Shop for a Cause: Uptown Liz Holiday Gift Guide For Her

Written by guest blogger Bethany Bowen

Sometimes finding the perfect present for the women on your list might seem difficult, but Uptown Liz’s products give back to charity, which in itself is a great holiday gift. There are so many beautiful, charity-driven things to choose from, you'll have to buy more than one.

1. Jewelry is on every girl’s wish list. This bracelet is beautiful, and you can even personalize it with pictures for an extra touch.

Sterling Silver Linked Bracelet with 5 Dime-Sized Squares
Planetjill
Proceeds to Memory Jar, Katie Elise Lambert Foundation, Cure Autism Now, HollyRod Foundation, KidSave
$190.00

2. Consider giving this kitchen necessity as an early present; just in time to use for all of the holiday cooking.

KitchenAid Cook for the Cure® Ultra Power Stand Mixer
KitchenAid
$40 to Susan G. Komen for the Cure
$249.99

3. This is a beautiful tote that can be used for work, school, or even as an over sized purse. Big bags are everywhere, and this is a great accessory to any outfit.

“Magnolia” Cinchy Tote
Rebagz Eco-Chic Handbags
$1 per each Rebagz order goes to Global Exchange
$86.00

4. Perfume is a must for Christmas time. When else does a girl restock her reserves? With a classic like Lacoste, you can’t go wrong. (And currently, this item is shipping for free!)

Lacoste Touch of Pink 1.6 oz EDT
Sephora
Portion of proceeds to The Young Survival Coalition
$52.00

5. Personally, any type of clothing is my favorite gift. This shirt is beautiful, on sale, and support children's hunger.

Princess
Tea Stain Clothing
25% of the net proceeds are donated to the Children's Hunger Fund
$45.00 SALE PRICE: $19.00

For other philanthropic shopping ideas, be sure to visit Uptown Liz. Until next time, happy holidays!

Shop for a Cause: Uptown Liz Holiday Gift Guide For The Host

Written by guest blogger Bethany Bowen

Everyone knows that the best parties are holiday parties. I have already starting filling my December weekends with Christmas functions, and I recently purchased my seasonal red dress. To help you prepare for this social season I have compiled this shopping guide for the perfect present for the host. Whether it is a work party, a family get-together, or a neighborhood gathering, we’ve got you covered.

1. Wine is the staple host gift and you can’t go wrong with a ONEHOPE Wine. Whether they drink it at the party or enjoy it on a later date, your gift is sure to be a hit!

Cabernet
ONEHOPE Wine
50% of proceeds to A.C.T. (Autism Care and Treatment)
$18.99

2. Do you know the old saying “A way to a man’s heart is through his stomach?" Well the way to a woman’s heart is with chocolate. These organic dark chocolates are the perfect gift for your favorite hostess, and complement wine very nicely.
Organic Dark Chocolate
Shaman Chocolates
100% of profits Support Huichol Indian Tribes in Central Mexico. $3.00 per 2-ounce bar or $36.00 for a 12-pack of 2-ounce bars.

4. Flowers are often the forgotten host/hostess present. They liven up any atmosphere and bring joy to all who see them.
Teleflora’s At First Blush Bouquet
Teleflora
15% of the purchase price goes to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation® (BCRF).
$59.95

4. A girl can never have too many clothes, and a hostess can never have too many trivets. This Original Good trivet could be put to use the very night of the party.
Original Good – Spread the News! Trivet
World of Good, Inc.
10% of proceeds to World of Good Development Organization
$17.95

5. This fun festive martini/dessert glass is great for any occasion. Any host would love to add this to their party collection.
Pink City Martini/Dessert Glass
D. Frank Designs
20% of the price goes to Susan G. Komen for the Cure
$64.00

Putting a party together takes a lot of time and preparation, so embrace the spirit of giving and get your host/hostess a great gift. I can promise if you give from Uptown Liz, you will be sure to get the invite again next year.

For other philanthropic shopping ideas be sure to visit Uptown Liz. Until next time, happy holidays!

Shop for a Cause: Uptown Liz Holiday Gift Guide - $10 & Under

Written by guest blogger Bethany Bowen

Do you have a holiday party with a white elephant gift exchange limit $10? Or do you need to replenish your “oops I forgot to get them a present” stash? We are here to help! This is a list of great gifts that are $10 an under. Giving gifts is the best part of the holidays, so don’t let the economy slow you down.

1. This dessert sauce is great for cooking, or if you’re like me, eating straight from the jar with a box of animal crackers.

