The Eldorado Elf Gives to LA's Homeless

After my brother was watching the news yesterday, he told me about the man they'd mentioned, called "Cadillac Santa" who had been giving cash to the homeless in Los Angeles, CA. When I researched him on the net I found that after the Cadillac Santa had passed away in 1992, his tradition of handing out money to the homeless was and still is being carried on by a man known as the Eldorado Elf.

Read more here.

Don't forget to give to other people all throughout the year, not just during the holidays! Kindness never goes out of style.

Think With Your Head, Act With Your Heart

For this year's Christmas season my mother took on a family who has been hit hard by recent financial difficulty and can't afford Christmas gifts. Or so they say.

This is a family of six; a mother, father, two daughters and two sons. My mom is such an incredibly kind-hearted person, that when she heard of their difficulties she felt the need to help, regardless of her own problems. They say that they have gone to numerous organizations and have not had any luck, because the resources of each organization have been used up.

When she first told me of the family, I wanted to become involved too. I immediately started mapping out various plans of action in mind, thinking of ways I could help. I decided to sleep on it, but unfortunately what I woke up the next morning with were doubts instead of ideas.

What if this is a scam? What if these people don't even really have children? They'd sent photos, but how could we know that the photos belonged to them? Even if they were their photos, did that prove that these people weren't going to try to take advantage of us?

My mom and I talked it over and she decided to move forward, with some caution. She was still convinced that this was not a scam; that the situation is exactly what it looks like on the surface: a family in need of a little kindness. The plan was still to collect gifts for the children and bring them to the family's home, in person.

Long story short, my uncle brought up even more worries that, even though neither my mother or I wanted to think about, were important to take into consideration. After much more discussion, she decided to ship the gifts instead of bringing them in person. We both wish that we could meet the family, but feel that this is best this way.

While I'd like to believe the best in everyone, the fact is that safety and kindness have to exist together. We have to think with out heads and act with our hearts.

News and Updates For Hugs Heal

I am so sorry about the blogging hiatus I've been taking, it is completely inexcusable. I've been concentrating all my energy on my many other projects and I've neglected Hugs Heal. Well, no
more!

I have some news updates for Hugs Heal that I'd like to share:

• We now have over 4,000 friends on the Hugs Heal Myspace!!!! Can I just say "Yay"?!
• The Hugs Heal Online Community is temporarily going to be accessible only through www.hugsheal.ning.com, instead of www.hugsheal.com. Hopefully we will be using the main domain name again soon.
• Membership for the Hugs Heal Online Community is slowly creeping toward 200, so lets work on that okay? Now go sign up to become an official Hugger! It's free and fun, I promise!
• The Hugs Heal Online Shop now has 16 unique positive-message designs available in a large variety of clothing products; including t-shirts, jackets, and sweaters in many styles and colors for everyone.
• I'm currently working on making many of the Hugs Heal Designs available for purchase on an even larger variety on products in a new Zazzle shop. Products will include shoes, postage stamps, more t-shirts, skateboards, mugs, buttons, bumper stickers, baby onesies, and much more!

Well, that's all the news for now. Don't forget, HUGS HEAL!

It Doesn't Cost a Thing to Smile

I just came across this music video, it's incredibly uplifting and conveys a message that is oh, so true.

Hugging: A Crime Most Heinous

How dare a student put his arm around his girlfriend's shoulders! I have never heard of anything so improper! And to think that friends would dare to go so far as to actually hug each other at the end of a school day! They must be punished!

Please excuse my excessive use of sarcasm, but sometimes I think that it’s the best way to express extreme disgust.

Is this really the kind of world that we want our kids growing up in? A world where simple touch is something that they will be disciplined for?

Rules that prohibit touching and hugging in schools are becoming more prevalent and more strict in schools across America. Something must be done, and if not us, then who?

