Style Lush

Operation Gratitude Needs Your Halloween Candy

By Beth

This may come as a shock to you, but I let my children keep their Halloween candy. They only get a piece or two a day, and after two or three weeks they are bored with it and I throw the rest away, but there is no candy fairy or candy buy-back at my house. But this year, my son's preschool is collecting candy for Operation Gratitude, and we decided to participate.

Operation Gratitude sends care packages and letters and stuffed animals and handcrafts to U.S. troops overseas, their children left behind, and to wounded soldiers. And, right now, they are hoping to collect tons of unwanted Halloween candy to send overseas to troops who certainly need it a lot more than my children do.  

A good cause and a good solution to a minor problem many of use have? Sounds about perfect to me.

Super Hip Glasses: Warby Parker

by Christina

It's about time for me to get some new glasses, a chore to be sure, but one that I get excited about every time. I love getting new frames and for some reason I was looking for them online today after seeing a woman wearing a really cool pair of white ones recently. I'd never seen white prescription glasses. She looked very cool. So, I was looking and tweeting and a friend mentioned Warby Parker. You know about Toms, right? The buy one give one deal? Well, Warby Parker is the Toms of prescription eye wear! How awesome is that? It gets better. The selection is super cool. Vintage-like but also current. Great selection of styles and colors. But, ordering glasses online? A bit intimidating I know. They have a program that allows you to order 5 to try at home for 5 days FOR FREE!

Send them all back if you don't like any of them, they don't mind. Order if you want but don't if you don't. Each pair is $95. High quality acrylic frame, anti glare coating and free shipping. $95. No strings attached. Hip glasses for a cause. I'm in!

(Home Try-On Program photo via Warby Parker)

Free Books for Kids -- No Strings Attached

by Lawyerish

A few months ago, a friend told me about Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, and my initial thought was that it sounded too good to be true. This is a program that sends a new, age-appropriate book every month to children under five years old. That is, for up to five whole years, you can receive a free book twelve times a year. That's a lot of learnin' right there! 

Ms. Dolly started this program in the mid-1990s by sending books to children in her home county in Tennessee, and since then she has expanded this gift across the US and into Canada and the UK. Thus far they have distributed some seven million books. The only catch is that your community has to be a participant in the Imagination Library; a quick search on the website will give you this information.

 

Fortunately, my local Department of Education has paired with the Imagination Library, so a couple of months after I registered via the website, we received our first book in the mail: Watty Piper's classic The Little Engine That Could. My 17-month old daughter loves it. And we recently got the second selection, The Three Little Kittens. The day after we received it in the mail, she woke up in the morning and said, "Kittens! Kittens!" So at least in our house, the program is a rousing success. 

(Photo credit:  us.penguingroup.com)

Amazing Creative Concept: Kickstarter

by Natalie

I recently stumbled across Kickstarter and was completely blown away. Are you familiar with this incredible concept? An individual person can fund different types of projects (movies, albums, furniture designs, paintings) by different artists; each project on the site has a financial goal that it is trying to reach. You can browse the site and see what kind of projects are going on, and you can pledge your financial support in any amount you choose. However, if the project doesn't reach its funding goal, then none of the pledges will be charged. Essentially, it's all or nothing in terms of funding.

In their own words:

Every Kickstarter project must be fully funded before its time expires or no money changes hands.

Why?

1. It's less risk for everyone. If you need $5,000, it's tough having $2,000 and a bunch of people expecting you to complete a $5,000 project.

2. It allows people to test concepts (or conditionally sell stuff) without risk. If you don't receive the support you want, you're not compelled to follow through. This is huge!

3. It motivates. If people want to see a project come to life, they're going to spread the word.

I spent a good hour and a half browing through the great ideas on Kickstarter. And then, completely coincidentally, my sister sent me a link to a project that's close to my heart: a documentary on three high school marching bands in New Orleans, post-Hurricane Katrina. 

I watched The Whole Gritty City preview about three times and immediately made a pledge.

 

 

This touched me so much that I couldn't NOT donate after watching it, and I was thrilled to get an email from Kickstarter the other day informing me that not only has the goal for the documentary been met, it has already been well exceeded! I can't wait, and I'll be first in line when it comes to theaters.

Take a look at Kickstarter and tell me... what grabs you?

