Happy Day 4 of the #12DaysofCHRISelle!
Reflecting back on 2018, it hits me just how much happened. It was one of my biggest years yet, and I feel that the bigger your platform is, the bigger responsibility you have to give back to your community. Honestly, before my “success,” I had always thought that you had to have money in order to be able to give back but honestly – there are so many other ways to give back that don’t include money, like time and awareness. It’s important to give back no matter where you are in life.
As you know, we started the 12 Days of CHRISelle three years ago, not only to treat you guys with some amazing giveaways but as a chance to give back to some of my favorite charities. With all of our sponsors we currently have and have had in the past, one of the requirements we had for each brand we worked with was for them to get involved to donate as well. Since the start of the 12 days, we’ve been able to give back $70,000 to some of my favorite charities.
These are people that need some help all year round, but especially during the holidays! The holidays can be especially lonely for many people and families, so we all need to step up and offer a hand when we can. As you guys know, I’m incredibly passionate about the Baby2Baby charity because they help provide diapers and other necessities to children and families living in poverty.
Having a newborn again, I’ve realized just how many things I take for granted. With every diaper change, I’m so thankful to never have to go without having one. So, instead of complaining about the many diaper changes that Colette has, I now remind myself that I’m so lucky and fortunate to be able to do so since so many women can’t afford to have diapers.
You hear endless stories about women reusing diapers, letting them air dry to re-use them and the thought that some mothers have to choose between food and diapers and it breaks my heart because no mom should ever have to make that choice.
I feel so grateful to have been given so many opportunities in my life. I just know that there are so many families out there that aren’t as lucky as I am, and that don’t have the same opportunities to provide for their families and that’s why I love to give back.
I also want to thank you guys for the success of the 12 Days of CHRISelle! We’ve been able to donate to so many amazing charities over the last three years because of your loyalty and dedication of supporting my blog and me. There have been some great charities like City Growers, Casa Crisal, a women’s shelter in Mexico, Feeding America, MADE SAFE which is a non-profit organization changing the way products are made in this country to eliminate the use of toxic chemicals altogether, and The Burts’s Bees Foundation to name a few.
💖 So for Day 4 of 12 Days of CHRISelle I ask you: 💖
What’s the most meaningful non-material item someone has ever given you? See you guys tomorrow!
Thank you so much to everyone who commented yesterday – I got so hungry reading about all of your favorite holiday meals! The winners of the Day 3 giveaway are @katetho_hammond and @mashiamerie! DM @thechrisellefactor to claim!
Photography by Drew Scott
Dress: Self Portriat | Lipstick: Charlotte Tilbury lip liner & Lancome lipstick
What do YOU think?
67 responses to “Why I Give Back”
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Biossance is one of my absolute favorite clean beauty brands, and this post is very special to me because it’s something that I’ve been thinking about even more so since Colette was born!
love the intentionality you put into these partnerships!! the best gifts I’ve ever gotten all are experiences or memories of time with my family doing things we love!
Travel memories for sure! The only thing that makes you rich if you spend money on it! ❤
@meakova
One of the most meaningful gifts I’ve ever received and continue to be grateful for is a person’s time. I learn so much from people about being patient and understanding and I’m so glad when someone is able to do that for me.
Love and acceptance of my husband and family
unconditional love <3
IG @Tanchi007
Feeling safe!
Blu
http://www.liveloveblu.con | wellness & healthy living
@liveloveblu
My mom has been running around the entire week, working a full-time job, going to meetings related to the business association she’s a part of, helping with my dad’s business as he’s in Korea at the moment, and planning for the banquet our Korean school is putting on this week. She’s been maybe getting 3-4 hours of sleep every night and has been eating on the go when she finds the time. Despite living together, I barely saw her this week as she would leave before I woke up and would come home after I had fallen asleep. I messaged her the other day telling her how much I miss seeing her and eating with her. She called me this morning to tell me that she cancelled all of her plans so that she could cook me dinner. Even though this means that she’ll be even busier later this week and get even less sleep, my mom prioritized a meal with me over her other responsibilities. She used to tell me that family should always come before work, and while eating dinner with her tonight, I realized how grateful I am to have a mom like her. She’s like a super mom who seems to be able to balance it all. And even with her endless responsibilities, she always makes sure I feel loved. (IG: dorcaskong)
Most meaningful gift has been my mom cooking me all of my favorite foods because I was coming home from college for the weekend and she was just so excited. She was working 24/7 and taking care of my dad but still had it in her to wake up at 3am just to have the meal ready for me. I’m older and can understand a mother’s love now and it makes me amazed at how much strength she has! @xhellenn
Someone was there to listen to me and be a good friend and support me.
