Sponsored Video: The Breathless Choir

I come from a family of nurses. My Mom is a nurse. My Dad is a Nurse. My Aunts are Nurses… you get the picture. Being that healthcare and similar initiatives are always on our radar, it should come to no surprise that when Philips sent me their video about their “Breathless Choir”, I was intrigued.  Something that I know that I take for granted is the ability to sing with no issues whatsoever. I may not be the best singer (it’s debatable) but I certainly love to do it and have nothing standing in my way but that isn’t the case for everyone.

Chronic respiratory conditions are nothing to take lightly and Philips is working every day not just to bring products to market that help people live fuller and more active lives but they are working to bring awareness to CPOD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) and other respiratory diseases. This brings us back to the inspirational video that I’d like to share with you. Philips brought together 18 breathing challenged individuals and documented their journey together undertaking something that they might have considered impossible:  learning to sing. The choir performed at The Apollo Theater in Harlem, NYC their rendition of “Every Breath You Take”, which is, like, perfect. Check it out.

Choirmaster Gareth Malone worked with these folks for only 5 days, albeit intensive… but what they accomplished was amazing, am I right? If you watch the video, you'll be touched, I promise! I can’t help but feel all the feels when I think about people who struggle in their everyday lives who are given the opportunity to achieve something they might have not thought possible.

*This post has been sponsored by Philips.

Giving is Important. Helping is Important. Being Kind is the Most Important.

It's the time of the year that people are always saying that they love to "give back" but what I want to see is action. I'm not asking you to volunteer for hours (though that would be great) but do you actively seek out ways to make small differences? That's what I want to do. I may not always have grand plans of volunteering or helping to organize fundraisers (though I do sometimes do that) but I know that there are small things I can do in my every day that will either uplift people or help make someone's life even a tiny bit better.

I am taking part in Wayfair's Blog it Forward campaign. There is nothing in it for me, I promise, except to try to help a cause that is close to our family and encourage others to do the same in their lives. I received an email a week or so ago from our daycare's director. One of the families from our daycare is currently bringing their toddler in for treatment for leukemia at Boston Children's Hospital. Can you even imagine that? I can't. It's heartbreaking to think about. But what can we even do? Well, let me tell you. Lauren (daycare director) organized a Bags of Hope resource room drive for the center that "our" family is receiving treatment at. What did the kids need? Arts and Crafts supplies, hats and gloves, toddler toys, dvds and games... the things that kids would entertain themselves with in or out of the hospital. We're not just talking babies but they treat children all the way up to 21. It's something that I thought was an important yet realistic (for my crazy life) cause to take part in. I drummed up some support from fellow bloggers and we came up with a nice selection to bring in for Bags of Hope.

Shout outs to Lani of Mon Petit Chou Chou, Susan of Lifestyle of a Fashionista, Alex of Literally-Everything and Natalie of Chic Boston Mama for contributing to to our drive! You are all so generous and it truly means the world to me that you took this opportunity to pitch in! Now how will you make a contribution to your family, your community, your environment? It can be ANYTHING! I challenge you to do something today, add a little bit of kindness to an email or smile at a stranger. C'mon, you can do this!

My One and Only Gift Guide: For People

I am pretty focused this year on spending my money where it will make an impact and if I want to give a gift that might not be super practical, I'm going to make sure that it is with thought + taste that I choose those perfect gifts for that special anyone. I am going to break it down for you, the four types of gifts that I am giving this year, in case you want to be inspired to organize your gift giving however you see fit. It really does help when you have it narrowed down what you need so you can make your Holiday shopping as stress free and fun as possible. And yes, these are actual gifts I am giving so there will likely be some spoilers in this post for those of you in my real life.

The Fancy Candle... why would I dedicate 1/4 of  my one and only gift guide to "The Fancy Candle"? Well, for starters, I love a good candle and secondly, I was totally inspired by the candles at Jonathan Adler. Just a few weeks back, I was invited to a press event at The Street (Chestnut Hill if you're local) and I first experienced the Jonathan Adler store in all it's glory. The bathroom had a candle lit that was like a dream and as I wafted out on a gorgeously scented cloud, the manager introduced me to an entire line of candles, where you could burn them then reuse the glass as, well, a glass. Genius for those who love to collect pretty things! I mention this being one of my four gifts because I know SO many candle lovers out there who would totally appreciate a fancy candle but would never treat themselves to one. It's not every day that you get a yummy smelling candle from the likes of design geniuses over at Jonathan Adler. (Who for? Sisters, besties, co-workers, kids' teachers, girl squad members) Pictured: Like a lot of Jonathan Adler's Candles.

