GG’s First Giveaway – For a Very Good Cause!

Grading Girl’s First Giveaway!!

October 13th update:  The winner of this giveaway is Stefanie Dell’Aringa.  She will receive a set of the Yum Yum Time Bowls!  Check out her beautiful poem:

Unwrap Me
by Stefanie Dell’Aringa

Scout’s honor, this is my life:
I feel like an Egyptian mummy
being wrapped in slow motion from the feet up
My insides are like pottery breaking
As the python cloth squeezes
Unwrap me, please, and let me be a boy again
Because my ankles are tired
And I don’t like the word “prosthetic”
If Star Wars was real, I’d light saber myself
Out of this mess
Hurry, and find me a cure
Until then, I’ll go outside
I’ll blow hot, angry air into my trumpet
I’ll eat cake. Sweet!
I’ll decide I can wait
And then I’ll go to bed and dream
Of a ladder made of Legos
That reaches straight to heaven
and it doesn’t hurt to climb it

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

A few years ago, I stumbled upon the most adorable bowls that offer portion control with a smile. These unique little conversation pieces are perfectly portioned for snacks – nuts, fruit, candy . . . you name it.  I have two sets and bought another one for my brother and another for my mom.  These are the subjects, in fact, of one of Grading Girl’s first reviews.  Check it out for details:  Yum Yum Time

Well, since purchasing these bowls and writing my review, I’ve sadly learned that Tracy Adler’s 9-year old son, Elliot, has been diagnosed with CMT2 (Charcot Marie Tooth) in October of 2007 when he was 7 years old.  In a nutshell, his nerves are dying – starting at his toes.  Right now, Elliot must wear braces on his legs while he fights very hard to not let this stop him from doing all the things he wants to do – a very heavy task for a young, brave boy!  There is not much awareness out there of this degenerative disease much less the funds for research.  Perusing the Hereditary Neuropathy Foundation website, I shockingly discovered that so little is known about this that many people undergo years of testing before being diagnosed because most doctors cannot even recognize the symptoms!!!  As the disease progresses, many people have to wear braces constantly and/or use a wheelchair.  In the worst cases, CMT can impair breathing or even death.   As Tracy writes on Elliot’s blog, whatever nerve and subsequent muscle loss he experiences between now and a cure will most likely be gone forever. So a cure is not only important – but time is of the essence.

To help raise much needed awareness of this horrible disease, Grading Girl is hosting a contest:

CMT – GG’s Challenge for Awareness

Tracy Adler has graciously offered to giveaway a set of her YumYum dishes (set of four/one of each color) to the lucky person who writes:

• a short poem illustrating the perseverance of this brave boy OR
• a statement that pinpoints what CMT is

• no minimum or maximum length
• if you’re penning a poem, it does not have to rhyme

• the statement or poem that touches the heart of this boy’s bravery will win the set.  I’m not looking for Shakespeare, only true genuine words!

Here’s all you need to do:

1.  Go to Elliot’s blog titled Elliot’s Corner and read a couple of his (short) blogs to find out about his condition.

2.  Come back to this blog on Grading Girl.  Submit your poem via replying with a comment.

3.  Please submit by Monday, October 12th.  The winner will be notified within a few days of the deadline and will receive his/her Yum Yum dishes!!

Elliot’s blog is at http://elliotadlerscorner.blogspot.com/

Tracy Adler’s Snackware site is www.yumyumdish.

Find out more about CMT at Hereditary Neuropathy Foundation

Elliot has his own Twitter account and updates regularly.  Following him is a joy @ElliotsCorner.  Tracy also updates on Elliot’s condition @TracyAdler.  Follow them both!

Yum Yum Time

Feeding my all-things-mini obsession, I purchased my second set of these adorable bowls. Yum Yum Dishes™ measure four ounces, the perfect size for portioning snacks. They come in a set of four, one of each color. In this American “Super Size Me” society, it’s hard to stop munching after one serving, let alone even know how much one serving really is. Many parents purchase these adorable servers for children’s snacks, but they’re perfect for any size person. For instance, fill a bowl with chips and, magic, you have an actual serving instead of the whole bag temptation. Life is too serious for us to take our snacks seriously, so the cheery message at the bottom of the bowl, “Yum Yum Time is over,” is our extra credit for eating healthy portions. Of course, I haven’t only used these for snacks. I serve condiments in them because who wants an ugly ketchup bottle sitting on the table?! One or two of these little guys has been known to sneak on my desk, holding paper clips as well. The price of $22/set is as miniature as the bowls themselves.

Tracy Adler first introduced The Yum Yum Dish™ at her former restaurant, Café on the Square in Asheville, North Carolina. There, she served appetizers and desserts in these adorable bowls to help her customers portion control. Amen! GG wants to know when others will catch on!  I purchased a set of these for my bro and sis-in-law long before my little niece was born.  They loved the bowls for snacking themselves and, as you can see in the picture below, they’re perfect now for feeding the newest member of the family complete meals:

On a serious side note, Tracy sold her restaurant in preparation to move her family to Atlanta to live closer to a major university hospital.  Her eight year-old son, Elliot, was diagnosed with CMT –  Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease.  CMT is one of the most common, incurable neurological disorders that affect 1 in 2,500 people.  Elliot’s nerves are dying beginning with his toes, and there is desperate need for a cure.  To read more about Elliot’s courageous fight against the disease and/or to donate to H.E.L.P., Help Elliot Live Proud, visit his blog at Elliot’s Corner.  Tracy graciously gave Grading Girl one set of Yum Yum dishes for a poetry contest last year.  Check out the winner and deets of that contest here:  GG’s First Giveaway.     Additionally, discover the whole story behind the Yum Yum dishes at www.yumyumdish.com and pick up your own set.  They are worth every penny (and they’re not too many pennies, at that!).

Grading Girl gives these bowls an A for adorableness and practicality, plus bonus points for excellent customer service.  Grading Girl gives Elliot and the Adler family an A+ for their courageousness in fighting CMT!!  My thoughts and prayers go out to the family.