life

25 Days of Spreading Love – A countdown to Christmas: Dec. 23

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For the original idea, please go here.

2 Days till Christmas – spreading love by participating in a potluck

At work today, there was a potluck family meal. We were invited to bring whatever we wanted to share with our co-workers.

Typically, I would grab something real quick on my way and be done with it. Potlucks have never been my favorite thing.

But  not today. In an effort to spread love (and food is a wonderful way to do that!), I chose to take the time to prepare a dish. I even looked up potluck recipes from which I selected a three-bean salad.

It was interesting to see what people brought. And it was fun to try things I’ve never tried before. It was also very delicious to have so many dessert options, not to mention these little unbelievable meringues!

Overall, the potluck ended up being good food, good company and a good time.

“Food is our common ground, a universal experience.”
-James Beard

Spread the love. #spreadthelove

 

 

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. 16

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9 Days till Christmas – spreading love by following through.

It’s very easy to agree to do something and then not follow through. Am I right?

The hard part is the actual doing. I try to only agree to things that I plan to follow through on but sometimes, something will slip through the cracks or I’ll sit on it for a long, long time. Neither are helpful.

Today, I decided to spread the love by doing something that I said I would for my mother but haven’t done yet.

Months and months ago, I agreed to do some research on some antique items she had. I took the items home and had all the good intentions in the world but one thing led to another, and now, here it is way-too-many months later, and I still haven’t done a thing about them.

Well, that ended today. I did the research, reported back to her (after apologizing for the large delay) and will now try to help in whatever she plans to do with the items.

Following through…

It’s easy to say you’ll do something.

But what does it matter if you don’t actually do it?

Spread the love. #spreadthelove

 

 

25 Days of Spreading Love – A countdown to Christmas: Dec. 15

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10 Days till Christmas – spreading love with supportive online shopping

I know. At first glance, that statement is a little suspicious. But please, allow me to explain…

As I was thinking of ways to spread love today, I remembered reading about an organization called Made By Survivors. For a few Christmases, I did a chunk of shopping through their online store, which has items and jewelry and clothing all made by survivors of slavery and human rights abuses.

For today, I decided to spread the love by doing a little supportive online shopping with them.

Here’s a little about the organization, as described on their own Made By Survivors website:

“SINCE 2005, MADE BY SURVIVORS HAS PROVIDED JOBS, EDUCATION AND SHELTER TO OVER A THOUSAND SURVIVORS OF SLAVERY, CHILD MARRIAGE, AND OTHER HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES IN INDIA, NEPAL, CAMBODIA AND THAILAND, WHERE HUMAN TRAFFICKING IS A HUGE PROBLEM.  

We train survivors and create jobs in highly respected professions, with high wages that develop business and entrepreneurial skills. One of our most successful programs is our Jewelry Program. In India, metalsmithing is traditionally a male-only profession. Our survivor-metalsmiths are breaking gender barriers, earning a middle class wage, rescuing others, and uplifting their families and communities.”

Perhaps if you have a little holiday shopping left, you might consider the beautiful selection of items in the Made By Survivors store that can be found right here.

Spread the love. #spreadthelove

25 Days of Spreading Love – A countdown to Christmas: Dec. 13

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For the original idea, please go here.

12 Days till Christmas – spreading love through donating.

As I was thinking about how to spread the love today, I remembered reading an article about charity donations and how much one gives to them actually makes it to those in need. I remember reading how some charity organizations paid their CEOS salaries in the high six figures and was outraged at the thought.

Today, I researched it more. It turns out the article that was circulating years ago about this was highly inaccurate and places like The Goodwill got a bum rap. So I did my own due diligence and researched nearby charity organizations that accepted donations of used things.

Using the website charitynavigator.org, I was able to research various charities in my area to find out their effectiveness. Turns out Goodwill of Southern California has a 91.2% rating with solid financial information and transparency so I decided to give a donation to them.

My husband and I went through our apartment and gathered things to donate. We ended up with two filled bags, mostly of clothes and household items.

I’m thinking, rather than simply throw something away, why not assess if there’s still value left in it and if so, pass it on?

One’s man trash is another man’s treasure. (Not to mention recycling used items is helpful to the environment!)

Spread the love. #spreadthelove

25 Days of Spreading Love – A countdown to Christmas: Dec. 12

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For the original idea, please go here.

13 Days till Christmas – spreading love through cooking.

I am one of those who believe in the power of food.

