Missing In Action

Wow. Time flies when life's circumstances rapidly change, doesn't it? I feel horrible with how long I've neglected this blog. I started with such a flame in my heart for it and I let that flame sizzle out these past few weeks. Sadly, I know exactly how it happened. I just got busy. Then when I realized I was so far behind, I started avoiding it. Oh I'm terrible that way. But, isn't that the way it always happens. We lose touch with friends, our clothes go out of style, our hair has grown out so bad we now are rocking a mullet. All because we get busy and focus on something else, not really even thinking about what we have put on hold to get other things done. It is amazing the things you can accomplish when you are completely focused. Well, I can tell you that I have been completely focused on other things. Putting our house on the market for one. That took a couple weeks of purging, preparing and plunging into a world of real estate oblivion. Thank God we found a great agent whose hard work has paid off with an offer already presented to the bank. Now we just wait. Wait. That's a weird way of living your life. Wait and see. Wait and focus. Wait and prepare for the next journey. Wait. Well, we're waiting. By golly, we're waiting.

Give purposefully. That's what I started with, but I didn't get too far. There were many companies I wanted to spotlight during this season and regretfully, I've run out of time to do all the ones I wanted to. But my whole purpose for this was to open eyes to the world out there in need and show you that you can do almost the same thing that you are doing now but with some purpose behind it. If I have opened just one persons eyes to this, then my job is done. Because if just one person does it then that's one more than before. And that is fine with me.

I've put a list of some companies, charities, missions, ideas, etc. so that if you are still searching for something for someone, then you might find your answer. I'll also be back to do some more spotlights.

Business as Mission:

• 31 bits
• International Princess Project
• Abba Inspired
• Toms Shoes
  

Charity/Volunteer Opportunities (Global):

• My Project Impact
• Toys for Tots
• Habitat for Humanity
• List of Non-Profit Organizations
  

Charity/Volunteer Opportunities (Local):

• Harvest for Humanity
• Children First Academy of Tempe
• Along Side Ministries
• Angel Tree
• Phoenix Rescue Mission

Ideas:

• Do a Christmas Party while volunteering/working a soup kitchen.
• Clean out your children's rooms and give some toys away before Christmas gifts arrive.
• Shop at Goodwill or other charitable thrift store.
  

My Paper Predicament Concerning Christmas Cards...

So, like I wrote last post, I have recently been trying to pin down my real problem with Christmas cards. I think I have decided that it is not only my problem with follow through, but also my problem with using up that much paper when all I do is either throw them away (gasp) or put them on my fridge for the next 2 years...

My problem with follow through is as follows: Each year I either, A.) buy cheap Christmas cards from some discount store and bring them home to not only write in them but forget to mail them out, or B.) buy all the stuff to make Christmas cards, make them, write in them, and then forget to mail them out. Ridiculous, I know. But seriously, I have cards from 6 years ago that I never mailed out. Mostly because I needed to get an address and totally forgot to do so. Then as I'm combing through remnants of the season I find them, kick myself in the shin, and then settle into a depression from not only wasting money but the paper.

My problem with using the paper is that I really do hate wasting stuff. I know Christmas cards shouldn't be considered a waste but sometimes, really, it is. Do I really need a card from my friend that I see every day, or a photo card from my sister's boyfriend's half-brother's mom and stepdad? No. I don't. I get them and I enjoy looking at the pictures or sweet words for about a minute and then it goes directly in the recycle bin. Or it goes on the fridge and then I leave it up for about 2 years. Or even worse, on top of the dog cage into an abyss of mail I need to sort. My closest friends know what I'm talking about.

So, with confession time over, here are a couple more ideas about Christmas cards that are responsible for the environment, and light on the wallet too. Yipee!!

E-cards.
Oh yes, I went there. Has it really come to that? Sending your Christmas cards over the internet. Ugh, how could I, right?? Ok, ok. I know. It isn't the most heartfelt, right? And not to mention the complete opposite of proper etiquette, Emily Post would have my head! Wrong, it takes just the same amount of time to write a message on an e-card as it does a real card. And for someone like me, mother of two busy children, have more email addresses than street addresses, and absolutely nil follow through, it might not be a bad idea. For some recipients anyway. Now my grandmother, I will send her a card, because she doesn't have an email address and she really would have my head if I didn't send anything at Christmas time. But there are some really great websites that offer e-cards to send to those friends you see all the time that really don't need a card every year. They have music, dancing snowmen and even a space to write a warm little message. C'mon, if you have time to upload pictures to "elf yourself" then you certainly have time to find an e-card and write a message to a friend. And think, then you will only have to write out cards to a few people, like you 87 year old grandmother that would rather use a crochet needle than a computer. You will also be saving a little bit of money this season because usually the e-cards are free. There are websites that have options like a free membership, free trials or an annual membership for a relatively low fee. I've tested each of the sites below and I'll give you my opinion of the pros and cons of each.

