How To Help Oklahoma Tornado Victims (and Pets)

A man and two children walk through debris after a huge tornado struck Moore, OKla., near Oklahoma City, May 20. Photo via NBC News

The Salvation Army: The Salvation Army says it is activating disaster response teams and mobile feeding units to help residents and rescuers in Moore. To donate for the Salvation Army's tornado relief in Oklahoma please visit: https://donate.salvationarmyusa.org/uss/eds/aok

Kim Schwab looks over her destroyed home in south Oklahoma City, Monday, May 20, 2013.  Paul Hellstern, The Oklahoman via AP

Oklahoma Baptist Disaster Relief: This organization says donations will "go straight to help those in need providing tree removal services, laundry services and meals to victims of disasters." It is requesting monetary donations (It says clothing is NOT needed). For more information, and to donate, visit Oklahoma Baptist Disaster Relief's website.

Earlene Langley, left, hugs from her friend Jerry Dirks after a tornado hit Dirks' home on May 19 near Carney, Okla. Dirks was in the cellar when the tornado struck. Bryan Terry, The Oklahoman, via AP

United Way of Central Oklahoma:  A disaster relief fund is being activated as of May 21 so that individuals can specifically donated to tornado relief-and-recovery efforts, the organization says on its site. "Financial contributions are the best way to help unless otherwise requested." Donations can be made online at United Way of Central Oklahoma’s Disaster Relief Fund is open.  Donations may be made online here. Checks, with a notation of "May Tornado Relief" can also be sent to the United Way of Central Oklahoma, P.O. Box 837, Oklahoma City, OK , 73101

Leah Hill, of Shawnee, Okla., is hugged by friend Sidney Sizemore, as they look through Hill's scattered belongings from her home which was destroyed by a tornado, west of Shawnee, on May 19. Photo via NBC News

The Red Cross: The link to donate to the Red Cross' tornado relief in Oklahoma http://www.redcross.org/ok/oklahoma-city. Or use your cell phone to donate: Support #OKwx efforts - give online @SalvationArmyUSA.org or text "STORM" to 80888 2 make $10 donation #tornado

 Kay James holds her cat as she sits in her driveway after her home was destroyed by the tornado in Oklahoma City, Okla.  Chris Landsberger, The Oklahoman via AP

Let others know you're okay! Very critical in search & rescue efforts: The Red Cross is sending similar assistance. It is also working to link loved ones in Moore who are OK connect through a website called Safe and Well. The site is: www.safeandwell.org. People can enter their information on the site or use a search feature to see if their loved ones are listed. 

Photo by mikejenkinstv via Instagram

Misplaced Tornado Pets:

The Animal Resource Center is taking in pets misplaced by the tornado. We are located just north of Moore at the I-240/I-35 intersection. Their address is 7949 S. I-35 Service Road. Phone number is 405-604-2892

Moore Oklahoma Tornado Lost and Found Animals facebook page. Volunteers help residents who post photos of their lost animals. The volunteers will compare the pictures with photos they have seen elsewhere of found animals.

There are other established pages that are helping out such as Moore OK S OKC Lost and Found Pets, a lost and found animal page created in February. 

Maeghan Hadley, of One Day Ranch pet rescue, checks over a kitten pulled from under the rubble of a mobile home destroyed by Sunday's tornado in the Steelman Estates Mobile Home Park, near Shawnee, Okla., Monday, May 20, 2013. (AP Photo Sue Ogrocki)

 / SUE OGROCKI/AP

OU Sooners @UofOklahoma: The University of Oklahoma is opening up spaces in Housing for the displaced families! Call 405-325-2511

Seven-year-old Katrina Ash, right, holds a doll as she waits in the back of a truck with her grandfather, Michael Bowen, left, after a tornado ripped through their neighborhood near Dale, Okla., on May 19. Residents are not being allowed back into the neighborhood as search and rescue efforts take place. Photo by Sue Ogrocki / AP

Google Crisis Map: Google publishes crisis map to identify traffic, shelters, tornado track in wake of Oklahoma twister: http://google.org/crisismap/2013-oklahoma-tornado

Feeding America: Through its network of more than 200 food banks, Feeding America, whose mission is to "feed America's hungry through a nationwide network of member food banks," says it will deliver truckloads of food, water and supplies to communities in need, in Oklahoma, and will also "set up additional emergency food and supply distribution sites as they are needed." You can donate online here. Phone: 1-800-910-5524.

I Dig It! Tunes from the Tombs: A Festival of Music and Spirits Benefiting the Historic Oakland Foundation {GIVEAWAY}

The annual one-day event features musicians performing in and among Oakland's extraordinary monuments, mausoleums and renowned gardens. Several picturesque main stages host amplified artists, while buskers perform on vignette stages throughout the cemetery park. TUNES FROM THE TOMBS features musicians from Atlanta and beyond. 100% of proceeds go toward operations of the Historic Oakland Foundation. Call 404.688.2107 for more info. Map to Oakland Cemetery.

This year's line-up includes performances by Blair Crimmins and the Hookers, Old 4th Ward Afro-Klezmer Orchestra, Bird City Revolutionaries, The Bonaventure Quartet (featuring Amy Pike), Caroline and the Ramblers, Slim Chance and the Convicts, Rolling Nowhere, Little Country Giants, Wasted Potential Brass Band, and more!

