the simple five: giving

After the Santa Claus Parade arrives and leaves town, it is a signal to start holiday preparations. Gift basket displays, festive music, non stop ads, enticing sales...reminding us to join the crowd as the hustle and bustle of gift shopping begins. 

Amongst the distractions, we should also try remind ourselves on how blessed we truly are, and remember to help those in need. Although it may be difficult to squeeze extra time into this busy season, here are five quick, simple and easy ways (that take very little time) to give back.  

1. Donate to your local hospital. We are long-time supporters of the Sick Kids Hospital & Foundation. Their beautiful website provides many easy (and fantastic) ways to give. Send a card, enter their "lotttery", or just donate online.  Easy.
2. Donate food to your local food bank. On your next grocery shopping trip, just add a few non-perishable items into your cart, and drop off a bag on your way out of the store. Many major chain grocery stores have donation bins right at the entrance, so it's easy to give.
3. Help a senior in your neighbourhood. With all this snow, help shovel their driveway. It might be just an extra ten minutes of exercise (a health benefit for you...or get the kids involved!), but it's a small way that makes a big difference for someone else.  
4. Donate toys to bring a smile to a child's face this Christmas. Many malls have toy drives/drop-offs (usually found at entrances or at customer service desks). Operation Christmas Child is a great way to bring a smile to a child overseas. Just fill a shoebox with necessities, school supplies and toys and drop it off at one of the many drop off locations. It's easy to fill up these boxes with readily available stocking stuffer-sized items, bringing a smile to children in need. You can also fill a shoebox online, if a drop off location isn't close to you.
5. Buy gifts that "give back". Luckily there are items now available (in time for the holiday season), that are either made and/or sold by a nonprofit organization or a commercial company, which donates a portion of the proceeds to charity.  Right now, TOMS provides free shipping when you purchase items online. With every product you purchase, TOMS will help a person in need. (One for One ®).  So now you can skip the crowds, buy gifts online, and give back at the same time. Awesome!

Happy Giving.

{Disclaimer}: There were no endorsements with any of the charities or companies mentioned (or hyperlinked), for this post.  I just wanted to share the simple ways our family gives back, and a few of the beautiful  charitable organizations we support. All opinions are my own.

going the extra mile

One of my favourite family activities is to go for a family walk: on the trails, to the dog park or just around the cottage.  Not only does it give us the opportunity to get some exercise while enjoying our natural surroundings and breathe the fresh air, we’re not running from place to place…slowing down enough to connect with the kids.  Our walks gives us time with no pressure or restrictions, so we can talk to each other about anything, both big and small. Whether we’re observing how the seasons change around us, or confiding our big aspirations of making the world a better place, with our own dreams and visions.

According to a national opinion poll, conducted by the SickKids Foundation, 73% of Canadians believe that children’s lifestyles are not as healthy today as compared to their own youth.

I’m probably part of that statistic. As it becomes more and more difficult to compete with digital distractions, sometimes I find as parents, we have to go that extra mile to find opportunities that allow us to just be with each other…time to talk, observe and participate in something healthy together, both physically and mentally.

Last September, our family participated in a unique fundraising event that encouraged all ages to participate in (what is normally reserved for adults) a family type “walk-a-thon”. The Canaccord Genuity Great Camp Adventure Walk to benefit SickKids was an amazing opportunity to take part in a family adventure that not only fed our body…but also fed our soul.

Looking back at that day, not only did my husband and I show a good example of challenging ourselves physically to participate in the full 20km walk (which was not mandatory…you can choose to do 5 or 10kms or complete the whole 20km route), the kids learned that it helps our spirit by helping others…by supporting SickKids and helping improve the health of children nationwide. Knowing we were helping others gave them the determination to keep walking to reach the finish line.

Although we were part of a team of families who worked together to raise money for this cause, we felt like were a part of a larger family consisting of thousands of walkers who were united for a common goal. Everyone cheered each other on, especially during that last final stretch of the route.  Cars that drove by honked in support. There were perfectly thought-out, family friendly stops along the route: fun-filled “campsites” that either entertained the kids with games and activities (where they earned badges for each activity they participated in), or provided a reprieve (for the adults)…a little break to nourish with food, drink or rest.

$1.3 million dollars was raised.  After crossing the finish line, not only did the kids feel accomplished achieving their own physical fitness goals (completing the 20km walk), they also felt rewarded, knowing that their contributions really made a difference.

My kids learned that although the journey may sometimes be long and difficult, nothing beats that great feeling when you stay determined to reach your goals, because you will get to your destination if you keep moving forward…and go that extra mile.

This September 27, 2014, join The Canaccord Genuity Great Camp Adventure Walk to benefit SickKids.  Register at www.WalkforSickKids.ca as an individual participant or as part of a team and all your fundraising efforts will go to support The Hospital for Sick Children.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WalkforSickKids
Twitter: @WalkforSickKids
Hashtag: #WalkforSickKids

{Disclaimer} This post was brought to you by The SickKids Foundation, however the opinions and images are my own. For more information please visit www.walkforsickkids.ca.

walk the walk

As a family who loves an adventure, we are very fortunate to have happy healthy children who can participate in many active outdoor activities.  As my kids jump and play, so very often as parents, we worry if they'll land on their two feet...or fall.

I think it's the "fall" part that worries most parents.  As much as we do everything that we can to give our children the best we can afford...provide lots of healthy meals, give them opportunities to explore the world, and provide a warm and loving home to rest or express their dreams and worries, often that isn't enough to ensure our children will aways be happy, safe or healthy forever.

Sometimes I think of those parents, who've relied on medical staff and resources to help their own children (as I've written in my post, here), as they go through many emotional, physical and financial struggles that are companions to their children's dire medical needs. How do they do it?

This Saturday September 28, our family along with my husband's company, Delvinia & Asking Canadians, will be participating in The Great Camp Adventure, a 20km camp-themed challenge-by-choice adventure walk to help raise money and awareness to support the SickKids hospital's most urgent needs and support those parents who rely on them.

Although we've never had to use the services of SickKids Hospital, to be honest, it's comforting to know that they're there.  We have been long supporters of the Sick Kids Foundation and it means a lot to us to contribute to the efforts that strive to provide better, healthier lives for kids everywhere.  I'm grateful that our kids are healthy and strong right now, however one never knows what lies ahead, and making sure the SickKids Hospital has all the necessary resources is just one more way I feel ensured that our children will be supported in case they don't "land on their two feet".

I can't wait for our family to experience our first family walkathon.  I can't wait for the kids to experience first hand, that no matter who falls, we're there to support and encourage, to help each other stay or get back up on two feet...so together, we can walk the walk.

SickKids Foundation

To donate to our family's walkathon team, click here:  The Great Camp Adventure

it's movember

With so many fundraising opportunities right now through the Christmas season, sometimes it's hard for charitable organizations to be heard.  One really fun charity that has had a huge following is Movember.  My husband participated in it last year, and it was a blast.   For those who don't know what Movember is...

"During November each year, Movember is responsible 

for the sprouting of moustaches on thousands of men’s faces,

 in Canada and around the world. With their “Mo’s”, these men raise 

vital funds and awareness for men's health, specifically prostate cancer" 

{Movember website}

It's easy to support this...you can even just post a photo with a moustache on it to spread the word.  

Seeing that I'm always on the lookout for great photo editing tools for this blog, I thought I'd share my new discovery of this really easy (and FREE) online photo editing tool, called piZap. Just upload your photo from your computer, edit (or draw the moustache) and save right back onto your computer. Just click on the huge green "start" button and away you go.

Enjoy the start of Movember!!!