holidays

12 Days Till Christmas – Giving Back

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As many of my readers know, I like to do a series around Christmas time in the spirit of helping others. This year, I thought I’d countdown the twelve days before Christmas by finding ways to give back.

From disastrous forces of nature to massive revelations of a sexual assault epidemic, this year has been a turbulent one for many, many people. And it’s reached everyone, from those on their thrones of power to the average citizen trying to make their way in the world. Overall, it’s been a rough year.

And while I am not shielded from pain and have known some myself this year, I also know I am more fortunate than many others. A day doesn’t go by without news of  atrocities in foreign countries happening to young girls or government figures trying to take away people’s freedoms by force. Sadly, there is an abundance of fights that need to be fought. An abundance of help needed.

And anyone can.

From a simple smile to someone having a rough day to donating millions to a relief fund, giving back can be done at any station in life.

For clarity though, I should tell you how I define “giving back.” I use it as an action noun. It is the act of one choosing to use their time, efforts and skills to help those in need as a way to reciprocate to the universe one’s gratitude for “this thing called life” (to quote Prince, may he RIP.)

For the first day of this countdown, the universe gave me an opportunity before I even got out of bed. After waking, I checked my phone like I normally do and saw a text from a friend who is going through a deep spiritual awakening and making major change in her life. She asked for some advice and guidance on writing a blog.

I absolutely want to help. Other writers have helped me along the way and I am thrilled to be able to give back as they did for me. I texted her some answers to her questions and agreed to read and critique her work and you know what? I’m looking forward to it!

I hope you come along for the ride with me over the next twelve days. Till tomorrow…

#givingbackblogseries #givingback

 

 

Quitting Diet Coke 3.6 – a holiday special

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The holidays have a way of making it easy to indulge. From the treats and sweets that seem to appear during those times, to the drinking and eating events that multiple from November to December.

Yes, I’m generalizing but overall, in some form, people tend to splurge during the holiday season and many times it has to do with food and drink.

It’s already happening to me. I’m seeing Diet Coke everywhere and preparing myself for being offered it and having to turn it down, more than normal.

I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have thoughts of drinking an ice-cold DK with a turkey sandwich the day after Thanksgiving.

But no, I tell myself, no.

I must be strong when the temptation is great and though I know it will be easy to slip, I am determined not to.

Stay tuned…

#quittingdietcoke

Countdown till Christmas – 5 days to go!

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Five days till Christmas! It’s about 75* degrees right now in Los Angeles, so it’s a bit difficult to feel the seasons change but I do live vicariously through east-coasters as I just heard my hometown of Buffalo has received eight inches of snow! (I may be more happy about that than they are though….)

I remember growing up there and my mom needing to scrape the ice that built on the car simply while we were shopping. Brrrrr……! But I digress….

Thinking of the season changes led me to thinking about Buffalo which led to me to thinking about my grandparents. I’m fortunate to have three of them still with me, two in their nineties and one close to it. I grew up knowing them well and I’ll forever be grateful that both sides chose to leave Sicily in the 1950s to come to America to give their children a better life.

As a first generation Italian American (Sicilian to be specific), I take pride in where I’m from and realize that America is a melting pot of immigrants from all over, which to me is a beautiful thing. There is a reason so many people want to be here and I do not take for granted for one day the freedom I have because of those before me who fought for it.

Today, in the spirit of love and being helpful, I decided to write hand-written letters to my grandparents in their native Italian language, which I am rusty at and would be nowhere without my Italian/American dictionary.

I know it’s a small thing but it’s the small things that make up the moments of our life and if I can put a smile I my grandparent’s face, then that’s a moment I want to create.

During this holiday season, why not make sure to take time to appreciate those in your life who helped shaped your family for the better? Send them a card. Give them a call. Tell them you love them. And make them smile.

#countdowntochristmas

Countdown till Christmas – 10 days to go!

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I’ll be straight with you right out of the gate. Christmas is not a religious time for me. I understand its roots lie in Christianity with the birth of Jesus Christ and I acknowledge that but for me, I choose to celebrate this time of year by spreading love and being with those who I care about.

And keeping in the spirit of helping others, I decided to write a ten-day countdown to Christmas where on each of the ten days I will attempt to learn something new in the name of giving, joy and love, all in an effort to be of help to others.

Today, I decided to catch up on politics and I noticed a bunch of stories about a “fake news” epidemic. After I wondered how this FINALLY got to be acknowledged, I researched more and began to see that it was all about the dissemination of fake news and not the actual fake news itself!

So, in an effort to help promote integrity in journalism, I would like to share a video of a reporter who is reporting on Aleppo and is actually there and witnessing what is occurring. With the vast amount of dishonesty in journalism, it is getting increasingly more difficult to find honest news and we desperately need it. Aleppo is getting chewed up by the news media and my search for trustworthy news about it was quite difficult… But I found one and would like to pass it along in an effort to help others search for honest news among the sea of deception that is out there…

 

25 Days of Spreading Love – A countdown to Christmas: Dec. 24

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For the original idea, please go here.

1 Day till Christmas – spreading love by being with my family

In honor of the holiday this entire blog project has been written around, I chose to spread the love today but spending time with my family on Christmas Eve.

Thank you for coming along for the ride with me as I counted down the days till Christmas by spreading love in the world.

From my house to yours, Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays!

25 Days of Spreading Love – A countdown to Christmas: Dec. 22

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For the original idea, please go here.

