Companies That Care

I am so very fortunate to have a number of show sponsors with truly good and generous hearts.

The world-wide coronavirus pandemic has affected us all, but some are in more vulnerable positions than others. I’d like to give these three companies a well deserved shout-out for looking beyond profit, reaching out a helping hand, and lifting people in ways big and small, today and every day.

Balsam Hill has been a passionate supporter not only of Point Hope, but of other caring programs as well, such as Operation Smile, a non-profit that provides surgeries for children in third world countries with cleft lips or palettes. Most recently, they’ve used their distribution warehouses to help provide food provisions to customers in need during the current pandemic and donated all profits back to local food banks.

Balsam Hill is celebrating Christmas in July all month long with the launch of their newly redesigned Fraser Fir Christmas tree! This is Balsam Hill's most realistic artificial tree yet with the shape, color, tips and silhouette more true to nature than any other. It may be mid-summer but I don’t think it’s ever too early to start dreaming about, and shopping for Christmas! 

Click to shop the Balsam Hill Christmas in July Sale HERE.  
You’ll love everything you see!

---

Eyes of Faith has brought purpose, passion, and style to the eyewear industry and optical community since 2009.  Dedicated to the idea of giving the gift of sight through mission work, and reflecting the love of Christ in the optical marketplace, a portion of every Eyes of Faith purchase supports Christian missions that provide new prescription glasses, readers, and sunglasses to people in need domestically and internationally.  

I was delighted to team with Eyes of Faith on the design of some beautiful eyeglass frames, that when purchased, help to build homes for orphans at Point Hope Village in Ghana, Africa! While the pandemic and resulting shut-down of retail operations has resulted in a significant impact on 2020 sales, Eyes of Faith is still halfway to building another home at Point Hope! 

In addition, when Plano Vision Center, one of Chicago's oldest vision care centers, was damaged and looted, Eyes of Faith donated frames that helped them to stay open and continue serving the community.

You can find out more about Eyes of Faith by visiting their website HERE.  

---

{save} has made local woman’s shelters and domestic abuse causes a priority during the coronavirus pandemic. They joined in the celebration of nurses during the month of May by creating opportunities to win products on their social media platforms.  This August, and the month’s ahead, {save} will be donating product to Operation Happy Nurse,  an incredible organization that helps to care for the caregivers; those who are truly on the front lines every day. 

{save} is a woman-owned skincare company designed for giving back. It was started with the concept of creating simple formulas without unnecessary additives and chemicals, inspired by natural resources, to protect skin from harsh environmental damage. {save} skincare products are free of additives and GMO’s and never use animal-testing.

Follow {save} on Facebook, and,
find out about their wonderful products and ways you can help give back HERE.  

---

Isn’t it wonderful to know that companies that care are out there?! I encourage you to give them some support so that they may continue their good work of supporting others!

Mother's Day Musts

There are many things to celebrate in the magical month of May, but none so splendid as Mother’s Day, the true (if I may say) Queen of the May!

Mother’s Day was always a special event when I was growing up; we celebrated with a multi-generational big Sunday brunch with either ham, turkey, or roast beef, sides, salads, and my Grandma’s home-made rolls. The flowers in bloom on the Oregon Coast by mid-May were enough to provide a handful of blossoms - azalea, forget-me-not’s, camilla and long-stemmed dandelions of course!. With a bouquet on the table and many hand-made cards on the mantle, we felt properly outfitted for the occasion.,

This Mother’s Day, many of us will return to the simpler ways that we look back on so fondly. And while I ALWAYS encourage hand-picked posies and Crayola colored cards, thanks to some of my incredible sponsors, I can recommend some more options for you - all available by order and delivered right to your mother’s door.

{SAVE}

I fell in love with {save} skin care products soon after the first box of samples arrived at my doorstep. This lovely line of products, made with exceptionally gentle formulas with 90-99% nature-derived ingredients, works to slow the skin’s aging process, and leaves my skin looking and feeling fresh and fabulous.

I’m especially proud to be partnering with {save} during this time of uncertainty, as they are committed to providing support to our community and some of the women who are disproportionately affected by the crisis. They are donating 10% of all on-line sales to Domestic Violence this month. Staying Strong Together - supporting survivors of domestic abuse.

Sign up today and receive 20% off your order, as well as free shipping for orders totaling $19 or more. All mother’s deserve to be pampered. From cleansers to creams, moisturizers to masks, {save} products are the perfect way to pamper the mother’s in your life!

Shop {save}

BALSAM HILL

Balsam Hill has been a fabulous sponsor for several years now and one of the reasons I love them sooo much is because they GIVE BACK in a myriad of big and small ways. In addition to providing the most realistic Christmas trees, fall foliage, and spring florals, as well as spectacular seasonal decor items, they’ve made Point Hope (my favorite organization) a recipient of many charitable campaigns, and I am so so grateful!

Their spring floral collection is created using the latest technology and highest quality craftsmanship for stunning realism that will add cheerful elegance your door, your table, your entryway, and any other space in your home!

Today, I love them even more (if that’s possible,) because, as a response to the on-going COVID-19 crisis, my friends at Balsam Hill are repurposing some of their warehouses to ship bulk quantities of nonperishable foods and essential home items to serve those in need. They are committed to donating all profits from this endeavor to support food-based charities. From soup, to pasta, to paper goods, it’s available on a special Balsam Provisions page. Click here to shop, and share with those who may be in need or help during this difficult time!