I've written on the subject of hug bans in schools before here, my feelings are that I haven't made enough of an impact. After my last blog entry regarding the school rules prohibiting hugs, I was shocked by the response I had (not here, but on myspace). I’ve received many comments and messages from people who are totally outraged by these bans. I wasn’t surprised that people were against the rules, but that so many seemed not to have even known about them before reading my blog was a bit of a shock. These are people who could and should be having an input and affect on these rules that affect our children. Regardless of this reaction, I still don't feel that it is enough. We need to take action.

I have decided that I'll be putting together a kind of questionnaire to use in interviewing people who I (and you) think should have some say in these “no-touching” and “no-hugging” rules that are popping up in more and more schools.

I need your opinions. Your ideas as to who should be included in interviews and what kind of questions I should ask will be very important to this process. I may even need some volunteers to help me with the interviews. Teachers, psychologists, medical doctors, parents, and students are some of the people who make sense to me. If you can think of anyone else who should be interviewed, please let me know!

Now I also need your help in raising awareness of these rules and the changes needed in our schools. Please link to this blog and tell your friends about it in order to help me keep everyone updated on these issues and MAKE SURE YOU LEAVE COMMENTS! By contributing your opinion on these matters, you will be helping bring us a step closer to making sure that our children do not grow up in schools where acts of kindness and affection are marked as improper or dirty.

School Enforces Strict No-Touching Rule
Tustin middle school students suspended for repeated hugging
13-Year-Old Girl Gets Detention for Hugging
School Club Battles Against "Hug Ban" By Organizing a "Hug Day"
Stop the War On Hugs

The Hugs Heal Shop Makeover and 3 Awesome New Designs!

Hello my Huggers! Some great news, the Hugs Heal Shop has a fun, colorful new look! Now while you're looking for cute new clothes in our positive-thinking themed shop, you can enjoy out cool new layout. Hope you like it and if you have any suggestions for anything else you'd like to see in the shop, just give me a shout!

Also new in the Hugs Heal Shop are my latest designs, "Hate No More" "Honk for Hugs", and "Flowery Peace Sign". The first two of these new designs we inspired by comments left on the Hugs Heal Myspace by friends of Hugs Heal. Don't forget that all Hugs Heal designs are available in various styles and sizes. Enjoy!

Hugs Heal Shop Update - Lots of New Designs!

Hope you guys like them! If there are any phrases or images that you'd like to see in the Hugs Heal Clothing line, please let me know. I'm always looking for new ideas!

Below are just a few of the many designs in the shop.

The "Love is" Challenge

Ask your children (or a realtive or friend's child) the following question. "What is love?" I promise you, the answer will either hilarious, incredibly sweet, or undeniably wise. Or possibly a combination of all three.

Please tell me the child first name, age, and their answer.

~Hugs Heal~

A Hug Poem

If you feel like you need big bear hug, just follow this link.

Click Here

Contest Closing Soon!

The voting for the winner of Hugs Heal Slogan Contest is closing tomorrow, April 20, 2008. Get your votes in now!

Hugs Heal Slogan Contest

I asked you, friends, to submit ideas for a new slogan for the the Hugs Heal Online Community. I've chosen a few of my favorites and now I'm leaving the final decision up to you! Votes will be counted here, at the community, and on myspace.

Vote for your favorite!

“No matter what life deals, Hugs Heal.”
"Healing Hearts One Hug at a Time"
"Hugs Heal Hearts"
"Small Hugs Make a Big Difference"

View Results

Create your own poll
Myspace Polls

Updates for the Hugs Heal Online Communtiy

I have decided to build the Hugs Heal Online community on a website called Ning.com. www.HugsHeal.com will be built as a main page for Hugs Heal that will have updates about Hugs Heal and will be able to direct visitors to the the Hugs Heal Blog, Shop, myspace, and community. Eventually it to also be the main page for what I hope will eventually be an in-person Hugs Heal Club/Organization.

I'll keep you all updated! =)

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter, everybody! Make sure you share lots of Easter hugs with your friends and family today. Also, try to find someone who doesn't have anyone to spend today with and give them a hug, too!

