Nordstrom's is Doing Some Good

It's Friday so it's time for .... "Doing Good".  Recently, I came across a store in NYC that is owned by retailer, Nordstrom's that is really interesting.  The shop, Treasure & Bond, donates 100%-yep -that's right, 100% to charities for kids in NYC.  It's located in Soho in a cool industrial space full of real finds.  

Lovely, right? 

See for yourself ... 

Way to go, Nordstroms!

Click here to see their list of brands you can buy.  

Click here to see the list of charities. 

Live large, 

Frances 

Doing Good: Aid to Artists

Have you noticed in so many of the coolest retailers this past year like Anthropologie to Serena & Lily had adorable paper mache animals?  And you don't want just one, you want them ALL!  Funny enough, it was an updated look to the whole taxidermy trend that's been around the last few years and this opened the door for folks who wanted the look without an actual dead deer staring at them at night. (I should know. I have one.)

Aid-to-Artisans connects artists with new markets and markets to new artists.  They also trains artists to make all sorts of cool things so the artist learns a new craft while making an income.  Check out their store for the latest and greatest.  Today, I was at the Land of Nod Spring Preview and they have several exclusive looks for their catalog in the next few months. Isn't he cute??

Live large, 

Frances 

Doing Good Product Round Up

After the terrible Sandy Hook massacre a week ago, the holiday spirit has dimmed and I've found solace under the covers.  That said,  the best way to combat evil is to shine a light on GOOD things going on so this Friday's Doing Good Shout Out goes to  Salvation Army.  

The day after Thanksgiving, you start to hear them as they ring bells outside of shops for their Red Kettle Campaign.  Want to know their story? Here goes....

"Doing The Most Good" sums up the mission of The Salvation Army. The organization operates 7,593 centers in the United States, providing food distribution, disaster relief, drug and alcohol rehabilitation, anti-human trafficking efforts and a wealth of children's programs. Its traditional Red Kettle Campaign is an integral part of the Christmas season, with millions of dollars donated each year to the needy. Nearly 30 million people received help from The Salvation Army in 2011, and the magnitude of the mission to aid communities throughout the United States still remains great.

JCP has partnered with Salvation Army to make a difference this holiday season. 

The Salvation Army's Red Kettle Campaign started in 1891 with Captain Joseph McFee, who got the idea to hang a crab pot on the wharf requesting donations for food to provide Christmas dinner to needy families. This year, jcp cares offers two ways to continue this tradition. You can round up your in-store purchase to the nearest dollar or donate your spare change to the red kettles outside our stores. Your contributions will benefit The Red Kettle Campaign and continue the spirit of giving.  

So you can shop + feel good about it. 

And if you want to donate to the Sandy Hook community,  click here to support Newton Youth & Family Service offering counseling & support.    

Live large, 

Frances 

Doing Good-Cookies for Kids Cancer

I've blogged about this organization before but it's worth mentioning again as what is Christmas without cookies??  Started by the unstoppable Gretchen & Larry Witt who are staring pediatric cancer in the eyes and making a real difference.   

Listen here for their story. 

Gretchen and Larry both worked at the top notch tool company, OXO, so by supporting OXO products which really are my favorite across the board, you are supporting the fight against kid cancers. Look for OXO products at The Container Store, Bed, Bath & Beyond and OXO.com.

Check out their site for information on how to host a cookie sale in your own neighborhood or shop from their mouth watering collection to send as gifts.  My favorite cookie combo is called a box of hope.   Hard to beat that.  

Santa would love these & so would the reindeer.

Live large, 

Frances 

No Stuff Gifts

As an editor, I have a love//hate with gift guides.  I love seeing the new products, get excited with each find and how my favorite stories/vendors up the anty each year.  But sometimes over the course of the month, it gets to be too much.  The pile of presents, the wrapping supplies, the need to shop for people who really don't need anything.... sorta adds up to one big "why?"  

So this gift guide isn't going to be about the perfect (insert noun) for friends or family. This year it's about something else.   

Buy a Goat and 2 Chickens for a family. 

Send a girl to school for a year. 

Buy 5 holiday cards and that will buy 5 meals for house bound folks. 

Buy books for schools in need. 

Buy water for a village.  

Emergency shelter:  3 meals, 2 blankets + 1 cot for 20 people. 

If you want your gift to mean more and do more this year....if any of this strikes a cord, check out the inspirational guys from The Minimalists  great article on gifting in a meaningful way.    

Live large, 

Frances 

Doing Good

This week's Doing Good organization is 100 Cameras.  Here's their mission:  

The picture above was taken in war ravaged South Sudan by a local child photographer armed with a camera from this organization. 

Love photograph?  Love helping others?  Click here to learn more about this wonderful organization and consider buying cards for Christmas through them or artwork.  100% of the money spent on a child's photograph goes back to them. 

I spent some time in Africa at a village where the kids took my camera and took the most amazing pictures. They are some of my most favorite after three weeks of travel.  And they loved getting to see themselves through the lens eye.  Returning to NYC, I found this group and know first hand how great it is.   Take from a child's perspective in Kenya.  Who can resist this face?

Live Large, 

Frances 

Beauty Doing Good

Photo I snapped last Dec at Maasai Mara National Park 

Chantecaille is supporting a cause near and dear to my heart, The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, based in Nairobi, Kenya.   