I’m Sicilian and my family has incorporated food into our very way of being, from the passed-down recipes to the regular Sunday afternoon dinners where pasta is the first course. Perhaps it’s in my blood but I adore real food and I adore it most when I am enjoying it with others.

Fresh vegetables and lean protein are two of my husband’s favorite things. He’s had a long week and has been working very hard.

Today, I want to spread the love toward my new husband through cooking. I know what he likes and I decided to put my love into food and prepare for him one of his favorite meals – beef stew. I’m also making some chocolate chip cookies for him to have as a treat over the weekend.

Showing one’s love through food is an excellent way to nourish both the belly and the soul. And when you do it for someone you love, it’s a win-win for everyone involved.

Spread the love. #spreadthelove

25 Days of Spreading Love – A countdown to Christmas: Dec. 11

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For the original idea, please go here.

14 Days till Christmas – spreading love by undo’ing a wrong.

Back in September, I left the restaurant I was serving at to go to another one. I had worked there for three years, the same lunch shifts, and had gathered a little collection of regulars.

One of them was a very kind elderly woman who would treat herself to a nice lunch every few months. She would dine by herself and I often chatted with her. When the shift was slow, we would talk for a quite a bit and I enjoyed seeing her. I knew what she liked, how she liked it and I made sure she got it.

Unfortunately, I didn’t get the chance to see her in the weeks before I left. A few weeks after I was gone though, a former co-worker from that restaurant texted me to let me know this sweet lady had been in and asked about me. She gave him her number to pass on to me so I could tell her where I am now.

Such a sweet thing.

And I never called her.

In my defense, I was about to be married and then go on my honeymoon but that’s no excuse. I messed up.

Here it is now, over three months later, and I decided that today I would spread the love by undo’ing a wrong.

I found the text with her number on my phone and called her. No one answered so I left her a message with my number. I hope she calls me back.

Mistakes will be made; but it’s what we do about them that matters.

Spread the love. #spreadthelove

 

***UPDATE***
She called me back and we had a lovely conversation. I apologized for the delay in the call. She graciously understood. We caught up a bit and then she told me how much she appreciated my call and how happy it made her. I told her it made me happy too and I meant every word of it. And she can’t wait to come visit me at the new restaurant I’m at… #spreadthelove

 

 

 

25 Days of Spreading Love – A countdown to Christmas: Dec. 10

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For the original idea, please go here.

15 Days till Christmas – spreading love by backing a Kickstarter film

As a filmmaker, who has run a successful Kickstarter campaign that was anything but easy to do, today I decided to spread the love by supporting a fellow filmmaker through this popular crowd-funding platform.

I went on the site and browsed through the various campaigns in the film category. I spent quite a while, to be honest, as nothing was grabbing me…

That is, until I noticed a little post about a documentary on the making of Kalamata olive oil in Greece: (and the filmmaker is a teenager!)

 

I decided to donate to this campaign. I hope he gets to make his film. Check it out above!

“It’s not how much we give but how much love we put into giving.”
― Mother Teresa

Spread the love. #spreadthelove

25 Days of Spreading Love – A countdown to Christmas: Dec. 9

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For the original idea, please go here.

16 Days till Christmas – spreading love by supporting local businesses

When I looked at my schedule and saw that today I had an appointment at a salon I’ve been patronizing for almost twenty years, it got me thinking.

Supporting local businesses is something easy to talk about but do I often do it? As long as value for value is given, I started to wonder why I don’t search out more local businesses to patronize?

It’s kinda a no-brainer, right? I mean, it gives back to the community I live in and helps support part of the very fabric that makes America great – small business owners.

So today, I decided to spread the love by supporting local businesses.

Instead of running into the convenience store at a big gas station chain, I decided to go to the small local grocery market right near home and buy my bottle of sparkling water there (which was about the same price!)

Then I drank it as I drove to see my favorite beauty guru, a business owner who has run her successful salon since the late 1980s.

This was followed by doing a little work at a local coffeehouse, which was recommended to me by a fellow co-worker. Rather than just pop into the nearest branded coffeehouse, I sought this little gem out and purchased a delicious hot tea there.

I also did some quick research on ways to support local businesses. Recommendations are excellent. Word of mouth is king, in any business. (I supported one today based off of what someone told me!) Also, giving local businesses honest rave reviews and supporting them through social media are excellent ways to help too, which is why I decided to choose two of my favorite local businesses and give them great reviews on Yelp. And this is just a start…

Spread the love. #spreadthelove