Hi everyone!  I wanted to tell you all about a really exciting promotion that American Airlines has going on right now.  I travel a lot, so I signed up for their frequent flyer program called AAdvantage some time ago.  I’m always looking for new ways to earn miles, so I subscribed to their e-mail list too.  This week, they announced that for every $1 you donate to Susan G. Komen for the Cure, AAdvantage will credit you with 5 frequent flyer miles.  What a great way to make a difference and earn some miles at the same time.  If you’d like to donate, you can go their website by clicking here.  If you don’t have an AAdvantage number, and you’d like to sign up for one, follow this link to sign up for one.  It only takes a few minutes, and you’ll be on your way to earning rewards and possibly even a free trip!  With Mother’s Day just around the corner, I hope you’ll consider donating in your Mom’s name.  What an awesome way to honor your own Mom, while helping others see many more special days with their families. 

Have a wonderful weekend, and a Happy Mother’s Day!

Looking for a great fundraising idea? I have sold everything from stickers, notebooks and jewelry to cupcakes, cookies and chocolate lollipops. Chocolate Gifts are something that almost everyone enjoys, so I have found that it is especially easy to sell.

Gertrude Hawk Chocolates offers sales programs designed to fit fundraising, corporate and gift-giving needs. I am going to be sending an e-mail to ask if they would be willing to donate a basket or gift that we can use as a raffle prize.

Have any other 3-Day participants or teams had luck with food fundraisers? My cookie and cupcake bake sales at work have been a hit each time I have them, and they have left my co-workers asking when will I be doing it next. Any other suggestions?

Hi 3-Day Walkers! If you are local to the Frisco/McKinney/Plano area, I hope you will join me for our first official training walk of the season. I was contacted by one of the the 3-Day Field Coordinators and asked to be the official training walk leader for one of the outfitters– Luke’s Locker. I will be responsible for hosting two training walks per month to and from their Plano Location near the Shops at Legacy.Nikki and stopped by on Sunday and met one of the managers and I left him my business card. Our first walk will be next Saturday at 11:30 AM. We will meet, sign wavers and stretch before walking about 5K around the area. If you are local and are able to make it, please go to the Frisco/Plano (Shops at Legacy) Training Walk page to RSVP. Hope to see you there!

Frisco/Plano (Shops at Legacy) Training Walk
This will be approximately a 3-mile walk. There are sidewalks most of the way, but you may have to walk on grass and cross streets a few times. We are walking around the outskirts of the Shops at Legacy, so there are bathroom break opportunities along the way if needed. This is a loop, so you can do more miles if you would like. We will meet outside of Luke’s Locker at 11:30 am. We will stretch, sign waivers, and start walking at approximately 11:45 am. Please be sure to bring a snack, water and sports drink.

Walkers receive 10% off their purchase at Luke’s Locker. The store has also offered to provide water and sports drink for all participants. We will also have special goodie bags.

On Sunday Nikki and I walked a little over 2 miles near the Shops at Legacy. It’s a nice area, but it was hot! I bet it is going to be even hotter on June 7 which is the North Texas Race for the Cure. That event will also take place in the same neighborhood. I might sign up and do it by myself since Nikki will be out of town… unless anyone wants to join me?

We walked by the local Cold Stone Franchise, which sounded so good. They were doing some pretty good business too. We also decided we will return next weekend and pass out our business cards. We are in the process of collecting donations and items for our raffle/auction that will take place at one of our events this summer/fall. We already got a wonderful basket from Save the TaTas, and would love some gift cards or merchandise to local stores. We are also going to be offering corporate sponsorships. We will wear your company’s name on our shirt during our training and the 3-Day in November. If you are interested or know someone that might be, please contact me. My information is in the sidebar.

Still looking for a great idea for Mother’s Day? How about one of these beautiful Plants for the the Cure?! They are around $9 at Lowe’s and part of the proceeds go to Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

Dave and I went on Friday night and picked out a few to give as gifts. I believe the last day you can get them is May 31, so hurry!

During the month of May, 10 percent of select pink geranium purchase price at Lowe’s stores will go to support the Komen Foundation. In 2008, Lowe’s will contribute at least $250,000 to the organization.

“A key to our success at the Komen Foundation is that we collaborate with a variety of organizations to provide creative ways for people to make a difference in the fight against breast cancer,” said Cindy Schneible, vice president of cause-related marketing and sponsorship at the Komen Foundation. “We are proud to have the opportunity to once again partner with Lowe’s to increase breast cancer awareness and allow plant lovers nationwide to make a valuable contribution.”

