Maryland Momma's Rambles

The Reason I’m Smiling It Forward! ~ #SmilingItForward #Ad

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I’m SMILING IT FORWARD™ because right now I have a happy and healthy boy! You see the past few days he hasn’t been feeling too well. I guess with the weather changing from warm to cool, he caught one of those dreaded colds. It’s never easy when our little ones are sick. Often a 2 year old can’t even understand why they feel so horrible. It’s hard to watch!

This last cold was a doozy! Poor little guy actually ended up with a fever. On the upside though, with the help of TYLENOL® and lots of momma hugs, the illness was short lived. Hearing his giggles and seeing a big grin on his face is exactly what I needed to put a smile back on my face!
TylenolYes, this momma was super happy to see her little man back to his usual self in no time. As soon as he was feeling better, we decided to spend a good part of the day playing out on our balcony. He had such a happy grin on his face, I couldn’t help but snap this photo of my smiling baby. No parent every wants to watch their precious child go through any illness, no matter how big or small. It’s just painful to watch! It’s always such a joy when they feel better and return to their happy go lucky and joyful selves! SmilingItForwardSadly not all parents are lucky enough to see their child feel better and those smiles return to their little faces. Very often children find themselves almost “living” in a hospital throughout their illnesses or their parents do not have the means to provide them with the proper medicine to feel better. Luckily there are amazing programs to help bring smiles back to the faces of these children. One in particular is the SMILING IT FORWARD™ campaign.

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How To Help the Victims & Families of the Washington Navy Yard Shooting ~ #NavyYardShooting

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How To Help the Victims & Families of the Washington Navy Yard Shooting ~ #NavyYardShootingLast Monday, September 16th, a gunman fatally shot 12 people, and wounded more, at the Washington Navy Yard in Washington DC. Tragically this was the second-deadliest mass murder on a U.S. military base (second to the Fort Hood shooting in 2009).

As someone who frequents Nationals Park and Yards Park, which are just footsteps away from the Navy Yard, the news was hard to swallow. Then again, what mass shooting isn’t hard to hear the news about? Absolutely devastating. Think about all the people who work there and go in and out of the Yard that fight and defend America for a living. Just tragic…

In conversations with my friends, we have wondered about funds and donation outlets to help supports the victims and their families during this horrific time. Here is what I have found through various news resources:

The Navy League of the United States has set up a Washington Navy Yard Survivors Fund, which will “provide financial assistance to those families most affected by the Navy Yard shooting.”

The Community Foundation for the National Capital Region is collecting donations via The Navy Yard Relief Fund to aid the families of victims.

The Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors is raising money specifically for the families of the 12 victims tragically killed via The Navy Yard Tragedy Family Support Fund.

Please feel free to comment below with any other charities or donations funds to help assist the victims and their families of the tragic Navy Yard Shooting.

Photo Credit: Tim Evanson via photopin cc

How You Can Help Oklahoma Tornado Victims ~ #PrayForOklahoma

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Last night was a normal day for me. Went to work, came home and worked out, cooked dinner, played with my son, and then settled in to watch the Baltimore Orioles play the New York Yankees. Sadly, this was not a normal day for those in Oklahoma.

While I had heard earlier there was a tornado that touched down, I was unaware of the damage and innocent lives lost. After the game a friend mentioned the devastation to me and my jaw dropped. I can’t even begin to express my sympathy to my readers in Oklahoma. My thoughts and prayers are with you, as I’m sure the rest of the country is thinking of all you at this time.

If you would like to help the victims of the Oklahoma tornado, here are a few resources I found online to look into. If anyone has more resources to add, please let me know and I will post them!

United Way of Central Oklahoma

The United Way of Central Oklahoma has set up a disaster relief fund as of today (May 21). You can donate to this fund if you would like your donation to go directly to tornado relief-and-recovery efforts. You

You can also donate via check! Please note on the check that is for May Tornado Relief, and send it to:
United Way of Central Oklahoma
P.O. Box 837
Oklahoma City, OK , 73101

American Red Cross

The American Red Cross has set up shelters in various communities around the areas effected if you are a victim and need assistance. They are recommending people to head to their local blood bank or hospital to donate blood. There is also the Red Cross Disaster Relief fund so where you can send donations.

As always, you can send a $10 donation to the Disaster Relief fund via text message just by texting the word REDCROSS to 90999. For more information you can reach the Red Cross at 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).

Salvation Army

The Salvation Army has set up disaster response units in effected areas of Oklahoma. Their mobile kitchens will be servings meals. You can donate online at their website, or text the word STORM to 80888 to make a $10 donation. For more information you can reach the Salvation Army at 1-800-SAL-ARMY (1-800-725-2769).

To send a donation via check, make the check out to Oklahoma Tornado Relief and send it to:
The Salvation Army
P.O. Box 12600
Oklahoma City, OK 73157

 

Please keep Oklahoma in your thoughts!

 

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