3 Days till Christmas – spreading love by spending time with one of my oldest friends

And by oldest, I don’t mean age. I mean length of time of friendship.

There are a couple girls whom I’ve known since my college days that have remained a constant in my life. And while we don’t see each other all that often (living in different cities), it never matters. It’s quality over quantity. And as soon as we’re in the same room again, it’s like time hasn’t moved and we can pick up right where we left off.

I cherish this not only because it’s rare but because it’s valuable to me. A friendship that has spanned over the course of twenty years is not something to take lightly. It’s something to be appreciated for what it is.

And tonight, I was given the opportunity to show my love and appreciation for one of my oldest friends. We’ve known each other for twenty years and have seen each other at our worsts and bests. And I adore her.

She’s in town for the holidays and graciously made time to come visit me.

Tonight, I made her dinner. As she looked through my wedding photos, we chatted about our lives and the direction they’ve gone. She caught up with my husband. And as we ate cheese ravioli with a vodka cream sauce, we reminisced about days gone and spoke of our plans for the future.

Spending time with old friends is a most lovely way to spread love. And I highly recommend it.

“The only way to have a friend is to be one.”
– Ralph Waldo Emerson

Spread the love. #spreadthelove

 

 

25 Days of Spreading Love – A countdown to Christmas: Dec. 21

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For the original idea, please go here.

4 Days till Christmas – spreading love by showing my appreciation

My husband and I do a lot of shipping for both business and personal needs. And we use the USPS for much of it, though we try to conduct the bulk of our transactions online because, well… come on. Have you been inside a post office lately? Those lines move slow…

But our postman does not. He is always helpful, always willing to climb up the stairs to our place to drop off a package or pick some up and he always has a smile on his face. When we came back from our honeymoon, our postman had our mail all ready for us, making the whole “hold mail” process seamless.

I believe acknowledgment of someone doing a good job will show that person that their efforts have not gone unnoticed and are in fact greatly appreciated. So, in an effort to appreciate the hard work our postman does, my husband and I decided to spread the love by giving him a Christmas gift. We picked up a Target gift card and wrote him a Thank You/Christmas card that we’ll hand deliver as soon as we see him.

“The roots of all goodness lie in the soil of appreciation for goodness.”
-Dalai Lama

Spread the love. #spreadthelove

 

25 Days of Spreading Love – A countdown to Christmas: Dec. 20

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For the original idea, please go here.

5 Days till Christmas – spreading love by supporting Wikipedia

Wikipedia is an online free encyclopedia.

Now sure, you probably already knew that. But did you know the site is run by a non-profit? And that it has remained ad-free since its inception?

Jimmy Wales, the founder of Wikipedia, has purposely kept the site free of advertisements. He manages to sustain this popular knowledge site through donations from its readers. In Wales own words, taken from the site:

Wikipedia is one of the most visited websites in the world.
Commerce is fine. Advertising is not evil. But it doesn’t belong here. Not in Wikipedia.
Wikipedia is something special. It is like a library or a public park. It is like a temple for the mind. It is a place we can all go to think, to learn, to share our knowledge with others.
When I founded Wikipedia, I could have made it into a for-profit company with advertising banners, but I decided to do something different. We’ve worked hard over the years to keep it lean and tight. We fulfill our mission efficiently.

Every year, Wikipedia runs a fundraiser in December. 

And in an effort to keep the site ad-free and user-driven, I donate every year.

For today, I chose to spread the love by donating to a foundation that runs a website I use weekly, if not daily.

If you too would like to donate to keep Wikipedia the helpful resource it is for all of us, you can do so here!

Spread the love. #spreadthelove

 

 

25 Days of Spreading Love – A countdown to Christmas: Dec. 19

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For the original idea, please go here.

6 Days till Christmas – spreading love by making my nephews smile

As I’ve asked before, is there anything better than seeing a child smile and hearing them laugh?

I really don’t think so. It’s a beautiful thing when a child is genuinely happy.

Not only are children the future, but adults are too because it’s their job to help children to have as great of lives as possible. Of course, I don’t mean there aren’t going to be days of tears and discipline but I do mean that the love and care we give them will guide them as they learn and grow.

By choice, I don’t have children of my own unless you count my films (which I do), but I do take my role in children’s lives very seriously, whether it be as their aunt or godmother or simply as an adult figure.

Today, to spread love, I decided to spend the afternoon with my nephews. While this is a common thing I do, it doesn’t make it any less special and it’s one of the most important ways I choose to spread love.

“Children have never been very good at listening to their elders, but they have never failed to imitate them.”
– James Arthur Baldwin

25 Days of Spreading Love – A countdown to Christmas: Dec. 18

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For the original idea, please go here.

7 Days till Christmas – spreading love by volunteering

My husband and I wanted to volunteer our time this holiday season to help those who are less fortunate.

In Santa Monica, there is a wonderful organization called One Voice LA. They help families at poverty level within our local communities. Every year they do a Holiday Food Program. Children receive toys and books and adults receive an overflowing basket of food. Tonight, my husband and I were two of the many volunteers it takes to make this happen. Along with people of all ages and cultures, we filled boxes full of food and then helped load them onto trucks. People from all walks of life, varying in ages and races, got to work tonight.

This is a four-day event and there are two more days left. Perhaps if you are in the area, you might consider volunteering as well. Information can be found here.

A beautiful part of humanity is the fact that we are all in this together.

The older I get, the more I realize, the holiday spirit is one of family, gratitude and philanthropy.

“No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.”
– Aesop

Spread the love. #spreadthelove