Today’s Countdown to Christmas Challenge is to take part in helping [...]]]> Angel Trees from Prison Fellowship, the red buckets and bell-ringers from The Salvation Army, and Toys for Tots by the Marine Corps are all recognizable symbols of Christmas generosity. The need for kindness and aid to those less fortunate, especially this year, is great.

Today’s Countdown to Christmas Challenge is to take part in helping your neighbors. Become a force for good this Christmas. Search out ways to help others. Demonstrate to your children all the ways that Christmas is about giving instead of only getting. The impact of people helping people is for the good of all. Spread the Christmas spirit!

How are you showing kindness this holiday season? What are your favorite charitable organizations? Visit the 100 Days to Christmas Facebook page and join the conversation.

Today’s Countdown to [...]]]> If you are fortunate enough this year to have some money in your bank account, bills paid, and food in your pantry, then give thanks and remember those who are not as fortunate. Not only because “what goes around, comes around,” but because we are all human beings and in this together.

Today’s Countdown to Christmas Challenge is to seek out a local aid agency in your area. Choose from either the human or animal variety (or both). Check out their website or give them a call to find out what their wish list is for this year. Round up the children and make a trip to a discount store to purchase whatever you can afford. Every little bit helps. Then, deliver the supplies as a family. Use this season as an opportunity to demonstrate the importance of giving because everyone benefits from generosity.

“Christmas is doing a little something extra for someone.” ~ Charles Schulz

Today’s Countdown to Christmas Challenge is [...]]]> Today is just two weeks away from Thanksgiving. Do you know why you are thankful? For what will you give thanks this holiday season? Thanksgiving is more than a chance to commemorate a period of history; it is an opportunity to take stock of our lives and be grateful!

Today’s Countdown to Christmas Challenge is to take a moment of gratitude. Don’t wait until Thanksgiving is upon you. The meaning of the holiday will be completely lost in dinner preparations and houseguests. Tonight at dinner, go around the table with your immediate family and ask them what they are thankful for in their lives. Use their answers as a way of building upon the holiday. Put it in your Christmas cards. Do whatever it takes to recognize all of the blessings and good fortune you truly have!

What are you thankful for? Visit the 100 Days to Christmas Facebook page and tell us.

Today’s Countdown to Christmas Challenge is simply to remember those in your community who may be partaking of the [...]]]> This Thanksgiving will see a lot more families struggling to provide the ingredients for a traditional meal. Men, women, and children will rely on donations of food from their local food bank throughout this holiday season.

Today’s Countdown to Christmas Challenge is simply to remember those in your community who may be partaking of the generosity of friends and neighbors through the use of the local food bank. Take out the grocery list you started for your Thanksgiving meal planning and add a note or list some non-perishable items that can easily be purchased along with your own Thanksgiving ingredients.

Today, head over to SimpleMom.net for the start of her series on preparing for a peaceful Christmas.

The Countdown to Christmas Challenge for today is to begin to research ways for your family to give this season. [...]]]> Although generosity should not be demonstrated solely at Christmas-time, it is still the perfect season to exhibit compassion and human kindness. It is a life lesson that all children should have the opportunity to learn.

The Countdown to Christmas Challenge for today is to begin to research ways for your family to give this season. Take a look around your community for something meaningful to you. Remember that if you don’t offer some help, who will? This will be a difficult Christmas for many people this year. You don’t have to give money to contribute. Look for ways you can donate your time and energy as well.

• List of Ways to Demonstrate a Tradition of Giving
• List of Ways to Instill a Generous Nature in Your Children

Visit the 100 Days to Christmas Facebook page and tell us know about your family’s giving tradition(s)!

This week’s giveaway is one that is unlike any other we’ve ever done.  It is not a giveaway to the fans and followers of 100 Days to Christmas, but to a worthy organization, designated by fans and followers.  ListPlanIt.com wants to give $.25 for every comment that is left between today and Friday, October 21 at 6 p.m.

You have several ways to vote for your choice of charitable organizations:

1) leave a comment here and tell us which organization you think is most deserving of this award and why,

2) tell your friends & followers on Twitter about how they can vote for an organization of their choice and increase the size of the donation when you tweet, “Visit http://100DaystoChristmas.com to learn how you can vote to support your favorite charity this holiday season with @ListPlanIt!”,

3) blog about your favorite charitable organization and encourage your readers to vote at 100 Days to Christmas, then leave a comment here linking to your post.

4) follow our page on Facebook and tell our entire community that you are going to participate in this week’s giveaway by leaving the following message on our Facebook wall, “I support {your charitable organization} because {your reason}.  Visit http://100DaystoChristmas.com to learn how you can vote to support your favorite charity this holiday season!”

One of each of these per day please. You have until Friday, October 21 at 6 pm EST to enter.