It's not a place that we get to much but, Houlihan's is having a cool sounding promotion from June 7th- June 14th. If you bring in a non-perishable food item for Gleaners Food Bank, Houlihan's will flip a coin with you; if it lands on tails you pay, if it lands on heads, your meal is free. This is at the Castleton Square Mall location.

DonorsChoose.org

Awhile back, reader Erin told us about DonorsChoose.org, a website where there is a listing of financial needs for schools for all kinds of projects ranging from fitness to science and the arts. They have a specific dollar amount that they are trying to raise for their project and you can donate however much you want towards that. After Erin mentioned it, we kept meaning to check it out and then, last week, Crate and Barrel emailed a Giving Card for DonorsChoose.org (kudos to Crate and Barrel because we aren't even big shoppers there). It was fun picking out which project to donate to and we look forward to doing some more giving via this site.

Without question, one of the best gifts we received this past Christmas was a gift certificate for Kiva. We got to look through a list of entrepreneurs from around the world who need a loan and choose who we wanted to loan our gift certificate amount to from that list. We chose a lady from Ghana who sells onions and maize to support her 5 children. Once she repays the loan, we can then turn around and loan the money to someone else. This is our first experience loaning money through Kiva and we're pretty excited about it.

Operation Christmas Child

We don't have any little ones on our Christmas list so we love an excuse to go out a buy gifts for children who really need some good cheer. For several years we have been packing shoe boxes with small toys, school supplies, and personal items for Samaritan's Purse Operation Christmas Child program. Without question, it is our favorite gift buying experience of the season. It doesn't take a lot of money to fill a shoe box and yet we know that it will bring a lot of joy. You can start shopping now to prepare for their collection week that is November 17th- 24th. You can head over to their website to type your zip code in to find the nearest drop-off location.

Mr. WYA! loves zombies so we're pretty excited about World Zombie Day tomorrow, October 26th. How can you soak in the undead fun? Head to Broad Ripple where there will be zombie walk to benefit Gleaners Food Bank.

New Orleans (and the whole Gulf Coast) is at the forefront of our minds as Gustav nears. If you have time tonight, take yourself out for a fabulous meal at Zydeco's and 10% of the gross sales will go to Katrina relief. Mojo Gumbo will be playing live from 7PM-10PM.

Alpacas at the White Violet Center for Eco-Justice

Around Christmastime last year, we read in Nuvo that the White Violet Center on the campus of St. Mary-of-the-Woods has an adopt an alpaca program. For $100, you get a photo of your alpaca and visitation rights. We've blogged about this before but, this past weekend, we went for our second visit to see "our" alpaca. The bucolic grounds are so peaceful at St. Mary-of-the-Woods. There are 3 separate areas for the alpacas; one for Moms and babies, one for girls, and one for boys. We visited all of them because they are all so darn cute. We found out that "our" alpaca is participating in the Indiana Alpaca Show at the Indiana State Fairgrounds in October (we are so proud). We are so glad that we found out so we can go see him there. Visit the alpacas if you get a chance or, better yet, participate in the adoption program. We're not sure if the price is still the same, but it really is the perfect gift; you get all of the fun without having to do any of the caretaking.

To celebrate their 20th anniversary, Global Gifts is having a sale August 1st and 2nd. What a great excuse to shop and support this worthy store.

Send a care package to a soldier

We are flying to New York City today for a long weekend so the next couple of days will have a New York connection because, to quote Billy Joel, we are "in a New York state of mind". Fairway is a beloved New York area market and they have a pretty cool deal where you can help cheer up a soldier. They have put together USO Care Packages and you can just go to their website, choose a care package ranging from $20-$69 and have it delivered to a specific soldier or to an anonymous soldier. This is a really easy, thoughtful way to show you care.

It was like worlds colliding to see Charles Gibson, Katie Couric, and Brian Williams all together on Good Morning America this morning. You know the networks are serious about helping cancer research when they put their news anchors together. They are teaming up with the Stand Up To Cancer organization and will all simulcast a fundraiser on September 5th. Check out the Stand Up To Cancer website, if not to launch a personalized star for someone for as little as a $1 then to watch the hilarious, irreverent Larry David on the homepage.

Win Win Website

We read about this website in a reputable magazine so, even though at first glance it seems too good to be true, it does seem to be legit. So head to the Free Rice site and increase your vocabulary while simultaneously donating to the United Nations World Food Program. Each word that you choose the correct definition of equals 20 grains of rice that will be donated thanks to the advertising sponsors of the site. If you haven't told your friends about our blog, at least tell them about the Free Rice website. What an easy way to make a difference and improve yourself at the same time.