Dark Chocolate Lovers’ Dessert Sauce
Shootflying Hill Sauce Company, Inc.
5% of net profits to charities that support human rights, public radio and television, cancer research, women’s health and well-being, fight against hunger, protection of animals, and protection of the environment
$8.50

2. Gourmet coffee is a wonderful gift, and can be a nice change to a normal routine.

Family Farmed Ugandan Coffee
Crop to Cup Coffee Company
Order price includes a 20% premium paid to farmers, and a 5% donation to the DevelopNET Iganga charity
$8.99

3. Almost everyone can use a new koozie, especially when it benefits a great cause. Fill it with your favorite beverage and put it in a gift bag for a great gift.

Save the ta-tas Koozie
ta-tas® Brand Clothing
5% of proceeds to Breast Cancer Research Foundation, Revlon Run Walk for Women and Concern Foundation for Cancer Research
$4.99

4. This is a pretty piece of jewelry that benefits one of the greatest cancer organizations in our country.

Cancer Awareness Bracelet
Clips 4 a Cure
20% to American Cancer Society
$10.00
Clips 4 a Cure is offering $5 off your purchase of $25 (code C4A05O25) and $10 off your purchase of $50 (code C4A10O50) through December 31st.

5. Banish those chapped lips with this great stocking stuffer that supports the environment.

Kiss My Face Action Lip Balms
Kiss My Face
$1 from every lip balm goes to the Alliance for Climate Protection
$3.49

For other gift ideas that give back to charity be sure to visit Uptown Liz. Happy shopping!

Shop for a Cause: Clips 4 a Cure Helps in the Fight Against Cancer

Sheridan Savio, owner of Clips 4 a Cure, started designing and selling hair clips for women and children not only to up the "cute factor" of children's hair accessories, but also in an effort to make a strong contribution toward finding a cure for cancer.

A 14 year cancer survivor herself, Sheridan has done her share in the fight against cancer. This past year she raised funds for patients with Melanoma, helped local hospitals (in Rancho Santa Margarita, CA) with events for cancer survivors, formed a Relay for Life team, helped raise money for the Komen Breast Cancer 3 Day Walk and the "Think Pink" Emmy Awards Style Lounge where celebrity guests were asked to sign a special Breast Cancer item which was auctioned off with all proceeds going to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

Clips 4 a Cure carries a plethora of fabulous accessories for women and children including headbands, hair clips, hats, flip flops, clip holders and ponytail holders. So, fancy-up your head or toes and join in the all-important fight to eradicate cancer - all with the click of a mouse and starting as low as $3.50. Sheridan donates a portion of all proceeds from her company to the American Cancer Society and Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

Clips 4 a Cure is offering $5 off your purchase of $25 (code C4A05O25) and $10 off your purchase of $50 (code C4A10O50) through December 31st.

Party for a Cause: 6th Annual Keep A Child Alive Black Ball

Written by guest blogger Bethany Bowen

On October 15th, the 6th Annual Keep A Child Alive Black Ball took place in New York City; the event raises proceeds to benefit children and families with HIV/AIDS in Africa and India. This year’s honorees were Bill Clinton, Sir Richard Branson and Youssou N’Dour. The night included entertaining performances and surprise duets by musicians in the audience. Every year, celebrities come out to support this worthy cause; this year’s guests included Christ Martin of Coldplay, Usher, John Mayer, Mary J. Blige, Spike Lee, Robin Thicke and many more.

Halle Berry, well known for performances in X-Men, Catwoman, and Die Another Day, (to name a few) donated $40,000 at the event. Berry was the winning bidder on a necklace from Alicia Key’s collection. In total, the event raised over $2.5 million.

Keep A Child Alive (KCA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing treatment, care, and support services to children and families whose lives have been affected by HIV/AIDS in Africa and India. KCA started in Keyna in 2002 when a mother walked into a clinic in Mombassa asking for anti-retroviral drugs, that she could not afford, for her three-year old son. The clinic was built from funds raised by Leigh Blakes’ event Red Hot & Blue; Blake was so moved by the mother’s action that she decided to pay for the drugs. News of the desperate need for treatment and care for families quickly spread, and Peter Edge, the founder of Keep A Child Alive, became the first donor, and soon after, Alicia Keys became KCA’s first Global Ambassador.

Today, Keep A Child Alive Foundation has over 45,000 people under their care, giving money to three orphanages, and expanding major clinics in impoverished areas. You can follow the lead of Halle Berry and other celebrities and donate to KCA through their donation page, and for other opportunities to shop for a cause visit Uptown Liz.

Millions For A Cause: Top 10 American Givers

Written by guest blogger Bethany Bowen

The past nine months of economic turmoil has been difficult on all of us. Being in college has spared me a little from the woes of a recession, so when I buy extra clothes to fill my already full closet, I view it as “stimulating the economy” (or when I shop at Uptown Liz I’m stimulating the economy AND supporting worthy causes)! Even in this period of uncertainty and locked spending, a few stars in the world of philanthropy have continued to shine. CEOs and high profile individuals like Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft, and William Barron Hilton, co-chairman of the Hilton hotel chains, gave millions of dollars to worthy causes last year.

