How to Help Others During the Holidays

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This holiday season, do your part to help deliver smiles to loved ones and people in need. Reap the feel-good rewards of helping others with these ideas on how to make a difference. 

Giving during the holiday season can mean more than gifts. It’s the time of year when giving back to your community can make an even bigger impact – especially this year when so many need a helping hand.

 
Give time. One of the greatest donations an organization can receive is your time. Volunteer roles can vary significantly depending on the organization you choose but can leave you feeling like you’ve contributed in a real and meaningful way.

From sorting donated items, preparing and distributing warm meals or wrapping gifts, organizations can almost always use an extra set of hands during the holidays.

Make your shopping count. To help make the season even brighter, Amazon is donating millions of items to more than 1,000 charities worldwide through product and monetary donations and is making it easy for you to give back as well. When shopping for holiday supplies or gifts for family and friends, you can give back and donate to your favorite charitable organizations. Simply activate AmazonSmile in the mobile app or on your web browser to get the same online shopping experience you’re accustomed to with the added benefit of donating a portion of eligible purchases to a charity of your choice.

Spread information. People are more willing to contribute to a cause when they understand how they can help. Align with an organization or cause you care about and share details about how the community can help. That might include talking about the group’s mission and needs to your friends and family or simply sharing info about its cause on your social media feeds. Let the organization know you’re eager to generate awareness for its needs, and it can typically find a way to put your skills to use.

Shop for a cause. One thing nonprofits often hear is people want to give, but they don’t know what items will be most useful. You can remove the guesswork with a resource like AmazonSmile Charity Lists, which offers a convenient way to donate to your favorite causes. Just search for your favorite organization and find its list of most-needed items, purchase and have the donation delivered directly to the charity’s door. You can also make a donation to the organization of your choice through your Alexa-enabled device by saying, “Alexa, I want to make a donation.”

Donate gently used items. This holiday season, you’ll probably add new clothes to your closet and new toys to the playroom, but others may not have presents to unwrap. As you receive gifts this holiday, see what gently used toys, clothes and household items could be donated to help others.

Find more information and resources at smile.amazon.com, and share how you’re giving back by using #DeliveringSmiles on social media.

Delivering Smiles to Charitable Organizations in Need Charitable organizations often maintain a wish list of items necessary to deliver on their missions. This holiday season, you can help fulfill AmazonSmile Charity Lists of nonprofit organizations supporting causes including homelessness, hunger, and disaster relief, among others.

Donations including food and pantry items, blankets, sheets, toys, educational items for kids, socks, outerwear, and other apparel items, as well as monetary donations to put toward the purchase of these items, can help provide organizations with essential items they need and products they want.

Among the charities benefiting from this program are: • Heifer International – You can help small-scale farmers transform their communities by donating essential tools.

• St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital –Toys and game donations can help deliver countless smiles to children battling cancer and other life-threatening diseases this holiday season. St. Jude is leading the way the world understands, treats, and defeats childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases.

• Best Friends Animal Society – Essential pet supplies can be donated to help provide nutrition and enrichment to dogs and cats while they await foster or adoptive homes.

• Operation Nightwatch – Help protect homeless communities by giving necessary food and clothing.

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Remember the True Meaning of Christmas Gifts

The origins of Christmas gifts stem far back into time.  The ancient Romans celebrated a season of festivities to honor their deity and raise the spirits of the people.  The people gathered together and created traditions amongst their families.  Gifts were given from the elite to honor citizens and soon the tradition spread.  Gifts were soon given generously amongst the people to express love and appreciation.  It was a time of joy and merriment. 

Throughout time we see the pattern of giving repeated through cultures.  Tales are sprinkled throughout history that tell of a man with secretive helpers who delivered gifts to the children to bring them joy and happiness.  The children would merrily set out shoes or stockings for their treats to appear in overnight.  The generosity of the mysterious man was reflected in the people.  Homemade sweets and handcrafted items were given amongst family and friends during the holiday season.  

The Bible tells of the three wise men that came to see the Christ upon his birth.  They each brought a gift to honor him.   It became a tradition amongst his followers to give gifts to one another to celebrate his birth each year.  The season became named for Jesus Christ, yet traditions throughout many religions and cultures have been intertwined to create the modern holiday. 

Today Christmas is celebrated throughout the nation.  It is a holiday that warms the hearts and homes of millions.  Families today have created their own traditions just as people did in the ancient times.  Christmas is a time to celebrate and appreciate the people dearest to you.  Christmas gifts are a means by which we express this love and appreciation.  However, it seems that in recent decades giving has turned the season of joy into a taxing occasion.

The giving of Christmas gifts has become obligatory and stressful.  Long lines, sold-out items, and expensive electronics have caused many to forget the true meaning of giving on this holiday.  Christmas is about love, family, and merriment rather than stress and anxiety.  Christmas gifts are an altruistic way to express love and appreciation. 

