Official TaylorFrankie Christmas List - Part 2!

1. Hand Drawn Dots Ash - What wish list would be complete without TOMS shoes? These would be a great addition to my collection. Aren't they fun?! TOMS Shoes

2. Classic 301 - New to the TOMS family, these stylish sunglasses look good and do good, too! Each purchase helps give life saving sight to a person in need. So cool!! TOMS Eyewear

3. Jute Pencil Case - This nifty little zipper case is great for any little doo-dads. It's awesome and it provides work for vulnerable women in Cambodia. Love it!! Trade As One

4. The Ultimate Stocking Stuffer - Mints, gum, coffee, and a shirt that all give back to a variety of causes! Plus they look cool and taste yummy! Yes, please!! Project 7

5. Paracord Bracelet for Honduras - A blogger friend's daughter has decided to make these to support Touch a Life Center in Honduras after being moved by their work while on a missions trip. They are super neat and you can order them in a variety of colors! Awesome!! Wherever He Leads Us

6. Kiva Cards - These unique gift cards let the recipient choose a project to loan the money to. From helping Caleb run a green grocery store in Kenya to providing a group of women funds to purchase threads and fabric for their dressmaking shop. Give away!! Kiva

7. Toys - I love toys! And apparently so do kids. :) Children's Hunger Fund wraps and distributes thousands to children in the US and around the world to bring smiles at Christmastime! Anyone can help support this project and others through their gift catalogue. Fun, fun!! Children's Hunger Fund

8. "Kisses from Katie" - This is a story of Christ's grace as Katie serves him with her life in Uganda. Her blog is heart breaking, inspiring, and a beautiful portrait of Christ's love. So moving. Amazima Ministries

9. Feed 10 Bag with Pouch - Fun and flexible, this bag works for all kinds of fun things! With its purchase, 10 meals are provided to school children through United Nations World Food Programme's School Feeding program. Feed me! FEED

10. Faith Shirts - Super excited about this one! Brogan came up with this design (inspired by our LOVE shirts) to benefit Children's Hunger Fund! Each shirt features Faith with an apple symbolizing the good it does for kids and families in need! So proud of him! Faith, Hope, and Love Shirts

Week 4 - Love All

Love All from Living Water International on Vimeo.

God’s love has no boundaries. Ours does.

That’s why it’s important that we practice love intentionally. Our love starts to look more like God’s when we stretch its boundaries—to the lonely, the imprisoned, the homeless, the hungry, and the thirsty.

We hope this Advent season has prepared you to Love All: your family, the hard-to-love, and the overlooked in your community. We also hope you will join us in demonstrating God’s boundless love by loving people who desperately need safe drinking water, and with it living water, the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Thank you for sharing a bit of your Advent season with us. We hope it has been one filled with all the hope, joy and love that God placed in a manger more than 2,000 years ago.

Wishing you a joyful, peaceful Christmas,
Your Living Water Family

This is our favorite part of Advent Conspiracy and Christmas! We love to love! It's fun and fulfilling. It's what we were made to do. You and me, us, all of us. We were made to love - God and our neighbors. So what better time to remember and celebrate that purpose than for our Savior's birthday?!

And if you believe that the love shouldn't stop when the presents are unwrapped, join us on a journey of love. Next year we have come up with a theme that will take us through the steps of "Living Simply to Love Others". One theme, 12 months, and a whole lot of LOVE!

Remember that this isn't just a Christmas thing... Advent Conspiracy doesn't have to end with the season. There are so many ways to worship fully, spend less, give more, and love all, year round!

Official TaylorFrankie Christmas List 2011 - Part 1!

Each year we search the internet for some of the coolest gifts that give back. I know we are a little late with the TaylorFrankie lists but there is still time and who wouldn't want these gifts all year round? Some of these products make the list every year but some of them are new and a few are being revealed here on our list for the first time ever! So check out my list and be on the look out for Taylor's coming soon!