Great News!

I am officially starting to work on building a Hugs Heal Online Community! I have bought the domain name and am currently setting up the hosting account. I've also decided to take on a few volunteers to help run the Hugs Heal Myspace. I will still be reading and answering all comments and messages, posting bulletins, and updates myself. These things will not be done by volunteers.

I'll be posting periodic updates as I go through the process of building this social network. Until then, I'd like to share some ideas for the community with you.

Here are some of the ideas I have:

Members should be able to

• Send each other “hugs”; i.e. “Click here to hug Michael”
• Invite friends outside Hugs Heal to become members
  
• Earn points that can be used to buy items in the Hugs Heal Shop
• Members can earn points for: friend referrals, organizing/participating in Hugs Heal activities, donations they collect
• Create unique avatars
• Post challenges for themselves and other members
  
• Submit ideas for Hugs Heal activities
  
• Participate in or organize activities
• Create profiles
• Add friends (buddies?) with details about how they know them
• Suggest things to be featured on site; i.e. quotes, people, organizations, pictures (site section)
• Plan and invite each other to events and activities (make sure mass invites can be sent, make sure members can disable this feature if desired)
• Keep a blog?
• Build their own groups within Hugs Heal Community
• Search for friends by name/email/zip, etc.
• Enter in contests
• Vote in contests
• Block members they do not wish to communicate with
• Report spam/abuse
• Vote in polls
• Ask for support from other members in the peer support center

Other Ideas

• Polls (all members invited to vote)
• Private chatrooms
• “Hug of the Day” - featured hug; could be any person, picture, organization, type of hug, i.e. comforting hug, affectionate hug, friendly hug, loving hug, etc.
• Automatically feature a welcome to the newest member
• Show how many member are online
• Spirit Lifter of the Day
• Randomize quotes through out site
• Members will be called “Huggers”
• Points Earned = Different Huggers Status, ie. Bronze, Silver, Gold Members

Contests - Winners get item(s) from Hugs Heal Shop, all Hugs Heal community members will be invited to vote for each contest

• Hug Photo Contest - members can enter any photo depicting a hug
• Hugs Heal Story Contest - members can share any experience in which they have witnessed a hug help anyone in anyway
• Donation Contest - Competition who can collect the most donations for a specific project or in a specific amount of time.
• Hug Visual Art Contest - members can enter an image representing any visual depiction of a hug or hugs, except photos go to the photo contest

Possible types of art medium including but not limited to (may be categories of contest, depending on number of entries)
Drawing
Painting
Sculpting
Graphic Arts

• T-Shirt Design Contest - members can enter a design to be printed on a t-Shirt (show printable area to members). Design can be a drawing, a graphic, and/or words that has a positive message in keeping with the spirit of Hugs Heal. Prize will be a T-Shirt with their design printed on it and their design will be featured and make available for purchase in the Hugs Heal Shop. Understand all profit from sales of items bearing the design will go to Hugs Heal.
• The Greatest Inspiration Contest - members share stories about how they have helped others in any way, members vote on who is the Greatest Inspiration

Sections of Site

• Home Page
• Help Section
• Suggestions by members
• Challenges (Daily? Weekly?)
• Search/Browse members (name, email, zip code, group membership)
• About Hugs Heal
• Why I Started Hugs Heal
• Peer Support Center (members can post about problems or anything they need support from other members for, get support, advice, and answers to their questions)

Please share some of your ideas!

In Need of Ideas for the Hugs Heal Online Community

Hi everybody! I want to get started on opening up a Hugs Heal Online Community and I’d really love to hear any suggestions you might have for it.