@imaginasian23
Most meaningful non-material thing given to me was a meal by my then boyfriend. It’s not so much as the meal as it was the gesture because the entire time afterwards I cried the whole day, tears of joy and happiness and thankfulness because this guy was and is still literally the best thing I’ve never had.
He barely had any time for me, and on a day that was particularly stressful, I was starving, and just wanted to get home from class. And he gave up his only lunch so that I could eat. And I cried the entire way home, just thinking about it makes me tear up still and choke.
I love him so damn much, and without a doubt I want us to be together again because we have the same end goals and we were good together. We even went to Japan together, but things get hard, stressful, messy and life happens sometimes. I hope us ending on good terms and trying to remain as friends will bring us back together when we are more mature or ready?
I don’t want that to be an excuse for why we’re not together now, but wow I just got sappy. (IG: dreamlikediana)
Time !
A friend offered to cook me meals when I was recovering from surgery and it was so deeply appreciated! @suehuang97
the most meaningful non material item that someone has given me is whenever I visit, my mom always gives me some homemade food to bring back. I’ve been extremely grateful for it this week and last because I’ve just been so busy with work and I just don’t feel like cooking.
I think the gift of acceptance from someone has been the most meaningful gift I have received. Someone accepting me for who I am- the good, the bad, the ugly, the ups and the downs and all the flaws that come with- is something I would consider priceless.
IG: @jloi_jloi
One of the most meaningful gifts I’ve ever received is my parents coming to my graduation. I was the first in my family too graduate from college and it was amazing to have my dad there.
One of the most meaningful gifts I’ve ever received was a hand-written card from a close friend. He was adamant on not writing and making cards himself because he didn’t feel confident that a card from him would be something to cherish. Christmas 2015, I received a letter hand-delivered from him, where he had attempted ‘Merry Xmas’ in watercolour (I have a great appreciation for fine arts!!) and a scrawled letter inside. I loved it so, so much, and he now knows how much I value and appreciate his card and friendship! (@julesanima)
The love and support of an amazing friend. IG hawaiianpanda
Thank you for having these types of posts, Chriselle. It’s a nice change up. The most meaningful gifts for me is my boyfriend’s time and care.Whenever I’m in need of help somewhere or my car breaks down, he would get out of what he’s doing and come take of it. There’s really no price for everything he gives me.
IG: @ksmiles43
#12DaysGiveway
Thank you for giving us the opportunity to take part in your Christmas celebrations. To know that you are making a difference in this world makes my heart yearn to look for ways in which I can contribute. My most precious gift was when I was going through chemo and a very good friend of mine cooked my meals (as hospital food after a months stay was just so blah) and she cooked a weeks worth of banchan and gook for my hubby and my first son (since then we have two more babies). She did it for my whole hospital stay and for a couple of weeks after I went home. The most thankful time in my life. @mrsjlim
You inspire me so much Chriselle! Thank you for not only doing giveaways but also giving more than just to us, to the people who need it most.
As cheesy as it sounds, my most meaningful non-material gift was the memory of my proposal. My husband is not a very romantic guy and sometimes it may take a lot of nagging for him to even take me out on a date, but our proposal was so romantic and I was so impressed by the effort he put in and now we are happily married.
Stay chic!
– Janice, @janicelikespolarbears
Thank you so much for all that you’ve done for the community! The best non-material gift I’ve received is someone’s time. I’m in the process of planning g a wedding and I appreciate my family’s time that has gone into helping plan! @krissylyn808
One of the most meaningful gifts I’ve ever received was a photo album that my best friend made for me of all of our photos, from our childhood until now! All of the photos were so precious to me, and I love leafing through it all the time <3 IG @itselizabethtran
XO, Elizabeth T.
http://clothestoyouuu.com
The best non material gift or basically the best gift is having the love and acceptance of my family and friends! @kkassandralee
The best gift someone had ever given me was a hug and their time.
@misshapenheart
A second chance from God! ❤️ @dianeskim2
All of the support my husband has given me has been the most precious gift l received. Aside from my mother I didn’t think it was possible to be loved and supported so fully.
Love this,
My parents and husbands love <3 AND my healthy growing baby that I cannot wait to meet next year 🙂
@nineeved
Friends taking the time to listen to what was going on with me, ask me how I’m doing.
