This woman was a pinnacle of patience. Listening to her coach me how to put in contacts and take contacts out of my eye Thursday reminded me of that time in college I tried to teach someone how to drive stick. Only she was so much nicer than I was.

This week, I'm giving away a hot pink New Balance keychain that has a little light at the end (perfect for trying to see your car door lock or the contents of your purse.) 


The rules remain the same:
- Leave one (and only one) comment here. If you comment on the Thorlos sock fundraiser post, that will count as an entry, too.

Everyone needs socks, right? And if you're walking tons and tons of miles, you don't just need any ole socks. Some people swear by super thin socks, but I've gotten hooked on Thorlos thick socks. Last year in D.C, I started out with their thicker walking socks each morning and switched to a thinner (although still well padded) sock after lunch. Everyone should try a few different types of socks out to see what works for them and their feet.

The bad news is: These socks aren't cheap (which even BlackJack can tell, as he seems extra-excited when he manages to steal one.) The good news is: Thorlos offers a fundraiser in which $7 of the $15 per sock cost goes toward your fundraising goal. You simply collect orders among your team/friends, pay $8 per sock, distribute the order when it comes in, and donate the $7 per sock to your fundraising goal yourself.

The minimum order is 12 pairs. I did this last year, because after a few Internet searches, I figured I couldn't find another source for these socks for that much less than $15 a pair, and it was easier to pay that much for a good sock if part of the proceeds were helping my own fundraising goal. Of course, some of your neighbors and friends might want to purchase a few pairs themselves if they are active :)

You can download a flier and order form here. (You have no idea how excited I am that I stumbled across AND figured out how to use this digital dropbox. I feel almost like a computer nerd :))

Anyway, if you have any further questions, e-mail me at jillianduch at hotmail dot com and I'll pass on the contact info for the Thorlos employee who helped me. I didn't want to broadcast her info across the Interweb, but I'll certainly share it in a more private manner. Good luck!

Next week on Friday FundRAISER: A Bubbles for Boobies party that dished up some fun-shaped cookies ;)

About 4 a.m., I was really starting to worry that I had no idea how to cook eggs over easy. As in, I had no idea as to whether that mean the yolks were supposed to be runny (isn't that sunny side up?) or if the term did not refer to the yolks at all.

Yes, that was me you saw drinking coffee at the gym yesterday.

At 6 a.m.

It was that, or get up even earlier so the coffee could digest and flow through my veins BEFORE I left the house. And trust me, I appreciated that 10 minutes more of sleep I got a lot more than I would have appreciated proper hydration.

I am on this kick of trying to work out in the morning to boost my metabolism throughout the day, but by Day 2 of this kick, I needed chemical help. Day 3, I just slept right through my alarm. Tomorrow, I am off work and volunteering at the homeless shelter, so plenty of coffee will be consumed before I even think about working out.

As for Friday (Day 4), maybe by then I can settle for grogginess and a few (more appropriate) glasses of water. Progress is all about baby steps, right? :)

It's finally Friday - and time for another giveaway. When you comment, please remember to include your e-mail address so I can easily contact you if you win. This week, I'm giving away a two-tone pink toggle bracelet. I don't remember exactly where I got it, but I'll admit, I've never worn it. It's time for a new home!



Here's how you enter:
- Leave one comment here or on this week's Friday Fundraiser. You can comment as much as you like, but only the first comment will count as an entry (unless you do one of the things below).

- If you tweet about this week's Friday FundRAISER go ahead and enter again in the comments section here.

Example: 3-dayer @jillianduch features advice on how to just ask for money. http://bit.ly/bVxIYJ

- If you post about this give-away/fundraising tip on your blog, do the same and enter again in the comments section here.

- The giveaway will be open until next Friday. Then, I'll use a random number generator to pick a winner and post another giveaway. Make sure to leave an e-mail address or some other way for me to get ahold of you if you win.

I don't think I've ever verbally asked someone for a donation. I've sent tons of letters and e-mails, but I've never initiated a conversation seeking a 3-Day donation. I just have hard time doing it. And last year, I felt a little guilty asking people for another round of donations after my family and friends had been so generous the first time around.

The reality, though, is simply asking for and receiving direct monetary donations is the easiest way to reach your fundraising goal. When you have to worry about training, hydrating and all the other things that go with the 3-Day, it doesn't hurt to save yourself some time and energy when it comes to fundraising.

So, I turned to my team captain from last year, Cari (who was a superstar fundraiser!) for some advice on how to ask for money. Here's what she had to say:

Fundraising is never easy. Most people enjoy making a difference. They either put money aside and make donations, volunteer their time to a cause they feel is in need or simply do an act of kindness. The people who donate money usually donate to something that has touched them. If they know you are doing something that requires a lot of effort you would be suprised how many will donate to you.

