Making Your Charity Dollars Go Further: IKEA and Toys for Tots

IKEA stuffed animals headed to Toys for Tots charity.

Mission Workshop backpack at work.

GDL Studio ventured out to IKEA this holiday season to load up on stuffed animals. But they are not for us. This motley crew is headed to needy kids in the Washington, DC area through the Toys for Tots program.

You may recall we did a similar trip last December. We love going to IKEA because the critters are cute, not too expensive, and, as an added bonus, IKEA donates a dollar for each stuffed animal sold to UNICEF and Save The Children.

This year, we busted out our Mission Workshop backpack to haul this very important payload. While our weatherproof backpack didn’t face any inclement weather, it performed our animal transport mission handily.

We encourage you to make your charity dollars go further by purchasing IKEA stuffed animals and donating them to the charity of your choice. Please tell us of other retailers that donate toy proceeds to charity.

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Snake + Calendar = The 2013 Snakalander

he topic of animal songs came up recently as Mrs. GDL Studio asked me if I was familiar with the tale of a snake who was apparently somewhat sneaky. I nodded knowingly and replied “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Mrs. GDL Studio offered the executive summary, the details of which escape me at the moment.

While putting the finishing touches on a then-unnamed calendar, the curvy aspects of the calendar reminded me of a certain slithering (and possibly sneaky) creature. To honor snakes everywhere, we present the Snakalander. (See what we did there? Sneaky, no?)

In case you were curious, no snakes were harmed in the creation of this calendar.

If you’re looking for a calendar where the days proceed from left to right, this is probably not the calendar for you. Be warned that in some months, the Snakalendar’s dates start at the bottom of the page and finish at the top.

The design may be a bit unorthodox, but it does offer some advantages. Putting up a few months at a time creates a frame, which leaves space in the middle for a photo. The pages can also be squeezed into tight spaces on crowded cubicle walls.

Act soon before this offer slithers away.

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Snakalendar serving as a frame.

Snakalendar cover.