Congratulations to Kimberly Johnson who was randomly selected as our winner of the Breast Cancer Awareness Goodie Bag and Save the Ta-Tas t-shirt! This is what she said: My mother is a survivor, so I would give it to her to wear proudly. We hope she likes it, and that you also enjoy the goodie bag. I have lovingly collected tons of great breast cancer items just for you!

Come back soon to enter our May giveaway! Thank-You so much to everyone that entered, sent me sweet e-mails and comments, and especially those of you that donated to my 3-Day walk. I will be sending all of you a little surprise as well!

For the next few weeks I am going to be featuring great breast cancer awareness gifts that would be perfect for Mother’s Day. The first is this Save the ta-tas Gift Bag which includes 1 save the ta-tas tote, a pink save the ta-tas cap, and two bumper magnets! It’s only $23.95 which is a great savings verses purchasing the products separately. Unfortunately it is on backorder now until 5/9, but their shipping is always super fast. If you order on that day it just might still make it for Mother’s Day. It would also be a great gift for a friend participating in the Race for the Cure or Breast Cancer 3-Day (hint-hint).

Want 10% off your entire order? Enter the Save the Ta-Tas promotion code kissme to save through this Sunday. We love Julia Fikse and her clothing line designed to fight and end breast cancer. Please support them!

Nikki and I will also be giving away one of these gift bags as part of our Monthly Giveaway in May, so check back soon to enter!

A few weeks ago I participated in a conference call hosted by the Breast Cancer 3-Day for Training Walk Leaders. It was awesome to talk to so many volunteers in my area and exchange ideas for the upcoming training season. David was even able to listen in since he was in the car with me. I hope they would also consider thinking about telepresence in the future, which would enable participants to connect in high definition. Video clips and other types of multimedia can be exchanged, allowing intricate details and creative ideas to be heard and seen. A lot of past participants have a lot of experience to share. I am a visual learner, and it’s always nice to have a face to put with a name too.

I was also contacted earlier this week about leading training walks to and from Luke’s Locker near the Shops at Legacy. That is perfect since the North Texas Race for the Cure is coming up on June 7 and will also be in the same neighborhood. I printed out the 5K route, so hopefully Nikki and I will give it a try this weekend. After that, I will start posting official walks. If anyone would like to join us, please e-mail me. My contact information is in the sidebar.

Okay ladies- it’s time for me to tell you about another awesome program that you can do for free, and the sponsor will make a donation for each participant. If you go to a participating department store and get fitted for a Wacoal, DKNY Underwear or Donna Karan bra, $2 will be donated to Susan G. Komen that funds breast cancer research. If you purchase a bra during the event, $2 more will be donated.

Receive a complimentary fitting in a Wacoal, DKNY Underwear or Donna Karan Intimates bra from a Wacoal fit specialist. For every woman that participates*, Wacoal will donate $2 to Susan G. Komen for the Cure for breast cancer research and outreach programs.

Wacoal will also donate an additional $2 for every Wacoal, DKNY Underwear or Donna Karan Intimates bra purchased at these events.

Our gift to you… a Republic of Tea travel tin with pink lemonade green tea. Doing something so simple can help so many.

There were quite a few scheduled in DFW this week, and there is one tomorrow as well. I am trying to talk my boss and one of my co-workers into going with me on lunch. There are also several May 15-16, and it just so happens Nikki and I are going to take a half day on that Friday to do some shopping, so we might have to drop by this event too. Don’t forget to visit the link above to find out more about the program and find a store near you that is participating.

Even though I wasn’t feeling good today, I still went out to Plano to test drive a BMW for Breast Cancer. I was flying solo though since Nikki was swamped at work and Dave wasn’t interested. I got dressed in my Race for the Cure t-shirt and headed out around 3:00 PM. That was the perfect time since it really wasn’t very busy. All I had to do was sign a waver and I was able to hop in a car.

It worked differently than I thought it would. I was expecting to be able to drive however many miles I wanted and to anywhere I wanted. When I got into the car, they actually had a map of the 10 mile (18 minute) route in the passenger seat. So in actuality each participant earns the charity $10. I was shocked they didn’t take my drivers license or anything. I drove a BMW X5 and it was awesome. Here’s what it looked like (except white with pink detailing, of course):

I also signed the “signature car”, which all the participants were able to do. See if you can find me!

Overall it was a really fun experience for a great cause. I was able to chat with a woman from the North Texas chapter of Susan G. Komen and bought a rubber duckie that was in the Komen race last year, as well as a BMW pink ribbon shirt. Pretty good for a girl on a sick day, huh?! There are more pictures below. Check out the BMW website to find out when the Ultimate Drive comes into your city!

If you’re new to our site, don’t forget to donate to my Breast Cancer 3-Day walk. I appreciate your support!

I thought the awareness messages on the car were very shocking.