Charitable Gift Giving

There are lots of places you can find gifts that promote awareness for common diseases and ailments like cancer and heart disease. In fact, for some cases fundraising through gift giving has become an industry in itself. I’ve spent a lot of time over the years highlighting those kinds of products, and of course I’ll […]

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I’ve been seeing Dilly Dally candles all over Etsy and Amazon. The first thing they got right is the names of their candles. Here’s a sampling of what they have on Amazon. Amber Noir Apples & Maple Bourbon Autumn in New England Black Raspberry Vanilla Black Currant Absinthe Black Sea Cinnamon Stick Citrus Basil Clean […]

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Most states are starting to ban plastic shopping bags at grocery stores. One of the unintended consequences of that is that now dog owners around the country have to go and buy expensive Hefty or Glad bags to take care of their best friend’s business, resulting in even more plastic being sent to landfills from […]

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Many ex-presidents have crossed the rubicon from being pilloried or ridiculed in the media to being respected elder statesmen. Richard Nixon managed to rehabilitate his image by the end of his life to be recognized as a foreign policy thought leader. Jimmy Carter left office ignominiously but is recognized today for his humble charity work. […]

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All too often, a child will lose a beloved grandparent at far too early an age. Too often, adults–sometimes stricken with grief themselves–are unable to explain to their children why they’ll never see the person they loved again, at least not on this side of heaven. This is a book written by Tracy Harding and illustrated […]

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If you’re a parent, you’ve probably noticed that stuffed animals aren’t as special to your child these days as they were to you when you were their age. When we were kids, our parents could maybe afford one or two stuffed animals that we’d cherish throughout our childhood. But as manufacturing has gotten cheap, it […]

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As we start to see the light at the end of the tunnel of the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s a good time to think of all those people since last March who have helped you. From doctors, nurses, and EMT personnel to delivery drivers, restaurant owners, and volunteers of all kinds, a lot of people stepped […]

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It’s been a while since I posted a charitable gift on this site and for good reason–six years ago a beautiful little girl came into my life and pretty much removed any free time I had, and then three years ago I got a job as an executive at a major company. Well, my little […]

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I normally don’t get political on this blog, but I’m going to make an exception in this case, as The Cat in the Hat is running for president! Here are some reasons why The Cat deserves your vote this November: If he can balance a cup and a cake and two books and a fish […]

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I was born in New Jersey and spent most of my life there before moving to New York about 10 years ago. While to most casual observers outside of this area New York and New Jersey are pretty monolithic, the truth is long-time residents of each know that each has its own very distinct culture. Even though I’ve […]

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