Instacart Launches the #GiveFromTheCart Challenge

by Jennifer SwartvagherJuly 14, 2020

Instacart just announced the #GiveFromTheCart Challenge, a giving campaign to benefit Feeding America and fight hunger in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Through this campaign, Instacart is inviting consumers to turn their grocery cart into good by donating the value of their last grocery cart to Feeding America to help support communities most affected by the growing food insecurity crisis.To kick off the challenge, Serena Williams and her family made the first donation of 50,000 meals to Feeding America for those who need it most.

From today until Aug. 14, 2020, every dollar raised will go to help fight hunger and Instacart will match each donation, up to 1 million meals to Feeding America’s member food banks in support of the #GiveFromTheCart Challenge.

“Our mission is to create a world where everyone has access to the food they love and more time to enjoy it together. We’re proud to partner with Feeding America on the #GiveFromTheCart Challenge to help increase access to food at a time when more people than ever before are grappling with food insecurity in the wake of COVID-19,” said Apoorva Mehta, Founder and CEO, Instacart. “We believe that groceries are more than just food – they’re an expression of warmth and connection. We invite people everywhere to turn their groceries into good and #GiveFromTheCart to donate the value of their last grocery cart to help a family in need.”

“The COVID-19 pandemic has put an incredible strain on the Feeding America network food bank as we work to address the increased demand for food assistance in communities we serve,” said Casey Marsh, Chief Development Officer at Feeding America. “We are thankful to Instacart and their customers for helping to support our neighbors in need. Donations from the #GiveFromTheCart Challenge will help food banks provide more meals to people who need them most.”

“I’m so grateful to be partnering with Instacart and Feeding America for the #GiveFromTheCart Challenge — together we are working to fight rising food insecurity,” said Serena Williams. “I am kicking off the challenge by donating 50,000 meals, and I hope you’ll join me in supporting the communities that need our help the most right now.”

Consumers can visit www.givefromthecart.com to donate the value of their last grocery cart, or any amount they choose, to Feeding America. Every dollar raised will go to help fight hunger and Instacart will match each donation, up to 1 million meals to the Feeding America network of food banks in support of the #GiveFromTheCart Challenge.

Instacart is also inviting consumers to help raise awareness of rising hunger by gathering groceries from their fridges and pantries, forming them into the shape of a heart, taking a photo and sharing it across their social channels. This heart-shaped grocery photo is the social symbol of the #GiveFromTheCart Challenge and, once posted across social channels, will help encourage friends and family to turn their groceries into good to help families in need. When sharing their grocery hearts on social channels, we encourage customers to tag @Instacart, @FeedingAmerica, #GiveFromTheCart, and share the #GiveFromTheCart Challenge donation page: www.givefromthecart.com.

—Jennifer Swartvagher

All photos courtesy of Instacart

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How Raising Teens Made Me a Better Human

By Shelby Spear

Tinybeans Voices Contributor

April 9, 2020

The litany of challenges facing teens in today’s modern culture mocks the floodwaters of generations past. Public is the new private for adolescents. Hard to fathom swimming in such shark infested waters when already weighed down by insecurities, body changes, and conflicting self-awareness. As a veteran teen raiser, I’m amazed by the tenacity exhibited by the Millennial population considering the ill-effects of growing up in a projector screen society.

Making matters worse is the fact teens are crazy. Not an insult, but a scientific statement. The frontal lobe of a human brain, the thing in our head capable of discerning, “If I do this, then that will happen”, doesn’t reach full development until the late twenties. Quite a ca ca meme scheme drummed up by our Creator. What was he thinking allowing a parent’s worst nightmare to coincide with a parent’s worst nightmare, i.e. teenager AND non-working brain?

Pff.

As a mom who at one point housed three cards short of a full deck under her roof at the same time, I found little solace in the irony. Until I did. Rapid cycling emotions and bewildering fads aside, teenagers have more of a grip on the world than adults give them credit for.

After being a teen, raising a teen offers an enlightening juxtaposition of reason. As a parent, you have the benefit of wisdom and experience; bi-products of evolved forward-thinking. The knowledge both snares you with exasperation when your teen does something stupid, and strokes you with benevolence when considering your jaded past. But because you can better see Yellowstone beyond the pine in your face, when your kid cries, “Uh, I never thought of that”, it’s easy to fume, “How on earth could you not see this coming?”

Choosing to accept the third world make-up of our teen’s brain gives them some leeway to screw up. And screw-up they will. On repeat. Just like we did. Multiple times over.

Today’s teens face temptations, communication mediums, and generational juggernauts leap years ahead of the challenges present in the seventies and eighties. The narcissistic pretense of instant everything, evil of streaming porn, and ever-widening availability of addictive substances on neighborhood street corners creates a vacuum of disasters waiting to happen. And this is only the short list of crouching lions looking to pounce on a teen’s well-being.

