Was your New Year’s resolution to help more people? Be more generous? Reach out to your community more? The January Love Drop is the perfect opportunity to jump right in!

(If you haven’t heard about Love Drop, you can check out all the detail in this post.)

Every month, the Love Drop community will come together to support and help one person in need. The inaugural Love Drop has set out to help Jill from Chicago. Here’s her story…

If you want to get involved (and you totes should) there’s a few ways to do so…

• Join the Love Drop Team – donate whatever amount is comfortable for you.
• Join the blogger network – help spread the word about Love Drop by blogging about each month’s drop – just like this post!
• Give a gift – want to send a gift card, some clothes, or household item to a Love Drop recipient? You can do that, too! There’s a mailing address on their contact page.
• Give a service – have a skill or service you can donate? It’s always appreciated!

I love Love Drop so hard, I can’t even tell you. It’s so unbelievably easy to help that there’s just no reason not to. I’m excited to be part of the team and am putting together a care package for this month’s recipient. Will you get involved?

January Love Drop – Meet Jill

SWAGG is a free mobile app (download here) that lets you shop smarter using your mobile phone. Buy, send or swap SWAGG GIFTS and organize your old school plastic gift cards.

For every download of the app between now and Dec. 31, 2010, SWAGG will donate $1 to Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C), up to $125,000.

Clever Girls Collective and SWAGG are sending a pair of movie fans to the Sundance Film Festival! Download the SWAGG app and then visit the Ultimate SWAGG Getaway Sweepstakes site to enter to win a trip for two to the Sundance Film Festival. Entry deadline is January 3, 2011, 11:59pm, PST.

We hear it all the time, but especially at Christmas.

It’s better to give than receive.

As much as I love to receive gifts (and oh boy do I love to be on the receiving end of a big shiny package with a bow on top), there’s something so fulfilling about finding the perfect gift for someone, wrapping it with care, and waiting to see their reaction when they tear open the packaging.

The best gifts I’ve ever given make memories. Instead of giving my cousins another toy for their birthday that’s sure to get tossed aside, we go out for a fancy lunch and an afternoon of shopping, just the two of us. Instead of filling stockings at Christmas, I co-host a holiday sleepover for the kids with my parents, complete with new pajamas, arts and crafts,  junk food, and silly movies. Instead of toiling over which new electronic my husband ones and inevitably picking the wrong one, we get dressed up and go out on the town for an evening.

I give these gifts because they are the best gifts I’ve ever received. Time together, special events, and memories made. It doesn’t have to be anything extravagant, just choosing to do something good for or with someone instead of buying something good for someone makes the gift giving even more special.

The past several years, my parents have given us money for Christmas. Money that’s been used for plane tickets and hotel reservations for family vacations. Now that we all live in different cities (New York – Chicago – Austin), picking a destination is even more exciting.

So, what’s the best give you’re ever given? Do you have a “signature gift” or theme you always stick to, or do you hone in on each individual for the perfect present?

Learn more about the coolest new app that revolutionizes the whole shopping, gifting, and gift card-organizing experience and Download the SWAGG app to your iPhone or Droid. I was selected for this sponsorship by Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity. Please see my site policy with any questions.

It’s better to give than receive.

I’ve always been one for trinkets. Little tokens to treasure. Small gestures that make someone’s day. I believe those little bits multiplied out can make a real difference. And Love Drop is going to prove that.

Each month, Love Drop will help an individual or family that’s struggling financially. They’ll pay the electric bill, cover the mortgage, or provide a necessity that wouldn’t otherwise be possible for the recipient to purchase. They’ll provide an unexpected financial gift, no strings attached, just to show they care.

And we’re going to help them. Oh yes, we are.

To become part of the Love Drop Team, just pledge a monthly donation of your choice – $1, $5, $20, whatever you can afford. The point is that all these little trinkets, all these small gestures, come together every month to do something dynamite!

Once you’re part of the team, you’ll gain access to newsletters, blog posts, and videos documenting each month’s Love Drop. You’ll also have the ability to suggest a friend, family member, neighbor, Twitter friend, or anyone else you know that may need a little help financially to be the next Love Drop recipient.

We’ve had a rough year and people have helped us in small ways that has lifted our spirits and gotten us through, and we’re now in a position where we can begin to return the favor. We’re starting by becoming part of the Love Drop Team.

The first Love Drop goes down in January, so join the team now so you can start off the year by helping to make a difference!

(If you become part of the Love Drop Team – let me know. I’d love to give you a little link love by adding your badge to my sidebar! I’ll even start a brand new category for all the Lovers.)

