A different kind of Christmas

Can you believe the holidays are upon us? I hope you had a fantastic Thanksgiving. We are super low key around here this year. We are just so thankful to be together as a family and that is what we are celebrating.

 The last several years our family has tried to walk off the beaten path with Christmas and we have tried to find different ways to celebrate rather than just the usual go to the store and participate in the Christmas shopping madness. Each year our family pushes further from retail and we look for more meaning in the holidays. I will share with you some of what we have done with links in case you have been on the search as well for some more meaning, community, or charity in your Holiday Season.  

You can make handmade home spun gifts  Handmade Holidays  

Angel Tree is a great organization to bring Christmas to children who's parents are in prison

You can support the clean water crisis in Africa Blood Water

You can purchase a farm animal for a family in another country Heifer International

you could donate to Samaritans Purse who are doing a lot for the refuges coming in from Syria they also have the famous Operation Christmas Child and you can fill that shoe box!

You can decorate duffle bags for local foster kids with Together We Rise

You can volunteer with your local food bank and give something very precious your time San Diego Food Bank 

Some other ideas...

REI closed their stores this black friday and it was #optoutside. How about rather than shopping you go for a hike or walk grab your family and go on an adventure

Patagonia is promoting to repair your clothes rather than buy new. They have videos they have been putting out on tips for repairing your ripped or torn gear.

Get out a mug out and put it on your counter and instead of going to Starbucks put the money that you would have spent in your mug instead and have coffee at home. You will be surprised how much you can save by saying no to Lattes and Mochas. You can then take that money and donate to your favorite charity, or make some goody bags with neccesities for those that are homeless in your community.

You can donate your old jeans to Madewell and they send them to a charity that then turns them into insulation for Habitat for Humanity and other organizations to put in the houses that they build. So those old jeans sitting in the back of your closet could actually be the thing keeping a family warm this winter! And if you do this they give a $20 coupon to go towards a new pair of jeans. Thats a win win!! Or you could start your own denim drive with your family and friends the instructions are on their website. 
Blue Jeans Go Green 

I hope this post inspires you to think outside of the box or in this case the retail stores this holiday season. 

Please feel free to share and leave your favorite charities or different Holiday ideas in the comments below. 

#thinkoutsidethestore #bighugs #Friends&Family #neighborlylove #whatcanIdoforyou #Itsnotaboutme

#shopyourcloset #handmade #madewithlove #optoutside 

#loveoneanother #itsbettertogive #repurpose #coffeechallenge

#getoutside