Sweet Dreams Pillow

Give your sweet heart something she can hug and snuggle with.  Like this sweet dreams pillow <3

Source: zazzle.com via cactusmango on Pinterest

For some other especially sweet valentines gift ideas check out my pinterest board < here >
http://pinterest.com/cactusmango/cactusmango-designs/

Free Digital Frame

Woohoo!

It's been awhile, since I made anything for digital scrapbooking.  Today, I made a frame.  (See preview Below) I'll be using my Xyron to make magnets.  Here's one of my favorites for you to download for free.  Thanks to all my friends and family for parading your dogs in costume, zumba-ing, dancing, eating paletas & frozen yogurt, buying Christmas trees, sending your love from afar by donating online & putting cash in a stamped envelope, adopting my baby jade Sprouts, donating garage sale items, letting me do some website work and logo design - All to help me to raise $1,075 thus far for Phoenix Children's Hospital!  I've exceeded my team committment of $1,000 and now it'll be gravy on top to reach my personal goal of $1,500!  I'm still accepting donations online at my official PCH Fundraising page here > http://tinyurl.com/gocactusmango 

Chewy Mango Walnut Bars! YUM!

My friend Ginni Llorente has started up her own little bakery biz.  I imagine her right now elbow deep in flour, walnuts and mangos.   Yes, mangos!  hello, i'm a fan already and haven't even tasted her Chewy Mango Bars with walnuts yet. (So, sorry no pictures to show yet) But, I've ordered THREE bags of bars already.  Maybe I'll share some with you...maybe not.  If you are in the Phoenix area, and would like to order some of my friend's delicious baked goods. Please leave a comment here or on my facebook wall.  I'll fill you in pricing.   She's just starting out, so the pricing is mainly to cover her expenses.  The bars would make a lovely gift for sure.  I've decided not to mark up the price to fundraise for PCH.  Instead, please consider donating online directly to  Phoenix Children's Hospital at  http://tinyurl.com/gocactusmango and messaging me for details, if you'd like to order some mango bars from my friend.  Gotta support your local upstart businesses!

Lastly, Phoenix Children's Hospital set up these two fundraisers & hopefully those local can participate in them.   

• Zumba Dec 11th 2-4pm at Abby Bella Arcadia
  4280 E Indian School Rd.; Suite #108
  Phoenix, AZ 85018                 https://www.facebook.com/events/229407250464329/?ref=ts                             $15 Zumba ticket for two hours and 100% of ticket sales go to PCH. that's pretty awesome. 
• Christmas Trees https://www.facebook.com/events/126582757454927/  Purchase your Christmas Tree with Scottsdale Environmental and $15 will be donated to Phoenix Children's Hospital! Happy Holidays! See event for participating locations. 

More Goodness:

Now, if helping out a children's hospital isn't motivation enough, here's some goodies to dangle before you:

I still have one $25 Sprouts Farmers Market gift card to raffle away to donors.  Plus, my very talented husband, Ron Carranza of ZaZo Graphics and Animation, will be creating a custom 8x10 caricature of your loved one(s), for one lucky Donor! 

Thank goodness for social media networking, because printing & handing out fliers was a real pain, especially having to bring my 2 year old along each time! She may have gone a little bit coo-coo from it all, as you can see from her picture above.  My husband & I are breathing a simultaneous Huge SIGH of relief that the big urgency to raise enough has passed! HIGH-FIVE ya'll!  Now, I have all my energy for the holiday frenzy and training for the MARATHON!!!!  Saturday, I'm running 14-16 miles! Ridiculous!

alrighty, Enjoy the digi frame!

* Kindly Donate $1 to Phoenix Children's Hospital Today. Thank You.  

* Download digital frame freebie

Sprouts4Sprouts October Winner

After the ASU track workout last Wednesday I happened to walk in on a meal worm feeding session at the Pets, Inc.  I was passing out fliers for our Care2Dance fundraiser at the time. I was told the worms were for a Sugar Glider. Curious, I followed the manager to see if I could meet one.  After getting over the sound of their freaky squeals, I cautiously pet one of the four babies tucked in a little pouch.  These flying squirrels have fur that feels like felt.  So adorable I'm thinking of getting one for Ava's first pet.  But, I digress.  Don't be fooled by this cuddly encounter.  Fundraising is even more challenging than running.    

Flashing the cash from two happy donors.  I was hoping
the morning's fundraising success would flow into the evening.  

Exhausted, I grabbed a cup o' Joe and even snagged an awesome giveaway prize on the way to our fundraiser Care2Dance (from Donny at the Starbucks on Ray + the 101...two bags of coffee and a mug!)

After my not so glamorous yard sale fundraising in the morning...we danced the night away at Care2Dance, our team's first attempt at a big fundraiser.  We only had a short amount of time to plan for it because our dancers were already booked far in advance.  We had one night to do it, Oct 1st, so we took a chance.  We definitely had all the mechanics in place.  We had the fluff and the meat.  The turn out unfortunately was not what we were hoping for.  Regardless, we still had a great time and met some very cool people.  Here's just a few of the pictures from that night.  You can view the Care2Dance album on our team's facebook page here   We're also fortunate to have had a professional photographer shoot our event -Warren of 

OD Imagez  (I'll update this when his photos are released.) 