The DIY Kit.... I am like super into cleaning out the chemicals in my house and bringing in more natural cleaning products. I met Devin of the Optimist Co a few weeks back and she was surely a breath of fresh air and literally wants us to breathe  more fresh air. She creates all natural cleaners and something that I thought was super neat was her DIY cleaning kits. I loved learning how to mix up my own batches of kitchen cleaner and knew right off the bat that my Mother in Law + Sister in Law would totally appreciate it. They just recently did a Vegan challenge so I think of this as similar? Yes? No? Whatever, I really like it and I think they will too. (Who for? Anyone who loves natural remedies, mothers, sisters, other family members, messy men, hippies and those you love because GET THOSE CHEMICALS OUT) Pictured: The Make Your Own Cleaning Products Kit from Optimist Co

I want everyone to stop putting sh!t on their number one biggest organ, their skin. It is really one of my new ventures in life, to convince those I love to get rid of all the garbage in their beauty routine and replace it with natural, organic + ethical products that not only work, they are pretty darn good for you. My family is a tough sell on face oil and cream deodorant but I'm making it my holiday's work to bring them over to the green beauty side. The best way to do this? Give them free green beauty products! No better way to try then when you didn't pay for it yourself! My idea, give them 4 or 5 great products and place ever like so in a darling basket, with some sort of message/gift tag. I promise you this will be well received and who knows, you might make someone aware of an amazing product that is the catalyst for beauty change. Too lazy to put together a basket? Try a subscription beauty box like Petit Vour or Beauty Heroes. Just make sure your people know that green beauty is SO accessible and there is nothing to be tentative about!  (Who for? Everyone in your life though giving deodorant to a coworker or your mail carrier might be uncomfortable/offensive) Pictured: Meow Meow Tweet Facial Kit, Vapour Organic Beauty, Organic Bath Co Body Butters, Josh Rosebrook Haircare, Soapwalla Deodorant Creme, Thesis Organic Face Serum

I love my dog. Sometimes, I love my cat. As someone who cares less and less about the things that I am accumulating as personal possessions, I would be totally stoked to get something for them instead of myself. Often, I look at all the things I have around me and know that I already have so much. We feel very fortunate. The dog, however, tells me pretty frequently how he has felt very neglected in the gift department ever since the human child arrived. I mean, I have to step up my "Dog Mom" game I guess but I know that I would love to have someone come bearing gifts for the furchildren. When the UPS guy leaves a milkbone with a delivery, I make sure to get that dog excited because I really loved the thoughtfulness (thank you UPS guy!) and I love my dog. (Who for? Anyone who has an animal that they love and have kept alive, which proves said love) Pictured: Polka Dog Bakery Peanut Butter Medley Biscuits

What are your gift giving tips this year? I'd love to hear them!

A few nights ago, I kissed the baby and man goodbye and went on my own, to a Girls Night Out with Alice's Table. I had only very vaguely explored the art of flower arranging (like trimming store bought flower and plopping them in a vase like "so") so when the opportunity arose to do some legitimate flower arranging in the fine city of Boston, well, I didn't hesitate. It was held on Newbury St at the Met Bar Back Bay and you know what? Even though I was by my lonesome, I had a great time and talked to a lot of new ladies and drank some fancy adult lady drinks. It was very enjoyable so I can just imagine how much fun I would have had with some of my gal pals.

When you head to an event, it's about one thing: having fun learning to do something that is of value to any crafty/fun/creative/flower loving lady... Oh, and also? There's cocktails (be still my heart) and they show you how to make them. Oh, and they give you the recipes for both the cocktail and your arrangements to take home. The gals at Alice's Table just want you to have fun, maybe learn something and then if you're so inspired, do some creating at home. There were definitely some things I learned in my gin haze (yes, I treated myself to TWO G+T's) that I can use when I grab a bouquet from my local farm stand or even grocery store but even if you're having too much fun to catch everything, the gals have you covered with their recaps. Want to check out my event, Thanksgiving Harvest, click here.

Cabbage Flowers, artichokes, sunflowers, seeded eucalyptus, magnolia leaves and more filled a tiny container of love that I built fueled by a yummy rum drink (recipe to come next week just in time for the holiday) and a night away from responsibility. I managed to get it home in one piece and the arrangement looked amazing on our dining room table in the morning light, I just had to snap a shot. I would most definitely sign up for another event from the team at Alice's table. They seem to love what they are doing and want to expand by bringing on ambassadors. I urge you to check them out if this kind of fun night out it something that piques your creative, cocktail loving interests.