest will have a Merry Christmas!

I cannot wait to see photos when they get them! Ho Ho Ho....Lissy

serious christmas preparations...

This weekend we have begun our Christmas activities...

We have been doing something for Advent each day but this weekend was the start of serious Christmas Preparations...lol

I have made a HUGE batch of Rum Blobs...my version of rum balls...for teacher gifts and other gifts...

I have made Evangeline's Christmas dress....Morganne has a lovely dress mum bought her to wear...so next year I shall make her a new one...and this one should still fit Evangeline! We went out for breakfast....

Mum made Christmas Cookies with the girls...for gifts at school...and some for us too! Evangeline wrote in Christmas cards for her class mates...to go with the cookies... And we put up our tree... Evangeline made an advent calendar... And she made an impromptu Father Christmas dress up... and made Morganne an elf...but the elf was grumpy as she did not want to be an elf! I took our Christmas photos and made our Christmas cards and addressed them all ready to post tomorrow...

And we had a friend over to play and swim this afternoon... Ben has replaced the reticulation pump and fixed a major water leak this weekend... And a busy week ahead as we finish school on Wednesday! And I do not like this new blogger...Lissy

helping the children...

I couldn't get to sleep last night...and I got to thinking...about helping the Children of the Forest children...and why I do it...I cannot bare the thought of children being vulnerable and going without...the movie Slum Dog Millionaire still gives me nightmares...

As for the Children of the Forest...here is the update...

Mark (Manager, the Children of the Forest Foundation) says...

"We have 138 kids living with us on site.

About 100 are in our full care.

38 children are with mothers in one of the steps of COF Mother and Child Protection Program.

The children range in age for 6 months to 18yrs.

About 60% are girls.

6 months to 3yrs - 8 children.

4yrs- 8yrs - 40 children.

8yrs to 12yrs - 40 children.

13yrs to 18 yrs- 50 children"

And  helping these children is keeping me very busy!...recently 150 pairs of underpants were collected and sent thanks to the girls in Hyden...for the Undie Drive...though this is only one pair per child so I am hoping to send some more...so keep them coming...especially underwear for teens...and if you have any bras available they are always needed....

I have made and sent 11 skirts...for our part in Craft Hope... I hope to get a few more made and even try some shorts and pillow case dresses...and maybe some back packs from the book....

And 110 soft toys have been posted...one family donated this...yes 6 garbage bags of toys...collected by Sharon and delivered to me...amazing....These are for our Something to Love for Christmas collection...And all of which have been posted in the last couple of weeks...Parcels of donated clothing and shoes are sent on a regular basis...

And 140 toothbrushes were sent this week...which was my addition to this weeks shopping list...and I found Target sell packs of 15 pairs of white socks like these ones for $15...perfect...so a grabbed some of them as well...They need them as part of their Thai school uniform...

And my girls have found more spare change around the house and in the car for our $2 a month project...so we have now collected $9.15c...which includes our 5c jar...

How are your collections of 5c coins coming along?...

And don't forget to join in my Christmas Giveaway....just see the post below and leave a comment...Lissy

christmas giveaway...with a difference...

So Christmas is coming...in a mere 23 days...had you noticed!

And in the festive spirit...I am going to have a giveaway...

with a difference...

The lucky winner will have
a Children of the Forest Essential Care Package
given in their name...

A years supply of the necessary soap, tooth paste, shampoo and washing powder (and sanitary napkins for older girls)…for one child at the Children of the Forest...It costs $ AUS 24 to provide these every day essentials for a year...
So come on, come out of the wood work and leave me a COMMENT on this post, any comment, even just a hello...only takes a minute!

There is a Post A Comment button at the end of this post...or email me...button on right of page...

And the entries will go in a hat to be drawn by Evangeline...on December 16th...

And then I will donate the money for you!

Join in and spread some festive cheer...Lissy

they're back...

Our Christmas Fairies , Peace and Joy have returned from the North Pole for Advent....they move around the house each night returning from the North Pole with a Christmas Message...
Morganne had her last Suzuki music class and did a little solo...

And she loves running on the grassy hill later...

And she is going great in her swimming lessons now! She is happy to go in with her instructor without me and doesn't run away!!


We have been continuing with Bella's education and now she is being mouthed and has taken to the bit and bridle really well! She is a fabulous pony....

And we still have a busy two days before the weekend...piano and dance concerts, playgroup party, market day at school....Lissy