But the most important thing to remember is "It is not about you." It is about ending breast cancer. You are just the vehicle that helps put their money in the right hands to help cure breast cancer. You will be surprised at the people who you think will donate, and don't. But more surprising are the people who make little money or who you barely know, who do.

In my experience their are two good ways to ask for donations. The first is to write a heartfelt note to every person you know on cute stationary, telling them why you are doing this. Include the name of the organization and explain what it requires of you to join this group. Also, include a donation form and a return envelope to make it easy. Mail this to every single person you know, including your friends' parents, your parents' friends, your hairdresser, your doctors, and your holiday card list.

I have found that people will make a donation if they can and won't if they can't. It is that simple. They are not offended by your asking, because it is not directly affecting you. (Well, it really is if it saves you from getting breast cancer). It is not like you are asking for money so you can go buy a new wardrobe for your new job. Having something in writing, that they actually have to make an effort to throw away, seems to tug at their hearts.

The other way to ask for donations is via the Internet. The younger crowd seems to prefer this way, but it is very easy for them to hit that darn delete button and never think about it again. Make sure you include all of the information that makes it easiest for them to donate.

Don't forget to ask everyone you know. You will be surprised how appreciative people are that you are doing such a noble task. Last year, I received a donation from a brother of the friend I had sent a letter. The brother was visiting from out of town, saw my catchy letter about saving boobies and donated $200.00.

Don't forget it is not about you it is about saving breasts. We all have them, including men, and they must be saved.


From Jillian: You can see some sample fundraising letters here. And don't forget to enter this week's giveaway.


Next week's Friday FundRAISER will showcase a Thorlos promotion that allows you to donate $7 to the 3-Day for each pair of socks you sell.

My new roommate is clearly the best thing in BlackJack's life. When he's in his room (where BlackJack, the stealer of socks and eater of any human food, is not allowed), BlackJack lays outside the door with inhuman patience. He has, once or twice when that inhuman patience ran dry, scratched on the door.

He doesn't feel that way about me.

The second he hears my car pull in the garage, he digs at the inside of his crate, demanding to be let out. He rubs his little, curly body all over my freshly washed sheets, as if it is HIS bed, and not mine. And when he's chewing on a bone, he glares suspiciously at me and growls, as if he thinks I'd steal it from him. I swear, that little moptop has never seen me knawing on a bone or eating a dog treat but the suspicions persist.


The other day, I was reading in bed when he ran into the room, hopped on the bed, and nipped me. He wagged his little tail, barked and ran out of the room. He repeated the whole procedure when I didn't immediately follow. LIKE DOGS DO TO OTHER DOGS. Then, he went after my books. ALSO LIKE DOGS TRY TO STEAL OTHER DOGS' TOYS TO BADGER THEM INTO PLAYING. So I played with the little guy, but really.

What did I do to make him treat me like a dog!?! ;)

... Saturday while I was shopping. I've watched What Not to Wear enough that, yes, I know what they'd say. They said I'm a GIRL and should wear a dress every now and then. You know, sometime when either someone I know or I, myself, am not getting married. And then, they said necklaces are the best accessories and I should add some to my almost exclusively bracelet-and-earring jewelry collection.


And what Stacy and Clinton said, I did. And OH THERE'S ANOTHER CHARGE CARD, did those Ann Taylor Outlet sales ladies see me coming. But I got some cute, professional clothing (plus two dresses - one of which is definitely casual Friday attire) at a good deal. I have a handful of skirts that go into the rotation in the summer, but dresses are a bit more feminine, right? And I love me some low-rise, wide-leg trousers. Now, I just need to lose about five pounds so I can wear them. ;)

(Yes, I did think about what Stacy and Clinton would say to that. And then, I bought the smaller size anyway. When you're between sizes, choices have to be made.)

So, the last time I wore a dress was at wedding in December. And this isn't too casual to wear to the courthouse on a Friday, is it?

I gave myself a two-week break from trying to live healthily/lose weight. There was stuffed-crust pizza, a shameful number of trips through Taco Bell's drive-thru, LOTS of McDonald's iced coffee, and various other transgressions I can't really remember now. I kinda wish I had thought to get another Shamrock shake while I was at it.

On top of bad eating, I didn't exercise. I half-sprained my ankle and soon abandoned my half-hearted intention to do non-ankle-related exercises (you know, things involving crunches and hand weights and punching the air.) It didn't happen.

Why did I do this? Well, I suspected I was plateauing, and I was sick of trying. And trying. And TRYING. Because really, how can someone write down everything they eat in a day, affirm that no more than 1,200 calories have been consumed that day, hit the gym for an hour -- and still weigh the same? I'm sure there's an explanation somewhere, but I just decided to take a mini-diet vacation and tackle the whole thing again in two weeks.

