Okay, so after a lot of twiddling around I've decided to buy orangesqueaky.com and build myself a proper blog.
I'll be backlogging posts that I've enjoyed the most and will be re-directing, as appropriate.
Kisses.
Sunday, 14 February 2010
Happy Valenine's Day
I've never actually been a fan of Valentine's Day. Not in the romantic lovey-dovey, kissy-kissy sense, anyways.
For me, when you love someone, whether it is family or friend or girlfriend or boyfriend or husband or wife or legalized same-sex partner, you shouldn't wait for one day to show it. You should try to show a little every day and do special things for no other reason than you want to. Not because you are forced to.
So I guess, for me Valentine's Day is just this little reminder that I should be nicer to those I love and do a bit more to show it. If I were in the US, perhaps I would kick of this resolve and purchase Valentine's candy on February 15th at anywhere from 50 - 75% off. Nothing says "I love you" than a 3 pound chocolate bar from the Chocolate Bar that says "I love you." But, nothing says "I love you a whole lot more than I would've on Valentine's Day" than three 3 pound chocolate bars from the Chocolate Bar plus a side of those chocolate rock things that are really good.
I love you all in bulk. Happy Valentine's Day.
For me, when you love someone, whether it is family or friend or girlfriend or boyfriend or husband or wife or legalized same-sex partner, you shouldn't wait for one day to show it. You should try to show a little every day and do special things for no other reason than you want to. Not because you are forced to.
So I guess, for me Valentine's Day is just this little reminder that I should be nicer to those I love and do a bit more to show it. If I were in the US, perhaps I would kick of this resolve and purchase Valentine's candy on February 15th at anywhere from 50 - 75% off. Nothing says "I love you" than a 3 pound chocolate bar from the Chocolate Bar that says "I love you." But, nothing says "I love you a whole lot more than I would've on Valentine's Day" than three 3 pound chocolate bars from the Chocolate Bar plus a side of those chocolate rock things that are really good.
I love you all in bulk. Happy Valentine's Day.
Wednesday, 10 February 2010
Manic-Depressive England
I've run two half marathons in England.
My first, the OFFICIAL London Marathon half-marathon at Silverstone, consisted of me freezing to death, being pelted by ice (twice) and climbing... beaten... back onto a bus with the smallest medal I've ever owned and a t-shirt three times larger than I am.
My second, the Sony Run to the Beat, got temperatures close to my homeland of Texas and got me a men's shaving set as a thank you gift.
Apparently, I need to be taller and male.
I actually have nothing against running in England. I have nothing against the odd swag (the Silverstone Half Marathon was the only time I saw men lining up in queues to go to the bathroom and women zooming in and out of the loos.) I can go a lot further when the temperature isn't close to boiling eggs. But for some odd, odd reason when it comes to the actual race day I've experienced the most extremes in climate.
Yes, yes, I know - I'm on an island. But this is an island that can't decide. It was cold but mild this morning, then suddenly, a snow blizzard, then suddenly ... sun. It's like riding some wild weather roller coaster that I never chose to be a part of.
Times like these I miss home with it's consistent HOT setting. But then again, I'd have nothing to blog about, now would I?
My first, the OFFICIAL London Marathon half-marathon at Silverstone, consisted of me freezing to death, being pelted by ice (twice) and climbing... beaten... back onto a bus with the smallest medal I've ever owned and a t-shirt three times larger than I am.
My second, the Sony Run to the Beat, got temperatures close to my homeland of Texas and got me a men's shaving set as a thank you gift.
Apparently, I need to be taller and male.
I actually have nothing against running in England. I have nothing against the odd swag (the Silverstone Half Marathon was the only time I saw men lining up in queues to go to the bathroom and women zooming in and out of the loos.) I can go a lot further when the temperature isn't close to boiling eggs. But for some odd, odd reason when it comes to the actual race day I've experienced the most extremes in climate.
Yes, yes, I know - I'm on an island. But this is an island that can't decide. It was cold but mild this morning, then suddenly, a snow blizzard, then suddenly ... sun. It's like riding some wild weather roller coaster that I never chose to be a part of.
Times like these I miss home with it's consistent HOT setting. But then again, I'd have nothing to blog about, now would I?
Properly Planning a Perfectly Proportionate... Fundraiser
So I've babbled on and on about hosting all sorts of events. But what I've never done is tell you the best way to go about planning. Here's the skinny:
Your event should never cost more than 10% of what you think you can fundraise.
Read this twice: YOUR EVENT SHOULD NEVER COST MORE THAN 10% OF WHAT YOU THINK YOU CAN FUNDRAISE. If you plan to spend £100, then you should shoot to raise £1,000. Even if your not concerned about what you spend, you'll find yourself rather disappointed if that £500 you spent on salmon cakes only equaled £100 in donations.
