Every Who down in Who-ville liked Christmas a lot…But the Grinch who was on bedrest last year, did NOT!
What a difference a year makes.
Looking back on the past 365 days I am struck by how lucky I am. Not only did our Tenacious Tess beat the odds but our family was touched by many acts of kindness throughout this year. I can’t begin to explain how it helped us all cope and get us out of the hospital in one piece!
But the most important thing that came from this last year (besides my daughter) for me was learning that ATTITUDE IS EVERYTHING!
Last year at Christmastime, I was living with a high-risk pregnancy so my holiday spirit was more “soaking wet wool blanket” than “o’er the hills we go, laughing all the way.”
I was the Grinch on Bedrest.
I could not have cared less for baubles or bells. There were no strategically-placed Christmas lights nor stocking hung with care. There were no parties to attend, no eggnog to spike and no staircase to rush down on Christmas morning. For me, last year, Christmas was an obligation, devoid of any positive feelings.
My friends and family tried their best to make my spirits bright, but I was depressed, anxious and paralyzed with fear that I would lose my baby and the last thing my cynical mind cared about was Christmas traditions and Nat King Cole crooning about chestnuts roasting over an open fire. (BTW, who even eats chestnuts besides desperate squirrels and NYC tourists on dirty street corners in Times Square? Gross.)
I was a mean one, Mrs. Grinch.
But after a year of perspective and much gratitude (not to mention a wee bit of stress) I can only now look at the eggnog glass as half full .
What changed my gloomy holiday stance? Well, much like the Grinch’s surprise run in with tiny Cindy-Lou Who down in WHOVILLE, another unexpected meeting with a wee baby girl changed the trajectory of my life forever. The moment I met my Tenacious Tess, my heart grew three sizes that day.
This year, not only does our house resemble the runway landing strip at Pearson Airport (sorry kind and patient neighbours whose bedroom window is in direct line of our LEDS), but all things Christmas have returned.
Our family tradition of baking Toblerone shortbread cookies (see recipe) with my son Spence now includes a little helper and my holiday shopping is in full swing.
But this year I shop with a purpose. I now buy presents that help other kids in need. I call it…
THE THREE P’S OF GIVING
1) PURCHASE PRESENTS WITH A PURPOSE: Pick websites that have selected gifts that donate portions to children’s hospitals and NICU’s (like www.sammygs.com, www.potterybarnkids.ca, www.shopsinai.ca ) — featured gifts were seen on Dec 14 CityLine! Like personalized scrubs, blankets, b squeezer pants, key finders, teddy bears, tartan throws and mercury owls, peace love and drool baby T-shirts.
2) PRESENT DONATIONS CREATIVELY: Let’s face it, getting an e-card saying a monetary gift was donated in your name is kind of a lunchbag letdown… so be creative, if you make a donation in your kid’s teacher’s name or on behalf of your mother-in-law to a human milk bank benefiting sick babies (for example: www.sunnybrook.ca, www.bcwomens.ca), why not give milk chocolates in a old-fashioned glass milk jar along with the card! It gives a visual reminder and becomes a conversation piece and starts important discussions about giving back.
3) PLANT THE SEED OF CHARITY IN YOUR KIDS EARLY: Show your kids hospital wish lists like BC Children’s (see below for wish list) , and let them pick something from the list to give! Drop it off of send it in the mail so they see where it goes. When buying gift card stocking stuffers buy an extra one for a child in hospital and leave a note from Santa saying an equivalent gift card was donated to a 15 year old boy like you at www.bcchildrens.ca. Same goes for baby gifts for new Moms, mobiles and positioning pillows are great gifts all year long , buy two and donate one to a NICU across Canada , I’ve included a list of NICU Websites (see below).
