Did you know there are more slaves today than there were before the Civil War? And that the trafficking of humans is one of the most luctrative forms of crime worldwide, behind only drugs and weapons? And that some researchers think it is quickly passing weapons for the number two spot?

This is what Tiggy’s House aims to fight by providing a home for impoverished children as part of Tiny Hands International’s Dream Center in Nepal.

That’s why we are proud to be a part of Such Fun to Give’s effort to raise awareness of modern slavery through a series of giveaways on her blog. Click on the button. Enter giveaways. Share with friends. Help fight slavery.

Now that we have a house sitter lined up, I am excited to announce that we are planning a little road trip at the end of February! We’ll be on the road from February 20 to February 27 and heading south to San Antonio. Mattias birthday is on the 23rd and we wanted to do something special to mark the day. We have already made arrangements to meet up with a couple of families that have been an encouragement to us and have a couple of dessert parties planned for the fellowship and as a fundraiser for Tiggy’s House. And it seemed like such a fun idea, we decided to see if anyone else would like to join in!

If you live anywhere between Lincoln, Nebraska and San Antonio, Texas and would be interested in organizing a brunch/soup/chocolate/braiding/game night/whatever-sounds-good-to-you party, send me an email (dhanleyATtiggyshouseDOTcom) and we’ll see if we can work out a schedule and visit with as many people as we can.

What is involved?

1. Decide what you wouldl like to do (brunch, soup, chocolate, braiding, games or whatever).
2. Invite your friends over for a time of fellowship.
3. Ask them to bring a dish and a suggested donation. (My mom did $10 at the one she did and it was quite successful, but you know what would be most appropriate in your circle of friends!)
4. We’ll come over and enjoy the time of fellowship together and hopefully raise a little money for Tiggy’s House at the same time!

Don’t feel like you have to raise hundreds of dollars to make it worth stopping at your house. We’re making the trip anyway and we really would like to meet some of the wonderful people who have been so incredibly supportive to us over the last year. Anything we are able to raise in addition to that is just like icing on the cake!

We can just chat if you like, or we have a bit of a piece put together on grief to help people know a little what it is like and how they can help friends and acquintances going through difficult times. Of course we’ll talk a little about Tiggy’s House. And if there is anything else we might be competent to talk about, just ask!

If you would like to host a braiding party, let me know. I would love to bring my marudai and enough Kumihimo disks for everyone. I would have to charge $10 per person for that rather than leaving it strictly to donation, but everyone will be able to make a bracelet to take home with them and keep their Kumihimo disk to make as many as they would like at home. I would also love to give a lesson to your homeschool group! (I would also need an approximate count as soon as possible to be sure I can order enough in.)

If you have any questions or would like to start trying to work out a time and a date for us to stop by, drop me a note here in the comments, on Facebook or via my email: dhanleyATtiggyshouseDOTcom (replace the letters in all caps for the appropriate punctuation.)

And if you live in another part of the country and this sounds like something you’d like to do, let us know! Of course, you don’t need us, but if you would like us to visit, we may plan one of these again sometime and head a different direction.

All money raised will be donated to Tiny Hands International toward the construction of Tiggy’s House, a children’s Home in Nepal to fight poverty and sex-trafficking.

Thank you so much!

You know what bothers me the most when I talk to people about Tiggy’s House? The fact that I feel compelled to adjust what I say when their children are present. The reality that thousands of Nepalese girls face every day is something that we here in America do not feel comfortable even discussing in front of children the same age. The life these children face is nothing short of a nightmare.

And yet there is hope. Not only for the girls who are rescued, but for entire villages as organizations work to educate and empower the local community. As we enter this season of giving and thanksgiving, I would like to ask you to please give thanks specifically for those individuals and organizations working tirelessly to provide these girls with a hope and a future.

We are almost a quarter of the way to funding Tiggy’s House, one children’s home planned as part of Tiny Hands International’s Dream Center which will provide shelter, education and healthcare to rescued children as well as to the surrounding village in an effort to empower the local community to stop sex-trafficking at its roots.

