Thursday, December 2, 2010

An Easy Way to Avoid Excessive Amounts of Stuff

I know many of you got this in email this morning so you’ll be seeing it twice (three times if we’re FB friends so yeah, it should sink in lol) but I thought it was worth sharing here too for those less inclined to access those other places or who’s email I don’t have. This is the word for word message I sent out. Please consider this as a festive alternative to buying ‘stuff’ for the people you care about and we’ll all get the chance to help each other. It’s all about pay it forward!

Good morning family and friends!


That time of year again -- the ho, ho, holidays! As we've done most years now Matt and I STRONGLY encourage all of you not to buy us stuff (please!). This year is even more important than ever as we're planning to move all the way across the country next summer, carrying as little as possible. In lieu of gifts please consider making donations!


By the way...I'm not being presumptuous with some of you I promise! I sent this to a lot of you simply because I know we all struggle with what to do for one or two people every year and these are two charities that I really hope you'll consider making a contribution to instead of buying that individual something you're not sure they'll even enjoy :-)


As you all know I've done the National Novel Writers Month (NaNoWriMo) challenge for 2 years now and won both times (hooray!). Those folks run a great program for young writer's to explore and embrace their creativity, and to nurture positivity instead of violence & other bad behaviors, but they only survive through donations. So this year I'd love if everyone could donate to The Office of Letters and Light! To make the donation on my behalf (if you like) my NaNo/ScriptFrenzy username is: jennshon


Matt also has a charity that is very near and dear to him. Last December he started working in downtown Boston and came to befriend a man named Carl. An out of work construction worker, Carl is homeless and lives in the alley right behind Matt's building. The two have built a really special relationship over the course of this year so Matt would like donations made to assist the Pine Street Inn, a homeless shelter right here in Boston that actively provides help to 1200 people just like Carl. 


Thanks so much everyone and I hope you'll consider making donations to these two very deserving charities instead of buying us a traditional gift this year. We would also like to do the same for you so please let us know where we can donate in your name and we'll make this a super great season of paying it forward! Have safe and happy holidays and hopefully we'll all have a chance to spend time together sometime in 2011!


♥ love ♥
Jenn & Matt


P.S. As with every year I gotta give snaps to my mom for kicking off our charitable donation holidays a few years back! Best gift idea ever! Go mum! *snap, snap, snap*

9 comments:

pastrywitch said...

I don't think it's presumptuous at all. The Office of Letters and Light is a great idea; creativity gets short shrift these days. Poor kids. There's more to education than standardized test scores.

#1Nana said...

This really is the true spirit of the holiday season!

Jenn Flynn-Shon said...

You're so right Kate and every year schools are cutting funding for programs left and right. its great to see that some places still try to get kids motivated toward creativity!

That's so true Jann, I think my mom was really ahead of the pack on starting this family tradition!

Rosebud Collection said...

Beautiful Jenn and so thoughtful..I felt a pang when I read you will be leaving..I know it is California, right? Hope I get out of here too..but we have to sell our property.
Have to admit we have been lucky so far with the weather..Had a great Thanksgiving with family and they stayed for a few days longer..
Have a good weekend my dear friend..sending love/Carolyn

Tabitha Bird said...

Congrats on NaNo.
I think the charity thing is a great idea.
Merry Christmas :)

Almost Precious said...

A wonderful idea that many of us should emulate. Christmas has become so commercialized and hectic that we forget the true meanings behind the season ... Hope, Love, Faith and Charity.
Thanks for reminding us.

fiftyodd said...

I'll get there.... at the moment we have big family Christmases with lots of small children but when I grew up we all made lists of things we would like which circulated among the family. We still do this and it means that no present is undesirable to its recipient (if somewhat mysterious to buy e.g. my husband's list of very specific tools). I can only make lists during the year as my brain goes into reverse gear if someone asks me before Christmas what I would like. We do give to charity as well.

Rosebud Collection said...

Chase a tornado?..are you two trying to give me a nervous breakdown..??? I tell you, that is one time the beads would never leave my fingers..They scare me to death. You just have no control over them..A hurricane, you can kind watch, have been through many of them..but a tornado..forget it.
Still with snow around..Gosh, I miss spring. I have to keep telling myself..the glass half full..I am warm..or half empty I don't dare leave the house..
Have a good week and glad the storm missed you..
xooxRosebud/Carolyn

Along These Lines ... said...

Well okay, if you don't want the BMW we were planning on sending you....