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.

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