GiftsDebtValley.com, November 4, 2009
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This morning, our four year old daughter told me, “I don’t want a bunch of things for Christmas. I just want one thing: a pogo stick.”
I paused to reflect on how delightfully easy it is to choose Christmas presents for little ones. We are constantly cutting back on the number of toys and parts and pieces that are so often underfoot in our home. The approaching holiday season has me thinking about how we can celebrate through giving, without increasing the volume of stuff in our home.
As we discussed in last week’s 12 Weeks to a Peaceful Christmas task, the sooner we start gift shopping, the less stressed we’ll be when the holiday hits. So here are 10 clutter-free gift ideas for the little ones in your life.
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10. Bless the People of the Earth
During the holiday season, opportunities abound for families who are willing to invest in the lives of others. There are dozens and dozens of organizations that are in the trenches of doing the hard work of meeting the needs of people around the world.
• Mercy Corps offers Mercy Kits – a practical and powerful way for your family to make a difference in the lives of others. Mercy Kits range in price from $18 to $2500; every family blessed with plenty could find a way to be the change.
• Heifer International is on a mission to “ to work with communities to end hunger and poverty and to care for the earth. Heifer does this by providing appropriate livestock, training and related services to small-scale farmers and communities worldwide.” From their Meaningful Gifts selections, your family could purchase a flock of chicks for a family in Cameroon or a sheep to provide wool for a family in another part of the world.
• World Vision works to provide emergency relief, long-term development, and much-needed advocacy for people groups around the globe and through their “Must Have Gifts” selection, your family could purchase mosquito nets or school textbooks (and much more) for families half the world away from where you live.
Read the full blog post here
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