You can help by praying for this project, sharing this information with your friends and family, shopping through our Etsy shop and Amazon affiliate link and of course by remembering Tiny Hands International during your seasonal giving. (Just choose “Tiggy’s House” under the “Choose a Charity” drop down menu.)

But most of all pray for us.

And thank you so much for your ongoing support of our family.

If you’re going to be at the Fall Arts and Crafts Festival in Lawrence, KS this weekend, come out and visit our booth! We would love to visit with you. Everything in our Etsy shop will be there as well as a few other items.

And as always, all profits will be donated to Tiggy’s House!

My husband has already put in his request for me to stop by Brits for some Vegemite. So long as I’m there.

So, I’ve opened an Etsy shop featuring handmade hemp jewelry by yours truly and beautiful Swarovski crystal bracelets by my mom. And like most things around here these days, 100% of our profits will be donated to Tiggy’s House, a children’s home in Nepal to help fight child poverty and sex-trafficking.

To help kick off our grand opening, we are hosting a giveaway over at the Tiggy’s House blog. One bracelet, any design (including the custom order family bracelet!) free to one lucky person. Entering is easy . . . just follow the directions over at the Tiggy’s House blog!

Thank you so much, Brandi, for your generous offer! I have three little girls who are very excited to get to try these out!

Hi! My name is Brandi and I’m a consultant with Lilla Rose, a company that specializes in beautiful hair jewelry. I am a stay-at-home mom of 5 children and it breaks my heart to think that there are children in this world who do not receive the love and care that my children have. When I read about Tiggy’s House, I just knew I had to get involved.

I have decided to donate 100% of my commissions for a 6-month period to the building of Tiggy’s House. That means that 30% of your purchase will go straight to Dana’s mission.

To make a purchase, please go directly to http://www.lillarose.biz/sweetsimplicity or click on the Lilla Rose button in this post or on the sidebar. Make sure you are at my personal website, Sweet Simplicity, so Tiggy’s House will receive the commission.

Please be sure to watch the video at the bottom of the page if you are going to order Flexi-clips so you know what sizes to order and see how they work. They are really amazing and they work in ALL hair types…even very fine or very thick hair. Our products are very high quality and carry a one-year guarantee. We also have beautiful beaded headbands, sticks, bobbies, and our newest product, You-Pins. Personally, I think if you are a woman and you have hair, you NEED to have a Flexi-clip! And get one for your daughters and grand-daughters, as well…they are so lovely and they will receive many compliments.

If you have questions, please contact me through the website or at my blog: http://mountainmorning.blogspot.com. You can also email me directly at momswithmanyhats@hotmail.com. Please reference Tiggy’s House in the subject line of all correspondence.

As an added bonus, until August 31st, anyone who spends $50 or more (before shipping) will receive a certificate for a FREE hair clip. You will receive the certificate, and directions for how to redeem it, in the mail separate from your order, directly from me. This is my gift to you for helping build Tiggy’s House!

100% of my commissions will be donated on purchases placed between the dates of July 14, 2011 and January 15, 2012.

I feel so honored to have a way to help in the building of Tiggy’s House. Thank you for your purchases that will make this possible!

Blessings!

Jennifer has generously offered to donate half of her Usborne book commissions to Tiggy’s House, even while saving for her own adoption. Here, she follows up her personal story with an introduction to Usborne Books.

Who is Usborne?

Usborne Publishing was founded in the 1973 by a man named Peter Usborne in England. The company started by creating colorful and engaging non-fiction books. The Educational Development Corporation (EDC) acquired the rights to publish these books in 1978. Now partnered with Kane/Miller, an award-winning publisher of multi-cultural children’s books, Usborne Books and More (a division of EDC) provides a variety of fiction and nonfiction books that truly teach, entertain, and engage with the reader.

What is available?

