Gifts For Good
Merry Excess, Friends! Sorry, I mean Merry Xmas – Freudian slip, I’m sure.
I honestly don’t mean to be a Scrooge about the holidays. Believe me – I love the holidays. You know I’m a planner by nature, so you’d better believe that on November 1st, I’m chomping at the bit to get this whole thing rolling. But, like the rest of our lives, there’s just so much “stuff” that comes with this season. Meals, parties, decorations, pageants, presents – you name it! Let’s do it all!
And again, I love it all. But, I will say that I try really hard to not say yes to everything in November and December. If I didn’t, our family would be up to our ears in Friendsgivings, Christmas gatherings, and concerts…along with sitting on 18 Santa’s laps by December 24th. So we say “No” to things. Because at the end of the day, despite my love for the cookies and carols and presents, I need my sanity and to enjoy the season too.
What gets to me the most, though, are the presents. So.Many.Presents. Because of… So.Much.Love. Everyone suddenly shifts to only one love language for a month. And I love presents too! I love giving them, I love getting them, I even love wrapping them. Seriously.
But recently, I’ve become the worst person to buy presents for. In the past 2 years, I’ve gotten on this trendy purging-your-clutter, new-age-minimalist kick. I had already been decluttering our house when we decided to move across the country. That put me into overdrive. If we didn’t use or it didn’t spark joy, I’m sorry, you just lost your ticket for the moving truck and bought yourself a consolation ticket to the local thrift store. So long story short, for my birthday this year, my family didn’t know what to do with me and bought me coffee, books, popcorn, and a new garden hose nozzle.
And I was super happy.
I loved these gifts because they were so thoughtfully specific to me. I knew they didn’t break anyone’s bank. And I knew they wouldn’t be just one more thing I was going to be tasked with dusting every 2 weeks for eternity. (Okay, that’s a dirty lie. I don’t dust every 2 weeks.)
So I’m going to do something a little different today. I want to share a few thoughtful gift options for this (or any) season. And the very cool thing about these gifts is, get this…
When you buy these gifts, you’re ALSO supporting an awesome cause.
Whaaaaat? You get to love on your family and friends thoughtfully AND give to a worthy organization? Sign. Me. Up.
Sometimes gifts received are so much better when they have a good story behind them. And these gifts surely fit the bill!
Now before I show you these awesome ideas, I need to throw in a disclaimer about affiliate links, marketing and kickbacks, just so you know what I’m doing here:
I don’t know if you’ve noticed this, but there are no advertisements on my site. This blog isn’t intended to be a cash cow of any sorts. No advertisements. No affiliated links. No hidden agenda here.
So, if you click on any of the below links and buy something, I will make ZERO dollars.
If you DON’T click on any of the below links and DON’T buy something, I will also make ZERO dollars.
It’s simple math really.
So buy these things, don’t buy these things – you won’t hurt my feelings either way.
The people who will get money from your purchases are doing Good things and they will use the money for just that. And that’s pretty awesome.
Now sit back, relax, and browse a few items I’ve run across this past year which support causes near and dear to my heart…
The Gift: Share: The Cookbook that Celebrates Our Common Humanity ($24)
Best For: Your favorite chef or international foodie friend
The Cause: This is a cookbook that celebrates and shares recipes from all over the world. Proceeds from the sale of this book help Women 4 Women International, an organization which supports and trains women from war-torn countries by providing a year-long program to help start their own businesses. Personally, I just sponsored a “sister” in Nigeria through this organization and can’t wait to support her via encouraging letters. As a business-minded woman with an entrepreneurial spirit myself, I’m really excited about what this organization is doing.
Buy it on Amazon Here
The Gift: Recycled bags and backpacks from Rice Love ($38-$45)
Best For: Your purse fanatical friend, mom, sister, or favorite blog author (have I mentioned bags are my kryptonite?)
The Cause: Okay, wow – so these bags and this org are awesome. First, the bags themselves are made from recycled rice bags. THEN…when you buy a bag from Rice Love, they GIVE 2.2lbs (1 kilo) of rice to a family in need in India. And your purchase includes a unique tag number that allows you to look up the family you helped feed. Now that’s Good!
Link to buy: https://ricelove.org/
The Gift: 365 Connecting Questions for Couples ($16) – also available in “for Engaged Couples” and “for Families” versions
Best For: You and your spouse, couple friends, engaged friends, families
The Cause: Marriage365 is all about healthy marriages and healthy relationships. And I am all about intentionally pouring into my own marriage, so ipso facto, I love this company. And don’t, for a second, think this is cheesy at all. I bought this for my husband and I last Christmas and, after he was done rolling his eyes at me, we had some amazing conversations coming from this book. This organization also offers virtual marriage courses, coaching, and motivating blog posts.
Shop & Learn More: https://www.marriage365.org/
The Gift: Recycled bracelet by 4ocean ($20)
Perfect For: Your tree-hugging friend (yes, the one that carries their stainless steel straw everywhere)
The Cause: 4ocean is committed to tackling the ocean trash crisis. For each bracelet purchased, the company pledges to pull 1 lb of trash from the ocean on top of the major infrastructure they’re building to combat the global issue. My favorite jewelry items are simple, meaningful bracelets that I wear on my left wrist. And these are exactly that. Choose from their original bracelet or select one that signifies your love of a specific ocean conservation (jellyfish, Everglades, sea otters, dolphins, the list goes on!)
Shop & Learn More: https://4ocean.com/
The Gift: Moment of Lift by Melinda Gates ($14)
Perfect For: Your favorite feminist bookworm
The Cause: Odds are, when you hear the name “Melinda Gates”, you think of the wife of a billionaire. But this book will open your eyes to so much more than that. You’ll learn of her life as the co-founder of the world’s largest philanthropy, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. You will hear her stories of sleeping on dirt floors of third world countries to understand the struggles and needs for women across the globe. You will finish this book and want to be Melinda Gates when you grow up, no matter how old you are. Sales from this book are donated to the causes discussed in the book.
Buy it on Amazon here
The Gift: Long Wallet from Malia Designs ($30)
Perfect For: Best friend, teacher, sister
The Cause: If you go to the Malia Designs website, you will be overwhelmed with choices of beautiful handmade wallets, purses, and bags. You will then be overwhelmed with emotion when you learn that they’re all made by disabled and at-risk women in Cambodia and that profits are donated to Stop Traffick, a not-for-profit that fights human trafficking.
Shop all the beautiful things here: https://www.maliadesigns.com/
Okay friends, that’s a WRAP! (Bad pun intended.) Thanks so much for listening to me gush about all these amazing organizations. May your shopping be quick and painless. And may your gifts bring joy to more than just the person receiving it.
Don’t miss my next post titled “Wait…Christmas is ACTUALLY about Joy?” Enter your email address below to get it directly to your inbox! And please share this post to spread the love on these great causes!