I love how thoughtful these blog posts are ugh I need to use this as a journal prompt! My mom gives so so much. Like I can’t even explain. I mean of course there are the materialistic things like gifts and clothes but the sheer amount of energy she spends on my brother and I is beyond my ability to explain. I remember one time at Georgia Tech I was having a horrible evening and in a complete panic in the middle of the night and called my mom and not only did she pick up in a heartbeat but she came and picked me up from campus and brought me home. In the middle of the night. If that isn’t unconditional love i don’t kno what is.
I donate all the clothes when I do the wardrobe change season and also collaborate with an ong sending some money.
The most meaningful thing I got is love, listen and support by my family and friends. And also is a thing that you should give it back. Before you lost someone, those things you don’t see it quite well, but once it happens you think on what you did wrong, the love you didn’t give, why you didn’t listen before to their advices,… so I learnt, I learnt to treat them well and give them the love that they deserve, support and listen as they do with me, because today could be the last day to spend it together.
I have to thanks to my family & friends, to support me all the times that I needed, the great advices that I received, to listen on my bad moments, to help when I was going through hard moments, to don’t give up on me when I did it and to love me even with all my imperfections. Thanks to them I keep going! ♥️
IG: imlaup
IG handle: cinnabams
The most meaningful gift I got was from my first bunny, Cinnamon. He gave me a lick on my knee. Lol weird, but for bunnies, when they lick you, it means that they like you. When he licked me, it just confirmed that after all those months, he finally liked me/accepted me.
The most meaningful, non material gift I’ve ever gotten was time…that time I spent, laid next to and hugged my dad the day before he passed away. That gift of time and that moment was the best thing I’ll ever receive in this lifetime.
Just their ways of listening and not interrupting! Sometimes just a rant or ear to listen is so grateful to get through the day.
♡Lize
P.S. I’ve always wanted to say I love your name and I wanted my daughters first letter name to match her last name and your name was so perfect. Hehe so we named our first daughter Chriselle.♡
INSTAGRAM: LIZETHAO
I think that it’s the love of my family that is the most important gift I have ever received. Just to know that they are there, that they care about me and are always there for me gives me the strength to live💖
Probably their time – time to hear me out, hang out, let me vent, and just have an all around good time in order to reset, step back, and appreciate all that I have @phenamenal
For me it’s my girl-friends who are there for me anytime, whether I’m a mess or at my best! I’m always amazed at how much they care about me and want me to reach out to them when I feel like I’ll be a burden and need to keep things to myself. ☺️❤️ @rhkim15
I think it is the daily support that my boyfriend gives to me.. I live in Atlanta and he lives in Bruxelles. I miss him and my family a lot, but in this critic period of our lives, we had to put the work at first place. Our daily phone call makes me feel him closer and closer, and he is strongly supportive. I would never be more grateful. He truly believe in me, and thanks to him and can believe in myself and my capacities 😍 and probably, sometimes, I do not thank him enough for this!
@floriana_anselmucci
The best non material gift was tough love from a long time friend. I was secretly struggling with my self image, and he sensed that I needed to learn how to treat myself better physically, spiritually, and mentally He spent everyday, for 4 months, asking me tough questions about how I view myself, how I think others view me, why I think that, and what do I plan to do about it. He didn’t coddle me and try to reassure me that I’m good enough, he instead placed his trust on our friendship alone to challenge me to reflect on myself to realize who I am and what I can accomplish. I am eternally grateful for having him in my life. IG: raychelng
One of the best non-material gifts I’ve received is my son who is turning two at the end of the month. He is such a blessing in our family!
@nutritiontoeat
My top love language by far is Acts of Service. So, the greatest gift is probably all the time my mom spent taking care of me, even to this day. I notice the little things people do, like my boyfriend washing my big mirrored closet doors or taking the cat to a dentist on Valentine’s Day… Thank you for all your sharing and generosity, Chriselle!
@an_na.ru
The most meaningful non-material gift I’ve received was the moving in with my fiancé and finally being in an accepting household. I was a kid that struggled a lot with body, my sexuality, etc. and lived in a mentally abusive household that made struggling with these things no easier. I never felt safe or accepted and was always made to feel i wasn’t good enough. They say I moved in with my fiancé – then, my boyfriend – it was like a weight that I had been carrying for the past 20+ years had been lifted from my shoulders. No more dreading going back into that toxic environment, no more fear, just acceptance and love.