• Dayspring http://www.dayspring.com/ecards/ There are some really cute and wonderful cards here. The free membership allows you to send the cards, keep an address book to send more cards later, and allows you to write a message. It does not however allow you to format your message. But I like this one because it doesn't show any ads when your recipient opens the card.
  

• 123greetings http://www.123greetings.com/events/christmas/merry_christmas/ This site offers lots of cards that are both Christian in their message and non christian. The cards are cute, traditional, funny, etc. The cards are free to send but the catch is that there are a lot of ads all over the site and ads when your recipient opens their card.

• Smilebox http://www.smilebox.com/christmas-greetings.html This one is also really awesome because you can make your own card, pick your music, choose a special greeting, put your own photos, videos and more. Not sure of the cons to this site. If you know of some, lemme know.
  

• Care2 http://www.care2.com/aboutus/ Now this site is amazing. Their mission is to help people make the world a better place. On this site you can earn credits for good causes. You earn credits for various things like creating an account, commenting on news stories, posting a new topic in a group, creating a petition, and with respect to our purposes here, sending e-cards. Now with these credits, or butterfly credits as they call them, you can redeem them for various causes, such as providing a day of safe drinking water for a child, helping a farmer grow organic cotton, or providing a toy for a shelter dog. The cards themselves are pretty fun, but some are a little funky looking. However, I think my favorite is the "Merry Mice" card. So cute. This site even has a section for photo e-cards. You can send e-cards uploaded with your family photo. This brings me to my next idea.

• There are plenty more websites that I didn't check out. Some are Hallmark, American Greeting, and Blue Mountain.
  

Photo Cards.
This is the new thing everyone's doing. You go onto a website, find a layout you like and upload photos to make a photo Christmas card. While the cheapest option I've found for that is $14.99 for a set of 20 is a good deal, I have a better one for you. Collect your digital photos online on a site like Flickr or Picasa. Arrange them, edit them, label them. Then choose your e-card, write a message and put a link to your photo album in the message of the card. You've now shared more pictures than even largest card can hold and sent them to lots of people, all for free. Your recipients can see pictures from throughout the year and can comment on them too.

I know these ideas aren't for everyone, but if you choose to be a little different this year, even with two or three friends, you've saved not only money but some paper in the process. Check your inboxes for my e-cards this year.

Coming up: Ideas for kids gifts.

The Plight of the Christmas Card Part 1

What better place to start then Christmas cards? Who already has their Christmas cards made, labeled, stamped and mailed? I don't. I've been thinking about getting a family picture snapped for about three weeks now. Has it happened yet? No. What's worse is I haven't even bought cards. I put the pro in procrastination. But all this might not be bad thing.

Recently I've been trying to decide how I feel about the Christmas card exchange. I want to let everyone know how our family is doing, what new things have happened in the year and send pictures to show how much the kids have grown. Every year I have the best intention of getting them sent out. Usually it doesn't happen and I have to forgive myself every time I walk to the mailbox and end up getting a stack from people I haven't sent one to in years. If there is one thing I love though, it is getting that stack and sitting down with the kids to show them all the cards and pictures and awesome words of blessings and well-wishes from family and friends. I love it but what do I do with the cards once I have them? I put them on the fridge and they stay there all year. I want to do more with them. I'm striving for perfection here ya know...but seriously, there are plenty of things to do differently here.

First of all I would like to give you a little bit of information I've found while researching.

The greeting card industry is a multi-billion dollar a year market. Hallmark Cards Inc. reported a consolidated revenue of $4 billion for 2009, while American Greetings reported its revenues at $342.8 million. Don't get me wrong-I don't think there is anything wrong with a company making a profit. To be honest, I'm kinda wishing I owned Hallmark right about now...but I digress. On Hallmark's website they claim that 1.5 billion Christmas cards are sent each year and 85% of consumers say they participate in sending cards, letters and photos. Obviously this is a large part of the Christmas traditions for the average household. The question is where can we use our money most effectively in respect to buying or sending Christmas cards?