Becoming wise to the nuances of the current teen streetscape helped me recognize my parent pride and ignorance. My husband and I chose to build a bridge between our personal teen experience and our kids harrowing reality. Because teens can sniff out a hypocrite a magnificent mile away, we were transparent about our mistakes, poor choices, and misguided pursuits. Walking across the plank towards independence “together” built rock-solid trust between us.

Teens also endure a perpetual balancing act on the high wire of change. Hormonal, emotional, physical, spiritual, relational, communal, psychological metamorphosis all coalesce on the road from dependence to independence. The upheaval creates an even greater need for teens to love and be loved. A longing which, at a genuine level, requires depth and certitude, honesty and freedom—all things grossly contorted in the era of technology.

The 24/7 world of texting, snapping, posting, and tweeting about everybody’s business shallows even the best-intentioned waters. The incessant cyber gibber and constant contact waters down and glosses over authentic relationship. The result is a cesspool of insecurity reflecting the illusion of meaningful connection.

Observing my teens navigate these waters weighed on my heart. I grew to appreciate the vital importance of the following truths:

Today’s adolescents need caring adults to model authentic communication; a give and take of listening and sharing based on trust and appreciation. The teenage brain functions in the now. Therefore, it is imperative to express our gratitude, acceptance, understanding, and compassion today even if we are still fuming over their failures, mishaps, and antics tomorrow. We need to meet our teen right where they are, not where we hope they will be or wish they were already. Teenagers desire to be known for who they are, what they stand for, and what they believe whether we agree or not. Even though their journey of self-awareness is still ongoing, accepting them at each step along the way breeds hope.

Parenting through teendom transformed me into the woman I am today. The footprint I leave on the world will include, in large part, the influence of my beautiful kids in their most difficult years. The mini battles around expectations, drawn-out wars over rules, peer drama, emotional storms, adversity et al, and haphazard mania refined my spirit. And the blessing of raising them is a purified soul.

The reality is, raising teens made be a better human. For years leading up to this stage, I worried and vexed and grayed while assuming the formidable stage would be a disaster. I thought for sure I’d fail as a mom and screw up my miracles for good. Until I didn’t. Thank you, the mystique of prayers, Goose over ice, and God’s grace.

Enjoy your teens. Learn from them. Love them hard. Pray for them harder.

Love your teens, crazy Mommas!

This article originally appeared on Huffington Post.

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Shelby Spear

Tinybeans Voices Contributor

A self-described “sappy soul whisperer/sarcasm aficionado,” Shelby is a wife of 27 years & mom of three millennials. She co-authored How Are You Feeling, Momma? (You don't need to say, "I'm fine.") Her stories are in print at Guideposts, online at sites like Her View From Home and Parenting Teens & Tweens, and at shelbyspear.com. Get 3 FREE chapters of Shelby's book

Sometimes You Need to Seize the Day (Here’s How I Make It Happen as a Single Mom)

By Angela Jones

Tinybeans Voices Contributor

April 29, 2019

A couple years ago, I wrote a post called Adventures in Single Motherhood. I had recently been divorced and I was crippled with insecurity and fear which had an immense effect on my sense of adventure. Since my divorce, I have done some intense rebuilding. A tearing down to the studs and starting over type of rebuilding.

I have read lots of books and done lots of work to undo the damage which was causing the insecurity and fear. In my self-assessment, I discovered that the number one, most important thing in my life that brings me joy is adventure. Aside from parenting, of course, but we’re talking about trying to reignite the spark within me and figure out what apart from being a mom makes me tick.

Two years ago, my family and I decided we were going to embark on an adventure to the UK to reconnect with our family’s roots. We decided the summer of 2019 was the year we were going. We hadn’t all been there together as a family since 1982, and I hadn’t been back myself since the early 90’s.

My daughter has been obsessed with London since she was about 4-years-old and when her best friend went two years ago, she lost her mind with jealousy. This was going to be a special trip.

But when it came time to actually book everything, schedules, life and outside priorities got in the way, and one by one family members started dropping like dominos, until the last two pieces standing were my daughter and I.

I’m so much more confident than I was two years ago, when we lived in Phoenix and I didn’t have the guts to travel the four-hour drive to the Grand Canyon with my daughter by myself. But I wasn’t sure I could do a two-week stint in a foreign country alone with my 11-year-old. I also knew opportunities for these types of adventures don’t come around often, and sometimes you need to seize the day!

I started to warm up to the idea of doing the trip alone – a special mother daughter trip. When I told my daughter the family trip had fallen apart and it was just her and I left, she didn’t skip a beat when she asked, “Well, can we just go by ourselves, then?” And I didn’t skip a beat when I replied, “Of course we can.”