Place your orders today for fabulous florals celebrating spring and the importance of mothers (grandmothers, godmothers, bonus mother’s, other mothers, and special aunties too!)

Shop Balsam Hill

ALEX AND ANI

ALEX AND ANI, a delightful new sponsor to the Delilah show, isn’t just another fun jewelry maker, they are a humanitarian company that has carefully crafted partnerships with over 50 nonprofit organizations from around the world to design and sell unique and elegant jewelry pieces. Proceeds from sales in their Charity By Design collection go towards supporting their global partners and a myriad of humanitarian causes.

Their special Mother’s Day collection including beaded and charmed bangles, lockets, and earrings, symbolize the unique bond of motherhood. My girls go ga-ga over their designs and it’s so much fun to wear pieces that are coordinated for mothers and daughters. Visit them today and be sure to shop their Spring Collection for 30% savings on great gifts for yourself or other special someone’s!

Shop ALEX AND ANI

Free-range chickens we are not these days! Mother hens and chicks alike are cooped up more than we’d like. But in between impromptu bouts of the chicken dance, we can read to while away the hours and immerse ourselves in alternate narratives of time and space. Recommendations? Oh yes!

GROWING GRATEFUL

In Growing Grateful, which is absolutely perfect for the situation we find ourselves to be in, Mary A. Kassian offers 101 meditations on the joy of being grateful even in the hardest times. Each entry contains a Bible verse, a devotion on gratitude, and a reflection question. Learn how to be:

• Grateful for God’s abiding presence.
• Grateful despite your circumstances.
• Grateful that God wants you to flourish.

I discovered long ago, that happiness, contentedness, and joy are all “inside jobs.” If we wait for someone or something to fulfill us, we will be perpetually disappointed, sad, or angry even. The secret (which isn’t so secret, but often illusive) is the ability to recognize and cultivate gratitude. Growing Grateful is a lovely, generous, and forgiving, assistant to help you on your journey to gratefullness - and a cheerful companion once you’ve arrived.

Order your copy of Growing Grateful

DAWGS

My book club pick for April, DAWGS, by Diane Trull is the story of how a 4th grade reading class, called to action by a newspaper photo of a box of puppies in need of homes, started an animal shelter in their town of Dalhart, Texas.

Those with a heart for animals, will absolutely LOVE this book! It is the perfect example of how a 4th grade teacher, her husband and family, and an amazing group of grade-schoolers leveraged their passion, knowledge, skills and talents to change the world one heart at at time! And it provides so much inspiration for others to do the same!

When you get your copy, you’ll hear all about that day at Allyn Finch Intermediate School, and the weeks, months, and challenges they faced ahead to make their mission of helping every animal find it’s way home.

Order your copy of DAWGS

LAKESHIRE PARK

When the month of March came striding in, bringing with it the first tender shoots of a green spring, romance came to mind, so I picked just the thing for my book club, Lakeshire Park, by Megan Walker, a lovely little romance set in Brighton, England, in the year 1820.

Two sisters, Amelia and Clara Moore, are about to find themselves without means or home… so what’s a girl to do back then but conjure a white knight - or at least a suitable bachelor - to sweep her off her feet and into stable circumstances? Join the sisters on their quest while rooting not only for them to find a roof over their head but, (dare we suggest it?) loving partners as well!

I loved reading romance novels when I was young, and I’m glad my girls can pick up a book like Lakeshire Park, and enjoy the historical details, the interesting characters, and the “happily ever after’s” without being subjected to much of the graphic nonsense that’s floating around out there these days.

Get your copy of Lakeshire Park

HOME SWEET HOME

For many people, and especially the moms out there with kids our of school, this is a very stressful time! Treat someone special to a trio of short, feel-good stories that can be enjoyed during breaks from demands of the day with Home Sweet Home.

THREE’S A CROWD * Fern Michaels
This Mother’s Day will be is extra special for Samantha’s parents who’ll be greeting their daughter after an extended absence, and meeting their baby granddaughter for the very first time. Join Samantha as she seeks stability for her baby and answers about herself.
 
NEW BEGINNINGS IN BLUE HOLLOW FALLS * Donna Kauffman
Blue Hollow Falls is where Katie MacMillan finds herself once again, helping with her sister’s pregnancy, revisiting old feelings, and pondering fresh new ones…
 
BRING ME HOME * Melissa Storm
Hazel Long’s bed-side visits with her father bring forth the unexpected gifts of friendship, (offered by other hospital visitors,) insight into the mother she barely knew, increased gratitude —and the kindness of a handsome male nurse.

Order your copy of HOME SWEET HOME

I know that the idea of shopping right now is enough to create an extra layer of stress to an already intense time of anxiety and worry. That’s why I made all the recommendations on my Mother’s Day Musts list available via on-line shopping. I also understand if economic concerns make gift-buying not much of a reality for you right now, and if that’s the case, I promise you that a handful of pretty posies and a handmade card, delivered on a breakfast tray with toast, jam, and steaming cup of coffee or tea will send the message to the mother in your life that she is special, loved, and honored. So gifts, or no gifts, I encourage you to make this gesture.

If your circumstances allow for some discretionary spending, I stand behind my recommendations and the many companies with conscious with whom I partner. Pampering products, home decor, jewelry, and books are all things the revered women in our lives love and deserve when possible.

To all mothers and women who have made a difference in a child’s life, I thank you and wish you a very special Mother’s Day. May the Lord bless and keep you,