Creative Giving

Creative giving.

It's important to me that my choices at Christmas time reflect what I value, it sets the tone for the new year. This Christmas I avoided the mall, and purchased all my gifts online. This saved transportation costs, since delivery trucks are delivering many goods, and not just taking my ass to the mall for a round trip. I wanted to buy experiences, but it can be tricky, since I'm working off other people's lists. I am definitely doing the experience thing with Tanner, we are going to take a dance class, or I'm going up with him later in the season to learn to snowboard, something like that. On my list I made sure to ask for organic, slave labor free clothing and other goods. My family isn't very experienced yet in making sure to research before buying products, so they are doing their best.

But I am broke so I don't have money left over to give much to charity. I gave five dollars to Child's Play, my absolute favorite charity, http://www.childsplaycharity.org/ (if not the most influential in the parts of the world I worry most about though) and five dollars to UNICEF.

Tanner had a great idea though: give blood. So early next week I'm going to donate blood at the Puget Sound Blood Center, http://www.psbc.org/home/index.htm. It's a great donation, and an important one also.

So I hope that inspires everyone else to think about what they consume, and how to give back this holiday season.

Also today, I sucked at both my finals. Oh well, I'll do better next quarter.