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

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.

"Start Something That Matters" Book Review and Give Away!

We are so thankful to Blake and Spiegel & Grau for sharing this book with us! We both really enjoyed reading it and recommend it for anyone! Even though we are not bookworms we couldn’t put this one down!

Before we tell you about the story we want to tell you how awesome the book itself is. It's already inspiring tons of bloggers across the country who received it for free so we can tell you about it! And 50% of the proceeds from the sales are put into a Start Something That Matters fund to help inspired readers carry out their amazing ideas! How cool right? Now for the stories...

If you’re not familiar with Blake Mycoskie and TOMS (which how could you not be if you follow are blog? ;) then allow us to introduce you… Blake first experienced the need for shoes when he was traveling Argentina. He jotted down his thoughts along with a picture of the popular local shoe that he had been wearing while there. With this exciting new idea and his new Argentinian shoe-making friend, he left for the US with 100 pair of TOMS to see what he could do. This was the beginning of what we now know as the great, the amazing TOMS shoes! The start of something that matters as an idea, a movement, and a new way to do business.

Each chapter reveals a little more of the TOMS story and how the company grew to be the image that they are today. Blake also shares some nifty tricks from life before TOMS and lots of stories of other companies that have started with big ideas.

Another thing that we love about this book is that Blake backs up his strategies of starting something that matters with real life stories of challenges that every business faces when they start out. Like people saying that Wal-Mart would never make it and like Method seeing what’s wrong and doing what’s right. This book will motivate and inspire you to take your ideas, face your fears, and truly start something that matters.

(Check out more book deets and other reviews on the Amazon page!)

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Wanna read it? Wanna turn your passions into a movement for others?
Wanna share it? Know someone who has the passion to Start Something That Matters?
Answer these questions from page 36 and you could be the new recipient or giver of Start Something That Matters! :)

If you did not have to worry about money, what would you do with your time?
What kind of work would you want to do?
What cause would you serve?

Answer in a word or two, three sentences, or a paragraph! Just leave us a comment by Sunday and we will choose a winner in time for Christmas! Can't wait to hear what kinds of passions you all have!

Books for Bloggers

We just entered a contest!

Blake Mycoskie, came out with a book earlier this year called "Do Something That Matters". And as a promotion they are hosting a contest for bloggers. Winner receives 2 copies of the book...

One to read and review.

One to giveaway on their blog!

For those of you who don't know, Blake is the founder of TOMS! And if you are a reader you know how much we love TOMS so we are super excited to be entered into a chance to get to read his book for free.

We will keep you posted when we find anything out.

World Sight Day 2011

With so many wrong things in the world that we can't always change, there is one thing that we can do now. World Sight Day is a day to recognize and share the importance of vision in day to day lives. It is a tool that we use to do our jobs, to support our families, and to enjoy God's greatest creations. Right now, 284 million people are visually impaired and it doesn't have to be this way.

Earlier this year we shared with you the movement that TOMS started- they went from being a shoe company to a one for one company. That means when you buy a product from them, they donate similar products to those in need! If you buy a pair of TOMS sunglasses another person receives eye care via prescription glasses, life-saving surgeries, or simple medication. That means they can continue living life without the help of caretakers and stay in the working force to provided food for their family.

TOMS World Sight Day page touches on just a few of the stories of lives they have changed. They also have features for you to see what visual impairment looks like firsthand.

I don't need that feature because I wake up to it everyday. :)

I am fortunate to be able to have glasses to correct my vision.

Being a designer and artist I don't know how I would manage without my sight, though I have often wondered.

Take time today and think about what your sight means to you and know that it can mean the same to so many others. We can change the way someone sees the world!

Happy World Sight Day!

One Day Without Shoes

Memorial Box Monday - TOMS

Linny at A Place Called Simplicity started Memorial Box Mondays.

"In Joshua 4 Almighty God tells the Isrealites to collect stones and set them as a Memorial to remind them of God's power and provision. He then tells the Isrealites to use those stones as a memorial; that everytime they see them to tell their children and their children's children the stories over and over again, continually reminding them of God's faithfulness."