Have a list of guests. Invite them. Invite them again. Call and remind them to come.
Send invites. Email them. Call them. To have a good event you just need a bit of persistence. Don't harass, plan. Let people know a month or two out, then send an invite, then call or email to see if they are coming (if they haven't said yes or no.) Sometimes contacting them will bring a donation or two more even if they can't attend but want to support you.
Stay away from the drippy or messy foods.
Really, you need to be focusing on your guests not scrubbing the carpet. Ideas are:
Get paper, plastic, or rent your dishes (there are places that will take them back dirty - really).
Again, focus on your guests not the mess. You can find high-end things that can hit the recycle bin without you crying over them. Alternatively, there are party stores that will provide all sorts of pretty things at a reasonable rental cost. Or you can ditch the plates altogether and get yourself some nice serving items.
Have a donation bowl, tin, or something right where they walk in.
This is for your charity, and you should be proud of it. Wandering around after people have had a few glasses of wine for money may work against you, so just have people "check-in" and drop their donation right at the door. (PS - See if your charity will send along balloons, stickers, or little give-aways like badges or pens. It makes it look a bit more professional.)
Be sure that you gather everyone to thank them and give a donation pitch.
They've come for you and your cause. Make sure you take a moment to stand up and tell them how much it means for them to be supporting you and your charity.
Have fun.
This isn't supposed to be stressful. So pick and plan an event that you can handle and enjoy!
Your event should never cost more than 10% of what you think you can fundraise.
Read this twice: YOUR EVENT SHOULD NEVER COST MORE THAN 10% OF WHAT YOU THINK YOU CAN FUNDRAISE. If you plan to spend £100, then you should shoot to raise £1,000. Even if your not concerned about what you spend, you'll find yourself rather disappointed if that £500 you spent on salmon cakes only equaled £100 in donations.
Have a list of guests. Invite them. Invite them again. Call and remind them to come.
Send invites. Email them. Call them. To have a good event you just need a bit of persistence. Don't harass, plan. Let people know a month or two out, then send an invite, then call or email to see if they are coming (if they haven't said yes or no.) Sometimes contacting them will bring a donation or two more even if they can't attend but want to support you.
Stay away from the drippy or messy foods.
Really, you need to be focusing on your guests not scrubbing the carpet. Ideas are:
- Cheese + Crackers + Fruit
- Pre-Packaged, Pre-Cooked items you can pop on a nice plate or in a stove
- Self-Contained themes like: Pasta Party, Pizza, Taco Bowls, or and evening of Desserts
Get paper, plastic, or rent your dishes (there are places that will take them back dirty - really).
Again, focus on your guests not the mess. You can find high-end things that can hit the recycle bin without you crying over them. Alternatively, there are party stores that will provide all sorts of pretty things at a reasonable rental cost. Or you can ditch the plates altogether and get yourself some nice serving items.
Have a donation bowl, tin, or something right where they walk in.
This is for your charity, and you should be proud of it. Wandering around after people have had a few glasses of wine for money may work against you, so just have people "check-in" and drop their donation right at the door. (PS - See if your charity will send along balloons, stickers, or little give-aways like badges or pens. It makes it look a bit more professional.)
Be sure that you gather everyone to thank them and give a donation pitch.
They've come for you and your cause. Make sure you take a moment to stand up and tell them how much it means for them to be supporting you and your charity.
Have fun.
This isn't supposed to be stressful. So pick and plan an event that you can handle and enjoy!
Target. Diversify. Cultivate.
If there is one thing I hate, it's asking the ether to donate.
"But," you say, "I have 542,371 followers on Twitter! If everyone donated £1.00 to my cause I would have £542,371.00!"
And it would work, if you were an uber-celebrity or you had a major amount of media behind you.
Chances are you don't have close personal relationships with 542,371 people. Chances are even further that if you got a hold of 542,371 email addresses and sent them an impassioned plea for them you would be seen as... wait for it... wait for it... a SPAMMER.
So chunk the idea that volume = instant goal. What you need is a targeted plan that covers a variety of ideas and cultivates your donors.
And by cultivation I mean "builds a relationship." You're not selling wrenches, you're promoting a cause that you have an emotional attachment to and are actively doing something for.
Let's play pretend!
