For their entrepreneurship class in 2012, two friends decided that they wanted to put hats all 15,000 children who are diagnosed with cancer each year in the USA. Thus, Love Your Melon was born. Over the past five years, what started as just a university project has blossomed into something truly amazing.
Since its inception, Love Your Melon has given more than 120,000 beanies to children with cancer and their families. And these aren’t just any hats. Love Your Melon worked to create beanies and caps that are soft enough for a child’s bald head. Besides being comfortable, the beanies are fashionable, so anybody wearing one will feel cozy and cool.
Love Your Melon gives away more than just hats. They also give money—and lots of it. Fifty percent of profits from the sale of all Love Your Melon products is donated to their nonprofit partners, and so far LYM has donated $3.8 million dollars! Their partners include St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Make-A-Wish, CureSearch for Children’s Cancer, and others who work in the field of pediatric oncology, fund cancer research initiatives, and provide support for families.
On top of all this, Love Your Melon has another fantastic program: Superhero Adventures. To help decrease stress levels and generate positivity during treatment, LYM creates a special outing that the child and their family will never forget. The adventure is tailored around the child’s favourite things, and it could include activities such as a helicopter ride, visit to the trampoline park, trip to the zoo, or professional sporting event.
While Love Your Melon is a for-profit company, everything they have done and continue to do to provide warm hats, therapeutic experiences, and financial support to children battling cancer is truly heartwarming. If you would like to get involved with this company, there are several ways to do so.
Buy a Beanie
As I mentioned above, 50% of LYM’s profits are donated to their nonprofit partners. So if you’re in need a new winter cap or were thinking of buying a hat as a Christmas gift, consider purchasing a beanie, cuffed beanie, or pom beanie. Each style comes in a variety of colours, so there’s something for everyone.
Request a Hat
If you know a child who is currently undergoing cancer treatment, you can request a Love Your Melon hat for them. This will be a nice surprise for the child and hopefully bring a smile to their face.
Join the Campus Crew Program
If you’re a university student, you can join the other 13,500 Crew Members who raise awareness for childhood cancer, as well as coordinate and run beanie donation events. Fill out an application here.
Simply Donate
If you are wanting to get involved in the fight against childhood cancer, but none of the options above suit your fancy, you can always donate directly to Love Your Melon’s nonprofit partners. One of my favourites is St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, which I wrote about a few years back.
Yesterday Pantone announced the 2018 Colour of the Year: Ultra Violet. As I mentioned when writing about Greenery last year, I am a total colour nerd, so each year I am excited to see what hue Pantone selects. Ultra Violet—a deep and mystifying shade of purple—is gorgeous. [It’s actually one of the colours in my hair right now!]
Pantone pulled together a list of products in Ultra Violet, but since we elves love makers so much, I scoured Etsy for handmade wares in the Colour of the Year. Take a look at the goodies below and perhaps buy something for your colour-loving friends and family this Christmas.
Despite being the most wonderful time of the year, the holidays can also be rather stressful. With cookies to bake, trees to trim, gifts to purchase and wrap, friends and family to visit, and much more, it can sometimes seem as though there aren’t enough hours in the day! This holiday season, consider taking a break to relax and recentre by attending a festive yoga class. Besides getting some much needed exercise, you should also feel more mindful, tranquil, and composed after participating in one of the classes I’ve highlighted below.
YogiWino’s event this Thursday is part yoga class, part holiday market, part party! After an hour-long yoga session, you can sip on local wine and enjoy appetizers while you peruse the wares from some of YogiWino’s favourite Ottawa vendors and artists—all while listening to live Christmas music. They will also be accepting donations for the local food bank, and anyone who makes a donation will be entered into a drawing for a prize from Busy Bees Home Organizing.
Atlantans can head half an hour southwest to attend Holiday Presence: A Restorative Offering in Newnan, GA. This workshop focuses on self care during the busy holiday season. Calm your nervous system in a gentle 75-minute restorative yoga session. Afterwards, make a custom holiday aromatherapy blend in a roller, dropper, or spray that will help keep you relaxed all the way to Christmas. Then learn about healthy holiday snacks from Chef Nichole Langford, try some tasty samples, and take home some recipe cards.
A post shared by Goat Yoga Nashville (@goatyoganashville) on
Yoga… and goats? Yep, that’s right! De-stress by doing yoga on a farm while baby goats cozy up next to you, climb on your back, or simply make you smile. What’s more, the goats will be in festive costumes, and the farm will be decorated for the holidays. This would be a fabulous event for the entire family. Goat Yoga Nashville is hosting 10 more events between now and Christmas, so you can find one that fits your schedule. Naaa…maste!
Wear your tackiest holiday sweater and hop on your mat with the Arlington Yoga Centre for an all-levels session. After class enjoy a pint of beer—perhaps the brewery’s own Legal Holiday Ale. If that weren’t enough, they will also be giving out a prize for the best sweater, have a backdrop for snapping some photos, and be accepting donations for Toys for Tots.
If you live in London, Christmas Yoga, Cocktails & Canapés would be a fun festive activity to partake in with your friends. Start the evening with a power yoga class; you will be lead through a dynamic flow that is suitable for all levels while listening to Christmas tunes. After the session, join your classmates for a private cocktails and canapés party at Farm Girl. Pre-booking is essential, so make sure to buy your tickets today.
While I would love to feature loads more holiday yoga classes, I have to get back to my other elfy duties. But, since I really just can’t help myself, after the jump you’ll find info on a handful more yoga workshops happening this month.
Stamps are so fascinating; they are tiny pieces of art that reflect bits of a country’s culture, as well as the period of time in which they were designed. If you too are a philatelist [person who appreciates and collects stamps], then feast your eyes on this lovely necklace. Made from a 1993 Swedish postage stamp, this festive necklace features a julbock along with the words “God Jul” [Merry Christmas]. It’s a unique and subtle way to add a bit of holiday cheer to your outfit. Also check out necklaces made with a surfing Santa stamp from Australia and a partridge in a pear tree stamp from the USA.