Two days later our trip was booked. She helped pick the hotels, we got our British Rail pass, {because why stop at visiting one country, let’s visit two} and we made a list of all the things we want to do while we’re there. No pub crawls for mom, but it will still be the adventure of a lifetime!

The journey of single motherhood has been an interesting one to say the least. It’s a difficult adjustment to make, going from life with a partner, back to life on your own, but with a little help, and a lot of self-love that has reignited the spark within me, we have settled into a groove. We are ready for the next adventure! Because the wanderlust never left, I just needed a reminder that the power was always within me.

Angela Jones

Tinybeans Voices Contributor

Angela is a freelance writer/publicist. She loves coffee and wine, and spends her days filling her 9 year-old daughter’s head with 1970’s and 80’s pop culture. She has a rescue cat named Violet, as in Beauregarde, and don't play 80’s Trivial Pursuit with her, because she wins every time.

5 Easy Ways to Encourage Kids to Do Good

by Jennifer Massoni PardiniMarch 11, 2019

From brushing teeth to recognizing letters, preschoolers pick up a remarkable amount before kindergarten. Softer skills like kindness and the motivation to “do good” are just as important, but can feel challenging to tailor to a young crowd. Good news! The title characters of Corn & Peg produced by Nelvana Studios and the latest show from Nickelodeon, are always up to good in their community of Galloping Grove. For more inspiration, we rounded up 5 easy ways to get the good deeds going early and often in your family and community.

1. Help Out At Home
Home really is our first community. There are different people to consider, common spaces to share, and rules to make everything run smoothly. And because preschoolers nearly always want to be involved with what you’re doing, make a fun activity out of it when you can. Ever seen a kid’s glee with a spray bottle? Let them wash the windows! Finding those ways to let them help gives them feelings of satisfaction and accomplishment—wonderful rewards for doing good that might just make them feel like little superheroes, too, the way Corn and Peg, do.

2. Volunteer Together
Whether it’s a neighborhood garden project or an informal beach cleanup day, keep your eye out for activities you and your kiddo or the whole family can participate in. The experiences enrich the young lives you’re raising and show them the fruits of their labor, like a cleaner beach for all to enjoy. By the time community service is expected of them later in school, it will already be second nature.

3. Express Appreciation Wherever You Go
In Galloping Grove, for instance, Corn and Peg’s good deeds might help out a postal worker, the sheriff, or the mayor. Similarly, get kids in the habit of thanking those who serve the community at large. Let them help pick out gifts for Teacher Appreciation Day, bring a drawing to that next doctor’s appointment and simply say “thank you” to whomever lends a hand throughout your day.

4. Trot the Talk
The phrase “food insecure” has come to the forefront, so go ahead and teach it to your kids, who may share the lunch table with kids who don’t have as much as they do or run up against food insecurity themselves at some point in their schooling. Raise the topic organically, as you involve a kid in meal prep. Or, the next time a picky toddler rejects a homemade meal, talk about “food waste” and what can be done with food we don’t finish.

5. Be on the Litter Lookout
Kids notice everything! Whether you’re at the playground, out on a soccer field or hiking a trail, they can pretend to be little litter police and have fun while doing good, just like Corn and Peg. Make it a habit of carrying an extra bag for some trash pick-up from time to time. Leaving common spaces a little cleaner than you found them benefits—and respects—everyone.

Get excited about Corn & Peg by watching this fun video:

Tune in weekdays to Nickelodeon to catch fun-filled original content your kids will love. Catch clips of “Corn & Peg” here anytime!

—Jennifer Massoni Pardini

These Are the Best States in America for Babies to Grow Up Healthy & Happy

by Shahrzad WarkentinMarch 5, 2019

Where a baby is born and lives for its first few years of life can have a significant impact on their overall well-being. New research highlights the best states for kids to grow up healthy and happy.

A new report released by early childhood development nonprofit ZERO TO THREE and nonpartisan research organization Child Trends reveals the many challenges that babies can face during their early years of life, including food insecurity and unstable housing. The report titled the State of Babies Yearbook: 2019, found that as many as 45 percent of infants and toddlers live in poor or low-income households.

photo: Bruce Mars via Pexels

By highlighting how each state ranks in specific areas, like health, strong families and positive early learning experiences, the report hopes to create more awareness of the obstacles that babies face in growing up and in hopes that policies will be redesigned to meet their needs.

“The first three years of life will shape every year that follows, and development during this time has an enormous impact on how a child learns and grows throughout his or her lifetime,” said Myra Jones-Taylor, chief policy officer at ZERO TO THREE. “Rather than labeling babies ‘at-risk,’ we should stamp ‘unlimited potential’ on each tiny onesie to change the frame for policymaking.”