1. TOMS - These TOMS are awesome! TOMS gives a pair of shoes for every pair that you buy and start at $45.00 for the classics- that is not a bad deal. TOMS

2. Hello Somebody - This one is new to our blog. We have been keeping it a secret from you for a bit. We heard about them from our friends at Bless Your Heart. For just $25 you get this sweet watch offered in a variety of colors plus kids receive food and education. Hello Somebody

3. Starburst Basket - Hand crafted by women in Uganda, this bowl is stunning! Even more beautiful is that this bowl gives work to a family in Uganda that can now support themselves. "Gifts that bridge worlds and rebuild lives". Women's Peace Collection

4. Bibles - CHF's menu has always made its way on to my list. This year why not give bibles in the name of someone you love? Children's Hunger Fund

5. Hope Shirt - This shirt was designed and is being sold by Taylor's 6 year old sister. She has always had a heart for Haiti and knows the importance of food and shelter for everyone.

6. Project 7 Gum - Did you know for less than $18 you can buy 12 packs of this gum and at the same time 10 fruit trees magically appear on our planet? Project 7

7. TOMS Eye Wear - The newest TOMS product! For each pair of glasses you buy you give sight to someone else. TOMS

8. Feed Bags - There are so many Feed Bags to chose from. Most feed people around the world but with the purchase of this bag, another identical bag is sent to Africa with medical supplies inside! Feed

9. World Vision Bike - You do not receive an actual bike but instead you help a girl continue to go to school safely by giving her transportation. World Vision

10. Holga Camera - $36 goes to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, New York Chapter. And this is just one of many gifts on this site that gives to tons of different causes when you buy products from them. Gifts that Give


For more gift ideas check out last year's TaylorFrankie list.

Week 3 - Give More

Give More from Living Water International on Vimeo.

This week's theme [Give More] is coming at just the right time. Realizing that we are almost a week away from Christmas and we had not bought any gifts we went out shopping... walking around the store looking for something that would show our love to ones receiving them. Not the way I like to shop by the way... I like to know what I am getting for someone before we leave the house and not rush into buying something that could be meaningless and thoughtless. In fact my favorite type of shopping is shopping for things that I can use to make gifts with.
I remember one Christmas when Taylor and I were dating but living in different states we made a plan that for that year we would get each other 10 gifts, but the catch was that we had to make most of them and then the rest couldn't be more then a few dollars. I remember making a door hanger and buying socks and I remember receiving a box of rice crispy treats. The gifts didn't really matter, it was the love that we gave with them and truly the thought that was counted. Taylor knew I loved rice crispy treats and I knew she loved frogs so most of the gifts I got her had frogs on them. Plus seeing each other for the holiday was also nice.
 I guess what I am trying to say is that the real special gifts are the ones that connect us and those are not always the kind that fit under the tree. Spending time on something can be so much more valuable then spending money. So this year give more and by taking time to find the things that make the holiday really special.

Here is a little song to finish this thought out... take it away guys!

Week 2 - Spend Less

Just watched this video and was so excited to see Pastor Chris Seay at Ecclesia! Man, we miss our Houston church. Check out the video and read below as we continue to conspire together and spend less.

Spend Less from Living Water International on Vimeo.

Shopping is filled with a sense of promise. We’re promised comfort, status, better looks, happiness and joy, but do those promises really deliver? And what do they have to do with the promises of Scripture? If you’ve ever felt like we might have lost the point when we turned the birth of Christ into a season of frantic shopping, you will appreciate the second pillar of the Advent Conspiracy: Spend Less.

Spend Less isn’t about being a Scrooge. It’s about being free to celebrate Jesus. We hope you will reflect on the birth of Christ with us, and celebrate the fact that because some believers Spend Less, hundreds of thousands of people around the world are being blessed with safe drinking water, offered in Jesus’ name.

Like they said, you don't have to be a Scrooge to spend less. Try just giving one less gift. Try spending a bit less than last year. Try and make that list a little shorter. As we all conspire together it adds up.

We are forgoing extended family gift exchanges this year for starters. At about $20 per trade x the two of us x three families... that saves about $120! From gifts that aren't really needed to gifts that can mean hope and life for some one in real need. We will spend time with our grandparents, cousins, aunts, uncles, and spend the money where it really counts. How are you conspiring to spend less this week?

