Who doesn’t love driving around and viewing great Christmas lights? Something neat that a lot of families who set up elaborate Christmas lights displays is set up collections for charity. Lately, a lot of them have been posting videos and collecting donations online for those who can’t drive to their part of the world to take a look. Here are some highlights from this year.

This video has been making the viral rounds lately. It’s a house in Tallahassee that’s one of the glitziest Christmas light displays out there. While not all of us can drive down and see it for ourselves, what’s cool is that they’ve filmed it in HD for everyone to enjoy, and they put a call-out to the Semper Fi Fund Web site. This is a charitable organization set up to provide immediate financial support to injured and critical military personnel and their families. They’re an exceptionally well-run charity, where most of the funds goes to their mission and not overhead costs.

This video comes courtesy of the Boucher Family in Hanover, PA. They have a lot of videos which synchronize their lights to a variety of Christmas music. They encourage donations to the Ronald McDonald House of Central PA to help seriously ill children and their families.

The Delaney Family of Hillsboro, Tennessee have also set up a rather energetic display. They’re collecting for two local charities, the Hillsboro Community Backpack Program, as well as help cancer victims and their families through the Multi-County Cancer Support Network

The displays are elaborate, loud, festive, and uniquely American. What’s also uniquely American is how they’re using their hobby to help raise money and awareness for others in need. Kudos to these families for celebrating but also reminding us of the true spirit of the holidays.

Have you seen a cool Christmas light display this year? Post a comment if you have

Over the last two years we’ve seen a lot of citizens out on the streets demonstrating and voicing their opinions about this country and its government. It’s easy to take for granted that there are still hundreds of governments around the world where such dissent would be quickly, swiftly, and quietly shut down.

Veteran’s Day, 11-11-11, is around the corner. So it’s a good time to remember that the freedoms we enjoy today came at a great cost. Whether you look at Nazi Germany, Imperial Japan, the cold war Communist Bloc, or today’s terrorists they all had one purpose: to impose their will on the rest of the world. And defending our right to stay free have been the men and women in uniform. Whatever you may say about the political leaders above them, one thing we can all agree on is that they are among the finest and bravest people in the world, whom we owe an awful lot to. And that goes even more for those who have been wounded in the call of duty.

If you’re looking to show gratitude, there’s a good way this November. Host and event for the Wounded Warrior Project. The WWP is an organization that helps wounded veterans get back to their feet and live their lives in good health.

By hosting a Believe in Heroes Party on or near Veterans Day 2011, families and communities across the nation can honor wounded warriors and their caregivers, and raise funds to support WWP programs and services. Supporters have the opportunity to purchase a party-in-a-box for $50, which contains all the supplies necessary to host a 10-person event. Participants can learn more and register their events at https://support.woundedwarriorproject.org/Default.aspx?tsid=447.

The group who raises the most donations will receive a trip for four to a Wounded Warrior Project office, to tour the office and experience a WWP event. This package includes a two night stay at a local hotel, three meals a day, air travel, and car rental. WWP offices are located in Jacksonville, Florida, San Diego, California, Chicago, Illinois, San Antonio, Texas, Washington, DC, Seattle, Washington, and New York, New York.

As much flak as Google’s been getting lately for their various missteps as a behemoth corporation, here’s something really nice they’ll be doing at least through the end of 2011.

For any troops overseas with a .mil email address, Google is letting them call back home to the United States for free, as long as the call is through Gmail.

http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2011/08/free-calls-home-from-gmail-for-all-us.html

All the service member has to do is add their valid .mil account to their Google Account, click the verification link sent to their .mil address, and they can call home from within Gmail (they’ll have to install the voice and video chat plugin).

If you’ve never used Gmail to make voice calls before, it’s pretty easy. You just click “call phone”, and then listen to calls with your computer speaker and talk into your computer microphone. If you purchase a headset with built-in microphone, it’s just as good (actually better) than speaking on a cell phone.

Hats off to Google for doing a great deed and help our men and women in uniform who have sacrificed so much to defend our freedom and our way of life keep in touch with their loved ones back home. Hopefully they can continue it past the end of 2011.

67 years ago six days ago was D-Day, when 175,000 Allied troops stormed the beaches of Normandy to free Europe and the world of the nightmare that was Nazi Germany. As we sit comfortably in our world today, one can only wonder. What would the world have looked like if those young soldiers had not had the courage to do what they did?

Today, we are losing World War II veterans to time. Honor Flight Network is a fantastic organization which aims to fulfill the dreams of our veterans and help our senior heroes travel absolutely free to Washington, D.C. to visit those memorials dedicated to honor their service and sacrifices.

Support World War II Veterans Honor Flight. Now through July 4th, for every download of U.S. patriotic sheet music, Musicnotes.com will donate $1 toward the Wisconsin World War II Veteran Honor Flight Programs. Support the Veterans today!