Based on the report’s findings the states in the Northeast ranked the highest in all three categories, while States in the Northeast and West were more likely to score in the top two tiers of states across all three areas. States in the West also ranked second highest in Good Health. To learn more about how your own state ranks check out the full report here.

—Shahrzad Warkentin

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10 Inspirational Parenting Quotes for Parents to Live By

By Dr. Surbhi Prapanna

Tinybeans Voices Contributor

January 1, 2017

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Parenting is a hilarious journey. Raising the kids is one of the toughest but fulfilling jobs in the world. And being a mom of two cute dolls I am enjoying this thrilling ride with powerful mixed of emotions every day. There are many moments when my dolls are utterly delightful and give me an immense sense of pride and joy instantly, but there are some days when our kids seem to push our buttons and it is difficult to be the calm and patient parent that we usually are on good parenting days. During those days I have really no idea that how am I going to make it until their bedtime. The constant demand, the needs makes me crazy sometimes.

Whenever I am feeling close to losing it myself, I often prefer to use some relaxing techniques. I try to carve out more me time. Think of something inspiring to calm me down really helps me a lot. And reading the positive inspiring quotes is one of my favourite strategies that moved me in positive direction instantly.

Sometimes, little words of wisdom can go a long way. I believed that “positive parenting quotes” are the great tool to positively influence your thinking and helps a lot to survive on bad parenting days. Here I am sharing a handful of my favourite quotes, hoping it will help bring a little perspective and inspiration to all of us. And you would also enjoy it.

Being a parent we always want to make our kids just perfect and expect correct things from them. As parents, we always had never ending expectations from our kids. We lived in a world that is filled with insecurity and negativity. But it is not the end of hope; if you add the power of love, hope and faith together we still can raise a happy, confident and positive child in this negative world.

“when you put faith, hope and love together, you can raise positive kids in a negative world”

Getting your love is the first thing that every child need, and showering your love in any form is a vital step to their emotional development.

“Always kiss your children goodnight, even if they are already asleep”

We are the busiest parent, we are always in hurry, and we just want to achieve everything. As a parent, we become jaded and need something spectacular to amaze them, but children find delight in everything around them. To them, every little thing is wondrous because they are still in learning and exploratory stage.

“There are no seven wonder of the world in the eyes of a child but there are seven million.”

We lived in a materialistic world but there is one thing that is beyond these materialistic pleasures, that is “our time”. Our presence and guidance are much more precious than any other gifts.

“Your child needs your presence more than your presents.”

It is true that we are the “role model” for our kids. We are the first mentor of our kids. So be a little cautious because actions speak louder than the words. Never permit ourselves to do anything that we are not willing to see our kids do.

“We should never permit ourselves to do anything that we are not willing to see our children do.”

There are no magic ingredients for a happy family. Just add the power of love, gratitude and respect for each other and then see the magic.

“Make good use of time and cherish what we have. Treat one another with love, respect and gratitude”.

Practising mindfulness is very important. Being in the moment, enjoy togetherness is a true treasure of life. And as the parent, it is the best gift that we could ever get. It is true that we need to slow down to speed up.

“I have observed that sometimes we need to slow down to speed up. Busy and faster does not always lead to bigger and better.”

Each child is unique with different learning st‌yle and capabilities. Let them what they are and enjoy the true spirit of parenthood.

“Children are not colouring books; you do not need get to fill them with your favourite colours”.

Spending quality time with kids and making a good interaction have profoundly positive effects on their cognitive and emotional development. It is the best way to shower your love and affection for your kids. It is more precious than any expensive toy.

“Interacting with mom and dad will help develop a child’s cognitive skills. Toys are great but you are far superior to any item you can buy.”

Words are powerful, use them wisely. Just because we think it, does not mean that they automatically know it. Appreciate your kids; share your proud feeling of them. Sharing your positive thoughts is the foundation of long-term success and happiness.

“Never hesitate to tell your kids, you are proud of them. The effects of making your parents proud should never be underestimated.

I hope you enjoyed the reading these inspiring quotes, which one you liked most? Do you have any favourite inspiring quotes? Please share with us. I would love to read it. Until then happy parenting!

Do you have a story to share with our readers? We want to hear it! Sign up for our Spoke Contributor Network and start submitting your writing today.

Dr. Surbhi Prapanna

Tinybeans Voices Contributor

I am a homeopathic physician and mom of two lovely daughters. I love reading, writing, crafting and spending quality time with my kids.Although I had 5 years of clinical and teaching experience in homeopathy, but the most indelible experience of my life is being a mom of two cute dolls.

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