Empty Nest Adventures
Life after the kids are grown
A Charm(ing) (Ad) venture for a Really Great Cause
Hello again! I hope you’ve all been well. I can’t believe it’s mid-June! I’ve recently started a new project that has been keeping me very busy and I’m super excited to tell you about it, but first a short story.
When my sons were little, my older son, Gray was terrified of shots. He would be in absolute hysterics whenever it was vaccination time, and one day I sat him down and explained to him that although getting a shot hurt for a second, there are children who are very sick and they have to get shots everyday and live in the hospital. I told him that they are the bravest of children, and that when he had to go to the doctor I wanted him to think of these children and be thankful for his good health.
This conversation had a deep impact on Gray, and he said he wanted to help these kids. Every year for his birthday he would ask his friends to donate to Make-A-Wish in lieu of giving him presents, and then my younger son, Holden started doing the same. A few years later we bought a gumball machine and Gray called all around our city trying to find a place to put it, explaining that he and his brother were using it to raise money for Make-A-Wish. It has been in a few different locations over the years, each with it’s own challenges. It was covered with sauce from greasy fingers at the hot wings restaurant, the children at the indoor pool would try to break it regularly to get free candy (they were quite successful), and now it is at a bar where we have to pry the lid off each time because it is sealed shut with dried, spilled beer. I also had to spend about 15 minutes the other day scraping off an obscene sticker that at first made me laugh, but then I just thought, “really people?!” We are still donating with that machine and to date have given $1,266. That is a lot of quarters.
Donating to Make-A-Wish has been an important part of our lives for the last 14 years, and now that I am in this new phase of life, I have much more time on my hands. I decided that I want to use my time to try to make a difference as well. I love being creative and decided that I would start a business making charms that can be used on chandeliers, ceiling fans, and lamp shades with magnets and other places with hooks. Every purchase supports Make-A-Wish. I am excited to announce that my Etsy store is now open at www.enestorproducts.com and I will be adding more products soon. Please check it out! Instagram @e_nestor_products We are doing a giveaway at the end of June for a free set of charms (Make-A-Wish donation included) so please consider following our Instagram account.
I get emails frequently from Make-A-Wish and I love the one I received this morning.
It was 1980 when a small group of people came together to make something special happen for a 7-year-old boy. Chris Greicius was fighting leukemia and more than anything, he wanted “to catch bad guys.” Thanks to his mother, some friends and the Arizona Department of Public Safety, Chris’ wish came true.
For the people who made Chris’ wish happen, this was the beginning of something. They emptied their pockets, and with $37.76, funded the start of Make-A-Wish®.
Since 1980, we’ve learned what a wish can do. It’s more than a moment in time. A wish can empower children to fight harder against their illnesses. It can restore families and unite entire communities.
Today, more than 415,000 children across the world have experienced their greatest wish because of supporters like you.
Thank you for being part of this story.
Empty Nest Adventures 
What a great way to raise money for a good cause. 😊
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Thank you, Irene!
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Love the moose charm! I will definitely be buying a set with the brushed magnets. Make a wish made my nieces wish come true and I’d like to help with the cause.
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That makes me so happy! Thank you so much, Debbie. The moose are my favorite too.
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It reminds me of the moose that was the logo for Northern Exposure…one of my favorite shows from the 90s.
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That was my favorite show too!! I haven’t thought about that show for years… Holling and Shelly, Maggie and Chris. I never missed an episode. 😁
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Wish someone would replay or stream all the episodes.
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I’m going to look into that. Maybe Hulu?
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I’ve been looking off and on for the last few years with no luck. I have the first season on DVD and it comes in an orange zip up jacket.
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Love what you are doing!
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Thank you, Pam!
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