Well, the long hard winter here in New York City thankfully appears to be coming to an end. There are definitely signs of spring, some trees are starting to bud, the birds are singing, and the bakeries are brimming with bright, happy cakes.

If you can’t make it to New York, Bake Me a Wish is a New York Bakeries that delivers their freshly made cakes nationwide. They just announced that from now until April 30, you can save 15% on cakes if you use promotion code SPRING15.

Bake Me a Wish has cakes which support all kinds of charities, from their “Operation Birthday Cake” where a portion of every purchase is dedicated to delivering fresh cakes to soldiers serving overseas to their “Change your Life Cake” wihch supports Friends of Island Academy.

When visiting someone’s house for a dinner party this holiday season, there are few gifts that are both as practical and as meaningful as a good bottle of wine. There’s something about a bottle of wine that makes any dinner special. That 2-liter bottle of Coke doesn’t have nearly the story to tell as those grapes from far away that have been sitting in a oak barrel waiting years to be opened up and enjoyed. A good bottle of wine makes the heart happy. And when you pair the wine perfectly to the meal that’s being cooked, it just makes the evening complete.

The world seems to be split into two halves: those who know everything there is to know about wine and those who have no clue. I squarely in the latter half. I’ve been on wine tastings and I know the basics (swirl and sniff, red wine goes with red meat, and so on), but ask me what the difference between a Sauvignon Blanc and a Chardonnay and a Pinot Noir, and I’ll just smile and nod.

A few weeks ago, OneHOPE wine contacted me and told me about their products. They’re a company that partners with some of the best wineries in Northern California to produce their own wine label. They sell six varietals (Chardonnay, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc, Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Pinot Noir), each of which donates 50% of proceeds to a different charity (Breast cancer, AIDS, Conservation, the Troops, Autism, and Children’s Hospitals respectively).

Giving a random bottle of wine from the local Target is one thing. But when you give one of these wines, you’re not only assured a great, high-quality wine–you can also show your recipient how much you care about these importance causes, and bring awareness (and perhaps some good dinner conversation) about them.

White Wines:

1. Chardonnay: This is a California white with hints of fresh apple blossom and honeysuckle, with vibrant crisp pear and apple on your palette. This is a wine that is absolutely perfect when paired with broiled or grilled seafood, poultry dishes, and cheese. 50% of profits benefit the National Breast Cancer Foundation.
2. Sauvignon Blanc: This light, refreshing, crisp wine has a pale, golden color. You can taste subtle flavors of pink grapefruit and bright, grassy undertones.  It’s perfect with salmon, halibut, light pasta dishes, fresh fruit, and cheese. 50% of profits benefit the American Forest Foundation, which works to protect the forests of the United States.
3. Pinot Noir: This wine comes from Force Canyon Vineyard in the Arroyo Seco Canyon, next to the cool breezes and bright sunshine of Monterrey Bay, which give it a very uniquely Californian flavor profile. It’s aged for seven months in French and American oak; sniffing the wine, you can sense aromas of raspberries, blackberries, and roses. Wonderful when paired with lean meats, dishes cooked with early flavors like truffles and mushrooms and mild, creamy cheeses such as brie and camembert.   50% of profits go to The Children’s Hospitals, which treat 17 million children each year.

Red Wines:

1. Merlot: This wine is an extremely diverse wine with a bright cherry color. It is very versatile as far as food pairings go–it goes well with poultry, pork, pastas, and salads. 50% of profits go to AIDS/Lifecycle, a bike ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles which brings education and awareness to fighting AIDS.
2. Zinfandel: This wine has an extremely rich red color with luscious dark flavors such as plum and black cherry. It pairs well with foods such as pizza, barbecue ribs, and lamb. 50% of profits go to Snowball Express, a great organization that supports families and children of those in the military who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country.
3. Cabernet Sauvignon: This is the red wine that most people think of when they say “red wine”. It has a dark, ruby red color and rich flavors that evoke lush black cherry, cassis, and a hint of tobacco. It is fantastic with roasted and grilled meat, such as roast lamb, prime rib, or porterhouse steak. 50% of profits go to ACT Today, a fine organization which helps autistic children.

Are the wines really high quality? OneHOPE sent me a bottle of Chardonnay to sample. The bottle was beautiful, with a sleek black label and a ribbon emblem tied around the neck. The wine was fantastic. It was a beautiful gold color, and true to its description, had a light fruity feel about it, which would be fantastic with lobster or grilled chicken.

Bottom line, it’s a wonderful bottle of wine that makes a fantastic gift and helps some  great causes.

Visit their online store to buy your wine gifts for this coming holiday season!

OneHOPE has been kind enough to offer one lucky reader a $50 Gift Card to their online store! This is enough to buy at least two bottles of wine. To be eligible for the drawing, just click the brand new Facebook “Like” button on the right side of this page and then post a comment here saying which wine you’d choose and why. I’ll announce a winner in a few weeks!