Adorable Gift Baskets offers a huge selection of beautiful Christmas gift basket ideas that are stress-free and will allow you to find joy, rather than stress, in the holiday.  Christmas gift baskets are an excellent Christmas gift idea for everyone on your gift list.  Our gift baskets come in a variety of themes and price ranges to fit every budget. 

Buy Christmas Gift Baskets online and enjoy a worry-free, gift-giving experience, and you can be sure the receiver will be ecstatic about their Christmas gift. This Christmas, find little ways to keep the actual meaning of gift giving in mind and celebrate this ancient tradition in a manner that is free of anxiety.   Rejoice in the family, friends, and the traditions you share. 

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Corporate Holiday Gift Ideas, Gift Baskets, Unique Professional Business Gifts Delivered

Promotional Gift Baskets, Gift Ideas and Corporate Business Gift Delivery

Unique corporate gifts are the best way to enhance any business image. Carefully selected corporate gift baskets and gifts, containing promotional items, are considered to be the perfect way of setting the company apart from the competition.

It is during the summer that most of the corporate gift planning emerges. Most companies designate one individual or a specific department to place in charge of holiday gift purchasing. These corporate gift planners must carefully consider their customers and clients and strive to ensure that the gift selection will be one that will create a lasting impression on the recipient.

Customer satisfaction and the appraisal of the gift basket and gift designs are of the utmost importance. Gift designers strive to design unique gift baskets, gifts and holiday promotional items which highlights the key product of the company.

Holiday promotional gifts, gift baskets and prefect business presents are specifically designed in such a manner to help the company establish lasting relationships, generate more sales, thank their employees, convey gratitude to clients and as a means of romancing potential customers. Business gift baskets and gifts have proven to be a vital tool in establishing strong, long-term relationships with customers and clients helping to ensure the continued success of the business.

Adorable Gift Baskets provides an excellent media for companies and businesses to browse through a multitude of promotional gift baskets in the comfort of their own office or home.

This is where online gift shopping comes into play making the process of searching for and selecting the perfect corporate gifts for any size company or gifts easy and enjoyable.

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The Personal Side of Christmas: How to Write a Christmas Newsletter

Christmas is a wonderful time of year. For some it is very religious. For others it is filled with magic. For many, however, Christmas can be filled with tension and anxiety. The shopping at the Malls can be absolutely exhausting. Writing Christmas cards to people we can barely remember often seems like a drudge. And the Newsletter? What do I say?

Do you find yourself dreading the Christmas season? Does the thought of shopping for cards and sending handwritten messages make your hands sweat? How does one keep things personal, without getting writer's cramp? What do you say to each and every recipient in every single card? Perhaps now is the time to organize your thoughts, and keep in touch through a Christmas Newsletter.

A Christmas Newsletter can be a wonderful experience, and it is a way for others to know what is happening in your life, and in the lives of your family. However, a Christmas Newsletter can also embrace the recipients, as you include your feelings about them. This can be generalized, yet still remain personal. You don't have to give names or try to fit too much on one page. Here are some basic rules for writing a newsletter:

• Be brief. For a Christmas Newsletter to be welcome, you don't want to bore people with pages and pages. Stick to one page of information. If you want to include pictures, keep the Newsletter to two pages. If you find yourself going on and on, remember, a good edit is a writer's best friend.

• Be humble. "Look what I did!" or "Look how smart my kids are" is bragging, and no one likes a braggart. Celebrate your life with thanksgiving. Remember for every success, there has been someone along the way who has encouraged and inspired you. You couldn't have done it without them. Say so. Some good examples of a thankful message might be: "I feel blessed to have received a promotion." Or "thankfully, Johnnie has successfully completed his first semester at college."

• Include the reader. Yes you can do that without mentioning names. For example, "it is so wonderful to have the family gathered together again. Wish you were here." Another inclusive example could be: "It's great to have our family gathered; however Christmas is not the same without you." Nothing warms the heart of your reader like knowing he or she is missed.

• Get in touch with your feelings. Think about each person who has blessed your life. If they have not been a blessing, then why are you including them? Do not stir the pot of discontent. I'm a firm believer that Newsletters should be sent only to those who mean something to you or perhaps to someone who really needs a friend.

• Include a brief personal message. Nothing says "I care about you," quite like something personal. Write in pen, at the top, "John" or "Dear Sara." And at the end include a personal line, such as, "John, I miss you, especially at Christmas," or "Sara, I still have that lovely needlepoint you gave to me. I miss you more than ever."

Few people enjoy the expensive Christmas card with a typed signature, even if it is printed in gold. A Christmas Newsletter needs to be an invitation of two hearts to be joined as one. So give it all you've got, and do some planning. This is your opportunity to share a blessed celebration of the year. Don't let time and distance stand in your way.