 

Valentine Love: Delivered

By Blythe

My husband really likes cinnamon rolls.  I like to bake, but I am not willing to rise early enough to make the dough, let it rise, and bake the rolls so that they are finished before, well, lunchtime.

However, I AM willing to have two delicious cinnamon rolls delivered to my husband on Valentine's Day by my local meals-on-wheels organization, along with some OJ and a few other fun treats.

{Photo credit: valentine-a-gram.org}

He gets his pastries, one of our favorite charities gets a boost, and I get to sleep until a reasonable hour.  Everybody wins!

Do any of your local charities have similar offers around Valentine's Day?

The 3/50 Project

By Janet

Do you need an excuse to go shopping this weekend? I've got one for you.

Your excuse? The 3/50 Project.

The simple idea is to commit $50 each month, total, to three locally owned businesses, in an effort to support the independent stores and restaurants in our own neighborhoods. The 3/50 website points out that for every $100 spent at locally-owned businesses, $68 returns to the community through taxes, payroll, and other expenditures.

This weekend, when you head out to pick up a birthday gift or a new pair of shoes, consider visiting a locally owned store. You'll be helping your local economy and supporting the people in your own neighborhood. And I'll bet you find some stylish items to boot!

Another Fabulous FEED Bag: Lunch

By Jessica

 

I am a big fan of the FEED program, their bags are durable and stylish at the same time and by purchasing them a portion of the proceeds benefit various causes, how could you not love them? Around Halloween they came out with the super adorable trick-or-treat bag and now they are back with a new lunch bag available at The Gap.

It comes in two colors, canvas or denim and costs $19.50 with $5.00 of the purchase price going to improve school food and nutrition education in America.

Crazy cute and functional! I think it could easily be carried by parents and children alike.

 

{Photo credit: The Gap.com}

Gift with a Cause: Modern Piggy Banks

by Christina

Have you been into a West Elm lately? I went last weekend and was thrilled that the current line of Christmas goodies is fabulous. Typically, seeing a store full of Christmas decorations on October 30th would have me fuming, but it seems that kids change your perspective a bit. It also takes a massive amount of time off your hands, so shopping early is pretty much where it's at, even if it was the day before Halloween.

Anyway, they have awesome "piggy" banks, that are so cool I don't know if I want one for myself or for a gift. Maybe both, since $5 from each bank purchase (and other specifically selected items) goes to St. Jude Research Hospital. Is there a better way to shop, getting a little something for the person on your list and a little something to help out an amazing organization?

 

{image via West Elm}

Toddler Shirt for a Great Cause: Movember

by Natalie

Have you all heard of Movember? It's an month-long cancer fundraiser started by an incredible group of guys in Australia, and the basic premise is this: grow a moustache during the month of November. Really! Just grow a moustache!

It's grown exponentially through the years and has raised over 42 million dollars for charities associated with cancer; current beneficiaries and partners of Movember in the United States are LIVESTRONG and the Prostate Cancer Foundation.

Being a girl and all, I can't so much grow a mustache. Though there are ladies who participate ... check out these super cute gals!

{image via notthepaparazzi.com}

Want your toddler to support Movember? Then you can purchase this very cute tee from Itch Design and $10 from each shirt purchase goes directly to Movember.

I kind of want one in my size. Don't you? Movember starts today, November 1st, so go ahead and buy one!

{shirt image via cradlerock.com.au}

Store Spotlight: TOMS Shoes

by Natalie

Usually when we talk shoes around here, we're talking about cute heels or boots, or maybe adorable baby shoes. The ones I'm about to discuss aren't new to anyone, I'm sure, but can we please talk about how much I love TOMS shoes? Because I do.

The Tiny Toms couldn't be cuter (both for girls and boys):

I would buy these for my husband, and he would probably even wear them:

(To be perfectly honest, he just looked over my shoulder and said he would not. But obviously some men do, right?)

Like another company I've mentioned here on Style Lush, TOMS gives a pair of shoes to someone in need every time a pair is sold. They just donated their millionth pair! This alone makes me want to buy more. But for the time being, I just own these, and I adore them.

And if you don't like them, don't tell me, because they're honestly some of the most comfortable shoes I own and I plan on wearing them into the ground. Grab yourself a pair and feel good about giving to someone in need! And, since we like a good pair of heels around here, someone buy these and tell me how you like them, ok?

{Photo credits:  toms.com}