New to the Garden

Hi Everyone.
Happy Friday.

My Garden Green House that I showed you here in my kitchen has moved!


It looked really nice here but after looking at it in this space I felt it was too big and would be better outside in the garden.  Well at least for the summer months.



So outside it landed in the front garden area.   The chandelier is on a timer and it lights up at night.  Soooo pretty.


I kept most of the same decor pieces inside this green house for now.




My vintage Schwinn is out front in the garden. 
The greenery is gotten so big you almost cannot see the bike anymore.  I am going to have to do some switching out of things so the bike shows up more.


My flower boxes are so lush this summer. You cannot even see the flower boxes anymore!
The flower boxes are growing like crazy!





Another treasure has been moved out on the porch.  It is my old chippy column and birdhouse.



Things have buds on them for a second blooming both in the flower boxes and also the hydrangea's.  Next season I hope to add more roses to this area for more color.





My birdbath Cherub





I have a chippy white folding chair on the porch too.

I do want to add in more color to the ground.  I think some more rose bushes and also some other flowering perennials.  The hydrangea's in the middle had full blooms early on.  They are now getting new buds to open up hopefully soon.  That will bring more color to the front of the house.







I like having the green house outside in the front garden for now.  You will have to take my word at night when the chandelier is lite it is so pretty.  Just cannot capture a great picture of it lite up at night.

Have a great weekend.
Hugs,
Kris


Christmas Thoughts in July

What?!!!! Christmas thoughts in July?  

I am not in the mind set just yet to let go of my summer days and think about Christmas,  but I am thinking charity and giving thoughts of late.

A lot of you that follow my blog know I have an annual Christmas Girlfriend Charity Party.

The whole idea is that we bff's get together in December each year at my home to celebrate our friendship and love of gifting and giving.  

We wear our comfy pj's and fun slippers because everyone knows it is more fun to eat, drink and play fun games in your comfy jammies!

The bigger picture in the nights festivities is about gathering together in friendship and the gift exchange.  

We each bring a gift to exchange and the proceeds from the purchase of the gift must somehow benefit a charity or others in need.  

It is so amazing each year to see all the beautiful gifts selected and the story behind the purchase of the gift and the charity it benefits.  


Thinking about my party and the gift exchange is what brought me to sharing this blog post with all of you.

I am sure most of you have heard of or maybe even receive the quarterly Fit Fab box.
A fit fab box comes 4 times a year and is filled with fabulous things.  

I have purchased a subscription to fit fab for both of my daughters each year for a Christmas gift.

 They tell me how much they love when their box arrives.

Each box reflects the time of year.  This was the Winter Box from last year.  They fill these boxes with premium full size products.  It is always fun to see what is inside the new box when it arrives.


A wonderful thing about Fit Fab boxes are they give back in so many ways to many charities.  The subscriptions to these boxes help so many, UNICEF, the American Heart Association, Pencils of Promise, The Starlight Foundation, and Girl Rising. Show your support while treating yourself to FabFitFun‘s quarterly assortment of must-have beauty goodies, cute accessories, and fun wellness items!


This got me thinking about my gift for this years party.  One of the many subscription box's just might be the perfect gift to give at the party. 

 It would be fun and the products are fabulous and it would also benefit those in need.  

What you may not know is there are a number of subscription boxes out there that will bring great mail swag and then go on to support a good cause. 



I thought I would share some of these great boxes with you.  




MissionCute

Described as a "warm hug delivered monthly," MissionCute is a beautiful box filled with everything from cute stationery, stylish tote bags, beauty products, and more! For as little as $20 a month, you receive a surprise box filled with goodies, and MissionCute donates 50% of their monthly net proceeds to a different nonprofit organization. Giving back is très chic!








Anchor of Hope service is a subscription box filled with hand-made items made by refugees and survivors of human trafficking. Each box includes 2 to 4 handmade pieces of jewelry, accessories, ceramics and more, and includes information about the artisan that created the goods and whom the money will directly be going to. In addition, each Anchor of Hope box (from $34/month) includes gift tags so you can either keep the goodies for yourself, or give them as a present!



CAUSEBOX is a quarterly subscription service that sends a curated box of 5 to 7 products and brands that are doing amazing things for the world, such as empowering women, providing jobs, meals, education, clean water, and so much more. Their mission is to shape people's shopping habits in a positive way and magnify the impact that socially conscious companies are capable of. For $55 a quarter, you get a box of products that range from fashion items and accessories to beauty products and stationery. Aside from receiving awesome products, the CAUSEBOX will turn you on to wonderful brands with charitable missions. It's a win-win!

This adorable subscription service has a simple but impactful mission. Deemed "the collar with two lives" box, this service delivers a fun and seasonal collar for your pup each month in exchange for the previous month's gently used collar. Your pup's gently-used collar can be mailed back to Get Wagging with a prepaid return package, to make a difference and provide a basic need for a rescue dog. The designs are unique, the shipping is free, and for $15 a month, both you AND your dog can give back to a shelter pet. It's pawesome!