To read the full idea and an introduction to Memorial Box Mondays go here and read Linny's "How about Memorial Box Mondays? aka We will remember..." post.

We didn't hear about TOMS until a few years ago... I think Taylor's brother Brady, was the first to have them of the people we knew. But when we heard about them and the movement that they created, we had to have a pair of our own! So for Christmas we got giftcards for TOMS from Taylor's grandparents and were so excited to pick out our first pair! We each bought our shoes and (with a coupon code of course) even had some change left over on the cards.

After we we had them awhile Frankie's sister, Kathy, wanted a pair so we gave here a left over giftcard to help with part of the shipping costs.  Well she ended up buying them in a store and didn't use it, which left us with a couple of floating around giftcards with a couple of dollars each. We kinda forgot about them until the time came for our blogger birthday and 100th post! That day we wanted to thank everyone who had been reading and encouraging us throughout the year so we did giveaways all day- books from Max Lucado and Chris Seay, a CHF T-shirt and bracelet, tickets to the ALS benefit, and of course a pair of TOMS! It was a busy day and we mailed prizes everywhere from San Antonio to Canada!

The lucky winner of the TOMS was a sweet blogger family-friend from San Antonio, Lexie (She and her Mom blog here!). She was so excited to win those shoes, and we were so excited that she did, too! We exchanged emails and ordered her shoes of choice.  As we were checking out online we called Kathy to get that card number to cover part of the cost. We entered it in and checked the total... $8.61...

 
 

Wait a minute!... WHAT? How is that possible? We spent those giftcards on our own TOMS, but somehow it was reading $50.00! All we had to pay was the shipping... and after a day of giveaways the blessing was very much appreciated! :) So in our Memorial Box we will place our TOMS giftcard to remind us that sometimes when you bless others you find that you are the ones being blessed! (And also to double check our giftcards!)

To go along with our Memorial Box Monday post we also have a date to share with you... April 5, 2011. Yep, it's tomorrow!

April, 5th is TOMS's "A Day Without Shoes". And if you don't know what that is we will explain....it is a day when you don't wear shoes... ;) to bring awareness to children that don't have shoes. We will be going to work/school without shoes and invite you to join us for the day or just part of the day. We also invite you to read why shoes matter to people who have none!

So don't forget tomorrow to trim and paint your nails because tomorrow we will bare our soles!

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! ;)

Time to celebrate! ~ Giveaway #5

For our last giveaway we wanted to do something really fun, so we are going to introduce you to "Our Friend" TOMS! That's right! Another TOMS Shoe Giveaway!

TOMS (short for "tomorrow") makes shoes that are really comfy, bright, light weight, and just plain fun! But the best part is that for every pair they sell, they send a pair to a child who needs shoes. :) (That part always makes me smile!) So go visit the TOMS site (found on the "Our Friends" tab) and pick a pair and we will let you know if you win!

Same rules apply. If you leave a commet you will be entered once, if you are or become a follower we will add your name again for a higher chance of winning. Just let us know what your favorite pair is! I wear my black classics every day and Taylor loves her Ash pair!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

UPDATE!!!!

So we really really really wish we could give everyone a pair!!!

But....

We......

Have.....

A.....

Winner!!!!!

Congrats Lexie!!! We are happy for you!!!

Menu Monday and our TOMS Giveaway Winner!!

Well, we thought we were getting back to normal... Last week we had a ton of fun and if you follow our Twitter updates on the blog you might have noticed that we ate out almost every day! That's right! And we didn't pay a dime (well except for tips, we like to thank our waiters!) Last week's adventures included two shared burgers with sides, a breakfast on a bun for each of us, our Wednesday small group dinner, and an art gallery opening that included a very nice spread of pasta and cheese cake! :)

Sometimes the blessings are just so wonderful. I remember when we started this whole project and I was very concerned about how we were going to make it- money was tight at the time too, but as we were sitting down at a nice restaurant waiting for a delicious cheeseburger I started to laugh at myself. Here I was worrying about how we were going to pay bills and eat, and there my wife was printing of coupons for free things! I haven't worried much since that day! Our Provider looks out for us and knows what we need!

