This is a late Fav Quote Friday post;
We joined the rest of the nation in mourning
We joined the rest of the nation in mourning
the great losses from the tragic
Sandy Hook School shooting in Newtown, CT yesterday.
Sandy Hook School shooting in Newtown, CT yesterday.
“I slept and I dreamed that life is all joy.
I woke and I saw that life is all service.
I served and I saw that service is joy."
~Kahlil Gibran
I woke and I saw that life is all service.
I served and I saw that service is joy."
~Kahlil Gibran
We endeavor to recover and try to move forward today,
with thoughts of gratitude and healing,
peace and beauty,
and generously giving to help others.
With this in mind, I'd love to start with a few
ideas for gifts that truly give back,
sharing this list of
by Eco Interior Designer Trudy DuJardin,
from her blog 'Holistic House'
- Put your money to work helping others and the planet with a “life-changing gift”, such as Heifer International, or ChildFund International.
- Be socially conscious with gifts that promote fair trade.
- Use energy efficient LED holiday lights to add sparkle. (Install a timer!)
- Give locally made products, help reduce the impact of transportation.
- Purchase greeting cards printed on recycled materials with vegetable based non-toxic inks, or send email greetings.
- Give gifts such as gift certificates or theater tickets – they don’t require a lot of gift wrapping. Avoid wrapping with glossy or metallic paper. Colorful fabric or reusable gift bags are an environmentally friendly alternative.
- Choose toys that do not require batteries. Instead choose gifts that stimulate a child’s imagination without impacting the environment.
“It's not how much we give but how much love we put into giving.”
~Mother Teresa
When giving to charities, it's good to have concerns
about where and how your donations are being used. To be sure your donations are being spent as stated,
you can check your charity with
Charity Navigator
“As we work to create light for others,
“As we work to create light for others,
we naturally light our own way."
~Mary Anne Radmacher
~Mary Anne Radmacher
“Give freely to the world these gifts of love and compassion.
Do not concern yourself with how much you receive in return,
just know in your heart it will be returned.”
~ Steve Maraboli, from 'Life, the Truth, and Being Free'
Do not concern yourself with how much you receive in return,
just know in your heart it will be returned.”
~ Steve Maraboli, from 'Life, the Truth, and Being Free'
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scarf orders from our online shop,
now through December 31!
scarf orders from our online shop,
now through December 31!
A portion of all proceeds from November & December
will go to Hurricane Sandy Relief,
via GlobalGiving.org
(a 4 Star-Rated Charity)
Wishing you all the very best of the Season,
with much love and gratitude,
stephanie-
I really love this quote, "“As we work to create light for others, we naturally light our own way." ~Mary Anne Radmacher "
ReplyDeleteGreat tips on giving meaningful and unique gifts.
Thanks for linking up for Flashback Friday last week.
Great post. Number 1. in your list brings back wonderful memories. I adopted Nikki, an 11-year old girl from Greece in 1968 (or maybe it was 1967) through Foster Parents Plan (now known as Plan). We exchanged (translated) letters, and she and her brother and her widowed mother received needed items (blankets, medicines, clothes, etc.) from my monthly money contributions over a period of several years (I think it was $16 a month in the mid-1960's). I was able to visit them by hopping a military cargo plane out of Italy (where I was stationed in the U.S. Air Force at the time) to Athens, Greece, from whence I took a commercial flight to the Greek island where they lived and then a long taxi ride up into the mountains to meet and stay with them for a time in their one-room home (the outhouse was out back). I flew Nikki and her mother back with me to Athens where they could see and touch the history of their great country that Nikki had learned about in school. I was more adventurous in the days of my youth, and it was a fantastic and meaningful experience, and I liked being able to help someone in need. That in turn gave much to me: I meet the village school teacher (a one-room school was the place where kids from six different grades were taught at once), I attended the graduation ceremony for the older kids, Nikki's grandfather killed a chicken from his flock one day and we had fresh chicken for dinner, and I met other members of Nikki's family. It was, looking back, one of the greatest experiences of my life.
ReplyDelete@Chasing Joy - my apologies on the delayed response! But am so very happy to get the great quote and very much appreciate your comment! Hoping to be back in Blog-Action and join you again soon!
ReplyDelete@MikeB: your story is absolutely astonishing! Thanks so much for sharing your incredible experience!! I wonder how many others are simple happy to send their monthly check. Surely it was one of the greatest experiences in their lives as well! beautiful!
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