Bringing Small Comforts ~ YumYum good

When it comes to sending comfort, can there be anything better than homemade Chicken Soup? Soup made with love and then shipped to a doorstep anywhere in the United States? Is this a yum yum good idea or what? When I ran across the website Spoonful of Comfort I just knew this was a brilliant idea for friends and family looking to send long-distance comfort. How you send love and concern long-distance was a very personal question for Spoonful of Comfort founder Marti Wymer. As a transplanted Canadian living in Florida, Marti cooked up this delicious concept when her Canadian mother passed way shortly after being diagnosed with cancer as a way to send something more personal than flowers or a fruit basket. So my question was........do you ship to Canada too? Not yet, but soon they hope as they work out those pesky food issues the border seems to dwell on. I will Canadian readers keep posted.

A 64 oz. jar (4-6 servings) is $32.00 plus shipping and you do have the option of ordering multiple jars and adding homemade rolls or oatmeal raisin cookies in 1/2 dozen sizes for $6.00. The soup is all homemade, full of all those good nutrients and hydration that is so essential to recuperation. The fresh soup is packed with love and good wishes in an insulated liner with gel packs and recipients are instructed to use within 2-3 days. Wholesome comfort sent right to their doorstep.

Speaking of yummy soup................you might want to check out the Soup on Sunday series that style blogger Ronda Carman of the blog All The Best has been posting over the last few weeks. Her warm and cosy soup series has me digging out the soup pot and scaling back our Sunday dinners to a one bowl feast. Not just me, her readers are urging her to write a soup cookbook and it just might happen. I just happen to think Ronda's soup sketch could make for a clever cookbook cover.

Sunday Menu........Ronda Carman's Tortellini Parmesan Soup. Click here for her recipe.

1st and 2nd photo from Spoonful of Comfort.com/3rd and 4th photo from blag All the Best

Bringing Small Comforts ~ CrazySexyCancer

"Life is a terminal condition, cancer patients are just more aware of it."

When women are faced with a medical challenge, a powerful weapon of choice should be knowledge. Kris Carr was deadly serious about her diagnoses of Stage 4 cancer in 2003. Given no option but experimental treatment for her rare and incurable type of cancer, the 31 year old actress and photographer sets out to explore any and all options. Even the crazy alternative ones. She refers to her cancer journey as an adventure story, a catalyst for a personal revolution. She is a warrior princess who wears cowboy boots. She wanted to kick cancer in the butt. And so far she has.

Kris Carr is crazy in a good kind of way. She is a CrazySexyCancerCowgirl (her term) and I think her knowledge and how she shares it is pretty powerful stuff. Millions do, you may have seen her on Oprah last year and remember her story. I am just reminding you so you can arm your friend with her own copy of this bestselling DVD and book to help her kick that stupid cancer as hard as she can. This can be your long distance gift, both books and DVD can be ordered directly from her site or on Amazon. Visit the CrazySexyCancer website and make sure you watch the 7 minute movie trailer of this DVD, it will give you goosebumps. It is sometimes funny, sometimes crazy, and her message that "healing is about living rather than fighting" is a really essential one for your friend right now. Just one more weapon.
Top photo by Brian Fassett via wow-womenonwriting.com/Product photos from CrazySexyCancer.com

Bringing Small Comforts ~ Let's Talk

I know this subject is hard. It feels like I am dripping in emotion this week as I write more and more in this series Bringing Small Comforts. I know this isn't the fun stuff that we usually talk about on blogs, especially one that is supposed to be about gifts and gift wrapping. I have written ahead a bit so I will admit that it is a draining subject for me to write and for you to read. Then I think to myself "I feel drained? So what? This is not about me and so for now we are going to keep talking about support until I am wrung dry or you tell me to stop, whatever comes first. OK? I promise some pretty "doorstep" gifts and gift wrapping are ahead.

We can have lots of excuses when we look for them, but nobody can really say I don't have time, I'm too busy. Not when someone is sick, alone, bored, worried, and needs her close circle of friends. It is that simple. "I don't have time, I'm too busy" is such an overused expression these days. We use it so easily and so conveniently that we really should give our heads a shake or two don't you think? I am not even talking about saying it out loud, heaven forbid it always sounds downright ridiculous, I am talking about telling ourselves this exact excuse in order to avoid something that we perceive as uncomfortable, awkward, unthinkable. Fellow blogger Trish Jett of A Femme d'un Certain Age commented to me that when two friends were faced with cancer she asked them what she could do to bring them pleasure, Anything in her power she told them....... anything. "Just come and see me, don't avoid me, talk to me" . There it is in a nutshell don't you think? Don't avoid me. Our hearts may be there with them in illness or grief, but we avoid looking them in the eye. The mind shuffles itself in a protective manner and visiting the friend you love while they are in pain or suffering is way too painful for some, for many of us. Every instinct tells us to look away. So what am I saying in this most awkward way? I am repeating this isn't about you. You call, you call again, and get over there and sit with your friend and just visit. Just grab your keys and go. Short visits. Frequent visits. Don't give her the chance to say "don't worry about it, I know you are busy". Her reply is female code for "I know how uncomfortable this is for you". Pay no attention and go as often as you can, make it comfortable. Be a pest. Look her in the eye. Be a good listener. We can do this.