Here are a few ideas:

• Cards from Africa http://cardsfromafrica.com Featured on the TODAY show, in O Magazine and Newsweek International, to name just a few, this organization makes cards for all occasions from recycled paper. They operate out of Rwanda, a country devastated by civil war, genocide, and the HIV/AIDS virus that has left many children orphaned. Young children are left to raise not only themselves but their younger siblings. The organization has stepped in to fill a need. They provide jobs for the sibling functioning as the head of household caring for their own brothers and sisters. They are deeply committed to fair trade principals by not employing children, giving their employees fair wages, having safe and healthy working conditions, using honest advertising and marketing, and by promoting employee independence and encouraging them to save. They also are actively making a difference for the environment by using recycled paper for the cards and responsible methods of production.

• Cards That Give http://www.cardsthatgive.org/index.html A non-profit site that directs you to more than 100 charities that sell greeting cards to fund their work. Started in 2006, the site features a gallery of cards as well as a comprehensive list of all the charities that offer greeting cards. The websites founder said it perfectly, "Americans spend more than $2 billion on Christmas holiday cards each year. If it were easy for individuals and businesses to buy their greeting cards from non-profit organizations, card sales could generate millions of dollars for worthy causes." The charities range in interests from helping those struggling with cancer, autism, or blindness, to emancipating and healing victims of human trafficking, abuse or neglect, or even to aiding our furry four legged friends.
  

• UNICEF http://www.shopcardsandgifts.unicefusa.org/ A well known global humanitarian organization, it is dedicated to providing children globally with health care, clean water, nutrition, education, emergency relief, and more. "Despite extraordinary progress, 22,000 children still die each day from preventable causes. Our mission is to do whatever it takes to make that number zero by giving children the essentials for a safe and healthy childhood." By sending a UNICEF card you not only make others aware of the circumstances with which children around the world are faced with but the profits go to helping those children in a very real way.

These are only a few sites to purchase cards that will give back. There are so many others, but also many stores that are selling cards this season also sell cards that when purchased a portion of the profits will go to UNICEF or other large charitable organizations. Be mindful to find holiday cards this season that give more than just well-wishes to family and friends but also give to charities that provide for those in need.

Coming up: I will give you alternative ideas for Christmas cards that not only give to those in need but contribute in other wonderful ways.

To Present Voluntarily

/gɪv/ Show SpelledHellofjokewnrwaGift-giving. Whether it is giving or receiving, gift-giving is a great experience. Well, almost.

Sometimes we know exactly what to get for someone. They've been pining over that dish set with the detailing that goes just so well with their flatware. Or perhaps they have had a list for Santa for months already and even as you read this they are working on the 5th rough draft that they'll have on your desk in the morning. In those cases you're safe.

But we all know there are those times that we walk up and down aisles in the store begging for something to jump off the shelf into our baskets so we can cross off Sandy from our Christmas shopping list. Other times we wade through the websites that claim they have the perfect present for Peggy, the girl who has it all and more. I mean how many scarfs can one 27 year old have! And still we sit looking through catalogs racking our brains for just one more toy to add to Timmy's already bulging collection billowing out of his room.

In these instances do you think you could maybe take a different path? Do you think you can try something else besides picking out some random thing? What about a gift that when you buy it a portion of the profits go to a charity, or a pair of pajamas that when you buy them the proceeds go directly to helping a woman to get herself back on her feet after years of abuse and enslavement? What about donating the 5 dollars you spend on that gift card to a coffee shop for your 12 year old's teacher to a charity in their name? Basically giving gifts with more purpose.

Here is where I come in. I came across a website the other day that changed me. I realized that there are opportunities every where I look for me to help out, sometimes without even leaving the comfort of my home. Isn't that where most people have the hardest time when confronted with the opportunity to go to shelters and give of their time? Well, what about money? If you are like me, you have ten times the amount of time than you do money. And now there are Christmas gifts to buy for your loved ones? Honestly, it is especially hard around this time of year to decide between giving my money to a charity or buying my family Christmas gifts. So, why not do both at the same time?

I have started this blog for that very purpose. To get the information, resources, links, whatever you need (except the time and money-that is your end of the deal) out there so that you can make an informed decision. We can make a difference without changing too much of what we already do. And think of what we could do if we changed just a little bit more. It doesn't matter what gender, race, ethnicity, religion, age, or financial bracket we fall into, this world needs help and we're the only ones who can answer the cry.

Come back every day or so to get an in depth look into different ideas for gift-giving more purposefully this Christmas season.