Work In Progress: Refinishing Our Kitchen Table and Light Fixture Re-do

Hi everybody, I wanted to share just a quick update on my latest DIY project. I'm working on re-doing my kitchen nook and I found this amazing country table set on my neighborhood Goodwill. It was brown and really damaged. I still need to do the chair cushions and get some accessories for the wall. If you know me, you know I will probably get them at a local yard sale, or Goodwill. I never pay full price for things like these. The Chandelier, I bought it two years ago, also at Goodwill and I finally decided to put in use. Is painted in warm yellow and distressed for a more rustic look. It looks so pretty, and it makes the space so happy and cheerful.  I spent no more than 50 dollars in the table, chairs and chandelier. Sometimes being patient is worth the wait :) 

The Bottom Line on Happiness (VIDEO)

Andrew Oswald, professor of economics at the University of Warwick, tells Della Bradshaw that research shows happy employees add more to the bottom line. The man dubbed "professor of happiness" says trials have shown a 12 per cent increase in productivity if test subjects were made happier.

Products We Love: Moms Love Mombo™ Nursing Pillow

This post brought to you by Comfort and Harmony. All opinions are 100% mine.

When you are gearing up to have your baby there are certain essentials you must have. One of my must haves is hands down a nursing pillow. If you are breastfeeding your newborn you want your baby (and yourself) to be as comfortable as possible. Breast milk is widely acknowledged as the most complete form of nutrition for infants, with a range of benefits for infants' health, growth, immunity and development. Breastfeeding is the best way to improve your baby's health. 

Mombo has created a fantastic product, Moms love Mombo™  nursing pillow that has a unique shape and a two-sided design called Firm2Soft™, with each side offering a different experience. The firm side gives essential support for mommy and her nursing baby. The soft side is extra cozy—an inviting place for lounging or tummy time. And mombo is the only nursing pillow with a vibration feature, to give baby the ultimate soothing experience while lounging. Look for mombo’s assortment of pillow styles and slipcover fashions. Select your style from Standard, Deluxe or Nude™. Then choose multiple slipcover fashions so you'll always have a spare!

Pillows are available in Standard, Deluxe or Nude.  The Deluxe style features exclusive designs and premium fabrics.  The covers are removable for easy care and available separately so you'll always have a spare. The Moms Love Mombo nursing pillow starts at around $30 with covers starting around $13 each.  They are available at Toys R Us and Babies R Us.  Also be sure to check out all of the other mombo products that are available!

Stay up-to-date by "liking" Comfort & Harmony on Facebook and following Comfort & Harmony on Twitter.

Girl Rising Atlanta Screening Changing The World, One Girl At A Time

On May 13 CARE,  the leading humanitarian organization fighting global poverty, hosted a VIP screening of Girl Rising at the Midtown Art Cinema. With the help of 10x10, CARE is investing in adolescent girls in the developing world; helping to create a ripple effect of change that transforms families, communities and entire countries for generations. 

Girl Rising is a groundbreaking film, directed by Academy Award nominee Richard Robbins, which tells the stories of 9 extraordinary girls from 9 countries who who face arranged marriages, child slavery, rape, and other social injustices as they bravely battle to get educations. 

Each girl is paired with a renowned writer from her native country: Marie Arana (Peru), Edwidge Danticat (Haiti), Mona Eltahawy (Egypt), Aminatta Forna (Sierre Leone), Zarghuna Kargar (Afghanistan), Maaza Mengiste (Ethiopia), Sooni Taraporevala (India), Manjushree Thapa (Nepal), and Loung Ung (Cambodia).

These stories are narrated by celebrated actresses: Cate Blanchett (Haiti), Priyanka Chopra (India), Selena Gomez (Sierra Leone), Anne Hathaway (Afghanistan), Salma Hayek (Peru), Alicia Keys (Cambodia), Chloë Moretz (Egypt), Freida Pinto, Meryl Streep (Ethiopia), and Kerry Washington (Nepal). 

Girl Rising also features Freida Pinto and Liam Neeson, with original music 
from Academy Award-winner Rachel Portman and Lorne Balfe.

The girls act out stories adapted from their own lives by writers from their own countries, including Edwidge Danticat, AminaGta Forna and Manjushree Thapa and narrated by 9 renowned actresses. Despite these obstacles, the brave girls offer hope and inspiration. By getting an education, they're able to break barriers and create change. Girl Rising showcases the strength of the human spirit and the power of education to change the world and breaking the cycle of poverty.

10x10 is a social action organization seeking educational equality for underprivileged girls across the globe. Director Richard Robbins tells the moving stories of several of these girls, with help from some of the most recognizable female voices of today.

10x10 has partnered with Theatrical On DemandSM film distribution service, Gathr Films, to distribute Girl Rising to movie theaters around the country by request. That means Girl Rising will come to any community that “demands” it, as long as enough people reserve enough tickets online in advance to guarantee a screening. 

This innovative, crowd-sourced distribution model ensures that more people in more places will have the opportunity to see the film and get involved as agents of change. Hosting a screening of Girl Rising is one way that grassroots activists, campus organizations, corporate leaders, and committed individuals around the world can raise awareness about why educating girls matters to all of us. 

To donate and learn how you can bring Girl Rising to your community, please visit our the how to Gathr a screening page. Please watch the trailer and explore the film in detail at girlrising.com

Change Your Mind Change Your World: The Dalai Lama And Other Leaders Discuss Ways To Make The World a Healthier, Happier Place

On Wednesday, May 15, several of the world's foremost thinkers join the Dalai Lama in Madison to discuss how neuroscience, environments, economics, and healthcare can combine to make the world a healthier, happier place.

Panelists include; Dr. Richard J. Davidson, Dr. Jonathan Patz and Matthieu Ricard. Moderated by Arianna Huffington.

Wisconsin Public Television recorded two panel discussions featuring the Dalai Lama.