Week 1 - Worship Fully

Advent starts today! We are so excited to be in this season again as we continue to figure out how to get back to the basics of Christmas. How to celebrate in a way that honors our King, our Immanuel and not stuff. Week 1 with Advent Conspiracy focuses on worship- "Worship fully." But also being conscious of what you are worshipping... are you worshipping the baby Jesus born unto us a Savior? or are you worshipping shopping? checklists? business?

We hope you share your thoughts as we go through this journey of Advent 2011 together! How will you choose to worship fully this week?

Here's a quick vid and devo from [AC] to get your worship juices flowin.

Worship Fully from Living Water International on Vimeo.

Christmas begins with a baby born in a manger. He changed the course of the stars and turned fathers’ hearts to their children. The heavens sang his praise as angels sang glory to God in the highest and on earth his peace. Shepherds praised God and traveled to Bethlehem to see him. Magi journeyed from the East to worship him. His mother treasured these things in her heart. They called him “Immanuel”—“God with us.” He proclaimed his presence to the end of the age.

What we do unto others, we do unto him.

Again this Christmas babies will be born in ramshackle homes. Herod will not try to kill them, but their drinking water will. Again Jesus will turn our hearts to children. We who still hear angels will journey to see Christ in the least of these. Our camels traded for drill rigs, we will bear the gift of life: clean drinking water, offered in Jesus’ name. Mothers will treasure these things in their hearts. This is full worship.

Worship derives from Old-English words meaning “worth-ship.”

What we give worth to is what we worship: possessions, God, shopping, children, money, Jesus. We worship all the time. Advent is a time to consciously direct our worship towards Jesus, Immanuel, God with us. A time to worship fully.

Gearing up for Christmas - 2011

Christmas is getting closer, and if you don't believe us just take a walk into your local grocery or retail store. And just like everyone else, we too, are getting ready for the season.

For us, getting ready for Christmas looks a lot like....

Working with our church to get local Angel Tree wishes passed out and Haitian orphan shoe boxes distributed. Taylor was there yesterday setting up.

CHF Toy wrap is also on the list and the email was sent on Saturday to sign up for this this year!

Within minutes we (myself, my sister, and her boyfriend) were signed up to ensure our spot. Taylor has class on Saturday mornings this semester (something that she declares she will never do again) and will not be able to make it.

We are also figuring out what we will be doing as a family this year. CHF and Food Banks seems to be at the top of our list.

Don't forget about our Toy Closet! We still have to find what we will be doing with all of the toys we have collected this year.

So many things to do... We also plan on coming out with another TaylorFrankie Christmas List this year to share some ideas of gifts that give back. :)

Last year we made a video as a part of a contest that showed how we did Christmas differently for Advent Conspiracy. Take a look and let us know what you plan on doing this year for Christmas.

2 months 'til Christmas!

The holidays are near! (With Texas and it's trickery weather, you would never know it!) Thanksgiving is next month then Christmas! I know we just posted about it, but now really is the time to start planning! Before all the hustle and bustle - you know what I'm talking about... Frankie is asleep so we aren't actually planning right this second, but it's on our to-do list!

What are you going to do for Christmas this year? How bout Thanksgiving?

Any special celebrations? Trips? Relatives coming in?

What will you choose to let your holidays look like? feel like? be about?

Our mission to fund a well last year touched the hearts of our family in Michigan who decided to do family projects to help us raise funds as well as all together, forgo less gifts and instead put usually gifting monies toward the water project! This year, the project is food!!! Talks are we may be having a contest to collect non-perishables and build sculptures...

We'll keep you posted for sure! But in the mean time... start brainstorming!

"Christmas can [still] change the world!"

Advent Conspiracy

Annnd... enjoy this picture! :)

Twitter Tuesday and a Video!

Ooops...we missed one. Only 5 days in and we missed one. Does is help that we spend our Mondays volunteering?! ;)

So tonight we have a Twitter Tuesday to share and a newly released video!


Twitter is a constant encouragement to us. We follow writers, pastors, friends, and organizations. There are many tweets weekly that really inspire us. Here is what is on our minds today.