IG: puppy_mama_07
non material items is the love from my dog and cat and knowing my family is always there for me @tripleaxolotls
The most meaningful non-material gift I’ve received is full acceptance from my boyfriend’s family. I was in a past relationship where his mother refused to acknowledge me, so I never understood how important and meaningful that was until I met my current boyfriend and his amazing family 🙂 @LlKatherine
I think the most meaningful non-material gift I’ve received is the ability to vote and pursue my passion of being a physician. @sweetpotatoju
The most meaningful non-material item I’ve received is love and encouragement from friends and family. There are days when I can be hard on myself or days when I’m just feeling down, so it always means a lot when my friends and family are there to lift me up. IG: @leashe_
The most meaningful non-material item someone has given me was there understanding of my perspective and letting me express my thoughts without judgement. @alphouphou
The greatest non material item I ever received was peace. For a while I was in an abusive relationship and despite having escaped it I still felt helpless. Recently that person reached out to me and we “talked” about it. Although he has not changed, I have and was able to to find peace and resolution. I am now a free woman and I feel so good moving forward. IG:@sammixchoo
The most important non-material gift I’ve ever been given is definitely my mother’s love for me. I am far away from her and I miss her every single day of my life. I will always be grateful for her and her love and support she showed me over the years. And even if we are apart, nothing will ever stop us from taking care of eachother.
IG: @iasminamaria
I just remember that I had some bad news concerning my thesis and my boyfriend held me and just let me cry until he put me to bed. That made me so happy and feel so safe. @vishakasantosh
Patience. This is the most meaningful gift that everyone including myself takes for granted. In a life where everything is at our fingertips and relationships all simmer down to texting and emailing. The patience that my husband has learned to have with me, is the most vital and cherished thing he or anyone can give me. My husband’s patience is what saved my marriage and also helped me along my first year of motherhood.
@ditri23
The most meaningful gift that someone has given me is their time. Just having a conversation,taking a moment to have that human interaction with out the interruption from the busy things that our society gets caught up in.
The most meaningful thing someone gave me is love. Love from my boyfriend, family and friends means everything to me. It’s so powerful, because of this love, I feel happy everyday !
The support, love and sacrifice that my mom has given me so that I can have all of the opportunities to succeed in life! (IG: @kburky)
I would say “time.” My parents are very busy and work hard to provide for this family. I always appreciate spending time with them, especially during the holidays. IG: teefee718
Patience, kindness, and unwavering support from loved ones and fur babies! It is amazing what people can accomplish when they surround themselves with positive influences! We all need a little bit of ✨ sparkle from time to time! (IG: @angindnvr)
Time and listening. I think everybody needs to take some time to listen to others even though it could be the most boring thing ever!
Mireia from TGL
https://thegoldlipstick.com/
Best gift I ever gotten is support from my boyfriend in anything I want to do. Always words of encouragement that gets me going.
The best gift is the support I’ve gotten from my family & friends ever since being a stay at home mom of 2. I’ve been working for 15yrs straight and to stay at home full Time now taking care of my children is definitely a change . But im grateful that my friends and family are there for me when I need it (mentally).
Beautiful! x
http://www.evdaily.blogspot.com
IG: hr15t1na
Time. As simple as that. 🙂
I can honestly say all those moments that my true friends have been with me showing me their love for me and their support is the best thing it truly warms my heart to know I have friends who love me and I can’t not leave behind the lovely moments I have had with my father, mother and aunts and just in general the people who have shown me love.
IG: @ale.seytuqueen
Most meaningful non-material item given to me was from my coworkers after my mom’s passing away. They sent me a card and had made a donation to her favorite charity.
My son’s love and smile just for me! It’s brightens my day honestly no matter how bad it is!
this is amazing
xx
http://closettostreet.com/2018/12/03/best-foundation-for-oily-skin/
The most meaningful non-material item that has been given is help when in need or simply being there for eachother!
I love your mindset and what you are doing Chriselle
IG: Looeen
The most important non-material gift I’ve been given is definitely time. No matter who it is, when someone gives up their time for me, I am always unbelievably grateful. They could be using that time for a plethora of other things, but somehow they decided to spend it with me, and I am just so thankful for that.
Also, I’ve been absolutely loving what CINC has been doing with charities – I’ve always firmly believed in giving back to the community, and I’m so glad I support companies that do so as well.
-Hannah