… And last but not least when you are dressing your baby for Christmas this year why not dress them like CLAUS FOR A CAUSE! Did you know that 1 in 5 families in Canada can’t afford to diaper their babies? So Huggies Santa’s Little Helper diapers are a festive and fun way to give back. For every pack of these diapers or holiday wipes sold Huggies will help diaper a baby in need… find out more at www.everylittlebottom.com. I must say my Tenacious Tess looks pretty cute in these!
The bottom line is, giving makes you feel good. And coming from someone who accepted a lot of help this past year, the choices you make to give to others can change lives forever. I know this Grinch’s heart will never be the same.
I challenge you all to give this year and use the 3 P’s of giving. Email me your creative giving ideas I would love to hear them all! Keep me posted.
Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night …. gotta go, its time to go carve the roast beast!!!
Jack
CANADIAN CHILDREN’S AND NICU HOSPITAL LINKS
MARITIMES:
NOVA SCOTIA
HALIFAX: IWK HEALTH CENTRE
http://iwkfoundation.org/
5980 University Avenue Halifax, NS B3K 6R8
NEW BRUNSWICK
DR EVERETT CHALMERS HOSPITAL
http://www.rivervalleyhealth.nb.ca/en/default.asp
700 Priestman Street
PO Box 9000
Fredericton, NB E3B 5N5
Tel. (506) 452-5400
NEWFOUNDLAND
ST JOHN’S :
JANEWAY CHILDREN’S HEALTH AND REHABILITATION CENTRE
http://www.janewayfoundation.nf.ca/pages/16.aspx
Janeway Children’s Hospital Foundation
300 Prince Philip Drive, Suite 2J140
St. John’s, NL
A1B 3V6
Phone: (709) 777-4640
mailto:janewayfoundation@easternhealth.ca
ONTARIO:
TORONTO:
Hospital for Sick Children
www.sickkids.ca
SUNNYBROOK HOSPITAL
www.sunnybrook.ca/foundation
Bayview Campus
2075 Bayview Ave.
Toronto, ON
Canada M4N 3M5
416.480.6100
MT SINAI HOSPITAL (NICU):
http://www.shopsinai.ca
Mount Sinai Hospital Auxiliary
208-600 University Avenue
Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5G 1X5
416-586-4800 ext. 8290
1-888-509-8290
auxiliary@mtsinai.on.ca
HAMILTON:
MCMASTER CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL
http://www.hamiltonhealth.ca/mch/home
OTTAWA:
Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario
http://www.cheo.on.ca/en/WaystoGive
LONDON:
Children’s Hospital of Western Ontario
http://www.chwo.org
KINGSTON
KINGSTON GENERAL HOSPITAL (NICU)
http://uhkf.ca/make-a-donation/
QUEBEC:
MONTREAL CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL
http://www.thechildren.com/en/
CENTRE HOSPITALIER UNIVERSITAIRE SAINTE JUSTINE
http://www.chu-sainte-justine.org
MANITOBA:
WINNIPEG
http://umanitoba.ca/admin/dev_adv/where_give/index.html
University of Manitoba
179 Extended Education Complex
Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2
ALBERTA:
ALBERTA CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL:
www.childrenshospital.ab.ca/
Calgary, AB
Main number (403) 229 7211
Stollery Children’s Hospital
www.stollerykids.com/
BRITISH COLUMBIA:
BC CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL
www.bcchildrens.ca/
BC WOMEN’S HOSPITAL
www.bcwomens.ca
4500 Oak Street, Vancouver, BC V6H 3N1
(604) 875-2270
BC Children’s Hospital
Child Life Department Wish List Items – 2011
Infants and Toddlers:
Plastic washable infant toys (rattles, teethers, toys that light up or make sounds, activity centre type toys)
Washable mobiles
Baby crib “Aquariums”, small baby rattles, infant musical wind-up toys, especially with wind-up, not battery operated, music boxes.
