Here at Two Crows we are pretty big fans of making gifts, not giving just for the sake of giving, and making sure that the gifts we do give have meaning and thought put into them.
It was Stephen's birthday last Sunday and for the weeks leading up to his birthday I was at a loss for what to give him.
Each birthday we have a tradition of having your favourite breakfast in the morning, chosing the birthday supper, and making sure we tell the birthday boy or girl what they mean to us and what we enjoy about them. Beyond that everything is up for grabs.
This year Stephen didn't need anything or want anything. So, the kids and I did an art project for him. We each painted a small canvas using the same theme- Elephants (Stephen's favourite). We put them all into one nice frame, and that was it. We didn't have a party; Which, for Stephen, was a gift in itself. We worked in the woods, spent time by the fire and watched the Superbowl. It was, for him, a good birthday.
The birthday conundrum in general got me thinking. How many unwanted, unused or unrequired gifts do people give every year? I am guessing a lot. It adds up, both financially and on the burden of "stuff" kicking around in basements, closets and landfills doesn't it?
So, just like in the kid world the "toonie party" fad had people giving less and thinking more of others, I am really keen on a new idea: The charity gift card.
Now I knew you could get gift cards for virtually everything, from coffee to music to furniture, but a giving card is a new one for me.
I came accross it while building a website for the Transiton House Foundation here in Cape Breton. They use a site called CanadaHelps.org to collect online donations.
So rather than giving someone a card that says "hey buddy, instead of buying you a useless piece of crap this year I donated $50 to the save a small furry animal foundation" you can order a giftcard with money on it that the recipient can actually spend on the charity(ies) of their choice.
Perhaps by thinking outside of the box a little we can start reminding folks that during times of great receiving it is also pretty neat to give a little.
Check out the gift card: http://www.canadahelps.org/GiftCards/CharityGiftCard.aspx
Check out the Transition House Foundation Website:
http://transitionhousefoundation.weebly.com/
It was Stephen's birthday last Sunday and for the weeks leading up to his birthday I was at a loss for what to give him.
Each birthday we have a tradition of having your favourite breakfast in the morning, chosing the birthday supper, and making sure we tell the birthday boy or girl what they mean to us and what we enjoy about them. Beyond that everything is up for grabs.
This year Stephen didn't need anything or want anything. So, the kids and I did an art project for him. We each painted a small canvas using the same theme- Elephants (Stephen's favourite). We put them all into one nice frame, and that was it. We didn't have a party; Which, for Stephen, was a gift in itself. We worked in the woods, spent time by the fire and watched the Superbowl. It was, for him, a good birthday.
The birthday conundrum in general got me thinking. How many unwanted, unused or unrequired gifts do people give every year? I am guessing a lot. It adds up, both financially and on the burden of "stuff" kicking around in basements, closets and landfills doesn't it?
So, just like in the kid world the "toonie party" fad had people giving less and thinking more of others, I am really keen on a new idea: The charity gift card.
Now I knew you could get gift cards for virtually everything, from coffee to music to furniture, but a giving card is a new one for me.
I came accross it while building a website for the Transiton House Foundation here in Cape Breton. They use a site called CanadaHelps.org to collect online donations.
So rather than giving someone a card that says "hey buddy, instead of buying you a useless piece of crap this year I donated $50 to the save a small furry animal foundation" you can order a giftcard with money on it that the recipient can actually spend on the charity(ies) of their choice.
Perhaps by thinking outside of the box a little we can start reminding folks that during times of great receiving it is also pretty neat to give a little.
Check out the gift card: http://www.canadahelps.org/GiftCards/CharityGiftCard.aspx
Check out the Transition House Foundation Website:
http://transitionhousefoundation.weebly.com/
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