World Vision Gifts–Gifts That Make a Difference (Holiday Gift Guide 2012)

The Gift That Makes a Difference

At this time of year, many families want to give gifts but are also aware of the many people without money or homes who don’t get gifts this holiday season. It can be  tough sometimes to justify the gifts you are buying when others are going hungry.

There IS a way to give a gift to a loved one AND help deserving families at the same time with World Vision Gifts.  Purchase a gift from World Vision Gifts and you receive a card to pass on that tells how they helped a poverty stricken family.

World Vision Gift Catalogue

There are more than 60 gifts to choose from. If you are in Canada, you can see what’s available at World Vision Canada, while those in the US will want to check out World Vision. There catalogues are slightly different but they idea is the same.

For example you can buy Two Hens and a Rooster for $50 or a Goat for $100 which will provide milk and an income as they can sell the goat manure and any offspring. Two mosquito nets is $30 or if you have lots to spare, you can buy a family a Ger which is like a warm tent like home for $900.

In fact, Burnbrae Farms is currently partnering with World Vision and will donate $10 to World Vision for each purchase of Two Hens and a Rooster through Nov. 30/2012 (so hurry!)

Recently added are some handcrafts gifts which help women. For example I was sent this Turquoise and Wood bracelet (see below) which was made by women and girls who have escaped exploitation and abuse in Thailand. A purchase of this gift helps support the women creating the jewellery.  You can also get a hand-woven scarf or a Haitian hand-beaded necklace.

The bracelet is beautifully crafted and I love sharing that it was made by women and girls in Thailand. It would be the perfect gift for the fashionista in your life.  It’s quite big so would fit a thicker arm and hang loosely on a thin arm.

World Vision is a Christian relief, development and advocacy organization dedicated to working with children, families and communities to overcome poverty and injustice. World Vision serves all people regardless of religion, race, ethnicity or gender.  - World Vision

*Disclosure: I received the product mentioned above free of charge by the company or PR representative for evaluation purposes. No other compensation was provided. See my Disclosure Policy for more information.

Mother India: Life Through the Eyes of the Orphan

 

There are over 31 million orphans in India and David Trotter and Shawn Scheinoha teamed up with the goal of showing what life is like for these orphans by going to India and finding and meeting some orphaned children and getting to know them and filming what there life is like.

“MotherIndia is a compelling documentary capturing the life and stories of 25 abandoned and orphaned children living along the railway in southern India.” – motherindiafilm.com

The purpose of the trip was to tell the story of the kids but David and Shawn were inspired to do something to help little Polayya and Koteswari, young homeless children who had recently been “adopted” into the local group of orphaned children.

View the Trailer

(not with young kids around)

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The documentary is upsetting. The stories of what these kids went through is horrendous at times and their living conditions are terrible. It will make you hug your children tighter. But documentaries aren’t supposed to be entertainment, they are to teach us something.

In this case, it’s to teach us what is going on in India and to help make a difference. Raising awareness is the first step and then collecting donations is the second.

Meet the Children

This is a group shot of the street family of orphaned children. Would you like to meet them?

Connect or Learn More

You can find out more at Mother India Film.

I’d also like to invite you to connect with them on Facebook and Twitter.

*Disclosure: I received the DVD mentioned above free of charge by the company or PR representative for evaluation purposes. No other compensation was provided. See my Disclosure Policy for more information.

Tic Tac Canada Supports Breast Cancer Awareness

Just like last year when Tic Tac Canada released limited edition Pink Grapefruit Tic Tacs, they are at it again this year with Strawberry Fusion.

Tic Tac Canada creates these pink Tic Tacs in support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October. Tic Tac Canada has donated $25,000 to the Breast Cancer Society of Canada and launched the Strawberry Fusion Tic Tacs as of September 1.

Strawberry fusion is sweet like strawberries but with a tartness mixed in for a sweet-tart flavour punch. I am not a big fan of strawberry flavoured foods and candy but I liked these.

While no donation is made for each purchase of the limited edition Tic Tacs, you can feel confident knowing that Tic Tac Canada has already made such a large donation to help the Breast Cancer Society of Canada research and hopefully eventually cure breast cancer.

Also, for all of September and October, the Tic Tac Canada Facebook Page will be posting pink-related promos.

Have you had Tic Tacs? What is your favourite flavour of Tic Tacs?

*Disclosure: I received the product(s) mentioned above free of charge by the company or PR representative for evaluation purposes. No other compensation was provided. See my Disclosure Policy for more information.

Father’s Day Frosty Weekend at Wendy’s Jun 16-17

Hot Father’s Day Weekend

I don’t know about the rest of Canada but it’s going to be a hot Father’s Day weekend this year. Take your father (or the father of your kids, your father-in-law or even a friend who is a father,) to Wendy’s and treat him to a Frosty.

Not only will you be giving him a nice, yummy, refreshing gift but you will be helping children in foster care find permanent loving homes.  Continuing the tradition for the sixth time, Wendy’s is looking for customers to help raise money for Wendy’s Wonderful Kids.

