Elley Arden | Do You See What I See? Elley’s #sightsandsounds of the Holiday Charity Event

The holiday season is in full swing and I love this time of year, where the focus is on sharing love and laughter with friends and family, as well as giving back and spreading joy to the community. After all, Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, and Christmas are not about what you can “get,” but what you can give in celebration of life’s blessings. Unfortunately, it’s easy to get off track. Our days are chaotic and often stressful. The weather turns colder and drearier in many parts of the world. The news is depressing and deafening. A couple weeks ago, I felt myself slipping into old patterns and—dare I say it—dreading the holidays, which wasn’t okay with me. So after brainstorming with my PR team, we came up with an event that I hope will carry the happiness and hopefulness of the holiday season straight into 2015.

I’m calling it #sightsandsounds of the holiday, and it involves me posting a daily picture to my Facebook, Tsu, and Twitter accounts through New Year’s Day. The pictures feature holiday-related things I’ve seen while out and about (running errands, picking up kids, shopping, etc.) or at home while spending time with my family. If I can get creative (and tech savvy) enough, I may also post a video or clip of something I’ve heard (maybe a song that reminds me of childhood Christmases). Really, anything holiday-related goes. It’s about staying present in the moment and recognizing the love and joy around me.

How does this tie in with giving back? I’m glad you asked, and I promise it’s something fun and easy. I’m hoping YOU can help me and join me in posting a picture, video, or clip of something you’ve seen or heard while you’re out and about this holiday season. You can post to your Facebook, Twitter, Tsu, blog, Instagram, Tumblr or any other social media outlet. Use the #sightsandsounds hashtag, too. Then, head over to my blog post and share the link to your post in the comments, so that I can check it out. In addition, let me know what charity/organization you’d like to see me donate funds to. For the first 100 comments, I am donating $250 to one lucky charity. After those first 100 comments, I will donate $1 per comment, up to a total of $1000 to a charity/organization that came from your suggestions. See, I told you this would be easy!

So, what do you say? Will you help me boost the positive energy levels this holiday season? Many thanks, in advance, to all the wonderful readers and authors who will help make this a memorable, magical holiday season.

Merry Christmas!

Elley Arden

About the Author

Elley Arden is a born and bred Pennsylvanian who has lived as far west as Utah and as far north as Wisconsin. She drinks wine like it’s water (a slight exaggeration), prefers a night at the ballpark to a night on the town, and believes almond English toffee is the key to happiness.

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