One for One

They came! My yellow Portsmouth Cordone TOMS arrived and they are even better than I expected. I slipped them on and suddenly I felt a little livelier, a little lighter (yay) and kind of sunshiny! Yup - I am going to look so darn adorable bopping around in these rustic - but nifty little slip-ons.

I have been lurking the TOMS Shoes website for a couple of years now and I finally gave myself an excuse to order myself a pair. Thought they would be easy to pack and fun to bring along to Africa, and I saved some money by having them delivered from California to my Dad's place in Florida instead of to Canada.

TOMS is a truly remarkable company. They have a One for One business model that embodies social responsibility. With every pair purchased, TOMS gives a pair of new shoes to a child in need. One for One. And then they organize shoe drops and accept volunteers to go along for the experience. These shoe drops happen all over Africa and Guatemala and more. Companies like TOMS are the future for the betterment of the planet. They offer a useful product, provide meaningful employment and generate a positive outcome for children in need. It doesn't get any better than that.

Let's face it. $69 US is not chump change for a canvas pair of summer shoes ... but when you consider that you are actually purchasing two pairs, and helping a worthy initiative, it is a small price to pay. I am choosing to vote with my consumer dollars mindfully, and I think I"ll look cute in my TOMS doing it!

They really work at getting their message across ...

And you know where I'll be flying the TOMS flag in about 7 weeks.

Gifts That Give Us All More

How did this happen? It’s November 20th already! I promised myself that all of my Christmas shopping would be done by the end of November so that I would be free and clear to really enjoy the festivities – famjams, visits, dinners – that I love so much.

As optimistic that I usually am, I’m not sure I’m gonna make it this year. I haven’t even started. I haven’t formulated my thoughts around what special gifts I want to make/buy/order for the special ones in my life. And it really has to start with the thought, otherwise you waste countless hours aimlessly wandering a mall, wide eyed and panic stricken or glazed over and zombie like. I’ve done both.

But not this year! Last year I decided to bring extra joy and meaning to my Christmas gift giving and vowed not to do anything without love in my heart – I imposed a "no complaining" sanction on myself. I focused on buying gifts that were either handcrafted, locally or Canadian made, fair trade, organic or made from recycled materials. I also gave gifts that keep on giving: Kiva microloan gift certificates, cows and goats from Heifer.org, water for African communities and education for Afghan girls. The GreaterGood.org website has a huge variety of ideas for Gifts that Give More and trust me when I tell you that when you hit that donate/buy key, you will feel a rush of satisfaction knowing that you just gave a second chance to someone who really needs it.

I didn’t buy any wrapping paper so I had a lot of fun trying to figure out how to disguise the gifts in creative ways (hello newspaper, coffee cans and tea towels!). I found joy in the journey and it was one of my most memorable holidays ever. I plan to do the same this year … Pity the one who gets pjs that smell like dark roast.

Actually – after writing all that out, I’m thinking that I may not have to leave the comfort of my couch! Just have to figure out where to keep that cow …

Do you have some sites or ideas for creative, thoughtful Christmas gifts? Do share!

One Month to Christmas

One month until Christmas! Can you believe it? I have a goal of being done all gift shopping by the end of the first week of December. This will free me up to fully embrace and enjoy all of the wonders and socializing of the season that I love so very much. Ambitious? For me -- very!

Another goal I had set for myself was to make every effort to purchase goods that have been ethically and responsibly produced. That is turning out to be more difficult than I anticipated. In my two trips to the mall I was overwhelmed by the blatant commercialism (I know, it's nothing new) and sheer volume of STUFF. I don't want to buy stuff for the sake of buying stuff. I want to find meaningful, thoughtful gifts that show the people who I love that I know their wants and interests. I resorted to doing alot of my shopping online. I have found several sites that provide a wide assortment of special gifts (lots of organic stuff) that have been handmade from artisans around the globe or that benefit causes that are important to me and others. From the comfort of this laptop I can search, review and select the gifts I want without the chaos and air sucking environment of the mall.

I am also in the midst of planning special activities for our after (Christmas) dinner family time. This year it will be a family trivia game. It will be a time for us all to get to know one another just a little bit better, and for the youngest members of the family to learn about their heritage.

So -- one month to go! Countdown to the ultimate famjam is on! Now where is that credit card???