A New Challenge – Assignment America

This month’s challenge from Beth at Playgroup Dropout is to eat cereal one or two nights a week and use the saved money to donate to a charity of your choice. She’s going to try and not eat out at all for a month and use the saved money to donate, as compared to her previous month’s expenses. She’s also giving us 6 weeks, so we don’t report back until April 2.

Well, I have nothing against cereal, in fact we used to do that in an effort to save money a few years back. My problem now lies in the fact that Landon seems to have a cow’s milk protein allergy. It’s one of the VERY few things that I can eat and that will pass through into my milk. (Nut proteins, caffeine, and alcohol do as well.) We have noticed when I do try and sneak in some form of milk that I suffer for it in the form of inconsolability in Landon. I’m lucky in that, some women even have to give up things like pancakes that are made with milk, in his case, it seems to be the raw milk that’s the issue. I haven’t had more than an ounce of cheese in a 24 hour period in like 2 months – and most days I get none. It’s enough to make a person stop breastfeeding, if she wasn’t so cheap and didn’t want to pay for formula. GOD, I MISS CHEESE. Hello, My name is Kristine, and I’m a cheese-aholic. Not to mention that I miss my daily glass of milk. Oh and Rice Dream (Rice milk’s answer to ice cream) is $7 for a quart – are you FREAKING KIDDING ME?

This is not to say that he will not grow out of it, because chances are, that he will, they say about 20% of infants have this allergy, and grow out of it by the time they are 1. The less of it I drink/eat and the less he eats/drinks of it – the better chance he has of growing out of it – and it just pretty much means keeping him away from cow’s milk and milk products until he’s over one. I’m sure this will prove more difficult as he ventures into “solid” food and people start trying to feed him stuff he’s not supposed to have, but we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it – just think for a second about the things you eat that you would give a toddler that have milk in them…mashed potatoes, pudding, ice cream, macaroni and cheese, pretty much anything with cheese on it. The mind boggles.

Wait, what was I talking about? Oh right – charity. Yeah, so cereal is out – have you ever eaten cereal with Orange Juice on it? BLEGH. This year, we decided to eat more at home anyway, budgetary constraints – trying to be a little healthier, etc. So I’m already cooking at home more. But I do think I can find some little ways to save. I doubt it will be much, but it will be some, and the idea is that I make a sacrifice in order to give a little. It’s doable.

What I need, are ideas for a charity to which I should donate. Originally this was meant to go to children, so a children’s charity of some kind would be ideal, but I’m open to any suggestions. And now…for “Assignment America” – I need at least 5 suggestions before I post again….so get on it.