Refreshing Gift and Helping Kids In Need

Wendy’s Wonderful Kids is a signature program of the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption and is dedicated to finding permanent adoptive families for children in foster care. They hope to beat last year’s $1.4 million donation!

Three Way to Help (Some are Free)

1. Purchase ANY Frosty product (original, parfaits, shakes and floats) on Saturday, June 16 and Sunday, June 17 at participating Wendy’s and they will donate 50-cents to Wendy’s Wonderful Kids for each one purchased.
   
2. Check in at a Wendy’s using their special mobile-friendly website at http://www.wendys.com/treatitforward during Father’s Day Weekend (June 16-17) and Wendy’s will donate 50-cents for each customer that checks in.
   
   
3. Now through Father’s Day, re-tweet one of @Wendys special tweets with the hashtag #TreatItFwd and Wendy’s will make a 50-cent donation.

GIVEAWAY

I have a $7 Wendy’s Giftcard for one winner from the US/CAN so you can have a frosty too! (or whatever you want from Wendys!) It’s a small gift but hey, it’s $7 you didn’t have before right? Plus it’s in the name of charity.

I’ll make it easy for you to enter, just a few entries!

You Only Need to Do One to Enter, any one you want. Do more for more chances.

Speroway Helps Out Children of Haiti–And So Can You (and you might win an #ipad !)

I’m sure you’ve heard of Feed the Children? Well they’ve rebranded and now they are known as Speroway.

Speroway is trying to raise funds to build a medical clinic in Haiti and raise awareness of what they do. To help bring awareness, they are offering up a GREAT giveaway.

We have been working in Haiti for several years and are continuing to expand our relationship and work there. Last fall we went to Haiti to evaluate new projects, upgrade an existing dental clinic we previously installed, and to run both dental and medical clinics.

We are also partnering with an organization that is responsible for a feeding program that serves 30 orphanages and approximately 1,400 children. It was at one of the orphanages we visited that we identified a piece of property that could be used to build a permanent medical clinic to serve the children in this network of orphanages. – Speroway Blog

The Grand Prize Gift Basket Includes:

1. iPad HD 2012 (16GB)
2. $500 WaySpa Package for Two
3. Four Cineplex Night Out Gift Pack
4. 2 “Big Kaboodle” combo packs from Mabel’s Labels

Spot prizes will be awarded every two weeks. It’s easy to enter, just fill in the form!

This contest is SHARE & WIN! What does that mean? It means that you can gain more entries into the giveaway by sharing with your friends and family. When you enter the giveaway, you can share on facebook, twitter or via email. For every person who enters through your link, you will gain an extra entry into the giveaway!

You don’t have to do anything to win other than enter! But there is an option to donate after you enter.

Rules &  Regulations:
This contest is open to CANADA, excluding Quebec. See the full list of rules and regulations. Contest is open April 26, 2012 at 12:00 a.m. Eastern Time and ends on June 22, 2012 at 5:00 p.m. EST.

Check out what they are doing on the Speroway Facebook page.

*Disclosure:  This post was compensated however all opinions are my own. See my Disclosure Policy for more information. 

Kinder Canada’s A Joy to Share & Adults Acting Like Kids #KinderMom

My kids love Kinder Eggs but we are starting to get duplicates of all the toys so I decided to share the Kinder Eggs this time around so spread the joy to other families.

I brought some Kinder Eggs to one of our Easter dinner’s this past weekend to share with my nieces and the other kids that were there. After handing out eggs to the kids, the adults were disappointed that they did not get any so I handed some out to them to!

Before I share some pictures of the adults enjoying Kinder Eggs, let me share with you that Kinder Canada is sharing the joy as well. Kinder Canada has partnered with the Children’s Miracle Network in a campaign they call “A Joy to Share”

Beyond their donation, they are also happy to bring us access to real life heroes. Mothers who have been affected by and benefited from the work of the Children’s Miracle Network will be sharing their stories through the Kinder Canada Facebook page.

Teens Like Kinder Eggs Too!

So Do Babies!

Disclosure: I’m part of the Kinder® Mom program and I receive special perks as part of my affiliation with this group. The opinions on this blog are my own.

Energizer Canada & Evergreen's "Do Something Little, Help Something Big"

Evergreen is a not-for-profit organization that is committed to making Canadian cities greater and more liveable… creating a more sustainable future for all of us. Energizer Canada has teamed up with Evergreen on their “Do Something Little, Help Something Big” initiative.

Energizer is proud to contribute $100,000 to Evergreen to make cities more liveable.

You can help make that amount larger. Make a pledge to perform kind acts that make positive energy.  Pledge at least three things and Energizer will donate an additional $1 to Evergreen.

I've made the pledge to the following Kind Acts:

1. I will tell my kids how much I love them.
2. I will greet a person in the elevator.
3. I will donate clothes to charity.
4. I will smile or say a kind word to create more positive energy around me.
5. I will do my laundry during off-peak hours.