If your dog is anything like mine, he’ll happily greet you when you come home, watch you take off your shoes, and then slowly devour them like a rawhide chew toy. The Vibram K9 Chewy Shoe Dog Toy is a tough and durable shoe-shaped toy that’s made in the USA so your buddy can finally have his own shoes to chew on. It’s made out of clean rubber which doggie can chew and chew and chew to his heart’s content and allow you to keep walking.

Vibram supports Dog Tags: “Service Dogs for Those Who’ve Served Us” and through purchases like this has donated over $72,000 to the Puppies Behind Bars program that provides service dogs to injured United States veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. $2 from the sale of each Chewy Shoe in red, white and blue is donated to this program.

This coming weekend on Long Island, the Guide Dog Foundation will be having its annual Bike-a-thon. I love to bike and this event is only a short drive from my house, so I’ll be participating with my sweetie Lisa and her brother.

This will be Lisa’s first major biking event since undergoing major surgery only a few months ago, so it’ll be an exciting day for us. And we’re both excited about petting the dogs at the end of the ride than the ride itself I’ll try to post some pictures here of the event.

If you’re looking for a great charity to donate to for a tax deduction as the year comes to a close, and if you enjoy this blog, please consider a donation to our donation page:

http://www.active.com/donate/GuideDogFoundation10/LHsieh

Your donations will help two great causes:

The Guide Dog Foundation raises, trains, and provides guide dogs, at no charge, to those who are visually impaired or have special needs. Guide Dogs can be trained to help give these people independence, mobility, companionship, and vastly improve their quality of life.

America’s VetDogs also trains dogs to become guide, service and therapy dogs for disabled veterans throughout the country.

If you’re interested in a great gift, consider going to their online store, where you can get t-shirts, caps, sweatshirts,  holiday cards, stuffed animals (like the cute little golden retriever to the right), tote bags, pins, and other great gifts with the Guide Dog Foundation logo.

Thanks for your support for this cause and event that has special significance to me!

UPDATE: here are some pictures from the event!

Lisa and her brother Jack biking for Seeing Eye Dog Foundation. She did great!

Greeting the adult dogs in the kennels

Greeting the adult dogs in the kennels.

The moment I was waiting for all day: Puppies!

Sleepy puppy!

Happy Puppy!

Pensive Puppy!

The day was beautiful, and the turnout was pretty good. We biked around the neighborhoods of Smithtown where the Guide Dog Foundation is located. Afterwards, we were brought on a tour of the Guide Dog Foundation’s facilities. We saw the housing area where people who are adopting guide dogs stay to get trained on how to work with their dogs. We heard about the incredible process it takes to train these dogs, and then saw a bunch of adult dogs-in-training in the kennels, who like all good dogs were very happy to see us. And then the highlight of the day were the PUPPIES! They were the softest, cutest, most adorable creatures I’ve ever seen. They were a little tuckered out (two tour groups had gone before us), but after they shook the sleep from their eyes they were excited and savored the puppy petting almost as much as the humans did.

The bike tour itself wasn’t as polished as others like the MS 150 bike tours, but I didn’t mind that one bit. It just meant that more of my registration money went to help train guide dogs, as opposed to providing bells and whistles for the bikers.  I learned that to train just one dog to be suitable to be a guide for a disabled human or a returning veteran, it can cost upwards of $50,000! While they get some donations from corporate sponsors, they also rely on donations from us. Consider clicking on the link above to leave a donation of your own. Do it for the puppies!

On April 24, 1978, a secret military mission called Operation Eagle Claw was launched to attempt to save 52 American hostages being held by Iranian fundamentalists. The mission ended in the deaths or severe wounding of 9 Special Operations forces and tragically, 17 small children who no longer had a father and a provider.

It was this incident that started the Special Operations Warrior Foundation, a charity dedicated to helping the families of servicemen and women who have been killed or disabled in battle. This charity was rated 4 stars by Charity Navigator, meaning that of about 7% of all major charities, it’s one of the most well-run and fiscally responsible charities.

Since then, wars continue and brave American men and women put their lives on the line each day. Sadly, today, there are more than 800 children of fallen Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps special operations personnel who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country who need your help.

Consider a direct donation to SpecialOps.Org, or visit their Web site to see a number of charitable gifts you can purchase to help the cause, from unique hats and T-shirts, to business services and books.

Boo Boo Bear’s Mission: The True Story of a Teddy Bear’s Adventures in Iraq is a touching book that’s perfect for children of military parents who are deployed to service. 

The book tells the story of a beloved teddy bear that a daughter sends to her father on an important mission in Iraq with the Air National Guard to help him feel less lonely. The book describes how Boo Boo tours the base with Dad and embarks on a jet fighter flight. The bear’s important mission is to carry a family’s love until they can be together again.

This is a true story written by the father of the Dad in the story and the grandfather of the daughter. It’s a great way to bring comfort to children going through the anxieties of deployment. The book also includes a parent guide to assist families going through  military family separations

A portion of the proceeds from the sale of this book will be donated to military family programs.