Madeline Cranston... Pint-Sized Tidal Wave

When Madeline Cranston stepped onstage at Ignite Charity: Waterloo heads turned and eyes grew wide. Being in the back, I thought I was witness to a speaker falling on her face because I couldn't see anyone up there. Then I lowered my gaze down and down until my eyes fell upon the sweetest speaker ever to grace an Ignite stage.

PHOTO FROM www.coolclicksplanet.com

Madeline is 9 years old and in 4th grade. She dreams of being a Marine Biologist and Conservationist. She's determined to save our oceans and all the marine life in them. She's an ambassador for AfriOceans Conservation Alliance (AOCA) and on Earth Day, she raised $250 through a bake sale with her Save the Shark club. She is also the creator of the Cool Clicks to Save Our Planet website.

Madeline's blog is a resting place for all links marine life on the web. She fundraises for oceana.org, AfriOceans and National Geographic, she blogs about planet saving tips like going vegetarian for a week, the dangers of plastic bags and her real-life marine biology heroes. She teaches us that there are more squirrel attacks in a year than shark attacks (I had no idea!) and that one pint-sized girl can have a heart as big as an ocean.

I created this site with the help of my mom who inspired me because she is a blogger.  I also wanted to blog because one day in Science, my teacher, Mrs. Bradley, told us about how little fresh water is left on our planet.  The amount has dropped a lot and it makes me really sad.  So sad that I cry whenever I think about it.  So, I want to tell you how to save water, how to save our oceans and the animals that live in it.  Our planet is precious.  Help me save it. - Madeline Cranston

Onstage, Madeline was confident. She held 270 captive adults in the palm of her hand, waiting to hear what she was going to say. When she stumbled slightly, the crowd cheered her on and at the end, a standing ovation, one of only a few I've seen after 13 Ignite events.

If Madeline can change the world, so can you. Here are a few of her tips on how you can make our Earth a better place:


I'm trying to help save our planet by doing little things everyday.  You can too.  Here are some tips:
* try being a vegetarian for a week. 
* buy a low flow toilet that uses rain water
* try to watch less television
* if you see trash (even if it isn't yours) pick it up and put it in the garbage
* recycle as much as you can 
* try not buy new things

Some of these tips may be harder than others to do.  Just try, okay?

Just try, okay? If for nothing else, don't we want to help keep our planet as beautiful as possible for the kids like Maddie?

PHOTO FROM www.coolclicksplanet.com

*This is part 2 in a series of 15 blogs detailing the amazing projects presented in the world's first ever Ignite Charity: Waterloo. For more info on Ignite Charity visit www.ignitecharity.ca and follow the conversation on twitter @IgniteCharity.

Jim Moss... Turning Small Gratitudes into a Big Movement

Right now, Jim Moss may be best known as a former professional lacrosse player in the NLL. At least, that's what Google thinks. But even the world's best search engine can be wrong at times, because what I know Jim for is something different... it's the Smile Epidemic.

In short history, Jim's an all-star athlete... from what I gather he's the kind of guy who'd be good at any sport he tried, even if he'd never heard of it before that day. In September of 2009, Jim started experiencing pain and swelling in his arms and hands and one day, found he could barely walk, his legs just weren't listening. Soon after he was diagnosed with Guillain-Barre Syndrome. It's an autoimmune disorder where the body's immune system attacks the nervous system and leaves inflammation that causes muscle weakness or paralysis, low blood pressure, difficulty breathing, fainting and other frightening symptoms.

So Jim started a gratitude journal called Why Moving Sideways is Actually Still Moving Forward... a place where he could heal through writing and where his family, friends and fans could keep in the loop on his progress. The blog is very insightful and heartwarming... even at the worst, you can still almost literally feel his upbeat attitude coming right at you through the computer screen.

Eventually, Jim, his wife Jennifer and their son moved back to Canada. Jim started at Wilfred Laurier University and is working towards a bachelor's degree in psychology. Now, Jim learns that he doesn't have Guillain_Barre Syndrome at all but an as yet to be diagnosed movement disorder and he's found a new calling that doesn't involve hurling rubber balls at people's heads. He became an instructor with The Happiness Enhancement Group and then launched The Smile Epidemic blog. 

The Smile Epidemic is a "shared digital gratitude journal" where readers send in pictures with their paper smiles and the simple things that make them happy. 

"Starbucks delivered - with a hug"

"Puppies"

"Great conversations"

"Big Bang Theory marathons"

"Being married to my best friend"

"Bonfires & family bonding"

These are just a few of the vast amount of smile provokers on the blog. One look at the cover page has me grinning from ear to ear.... really now, who can resist a great smile?

Jim also won a grant from the KW Awesome Foundation (we know the Awesome Foundation, now don't we? FoodLove won a grant in July 2011) to adapt The Smile Epidemic for schools.

In a world that can at times, be overwhelmingly sad and depressing, Jim Moss has given us a way to remember the little things that make life better. Whatever you're grateful for, be it your morning cup of coffee, a hug from a friend or a blog that reminds you that there are great people out there doing great things (meaning this blog, of course), why not take a picture and submit it to The Smile Epidemic? Be a part of the worldwide phenomenon of taking a moment to be grateful for what you have, because what we have is often all we need.

Smiling because of all the awesome events in Waterloo Region.

*This is part 1 in a series of 15 blogs detailing the amazing projects presented in the world's first ever Ignite Charity: Waterloo. For more info on Ignite Charity visit www.ignitecharity.ca and follow the conversation on twitter @IgniteCharity.

Igniting a Spark!

Ahhhh, the poor, poor neglected Baking the World a Better Place blog. It's not that I've been ignoring you, it's just... well... there are so many people out there that need help and you, dear blog, are in a place on the interwebs that nobody sees. I'd say it's not you, but it kinda is.

But things change, and life sometimes gives us opportunities that we didn't have before. Opportunities like the transition from being a business owner to being a full-time volunteer, mom and prospective college student on the path to a career change. So suddenly, while I'm still working with the same amount of hours each day, my time priorities have definitely shifted and the Better Place blog has found a bigger place in my heart, one where I will be able to share some amazing stories about amazing people.

Hopefully someone out there will find you, dear blog, and be inspired. 

Tomorrow, I will start on a 15 blog re-cap of the World's First Ignite Charity: Waterloo. If you haven't heard of Ignite events before, here's the 411:

The first Ignite was held in Seattle in 2006. It is now a global event, run exclusively by volunteers         and the speakers are each given 5 minutes to speak about their ideas, passion and projects. While speaking, 20 slides (usually relevant to the topic) auto-advance at a pace of 15 seconds each. Theoretically, the presentations "Ignite" the audience, spawning discussion and action on the subjects presented. 

The above has certainly been the case for every Ignite event I've attended, 13 of them now! It can be raw and emotional, heartfelt, funny, quirky and downright bizarre and by far, Ignite is one of my favourite events to attend.

When I heard organizers were bringing the World's first Ignite Charity to the stage, of course I knew I had to be a part of it. Charity is what I do. So through the action of a thoughtful Twitter friend I hadn't even met yet (thank you Tina!) I got my ticket and prepared myself for an evening of being surrounded by like-minded people. It was FABULOUS. 14 incredible speakers. Each of whom deserves more than   a paragraph describing their passion. So watch out tomorrow and for the next 15 days as I profile speakers, passions and causes you'll want to learn even more about.