Kids love being the ones to hand out the gifts! Years back when our now teenagers were toddlers, my father-in-law came up with a great way to help them do so even though they could not yet read. He put a photo of who the gift was for on each present and the kids were thrilled to be able to find each gift, and hand it to the proper recipient. It is also a great way to use all those photos in a box that are not quite good enough for the albums.
1.FashionABLE Scarves: The scarf pictured here was exclusively made for ONE by fashionABLE out of 100% light weight African cotton. The Feleku scarf was created when the ONEMoms (Including my amazing sister-in-law Jeannine Harvey) were on their recent trip to Ethiopia. ONE has partnered with FashionABLE, a company that works to create economic opportunities for women in Ethiopia by creating handmade scarves. Each style is named after the woman that designed it and includes a tag describing what she is able to do as a result of having a job. This scarf is named after Feleku, who is now ABLE to face new challenges.
2.Lollie Beads Bracelets are created from fair trade recycled glass beads made in Uganda. So they are
not only gorgeous (the glass beads look and feel like sea glass) but they are good for the environment AND help support sustainable livings in a developing country.
3.I first heard of The Anchal Project at the Rhode Island School of Design Student and Alumni Art sale where I bought a small moleskin notebook to support it. Since then they have branched out into an incredible array of crafts including these beautiful quilts to support their mission: “Anchal merges design, business, and education to empower marginalized and exploited women living in India.”-Anchal Mission Statement
4.These Tom’s wedges are at the top of my teenage daughter’s wish list, so you know they are cool! Tom’s keeps its designs fresh while still managing to provide shoes and glasses to those who need them. I know I’ve said this before, but I love their One for One business model (and pledge to support it with as many shoes as I can get away with!)
5.Whenever I carry my FEED bag I get compliments and inquiries about it, and I love promoting their wonderful program. Products from
FEED Project make perfect gifts that give back, each product tells you how many kids you are feeding by purchasing it, and you can choose the product based on what efforts you wish to support. This season I’m lusting after the DKNY collaboration Survival Tote and NYC hoodie sweatshirt that supports relief efforts for hurricane sandy victims.
6.Sari Bari Sari Bari is a safe place of employment where women who have been exploited in the sex trade or who are vulnerable to trafficking can experience a new life in the making. Gorgeous Indian textiles are woven into clothing, accessories and home goods. Tee-shirts, bags and jewelry all help these women live free lives of restoration and hope.
Alex & Ani jewelry is a favorite gift of mine to give, not only is it made from recycled materials, locally owned and founded by a woman, 
but has a Charity By Design division where a percentage of proceeds from each Charity By Design bracelet goes to a specific cause.You can also customize your gift to the recipients personality or interests with their amazing selection of charm bracelets and charm necklaces.
7.1000 ShillingsUgandan Paper bead necklaces. The women artisans earn capital for their own small businesses by making limited-edition products for 1000 Shillings. Each product sold through 1000 Shillings helps a woman establish a small business, which enables her to support her family. We also aim to tell the in-depth story behind each artisan. The company works with six single mothers in the Namatala slum, Uganda.
Sometimes it is hard to find the perfect gift for someone who has every material thing they desire. Still you want to give something as a token of your appreciation to them and the below gifts are the perfect solution that everyone can feel good about.
Photo by Elizabeth Atalay
8. Heifer International :
“Heifer International’s mission is to work with communities to end hunger and poverty and care for the Earth. It all started with a cow. Moved by the plight of orphans and refugees of the Spanish Civil War as he ladled out meager rations of powdered milk, Dan West, an Indiana farmer, volunteer relief worker and Church of the Brethren member, grasped that the people needed “a cow, not a cup”—cows that could produce milk so families would not have to depend on temporary aid. From that simple idea, Heifer International was born.” – From the Heifer International Website
9. Save A Life This Christmas with Maternity Worldwide : “No mother should die while giving birth. By ordering a Safe Birth Certificate you will enable a mother in a developing country to safely give birth to her baby. Long after the bubble bath has been used and the Christmas hampers have been eaten you will have given a lasting gift which will save a mother’s life and enable her baby to grow up with their mum.”- From the Maternity Worldwide Website
10. UNICEF Child survival Food Pack: “One amazing gift, that does it all. The 
Child Survival Food Pack has everything needed to save a severely malnourished child, from the time they are brought into an emergency feeding center on the brink of death, till when they are healthy again. Therapeutic Milk and Therapeutic Food are the miracle supplies that treat severe acute malnutrition. Water Purification Tablets provide clean and safe water and prevent water-borne diseases. Multiple Micronutrient Powder and High-Energy Biscuits give a child the vitamins and minerals needed to stay healthy. Your precious gift can bring a child back from the brink of malnutrition, with enough supplies to nurture them to good health for several months.”- UNICEFUSA.org
I am a proud member of The Global Team of 200, a highly specialized group of members of Mom Bloggers for Social Good that concentrates on issues involving women and girls, children, world hunger and maternal health. Some of the suggestions for this post came from the Global Team of 200. Our Motto: Individually we are all powerful. Together we can change the world. We believe in the power of collective action to help others and believe in ourselves to make this world a better place for our children and the world’s children. Follow along with us here on Tumblr, on Twitter, Pinterest, and Facebook for the latest Global Team of 200 news.
