Oh, the ticking clock to the holidays… it’s getting louder and louder!
I have already given you the list of Mom Goes Green holiday recommendations, from gifts to party planning, so I hope you’ve already discovered some great ideas and tips.
But then along comes another list that’s worthy of some sharing! It’s from The Huffington Post and may help you if you’re still really, really struggling for a last minute gift idea! Take a look!
I also realized that there is one VERY important organization that I didn’t mention loudly enough: Kiva!
Kiva is really quite extraordinary… through their gift certificate program you can “loan” your gifted money to a “working poor” recipient of your choosing. Once they are able to repay the loan, you are given back your donated money to grant to another needy recipient… and this wonderful cycle starts all over again!
We’ve personally supported many families. They’ve including a man in Tajikistan who desperately needed money to buy seeds for farming, to a gentleman in Palestine that needed funds to improve his organic chicken farm! It’s rewarding (and admittedly fun!) to go through the list of people, see who you would like to help and check on their progress as time goes on, and until their loan is repaid.
Consider giving a Kiva gift certificate to someone (or make a donation yourself) and just a small amount will allow them (or you!) to give again and again and again…
Isn’t that really much better than that lousy sweater you were considering?…
Kiva sounds like an awesome organization! I just checked out their site and wow – what a great resource 🙂 Thanks for the great idea ma friend! Merry Christmas!!
.-= smilinggreenmom´s last blog ..12 Days of Christmas with Vidazorb!! =-.
Aloha To All
There is a priceless gift that the family get together, can give and the cost is a few minutes of each family member,.
Take a 20 minute walk around the neighborhood and do a little Holiday Waster-Sizing.
We all know that we will be overeating all the delicious treats, so why not also give back to Mother Nature and do a little bending at the waist to pick up some waste (dangers) left behind by unknowing unthinking or uncaring humans.
Setting examples in ones neighborhood has many rewards, your showing that you care and want to make a difference, also your family or friends that you are visiting, will be receiving the priceless gift, of you caring.
Buying one gifts is nice, but giving of yourself is the biggest gift of all.
Did you know that toxic cigarette butts and bottle caps are the 2 most littered items in the world and they are of the size that an unknowing baby or animal can and do ingest! Did you know these 2 things can choke, make ill or kill, not even counting all of the disposable lighters and camera batteries left behind!
Did you know that most, if not all movies show the actors flicking their toxic butts into the street, beaches, wherever, and that makes many, (not all) other people think that it is OK to do the same! Did you know that it takes up to 12 years for a toxic cigarette butt to decompose, contaminating our waterways and plastic last forever, both also plugging up and contaminating our storm drains, (our life’s blood)(water) Did you know that each and everyone of us can make a difference by sharing this information to protect Mother Nature, Voiceless, Children, Wildlife and Waterways. also making life better for all.
We “all” need to take a few minutes out of our busy life’s from time to time and start,
Leaving Examples, Smiles And Footprints Behind.
The Pollution Solution Group Wishes all inner-wealth, health, happiness, peace along with Happy Holidays.
KOTO Keeper Of The Ocean
.-= Gerry aka KOTO´s last blog ..Pattaya City Hall Heeds the Request from Koto1-12-10 =-.
Kiva and other microlending institutions are doing incredible work around the world! Thank you for telling your readers about Kiva. Green Moms can really change things when they put their minds to it! One thing people should be careful of is that some microlending institutions are charging incredibly high interest rates but I don’t know exactly how Kiva works. Do you know if their rates are reasonable? Thanks again!