Photo from Photographer's Limited editions via the blog Beautiful Things To Share/blog link to A Femme d'un Certain Age

Immensely Grateful at 56

Birthday Thoughts at 56.

i can learn new things. i married the right person 35 years ago. i must have been a good mother. i am never to old to learn anything, just not bridge. i can still surprise myself at times. i know myself better than i like to admit. vanity doesn't go away with age, but jealously thankfully does. a passion gives you purpose. i admire creative women. i need less clothes, but more pajamas. the older i get the better i listen to others. the empty nest can be a reward. i wish i had bought google and apple stock when i said i was going to. i believe my horoscope everyday. time does go faster the older you get. be wary of friends who never pat you on the back for anything. nobody get a big head from too many compliments. smile at everyone, they always smile back. i am in awe of sunsets. you need less things but more time. my son had taught me more than i have taught him. i love to laugh hard. i adore funny people. i am a loyal person. i miss my mother and my sister. i like to know the story behind the person. i am tired of dieting. I admire kindness in a person. i love new technology. i love HBO. i like my music loud. i love cycling outdoors. i could live on ice cream and toasted nuts. i listen to oprah more than i should. i need to listen to dr. oz more. i am immensely grateful. i am 56.

Bringing Small Comforts - Warrior Princess

When my friend and I were talking about how to comfort a woman who was faced with cancer, she reminded me of a customer request to title their comfort gift "to our Warrior Princess". We both thought this was the most lovely title to bestow on anyone struggling through the challenging fight we are talking about today in this series on Bringing Small Comforts. At many points during cancer patients fight with many things, the pain, the meds, the treatments, the after effects, the surgeries, the physical changes,the doctors, the why-me question and what's happening to their families and the household . After any and all of this any woman is going to feel like a Warrior and likely hasn't felt like a Princess since she heard the word cancer. Today's idea of organizing a Warrior princess party is simply to remind her that you admire her Warrior strength, will be her loyal army when needed, and through all this she is still the Princess you know and love. A small group of her closest friends, done simply, and on her schedule. A Warrior Princess party may sound frivolous, but I think bringing in the troops so to speak and surrounding her in frivolous fun and love can only make your princess have some really good giggles. And feel your love.

I am going to assume when writing about this delicate subject that you know your friend best. This subject has generated a great deal of response so I know it is one that is close to your heart or that you recognize it will be at some time in the future. This series Bringing Small Comforts will be covering alot of topic and ideas, I have over 12 series already so please understand every idea is not for everyone or every situation. Some handle their cancer very privately, some are very open. But I do know this, you really can't make a mistake when you set out to bring comfort in any form.

Timing is everything in organizing a Warrior Princess party. In order to do so, you have to have a very close friend or family member to alert you to best timing during an unpredicable schedule of good and bad days. A partner or daughter to call you and say "I think she could really use some company and cheering up". Some would need it at the very beginning, some during the treatments, others when they complete the final treatment. So the beauty of this Warrior Princess party is you really only have to have a few things ready beforehand (the tiara and the pearls), the ice cream and cake at the last minute. Keep it low-key, the group small, like a few friends just popping in for a short visit, then really do keep it short (unless she is having so much fun she begs you to stay), then come in with all the fun and frivolous ways to make her feel like the princess you know her to be.

I have shown several things that I think make for a Warrior Princess party. You may add or embellish, but I urge you to keep it simple and heartfelt. A fun and delicious cake, multiple flavours of ice cream, chocolate sprinkles and sauce, bananas and whipped cream, chopped nuts (I think this just became a Banana Split party-which would work too) . This is not the time for anyone to say they are dieting. You must find a sparkly tiara and wand for her to wear while she is surrounded by her royal subjects (fun ones you find at the dollar store), and my last suggestion, something I would want to glamorize any bed confinement. A gorgeous and long set of fun pearls with an attached tag reading "If Carrie Bradshaw can wear pearls to bed, our princess should too!". When it's time for her to be tucked in for the night, leave her a lovely stack of pretty princess-theme cards with individual messages telling her why she is your Warrior Princess. Tie each envelope in pretty ribbon and a small bow. Considerately leave them on your way out so she can enjoy them at her leisure over the next few days.

