Well, since we highlighted a book by President Obama in the last post, I figured it’d only be fair to highlight a book by someone in the Bush family.
In President Bush’s best-selling book Decision Points, he talks movingly and proudly about his daughter Barbara and her work with the nonprofit she founded, Global Health Corps, as well as his daughter Jenna and the work she did volunteering for UNICEF in Latin America. Whatever your feeling about President Bush, one thing that’s clear is that he loves his daughters and he loves his country.
During her volunteer work, Jenna met a young woman named Ana, who had been infected with HIV from birth. Her mother died when Ana was three, and she was then shuffled from home to home, enduring horrific abuse and poverty, and all the while hiding her illness from others. The story is an inspiring one of how this young woman overcame the odds, fell in love, had a baby (not infected with the disease), and is today living in hope.
Jenna Bush’s writing style is accessible and inspiring, especially for younger readers who can experience her volunteer work vicariously through her. It (and the other book she wrote with her mom, Read all About It), are impressive coming from someone as young as her, and that both her books donate a portion to charity is equally impressive.
Of Thee I Sing: A Letter to My Daughters is a wonderful book by President Obama. It’s framed as a letter to his daughters Malia and Sasha, beginning with the words, “Have I told you lately how wonderful you are”.
He then proceeds to talk about thirteen great Americans, introducing them with the same phrase, “Have I told you”. To introduce Abraham Lincoln, he writes “Have I told you that you are part of a family?” For Billie Holliday he writes “Have I told you that you have your own song?” For Sitting Bull, he writes “Have I told you that you are a healer?” Each is followed by a short paragraph talking about the American he is paying tribute to. And each is beautifully illustrated by artist Loren Long.
Whatever your feeling about President Obama, one thing that’s clear is that he loves his daughters and he loves his country. Proceeds from this book will go to support charities.
Here’s a great deal for the comic book lover in your life.
Herowiz.com is selling 10 randomly pulled comic books for only $1, all of which will be donated to Doctors Without Borders. All the comic books will come in fine or very fine condition, and may be from Marvel, DC, or Image.
To be eligible to win a pair of free tickets to this concert, click the Facebook “Like” button on the right of this page, and then post a message with your favorite Selena Gomez, Jonas Brothers, or AllStar Weekend song (you’ll need to provide your email address but don’t worry–it won’t be published and it will never be used except to inform you if you’re the winner)
If you are a teen or tween or have one in your life, chances are you find yourself humming a Selena Gomez, Jonas Brothers, or AllStar Weekend song at random parts of the day without even realizing it.
On March 20, 2011, at the Universal Amphitheater in Universal City in Southern California, all three of these stars will be performing a benefit concert to benefit City of Hope, a phenomenal independent research, treatment and education facility located North of Los Angeles that is paving the way in finding ways to conquer cancer, diabetes, HIV/AIDS and other life-threatening diseases. It is consistently named among the top cancer treatment facilities in the world.
To get your tickets, you can visit LiveNation.com or Ticketmaster.com. But hurry, tickets for any ONE of these acts sell out quickly, I’m sure that once word gets out that all three of them are in concert, tickets will be gone fast.
If you’re in or will be traveling to SoCal around that time, give the teens or tweens in your life the thrill of a lifetime. Here are the event details:
Sunday, March 20 @ 5 PM
Gibson Amphitheatre at Universal City Walk
100 Universal City Plaza
Universal City, CA 91608
I was contacted by Phil from City of Hope’s social media agency who offered to give a pair of tickets to one lucky reader of CharitableGiftGiving.com. Just click the Facebook “Like” button on the right of this page (if you haven’t already), and then post a reply to this blog post with your favorite Selena Gomez, Jonas Brothers, or AllStar Weekend song (I have to screen these to make sure you’re a true fan :)). I’ll pick a random winner shortly!
Every year, it seems every Superbowl advertiser wants to be The One that everyone talks about the next day. It’s no wonder, since advertisers can pay $2.5 million to $2.8 million for a 30 second spot. That’s $93,333 each second they’re on the air. So each year, advertisers get more and more outrageous. As a result, we’re subjected every year to commercials involving monkeys and people getting kicked in the groin.
It’s no wonder that Groupon decided to get into the game. They were one of the hottest Internet companies of 2010–so hot that Google offered to buy them, and they turned them down. I get their emails every day, and I routinely save 50% on great restaurants in New York (you can get daily email offers for dozens and dozens of cities around the US). Just the other day, I saved 50% on their phenomenal national deal with Barnes and Noble.
Groupon did something interesting for the 2011 Super Bowl. They hired actors Timothy Hutton, Cuba Gooding Junior, Elizabeth Hurley to film a series of commercials for them.
Each commercial starts out with moving music in the background, with scenes of a serious charitable cause and the actor or actress (all who have been on the Hollywood A-List not too long ago) doing an impassioned voice-over. Then, suddenly, the tone changes and they end up talking about how they ended up Saving The Money (a play on Saving the Children or Saving the Animals) on a self-indulgent activity by using Groupon.
Judging from early voters on YouTube, people are not amused. How dare Groupon take important causes and trivialize them by hocking things like whale watching trips, expensive restaurant food, and Brazilian waxes! Tweets and blogs are lighting up with outrage.