The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust is a small, flexible charity, established in 1977 to honour to memory of a famous Naturalist, David Leslie William Sheldrick MBE, the founder Warden of Tsavo East National Park in Kenya, where he served from its inception in 1948 until his transfer to Nairobi in 1976 to head the Planning Unit of the newly created Wildlife Conservation & Management Department. David died 6 months later but his legacy of excellence and the systems he installed for the management of Tsavo and wildlife generally in Kenya, particularly in the sphere of wildlife husbandry and ethics, lives on.    

Having had the honor of visiting this site, I can promise it's a great place to support.  Who doesn't want to keep elephant and rhinos alive?  What is Kenya or even Africa without those big amazing animals? 

Chantecaille says this about their decision: 

For Fall 2012 we honor the planet’s largest living land mammals, the Elephants; they symbolize strength, wisdom and intelligence. Sadly, the threat to elephants from ivory poachers is greater than ever with an estimated 38,000 African elephants killed annually – a rate that left unchallenged would see elephants wiped out by 2025.

The L'Elephant Palette is a gorgeous eye compact of four earth inspired colors  that look like the soul of Africa. 5% of each purchase will go towards this life giving organization.   

Love elephants and want to do more?   Visit http://www.chantecaille.com/elephants to learn more about how you can help. 

Live Large, 

Frances

Doing Good

It warms a gal's heart to see how many home decorating and design community is stepping up their support for Sandy victims.  Click here to get the skinny. 

Live large, 

Frances 

DWELL STUDIO'S DOING GOOD

It's not enough that Dwell Studio has some of THE COOLEST home decor on the market.... (Here are a few of the things I am currently coveting...)....

OR that their flagship SOHO based store is off the hook chic....

AND their founder, Christiane Lemieux, is on Fortune's Most Powerful Women Entrepreneur Bad Ass List....

Oh no.. that's not enough.  They have a heart too!

Live large & come buy some cookies!

Frances 

Make a difference

Yesterday, Liam Holt passed away. He was a lovely six year old boy who had a rare form of cancer and was way too young to die.   His story was a heart breaker but sadly, not that uncommon.   I met Liam through this mother, Gretchen Holt,  PR Director of OXO, a company that makes the best kitchen and garden products.  Gretchen threw really fun dinner parties at all the best restaurants in NYC. She brought together editors and made them friends.

When Liam was first diagnosed with this really rare cancer, she looked the illness right in the eye and fought it hard.  She learned that pediatric cancers don't receive much funding from government or private sector yet cancer is the leading cause of death of children.  She started an organization called Cookies for Kids' Cancer and started with a single bake sale that sold 96,000 cookies. Having volunteered to make cookies for this inital sale, it was truly awe inspiring to watch so many volunteers make, bake and package that many cookies.  It reminded me of what we can really do when we stop watching Bravo and take up a cause.  Fueled with deep knowledge and almost superhuman determination, Gretchen's organization has taken the simple bake sale concept and blown it up to fund new research.  

Susan G. Koman has become synonymous with breast cancer and now that cancer has a 90% survival rate.  Susan's dying wish to her sister was that she cure cancer.  Her sister has made great strides in doing just that.  Now Gretchen is on the same path to finding a cure for pediatric cancer. I remember one conversation with her when she said she had attended over 20 funerals for children that year.  As a person who can barely handle St Jude's commercials, I was shocked to learn there hasn't been a new drug for kids' cancers in over 20 years.  That is crazy.   Read about some of the kids (including Liam) who inspired the group of folks who joined Gretchen and Larry in starting this amazing organization.

Consider helping. 

Option 1)  Buy some cookies.  They are delicious, make great presents and ship nationwide.

Option 2) Consider hosting a Bake Sale.  Get a kit on the site that walks you through the specifics.

Option 3) Donate money.  Always a winner.


Mail Donations to:
Cookies for Kids' Cancer

31 Hoffmans Crossing Rd.

Califon, NJ 07830

Stock & Security Donations:

donations@cookiesforkidscancer.org

Live large.... and with meaning,  

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Gifts that Matter

Having just posted about the worst gifts of 2010, I thought I'd highlight my favorite gift catalogue of the season, no, make that the year.   While not every gift can be lasting and well thought out, it does help to have a resource that gives you options on price points and hits different passions to have as a go-to for gift giving.  For me, it's the World Vision Catalog.  


This holiday, consider this amazing site for your gift giving needs. So well done, it allows you to customize your gifts for the recipient's interests.  Got a friend who is a teacher or has a heart for education?  For $32 (that would be 2 terrible bacon wallets from my worst gift list) buys education for one child for one year by providing school uniforms, books, supplies and school fees.  


Into sports?  Consider spending $16 (that's 3 large lattes at Starbucks) to buy 2 soccer balls for kids that provides endless pleasure to kids who have so little.   Got someone in your life who truly has everything?  Consider spending $16 for 2 chickens which provide food via their eggs for whole families and money from the sale of extra eggs.  The list goes on and on... from poverty to social justice, your donation buys something concrete which goes to solve the problem. 


Talk about a gift the keeps giving.... 


It's easy to make a buck.  It's a lot tougher to make a difference.  ~Tom Brokaw



Live large, 
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