On a practical note, this isn't the time to walk in looking for dishes and glasses at a household trying to stay together, so box up your own, a bunch of votive candles, some beautiful china, your best silver, flowers if you like, sparkly crystal.....make that champagne flutes........I almost forgot the pink bubbly. You must bring some champagne even if she can only enjoy a few sips. It will help to loosen up the rest of you as well. If your get-together it is a bedroom setting because she is most comfortable there then bring along a portable card table and a pretty tablecloth. One more thing, bring a camera and then send her the photos in a small album. I know she will be smiling in all of them.

Top photo from unkown source/2nd photo from Kate French ~ Sarah Kaye/3rd photo by Hammick ~ Sarah Kaye/4th photo from unknown source/ Bottom photo by Tim Evans Cook ~ Sarah Kaye

Charlotte Moss Giveaway Winners are.......!

I must say....................you really seem to like this Charlotte Moss ~ Left Bank product by Agraria! With over 280 entries via comments and emails, over 500 entries in total by the time I entered for following, posts, and twitters. You kept entering and I kept writing, and writing......and writing. I know there are random counters but it is such a lovely way to meet many of you. I know the winners are going to adore these products as much as I do. I will post how these gorgeously shaped products get wrapped but only once they are received by the winners so I don't spoil their surprise. I also love giveaways so if you didn't win this time, stay tuned............I have all kinds of lovely surprises ahead. Congratulations to The Giveaway winners!

~ La Dolfina ~

~ Brigitte ~

~ Dustjacket Attic ~

* Winners to email me at sandechase@agiftwrappedlife.com to confirm which Charlotte Moss ~ Left Bank product you prefer and shipping details.

Photo from Agraria.

Bringing Small Comforts Series ~ Part One

My friend was here the other day wrapping gifts. We usually talk about many things, but what we mostly talked about that day was her friend who has been diagnosed with cancer. My friend is torn between doing too little and not doing enough, what she really wants to do is make her friend's cancer go away right now and she can't do that. So what she does is everything she can think of to help her friend, pray, listen, cry, visit, organize friends, make food, and one other incredibly thoughtful thing I think you might want to do as well if you have a friend in need. She drops off a small little gift at her doorstep each and every day. She doesn't knock on the door, she doesn't drop in unexpectedly, she simply leaves it there to let her friend know she is thinking of her each and every day as her good friend faces this unfair journey.

In order to bring gifts to a person who has cancer or to someone who is grieving, you have to get past the thought that it seems somewhat frivolous to gift someone who has bigger things on their mind. Big as in fighting for their Life. Big as in a loved one has died. Gifts are normally given in times of celebration, so the first association is one of pleasure and joy. But gifts can be more than that, done in the proper spirit they can be incredibly healing. Bringing beauty when it seems like it has gone far away.

This has been on my mind for awhile, how to talk to you about when a gift is given in a time of sadness, not celebration. It isn't that we don't know we should do something, but many of us are somewhat skittish when it comes to sickness or death. Even when we have been on the other side and know how it feels, we tell ourselves we'll do something, we just don't know what yet. Sometimes we do nothing and let the time pass. Some will send flowers, some will donate to charity, but sometimes you need to do more and it needs to be more personal. I can only tell you what I know, what I see, and what I hear after sending customer gifts at these challenging times. This is not a time to be skittish. This is not about you feeling awkward. It is a time when it is all about them. Period.

Bringing Small Comforts is the first in a series that I will be posting about over the next month or two. Feel free to give me input, share the unique ways you have found to give support and I will be happy to share them with readers. We all need help with this. We all need to do something. Anything to make them feel better. Some ideas will cost money, some will cost time, but I hope to share as many ideas as I can because I think it is an important subject if I blog about gifting.

As the first idea, let's get back to my friend thoughtful doorstep idea. We spent some time talking about products that would comfort someone with cancer and I will share that list as we move along in this series. Today I am showing you four ideas that can be done with pretty teacups you may already have and can reuse. One filled with wax as a beautiful teacup candle (clickh here for how-to), one with a few fresh blooms, one with a tea and strainer, and one with powder and a powder puff. If you like this doorstep idea, know that you don't have to do this yourself. It doesn't even have to be every day, it can be once a week. You can get a group of friends together to contribute to a fund and delegate who will be the shopper, who will deliver each day or week, it doesn't matter how........ it matters that you do something. Period.

1st and 4th photo by Kate French - Sarah Kaye/ 2nd photo Anthropologie candle from Country Living/3rd and 5th photo by Kate French - Sarah Kaye