Hershey’s Better Basket Blog Hop is a pay it forward movement. This blog hop, where you’ll give a virtual Easter Basket to a fellow blogger and ask them to include it in their post, Hershey’s will donate $10 to Children’s Miracle Network for each post. Hershey’s is continuing its legacy of giving. You can add a blurb about a random act of kindness, paying it forward, etc. if you wish too.

I’m passing my virtual Easter Basket to those friends that I emailed and to anyone who wishes to take it. Please pass it on. Important – Posts from any country are accepted.

Here’s my virtual Easter Basket for you to take:

Be sure to follow these rules so that your blog post will be counted for a donation from Hershey’s:

• Copy and paste these *rules to your blog post.
• Create a blog post of giving a virtual Easter Basket to another blogger – you can give as many Virtual Baskets as you want.
• Link back to person who gave you an Easter Basket.
• Let each person you are giving a Virtual Easter Basket know you have given them a Basket.
• Leave your link at http://betterbasket.info/bloghop/ where you can also find the official rules of this #betterbasket blog hop and more information about Better Basket with Hershey’s.
• Hershey’s is donating $10 per each blog participating to the Better Basket Blog Hop to Children’s Miracle Network (up to total of $5,000 by blog posts written by April 4th, 2010).
• Please note that only one blog post by each blog url will count towards the donation.

I was given the honor to take part in a real Better Basket event where my family and I bought everything we needed to make 3 Easter Baskets and then gave them away to children in need. My daughter, Sammi, made me so proud when she chose to not get a basket this year and instead use the money to go to these Easter baskets.

With a gift card provided by Hershey’s and Collective Bias I bought the delicious Reece’s Peanut Butter Eggs, Hershey’s chocolate bunnies, Reece’s plastic eggs filled with chocolate, and much more candy. I also got the baskets, decorations and some toys. We decided to add some extra goodies and gave the Foster Parent Association Of Hernando soaps, shampoo, and toys for families to use to allow the foster parents to buy other needed items. Along with the two baskets that we gave to a local elementary school for 2 needy children, we added music CDs and school supplies.

The joy of taking part in this was more than I imagined. While making the baskets, my Mom, who is going through radiation treatment for breast cancer smile and laugh. Sammi was thrilled to be the one to be creating the baskets this year and to know that she is doing something to help someone. I was so thrilled to be with my family and know that the outcome would be more smiles from children we don’t even know. I also realized that we forgot our worries and focused on others.

Better Baskets taught me that paying it forward and doing for others without expecting anything in return is payment in itself. Most importantly my daughter was part of this. She wasn’t on the sidelines. She was a major player. I know this is a life lesson for her. This small act of kindness (remember, I didn’t put out all of the money) left an impression on me too. It’s a spring board to bigger things for my family. I’ve attached a Whrrl (slide show) for you to view if you choose.

Thank you Hershey’s and Collective Bias for this opportunity.

Here’s the President of the Foster Parent group accepting the Easter Basket:

Here’s the School Guidance Counselor accepting the Easter Baskets:

Don’t forget about the *rules (above). Hershey’s is donating $10 for every blog post to Children’s Miracle Network.

I know it’s St. Patrick’s Day and I should have had a photo with a green theme or maybe a Leprechaun but instead I give you this…a guess what it is. I’ll even give you the name – a Dyson Airblade. Let me know what you think in the comments. Winner gets a pinch

Sammi met her favorite meteorologist and one of her heroes again, Brian McClure of Bay News 9 at the reading festival this past Saturday.

To see how much Sammi has grown since May of 2009, look at her with Brian McClure back then.

Take a look at Sammi and a magician at Disney’s Boardwalk Resort