Amber Barnes + John Holzworth our Care2Dance instructors. They graciously volunteered their time + enthusiasm for us and made the event so much fun! Look for them at Fred Astaire!

Team Sunshine all loosened up + we're just dying for some cash!?!

Our friends from Boxer Luv Rescue

Captain Tanya, Daniel and Ava

CamillaCentral on the dancefloor!

TheDars!

And lastly, I wasn't going to pick the Sprouts4Sprouts $25 Sprouts gift card winners until Jan 14th at the pre-race pasta party...but, since I've had such wonderful support from everyone, I'd like to start picking out one winner each month, starting now!  Watch the video prize drawing below to find out who won this month!

Project: Sprouts for Sprouts

Planted sixteen "baby" jades tonight for Phoenix Children's Hospital.  

They're so cute. I'm thinking about naming each one.        

But, I don't want to get too attached to these guys, because I'll be sending them home 

with the kind folks who happen to fill up my collection jar with their generous donations.

You see, a long time ago, my aunt and my father in law gave me clippings of jade stems from their plants.  Using what little gardening experience I had, I've managed to keep them alive.  Maybe it's because I may have inherited some of my dad's and mom's green thumbs...but, I think it's due to how strong and hardy these little guys are.  

Even when I've forgotten to water them and they're all shriveled and dehydrated.  They still spring back to life after a good watering. Now those little stems have grown into several large pot fulls in my back yard.  

Now, I want to share them with those kind enough to share something for the children and their families at Phoenix Children's Hospital. 

I've enjoyed designing the poster and the thank you labels, (which I still have to adhere to the rest of the jars!)  But, What will be even more rewarding, is seeing these little pots of dirt & plant, going to a new home.  They are easy to care for and can be snipped and multiplied into even more plants.  I can imagine how they'll brighten up a desk space, kitchen window or even the bedside of someone you love.  

If you prefer to make an online donation, please visit my fundraising home page @

http://tinyurl.com/gocactusmango

It's late and I still am insanely thinking I can crawl out of bed for the group run at 6am.  I know what song I'll be singing in my head during the run tomorrow...This one's for my fellow dirt girls + boys.  This is my shout out to my mom + dad.  Thank you for growing me right.  Here's a song for you.  

http://www.dirtgirlworld.com/dirtgirl/listen.html

Planting Song - Dirt Girl World

Well I've done a lot of digging

And I'm still nowhere near pooped

So here's a song I like to sing

And you can sing it tooped

Make a little hole,

Put a seed in it

Cover it up with dirt

It only takes a minute

And before you know it

You can help to grow it

Help the garden grow

Helping the garden grow

Help the garden grow

Helping the garden grow

Take a water can

Put some water in it

Sprinkle it on the ground

It only takes a minute

And before you know it

You can help to grow it

Help the garden grow

Helping the garden grow

Help the garden grow

Helping the garden grow

Make a little hole

Put a seed in it

Cover it up with dirt

It only takes a minute

And before you know it

You can help to grow it

Help the garden grow

Helping the garden grow

Help the garden grow

Helping the garden grow

Help the garden grow

Helping the garden grow

Help the garden grow

Helping the garden grow

day 30: in motion

Levitating on our way to Market Side...



Chasing Pigeons at the Park ~ Ron took this one. Nice! 

credits: *paislee press 2010 calendar stamp, that i modified for 2011.

*overlay edge stax by Kim Liddiard and *hand drawn circle doodle by me.

It's the last day of the Photo Challenge!  boohoohoo!  This was loads of fun and will be a unique album when it's all printed. 

Here's a link to My 30 Day Photo Challenge Gallery >>>>     http://photobucket.com/cmd_30dayAug

day 29: purchased

Love these!   Keen Raya Persimmon  They're colorful, practical, comfy, cute and on sale.   Ava's been wearing some $13 tar-jay pink ones this year, which are holding up pretty well for knock-offs.  But, even though these are more expensive than the tar-jay variety;  I think I got a pretty good price for them $29 at Nordstrom Rack.  Considering, I sized up for room to grow - it has a secure ankle strap to keep my girl's feet in place - the insole & outer straps are of better more durable material than tar-jay's $13 kinds.  Ava's already breaking them in!

credits: *paislee press 2010 calendar stamp, that i modified for 2011.

*overlay edge stax by Kim Liddiard and *hand drawn circle doodle by me.

day 28: daily routine

Starting at 7am (sometimes as early as 5 omg am) our home becomes AvaCentral - until she's finally asleep around 8:30 at night.  Plopping down on the couch, feet up enjoying mindless reality TV, instead of  NickJr/Sprouts is awesome.  Compared to yesterday, this is our real "after dark" scene.

credits: *paislee press 2010 calendar stamp, that i modified for 2011.

*overlay edge stax by Kim Liddiard and *hand drawn circle doodle by me.