A Little Christmas Shopping

When I woke up this morning, I decided to pack up the baby and go get his last Christmas present. I'm really excited to celebrate Christmas this year. There's just something about having a baby that makes this time of year so much more exciting.

On the way to the store, I stopped at Starbucks. They sent me a postcard for a free drink on my birthday! So, of course, I got a delicious drink that I would never have bought otherwise. My venti gingerbread latte (decaf and dairy free, since little man's tummy is so sensitive) would have cost me $5.83...yikes! What a good treat :)

When I got to the Family Christian Bookstore, the older lady at the door practically yelled, "Hey! How are you and your little shopping buddy doing?!" Even without a baby on my arm, her volume would have been a little much. I smiled and quietly responded, "Well, he's sleeping, so I'm good." Obviously not taking the hint, she yells, "He's sleeping; so you're doing great, huh?!" Not for long, lady. Not for long. Oh well, it made me chuckle. He woke up, but I only had to get one thing, so it was no big deal.

When we knew we'd be together for the long haul, Dustin and I decided that we didn't want our Christmases to be so commercial as the standard American holiday. Along that line, there won't be any Santa in our house, and last year we heard of someone only giving each of their children three gifts, and we thought that sounded great! The concept is that three gifts were good enough for Jesus, so that's good enough for our kids. It might seem a little corny, but that wouldn't be the first corny thing we've ever done :) Although that was the original concept, it was really appealing to us because we had decided long before not to allow ourselves to become materialistic at Christmas or otherwise. We want to give to people who actually have needs, rather than continue to fill our house with more stuff!

Now that we have a baby, we realize that this will likely be a challenge at times (buying gifts for Josiah is so fun!), but it also comes with more benefits. For instance, limiting ourselves to buying three gifts means that each one is thought out and meaningful to our child. It also cuts down on time spent in stores. Knowing exactly what we're going to buy allows us to "get in and get out" or to simply order gifts online. I love getting packages in the mail, even if they aren't for me!

I'm so excited about Josiah's three gifts. Waiting until Christmas to give them to him is so hard!

Buying with Purpose

I want to live my life as a good steward of what I've been given.  Is it crazy to think I could use every penny to make my world a better place?  I don't think so.  The movie Food, Inc. tells us we VOTE with our money.  I love that concept, and I think it is completely true.  If I want hungry people to be fed, to see our environment become more healthy and well cared for, to help my neighbors prosper rather than become oppressed by big business, to see organic food become more common than the alternative, to help free enslaved men, women, and children, and MOST importantly, to help the Word of God to be spread all over the world...well, then, I had better use every resource I'm given to make a change. 


How am I going to do this?  Some of my ideas include giving to the church (of course!), buying from local businesses, purchasing clothes and shoes from non-profits that strive to serve the needy, frequenting farmer's markets, buying from companies that use only moral and environmentally friendly practices...I'm no pro at this, and I know it will mean educating myself further, but I believe it is a goal worth striving for. 


Here are some sites that relate to this topic:

• http://www.toms.com/
• http://www.lovecantbebaht.com/Love_Home.html
• http://theandyproject.com/Home.html
• http://www.broadripplefarmersmarket.com/
• http://www.ides.org/

These are just a few, and there are many more.  Let me know if you have any ideas or sites on how to buy with purpose. 


I don't make a ton of money, but God is not bound by my boundaries.  If I give what I have, He will use it to make bigger impacts than I ever dreamed possible!