We Have A Trades of Hope Winner!

Sorry for the delay. There's been a family tragedy that I've been dealing with, but Stephanie has gone ahead and picked a Trades of Hope Winner and here she is to announce who gets this beautiful scarf:

Congratulations to Amber Johnson our Trades of Hope blog post winner! Please contact Stephanie Erickson at stephaniefortradesofhope@outlook.com to claim your beautiful Nepali Scarf. The Nepali scarf is made on a hand loom out of recycled silk and cotton. Nepal is a very poor country. Women not only contend with dire poverty but sex trafficking as well. Trades of Hope empowers women to build a sustainable business that provides a better way of life for themselves and their families!

Congratulations Amber!

Trades of Compassion - Who Are They? & A Scarf Giveaway!

Editor’s Note: I wanted to bring in the opportunity for others to get their stories out whether it is fashion, a ministry that is near and dear to their heart or they just want to share. I'd like to introduce you to my friend, Stephanie, a Compassion Entrepreneur for Trades of Hope. You can visit her shop here: mytradesofhope.com/stephanieerickson70. She blogs over here & tweets over there: @ericksonsteph Here she is to tell you a little bit about what stirs her heart:

Can you tell us a little about yourself and your story?
Hello, my name is Stephanie Erickson, I am married and am a mother to five kids (two are biologically mine) ages 11 to 28. I enjoy reading and writing in my spare time - althought there's not much of that. I homeschool one of my children - my 13 year old daughter who attends a small charter/home- school every Friday during the school year. I serve as the PTO Vice president of her school. I am in charge of fundraising for my step-son's premier soccer team and am a Compassion Entrepreneur with Trades of Hope.

What got you interested in Trades of Hope?
My interest in Trades of Hope stems from personal tragedy. Due to people whom I love dearly and out of respect for them I will not mention names nor specifics. Just know that I understand the pain of a mother who has become fully aware of the suffering her child/children have experienced by the hand of a person who was supposed to be trustworthy. My heart has been so devastated that the only way for me to cope was to help suffering women and children suffering. The thought that I am making a difference brings joy to my brokenness and prevents bitterness from touching my soul.

What particular aspect of TOH captures your heart the most? Why?
One of the most rewarding experiences for me is the blessings my friends and family give me in allowing me to host a party in their home. This gives me opportunity to share my burden for these women and children worldwide who suffer in extreme poverty and/or sex trafficking dangers. To bring truth to people and birth hope to women who only want a chance not a handout brings immense satisfaction to my heart. It is an honor working with so many like-minded women who truly desire to break cycles of poverty and sex trafficking worldwide!

How have you changed since you started working with TOH?
I feel more hopeful than I ever have. I feel like there truly is a way to help sex trafficking victims and poverty stricken women worldwide.

Which is your favorite piece and how do you love to wear it?
I like so many items. I guess my favorite is the Sunrise Necklace from India. The colors are red, brown and oranges. It is a beautiful piece. 

The most touching items are two from our own country (USA) and a third from Bangladesh. The Bangladeshi item is soap in a variety of scents made by former sex slaves. All these women are able to be free of sex abuse and provide for themselves through the making of The Sacred Mark Soap Set. This item that makes you clean is such a perfect fit! 

Cherished, a ministry in California, focuses on teaching women who were terrorized by sexual exploitation how to function in society again. These women make a variety of items but Trades of Hope purchases a pendant called The Redeemed from this ministry. One of the neatest things is that upon completion of the piece the artisan engraves her initials on the back - the redeemed proclaiming their redemption. 

Thistle Farms in Tennessee ministers to women who have suffered through sexual exploitation, addictions and domestic violence. These women make a variety of body products and Trades of Hope purchases their all natural Lip Balms.

Thanks to Stephanie and Trades of Hope, they would love to give one of my lucky readers their gorgeous Nepali Aqua Scarf for free! Who wants a gorgeous scarf for free? I thought so! Leave a comment on here on a way that Trades of Hope has struck a chord with your heart. This giveaway is open from Monday, August 12, 2013 until Wednesday, August 28, 2013. Stephanie and I will be choosing the winning comment after that (if you have any questions, feel free to ask!). We can't wait to hear your stories!

Christmas Just Snuck Up Again

Editor’s Note: This is a guest post from Justin Fricke. Justin writes about adventures and life outside the office on his blog, Justin The Weekend Warrior. Give him a follow on twitter @JustinLFricke.

“Christmas just snuck up again.” We’re all going to be hearing that in that in the next four to five months because believe it or not, Christmas is on December 25th this year—again. We all know Christmas is going to be on December 25th every year, so how does it just “sneak up” every year?

I think it’s because when most people think of Christmas they think of presents under the tree and we all know what that means—spending money. Presents just don’t buy themselves or appear under the tree. They take thought and preparation, but this also stresses out a lot of people. In reality, this should be a relaxing time to spend with friends and family while celebrating the birth of our Savior.

Here are a few suggestions that are easy enough to start implementing now to help you keep the Holiday Season relaxing and enjoyable.

1. Budget: Set a budget for what you’re willing to spend. This will vary for everyone because everyone and every family is different. If you’re a parent with kids and your kids know what the budget is, they can decide is they want the one big and expensive item or multiple, less expensive items. This helps to prevent those “sad” faces on Christmas morning.
2. Planning and saving: In order to make sure you have enough money to make a budget for Christmas shopping, you actually need some money. More than likely, you won’t be able to save enough from one or two paychecks to get your loved ones what they want, unless you want to go into debt which isn’t recommended. Now is a perfect time to start setting aside money for your Christmas budget.
3. Cutting back: we all have our “guilty pleasures” of what we like to spend money on. Personally, it’s vinyl records for me. I feel like I hear the majority of people saying they can’t go a day without their favorite coffee from their favorite coffee shop, I disagree. If froo froo coffee is your guilty pleasure, that’s about $25/week that you could be saving ($5/day x 5 days/week = $25). That comes out to be about $100/month and if you started now, you could have about $400 saved up for your Christmas budget.
4. Change Christmas: How many gifts do you really have to buy? Do your relatives that you see all of once or twice a year really need a gift from you and do you really need a gift from them? The answer is no, so why not have some fun? Years ago, my family quit buying presents for distant family members (not in your immediate family) and we started having fun. Everyone brings a gift card with a set value, (I think $25) so you at least get to pick where you want to shop, and then a $10 or less wrapped gag gift and we do a White Elephant Gift Exchange. We’ve also done Secret Santa, which is a lot of fun as well.
5. Stock up: Start buying gifts now. I know all the “deals” happen close to Christmas, but really—are the deals really that irresistible? I have yet to find an actual deal worth splurging on during the Holiday Season. Not to mention there’s a deal for every holiday. We still have a Labor Day Sale and Halloween Sale to look forward to from retailers trying to get us in the doors.

These are just a few tips and ideas, but the point is: to find what works best for you and your family, don’t overspend, and don’t stress when you don’t have to.

What are some of your tips and ideas?