That two-week date was yesterday. Which probably doesn't count as Day One of being "good," since breakfast consisted of - yes - McDonald's iced vanilla coffee and a Volcano Burrito left over from Friday night's Taco Bell run. On the upside, I ate like a pig and ignored exercise for two weeks and only gained four pounds.  

(You also may remember me claiming I was climbing back on the bandwagon after a particularly bad day last Saturday. That didn't happen. This will.)

So, Jillian Michaels is waiting for me when I get home from Panera. And, I limited myself to a 550-calorie Asiago cheese bagel with low-fat cream cheese at Panera (the best place ever, besides my bed, to type away on my laptop) and caffeine-free Diet Pepsi. Earlier, I had vegetarian chili. And a pot of coffee. Later, I might have a salad. 

Cheers to healthy weight loss.

So, I'm starting a new series on Chai Latte Please that will feature a specific fundraising tip or piece of advice each Friday. I know what you're thinking - the 3-Day site offers a million (er, at least 101) ideas, and other online ambassadors have already posted about this. Why are you wasting space on the Interweb with such talk?

Because the more we all talk about it and the more we exchange ideas, the more likely a certain idea is to spark inspiration. And the less intimidating the whole thing will be.

So, each Friday (until it doesn't seem fun anymore), I'll post a new idea and offer a giveaway for those who follow the blog, re-tweet the fundraising post or offer their own idea in the comments section. This week's giveaway is a little pink picture frame with a pink ribbon on it. Perfect for work desk or other small area.




- Leave one (and only one) comment here or on the next post about your favorite fundraising tip.

Last year, one of my teammates stood outside an upscale grocery store collecting donations and found herself asking men if they enjoyed boobies. She got a lot of donations -- some men even said they thought about her comment while they were shopping and decided to donate on their way out.

(I think that's how it went, anyway).

Obviously, a certain amount of fundraising success is capturing people's attention. Everyone has a certain comfort level, and one must respect trademarked and copyrighted slogans. But you should think about how you're going to get people's attention long enough for them to write a check or type in their credit card number.

One way is to send update letters/e-mails to your closer friends and family, whether or not they've donated, as a subtle reminder to donate if they are procrastinating. And a nice way to keep them informed on your training and fundraising progress either way.

For casual acquaintances/strangers, a good slogan might do the trick. My favorite, which I actually found in a 3-Day idea list, is : Save a 'pear,' support breast cancer research. I plastered it all over notecards (which sadly, did not sell well) and thank-you notes. I sold little pear-shaped candles. I even considered selling real pears (which was the 3-Day suggestion).

How else can you use it? Maybe make little magnets or business cards with the slogan and include your fundraising page URL as a reminder for people who are considering donating.

What's your favorite breast cancer slogan?

... And if you were around last spring for the wine-tasting fundraiser, I'm sure you know what that means!




Yes, I did rummage through the 36D and 38DD bras and bought four. Thankfully, the check-out clerk was female. When I got home, I unceremoniously began cutting them apart to make brassiere purses. One of which will go toward Leanne's online auction (which hasn't started yet, but when it does, it will be here.) 


No idea what I will do with the others.


But can you believe that padded bra underwires look like this?!?




Here's what a finished "purse" from last year looked like:

Little by little, laylagrace.org has become my favorite blog. Don't go there unless you have at least 30 minutes to read from the end to at least the middle of the story of a Christian family, an adorable little girl and a faith in God that (apparently) stood the test of cancer and death.

We’re not made of steel, we’re not half as strong as many have made us out to be. We simply hope and believe that God has the power to change anything, even this. We cry and pray, and yell and pray, and shake our fist at God, it’s ok though… he can take it.

I have to be strong for her. I have to be the one to tell her that it’s going to be ok. That I’m so incredibly proud of her strength and grace. That I will take her short amazing little life and tell the story over and over again. That she WILL continue to do God’s work and she WILL make a difference in the lives of children with cancer.

Layla went to play with the angels early this morning. Rest in peace precious Layla. 11/26/2007 - 3/9/2010

Claire told the dog 2 stop barking b/c she was going 2 wake up Layla. Tears started flowing. (posted about 8:40 a.m. today)

I was a woman on a mission last month.

I've lost track of whether economists and/or optimists think we're in a recession/depression/turn-around. What I can tell you is: I don't have a lot of extra money laying around, and I bet a lot of other people don't either.

The early scenes on foot-binding in this 19th-century Chinese story made me gag. And my feet tingle.

What said, "Failure to plan is a plan to fail"? And "It's never too late to do the right thing..."?