Counter-Cultural Christmas!

Just a few days left until Christmas! I wanted to point out a few non-traditional Christmas gifts that are sure to bless not only your recipient but also the real recipient who is often half a world away. I love gifts that bless many people!  Disclaimer:  I receive no compensation to promote these websites.

Free Wheelchair Mission
For just $59.20, you can purchase a wheelchair in someone's name. By purchasing this wheelchair, you are providing dignity to someone who has been on the ground. This video explains it so much better than I could.


Be the Light in 2009 from Free Wheelchair Mission on Vimeo.

When you purchase a wheelchair, you receive a beautiful card explaining the donation plus a gift card for that wheelchair.  The recipient can then go online and register that card.  By registering the card, they are able to choose where the wheelchair goes.  Awesome!

Oh - if you live in the Ohio Valley and wish to participate and donate, check out this link to take part in a special Ohio Valley donation campaign!

World Vision
World Vision is a fantastic organization.  They provide disaster relief plus general aid throughout the world.  I have purchased items through World Vision for years.  They also offer child sponsorship for those who wish to sponsor a needy child. 

Check out the gift catalog!  You can donate in someone's name and change lives all at once.  Here are some gift options:

• 2 Chickens $25 - provide eggs, meat, and an income from bred chickens to a family without reliable food sources.
• $350 Worth of Necessities in USA $25 - diapers, clothing, blankets, shoes, toiletries for struggling families here in the US.
• Provide clean water with a Share of a Deep Well for just $100.
• Education for 1 Child $32

Just think.  Americans - not worldwide - spend $10 BILLION on Christmas gifts.  How much of an impact could we have on the hurting and desperate in this world if we simply allocated a small 10% of our regular Christmas budget to helping those less fortunate?  Chew on that!

Merry Christmas!

Alternative Christmas Gifts

Are you getting buried in STUFF?  Is clutter taking over your home?  Are you living with an abundance?  I challenge you to rethink your Christmas giving this year. 

Think about the TRUE meaning of Christmas.  Yes, getting stuff is fun.  Giving stuff is even more fun.  But does Aunt Thelma really need another holiday sweater?  Do the kids really need a new pile of toys?  How many holiday ties does your hubby need?

I have been challenged lately.  After watching some episodes of "Clean House" and "Hoarders," I began to really think about our stuff and our attachments to that stuff.  I admit, there are a few things in my home that I would be hard pressed to part with - namely a few furniture pieces from my grandmother for sentimental reasons.  Should I be so attached to things?  There are so many that have so little.  So many that struggle to even provide enough meals for their children.

With our abundance, how can we bless others during this Christmas season?  Oh - there are so many ways!

• Gather toys that your kids no longer play with.  Donate these toys to a homeless shelter, battered women's shelter, or soup kitchen.  Have your kids help so they learn about blessing others.
• Take items from your stockpile (toiletry items for example) and donate them.  Many hospital ICU's have items stored for family members who arrive with nothing but the clothes on their backs.  Homeless shelters often donate these items to those who need them.  Donate extra pantry items to the food bank.  Food banks are having a harder time than ever keeping their shelves stocked - especially at months end.
• Donate gently used clothing to various organizations.

How does all of this fit with alternative Christmas gifts?  Well, I wanted to set the groundwork of altering our thinking before introducing these other ideas.  Consider these ideas.  Consider using them to change your family's outlook on the holiday.  Make Christmas so much more than just the STUFF.

• Purchase items for those in need in honor of someone.  Rather than get Aunt Thelma that sweater, put that money toward some chickens for needy in Asia.  Provide plenty of nutritous eggs for a starving family through the Gospel for Asia.
• Sponsor a child or provide disaster relief in someone's name through World Vision.  I donated money in friends' names for the tsunami disaster a few years ago.
• In someone's name, help a person unable to walk get up off the ground by purchasing a wheelchair for them.  All over the world, people who are crippled are either confined to home or destined to a life of crawling around.  By giving a wheelchair, you give freedom, independence, and dignity.  New this year - send a free wheelchair Christmas card and the recipient gets to choose WHERE the wheelchair will go!  Super cool!  The Free Wheelchair Mission is very close to my heart.

Look in to your heart.  Evaluate your priorities for the holidays.  Be creative!  Bless the socks off of others - there is nothing better!

Tylenol Coupons and $5 Target Gift Card Promotion

I have two great deals for you tonight.

First off, Tylenol has launched a calendar webpage full of coupons.  Just sign up and print out coupons!  I had some trouble in Firefox but was able to sign up using Safari.

Lilaguide has a special promotion going on right now.  If you sign up and review just 10 items/businesses/locations, you will receive a $5 Target gift card.  I did mine today and got confirmation that my gift card is in the mail.   For store and location reviews, you may need to stick to the major metropolitain area nearest you.

Deals and Gift Giving

In my family, wish lists are huge.  We make them FAR in advance (well, most of us do).  It is a huge help when shopping throughout the year.  Now, we don't always stick to the list - it's just a helpful guide.  My goal has always been to set my gift spending budget then see how much stuff I can for that amount by finding the best deals.

Sales, like this weekend, really help stretch that budget.  Check out what sales are out there - you may knock out more of your list than you think!

Clothing/Housewares

• JCP.com - free shipping through 9/8 by using the code LABOR49.  This is the final clearance on many items - 75% off or more!
• Amazon Labor Day Sale
• Dockers 20%-50% off

Magazines (always a fun, year-long gift, especially if you pay with Swagbucks)

• Car and Driver - Just $6.97
• Harper's Bazaar (1-year) - Just $8
• Esquire (1-year) - Just $8.00
• Popular Mechanics (1-year) - Just $5
• Seventeen (2-year) - Just $5 after extra $5 discount at checkout