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Homemade Holiday Candy, Christmas Recipes and Holiday Gift Basket Ideas

Homemade Holiday Candy, By Teresa Opdycke - The joys of the holidays have always included not just eating sweet treats, but the actual making of homemade candy. We would all get together on a cold day in December to share ingredients, funny stories, and memories as our mother shared her expert candy making techniques. For awhile after my mother passed on we continued the tradition of bonding over sugary, chocolaty, sweet creations that tickle the tongue. As we each grew in ways that no one would ever believe possible, we left behind the sweet tradition. It was indeed a wonderful time and I highly recommend getting a few family members or friends together to not just make, but celebrate the holidays with the charming tradition of candy making. The recipes we used came from our mother and from her mother and one from my father. It’s time to turn on the Christmas music, get out the bowls, spatulas and candy thermometer. It’s time to make Christmas candies.

Divinity

Never a favorite of mine, but my sister loved and still loves divinity and makes this candy every year. I’m a chocolate freak, but she’s a lover of the creamy, smooth textured swirls of this divine homemade candy. My mother always admonished us with these bits of advice: If it’s raining or wet outside your divinity will not set up and may be sugary. Do not ever touch the side of the bowl with your wooden spoon or spatula; the results will be sugary candy.

2 cups sugar
½ cup of white Karo
½ cup of water
2 egg whites
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup chopped or whole English walnuts or pecans
Boil sugar, Karo, and water together until a little dropped in water turns brittle. (I’ll be perfectly honest here, I’ve never done this. I watched my mother do it many times. So I wish you well!) Pour the syrup over stiffly beaten egg whites. Add chopped nuts if you desire and the vanilla. Beat until your arm feels like it’s going to fall off or the mixture begins to hold a shape. Drop on a buttered platter or parchment paper. Place one pecan or English walnut on top. Color can be added to the white froth for a festive look.

Chocolate Fudge or Mom’s Millionaire

I have no idea why she called this recipe simply millionaire, perhaps because she thought it tasted like a million bucks and so it does. It’s a very rich fudge that comes out creamy and if death by chocolate seems appropriate to you, then you’ll love this recipe. Over the years I’ve toned my chocolate fudge down a bit.

1 pound of chocolate stars (Brach’s makes these star shaped chocolates)
2 packages of tidbits (most people call these chocolate chips, I recommend Nestle’s)
8 ounce jar of marshmallow cream
4 cups granulated sugar
1 can Pet’s Evaporated Milk (I use Carnation, but to this day my sister insists Pet’s is the only canned milk to use for this recipe)
In a large bowl place all the chocolate stars, chocolate chips, and marshmallow cream. (Expect fingers to dip in for a quick taste of chocolate.) In a pan on medium heat add sugar and milk. Bring these ingredients to a boil. Boil for four and a half minutes. Remove from stove and pour over the chocolates. Stir! Stir fast and furious before the fudge begins to set up. I do hope you have an 8x9 pan buttered and ready to pour the fudge into. You might need another small pan; too, depending on how thick you want your pan of fudge to be. You can add nuts to the chocolate in the bowl if your family enjoys nutty fudge. Now for the best part…lick the bowl. There’s nothing more delightful than warm fudge! By the way this recipe makes around 4 pounds of fudge, plenty to give away as gifts.

Peanut Butter Fudge

I enjoy peanut fudge as long as it’s dipped in chocolate. It is a favorite among true peanut butter connoisseurs though and you might enjoy trying it. I’m sure my mother doubled and quadrupled this recipe, there were six of us, there is no way that one pan of fudge would have survived the holiday onslaught of sweet teeth.

2 cups brown sugar
¾ cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ cup peanut butter
Boil sugar and milk until it forms a soft ball when tested in cold water. (I’m not sure, but I think that means it should be syrupy and then set up when it comes in contact with cold water. Fudge making was never an exact science at our house) Once it’s tested, let the mixture cool, add peanut butter and vanilla. Beat until creamy and then pour into a buttered pan.

Penuche

My father’s favorite fudge was penuche, a brown sugar concoction that was always somewhat sugary. Sometime during the holidays he would suddenly decide it was time to make penuche. Off he’d go to the kitchen to make his favorite homemade candy. I have never tried my hand at this fudge, but please be my guest and I hope you find it to be as delicious as he did.

2 cups brown sugar
¾ cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
¼ cup butter
I have no instructions on how to make penuche. I suggest trial and error with a hearty good luck!

These are just a few of my family’s favorite homemade candy recipes. There were many more that we welcomed into the fold like Buckeyes, chocolate covered cherries, pulled taffy, peanut brittle, and white bark. Looking back I don’t think it was the candy that made it all so grand, but the special memories that we created as we stirred, mixed, rolled, and dipped. At the end of the day we each took home containers filled to the brim with candies made from more than just ingredients, made with love. My wish for you is that you discover a wondrous way to celebrate the holidays with family and friends that leaves you with precious holiday memories.

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CARE Package; any parcel of food or supplies sent for relief or comfort purposes.

CARE Package: The CARE Package was the original unit of aid distributed by the humanitarian organization CARE (Cooperative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere). Although "CARE Package" is a registered trademark, the term has since been widely adopted as a generic term for any parcel of food or supplies sent for relief or comfort purposes.

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