@livingwater: Love all. Spend less. Give more. This is how the story gets told: http://www.adventconspiracy.org/

It seems like stores start marketing Christmas earlier and earlier every year... so Advent Conspiracy is at it, too! They work to advocate on behalf of the real celebration of Christmas - our Savior born in a stable, who came to Earth out of love for sinners. And for His birthday we usually buy a bunch of pretty meaningless gifts. AC tells the story of what Jesus might really want for his birthday. Watch the video to get a hint! :)

Introducing, Advent Conspiracy's all new (err...updated...) Promo 2011!

[AC] Promo 2011 from Advent Conspiracy on Vimeo.

Time to start thinking about how we can Spend less. Give more. Love all. Worship fully. this Christmas season.

[Advent Conspiracy Film Contest] Please Vote!

We finished our video, give more presence, and you can watch and vote for it here!

We will post it on our blog later but right now we really want you to see it on the [AC] website so you have the opportunity to click the thumbs up vote if you like it! A video from each category will be selected based on votes and judging to win a trip to see a well being dug in a developing country. :)

The Official TaylorFrankie Christmas List 2010!

We have [finally] compiled a collection of items that give with dual purposes- they are delightful for the receiver and do good for those who sell them! This includes one-for-one programs like TOMS shoes, fair trade items which promote sustainable business and break cycles of poverty and dependency in the developing world, as well as adoption fundraising support, and more! This allows loved ones who want to purchase gifts for each other to give something meaningful to someone while still making a difference. [Give more.]

We cannot neglect however, the gifts that go directly to helping those in need. These are very much a blessing to us knowing that those in great need are receiving help from loving organizations. This includes items such as the Food Pak(R) and other items from Children's Hunger Fund's uniquely crafted "menu" or a goat or other animals that provide nourishment and extra income from World Vision's gift catalogue. And of course we LOVE water! This year Living Water International has great giftcards that lets the recipient choose the clean water project! [Spend less.]

So enjoy our picks for this year whether you are purchasing these [awesome] tangible items or simply purchasing hope. :)
Christmas can change the world, either way.


1. TOMS Shoes, for each pair of shoes purchased another is given to a child in need, $69.00 toms.com. 2. Dop Bag Toiletries Pouch, made from recycled tires, promotes social and economic welfare of artisans in India, $19.00 TradeAsOne. 3. Darfur's Tears T by Rob Gould, for each t-shirt you buy an orphan is given a school uniform, $33.00 CommonThreadz. 4. Tablecloth, made by women in the slums of Mumbia using organic cotton, vegetable dyes, hand-block printing and embroidery, $49.00 TradeAsOne. 5. Candle in Water Buffalo Horn, from shed horns that are typically wasted resources providing vital and fair income, $12.00 TradeAsOne. 6. Apple Ipod Nano, portion of the profits goes to (RED), 8 GB $149.00/16 GB $179.00. 7. Nabali Tree Olive Oil (500ml), provides stable income for Palestinian rural communities caught in conflict, $18.50 TradeAsOne. 8. Recycled Billboard Cooler Bag, made from non-recyclable plastics bought from the trash picking communities in Jakarta, Indonesia, $45.00 TradeAsOne. 9. The Secret Agent (RED) Edition, 50% of the profits go to (RED), Penguin Classics.

