Give back program!

I love companies that give back! It's a real big deal for me. As everything else in life, there's just so much more of an impact if more people are involved, giving out that same great, powerful energy to make a difference.

Kohl's, which is one of my favorite stores for very good deals in clothes, purses, shoes, other accessories, gifts, kitchen equipment, home decor and kids' clothing (beautiful dresses...the cutest outfits!), and which you can  visit in every single State here in the U.S. has a great Give Back program! Kohl's began offering great deals in 1962 and keeps expanding its locations nationwide. They just opened 9 new stores in March of this year!

I had bought 2 gifts over there as a Thank You for Marija, who had made many delicious goodies for my little one's birthday party back in January. Our daily life "got in the way" for them and us didn't allow us to go visit her until last week. Before going to their house, I wanted to get her granddaughter Mia and my dear friend Jeje a little something as well, so I took my girls to Kohl's with me.

Upon entering the store my little one immediately picked up this stuffed alligator "by" Dr. Seuss. We decided right there baby Mia would get the Dr. Seuss stuffed elephant. Then I (for the first time!) spotted the "Kohl's Cares" sign, and saw a tag on each of the stuffed animals. Intriguing...The cost of the Dr. Seuss "Kohl's Cares" products was very affordable and made for a very nice gift to a child. At home I wanted to learn more about this program and here is what I learned:

Kohl's comes out with different products that make part of their "Kohl's Cares" program. After all expenses are paid, 100% of the net profit from the sales of these items are given to kids' health and education initiatives nationwide, as well as environmental initiatives and the fight against breast cancer. That is a very nice and easy way we can all make a difference, right? Examples of programs include College Scholarships, hospital partnerships, fundraising gift card programs, installation of solar power, buildings with LEED certification, volunteer programs and more.

This is a quote directly taken from their corporate website:

"We envision a future where kids are healthy, resources are plentiful and disease that affects women and their families is eradicated. Because the way we see it, giving back also means looking ahead."

Our $10 spent are just the beginning of MY personal partnership with Kohl's Cares to help make a difference!

What a great way to shop and be kind!

Christmas Eve - Eve !

What was I thinking? Starting a Blog during the busiest month of the year? I guess spontaneity has entered my life without knocking on the door! Maybe this comes as a blessing, as I believe being spontaneous is NOT a bad thing; I just don't know (yet!) how to use it to my benefit!

With this said, you can see 11 days have passed since my first post. Not a problem. Let's allow the implications coming along with spontaneity sweep through and move along...The Blog is ON!

I hope you are able to spend Christmas with many of your loved ones! This is SUCH a special time of the year.

This year, we are mainly focusing on presenting the kids with gifts. The way we do it in our family is the following: The kids get our gifts on Christmas Eve and Santa's special gifts on Christmas Day.
We came to the conclusion Santa will eat way too many cookies and drink too much milk while he visits each household, so, Santa will find our favorite Protein Bar (Luna, flavor: Lemon Zest) and a refreshing glass of cold Almond Milk  (Unsweetened Vanilla) when he visits our home. Our little Nati suggested strawberries or carrots. I guess Santa will find all of this very interesting!...I will post pictures on Tuesday!

A note on Almond Milk: We love its flavor and smoothness. Almond milk is dairy and soy free. You can find it sweetened or not, flavored or not. It has been a staple in our household for over a year and a half now. I have never been a fan of cow milk and don't particularly love the taste of soy milk. I find Almond Milk delicious and so kind!

What I plan on doing for myself tonight is laying the girls to sleep and giving myself a relaxing manicure accompanied by a chilled glass of Pinot Grigio. I always do my own manicure. I learned so much from years and years of getting my nails done in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where I grew up! I had the same nail technician for years and by simply observing Rose do her magic I learned her tricks.

I wish you a great Christmas Eve-Eve (!) and hope you are able to unwind while getting the house, the kids, the gifts, the pets, the food...ready! Cheers! Don't forget to make time for yourself!

(All products mentioned here have a direct link to their web site, as well as a picture taken from their web site. I did not take these pictures myself.)

Wine for the evening: 2011 Banfi , San Angelo Pinot Grigio. This Tuscan wine has a lingering personality with hints of tropical fruits. I would consider it as a rich "Summer wine", however, we're in Florida! It's really not too cold here at all!
Nail Polish for Christmas Eve: Butter London "Queen Vic". This festive red wine color reminds me of a classy party girl! The best part is, it's formulated without the awful chemicals Formaldehyde, Toluene, DBP or Parabens. I love using this on my girls' nails!