IMPACTFUL GIVING
Like many of you, each year in December, I find myself on the hunt for a half dozen gifts for my loved ones. Of course, I like to buy them things they desire, but I also want to financially support the missions of groups doing good work around the world.
That’s where impactful giving comes in — buying items from big-hearted organizations and companies who help people in need, whether here in the United States or abroad.
Here are THREE of my favorite places to shop this holiday season:
Amazima: Over a decade ago, I read the book, Kisses from Katie, and ever since, I’ve been a fan of the work that Katie and her organization, Amazima, do to help the people of Uganda. Shop for beautiful jewelry, coffee, and books HERE!
Compliment: This is a great shop! Compliment was started by Melissa, a woman I grew up with in the greater Sacramento area. Compliment sells unique notebooks (I bought one for my SMART teenage niece two years ago), beautiful jewelry, fun coffee mugs, tote bags — and even baby onesies! They give 5% of their profits to high school seniors in the form of scholarships.
The Adventure Project: The Adventure Project sells charcoal soap and charcoal candles. (Did you know that charcoal soap is GREAT for acne-prone skin?!) Your purchases benefit women in East Africa by providing them with charcoal-efficient stoves and solar lights.
Do you buy gifts from any big-hearted organizations or companies? Please SHARE below!
*Image is a free stock photo that can be found here.
Hello My Name is Jennie
Like most photographers, I would much prefer to be behind the lens than in front of it. BUT late this summer, I realized that it had been several years (read: 5+ years) since I’d had professional head shots taken, so I reached out to Aimee of Aimee O’Brien Photography.
Aimee and I met up last month outside Nevada City, and she snapped photos of me in two outfits.
This is definitely the more casual and comfortable of the two — and it’s what I don for nearly every client photo session.
Dark-colored blouse and dark-colored skinny jeans (no color casts coming from me) and boots.
Boots for two reasons:
1) My feet are notoriously cold.
2) You never know what kinds of critters might be out in nature alongside you as you shoot. (Yes, it’s true! I almost stepped on a snake once, and of course, I was wearing Converse tennis shoes at the time, not boots.)
I’ll be sharing more of my head shots and more about me in future blog posts. A big thanks to Aimee for making the experience both easy and fun!
Summertime
It’s officially {but not officially} summer here in Northern California! My son just finished first grade, and he is super excited that summer is here! My 3 1/2 year old daughter is excited that her brother is now home every day.
During the summer, my kids love to play outside, whether it’s squirting each other with water guns, blowing bubbles, drawing with chalk, jumping on the trampoline, or playing in the sandbox. And inside, we enjoy putting puzzles together, painting, reading books, playing with Play-Doh and building with Legos.
But I also like to get out of the house and play/do/see/learn/experience NEW things in June, July, and August. And if I’m really being honest: Being out and about helps me keep my sanity (and enjoy some adult interaction) when my husband is working long shifts.
Below are some activities that my kids and I love to do during the summer months.
VISIT THE LIBRARY | My kids and I regularly visit the library during the school year because well, we really LOVE books. But we also go in the summer time to participate in our library’s summer reading program. Our local libraries host activities such as movie nights, puppet shows, slime-making events, animal shows, and live music.
LISTEN TO BOOKS ON CD OR PODCASTS | We enjoy listening to books on CD in the car as we drive to karate or gymnastics classes. (And yes, we check out them out from our local library!) If we don’t have a book on CD to listen to, I put on a podcast episode. The kids enjoy Big Life Kids, Story Pirates and The Alien Adventures of Finn Caspian.
SEE A MOVIE | Regal Theaters offer $1 movies for kids and their caregivers every Tuesday and Wednesday morning at 10:00 A.M. We saw Despicable Me this morning with friends. Thank you, Regal!
GO SWIMMING | We don’t have a pool at our home, so we often swim in one of our local public pools, in a nearby lake or river or at our neighbor’s pool.
PLAY AT THE SPLASH PAD | Just ten minutes from us is a small splash pad that the kids really enjoy on hot days. We bring along two plastic buckets for water play and a few sticks of chalk, and the kids are entertained for at least 30 minutes.
PLAY AT THE PARK | We love to meet friends (usually before 11:00 AM when it is still relatively cool outside) at the park for a snack and some play time!
RIDE BIKES | We live in a rural area with lots of hills, so we often ride bikes at the elementary school, the middle school or on the walking trail at the park. Another option I just learned about is the fairgrounds. The Nevada County Fairgrounds is open (and free!) to walkers and bikers {almost} every day. Just enter through Gate 4.
ATTEND A SUMMER CAMP | Our son is excited to attend a sports camp with a few of his friends in July. The camp is offered through our local parks and recreation district. In the past, he’s participated in a British soccer camp, a Lego camp, and a space themed day camp.
TAKE SWIM LESSONS | Every summer, we enroll our kids in swimming lessons at the beginning of the summer. This summer is no different — the kids have swim lessons all next week at a local high school pool.
PAINT ROCKS | I’m not sure which activity the kids like better: Painting the rocks or hiding them in our local downtown area.
PARTICIPATE IN A PARADE | Last summer, our kids loved riding their bikes in our town’s 3rd of July parade. The night before the parade, they decorated their bikes with American flags and red, white, and blue streamers and bells (all from Target and Dollar Tree stores).
TAKE A HIKE | Living in the foothills, we are fortunate to have a plethora of walking trails nearby. Our daughter doesn’t always want to walk the whole way, though, so we often bring along a hiking backpack.
FIND A GEOCACHE | Have you ever tried geocaching? This week was our FIRST time ever searching for a geocache (or hidden container), and while it was challenging to locate it, we received some much needed help from a park ranger. Thank you, Ranger Lynch! To get started geocaching, just download the “Geocaching” app on your phone (it’s FREE), and search for geocaches near you. (Look specifically for “easy” geocaches that have been found recently!)
And here are a few activities that we haven’t tried yet, but hope to this summer.
GO BOWLING | Did you know that kids can bowl for FREE during the summer months? Yes, it’s true! At participating locations, kids ages 2-18 can bowl two games EVERY DAY from April 15 to August 19. Pretty sweet, eh?! I just signed my kids up! Go to kidsbowlfree.com for a list of participating locations and to sign up.
MAKE SOMETHING | Michael’s Art Stores offers Camp Creativity on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 10 AM to Noon from June 10-July 26. It’s just $3 per child to make a craft! Each week there is a new theme. We hope to attend a session in July!
What do you and your kids like to do during the summer time? Please COMMENT below!