share the gift of HOPE

This Christmas make a difference with the presents you choose to give! You can not only find a great gift for your friends or family but you can be spreading the gift of HOPE around the world this Christmas. Above is a picture of Elena. She has been orphaned and sexually violated because of the wars of Congo. She currently lives in Dina Center orphanage in Goma, Congo. Sponsored by eXile international. My friend, Bethany Haley, started eXile International and took this picture of Elena and shared her story with me. I am going to be hosting an open house on December 3rd from 7-9pm that will have jewelry from eXile International, as well as from KEZA and from my Ida's Modern Heirlooms. If you are interested in coming, leave a comment with your email and I will send you an invite!

Even if you can't make it to my open house, I would love for you to consider any of these great options for those on your Christmas list this year (my sister-in-law Angie past many of these on to me)!!

The Hunger Site (has a great selection of gifts for male, female and even kids and you choose on what you want to support from hunger, children's health, breast cancer, etc.)
Bongo Java (both local and fair trade AND great coffee!!)
Fair Indigo (again great for the whole family)
Ten Thousand Villages
Handcrafting Justice
TOMS shoes
Other great options include gifts from non-profits gift catalogs. Check these out...
Heifer International
World Vision
Samaritan's Purse
You can also check out Cool People Care every Friday when they recommend "Gifts of Impact" to remind us all that "Christmas is not your birthday."
Would love to hear any great ideas you may have for how to spread HOPE this Christmas!!

TOMS Shoes

If you are looking for a gift that not only gives but gives back, then TOMS shoes are the gift you should buy this season. When you buy a pair of TOMS shoes, you will not only get a pair of shoes but a child in need of shoes will also get a pair. Blake Mycoskie founded TOMS (short for tomorrow) shoes after visiting Argentina and seeing children in desparate need of shoes, a basic neccesity.

Here is what TOMS shoes has to say about this worthy cause...
Why shoes?
Most children in developing countries grow up barefoot. Whether at play, doing chores or just getting around, these children are at risk.

Walking is often the primary mode of transportation in developing countries. Children can walk for miles to get food, water, shelter and medical help. Wearing shoes literally enables them to walk distances that aren't possible barefoot.

Wearing shoes prevents feet from getting cuts and sores on unsafe roads and from contaminated soil. Not only are these injuries painful, they also are dangerous when wounds become infected. The leading cause of disease in developing countries is soil-transmitted parasites which penetrate the skin through open sores. Wearing shoes can prevent this and the risk of amputation.

Many times children can't attend school barefoot because shoes are a required part of their uniform. If they don't have shoes, they don't go to school. If they don't receive an education, they don't have the opportunity to realize their potential.

There is one simple solution...SHOES.

Of the planet's six billion people, four billion live in conditions inconceivable to many. Lets take a step towards a better tomorrow.
Above photo and website for TOMS shoes found here.

Black Friday

You may already have searched the ads and found the cheapest prices for your Christmas gifts this year...and they ALL are on sale THIS FRIDAY!!! So, what do you do? Do you go out and fight the crowds, risk your LIFE (because yes, people have actually died on Black Friday in stampedes for their on-sale gift), buy, buy buy? And shouldn't we to help the economy...that's what our country tries to tell us, right? I challenge you to do something else this Friday that goes against the norm. I challenge you to BUY NOTHING!! Please read the reasons why below and know that if you choose this challenge you will not be alone. And, I would love to hear how it made you think differently of what your are buying and why?


(Image from here.)

Below are excerpts from buynothingday.org.

"Buy Nothing Day is your special day to unshop, unspend and unwind. Relax and do nothing for the economy and for yourself - at least for a single day. It's a reminder to stop and think about why you're spending."

"When it comes right down to it, it's not that we believe a single day without shopping makes a big enough impact in itself. But if we stop and think about it for a day, we might find out that we're more deeply tangled in the dragnet of consumerism than we imagined. This knowledge could be life-changing. If we disect our spending habits we'll see how we have a significant local effect. But we are part of the big picture as well, and if we take a stand others will as well, and we can see that impact on a global scale. If we buy nothing for just one day, perhaps we'll realize the true value of watching HOW we spend."

