Does Your Family Love Animals?

For $50 you can adopt one of more than a hundred different animals with the World Wildlife Fund – www.worldwildlife.org - and your child gets a matching stuffed toy.  What a great birthday or holiday gift!!! 

Fruit Stamping for Fun!

Love this idea!  Cut fruit in half and use them as 'stamps' - kids can create great gifts, like dish towels to donate, sell or give as gifts.

Happy stamping (and giving)!!

Vacations With A Heart

I’ve taken Abercrombie & Kent vacations before becoming a parent – they are fabulous!  I hope to do so again when my kids are older – they have wonderful family vacations that help families explore and learn together. 

A&K also has a philanthropy division - AKP.  AKP supports grassroots projects around the world, efforts spearheaded by dedicated local experts in conservation, education, community development and public health. AKP projects dig wells, teach and shelter impoverished children and strive to reverse the effects of global climate change.  For more information, visit www.akphilanthropy.org

Happy Giving!

The Volunteer Family

Heather Jack was looking for opportunities for her children to become involved in a charity and eventually launched The Volunteer Family (thevolunteerfamily.org) to help families find charitable opportunities they can do together. 

“Kids as young as three can learn empathy, tolerance, and respect…” says parenting expert Michele Borba, Ed.D.  Research shows that kids with at least one parent who volunteers are three times more likely to participate in a do-good activity versus those whose parents don’t get involved. 

Check out the VolunteerMatch app to find local charities and get involved! (free; itunes.com)

Happy Giving!

Who Stole The Cookies From the Cookie Jar?

I love making everyday items look special.  This is an adorable idea that would also be easy for a child to help with - measuring cookie ingredients and filling mason jars with the ingredients.  Attach the recipe to the jar and voila!  An instant gift.  These could be donated to a senior center or sold as part of a charity drive.

Happy Giving!

Eat Your Heart Out!

From March 23rd to April 1st when you dine out at more than 1,000 restaurants, bars, and clubs in NYC, The Brooklyn Young Mothers' Collective gets up to 6% of your purchase. The Brooklyn Young Mothers' Collective provides disadvantaged young mothers with a comprehensive set of services focused on their educational attainment and social development to help them to become self-sufficient adults.  For more information, please visit www.bymcinc.org  To participate, register here:  https://www.goodsearch.com/gooddining  (As a side note, Good Dining offers many different organizations to sponsor for this discount, or you can work on adding your own!). Happy giving (and eating!)

Not Just Cleaning The World, Changing It

The UN just named Seventh Generation a 2011 Leader of Change in recognition of its outstanding leadership and exemplary commitment to the pursuit of environmental sustainability and social responsibility.  As if we needed another reason to love these great products….

Happy Giving!