Here are some of the ideas I have:

• members can send each other messages, comments, and "Hugs" (I haven’t decided what the "Hugs" will be; any ideas?)
• members will be able to invite their friends to join
• members will be able to post ideas on how to help others
• members can post "Hugs Needed" ads to which others can respond
• Hug Photo contests, prizes from Hugs Heal Shop
• members will be able to participate and organize Hugs Heal activities in their area
• Hug Story contests, prizes from Hugs Heal Shop
• Inspiring people/ organizations will be featured throughout website
• members will be able to earn Hug Points that will go toward buying items in the Hugs Heal Shop by the things they do within the community (participating in contests and challenges, referring friends, etc.
  
• members will be able to create avatars
• Hug Illustration Contest, best illustration depicting a hug wins
• Members will be able to start their own groups within the community

Please share some of your ideas!

New Designs - Hearts Need Hugs - Lucky Charm - Hug Heart

Come take a look at some of the new designs in The Hugs Heal Shop.

The New Hugs Heal Shop

Hey guys! Sorry I haven't updated in a while, but I've been busy, busy, busy! The new and improved Hugs Heal Shop is up and running and I'm adding more new designs all the time.

This new shop features more versatility and choices in your purchases, a larger variety of items, and considerably lower prices. It includes clothes for women, men, children, and pets and toddler clothing! These items will bear many different things, including the Hugs Heal Logo, Hug Phrases, and other designs that I've created.

Here are a few of the items in the store. Click any of the following pictures to be taken to the item details :

Become a Sponsor for AbilityFirst

Please show your support! The Los Angeles Marathon will be taking place on March 2, 2008 and many wonderful people and organizations will be participating. Included in these charities will be AbilityFirst, an organization that provides programs for children and adults with disabilities, looking beyond disabilities and focusing on capabilities. I am very proud to say that my mother is involved in this amazing company and will be participating in the LA Marathon as well. I will also be volunteering at the event. Please show your support! Sponser sponsor my mom and donate to AbilityFirst!

The Three Acts of Kindess Challenge

Hello, my wonderful friends! Today I am issuing you a new challenge. It will cost you nothing but your time (unless you choose otherwise) and I guarantee it will make you feel wonderful.

The day after you read this blog entry, I challenge you to do 3 kind things for someone other than yourself. I can be 3 acts of kindess for one person or one act for 3 different people.

These acts can be anything you choose. As long as you dont stay in bed all day, I guarantee you that plenty of opportunites will arise. You just need to pay attention.

Here are some ideas:
1. Give a gift card to a homeless person (or anyone who needs it)
2. Give a hug to someone who looks sad
3. Help someone carry their groceries out to their car
4. Take a friend out to their favorite restaurant
5. Tip your babysitter or pizza delivery person twice as much as you normally would
6. Take your spouse to the local park and have some ice cream together (or hot chocolate, depending on the weather)

Don't forget to come back here and tell me what you decided to do for your three acts of kindness, or post some of your ideas for other people to do. I'll choose some of my favorites to be featured in my blog!

I Need Your Help!

Hugs Heal needs your help right now. The Hugs Heal Shop has been open since 1/17/08 and only one person has made a purchase! If Hugs Heal cannot sell the items in the shop, we will never be able to do the many things that Hugs Heal is capable of doing.
The Hugs Heal Shop includes many low-cost customizable products, baby clothes, tote bags, women's shirts, men's shirts, and pins.

A portion of the proceeds from these sales will go toward expanding Hugs Heal in many ways. It is my hope to start a Hugs Heal Online Community; a social network that will bring people together through hugs and love. I also want to start an in-person club and organize activities like visits to hospitals, passing out sandwiches to the homeless, and protesting Hug Bans in schools. These are just some of the many plans I have for Hugs Heal.

With your help, Hugs Heal has could touch an amazing amount of lives. Please help by purchasing something and passing the word along!

