Christmas Jars {Change the World + Giveaway}

UPDATE: This giveaway is now closed.  By random number generator, the winner is comment 8 of 53… Congrats Laura @ Top This Top That!!!!!  Send me an email with your shipping info and I will get it right out to you!!

 

One of the things I love most about being home in Savannah for Christmas is the stacks of little Christmas books Mother has scattered about.  They only take a couple of hours cover to cover, and I covet the time when I can slip away from the chaos that is ten people, with four crazy littles, to delve into one with a cup of tea.  She’s had Christmas Jars by Jason Wright for a couple of years, but it wasn’t until 2014 that I picked it up.

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Amazon says:  Where had it come from? Whose money was it? Was I to spend it? Save it? Pass it on to the someone more needy? Above all else, why was I chosen? Certainly there were others, countless others more needy than I…Her reporter’s intuition insisted that a remarkable story was on the verge of the front page.  Rising newspaper reporter Hope Jensen uncovers the secret behind the “Christmas Jars” – glass jars filled with coins and bills anonymously given to people in need. But Hope discovers much more than she bargained for when some unexpected news sets off a chain reaction of kindness and brings above a Christmas Eve wish come true.

It is an endearing and inspiring story that will surely bring you to tears.  And it was the first thing on our family’s list for our Let Your Life Change the World adventure in 2015.

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I encourage you to read the book, as I cannot retell the story so beautifully.  But the premise behind the Christmas Jar is that you contribute to it throughout the year.  Your pocket change.  A few spare dollars.  And every time you do so, your spirits are lifted.  On Christmas eve, you anonymously give the jar to someone in need.

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We keep our Christmas Jar in a drawer from my grandfather’s old sewing table.  It’s right in the mudroom and where we enter and exit the house many times each day.  The littles’ have excitedly contributed Christmas money and allowances to the jar already.

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I have been so moved by Christmas Jars, that I want to give a copy away to one of you!!  The giveaway is open to US mailing addresses.  Leave a separate comment for each of the following and include your email address if you aren’t linked to a blog where I can find you.  There are TWO ways to enter per person!!

1. Follow Dixie Delights blog in some way:

email |  Goodreads  |  etsy

2.  Share your favorite idea for a random act of kindness.

I will pick a winner January 16!

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Let your life change the world…
xoxo

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53 thoughts on “Christmas Jars {Change the World + Giveaway}

  1. I LOVE this idea. LOVE it. I'm going to pick up that book asap. I love Christmas books as well. My favorite random act of kindness isn't all that creative. I like paying for the person behind me at Starbucks. :)

  2. I live in Orlando and follow a blog ( lillightomine) where they have lots if suggestions for small acts of kindness. We try to do different things throughout the year. I like to keep small care packages in the car with toiletries, snacks, water bottles and few dollars to hand out to the homeless. I also like to take the time to acknowledge the workers to keep our everyday life running well (ie: police, firemen, bathroom attendants, Disney cast members, customer service, fast food workers, etc). When someone is really helpful to me I like to either speak to their boss or email (or write letter) to their company to let them know how their employee is honoring their company. Trying to find small and large ways to be kind is our mission this year also. I'm looking forward to seeing the ways your family will journey with this in 2015.

  3. What a great idea Amanda. We do need to look for more ways to help others and to get the focus off ourselves! I want to make some comfort bags this year to give out to needy people. I am going to start with ten!

  4. Wonderful post! Speaking of allowance for your littles, would you do a blog post on that?! Please & thank you!

  5. Hard to choose a favorite act of kindness, but I love how even things that seem so small can be huge to someone else. My favorite as of right now is something my youngest (she's 4) started doing on her own…making notes, cards, pictures for everyone in the family & hiding them in special spots. Her favorite right now is under our pillows… It makes me smile when my head hits the pillow hours after hers & I find a special treasure.

  6. I follow you on Pinterest and Bloglovin. But it is just easier to check your blog first thing in the AM, too!

  7. Never knew about this book. Our extended family has done something similar for years. Collect our spare change all year long and then donate it to a charity we all voted upon. We've helped to build wells in 3rd world countries, supported victims of human trafficing & purchased animals for villagers in Africa. Very cool Amanda & the W family!

  8. Amanda, we do this in my family. Several years ago, my mom gave each of us (my brothers and me) a copy of the book along with a decorated jar. It is a wonderful tradition. Bless you for starting this in your own family.

  9. You and your mother have the most charming, loving Christmas traditions! Guess we all know where you got it from!! :) As a random act of kindness my husband (and I!) sometimes pick up the check for someone whether it be in a coffee shop or a nice restaurant. Always telling the server not to tell them who did it. Great to see the look on their faces!

  10. Our son passed away from brain cancer and on his birthday 2 years ago I was feeling down that I couldn't buy him his favorite game or present for his birthday. His birthday is in November so I thought about a gift card drive for all the kids at the Children's Hospital that our son was a patient at for 11 months. The first year we did pretty good. This year, my husband and daughter delivered $700.00 in gift cards for those sweet kids with cancer. We also got a poker tourney together at a friends house and we were able to bless one family with a child with cancer with the money we made.

    It is such a good feeling to give. Any act of kindness is wonderful.

    I follow you on pinterest and bloglovin. :)

    glsfn at hotmail dot com

  11. My favorite random act of kindness is to pay the "tab" for the car behind me in a drive thru!! I follow you on bloglovin!I love following you and seeing all of your wonderful ideas and adorable family…truth be told I have read all of your posts…that sounds incredibly creepy I know….I promise I'm not a REAL stalker LOL! I started following you not too long ago and just found myself clicking "older posts" over and over! Yikes I may should have just kept this to myself haha!! Anywho have a great day this is such a wonderful idea!!