Great tote

Forget the Gucci and Prada, canvas tote bags have become the must have accessory. We love this one because it is not only very cute but also locally affiliated. The wonderful Massachusetts Avenue Merchants Association has created this great tote bag to help curb the use of plastic bags. It's only $10 at these retail outlets and we can't think of a more stylish way to carry home our trinkets from Silver in the City and Global Gifts.

St. Baldrick's update

Last week, we raved about the St. Baldrick's Foundation that raises awareness and funds to cure kid's cancer by supporting research and fellowships. Not knowing anyone personally involved, we checked out the locals who were raising money to shave their heads on the website http://www.stbaldricks.org/ We found Connor who was recently diagnosed with alopecia which was causing his hair to fall out, so he could really relate to the cancer patients who lose their hair. St. Baldrick's has a great website so we were easily able to donate online. Connor had already reached his goal amount- and then some. His goal amount was $500 and he raised $1626. His dad, Greg, made a side bet with him that if he made it to $1500 he would shave his head too. So, this past weekend, they both got shaved. There are more shaving events through the end of the month in Indiana, and even one in May in Elkhart so check out the website and see whose fundraising efforts you can help. You look great Connor and Greg- we are inspired!

St. Baldrick

Racking your brain trying to remember this Saint? Let's see, is this the one that I am supposed to bury a statue of in my front yard to get my house to sell? Is it the patron saint of lost causes that Sean Connery believed in during The Untouchables? No, it is a made up saint for a good cause. This is a foundation that has created the world's largest volunteer driven fundraising event for childhood cancer research. http://www.stbaldricks.org/ As St. Patty's Day nears, so does the time that "shavees" will shave their heads to raise money and show support for kids battling cancer. Do you have to bid adieu to your hair to help? Not at all. You can help not only by being a shavee, but also by being a barber, organizing an event, volunteering, or donating. These events are happening all over the country so check out the website and see what is near you. Most are around St. Patrick's Day but dates vary. Locally, we have events at the 96th St. Claddaugh (c'mon, you don't need an excuse to go there, do you?) and Pat Flynn's at 5198 Allisonville Rd. among others. You can even check out pictures of some of the brave souls who are going to get their heads shaved and how much they have raised so far. So, this year, maybe go watch and donate and, next year, maybe shave it all off yourself.

Really special last minute Valentine's Day gift

Please don't even think about picking up that gold rose at the gas station in your panic over not having a Valentine's Day gift to give yet. We ran across this website in an article in USA Today and a gift certificate from http://www.kiva.org/ would be a really meaningful present. It looks like Oprah and Bill Clinton have already discovered it, which gives it a more legitimate presence. Entrepreneurs from around the globe need loans and you will see their profiles on the Kiva website. You pick the entrepreneur (or entrepreneurs- Kiva suggests spreading your risk with multiple businesses), loan the money via Paypal, receive updates about the businesses, and receive repayment to withdrawal or re-loan. A gift certificate can be emailed for that recipient who realizes what an abundance we have here and appreciates what a difference a small amount can make to someone else. You could even choose a business based on your recipient's interests- clothing, baked goods, crafts, etc. Isn't this the way the world is supposed to work anyway- helping each other out on a personal level?

Saving the planet for the fun of it

The White Violet Center for Eco-Justice, tucked away on the expansive campus of St Mary of the Woods University, has a program, for a mere $100, you can sponsor the care and feeding of a newborn Alpaca for a year.

The Alpcacas are born, kept with their mothers and live together in a roomy barn, complete with a vet clinic built into the barn, so they can be cared for without being moved. They have a roomy pasture, so they can play.

Once they mature, they are sheared, and the nuns make clothing out of the wool, which can be purchased in their gift shop, just a few hundred feet away from the barn. Their nutrient dense manure, which did appear to be plentiful, is used in the greenhouse, which is also a few hundred feet away from the barn.

The whole operation is self sufficient, except Alpacas like to eat a lot of hay and alfalfa ( and occasionally, oats, as a treat). So, your $100 sponsorship goes a long way in helping feed these friendly, curious, wide eyed creatures.

The best part is, with your sponsorship, you get to visit that pasture. Yesterday, I took the 90 minute drive to go visit Juniper, my adopted Alpaca. Still a baby, Juniper was both curious and hesitant. He liked the petting, but didn't really want to admit it. Georgiana, his mom, was unashamed of her fondness for human interaction. She was not only approachable, but would approach you.

In my hurry to get down to the pasture (the nuns are available to let you into the barn Mon thru Fri 8am to 4:30), I neglected to bring the camera, but will get there again soon and publish a Juniper slideshow.

If you want to help out, here is the website. http://www.whiteviolet.org/