My Mother-in-law was just telling us a story about this last week... after showing some "crazy love" to a friend, she went shopping and stopped into a pizza shop to grab something to go, and as soon as she ordered the guy handed her a pizza and said "Have a good day." FREE PIZZA! He has just scratched off a coupon and won a free pizza so he passed it onto her. Once she got home she had an e-mail from the friend saying that she was sorry for not thanking her sooner and that she knew the LORD would bless her for her kindness. :) How cool, right?! If loving people means free pizza then sign me up! ;) Tina has always encouraged us and loved us and we would like to say thanks, Mom, for being so supportive! :)

Now, since this is a Menu Monday post we need to get down to business... This week is going to be a piece of cake... or, well, pie (pizza pie that is!) Taylor is gone yet again- this time she is going to be headed to Michigan to visit extended family. So it's just me, and if you haven't learned by now I could live on pizza for the rest of my life!

So let's see... we talked about last week, this week, Taylor's trip, my love for pizza... I guess the only thing left to do is to announce the winner! So with out further ado, our giveaway results!

Thank you to all our entrants! (And thank you to all our followers, in green!)

Shake 'em up!

A blindfolded Brogan to draw the name!

And the winner is...

My very own Mom, a very dedicated reader and follower!

Congrats, Mom! We hope we've blessed your feet as much as you have blessed so many others! :D

Thank you to all of our readers, our new friends and our old friends, and those who are still being sneaky but blessed none the less by our posts! We enjoy your comments and your love! :)

Bless Your Heart, Bless Your Feet Giveaway!

Our readers know that we have always been a huge fan of TOMS shoes, especially since we got TOMS giftcards for Christmas! This was so exciting, we had always wanted TOMS and now we each had a pair, but choosing which ones was the hardest part... and of course waiting for them to come in the mail (and if your Taylor, sending them back for a larger size and having to wait even longer). But they are the coolest shoes ever! I've been wearing mine since the day I got them- to work, to shop, to church, to drive. I've worn them so much that I've actually had to stitch up a few holes!

Well this weekend, we were playing host to our great friend Rachel and she, along with her sister Katie, own a giftique in Bracken Village called "Bless Your Heart"! You can always find TOMS at BYH (well girls can), but this week they are doing something awesome with TOMS. Last Saturday they hosted a TOMS "Style Your Sole" party with paint, markers, and a handful of local artists to help you create. Basic TOMS are canvas which makes them perfect to turn into a one-of-a-kind work of art. We wish we could have been there but we were celebrating a wedding here in Houston (Congrats Allison and Josh!), and if you couldn't make it either don't worry! All this week BYH is hosting a silent auction to benefit The Mentoring Project. The items that are up for bid? Custom designed TOMS made just for you by awesome artists! All you have to do is browse through the select artists and bid on the one you like, highest bidder wins!

Now that we have Blessed your Heart we want to Bless Your Feet! That's right, we want to give one of our readers a pair of TOMS! Everyone gets three chances to win- (1) first go to the TOMS website to browse all the awesome styles and leave us a comment telling us which pair you like best! (2) Also, if you are a follower or become a follower you'll get a second chance (must leave a comment as stated in (1) to be entered)! (3) And, if you're truly a TOMS fan and place a bid at Bless Your Heart's Facebook Auction we will enter you for a third time!

If you didn't think it could get any better, for every pair of TOMS sold, TOMS sends a pair to child with no shoes! So what are you waiting for? Bless Your Heart, Bless Your Feet, then bless someone else's feet :) Good luck!

BYH's Auction will end at 6PM on Saturday, 26th. TaylorFrankie entries must be in by the end of Saturday (26th) and winners will be anounced in next week's Menu Monday.

charity:water + TOMS shoes

Well, it seems two of our favorites have outdone themselves! Check out these sweet new kicks from TOMS, partnered with charity:water!

Two causes with one purchase! Two cool! Ha, ha!

Wanna buy me some?!

