On the second day of our event a special family donated a new green and white "Leap Pad Explorer" Tablet from Leap Frog!

RETAIL VALUE ~ $139.00

This item has been voted one of 2011 Hottest Toys!!!!

And... TWO $20 App Cards!

Product Description:

To donate simply use our “GIVE” button below. All proceeds on this blog will go directly to Pearl River Outreach, a non-profit organization that provides foster care to orphans and medical training for their caregivers in China.

When Does this Offer Expire?

Thursday, December 1st at 11:59pm

Don’t forget to check in with Stefanie and Lisa to check out the awesome things you can win over at their blogs today too! We need your help to keep spreading the word. Your donations DO make a difference!

THANK YOU FOR YOUR DONATION!!

And thank you T&G for donating the Tablet today!!

Lastly, CONGRATS to Kathy H. who won the Toni Steinberg Gift Card! Thanks Kathie for helping us spread the word!!!!

Every thought out plan tends to have a few bumps in the road! This fundraiser is no exception... We took the weekend to work out the kinks, and collectively we have decided to "re-launch" today, Cyber Monday! So those of you who were busy spending time with loved ones, shopping, decorating and eating, you did not miss a thing! We are giving you the opportunity today to re-visit the offerings we posted on Friday! And, if you previously donated, no worries. We have received them! Thank you!

So, let me re-introduce my first adorable donation! The President, of Rockaye has donated this precious rocker for our event. I am re-launching today with, "LuLu the Ladybug! So for those of you with little ones, or expecting one home soon, this is perfect for that nursery! How about the friend or sister that is waiting for their newest blessing, don't forget them! Not only is Lulu adorable, she is a learning toy too!

Product Description

"Lulu the Ladybug makes a fun, colorful addition to a child's nursery. Press the buttons on the back of her head and watch your baby giggle as she rocks to original songs that teach. Baby will find 4 shaped buttons that activate original songs that teach ABC's, Counting 1-10, colors, shapes and more! Complete with a soft and cushioned seat, natural wooden base, and easy grip wooden handles. Hidden rattles and crinkle throughout to surprise the little rider. Lulu will keep baby smiling!"

Retail Value - $139.99

HOW DO I WIN?

To win this item, or any of our future items, for this fundraiser we ask that you consider a minimum donation of $5.00. It is also possible to enter without donating. To do that, you must leave a comment on this blog. And, I need you to leave your name, email and mailing address so I can contact you if you win. Also all winners must have a shipping address in the United States or Canada. To donate, simply use our "Give" button below! And, if you have questions you can email me at diana@pearlriveroutreach.org. All proceeds on this blog will go directly to Pearl River Outreach, which is non-profit organization that provides foster care for orphans in China.

When Does this Offer Expire?

Tuesday, November 29th at 11:59pm

Thank you for being a part of our first event, and for your patience as we launch it all! Please remember to check in with Stefanie and Lisa to see the awesome items they have posted too! Keep checking back, and spreading the word! This way, together we can make a difference in the lives of some precious children in China!

Lastly, thank you Rockabye for your generous donation!

I had to take "Fill Their Stockings With Hope" off-line to update a few things, so I thought I would share a few pics from Thanksgiving!!! It was a great day!!! My awesome husband spent the afternoon in his happy place, our new kitchen!!! We shared dinner with some special friends and Aunt Bop! Emme loved playing hostess, and we all had a great night! As you can see from the photos below, we also had gorgeous weather.. The first Minnesota Thanksgiving I can remember where no winter coat was required!!! I hope you are all enjoying a beautiful weekend with family and friends!!

Emme loved having someone her size to play with (I mean tackle, hug, and love on) all night!!!!!

Wow, have we received some fabulous donations. We feel so blessed by the number of people who have reached out to help us “Fill Their Stockings” this Christmas. Truly, we have been just blown away by each and every one of you that has reached out to help us with this effort… thank you all so much. The best part? We are just days away from kicking off this event – a fundraiser that will make a difference in the lives of some very special children in China this Christmas.

And each of you has an opportunity to help us, help them.

Are you ready?

Here is just a sampling of some of the delicious items that will be featured…

Looks like fun, doesn’t it?

So, here are the details. Starting November 25th and running through December 23rd, each Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, we (Stef, Lisa, and I) will feature a special product on each of our blogs. That means 3 items each giveaway day, for a total of 9 items every week. The gifts will range from $50-$500 in value – and all of them are fantastic.

For a chance to win the item featured that day, all you need to do is leave a comment on that post and then click a button to donate $5 to the organization that we each represent: Lisa for Half The Sky, Diana for Pearl River Outreach and me for An Orphan’s Wish. Your donation will go directly to the charity featured, and we will be notified of all donations made. For every $5 donation you make, you will be entered to win the item posted. If you’d like more entries, just make a larger donation! If you make a $25 donation, you will get 5 chances to win, and so on. And yes, if you’d like to enter on all three of our blogs on any given day to win one of the three items we have featured, feel free. The more the merrier!