10. One Orphan at a Time T, part of the proceeds benefit a family's adoption plus it's great advocacy, $22.99 AdoptionBug.com 11. TOMS Shoes, for each pair of shoes purchased another is given to a child in need, $54.00 TOMS.com. 12. Ugandan Magazine Necklace, handmade, upcycled necklaces by the Karamojong women working to maintain sustainable income for their families and 50%+ profits go back to a kids feeding program nearby, $20 147 Million Orphans. 13. Akun Bracelets, (Cambodian for "thank you") each unique bracelet is handwoven by human trafficking survivors undergoing rehabilitation, $15 Somaly Mam Foundation, Empowerment Store. 14. Batik Rings Bag, fabric is hand batiked in Ghana and made into a bag in Guatemala providing fair and dignified employment to impoverished women, $33 TradeAsOne. 15. (Starbucks) Red Giftcard, each purchase made with this card helps fight AIDS in Africa, $15/$25/$50/$100 Starbucks. 16. Handcrafted Piggy Bank, a free gift for making a micro loan for those in need to start small business world wide, $20 MicroPlace.com (scroll right through pictures, other great ideas available here!) 17. Divine Dark Chocolate, fair trade and organic from the first farmer-owned chocolate company in the world, made with 70% Ghanian cocoa, $3.99 TradeAsOne. 18. Iron Star Ornament, promoting social and economic welfare of artisans in India, $7 TradeAsOne. 19. "Free" Tote, produced by human trafficking survivors in Cambodia, all profits go toward new production centers for survivors in 2011, $25 MadeBySurvivors.com. 20. Ada, an Acorn Angel, created by a sweet 11 year old girl helping to raise funds for her friend's family's adoption, $2.50 AcornAngels. 21. "Advent: A Family Guide to Savoring Christ in Christmas" by Marci Miller, prepare yourself for a whole-hearted celebration of the coming of Christ and proceeds help fund the author's adoption, $11.04 SheCanLaugh.blogspot.com.

As an early Christmas present to one of our readers, we want to give you something from our list! We are giving away a $10 Living Water gift card! You can spend it yourself, choosing which part of the world you would like to make an impact on, or use it as a Christmas present for a loved one! To be eligible to win, leave us a comment telling us how you are going to [Spend less.] [Give more.] or do Christmas differently to make it more meaningful! We'll draw a name next Saturday, the 11th so get to conspiring! ;)

Brainstorming...

Happy Thursday and December 2nd! Today we are brainstorming about a new project. :)

You have heard us talk about Advent Conspiracy before, and how we really want to change Christmas this year. Well, here is our chance! Turns out that Advent Conspiracy is holding a video contest and the goal is to promote how Christmas can change through the AC principals. (Perfect right!?)

[Worship Fully]

[Spend Less]

[Give More]

[Love All]

We don't have much time, it is due on the 15th! And then we will only have 5 days for voting! We will have a lot of catching up to do since others already have theirs posted and are well into voting. So we will need every one's help to pick us! Why do we need votes? Well, because the winners get to go on a trip with Living Water to help document the drilling of a live water well in a developing country! How cool is that! So here's hoping we can pull it off! First step- find a video camera...

For more information on the contest and how you can enter or to see videos that have already been posted go here.

We'll be back tomorrow with the official TaylorFrankie Christmas List!!!

A different kind of Christmas

Tomorrow is December and the shopping has begun, but before the madness sets in we wanted to share with you another way to give this season and also feature some really great blogging hearts. Last week a giveaway took place at oneblessednest (Taylor's Mom's Blog). For the second year, Tina has posted the Advent Conspiracy video followed with a little giveaway. To enter you have to share how you plan on doing Christmas differently. Last year was fun, and I won one of the prizes.- But this year takes the cake!

I did not enter this year, because we were not really sure how Christmas was going to work this year, and we were way too busy last week. But I did make it a point to go back and read the comments and it was so encouraging to hear so many people saying things like...

"We want more time together, not more stuff!"

How great of a statement is that? Last night on our drive back to Houston, Taylor and I were talking about our decision to not participate in one of our family's gift exchanges, and how bad we felt for not taking part. But to us it wasn't about family or even the gifts because we would just exchange gift cards. So we wanted to take a break from the game and decided that this year we would just be there to see people. After reading the comments posted on Tina's contest we feel like this was a really great idea. Mostly because we are not alone in wanting more for Christmas. More then a present can give. More then a gift card can hold. More then our own hearts desires. We want more!!!! More time with family, more memories, more game nights, more sugar cookies, more smores, more hugs, more lunches with friends, more movie and popcorn nights, more ice cream dinners, more of life. But not just for ourselves, we want more children to find families, we want more families to have clean water to drink, we want meals to feed the hungry, and blankets for the homeless, we want work for the unemployed, we want good health for the sick, we want love for the lonely, we want more to give more this year. Give more of their time, of their talents, of their stories, of their mercy, of their cheer, of their compassion, and more of their hearts. Put a stamp on that and mail it to Santa!