Usborne Books and More provide a variety of different educational learning materials. These include:

• Usborne Activities (Games & Jigsaws, Flashcards & Activity Cards, Spotter’s Cards, Sticker Books, Noisy Books, Magnet Books, Touchy-Feely Books, Windup Books, Kid Kits, Arts & Crafts, Cooking, Music)
• Fiction Books (Newborn to Teenager)
• Nonfiction Books (Newborn to Adult)
• Reference/Encyclopedias (Science, History, Art, Languange, etc.)
• How-To Books
• Beginning Reading, First Learning Reading, Young Reading, Very First Reading, Chapter Books, Picture Books, Dual-Level Readers
• Hobby Guides
• Seasonal Books
• Library-bound Books
• Boxed Sets & Value Packs

How much do they cost?

The price varies greatly with the type of book. They can range from as little as $4.99 and up.

How can I use Usborne Books and More products?

Many homeschoolers use the encyclopedias, kid kits, and activity books in their curriculum. Examples: (1) We used a dinosaur archaeology kit when we were learning about how archaeologists discover clues about history. (2) I have used them as gifts for many different situations.

My favorite book is actually one that we haven’t used in our homeschool curriculum at all! My daughter loves princesses and I deplore helpless females. This collection of books is about a little princess who likes to get dirty and take care of herself. I love that she is a strong female role-model.

What in the world is the yellow duck?

Stephen Cartwright illustrated quite a few books which had a little duck hiding on each page or on each double page. Usborne sells many of these books with the “hidden” duck. The kids love searching for the duck among the beautiful illustrations.

Can you see it?

What does Internet-linked mean?

Many Usborne Books and More products are Internet-linked. Once you get your book, if you are more interested in the topic on the page, you can go to www.usborne-quicklinks.com and type in the book and page number. Then, you will find a list of vetted, updated, and child-safe links that discuss that subject matter. Instead of printing a webpage on the book that may go out of date, you can go to www.usborne-quicklinks.com to find updated content. Over the years, different sites will become available. Some are activities, coloring books, photo tours – whatever is available out there on the Internet, safe, and pertinent could be gathered in one place – www.usborne-quicklinks.com.

Why should I buy through an independent consultant and not a book store?

Independent consultants have exclusive content that is not available to book stores. Plus, we can answer your questions and direct you to a lot more personalized results!

What quality do these books have?

Many of these books are hardcover and will last quite a long time. We have many that are five or more years old and show no signs of wear. My kids aren’t exactly gentle on books, either, and we use many Usborne books for homeschooling. They get a lot of use. My kids prefer Usborne books, generally, because they are of higher quality with better illustrations and interesting topics. My son would like to have every IR encyclopedia ($4.99 a piece!) and when he goes on sleep-overs he has to take a few with him.

In addition, there is a half-price lifetime replacement guarantee. If your book becomes damaged at any time in any way, you may return the book and receive a new one (same book) for half price price shipping and a $5 handling fee. If your book is no longer available, it may be exchanged for something of similar value. All books, including library bound titles, are covered by this guarantee! This is so handy for when the dog chews that $24.99 Book of Bible Stories or $40 Encyclopedia of World History.

Do you have more questions? Would you like me to help you find something for that special child in your life? Feel free to contact me (jennifer.rothmeyer at gmail) and I will return your e-mail within 24 hours with suggestions, answers, and help. In addition, if you are interested in signing up for my weekly or monthly newsletter with specials, sales, and book highlights, please send me an e-mail and let me know which you’d prefer (weekly or monthly). Thank you for this opportunity to help build Tiggy’s House!

Special thanks to Jennifer for sharing her story in this guest post. I am truly humbled that her family has generously offered to contribute half of her Usborne commissions to Tiggy’s House even while saving for her own adoption.

I was nineteen and I was looking at the doctor with complete belief. You see, I knew. I knew that night six weeks prior that I was pregnant. I also knew I was in trouble.

