The holiday season is fast approaching, soon we'll be eating more than we should, sharing great times with our loved ones and exchanging gifts. Gift giving can be a lot of fun but it can also be a lot of stress. There's the issue of knowing what to get someone (how many scented candles do I need!) and making the time to get all the shopping done. There is also the concern that Christmas has become too commercial and materialistic. The problem for me is, I agree but I still love to give gifts. I love the look on someone's face when I know I've bought the perfect gift, but these gifts don't need to be material, here is a list of places you can buy gifts that we go even further.
- Habitat for Humanity - A great charity I had the privilege of volunteering with a few months ago has a gift guide. For your friends or family, you can be equipment used to build a home or items for a home in their name that will go to help provide low-income families with safe and affordable housing. You can get tools like hammers, screwdrivers or hardhats or household items like shower heads, light fixtures or smoke detectors.
- Toronto Humane Society - For the animal lover in your life, consider a donation to the THS. You have the choice of helping a cat, a dog, an unusual pet or giving where the need is greatest. These gifts go to help feed, provide medical care and other needs of these animals living in the Humane Society's care. These adorable gifts come with cards for you to give to your recipient.
- WWF - Another great option for animal lovers is WWF. You can select from a variety of animals and they send you a plush to give to your recipient. There is so many options such as turtles, polar bear, koala bears and pandas. This is a great option if you want to give someone something to open when you give your magical gift.
- SickKids Foundation - These gifts are perfect for just about anyone you know. This site is really well designed and makes it easy to sort by occasion and budget. There is a large assortment of items such as stockings for children in the hospital over the holidays, decorations for the hospital, as well as hospital equipment. You can also give 'gift certificates' to allow the person the chance to pick what kind of gift they want to give to the hospital.
- Plan Canada - Plan Canada also has a large assortment of gifts to 'give' to your loved ones. Some are matched by various organizations meaning your dollars go even further. They also have a number of gifts associated with their "because I am a girl" campaign, which is dedicated to the rights of girls. You can purchase items like bed nets, to protect families from malaria, fruit trees, animals, school supplies and medical support which helps families in the developing world.
- Christmas Wish - This idea actually came from someone I know who worked with a group of people that were tired of candles, bath soaps and chocolates for Christmas. A couple of years ago, they started a Secret Santa with a twist. They each drew a name and purchased a toy for them to give to the Christmas Wish. The idea was to buy a toy that reminded you of your person which made it a lot of fun. They still had the typical Secret Santa price tag of around $20 but they really had a great time with their new Secret Santa.
Hopefully this list has giving you some ideas of how to think outside the box. Do you have any non-traditional gift giving ideas? Let me know in the comments.
Happy Shopping!
As promised, I will continue to post great volunteer opportunities in the Greater Toronto Area. Last year, I started on the committee for the 2013 Relay for Life in Richmond Hill. I was charged with the entertainment portion of the event but we had a fairly small committee. We were small but mighty, we all worked together and made something truly beautiful happen. We had a night of fun, laughter, tears and coming together to fight back against cancer. It was an unbelievably rewarding experience. I also put in a team with friends and family and it was really great to have everyone there most of the night.
This year, I'll be back on the Richmond Hill committee, with my role to be determined but I can't wait to get started. It was such a rewarding experience to know that we brought together such a great event and raised almost $50,000 for the Canadian Cancer Society. The committees are looking for passionate and enthusiastic members. The time-commitment is about one meeting a month, the tasks you take on and a few extra meetings right before the event. If you want to help make a difference, send me an email!
If you want to learn more about this opportunity, check out the Charity Village post.
If you'd like to learn more about the event or put in a team, check out the Canadian Cancer Society's page.
Hope and the City is only one week away!
This annual event is a fundraiser completely dedicated to women's cancer research - which includes breast, cervical, ovarian and uterine. This girl's night out is a great way to have a fun and fabulous night with your girlfriends while supporting a great cause.
Tickets are $50 and can be purchased online or at the door. With your ticket, you receive a complimentary Hope and the City beverage, a goody bag worth over $150, food samplings, live entertainment and a ticket for door prize worth over $500. This year's grand door prize is the use of a BMW Cabriolet for an entire weekend, thanks to Town and Country BMW.
There will also be the famous $20 envelope and Digging for Diamonds ($10), both of which have guaranteed prizes. Along with those, there will be a live auction and an arms length draw, where you get to pick which prize your ticket goes in for. As well as a number of local vendors selling at the event. There is definitely something for everyone.
There will also be a number of pampering stations, tickets for the stations are $10 each or 3/$25 - there is over twenty types of pampering options, including eyebrow threading, henna, reflexology and massage. And once you're relaxed, you'll have the opportunity to get your photo taken in the photo booth (price by donation).
And last, but certainly not least - there's firefighters. Firefighters who are there to ensure the ladies have a great time (I'm sure they don't oppose a picture or two). If all the above awesome reasons were not reason enough for you to attend the event, the firefighters should be enough.
I'll see you there!
Ready to unleash your inner superhero?
I'm doing something I've never done before. On September 18th, I'll be joining a group of women in building a home for someone in our community. Habitat for Humanity helps low income families build and buy their own home. The idea is that these families will then require less social assistance and break the cycle of poverty. You can help this great cause by clicking on the link and donating any amount to Habitat for Humanity. You'll be helping make a difference to families in need in our own community.
You can help by sponsoring me in the build, my page is here: My Personal Page
Any amount will help make a difference!
To find out more: Habitat for Humanity Toronto
If you're looking for something fun to do this weekend, you should check out Scotiabank's Buskerfest. They've moved to a new location on Yonge St, at Yonge-Dundas Square because they've outgrown their old location at the St. Lawrence Market. The acts are truly remarkable; while on a patio yesterday, we saw a man hanging upside down from billboards, removing a straight jacket. There's jugglers, fire eaters, magicians and a lot of people on stilts. The event is in support of Epilepsy Toronto. So, head down to YDS on this beautiful weekend, take in the entertainment and support a great cause.
Do you have a hair straightner/curling iron/hair dryer that you don't use anymore? Are you looking for a new hair styling tool? Then Trade Secrets has the perfect promotion for you. From now until September 27th, you can take any gently used hair appliance and get 50% off a new one. They will then donate your old product to women living in local women's shelters. Their "Give & Take" promotion is a great way to update your current product and help out women in your local community. Check out their blog for more details. Happy styling!