In reality I already do most of those and some others I didn't include but I pledge to do them more! May I ask that you consider pledging some of the ones that aren't about the environment? You may think greeting a person in an elevator is easy and no big deal but a smile or hello goes a long way. Have you ever seen the movie Pay it Forward? If not you should. I make a point of saying hello, smiling or nodding to every person I pass in an elevator or on the street.

Make sure you pledge your kind acts!

NOTE: It didn't work for me in Firefox. I had to use IE. If pledge counter is showing no numbers, then the form won't work and you will need to use a different browser.

Disclosure – I am participating in the Energizer Canada and Evergreen “Do Something Little, Help Something Big” program by Mom Central Canada on behalf of Energizer Canada and Evergreen. I received compensation as a thank you for my participation. The opinions on this blog are my own.

Snack Pack Share a Smile Blog Tour

What makes you smile? Do you only smile when something grand happens or do you smile at the little things too?

What about:

• When your child finally learns a new skill (like tying her shoes or writing his name.)
• When it's a nice sunny day out.
• When you get to sleep in, even just an extra hour.
• When the kids are finally sleeping and the house is quiet.
• When you help someone on the street and they smile at you.

What little thing makes you smile? 

The Snack Pack Share a Smile Campaign is trying to raise $20,000 for Food Banks Canada in time for the holidays and YOU CAN HELP! Each time you share a smile through their facebook page Snack Pack Canada will donate $1 to Food Banks Canada. As thanks for doing that, you will also be entered into a weekly draw for prizes.

They are already at over 19,000 so with your help, I'm sure they can read their goal!

You can visit Snack Pack Canada for more on their products.

Before you go do your part to donate, please comment telling me what small thing you smile at!

Disclosure - I am participating in the Snack Pack program by Mom Central on behalf of Conagra Foods Canada. I received a gift card as a thank you for my participation. The opinions on this blog are my own.

Breast Cancer Awareness and NASCAR

I received this information and thought my readers would be interested:

Just in time for October's Breast Cancer Awareness month, NAPA AUTO PARTS will turn its #56 NASCAR into a mobile tribute for breast cancer survivors, victims and patients during the Nov. 7^th NASCAR Sprint Cup Race at Texas Motor Speedway. Their goal is to cover the car in more than 56,000 names of breast cancer survivors and victims while raising funds for the Susan G. Komen Foundation.

Get Invovled:
From now to Oct. 11, consumers can submit the names of loved ones affected by breast cancer to appear on the No. 56 NAPA Toyota by making a minimum donation of $5.60 via the NAPA Know How Facebook page. The NAPA Signature Car application allows you to enter a name and select the area of the car where you would like the dedication to appear. Your dedication will then be featured on the #56 NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota for the November 7th NASCAR Sprint Cup Race at Texas Motor Speedway.

With the help of fan donations, NAPA is hoping to raise at least $250,000 for Susan G. Komen for the Cure during National Breast Cancer Awareness Month and to recognize more than 56,000 individuals affected by breast cancer with the custom paint scheme.

Affiliate Love Project

I just found out about this today. Here is a quote from the Affiliate Love Project's About Us page:

"I came up with this idea after watching multiple affiliate contests out there where people were getting paid to refer others to different affiliate networks. One day it hit me. What if the money made off of referrals went to help people in need? Affiliates would still be making the same commissions as before, but the difference is now they are helping people throughout the world."

...and from the FAQ page:

"How Does It Work?
Once a month we choose a new charity or cause to support and set a goal of how much we want to raise. We then raise money in two ways. One is through straight donations, and the other is through doing what affiliates do best, and that is to earn commission. It works by affiliates signing up for affiliate networks through our site. Then when you earn commission, we take all referral money the networks send us and donate it to charities.

For example, lets say you click through and signup for an affiliate network on our site. That network gives us a 5% referral bonus on all commission you earn for life. So if the first month you are with that network you earn $1000 in commissions, you will receive your usual check from the network of $1000, and they will send us a check for $50 (5% of $1000)."

This sounds like a really great idea doesn't it? You can follow the Affiliate Love Project on twitter @affiliatelp

Also, make sure you enter to win a $250 Amazon Gift Card!

Operation Love Zimbabwe

Esme's mommy has started a two week event called Operation Love Zimbabwe.

The idea is to help spread word about the crisis happening in Zimbabwe. Check out her post to find out more.

Throughout the 2 week period, you will find informational posts and African themed giveaways to help spread the word.

Ferrero Chocolates and Share Our Strength

An Island Review alerted me to a great charity event.

Ferrero Chocolates is fighting world hunger by partnering up with Share Our Strength, a national organization working to ensure that no child in America grows up hungry.

Ferrero Chocolates had already donated $150, 000 and will make more donations based on involvement from people like you.

There are two ways you can help. If you go to Share Something Sweet campaign and send free customizable e-cards, Ferrero will donates an additional $1 for each card sent, up to $10,000!

Also for every person that joins the Ferrero Facebook page, “Ferrero Lovers Unite,” Ferrero will donate another $1 to Share Our Strength (up to $1,000)!