Instant Mom Book Giveaway - Last Chance to Enter

Last chance to enter to win a copy of Instant Mom by Nia Vardalos! Contest ends at 11:59 pm EDT on 5/31/13!  Good luck!

The giveaway has ended. Thank you to everyone that entered.

The winner is....
Wendy!

Congratulations!

Buy the book right now by clicking the link below. You'll love it, I promise.

Winner was selected randomly by RandomPicker.com.

The Party Rocked!

Our TGIF party was our most successful fundraiser yet! The party was so much fun. Our friends who have been there for us through thick and thin came out; colleagues and new friends stopped by too. Thank you all for having a drink with us and supporting our adoption! We even had quite a few donations from people that couldn't come, but wanted to contribute anyway. Thank you so much! You guys are awesome! Having our friends cheering us on really keeps us going through the wait. We really needed it because waiting sometimes wears us down.

Asking for donations does not come easy to us. It's difficult to ask for help. Many families do fundraisers for adoption (Google "adoption fundraisers"), but I feel self-conscience about appearing to be looking for hand out. We chose to adopt, so ultimately it's our expense. My friends have assured me that I don't appear this way. I have even had some readers email me to let me know that they like the way we are going about fundraising. Whew! That makes me feel better. We may still have a few fundraisers here and there, whenever it feels right and you can always check out the "Fundraising" tab at the top to see what we have going on. We really do appreciate your help.

Donations are great, but it is not our main focus. Building our family is what is most important to us. I am confident when the time comes, we'll find the money. No, we're not planning to rob a bank. I just have faith that things will work out. The party was about raising money, but it was also about asking people to share our story. Word of mouth is a powerful tool and the networking part of the party was just as important as the donations. At the party, we handed out our "touch cards" with our adoption information, shared our profile book and guests talked to us about adoption. You never know, friend of a friend could hear about adoption and think of us. The bottom line is we are ready to start our family and we are doing everything we can to make that happen. If you would like more information about how you can help us spread the word, click the "How You Can Help!" tab at the top.

We're feeling pretty good after the party. We are recharged by your enthusiasm and ready for whatever comes our way next. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

Special thanks to Turtle Bay Bar in NYC for hosting our fundraiser. It was so awesome of them to have this party for us. Erin at Turtle Bay rocks!

Don't forget to enter to win a copy of Instant Mom by Nia Vardalos. Giveaway ends on 5/31/13. Click here to enter!

Instant Mom Book Giveaway

Like for many of us waiting moms, Mother's Day is full of mixed emotions. I love all the moms in my life and want to celebrate them, but Mother's Day also feels a like a big neon sign flashing "VACANCY" -- you're still not a mom. Two years ago, we did something about that vacant feeling and set up THE appointment to sign with an adoption agency. I felt like I was taking control of my infertility and starting a new path to parenthood. It took us six months to make that call, but I cannot tell you how relieved I felt after we did. We are still waiting, but I know it is going to happen for us. I'll get my Mother's Day one day.

So what do you do while you wait? You look for things to occupy your time. I recently read Instant Mom by Nia Vardalos. By the third chapter, I knew I wanted to share this book with everyone. I related so much to what Nia was saying about her struggles with infertility, her desire to have a child and having to maintain a happy face when you feel like you're crumbling on the inside. (I am calling her Nia because I feel like we are friends after reading this book; we are warriors of the same battle.)  I laughed out loud, cried and nodded my head throughout her story. My husband looked at me like I was crazy and asked if I was OK. Yes honey, I'm OK. I cannot thank Nia enough for sharing her story through this book, for being a forever optimist (like me) and reminding us that happily ever after does happen.

So I thought what better way to lift the spirits of those still struggling or still waiting or to celebrate those special moms out there than to giveaway a copy of Instant Mom.  My very first giveaway! Exciting, right? To enter, click "Enter to Win" below to fill out an entry form. I'd love for you to leave a comment on how adoption has touched your life. For an extra chance to win, like my Facebook page, follow me on Twitter or Pinterest or subscribe to Two Cats and a Cradle by email. Just click one of the links on the left.  A winner will be selected randomly on May 31, 2013.

The giveaway has ended. Thank you to everyone that entered.

The winner is....
Wendy!

Congratulations!

Buy the book right now by clicking the link below. You'll love it, I promise.

If you know of anyone that wants to make an adoption plan for their newborn, please do not hesitate to contact us or share our profile information. If you'd like more information about what are our adoption preferences, please email me or read my blog post, Oh, The Choices You Make!. Thank you for thinking of us.


Winner was selected randomly by RandomPicker.com.



Open Adoption Blog Hop 



TGIF Benefit Party - Friday, May 17, 2013

Hello NYC area friends!!!

You are all invited to our TGIF fundraising and networking party for our adoption.
(Tryinta Getta' Infant Fund) corny, I know

When: Friday, May 17 from 6-9 pm

Where: Turtle Bay NYC

987 Second Ave @ 52nd Street, NYC

Turtle Bay Bar has graciously offered to hold a fundraising and networking event for our adoption. Wristbands are $10 at the door which gets you 1/2 price drinks and appetizers from 6-9 pm. The $10 wristband fee is donated to our adoption.

This party is a great opportunity for us to get the word out that we are adopting. Word of mouth is a powerful tool. You never know who will hear of someone wanting to make an adoption plan for their newborn. It's also a fun way to raise funds for our adoption. The cost to adopt a domestic newborn is on average $25,000+. So every little bit helps.  Thank you!

So tell EVERYONE you know to come out and have a drink with us! It's super casual -- think Friday night happy hour. I've invited everyone in NYC! Can't wait to see you there!

You can advance purchase a wristband via paypal by clicking here or through Eventbrite by clicking here. Don't forget to include your name for the guest list. You can also purchase a wristband at the door with cash.
Can't make it to the party, but would still like to donate. Click here to check out our fundraising page. There are a variety of ways that you can help us adopt! You're the best!

If you know of anyone that wants to make an adoption plan for their newborn, please do not hesitate to contact us or share our profile information.  If you'd like more information about what are our adoption preferences, please email me or read my blog post, Oh, The Choices You Make!. Thank you for thinking of us.