{sponsored} starring…..in my life (and a giveaway)

When I was asked to write about someone who is a “star” in my life, I kept going back to Kenny. My husband. My friend. Father of my son. Teacher. Coach. So many things.

For over 8 years, this man has been a major part of my life.When we had been dating for just a couple of weeks, he met my best friend and her two girls.The girls were immediately drawn to him and I knew he would one day make a fantastic dad.

He’s been a teacher since well before I met him, and has transitioned into a literacy coach in our schools. He now works with other teachers (and students) and every time I meet someone he works with, I’m told over and over how wonderful he is. He is certainly a people person and always looking out for others.

He genuinely cares about the kids and their education. And he cares about the people in our community. Any time a new business opens nearby, he’s hopeful that it will be able to survive this economy – and he goes out of his way to make sure he does business there. This past year, he befriended the owner of a new ice cream shop near our house. The owner of the shop new my son well before I had visited a second time. There’s also a little more upscale pet supply store who knows my husband has a cat since he’s in there often looking for new toys and catnip – just so he can support them.

With the Christmas holiday quickly approaching (just over a week away!) we’re so mindful about giving to others, and giving gifts that mean something. I have several handmade gifts I can’t wait to give to family and friends.

Recently, I received this star that I happily placed on my tree. The star was made by an artist in Haiti. Macy’s is featuring a Heart of Haiti line this season that features more than 40 home decor items, all made almost entirely from recycled and sustainable items such as old cement bags, cardboard, oil drums and local gommier wood. Macy’s Heart of Haiti program has employed 780 artisans, which has improved the lives of over 6,200 individuals. The Heart of Haiti initiative provides artists with an opportunity to make a living, feed their families and pay their children’s school fees.

While the ornament I received is not a part of this line, I do have a second ornament to give away. This is going to be a quick giveaway, in hopes that I can mail the lucky winner the ornament (and get it there before Christmas.) You can enter below – and you can get up to 6 entries in this giveaway (commenting on the post, and telling me you did so in Rafflecopter is the only mandatory entry.) I will announce a winner on Thursday, and hopefully even have the ornament in the mail on Thursday.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective, and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own. #CleverHaiti