You've sat down like a good girl/boy and made out your list of potential donors. It looks like this:
1. The affluent group (affluent in my world can give £50 or more).
2. Your work colleagues who you see almost every day.
3. Your friends who you gather with on Fridays.
4. Your friends from overseas.
5. Your Facebook/Twitter friends.
To throw marketing/sales speak - These are your target audiences. You need to sit down and think of ways in which to reach them. Ideas can be as such:
1. Affluent: Wine tasting at your home/Asking in person/Taking a group to dinner.
2. Work colleagues: Bake sale/Raffle/Asking in person
3. Friends: Spare change/Pasta party/Give up a beer for your cause
4. Overseas Friends: Email/Blog/Video/Call everyone over a set period
5. Facebook/Twitter: Donation Posts/Videos/Blogs/Fan Group
Once you pick your ideas and set them into motion there is a futher, final step: CULTIVATION. Reality is not everyone is going to pick up on your cause and throw money at you. You need to build relationships and seek engagement. Sometimes people can only provide moral support, and that is just fine, so long as you treat every single person you approach with respect and kindness. They are doing something for you, so always show appreciation - if it's £1.00 up to £1,000.00. Trust me, it makes good personal and good business sense.
So remember: Target. Diversify. Cultivate. Sticking to one thing (or hoping for one big one) won't get you to your goal. Sticking to your cause will.
"But," you say, "I have 542,371 followers on Twitter! If everyone donated £1.00 to my cause I would have £542,371.00!"
And it would work, if you were an uber-celebrity or you had a major amount of media behind you.
Chances are you don't have close personal relationships with 542,371 people. Chances are even further that if you got a hold of 542,371 email addresses and sent them an impassioned plea for them you would be seen as... wait for it... wait for it... a SPAMMER.
So chunk the idea that volume = instant goal. What you need is a targeted plan that covers a variety of ideas and cultivates your donors.
And by cultivation I mean "builds a relationship." You're not selling wrenches, you're promoting a cause that you have an emotional attachment to and are actively doing something for.
Let's play pretend!
You've sat down like a good girl/boy and made out your list of potential donors. It looks like this:
1. The affluent group (affluent in my world can give £50 or more).
2. Your work colleagues who you see almost every day.
3. Your friends who you gather with on Fridays.
4. Your friends from overseas.
5. Your Facebook/Twitter friends.
To throw marketing/sales speak - These are your target audiences. You need to sit down and think of ways in which to reach them. Ideas can be as such:
1. Affluent: Wine tasting at your home/Asking in person/Taking a group to dinner.
2. Work colleagues: Bake sale/Raffle/Asking in person
3. Friends: Spare change/Pasta party/Give up a beer for your cause
4. Overseas Friends: Email/Blog/Video/Call everyone over a set period
5. Facebook/Twitter: Donation Posts/Videos/Blogs/Fan Group
Once you pick your ideas and set them into motion there is a futher, final step: CULTIVATION. Reality is not everyone is going to pick up on your cause and throw money at you. You need to build relationships and seek engagement. Sometimes people can only provide moral support, and that is just fine, so long as you treat every single person you approach with respect and kindness. They are doing something for you, so always show appreciation - if it's £1.00 up to £1,000.00. Trust me, it makes good personal and good business sense.
So remember: Target. Diversify. Cultivate. Sticking to one thing (or hoping for one big one) won't get you to your goal. Sticking to your cause will.
Monday, 8 February 2010
Illness caught me.
So on Sunday I got up.
I went to the computer and planned out a 6.5 mile running route.
This running route was designed to take me back by my house "just in case."
I climbed upstairs.
Set out my running gear.
I look at the bed.
"Geez, I'm tired."
I climbed back into bed.
I woke up at 4PM.
Sometimes you can outrun the illness, sometimes it catches you. I got quite a bit of sleep yesterday and the bike into work didn't feel so awful.
We'll try running in tomorrow.
If that doesn't work, we'll try walking.
Set backs are set backs but they still suck.
I went to the computer and planned out a 6.5 mile running route.
This running route was designed to take me back by my house "just in case."
I climbed upstairs.
Set out my running gear.
I look at the bed.
"Geez, I'm tired."
I climbed back into bed.
I woke up at 4PM.
Sometimes you can outrun the illness, sometimes it catches you. I got quite a bit of sleep yesterday and the bike into work didn't feel so awful.
We'll try running in tomorrow.
If that doesn't work, we'll try walking.
Set backs are set backs but they still suck.
Saturday, 6 February 2010
4 miles.
Today I ran this many: http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=3458286
The whole time I was much more thirsty than normal. But it was good to be out, I didn't have to wear all my winter gear, and I didn't feel like dying the moment I got home.
I hope this is my only set back as I move forward. Really do.
The whole time I was much more thirsty than normal. But it was good to be out, I didn't have to wear all my winter gear, and I didn't feel like dying the moment I got home.
I hope this is my only set back as I move forward. Really do.
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