Hello, Santa’s Elves!
Joining up with Erin at Perfectly Port Family for today’s “10 on the 10th” post…”10 Favorite Gifts to Give”. Ok, for me it’s 10 on the 12th!! I am anxious to read everyone else’s posts for gift-giving ideas. But we have promised to make this Christmas’s gift-giving about my granddaughters Cadence and Lucia. The adults are going to set aside money that would normally go to presents for a family trip together late this spring.
Feel Good Gifts
Several years ago, I wrote this post about gifts you can feel good giving. It includes 8 ideas for feel-good gifts to give. Today’s post is just an extension to the ideas I shared in Gifts You’ll Feel Good Giving. Once again, my “10 favorite gifts to give” are not all presents you wrap with shiny paper and a bow.
Ornaments that Make a Difference
Sisal, soda angels. Found these beautiful sisal ornaments at Swahili Modern. Crafted by east African artisans.
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Can you tell from what the wings on these elegant angels are recycled?
Quilled hearts. The Animal Rescue Site is selling recycled magazine heart ornaments. Each heart purchased provides 35 bowls of pet food to animals in shelters across the country.
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What a bargain at $3.99 a piece! Think how cute these ornaments would be attached to your packages instead of a bow. Also available in the shape of a dove, star and reindeer.
Gift Cards that Make a Difference
Donate to Kate’s Crazy Cool Christmas. For several years now, I have been a member of a prayer group. The faith of the other women in this group is inspirational and uplifting. I am honored to be a member of the Yes, Grace Rocks prayer warriors. One of the little girls we have prayed for over the years is Kate, diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2009 at the age of 5. For 8 years, Kate has been battling metastatic brain cancer. And for almost that long, she has been collecting gift cards at Christmas to make the hospital stays and lives of other pediatric cancer patients just a little easier. Here’s Kate to explain a little more about Kate’s Crazy Cool Christmas.
Maybe this year, we could all pay it forward by sending a Target, Walmart, Amazon or Starbucks gift card to help others less fortunate. Read more here and then send any donations or gift cards to:
Kate McCrae (KCCC), PO Box 8335, Alta Loma, California 91701
Have you heard of TisBest gift cards? I hadn’t until I began work on this post. ‘TisBest Philanthropy is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to encouraging others to give gifts of good, rather than gifts of stuff’ [source].
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Don’t know about yours, but my family is about up to its collective ears in stuff. Here’s how these gift cards work. The giver purchases a charity gift card from TisBest in the form of an actual plastic card, email card or printer gift card. The recipient ‘spends’ the gift card to make a donation to one of the 300+ charities partnering with TisBest. Win-win. Actually, win-win-win. The giver feels good about the gift, the recipient feels good about using the gift card to make a donation to a charity of her choosing. The charity receives a donation! So much to love about TisBest.
Other Ideas for Thinking Outside of the Gift Box
Give the gift of a class. Our local community college offers a variety of personal enrichment classes. Stained glass, mosaic glass, basic bartending, wine appreciation, tennis, golf! Something for everyone. And most classes are less than $100 for a 6-8 week program.
Give the gift of time. Help someone you love with a special project or volunteer at a local charity: humane society, animal shelter, veterans’ home, rescue mission. Throw a yard sale and give the proceeds to charity. Donate to a food bank. Take old clothing to H&M clothing stores and receive a 15% discount on a same-day purchase.
Give the gift of a getaway or special event. Tickets to a concert or cultural activity: the symphony, ballet, play or musical. Purchase an annual zoo or museum membership. Maybe a national or state park pass? A Texas State Parks Pass costs $70; a second pass for someone who lives at the same address as you for $25. A pass allows unlimited access to the 90 parks across the Lone Star state for one year.
Pay It Forward.
Purchase a Little Free Library. I have written several posts about Little Free Libraries, here and here. Set up a LFL in your community or neighborhood school and serve as the library’s steward.
Donate books to the children’s floor at your local hospital. Books are gifts that keep on giving. Encourage little ones in your life to sort through their personal libraries for books they could donate.
There are so many ways we can make a difference. Hope maybe one of these ideas will have sparked your interest as a way to celebrate the reason for the holiday season!
Your Turn
PC and I are so very blessed and don’t need a thing. Not a thing. I think my daughters’ and their families would echo that sentiment. How about you? Does your family have a special charitable activity or make a special donation every Christmas? Won’t you share in a comment below? I appreciate hearing new ideas my family can try!
Don’t forget to enter the Christmas cash giveaway!
Christmas Cash Give-away
Are you getting geared up for the shopping season? Do you need extra cash for Christmas?? Don’t we all!
We are so excited to be giving away $300 in cash prizes for you to use starting this Thanksgiving weekend.
Here are the prizes:
1 – $100 Amazon Gift Card
1 – $75 Target Gift Card
2 – $50 Walmart Gift Card
1 – $25 Kohls Gift Card
And a $20 Starbucks gift card as an extra bonus winner!!