So, you get a chance to win an exciting gift for yourself or someone special on your Christmas list and, at the same time, you are helping to make a difference in the lives of orphans in China, halfway around the world.

Sounds fun, doesn’t it?

But right now, just days before kickoff, we need to spread the word about this special event. The more people who know about it, the more money will be raised for these very special children… and that’s a very good thing! If you’d like to help us in this effort and to keep in the spirit of “giving” this holiday season, read on – there just might be something special in it for you, too!

A “Spread the Word” giveaway…

Before we kick off the “Fill Their Stockings” event – to encourage you to spread the word – we will be giving away a $100 gift certificate to Tina Steinberg, maker of “unordinary personalized jewelry”. To enter, all you have to do is grab the “Fill Their Stockings” button below and post it on your sidebar, and then leave a comment on this post letting us know that you’ve done so. If you have not visited TinaSteinberg.com, you must. And be sure to check out her “Love Touch Collection” – sterling silver charms and pendants with your loved one’s fingerprint. Each design comes with a short inscription on the back. Truly one of a kind!

To double your chances to win the $100 Tina Steinberg gift card, just post on your blog about our “Fill Their Stockings” effort, with a link back to one of our posts detailing the upcoming event. Remember to leave a comment on this post to let us know what you did to help spread the word, and you’ll be entered. Please leave one comment for each entry… so if you posted a button and shared a post, leave two comments.

Brie has been cutting hair for our family since Ainsley was 4. She has done Ruby's first cut, Sienna's first cut, and today it was Emme's turn!!! At 5:00 Ainsley and I took her. She was so excited! She actually ran up to Brie, gave her a hug, and pointed to her hair.. She was ready for her turn in the chair!! We had seen pictures of Emme in Yangzhou getting her haircut at the orphanage. Perhaps the setting was a bit different today, but she definitely knew what to do! She was perfect for Brie!

The "Little Bean" looked really little in the shampoo chair!

She was very curious about Brie's gorgeous necklace, so Brie gave it to her to play with while she cut her hair.

Right before I took this shot, one of the stylists asked me how to say, "beautiful" in Chinese. She then went over to tell Emme how beautiful she looked. Emme smiled and nodded her head up and down!! She was very excited when she was all done!

I love the back.. It's a cropped "Bob".. Just like Ruby used to wear. Brie said Emme's hair is a lot like Ruby's.. Lucky girl!! Emme's so tiny, that I think this style is precious on her. She still has all that length to do her famous pigtails!

Waiting patiently for her lip gloss from Brie!

The final part of the Spa Experience!

A little "lip-gloss kiss" for Mom!

As always, thank you Brie! Emme looks precious!

We are so excited to share a way for you to be part of a wonderful - and fun - opportunity this Christmas. We hope to make a difference in the lives of some very special children this Christmas season: Orphans in China, under the care of Half the Sky, An Orphan’s Wish and Pearl River Outreach. And we need your help to do it!

WHO: Lisa, Diana and Stefanie

WHAT: We will be hosting 12 Days of Giveaways... for a total of 36 prizes to be given away just in time for Christmas giving or keeping ;)

WHEN: Between November 25th and December 21st

WHERE: Our blogs - First a Pearl - Then Three Rubies, The Long Road to China, and Ni Hao Y’all

WHY: For Orphans in China

HOW: WITH YOUR HELP!

To get this party started, we are asking you, dear reader, to consider donating an item for us to give away. We need a total of 36 fabulous donations, all to be given away to benefit orphans in China. For 12 days, from November 25th to December 21st, Stefanie, Diana, and Lisa will be promoting this event on all three of our blogs. Our goal is to make a difference in the lives of these precious little ones who are still waiting in orphanages for their chance at a forever family. And with your help we are sure we can... and have a fantastic time while in the process!

If you would like to donate an item, please contact us via email:

diana@pearlriveroutreach.org

visionsbylisa@gmail.com

stefanie@nihaoyall.com

We will need to have the items selected by Wednesday, November 16th. We are looking for items with a retail value of $50 and up, and we would also ask that you will be willing to ship your item to the winner. A few examples (but certainly not limited to): jewelry, electronics, accessories,weekend get-a-ways, high-end children’s items, gift certificates. Really, anything a mom would love to win! In return for your generosity, we will feature your item on one of our blogs during the event and we will highlight your item as well as your business or organization.

We are very excited about this, our first joint effort to raise money for something very near and dear to our hearts: orphans in China! So, thank you in advance for joining us on this adventure!

Remember to check back on our blogs on November 21st to see how you can help us spread the word. It’s an opportunity for you to win a very special giveaway so don’t miss it! Together we can fill their stockings with love this Christmas!

Sincerely,

Stefanie, Lisa, and Diana