Monday, January 30, 2012

Highlight It Blue LAUNCH



Wow.

I am doing it.  It is REAL.  We have a location, we have a stylist (with more to come!) and we have a plan!  I am so excited I can hardly stand it!  If you are in our neighborhood, please check out our FB page and join us!!!

So, I have had a few of you loyal readers (I am still shocked I have loyal readers) ask me how to do this?  Since I am making it up as I go along, I will give you my recipe.  Alter to taste!

1.  Pick a local autism charity group.  There are a lot of wonderful causes out there... my take is consider a group that is doing wonderful work at a local level and fundraise for them.   Go bigger if you like, but I love the idea of raising money for the people in my own community.

2.  Find some amazing stylists who are willing to volunteer their time.  Partner with them to get the materials and to set the donation you will ask for.

3.  Find a place to do it.

4. Advertise... flyers, posters, Facebook, etc.

5. Organize people to help run it.  Friends, family, etc... you might even consider other organizations like therapy centers to volunteer their time for a little free advertising.

6.  Hold your event!  Provide A TON of free information about autism so that the Highlighted can go out and educate the world!!!  Or at least the old lady at work who will wonder why you have blue in your hair!!!!

Let's Highlight It Blue!!!


Friday, January 27, 2012

What No One Ever Told Me

You know....

... when you dream about having kids there are many things that you never think of.

You know you won't get a lot of sleep. You will probably be a little poorer in the wallet (but richer in the heart, of course).   Your relationship with your spouse will become different.  Your time will not be your own.  And of course, you know that you will change.

But there are some things... some specific things... that just never occurred to me.  Believe it or not, it wasn't autism.  That actually did occur to me.  Heck, I am an NICU nurse with multiple degrees in developmental psychology...  I am sure you can't even begin to guess the number of different things that did occur to me.   I promise you... I over thought the whole thing.

But boy, I missed some stuff.

Like Power Rangers.

Did you know there are 17 different Power Ranger series?  Not shows.... series!  Did you also know that you can get all of them on Netflix streaming?  Yes, you can.  And did you know that... if you watch them often enough..you might actually begin to rate your favorites?  Become involved in plot lines?  Slowly see your brain cells whittled down to the point where you actually keep watching it even when the kid has left the room?

So tonight I was hanging out with the J-man watching the newest series he has discovered (Power Rangers Wild Force), when a thought crossed my mind.

'Hey', I thought, ' I wonder if any of these actors ever did anything else after they were a Power Ranger?  I mean, all those Disney kids get contracts to eventually be in some movie... but the Power Rangers?  I don't think I have seen any of them go on to fame and fortune.  Is being a Power Ranger the kiss of death for one's acting career?'

I couldn't get this thought out of my head.  Big Daddy said "Google it", so I did.

Did you know that Wikipedia has an exhausting source of information on the Power Rangers?  And every Power Ranger actor there has been?  I found myself doing research about what other shows the Power Rangers actors have done outside of the Power Rangers domain.  I stuck mostly to my favorite series, Power Rangers Jungle Fury.

(Yes, I have a favorite series.  Don't judge!)

What I learned was that most of them went on to do other kids shows or some more B-rated stuff.  You know, the "straight to video" stuff.  But then, I discovered that my favorite Power Ranger,

(Yes, I have a favorite.  Weep for me)

Wolf Ranger RJ... aka David de Lautour..  is in the new Fox series Touch.  Which is coincidentally a show about an autistic child whose ability to see patterns gives him some kind of superhuman ability to predict the future. I haven't seen the show yet, so I have no idea if it is any good.  Anyhow...

And I feel like I have come full circle.

Then I realize I have spent a good chunk of time cruising the Internet looking up the career paths of Power Ranger Jungle Fury actors, and know that I really need a life.

Seriously.

Lord help me.




Sunday, January 15, 2012

Highlight It Blue


So, I had this genus idea.  Dye my hair blue for April, which is Autism Awareness month.  In reality, it is because I am over 40 and want a reason to do something super funky with my hair.... Cause, you know, forty year old mommies can't just dye their hair blue for FUN.  

Autism Speaks has a campaign they do every year for Autism Awareness month called "Light it up Blue for Autism".  They encourage people to change the exterior lights of their homes to blue to display support and encourage awareness. 

Dude, we live on a circle.  We have maybe 6 neighbors who would see it.  Not enough!  Plus, how am I suppose to educate ANYONE on autism with a blue light?  Like someone is gonna stop at my house and say "hey, what is up with the blue light?".   No, we need something more "in your face".  Something I carry with me.  Something out of character.  

Blue hair. 

And one thing led to another and....  allow me to reveal my latest effort:


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Highlight It Up Blue for Autism 
Creating Autism Awareness while looking Super Fly
Highlight It Up Blue is a local autism awareness campaign and fundraising event that we are looking to launch at the beginning of April.  
The Purpose:  Provide people opportunities to learn and educate about autism through sporting funky blue hair extensions for the month of April.  
How it works:  For a small donation to United for Autism, participants will have blue hair extensions placed in their hair by our volunteer professional hairstylists.  They will also be given education materials about autism, and be encouraged to spread the word about autism: what it is, how it affects children and adults, and how we can help.  We will encourage these participants to pass on the word by educating their friends, family and even perfect strangers about the purpose of their super-fly blue hair extensions.  
Who it is for:  Anyone!!  Old or young, male of female!  (well, I guess you do need hair?)  Let me know if you want to be on our email update list to participate!!!
Wanna help?  Contact me pia.prenevost@gmail.com  We are still looking to solidify a location for this event!  Volunteers welcome! (Super Fly poster draft done by Tahni Cullen.)

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As you can see, I am still in the beginning stages!  In addition to a awareness campaign, I have also decided to use it as a fundraising effort for United for Autism, a local group providing support to families dealing with autism in their lives.  They do education, seminars, and provide sensory friendly activities for our ASD loved ones.  How cool is that!  I am keeping it local, cause you know... that is how I roll.  But if you live elsewhere and want to blatantly steal my idea, go for it!!!  Wouldn't it be cool if there was a whole lot of blue haired old ladies (or men) running around in April?!  And by blue, I mean BLUE!


FEEDBACK PLEASE!!  Thoughts and ideas!!!!  Yes, YOU!

Friday, January 13, 2012

And for those who Doubted ...

... I present to you....

J-man reads "There's a Mouse in the House"





See.  I wasn't crazy or delusional.  Do NOT underestimate the J-man.

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