Spend a dollar, change a life.

I remember seeing the Salvation Army Angel Giving Tree in our local grocery store growing up and it recently dawned on me that I haven’t seen those trees in stores for years. That’s because you can now adopt an Angel online.

And adopt we did.

Within 2 miles of us, there was an 18 month old girl that needed socks, shoes, and a winter coat. All she wanted was a baby doll with a stroller. How can you not want to help when a child in your own community needs socks?

The budget was $100, but because the coat and shoes took up a good chunk (and that’s not really fun for an 18 month old) I felt it was okay to go over budget. Here’s what our Angel got for $140:

• winter coat
• socks (five pairs)
• shoes
• shirts (four)
• pants (four)
• pajamas (two)
• baby doll with stroller
• Memory Game (lots of educational games on sale at Target for $5)
• coloring books, stickers & crayons (all from the Target Dollar Spot!)
• Webkin (a blogging perk)
• educational CD (another blogging perk)

I hope she and her family have a great holiday and that these items help get them through until her next growth spurt. I also hope that she thinks Santa is awesome, because I had a lot of fun picking out toys and clothes with her in mind.

Are you planning on helping out this holiday season? What’s your charity of choice?

Salvation Army Angel Adoptions

Rinse out your reusable travel mug (you do use a reusable travel mug, right?) and head to Starbucks this Thursday, April 15th, for a FREE brewed coffee!

Last month, thousands of New Yorkers participated in The Big Picture, making the switch from paper cups to reusable travel mugs. Starbucks is now encouraging everyone to do the same with FREE coffee!

Visit The Big Picture to calculate your impact and take the pledge to make the change from paper cups to reusable travel mugs.

Also, ask your barista about the perks of using your reusable travel mug every time you visit Starbucks. My local Starbucks gives a discount on every drink I order when I bring in my reusable travel mug!

This global movement is taking place in locations around the world including East China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Australia, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Austria, Bahrain, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, France, Germany, Greece, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Netherlands, Oman, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, UK, Ireland, Argentina, Bahamas, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Peru, Puerto Rico.

Offer varies by country, ask your barista for details.

FREE Starbucks on April 15th

Congratulations to our winner…hj!

Here are your random numbers:

65	

Timestamp: 2010-04-01 13:01:51 UTC

I don’t do much of the cleaning in my house (I’m more of a tidier; my husband is the deep cleaner) but I do all the shopping. In addition to being price conscious, I try to choose products that are the best for my family and the environment.

Seventh Generation is a favorite of mine that has been leading the “responsible cleaning” crusade for over 20 years, using the power of the herb thyme to clean and disinfect! Thymol is a component of the herb thyme and is a non-toxic and environmentally safe way to clean counter tops, cutting boards, kid’s toys, and more. I always have the disinfecting wipes around to clean up little spills and puppy accidents.

Not only are Seventh Generation products eco-friendly, they are budget-friendly, and you can save even more when you register for the Seventh Generation Nation and print valuable coupons! Between my local retailer and coupons, Seventh Generation products are cheaper than most harsh disinfectants.

If you want to learn more about what is good for you and our planet, Seventh Generation has paired with eco-lifestyle consultant Alexandra Zissu, author of The Conscious Kitchen: The New Way to Buy and Cook Food – to Protect the Earth, Improve Your Health, and Eat Deliciously. Her book includes great tips that everyone can consider for maintaining a green and healthy kitchen.

Are you ready to make the switch to non-toxic Seventh Generation products? I’ll make it easy – I have a prize pack for one lucky reader that contains:

• disinfecting multisurface cleaner
• disinfecting bathroom cleaner
• disinfecting wipes
• a copy of The Conscious Kitchen
• 2 rolls of 100% recycled, unbleached paper towels
• all in a cleaning caddy made of recycled plastic!

Here’s how to enter:

Main Entry – that means you must complete this entry to win!

• How do you keep your family safe from harmful chemicals?

Extra Entries – You can complete any of all of these for extra entries! Please leave a separate comment for each entry!

• Subscribe to my blog by RSS feed or email subscription
• Follow @CorrinRenee and @SeventhGen on Twitter
• Tweet the following:

Spring clean with non-toxic @SeventhGen products from @CorrinRenee! http://bit.ly/sevengen

The fine print… Entries will be accepted until midnight, Wednesday, March 31st. One (1) winner will be chosen at random and announced on Thursday, April 1st. Winner will be contacted by email and/or Twitter and will have 48 hours to respond. Please use your real first name a valid email address when entering. I am not responsible for incorrect contact information. Prize will be shipped directly from sponsor. Good luck!