BusinessWeek recently ran a story, “Top 10 American Givers”, featured on Yahoo. The philanthropists included: Warren Buffet, Bill and Melinda Gates, George Kaiser, George Soros, William Barron Hilton, The Walter Family, Herbert and Marion Sandler, Peter Peterson, Donald Bren, and Michael Bloomberg. In the past year, these individuals gave over $200 million, and nine of them gave more than $100 million!

Warren Buffett, CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, also the world’s second-richest man, gave $40,655 million to charity from 2004-2008. He is a well known supporter of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, pledging over $31 billion. He also invests in the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation, the Howard G. Buffett Foundation, and the NoVo Foundation, all of which are family foundations started to support various causes.

This past July, Bill Gates, also widely accepted as the world’s wealthiest man, went from being full-time at Microsoft to full-time at his foundation, the Bill & Melinda Grant Foundation. According to its Web site, their foundation gives grants in order to “help all people lead healthy, productive lives. From 2004-2008, the Gates gave $2,625 million to charity.

Personally, I find it hard to wrap my mind around the grand scale of charitable giving exercised by this leader. After reading the article, if you feel like stimulating the economy while supporting a worthy cause, take a look at Uptown Liz.

Voting For A Cause - CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute

Written by guest blogger Bethany Bowen

What defines a hero? Someone who runs into a burning building? Someone who works two jobs to feed his or her children? Or is it someone who finds the cure for a disease? The term “hero” takes on its own unique description depending on the person using the term, and for each of us, the word probably generates a face.

CNN is currently asking for your vote to determine this year’s CNN Hero of the Year. This Thanksgiving night at 9 PM EST, CNN will air its “CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute” from the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood. The show will announce the winner of the online voting for CNN’s Heroes. This is the third annual contest that awards heroic people who exhibit extraordinary accomplishments. This year, over 9,000 nominations were received, and a Blue Ribbon Panel narrowed the field down to 10 finalists. The winner will receive a $100,000 grand prize, and the other nine finalists will receive $25,000. From an advocate for child prosthetics, to a cancer survivor mobilizing mammograms, these stories are amazing and are tissue-worthy to say the least.

My vote went to Brad Blauser, a Dallas, Texas native and a Texas A&M graduate. Blauser lives and works in war-torn Baghdad, Iraq, where he runs his non-profit organization, Wheelchairs for Iraqi Kids. An estimated one in seven Iraqi children is disabled due to disease or illness. These children are viewed as liabilities, and many are left immobile or forced to drag themselves on the ground after becoming too big for their parents to carry. Wheelchairs for Iraqi Kids has delivered over 650 wheelchairs to date, and Blauser has yet to cash a pay-check. I may be a little bit biased being a Texas A&M student, but Blauser’s dedication to change and passion for helping is what defines the term hero to me.

To read Blauser’s and the other nine finalists’ stories click here and vote for your 2009 CNN Hero. Voting ends November 19th at 6 AM EST. For ways to support charities or shop for philanthropic products visit Uptown Liz.

Drink for a Cause: American Airlines Serves ONEHOPE Wine

Written by guest blogger Bethany Bowen

Sitting down with a glass of wine is a luxury, a relief, a habit to many people, but now it can also be a way to give back to charity. ONEHOPE Wine gives 50% of all - yes ALL - profits year-round to various worthy causes including Aids, Autism, Breast Cancer, our military and the environment. The company, founded in 2006, began with an idea in a grocery store, when an epiphany hit Jake Kloberdanz, one of ONEHOPE’s eight founders. Six months later, the “idea” was incorporated and the business was born.

Today, ONEHOPE is a proud retailer featured on Uptown Liz and can be purchased online or in various stores and restaurants across the country. The company is dedicated to uniting philanthropists and supporting causes; their Web site states, “Today, we're called ONEHOPE. It's more than a name, it is in every sense a culture, a lifestyle, and an umbrella under which many causes can be served and millions of lives made better.”

ONEHOPE recently partnered with American Airlines; now you can give back while enjoying a glass of wine at 35,000 feet. Each month a different wine is featured on board flights and 50% of the profits will benefit breast cancer research, supporting our troops and reforestation projects to help the environment. During October, order a glass of Chardonnay, in November, drink Zinfandel, and during in December, enjoy a Sauvignon Blanc. Whether you are a wine connoisseur or a party host, pop a cork and support deserving causes.


To see wines offered by ONEHOPE, or other charitable products visit Uptown Liz.