There will be 6 winners in this giveaway. Each winner will receive a gift card code to use on the online store or in the actual store.
Now its time to meet our wonderful co-hosts who have made this giveaway possible.
Starting at the top row we have:
Sinea Pies – Ducks ‘n a Row, Susan Renker – Culinary Envy, Linda Cassidy – A Labour of Life, Sarah Louderback – Devastate Boredom, Melissa Russo – The Farm Girl Gabs, Monica Geglio – Mommy & Love, Tammy Doiel – Creative K Kids, Kim Purvis – Made in a Day, Meredith Spidel – The Mom of the Year, Audrey Humaciu – That Recipe, Michelle James – Our Crafty Mom, Christine Luken – Your Strong Tower, Kari Carter (Jonard) – Keep it Simple, DIY, Trish Sutton – By Trish Sutton, Marie Dabbs – The Inspiration Vault, Marcy Lautanen-Raleigh – Backyard Patch Herbal Blog, Carrie Albrecht – Curly Crafty Mom, Whitney Johnson – Beauty, Baby, and a Budget, Lauren Becker – Shooting Stars Mag, Lauren Kim – Mom Home Guide, Leslie Clingan – Once Upon a Time & Happily Ever After, Carol Bray – The Red Painted Cottage, Emily Fish – Domestic Deadline, Kenyatta Harris – My Design Rules, Dana Lardner – Goods Giving Back & How In The World, Habiba Elkaihel – Craftify My Love, Tammy Adams – My Life Abundant, Pam Lamore – P.S. I Love You Crafts, Erlene Amat – My Pinterventures
Please stop by and say hi to these wonderful ladies and their blogs.
The giveaway will end midnight on Wednesday, November 22nd, the night before Thanksgiving. You will have 48 hours to respond to the email claiming the prize. If you respond right away, we will get you the gift card code promptly so that you can shop with it on Black Friday! If we don’t hear in 48 hours, we will choose another winner.
Thank you for spending a few moments with me today. Please run by to read the great gift ideas Erin has shared on her blog. Be inspired to make this your best holiday season yet.
Hugs and kisses,
Sarita @ it's my girls' world
These are such wonderful ideas. Love the idea of classes and experiences and the gifts of giving back in some form or fashion. Happy Sunday, lovely!
Leslie Roberts Clingan
I really like the idea of classes, too. Hope maybe I can wrangle my hubs into a dance class! Have a blessed weekend, sugar foot!
curlycraftymom
Wow! You’ve blown me away with these gift ideas. I would have put the traditional stuff like a scarf, mug, etc. But, these are all very thoughtful and have good causes behind them! Those truly are the BEST gifts!
Carrie
curlycraftymom.com
Leslie Roberts Clingan
What a sweet comment. I really want to support little Kate and her Crazy Cool Christmas. Such a doll baby to be thinking of others when she has had to fight for her very life.
Christie Hawkes
What lovely gift ideas, Leslie. Thanks for sharing. You’ve gotten me thinking. I’ve actually just about wrapped up my Christmas shopping this year, but some of these ideas would be great for birthdays and other gift-giving occasions throughout the year. I’m also going to discuss with my husband a different plan of action for next Christmas. May your holidays be blessed!
~Christie
Leslie Roberts Clingan
Oh, my gravy to be finished with Christmas shopping already. Amazing you!! We really, really are going to try to pare things down this Christmas. I am going to see both of my girls and their girls now before Thanksgiving. And then hope to set aside money the first months of the new year to save for a wonderful beach trip for all of us. Need to get back to working again to make that happen. But sure enjoying being home.
Thank you so much for your sweet comment.
amy
Such great gift ideas! TFS!
Leslie Roberts Clingan
Thank you, love!! What are you buying for baby girl?
Laura
These are such great gift ideas! I love those soda angels! They are beautiful!
Leslie Roberts Clingan
I thought the soda angels were so graceful and lovely. Not like the little chubby cherubs we usually see. Thank you for coming by, busy mama!!
sue from sizzlingtowardssixty & beyond
I love the ideas of the gift of time and the classes, Leslie. Time is something we all have and to give it to others is precious. I know when I visit at my MIL’s aged care home, I only need to spend A few minutes talking with the residents yet it means so much to them. Love the angels and heart as well.
Leslie Roberts Clingan
You are so right, Sue. The people at my mom’s retirement community (which is fast becoming more of a nursing home) just appreciate a warm ‘hello’ or a smile. Some of them never experience either! So sad. I like to pat them on their hands or backs, and compliment them on their clothing. Many of the ladies at my mom’s home still put on makeup and have their hair done and try so hard to look fashionable yet never hear a compliment. So sad. I am looking forward to being there with mom on Sunday and will enjoy spending time with her and her friends.