A Sisterly Hug

A Photo of Alicia and her little sister Laura

Shared by Alicia from Oceanside, CA

A Lesson in My New Responsibilities

Today on the Hugs Heal Myspace I received messages from two different people who were both very unhappy with me, for two completely different reasons. Before today, the only messages that I had received about Hugs Heal were very positive; wonderful messages sending hugs and love and thanks for starting Hugs Heal. I had never received anything remotely negative. One of these things was not my fault at all, a simple miscommunication that was extremely unfortunate; as for the other, I was wholly at fault. But both messages have made me understand that I have some very important, very new responsibilities that need to be a priority for me.

The first message told me that a friend of Hugs Heal had sent me a previous message asking me to post a very important bulletin about a young woman who had been kidnapped. Since Hugs Heal has so many friends, it makes sense that this request would have been made to me so that as many people as possible would have access to the information about this young woman. However, I never received message, even though according to Myspace, I had. I'm very sad to say that the body of this young woman has been found, too late. To see the information about this, please follow this link: Denise Lee

The other was from another friend of Hugs Heal saying that she had sent me hugs and messages, and that lately she hadn't been hearing back from me. She said that she didn't think it was right that I was sending out messages about the new Hugs Heal Shop when I wasn't even responding to her messages. This is all true. I've been trying to keep up with responding to messages and comments, sending out birthday wishes, designing logos, trying to bring in money for projects for Hugs Heal along with a profit that will allow me to devote myself to it more completely, running my own separate business, getting ready for school to start up (I'm a returning college student), and everything else in my life. I explained all of this to her and she was very understanding, which I'm thankful for, but it still makes me think.

I started Hugs Heal as a way to express the dear love I feel for hugs and how important I believe they are. I never expected for Hugs Heal to become such a huge part of my life, or that so many people would respond to it with such enthusiasm. But now, Hugs Heal has over 2,300 Myspace friends, people who contribute content to it, who send me messages wanting talk or needing the hugs that they feel they can get just by talking with me. Because of all this, I now have a responsibility to these people that I did not have before.

I am now responsible for spreading news that needs to be spread, sharing hugs that need to be shared, posting pictures and stories that need to be posted, and answering messages that need to be answered.

I had not expected these responsibilities, but now that Hugs Heal is so important, especially to me, I will do my very best to do right by it.

Grand Opening of The Hugs Heal Shop

Hi everybody! I just wanted to let you know about the Grand Opening of The Hugs Heal Shop! Here you can help spread the message that hugs have real healing power by purchasing Shirts, Mugs, Buttons, Magnets, Stickers, Baby Clothes, Hats, and more with Hugs Heal logos on them. Please visit by clicking the image below.

I have many ideas for Hugs Heal; I'd like to expand it into other things and reach more people. You can help with this and spread the message at the same time by making a purchase in The Hugs Heal Shop! Please visit!

Hugs for Heroes

Hugs for Heroes, a group that has been sending valentines to soldiers oversees for a several communities in South Dakota for the last 5 years, will be sending out valentines again this year. Wouldn't it be nice there were more groups around the country that did the same for other communities. Please read the following article for more information, including how you can participate in this great activity. Click Here

A "Hugging Epidemic"

A friend of Hugs Heal wanted to share this wonderful article about a group of students who were inspired by the person who is probably one of the most famous huggers in the world; Juan Mann. Please take a moment to read the article. Maybe you'll be inspired too!

Hugging Epidemic hits UBC

School Club Battles against "Hug Ban" by Organizing "Hug Day"

A friend of Hugs Heal shared this article with me today and I'd like to share it with all of you!

What a wonderful way to respond to Hug Bans in our schools!

By the Non-Existant Hair of My Chinny-Chin-Chin

Goal reached, just in time! Woohoo! 2,000 Myspace friends by Jan 1, 2008! Thanks to everyone who helped by adding Hug Heal and by placing my banner on your site!

And you know what they say: "When one goal is reached, another has to be set." Okay, fine. The saying is actually "When one door closes, somewhere opens a window", but... same difference.

New Goal: 2,500 Myspace Friends by Feb 1. And let's not forget the ongoing secondary goal 10 subscribers to this blog by Jan 15. Help out by subscribing right now!