Make Turkey Your Guest of Honor at This Year's Thanksgiving Table

This Thanksgiving will mark my fourth eating a meat-free feast, a commitment to the kind and compassionate life I strive to live.  In my family, Thanksgiving is always hosted by my parents or husband's family who are not vegan, so sadly, turkey is always on the table.  This year, I decided to try to balance that reality by adopting a turkey.  

Farm Sanctuary's Adopt A Turkey Project started in 1986.  Each year, people are encouraged to save a turkey during Thanksgiving through sponsorships that help rescue animals and provide care for them at their sanctuaries.  

For a one-time donation of $30, you become a turkey sponsor and receive a special certificate with a color photo and fun details about the animal you are helping.  There are several turkeys available to sponsor this year, including Turpentine who was dropped off by farmer last year who couldn't bring himself to slaughter; Tulip who fell off a truck on the way to be slaughtered; and Clove who was left abandoned at the gates of Farm Sanctuary's Animal Acres in Southern California.

I sponsored, Martha, who was rescued at a live market during Thanksgiving last year, in honor of my aunt Martha who we lost to cancer last year.  She was an omnivore, but would have loved this blog and the compassionate act of saving an animal.

Click here to sponsor a turkey today!

Read GOOD

My husband first met the great people at GOOD several years ago while working on a business project together.  He introduced me to the magazine and I was more than impressed.  The company has evolved over the years to expand beyond the magazine to now encompass a global community "of people who give a damn."

I have followed the magazine on and off since my first introduction.  Every time I pick it up, I am overwhelmed with all of the change agents in the world, working to make our planet a better place.  This is more than feel good stuff, but intellectual, mind stretching thinking about today's issues.  It is also hope and inspiration that compels me to always want to do more.

I was inundated with publications for a while so I put my GOOD subscription on hiatus, but just re-subscribed and am receiving their "daily dose of GOOD" to get me connected again with the topics and organizations that are meaningful to me.

I encourage you to check them out online, a new platform for others to engage in discussions on topics that you care about.  I am excited to explore this online community...and am looking forward to getting my first issue again (the infographics are amazing).

Give yourself a little GOOD this holiday season and let me know what you think.  You can connect with me in the online GOOD community here.

A Milkshake To Feel Good About

I like to live the good  life - and I mean that in all meanings of the word...do good, feel good.  Milkshake is one of the resources in my good life toolbox.  It dubs itself "good finds that give back."  It is a daily, free email with a sole focus on finding the good in everything - products, people, initiatives, events and services that are cutting edge, unique, and philanthropic.  In my daily dose from these great people, I learn about global causes, cool products, trends, and more.  No matter the content, it always makes me stop and think about how I can help a little more or tempts me to shop for a good cause.  I am always inspired and educated.  It is literally "good" delivered to my inbox.  I invite you to check them out and be a part of the change movement to make the world a better place!

Movember

Have you heard about Movember?  It's this awesome movement to raise awareness for men's health issues, specifically prostate and testicular cancer initiatives.  With two close friends who are survivors, I heart this initiative and celebrate the great people behind the Movember Foundation to shed critical light on men's health issues.  In my own experience, I have found that women are much better at keeping their health on track than our dudes.  Ladies, am I right?  This initiative gets men involved in their health, and maybe a little excited about it!

Here's what happens.  During November, men start with a clean shaven face and spend the rest of the month growing and nurturing their own one of a kind mustache.  These cool dudes become walking, talking billboards for the 30 days of November, sparking conversation about important issues that often get ignored.

How can you help?  Get the special guys in your life (think dad, hubby, uncle, bro, cousin, boyfriend...) to register at www.movember.com.  Then you, as their Mos Sista can support them by helping to sponsor them and get others to rally behind them.  At the end of the month, celebrate your special dudes' valor by throwing a Movember party in their honor and shaving off their moustache!

Who else is doing it?  According to the Movember website, in 2011, over 854,000 Mo Bros and Mo Sistas around the world got on board, raising $126.3 million, funding the Movember Foundation, the Prostrate Cancer Foundation, and LiveStrong Foundation.

And the guys shouldn't get to have all the fun...my obsession with nail art inspired me to don my own moustache.  Now, that should get them talking!!!

Moustache nails for Movember