If like me you are caught unprepared by the early arrival of Chanukah this year, here is a quick easy idea to help you celebrate on short notice! When Arielle brought a similar cupcake Menorah into our friend Betsy’s Chanukah party several years ago the kids were blown away. I may have been more excited than they were to be introduced to such an easy and fun way to celebrate. I had forgotten about the cupcake menorah until coming across a photo from the party on my computer a few days ago. It was just what I needed as a way to surprise my kids and make things instantly festive without having planned ahead!
It’s your Latke Day because Chanukah begins tomorrow at sundown, and I have two delicious Latke recipes to share! The best part is that these bite sized potato treats are good enough to serve as side dishes or appetizers all year round.
Then go with the Sweet Potato Latke recipe that I submitted as a ONE.org Community Partner to the ONE.org Digital Cookbook for their Sweet potato Nutrition campaign. These are a dressed up version of the traditional Chanukah treat.
PANCAKES:
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and shredded
¼ teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
1 ¼ teaspoon Cumin
4 eggs
6 tablespoons flour
Pinch of salt & pepper to taste
canola oil for frying
TOPPING:
8 oz. crème fraiche
1teaspoons cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Caramelized Pecans
DIRECTIONS:
Mix shredded sweet potatoes with eggs, flour, cayenne pepper, cumin, salt & pepper
Place a tablespoon of the batter in a frying pan with oil and fry until light brown and crispy on both sides.
Place on a paper towel before putting it on the plate.
Mix crème fraiche with cayenne pepper and cumin and place a dollop on top of each pancake.
Top with caramelized pecan and serve.
4 potatoes peeled & shredded
2 Eggs
salt & pepper to taste
Mix all ingredients in a bowl
Heat oil in a pan and drop in spoonfuls of the batter and press flat with a spatula. (beware of hot oil splattering, I like to use an oil screen as shown here):
Fry until crispy and golden brown on each side.
Serve with optional toppings of sour cream and applesauce.
I believe that the best gifts are those that are meaningful. By that I mean either globally in the form of a gift that gives back, personally in the form of sentiment, or thoughtfully supporting something the receiver is passionate about. I know I’m not the only one out there passionate about food, so here are a few suggestions for the epicurean in your life.
1. Jerusalem the cookbook: If Cous Cous could bring peace, then this book is needed more than ever right now. It is a gorgeous cookbook filled with delicious recipes by two chefs who both grew up in Jerusalem. One a Muslim, one a Jew who met in London as chefs and became friends and collaborators. They have worked together to create what they have admitted to be a self-indulgent, nostalgic trip to their past in this guide to the flavors of their youth. This is more than just a cookbook, filled with beautiful photography and regional history it delivers more than just rich flavors of food, but culture as well.
2. Have you noticed the foodie trend this year seems to be flavored sea salt? I think a set of samples would make a great gift to a hostess or for the holidays!
3.Combine a gift set of various flavored sea salts with a few flavored olive oils and I think you’ve got the foodie on your list covered!
4. Throw in some exotic gourmet chocolate from Vosges if you really want to put them over the top!
5. The Dean & Deluca Limited Edition Pantry Feed Bag is a way to feed hungry children along with the food lover in your life. The FEED bag comes filled with pantry staples from Dean & Deluca.
6. The OXO Be A Good Cookie Spatula 50% of the proceeds of each cookie spatula will go to pediatric cancer research. Not only is this Spatula a great cooking tool, but also a constant reminder to “Be a Good Cookie.”
