LBL’s Favorite Things for Holiday 2015

 

In deference to Oprah’s Favorite Things for Holiday 2015, Life in the Boomer Lane has decided to share with you a handful of items she believes are worth spending your money on during the holiday season. And the bonus is that you don’t have to run to the mall to get them.

We’ll start with charitible donations.

Kiva is an international organization that provides micro-loans (any amount from $25 and up)  for people throughout the world. When the loans are paid back, you can pocket the money or re-lend to others.  The payback rate on loans is currently 98.41%.  LBL has been a huge fan of KIVA for years. She has lent money to groups and individuals in Africa, South America, Europe, the Middle East and the US. In only one instance has the loan defaulted. She has helped people to buy merchandise and supplies for their stores, livestock for their farms, roofs for their homes. If you want to feel like you are making a real difference in people’s lives, donate to KIVA.

Carry the Future was started by one woman who used the Indiegogo  crowdfunding campaign to raise $2,500 and 100 baby carriers for her to send to family she had in Greece so they could deliver them to refugees arriving by boat to their shores. As a result of the campaign going viral, she received support from volunteers inspired and offering to help. The Carry the Future network now has over 3000 volunteers across the globe and provides baby carriers and supplies to refugee families arriving in Greece. If you have a baby carrier you no longer need, or if you have $25 to donate, you can help an entire family.

And continue with items you have probably never heard of.                            

My Home Team  LBL will be devoting an entire post to this service next week, so she’ll just say a couple sentences now. If you are a long-distance grandparent, this is a perfect way to read to your grandchildren, using your tablet or laptop. Even if you live in the same town, you can read your grandchildren a bedtime story while mom relaxes, elsewhere. The possibilities are endless, and the program provides games, as well as books.

My Schweitzer Formula is the best skin care product you’ve never heard of. It’s a natural, holistic, zinc-based solution. LBL discovered it, because the owner of the company was on Kiva, asking for a loan with which to expand her company marketing. LBL didn’t give her the loan, but ordered the product, instead. Since then, LBL sprays her face, neck, decollete (this might be the first time LBL has ever written this word), hands and arms morning and evening. Her skins is noticibly softer, and bruises go away pretty instantly. LBL’s daughter-in-law had a persistent pre-wedding facial rash, and so LBL gave her a bottle. The rash went away.

Stikbot is a great way for young children to make movies. For $25, you get a bunch of stikbot figures, with suction cups for hands and feet.  Kids can place them in all kinds of positions and take photos. Then, the Stikbot app bundles all the individual shots and creates the animation.  There’s even a way to submit the finished “film” for a competition.

LBL apologizes to those people who expected to see jewelry, comfy slippers, techie gadgets, or whatever else, on the list. You can figure those out, yourself. Better get going.  The mall is waiting.