Now that Thanksgiving has passed, we transition out of the season of giving thanks into the season of giving back. If you have phone or computer access to read this post, you already have so much to be thankful for. It’s very easy to take for granted all the things a lot of us are blessed to have in our lives until one day it might be gone. Because we have so much to be thankful for it’s good to give back to others who may be less fortunate, especially this time of the year.

A couple years back my mom and I decided to make homemade wreaths for all of her close cousins. Not only was it a fun and creative project but it meant so much to all her cousins. Now as each holiday season passes and we visit with family, my mom is filled with so much joy to see her family putting their gifts to use. Doing something like this project is not only thoughtful but every season that comes around you’re reminded of the memories and the sentiment of the gift.

So to help you get creative about how you can give back this holiday season, I’ve rounded out 15 ideas of ways you can give back this holiday season:

1. Volunteer at a food shelter
2. Contact a local/children’s hospital and see how you can volunteer. Example: Read stories or bring a box of toys to donate.
3. Collect cans of food and donate them to a food bank
4. Pay for the order of a random person. Example: Coffee or fast food order of the person behind you.
5. Bake some holiday treats and share the sweet merriment with your friends or neighbors
6. Clean out your closet and donate unwanted items to Goodwill, Salvation Army, or a local donation center
7. Create a gift for loved ones that exceeds monetary value. Example: Have a beautiful photo framed and send it as a gift to someone special.
8. Research local blood drives occurring in your area to donate blood
9. Write a note or send an email to someone who has positively impacted your life
10. Leave a note of cheer on someone’s windshield
11. Inquire with your church, workplace, gym about opportunities for a giving tree or sponsoring a family in need for the holidays
12. Give an unexpected generous tip to make someone’s day
13. Call a friend you haven’t talked to all year
14. Research charities or foundations you may be passionate about and make a donation
15. Simple – smile at a stranger 🙂

Hopefully you can find some time this holiday season to take advantage of some of these ideas to give back, and not just to your community but also to the people in your daily life. Let me know in the comments how you plan to give back this holiday season. Happy Holidays all!!

Well, I finally did it. I finally got my act together and created this lovely website that I am so excited to share with my friends, followers and future readers!

A Little About Me

For those of you that don’t know me personally, my name is Lauren (in case that wasn’t obvious), I’m 25 years old and reside in Orange County, California. Growing up I moved around quite a bit (no, I’m not a military brat), but grew up for the most part in Colorado. To this day I still consider Colorado home. I was pretty athletic growing up, involved in a variety of sports, but the thing that kept me grounded was soccer and in turn it paid my way through college. I attended the University at Buffalo in New York where I graduated with my Bachelors degree in Industrial & Systems Engineering. I moved out to California straight after college and have been living in this beautiful state ever since working as an engineer for a company in the town of Orange.

Why I Created a Blog

I realize the blogging world is very populated and especially saturated in the life and style category, but I thought this was the perfect outlet to express my passions. I often found myself asking “why not me?” Why can’t I learn how to create a website and be technologically savvy? And the answer is I can and I will. Although this platform will allow me to share content with my readers, I’m also looking forward to challenging myself in what I would consider unknown territory. I’ve always had a passion for creativity, a joy for being in the kitchen, and a love for fashion. Creating this outlet for inspiration has been an idea of mine for a while and I’m really thrilled to finally test the waters and share my life with y’all.

Behind The Name

Lauren Con Amore originated from two concepts; my belief that everything you do in life should be done with love in addition to my love for all things Italian. Growing up with Italian roots and family, I admired the culture, the food (obviously, who doesn’t love Italian food?), and the all around love for everything they do. It wasn’t until 2014 where I had the opportunity to visit the motherland and I fell in love with my roots even more. Although I have a few sources of inspiration for my lifestyle, I’m inspired by the simplicity of the Italians which carries over to my style and fashion.

What To Expect

My goal is to bring a little love to your life, and no not the romantic kind, the inspiring kind. Maybe my style will inspire you to try a new look. Maybe my recipes will inspire you to step out of your comfort zone in the kitchen. Maybe my travel adventures will inspire you to explore more or take that trip you’ve always dreamed of. I’m an open book so I’m always here for advice or questions, but I’ll be sharing what I do know and my experiences. Starting out, I’ll be posting once a week covering topics from the subject matters of lifestyle, fashion and travel, with a primary focus on style and fashion.