I start prepping for the holidays starting in August (if not sooner), beginning my search for the perfect gifts, holiday decor inspiration, and entertaining ideas. In all my prep and research I’ve put together lots of gift giving ideas to share here, but every year I go back and forth with this. I see so much feedback about there being too many gift guides out there already, and while I found some new-to-me brands with great designs and styles for gifting, none of the ideas seemed groundbreaking enough to share here, but I’ll be sharing some on my Instagram stories @SGStyleMe so check them out there.
Last weekend I had the opportunity to be involved in helping grant a young girl’s wish for a shopping spree with the Make a Wish foundation, and I was so inspired by her and the fact that she was more concerned with making sure her siblings and mother were getting clothes on her shopping spree than spending it on herself. Her generosity reminded me that, yes, this season is about giving to loved ones, but it’s also about giving back to those who need it. Obviously, there are charities collecting monetary donations everywhere you look this time of year, but there are so many other ways you can help out too.
Donate to your local animal shelter – Our dog is an important member of our family and it breaks my heart to think about how many animals are out there needing a loving home. While not everyone has the time or means to volunteer, adopt, or donate money, there are a lot of other donations that go a long way to making a big difference in those animals lives. Some donatable items are:
• pet food and treats
• towels and blankets
• heating pads
• laundry detergent, fabric softener, and bleach
• hand sanitizer and hand soap
• paper towels and cleaning supplies
• kitty litter
• toys
Donate your winter coats to the homeless – If your winter storage looks anything like ours, there’s bound to be a coat or two in there that you’ve had for years and is still in great shape, but don’t really pull out to wear anymore. Instead of leaving it to collect dust and take up space, why not give it to someone who could really use it? Just make sure they’re clean, wearable, and you’ve checked all the pockets before donating. There are a lot of great organizations who collect coats this time of year, new and used, and many collect blankets as well for local shelters. A few places to donate are:
• Burlington Coat Factory Warm Coats & Warm Hearts
• Nonprofit Agencies/Drop-Off Partners
Just be nice – It should go without saying, but we all get so caught up in our own lives that sometimes we forget to stop and think of those around us. It may sound trivial, but it’s as simple as that, just doing nice things for others and just being nice. Ideas to try:
• Do something nice for a neighbor, like surprise that sweet elderly neighbor who always says hello as you rush past walking the dog with a pretty poinsettia.
• Buy the coffee of the person behind you in line on your morning caffeine run.
• Let an overwhelmed parent in front of you in line at the store, even if you only have a few items.
• Hold the door for strangers
• Say thank you.
• Tip generously.
• Call your loved ones.
• Just be nice.