GlobeIn sends creative Artisan Boxes that include handcrafted products from global artists and is based around a theme each month. With each care package (from $35/month), not only do you get cultural products that will instantly make you feel well-traveled, but you will give these artisans a global audience and help them with their daily challenges. For example, their "Cozy"-themed box helped employ 85,000 farmers in Ghana, provided 840 hours of flexible employment for 12 artisans in Thailand, and provided the equivalent of a full year of employment for 6 workers. The numbers don't lie, and the products are too beautiful to resist.

 Little Loving Hands ($25/month) gets kids involved in giving back! Every month the company spotlights a new organization and craft and sends over all the materials and inspiration for kids to create, learn, and donate to a worthy cause. Your little one will receive all the craft supplies to create an item that will be donated using a pre-paid return shipping envelope. On top of that, there is educational material in each box explaining why, how, and who they are helping, as well as a thank-you button and certificate of achievement. You're never too young to get involved!

Love Goodly is a cruelty-free, eco, and vegan subscription box that will send a lovely mix of beauty, wellness and lifestyle products to your doorstep every other month. Not only will you be living a healthier, cruelty-free lifestyle by signing up for the Love Goodly box, but every purchase always supports a cause including Farm Sanctuary and Cure Cervical Cancer.

Avoid all future snack attacks with the Love with Food subscription box. For as little as $8 a month, the company will send you a box full of organic, all-natural or gluten-free snacks. After that, you can go on their site to purchase more of what you tried and (inevitably) loved. On top of that, Love with Food donates a portion of the proceeds to help fight childhood hunger in the US and around the world. They donate to organizations like Feeding Americaand The Global Food Banking Network. So not only can you snack, but you can feel great while doing it.
The Wordy Traveler is the perfect book service for Wanderlusts! Each quarter, the company sends a curated box (from $50) that will transport you to amazing destinations through books, ethically-sourced tea, and a limited-edition fine art print. A portion of the proceeds from every box will be given to help educate women and girls across the world. You can now reach peak-hygge while helping those in need.


How they give back: The Bookworm Box believes in “good deeds, great reads.” This romance novel subscription founded by Colleen Hoover donates 100% of its profits to charities around the world, including clean water groups, disaster relief organizations, and more. Apart from the good vibes, you’ll get at least one autographed book per month plus other bookish goodies! Check out all of our Bookworm Box reviews to learn more.
Ships to: Worldwide
How they give back: Part of the proceeds from each of this subscription’s boxes of decor, stationery, home goods, and other inspiring Christian gifts goes towards Union Rescue Mission, which helps combat homelessness in Los Angeles and beyond!

How they give back: With each box of high-quality treats and toys catered specifically to your dog’s size, RescueBox donates to shelters and organizations that provide vaccines and care for dogs in need across the country.



There are many choices in these subscription boxes out there.  Ya gotta love sharing a gift that keeps on giving.

Thank you to all of you that left your sweet and caring comments about saying prayers for Mary's family after her passing.
She will be missed in blogland.


Have a great rest of the week.
I will have the new island and some new chandeliers and a few other treasures to share soon.
Hugs,
Kris

Heavy Heart

Good Monday Morning.

My heart broke this morning finding out one of our blogging hearts passed on yesterday.

Mary from mydogsmygardenandmary blog passed away after battling major health issues. 

Mary worked for many years for corporation located out of the Merchandise Mart here in Chicago.  She enjoyed her career as a meeting planner for this company in hotel sales.  Mary retired and had been living in California.

Waldo

Lili

These two sweet fur babies were Mary's loves.  She would do anything for these two.  They were her constant companions and made her heart full.  My heart breaks for how much these two will miss Mary.


This is a picture of Mary's pride and joy.  Her son Shawn along with his girlfriend Kim.  Oh how Mary loved her son and the sweets visits they had together.

Mary's son also had a beautiful daughter that he gifted Mary.  Mary was so in love with her sweet granddaughter Kelly.  I know they will all miss her deeply.  She was so proud of Kelly and loved all their visits. 


Mary loved her garden area.  Her favorites were her beautiful roses.  Mary had such a way with her beautiful varieties of roses.  The pictures of her garden and all the different varieties of roses looked like they came right out of a magazine.

Good bye sweet friend.  I will never forget our sweet and special time in blogland.  I regret that you will not make your trip to Chicago this fall to meet up but I will always have my memories of our sweet emails back and forth and our sharing of our heart in blogland.

May you rest in peace.  Heaven is now a more beautiful place with you there.

If you could say a prayer for Mary's son and sweet granddaughter and close friends as we all grieve this beautiful lady.

I will Miss you Mary.
xoxo

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