Of course, this is what Groupon’s ad agency was going for. Of course, the company and the actors and actresses are part of an elaborate inside joke. These commercials are parodies of the sanctimonious, maudlin charity commercials that permeate the airwaves. They’re poking gentle fun at them, as well as the actors and actresses that lend their names and their voices to these causes. (Of course, at the same time they’re building brand recognition for the Groupon brand and probably making a little chunk of change for themselves).
Time will tell, of course, if the humor was a little too subtle. One thing that Groupon’s ad agency may have underestimated is the mass audience’s grasp on irony. For a company that needs to build a strong brand, they’re really rolling the dice on this one. Will consumers view Groupon as a fun company that gives great deals and doesn’t take itself too seriously? Or will they see this as using important causes to build their own fortune? Either way, it’ll be an interesting conversation to watch over the next few days.
Before you cast your judgment, keep in mind that Groupon does have legitimate “deals” where you can really donate $15 to save the whales, help Tibet, and save the rainforests, and they will match the donation.
Here are the Groupon Superbowl spots:
Clever or Crass? You be the judge.
Although at the end of the day, the clear winner this year has got to be Volkswagen. Ironic how the most talked-about commercial this year was not one that involved multi-million dollar special effects, dancing animals, or various body parts getting beaten up, but just a kid in a Darth Vader outfit.
Valentine’s Day is coming up again! I’ll admit, I sometimes have a hard time justifying to myself buying flowers. I mean, they’re beautiful and there’s hardly a better gift to give a woman to capture a “moment”. But after the moment is gone, the flowers start fading and dying, and there’s that uncomfortable moment afterward when it goes into the trash.
This is why I love buying Charity Bouquets at Organic Bouquet. After you’ve given the flowers, you know that your gift keeps on giving and giving, because a portion is donated to one of over 50 charities that YOU choose. Charities run the gamut from environmental causes to medical charities to helping the poor and developing areas to women’s issues–chances are you’ll find the perfect one for you and your loved one.
The flowers are organically grown in a sustainable, environmentally-friendly way. Having been in the flower business before, one piece of advice I always give is that if you’ve buying flowers that come shipped in a box, don’t deliver then directly to your recipient. Instead, have them delivered to you 1-2 days before Valentine’s Day, and then clean and arrange the flowers yourself in a vase. This way, when there are things like excess leaves, guard petals, and flowers that need to be rehydrated, you can take care of those things beforehand. It’s a little bit of extra work, but she’ll appreciate it all the more 🙂
If you really don’t want to do the work, there’s always 1-800-Flowers.
If You Give a Mouse a Cookie has become one of the children’s book classics of our time. It’s a beautifully illustrated children’s book that recounts the amusing story of what happens when a little boy gives a mouse a cookie. It’s sort of like a modern-day “I know an old lady who swallowed a fly” that of course not nearly as off-putting as that song. A Mouse Cookie First Library (If You Give…) is a compilation of the original book and its sequel “If You Take a Mouse to School”.
The author, Laura Numeroff, is donating a portion of her royalties will be donated to First Book, a national nonprofit organization that promotes children’s literacy.
The Hartford Whalers Gordie Howe Vintage NHL Alumni T-Shirt is a great T-Shirt that’s a replica of the great Gordie Howe’s #9 Jersey with the Hartford Whalers. It’s available in every size from Small to XX-Large and is made from 100% cotton. The official team logo is on the front, while Howe’s name and number are on the back, all stylishly imprinted to give it a vintage look.
The shirt is produced by Old Time Hockey, and a portion of the proceeds for each t-shirt is donated by Old Time Hockey to the retired players pension fund.
Dishing Up® Vermont: 145 Authentic Recipes from the Green Mountain State is a collection of recipes from Vermont. If you’ve ever experienced or dreamed of waking up on a snowy morning in a warm Bed and Breakfast in Vermont and enjoying a home-cooked gourmet meal, this is the closest you’ll come without booking a trip.
Recipes have names like Blueberry Stuffed French Toast, Apple Covered Cheesecake, Vermont-Style Hush Puppies, Apple Pancakes, and more.
There are of course plenty of recipes that use Vermont’s staple ingredients, cheddar cheese, maple syrup, and fresh apples. But there are many more recipes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Proceeds from the book help The Vermont Fresh Network, the nation’s first statewide farm-to-restaurant program. As our food supply becomes more and more inundated with mass produced, chemically enhanced produce, it’s programs like this that help keep the traditional farmer going.
This Dandelion Organic Toddler Doll comes in brunette (shown) or blonde. It’s a really cute doll that’s made of organic cotton fibers, and filled with natural corn fiber filling, with absolutely no harmful toxins at all.
It’s perfect for baby because it’s 11 inches tall and machine washable, so you can easily wash away all the goo and gunk that baby will be getting on it.
This toy was named to Dr. Toy’s 100 Best Toys of 2011. A portion of the proceeds from this item supports childhood cancer research
If you are a teen or tween or have one in your life, chances are you find yourself humming a Selena Gomez, Jonas Brothers, or AllStar Weekend song at random parts of the day without even realizing it.
If You Give a Mouse a Cookie has become one of the children’s book classics of our time. It’s a beautifully illustrated children’s book that recounts the amusing story of what happens when a little boy gives a mouse a cookie. It’s sort of like a modern-day “I know an old lady who swallowed a fly” that of course not nearly as off-putting as that song. 