I was in the Army National Guard. I had a high school diploma from a school of dubious educational ability. I had a full-time job with the National Guard, but my taxable income was only around $23,000 per year. I lived in the barracks on post where kids weren’t allowed. I had no experience with infants, or really children, and didn’t even like them. These thoughts flashed through my head and I knew that I was the lucky one. I had a high school diploma. I had a full-time job. I had a boyfriend and I loved him.

But, I also knew it wasn’t enough. Soon enough I didn’t have a boyfriend (he later informed me that he never loved me; he disappeared as soon as he found out I was pregnant). Soon enough I didn’t have a full-time job or health insurance (I quit to go to college). Soon enough I had a baby.

I was twenty and I put myself through college so that I could get a decent job that paid more than $23k per year and had a future (mine didn’t). The first year and a half the Army helped me pay for tuition. After that, I had scholarships. I worked really hard at school and I worked really hard at my jobs. I accepted government assistance. I had trials and tribulations. I had some support from friends and family. It was a struggle and one that I don’t recommend for anyone.

Seven years later, I have a bachelor degree, two associate degrees, I’m married with two kids, we own our house, and we take a camping vacation every year. My son, my baby, is in soccer, baseball, dance, piano, and anything else his heart desires. My daughter, his little sister, is as well. I’m not bragging, but I am saying that for someone who came from my childhood (a world riddled with child abuse, near-poverty, mental diseases, and more) to make it to where I am now… Well, it makes me a success story.

I’m not a millionaire. I’m not always a paragon of the mentally stable. I’m very far from perfect. I’m not always the best mom. I didn’t come from the worst childhood nor the best. I have many flaws. However, I’ve learned from my experiences, and now I’m in the business of hopefully making success stories come true for others. My husband and I decided two years ago to become foster parents. A year and a half ago we received our license. Our segment of foster care? Teenage parents. We want to give. We want to give a lifetime of family holidays, calls on birthdays, support, hope, and love.

We believe that everyone can be a success story if they want it and we believe that everyone needs support. We provide that support with our home, our family, our love, our rules and boundaries, our helping hands, our time, our listening, our parenting advice, and with everything else that we can. That everything else includes money. Yes, the state pays a stipend to foster parents, but if you want to do more than the bare minimum, you’ll end up chipping in as well.

My husband and I do chip in with our income, but we also sell Usborne Books and use the profits to support our foster care and adoption efforts. Our goal is to eventually add to our family via adoption. This will start with my husband adopting my son. You see, I worry that if something happens to me, my son will be left without an immediate legal guardian. And as we know, death is one of the few constants in life.

So how does this relate to you? I know what it is like to have devastating life-changing events. Mine ended as one of joy while Dana’s is one of sorrow. How could I not want to give of myself and help to build Tiggy’s House to help her have a little sweet in this bitter sorrow? As such, we are donating 50% of all profits earned between now and September 7th to Tiggy’s House. The other 50% will continue to get deposited in our adoption/foster care bank account to be used solely for those expenses.

We are in the business of helping make success stories.

Part II coming soon with information about Usborne Books & More.

_____

Jennifer Rothmeyer, aka Jen R./Emerald, writes about living life fully and simply in small-town Iowa over at Emerald Sunshine.

The following businesses have chosen to support Tiggy’s House through donating a portion of their profits. You can help raise money for Tiggy’s House just by shopping through these links! Feel free to add any of them to your blog to help spread the word and earn some business for these very generous supporters. Thank you for your support!

Anna is donating 100% of profits earned through this link to Tiggy's House through June 10.

Lorene is donating 5% of sales through this link until June 15.

Just place "Tiggy" in the subject line, and Sioux will donate 25% of the purchase price earned through this link.

If you would like to consider helping raise money through a portion of sales from your business, please let us know! We will do what we can to let people know!

Tiggy’s House is a children’s home in Nepal planned as part of Tiny Hands International’s Dream Center to help children, orphans and particularly victims of sex-traffiicking. We are raising money in memory of our son, Tiggy, who knew more love in his short life than many of these children will know in a lifetime.