We are not talking about giving up gifts but just a reminder about what is really important. And looking at ourselves and wondering if what we have and what we want is what we need. Thanks to everyone who entered the Oneblessednest Giveaway for sharing your hearts and ideas to have a truly meaningful Christmas this year. You can read all of them at the link above.

It's getting closer!!

Christmastime is just around the corner! As we pack Manos de Cristo Shoeboxes and shop for Angel Tree gifts, we begin to think about how we will celebrate with our loved ones. Both of our families will be in Texas so that makes traveling easier, but the big question is what to do about gifts... This is our second year participating in an Advent Conspiracy Christmas. If you haven't heard, AC it is just a different way of celebrating, based on four simple principals~

Worship Fully

Spend Less

Give More

Love All


The first year, we stuck our toes in and asked for water donations along with the usual video games, CDs, and new clothes.

Last year we changed our giving method- we made or found a less expensive gift that was meaningful to the receiver and paired it with a donation to a charity that matched.

This year we talked about not doing gifts at all... just spending time and maybe starting some new traditions. We have decided to opt out of the normal gift exchanges this year, until we feel that we aren't just playing the "I'll buy you a gift card to Target if you get me a gift card to Old Navy" game. Taylor also had a brilliant idea that got me thinking. It went along the lines of, there is nothing wrong with buying people gifts, gifts are great! But Christmas is Jesus' birthday, not yours. So instead of blowing the budget on gifts for everyone we know who really don't have needs, we should be getting Him what He wants!

Like we said we still don't know for sure what we are doing this year, but we know we have to do something and we want to make it meaningful. We will post our official TaylorFrankie Christmas List soon for those of you looking for great gift ideas that do good as well as bring a little Christmas cheer. In the mean time take a look at the video and let us know what you are doing this year! We'd love to hear your ideas!

Chump Change for Pump Change!

So we have been visiting Ecclesia for a few weeks and we really like it. Their messages just keep capturing us every time we go and we leave excited and eager to change things around us. During this season of advent, they are focusing on true peace, shalom, in our families, neighborhoods, cities and how the birth of Christ can bring it.

During this season of Worshipping Fully and Giving More we are excited about joining in on their latest project! On Sunday they launched “Chump Change for Pump Change”. So for the rest of the year we will be collecting our loose change in jars and on January 10th, in celebration of Epiphany, we will turn that change over to Ecclesia and they will use that to build clean water wells in India! If you want to help us out we will be carrying a bag with the Chump Change for Pump Change with us everywhere we go. Just find us and drop in a few pennies. (Journey people we will be at 9 o’clock – hint hint ;) ) Or if you want to start your own jar, we have more stickers!

Advent Conspiracy 2009

Advent Conspiracy's 2009 video!

Again, inspiring and encouraging! Enjoy and share!

Advent Conspiracy

As the Christmas season is drawing nearer and we begin to be bombarded by Christmas ads, we thought we would share this option with you. For two years we have participated in Advent Conspiracy. For those of you that are not familiar with it, the basic concept is this:

Worship Fully
Spend Less
Give More
Love All

Instead of buying gifts for Christmas spend time with your families and friends, quality time. Make gifts, volunteer, sing carols, do something to create memories. Then take the money that you would have spent on the gift you would have bought and put it to better use. Show love to the people that need it the most. For $20 (the same amount or even less than that sweater you were looking at) you can give a person clean drinking water for 20 years, through Charity Water. I bet that sweater wouldn't last as long...



Last year Journey Fellowship teamed up with CHF and their Menu: Meals Served With Compassion. Through this you can buy just about anything to send to people in need- Bibles, shoes, bikes, toys, beans, pasta, seeds, first aid kits, small cars, and Food Paks (that cost about the same to pack your self but go four times farther). Last year, our parents all got either beans or pasta sent in their names to feed people who could use the help. Taylor even received 25 pairs of shoes sent in her name! This year we are taking the money saved from the free food we received and we are buying gifts from the Menu.



This video says it all! Enjoy and be inspired.