Christmas Gifts ~ Given and Received

We are finally getting around to posting our Christmas gifts! We were so excited about it in December, but we couldn't post about it until the recipients had opened their gifts as not to spoil all the great surprises! (And obviously we couldn't post about the gifts we received until after we opened them! lol!) And believe it or not, we just recently finished gifting! Since we went to Michigan to celebrate with my family during Christmas, Frankie's sister and mom came up to celebrate before, and we finally now made it down to Devine to celebrate with his dad and step mom! Way to drag it on, I know! But we've gifted and now it's time to share!

The big idea this year was to spend less on our gifts for our family members so that we could spend more in honor of them to help others. It's just a win-win deal! So to spend less, we had to get creative! We took advantage of sales, made handmade gifts, bought via cheaper dealers, and just simply cut back! With the saved money we donated a set amount according to individual interests or to correspond with the gifts! It was really fun choosing what and how to donate for each person!

Here's what we did!: (For larger pictures, just click.)

Slippers for Frankie's Dad and Rose and shoes through Children's Hunger Fund!

A sewing machine cover for Frankie's mom, and seeds through World Vision. The fabric on the inside of the reversible, homemade cover represents the seeds.

A purse for Frankie's sister and medicines through World Vision! Also represented on the inside of the reversible, homemade purse! (Kathy is a pharmacy tech!)

Crackers and cheese for Dad with a wine tray! (An "add your own wine kit"!) But we turned the wine to water and donated through charity:water!




A picture and scripture we put together for mom, along with a donation to Morning Star Foundation, an orphanage very dear to her heart.




For my older brother, his all time favorite movie that he didn't own and a good ol' Food Pak! ("Stealing from the rich to give to the poor!" lol! Cept we didn't steal it!)

For my younger Brother, a movie he wanted and a donation to a homeless ministry that he loves.

For the little kids, we made a set of wooden people to go with their wooden block set. We also donated toys through Children's Hunger Fund!

And here's some of the awesome gifts we received!:

A whole bunch of change for "Chump Change for Pump Change" for Ecclesia, a beautiful painting purchased through the Etsy shop "Water for Christmas" (all proceeds went towards clean water projects!), a cook book for eating simply! ;), a "Water for Christmas" water bottle, TOMs shoes giftcards!!!, H2Africa decals for our cars, a "Water for Christmas" bracelet :D, and a Product (RED) shirt whose proceeds benefit Aids medicine!

Thanks to our wonderful families for these gifts, and for teaching us that giving is even greater than receiving and that receiving can also be giving! :D Merry Christmas, everyone! ;)

All We Want for Christmas

It's that time of year again, and family and friends have started to ask the question "What do you want for Christmas?" And even though we would love for everyone to participate in Advent Conspiracy, some people still like to give gifts. So for those people, here is our response... this is the Official TaylorFrankie Christmas Wish List!





1. A reusable water thermos from charity:water. Thermos partnered with charity:water to create hydrationforall and this really cool thermos. The best part is that 100% of the profit from this product goes to building wells for people who need clean water.

2. This H2Africa hand made bracelet by Amy Smith is at the Water4Christmas Etsy shop. This shop features a variety of sellers whose product sales are donated 100% to finding a solution for clean water in villages in Liberia, West Africa.

3. Children's Hunger Fund Menu features great gifts for giving and receiving. You can send food, Bibles, shoes, bikes, toys, and other goods to people in need. Anything from the Menu would make us happy, as well as a lot of other people.

4. charity:water bracelets are a great way to show support to a good cause, and again, 100% of the profits go to building wells!

5. A stained glass water drop ornament by Barb Bulluck also for H2Africa at the Water4Christmas Etsy shop.

6. For every pair of TOMS shoes sold, another pair is sent to a child in need. These shoes are awesome and are a two-for-one deal!

7. This Every Child's Right Shirt raises money for a family's adoption. Also, when you purchase this shirt, you can mention another family (we found out about it through the Block Family) and a portion of the profits goes to help fund their adoption as well!


Water, food, homes, shoes, life... this is what we want for Christmas.