Double Jogging Stroller

I am searching for a double jogging stroller that will work for my 2 y/o and 10 month old. My current double stroller is just not working out and I would like to start exercising in the mornings, which means taking the kids with me. Does anyone have any advice in this area or have one that you would rave about?
Picture from Amazon.

The Green Wagon

A new eco-friendly general store, The Green Wagon, is now open in Sylvan Park. You can purchase everything from clothing, shampoo, cleaning supplies to even crib mattresses. The store offers a "refilling station" where you can bring in your used bottles and fill up on certain items at a discounted price. You can see what else is offered at the Green Wagon by going here. I can't wait to get back into town to check this place out. Has anyone been been here yet? What about Trader Joe's?
Picture provided from article in today's Tennessean here.

Toy Train

I have been on the lookout for some wooden toys for Asher. They are not cheap so I was excited to find this toy train at our church consignment sale. I can't believe how long he will sit and play with this train and now I wish that I would have saved it until baby #2 arrives to give him something to do while I will be nursing. Oh, well. I also found him a shopping cart that he has been enjoying pushing around and pretend playing with all the food inside. Consignment sales are great!

Fun finds

I found these cute, reusuable sandwich and snack bags made by Happy-sacks. It's a nice substitute for all those plastice sandwich bags. They are a little pricey but can easily be cleaned either by rinsing out or throwing in the wash.
These are fabric rice and feed bags from Cambodia that can be used as a laundry bag or a wastebasket. You can find more envirmonmentally-friendly products at VivaTerra's website.

WeeGo glass baby bottles by Babylife

I found these bottles as an option for BPA-free. The glass bottles have a silicone sleeve that prevent breakage if bottles are dropped. This company is trying to make products as "green" and "safe" as possible. They also are commited to giving a portion of their profits to an environmental charity and an international children's fund.

Drive-Thrus

After I had Asher, I realized that hoping in and out of my car to complete an errand was no longer going to be quick or easy. I suddenly began finding all the things that I could do by driving up to a drive-thru. These are a few that I take advantage of often: mail a letter at the post office, return my movie to Blockbuster (although the box isn't always open at the one on West End--why is this?), go to the bank or drycleaners, and even drop off/pick up a prescription at Wal-Greens without ever getting out of my car. Fabulous, especially when you have a baby/toddler that doesn't mind being in his carseat.

As great as all that is, I find myself wanting more....
I wish that the post office had a drive-thru service to purchase stamps and mail packages.
I wish that there was a drive-thru service at the grocery store. What I really think would be a great thing is for the option to call in your order at the grocery store (within a certain limit of items of course), and you could pull up to curbside pick-up and they would deliver your products to your car (because you gave them the description of your car, like when you order food from a nicer restaurant). Oh if only this would come about before baby #2 arrives! Any takers to create this great venture? I hope this doesn't sound like I am lazy. It's just sometimes the trip to go in and just get milk shouldn't take 15 minutes because Asher now knows about the elevator at Harris Teeter and wants to go up even though we don't need anything on the second floor. :) And just to add that I really am not trying to be selfish, I think this would be a great option for the elderly and handicapped customers.

Upcoming Consignment Sales

I am really looking forward to shopping at some upcoming consignment sales, especially with the second baby on the way. There are several things that I love about a consignment sale. You can find some really great clothes, toys, and other baby items at much cheaper prices than a department store. Asher doesn't realize that he is getting used toys and no one can ever tell that Asher's clothes are used verses brand new. Kids grow so quickly that it's a great way to give and get clothes. It benefits our environment by "recycling" products rather than creating more waste from new products that will be used for 6months or less.

Here are a few that are upcoming in the Nashville area:

• Hand Me Ups/Once Around the Blocks Kids July 30-31 (9am-9pm) @ West End Community Church
• WeeWares July 31-Aug 2 (9am-6pm) @ David Lipscomb University Student Activity Center
• Otter Creek Sale Aug 21-22 (8am-6pm) @ Otter Creek Church (where I attend)

For other sales and dates, check here.