Presents

For the past few years, I've grown increasingly un-fond of presents. For birthday, Christmas, Mother's Day, whatever. I don't appreciate the idea of presents for presents' sake. If I were to get a present at all, I always appreciate the present of an experience with those I love over anything else.
(Restaurant certificates, a trip, travel certificates, etc). In fact, I asked for whoever got my name this last Christmas for the gift exchange to donate something in my name. They ended up buying me a handcrafted gift from a Free Trade store that supported people from low-income countries.

I've been hoping that the trend in materialism being 'expected' for holidays would be on it's way out.

It seems as if that dream is becoming a reality. I just found today evidence to the fact that giving donations as gifts is in fact becomming 'chic'!

Check out this new website I found, and please, pass it on to all your friends if you are so urged.

http://changingthepresent.org/

Love and aloha,
Amanda