This is a sponsored giveaway courtesy of MyBlogSpark and Seventh Generation. I received product samples in order to craft my review. Please see my site policy if you have questions.

Giveaway – Seventh Generation Products

Hershey has partnered with the Children’s Miracle Network for over 20 years, helping to provide state-of-the-art care, life-saving research and preventative education across North America.

If you’re a blogger, you can team up with Hershy and the Children’s Miracle Network. This Easter, Hershey will donate up to $10 for every blog post mentioning Hershy’s Better Basket Blog Hop (up to $5,000) to the Children’s Miracle Network.

What is Hershey’s Better Basket Blog Hop? It’s a fun way to show your appreciation for your blogging besties by giving them a virtual Easter basket!

Okay – it’s silly, but it’s for a great cause so take a few minutes and do something good!

Here’s how to participate:

• Participate to Hershey’s Better Basket Blog Hop of giving away virtual Easter Baskets by creating a blog post with specific rules described here.
• Hershey Company will donate $10 per each blog post to CMN, up to total of $5,000.
• One blog post per URL counts towards the donation, but you can give as many virtual Easter baskets as you want.
• The Hershey’s Better Basket Blog Hop will officially begin at 12 AM EST on March 18th and end at 12 PM EST on April 4th, 2010. Blog posts submitted to us before or after that time period will not be counted for.
• The blog post link has to be submitted to us for the donation to be counted.
• In addition copy and paste the following text in your blog post:

HERSHEY’S BETTER BASKET BLOG HOP RULES

• Copy and paste these rules to your blog post.
• Create a blog post giving a virtual Easter Basket to another blogger – you can give as many Virtual Baskets as you want.
• Link back to person who gave you an Easter Basket.
• Let each person you are giving a Virtual Easter Basket know you have given them a Basket.
• Leave your link at BetterBasket.info/BlogHop comment section. You can also find the official rules of this #betterbasket blog hop, and more information about Better Basket with Hershey’s there.
• Hershey’s is donating $10 per each blog participating to the Better Basket Blog Hop to Children’s Miracle Network (up to total of $5,000 by blog posts written by April 4th, 2010).
• Please note that only one blog post by each blog url will count towards the donation.

I received my virtual Easter basket from The Mom Maven and I am giving virtual Easter baskets to….

You can join too! Even if no one gives you a virtual Easter basket-you can still write a blog post, link it up, and have Hershy donate $10 to the Children’s Miracle Network on your behalf!

Hershey’s Better Basket Blog Hop #betterbasket

We all get the bug to do something good for others during the holidays, and Lands’ End Big Warm-up is my charity of choice this holiday season.

Lands’ End, together with the National Coalition for the Homeless, will be providing gently used coats to the more than 3.5 million homeless, men, women, and children in the United States. The more coats we donate the more people can benefit.

Now through November 30th, take your gently used winter coats to any of the 252 Lands’ End Shops at Sears or the 13 Lands’ End Inlets and receive 20% off the purchase of a new coat for each coat donated. It’s a win-win situation that takes very little effort on our part to help people struggling with homelessness thsi winter.

Please leave a comment if you plan on donating to the Big Warm-up this winter!

Big Warm-Up

So, I didn’t exactly stick to my goal of not spending any money until next payday, but it was for a good cause!

• $25 Susan G. Komen

Please take a second to leave a comment supporting my friend Laurie in her fundraising efforts. A $5 donation could win you an iPod Nano!

April 16

Not only am I a huge proponent of teaching children the basics of financial stability I think keeping kids active is the perfect way to clear their heads, keep their minds sharp, and set them on the right life course. Physical fitness works hand in hand with so many other aspects of life, it’s important to make sure that kids are not only getting their exercise, but enjoying their exercise!

SOGO Active is a Canadian youth fitness program unlike any program I have seen in the United States. It inspires kids to be active by promoting group activities through a super cute website that makes it easy to find out what activities are going on in your area, hooking up with teams to play with, and organizing your own fun and games.

Coca-Cola is keen to the importance of youth physical activity and sports participation, and is the main sponsor behind SOGO. They’ve taken this great opportunity to help kids improve their physical fitness and have sweetened the deal by offering kids a chance to be a Torchbearer for the 2010 Vancouver Olympics! All kids have to do is join and participate (you have to participate, otherwise you won’t be fit to run the relay!) for their chance to be one of 100 youth chosen to carry the Olympic torch during the relay.

Want to be a Tourchbearer for the 2010 Vancouver Olympics?