Christmas Countdown – Day 22

Gifts From The Heart

“It isn't the size of the gift that matters, but the size of the heart that gives it.” ~ Quoted in The Angels' Little Instruction Book by Eileen Elias Freeman, 1994

As the days grow closer to Christmas, there’s no doubt some of you may be out seeking last minute gifts at the malls or opting for next day shipping from online sites.  It’s so natural to want to show loved ones and friends how much they mean to you – especially at this time of the year!

In our family, a few years ago, we decided to opt out of some of the major gift buying and chose to look at making donations to charities, which seem to have an even greater need during the holiday season.  Everyone has one or more causes, which speak to their hearts, because of a close friend or  loved one’s personal experience. 

 

If it’s more of your custom to share a wrapped present with others, there are many ways to shop online, or in local shops, where they offer to send a portion of your purchases to your favorite charity.  In many cases, most of the proceeds will go directly to the organization.  (If you have concerns about making sure your money is wisely used, you can check it out on CharityNavigator.org.)

Here are some fun finds for folks on your list:

Cute little push-pins, from the American Heart Association.  Folks often forget stroke is a cardiovascular disease.  My family has a history so I’m more than interested in research and prevention!

 

Great habits can still include great food!  A heart healthy cookbook shows your loved ones you care!

Giving someone a “step up” into a new home means the world!  This folding step stool from Habitat for Humanity is under $20 and tucks out of the way.  For a shorty like me, it’s a must have!

 

A colorful set of flour sack towels are less than $10 and all proceeds benefit the American Diabetes Association.

In our area, The Union County Christmas Bureau acts as a clearing house to assist families in need, during the holiday season.  They rely on donations of goods, money, and volunteer time to help distribute a Merry Christmas to over 2,000 applicants.  There is nothing like the face of a child when they receive an unexpected present!  That is the real gift of Christmas.

 

From my heart to yours – Merry Christmas! - Wanda

Read more

Design, Dogs, and Grace

There is no denying how the love and warmth of a canine companion can calm even the most frayed of nerves.  (I do love the kittehs, too . . .  have even had a few, myself.  They are definitely a whole different animal, if you know what I mean!) 

(You may remember my “hearting” this pair of doxie pillows, cleverly displayed on a bed in a previous post, which included a “Lonny Magazine” article.) 

Meanwhile, as you may know, I’m “owned” by a pair of dachshunds who keep me “calf” high in entertainment, sweet kisses, and warm fuzzies.  My husband and I adopted them when they were almost four years old, via Almost Home Dachshund Rescue.  They were listed as a bonded pair and were actually littermates.  I won’t go through the entire story, but I’ll just share with you, when they were delivered to us by their foster parents, I told my husband that Santa must have brought our sweet boys because, Jim Ingram, (the foster “dad”), had the full beard, twinkling eyes, and familiar jovial laugh!  Jim, and his wife, Leslie, now have their own rescue group, Doxie Acres, where they foster, feed, vet, and care for lots of special little buddies, waiting to go to their forever homes.

Because I’m up to my elbows in alligators, um, dachshunds – kind of like this classic Kohler ad:

I won’t go on and on about the rewards of pet adoption and how great the need is, right now, to help save the lives of animals who have lost the security of home and hearth.  I’ll just give you a gentle reminder, since the holidays are approaching, and we may tend to forget that the lovely, dedicated people, from all of the animal rescue groups and shelters, never take a holiday from being there for our furry friends.  They often have to dig into their personal funds, when times are tight, to save just one more.  Thanks for thinking of them with a donation of any kind.  If you know of an organization in need, or can help with sponsoring an animal, Twitter and Facebook are great places to get the word out.  I’ve seen some amazing results, beginning with just one post!

I’m declaring November, my month for #GraceandGiving.  (The funny little way I’ve spelled it just means my friends on Twitter will all be able to see it, better!)  This week’s post is about helping our little buddies find homes.  It’s about helping people, too.  Those who save them, as well as those of us who could use a little extra love!

As always, thank you for stopping by for a chat.  If you have any thoughts or questions you would like to share, they are always welcome! 

Bonus Interior Design Tip:  Did you know Sunbrella offers a beautiful selection of indoor fabrics and trims?  Yes, the maker of outdoor fabrics now has interior offerings, such as velvets, which are pet-friendly!  Pearson Furniture showed several of their frames, covered in this, at the High Point Furniture Market. You can have your fur buddy and a chic home, too! 

All my best! ~ Wanda

PS - Contest Alert!  I’ll be giving away an autographed copy of Vicente Wolf’s “Lifting the Curtain On Design”!  All you have to do to enter is to leave a comment on any two of my posts, beginning with this one and by November 30, 2010.

I’ll announce the winner the first week of December 2010.  I hope you’ll enjoy a festive month!

Read more