Baby board books with photos of real babies
Crib-mounted mural books – washable
Shape sorters
Cars and trucks
Washable, plastic musical instruments
Music CDs for infants/toddlers
Toys and Games (washable)
Thomas the Train (or other) trains
Mr. Potato Head
Small cars and trucks (hot wheels)
Lap tables for children to use in bed
Fisher Price Toys: small “Family” dolls with movable parts, and household furniture, cash
register, Medical Kits (and ones with blood pressure cuffs), etc.
Small sets of Lego Building kits with instructions (more complex for older kids)
15-20 piece wooden puzzles and 30-100 Piece thick cardboard puzzles (age 3-4)
Washable 6-10” baby dolls, with clothes and blankets
Barbie clothes
Board games – assorted – for all age groups. Guess Who, Connect Four, Taboo, Trouble,
Checkers, Memory Games
Mind games like Rubiks’ cube, or other hand manipulated mind games
Bop-it, Etch-a sketch
Decks of cards
Playmobil Play Sets
Polly Pocket sets
Window Clings
“I-Spy” books, “Where’s Waldo” books, Disney theme “Seek & Find” books
CDs of children’s music
Musical instruments from empiremusic.ca
Little People sets
Strawberry Shortcake sets
Transformers
Littlest Pet Shop sets
Bionicles
My Little Pony
Youth
CD’s – pop, rock, country, relaxation music, compilation albums, Top 40
iTunes gift cards
Paintable items like picture frames, T-shirts, terra cotta pots and boxes, canvases, paints
Magazine subscriptions (Teen People, Snowboarding, Tony Hawke, fashion, health & fitness)
Beauty Products – nail polish, hair accessories, bath products, travel size shampoo, conditioner
and creams etc…
Board games – Risk, Cranium, and mind games… etc.
Beading supplies including hemp, clasps, crimp beads, stretch plastic lacing and tools
Books on CD
Big craft projects that take time to build
Electronics
iTunes gift cards
Mario games of any kind
*Nintendo DS and games (especially Mario games [Mario Cart, Super Mario Bros], racing games,
and “Lego” games)
iPod chargers
iPod players
iPod docking stations
PS3 Controllers
PS3 Games (rated E for everyone)
XBox 360 Controllers
Nintendo Wii and games, Wii remotes and Wii nunchuks
Sony Playstation 3s
Headphones
Adolescent DVDs (rated only as high as 14A) – especially new releases
Adolescent DVDs of live concerts (Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus, Katy Perry)
Children’s DVDs (G or PG ratings) (Barbie Princess movies, Disney Princess movies)
XBox 360s and games and remotes
Universal remote controls
Digital cameras and small HP printing stations for each unit (10)
Portable DVD players
Snoezelen accessories (available through Flaghouse website)
Gift cards for Future Shop, Chapters, Best Buy, iTunes, etc (in small denomination)
Music/ Musical Equipment
Children’s music CD’s – please contact the Child Life Department for current artists.
(604-875-2345, x7686)
Craft Supplies
Unlimited quantities of such things as: Pony Beads and plastic lace (lots!); craft kits – ie. small
simple bead or paint kits; wooden/ceramic paintable craft items; wooden picture frames; artist’s quality watercolour or sketching paper; charcoal, and real sketching pencils; Crayola markers for the younger children
Small plastic paint palettes for mixing paint colours
Stickers
Big foam stickers
Children drip-proof paint pots with lids and paint brushes
Small craft kits with all supplies needed included in the package
Children’s scissors (both straight & patterned edges)
Crayons, felts, pencil crayons, feathers, pompoms, sequins…
Glueable or peel-&-stick foam shapes, letters, holiday-themed shapes
Glitter glue
Glue sticks
Card stock
Stamps/patterned hole punches
Scrapbooking supplies (acid free paper, glue sticks, acid free stickers, albums, etc.)
Spin Art
Playdough
Fimo
Plasticine
Paint pots
Gift Cards for Patient Birthdays (in small denominations) iTunes gift cards
Chapters
Future Shop
Best Buy
Opus Framing, Michael’s, or other craft supply store Gap
Aeropostale
H&M