    [email protected]

  12. I would love to read this book. This sounds like a wonderful "new" tradition to start with our family. Thanks for the chance to win! I am a blog & Pinterest follower.
    Vickie
    vcw32309 at yahoo dot com

  13. I've never heard of this book and that is amazing to me! :) I love Christmas books and this is a wonderful idea. I'm a HUGE proponent of doing RAOK's and strive to do something daily that will bless another. (right now I have the flu so sorta confined) I enjoy putting notes on other's doors or car windows ~ "Have a wonderful day!" "You are a shining star!" "Smile ~ yours is beautiful!" Lots & lots of things to say. I live in an apt community and put one on my door just so I won't be found out. Lol

    Christmas 2013 was the first without Abby and I knew we were all going to have a very difficult time. I had cards printed from Moo.com….a picture of her, a few words and an offer to become one of "Abby's Angels" by performing acts of kindness. We really focused on others more than ourselves and the idea caught on! I loved seeing others involved. I mailed beautiful pink, heart shaped ornaments with the cards to out of town friends and that spread the word across the U.S. :)

    I love the traditions that your family has…so sweet! And, by the way, your mother is gorgeous. Loved seeing her birthday photos. I've tried to read daily but just haven't felt like responding a lot.

    xo
    Pat

  14. The book sounds awesome. My favorite idea for a random act of kindness is the one that comes to mind on the spur of the moment. Paying for the person behind you. Leaving a gift card for a cashier to use for another customer (or even for themselves). Mowing your neighbors' yard while they are at work.

    I love your blog. My email is [email protected]

  15. my most frequent act of kindness are so simple. I like to let folks with fewer items in their shopping cart go ahead of me in line at the grocery store or let another car in front of me when in heavy traffic.
    peadoodle at gmail dot com

  16. Amanda, I would love to win this giveaway, and if I don't, I will definitely purchase it for myself. I love the concept. I follow your blog and you on Instagram, Bloglovin, Pinterest, & Linky. As far as an act of kindness, I send one of my favorite books Balcony People to people that I know that need its message. If you have not read that book, put it on your list. Happy New Year! xoxo

  17. I had heard of the book, but have not yet read it. I need to pick it up ASAP. If I were to win, I will gladly pass along to a friend, the more spreading cheer come next Christmas the better!

  18. Love this idea! The book looks wonderful! I try to tell my 2 1/2 year old each time we go out.. 'Lets look for someone we can help- or be kind to.' Small kindnesses make a difference…probably more in my heart than the recipient. I follow on Pinterest. Adore your blog!!!!

  19. I enjoy giving back in whatever way I can whether it is leaving compliment cards around town or buying the customers meal. Nothing is too small to show kindness!

  20. I follow with email and Pinterest. I absolutely love Christmas books and must read this one. I probably won't wait to see if I win, so if I do I will pass it on to someone. Thanks for the chance to win.

  21. My favorite random act of kindness is just trying to show strangers that they have worth and I care about them as people, not just clerks or operators or baggers, etc. I try to look people in the eye, whether at the grocery store or in the drive-through lane and genuinely ask them how they are or offer a sincere complement. My favorite thing to do is to thanks the baggers for bagging my groceries because they are often overlooked. Today I was taken aback by an employee for a large company on the phone when I said "how are you?". She thanked me for asking because she said nobody ever does!

  22. Leaving a $1 bill and a cheerful card in a library book when you return it to the library. Brighten someone's day in a very simple and inexpensive way!

  23. I make wicked good pimento cheese. My favorite thing to do is whip up a batch and surprise someone with lunch. I include fresh bread, tomatoes, and Fritos (my favorite things.). These goodies are put in a cute bag along with a note including serving suggestions. Typically I will give this to a caretaker, someone sick, some who is super busy, someone who needs a break, or someone I love (including my fabulous co-workers.). This is something I can do!!!

  24. My Mom and Dad have always instilled in me (and my brother) the motto that if we have more to share, to pass it on. We as an entire family have "adotped" a family each Christmas. We ask them a list of their needs and make sure that they put on some wishes/wants. We go in altogether and buy the gifts, provide meals, and get gift cards for gas and groceries. We truly do believe it is better to give than to receive. Even my 2 little guys are getting into buying blessings for the family. It is so sweet to see them shop for children that are their own ages.

    This book resonates with what we feel as a family and I would love to give it to my Mom.

    Thanks for this giveaway. Blessings to you! :)

    Christine W
    [email protected]

  25. I just heard of this book…probably through someone who saw this post before I did. I want to read it. I love random acts of kindness. We have a jar like this we donate to our church but I think another jar for someone that could really use it would be fun. I gave money to our school secretary to give to another teacher whose husband was away in service and told the secretary to give it to her but never tell who gave it. That was fun. I have also bought the food boxes in the grocery stores that are distributed to the needy.

  26. I like to do anonymous acts of random kindness. I have worked in Social Services for 30 years and have had many occasions to help someone out after hearing their struggles and problems. Once I had a client who had no money to get her son's bike out of lay away for his birthday because her son's father had not paid his support on time. That afternoon my husband and I went to the store where the bike was on lay away and we paid the balance and asked the clerk not to tell who paid it. The next time I heard from her, she went on to tell me how she had been blessed because someone had paid the balance for her son's bike. I'll never forget the feeling knowing that bicycle was going to make a little boy's life a little happier.

  27. I follow you on Instagram – I think sending my child with an extra "something" (bandana on spirit day, gloves in the winter, snack money, etc.) to school every once in a while for someone in need (or someone who forgets theirs) is a nice gesture to the world :)

  28. My random act of kindness-really simple ones-putting away neighbors trash for them, letting people with less groceries go in front of me, things along those lines :) we also have a jar that we collect money in through the year to donate to others!

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