Ho Ho Ho with a purpose

I love Christmas and pretty much everything about it. The tree, the lights, the eggnog, the presents, the cookies, the eggnog, the music, the eggnog...sorry, lost my train of thought...where was I?

Oh, yes, Christmas! And even though we try not to get too caught up in the madness of this season, it is certainly a time for giving. And lately, I'm obsessed with giving gifts that have a purpose even beyond the gift itself. Here's a few of my personal recommendations of gifts I'd love to give (and get : )) this Christmas (most are $20 or less!):

Suubi Beads

My friend Erica is selling these beautiful necklaces made in Uganda. I have two and love them! Go to her blog here to see sample of necklaces or contact her directly here.

Card inserts

How cool is this?! My friend who is adopting from Ethiopia made these cards. Purchase them in a package and send them out with your Christmas cards, letting your friends and family know that you made a donation to the adoption in their name. Go here to get yours!

Andrew Peterson

Ok, so you're not gonna actually GIVE someone Andrew Peterson--that would be weird. But SERIOUSLY, this is the coolest Christmas album EVER. Andy decided to write a Christmas musical, but not just start the story at the book of Matthew. He went all the way back to Genesis. And I'm not kidding, it is awesome. If you're a little spent on tired carols with little truth and no theology, trust me--this one is for you. My kids love "Matthew's Begats", but it. is. all. good! He bring together several of my favorite artists to contribute to the project. Buy it here.

But, I will say, if you really want to be a rockstar gift-giver, take your special someone to see the show. (dates and locations here). It is my favorite concert I have been to in a long time (sadly, no shows in FL this year. : ( ). Andy MCs the first half of the show, and all of the artists who are with him on tour, as well as Andy, take turns performing whatever songs suits their whimsy that evening. It's a fun, rare glimpse of some of these great artists unplugged. Then, after intermission, you get "Behold the Lamb of God", live. Just go. Trust me. (And when you see Andy, tell him to pleeease come to FL next year!)

Just Love Coffee

Do you know someone who loves coffee? Then this is a perfect gift! Go here to purchase Ethiopian coffee, and support our mission trip in the process!

147 million orphans

Two moms start a business to raise orphan awareness and help families raise fund for their adoptions. Check out their cute merch here. I want one of each.

TOMSI love Toms. For every pair of Toms, you buy, a kid in need gets a pair. Not some shady percentage or portion of the sale... a shoe for a shoe. Blake has a cool story--read it on the website. Maybe you saw him on a AT&T commercial. These shoes are so cute and so comfy. Go here to shop styles for men, women, and kiddos. (If anyone was wondering which pair is on my Christmas list, don't think I picked this picture on accident. : ))

And, last but not least, I have to put in a couple plugs...

Tastefully Simple

Who doesn't love food?! It's the perfect gift every time! Buy Tastefully Simple from my website here, and all my profits go toward Nathan, Hannah, and my mission trips to Ethiopia in January. You can view the e-catalog here.

Tshirts

And, of course, tshirts. Cute shirts that promote adoption. All our shirts can be seen on the right sidebar. Or go here. Help bring home the littlest Walser from Ethiopia.

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So there's a little something for everyone. Have fun shopping! be sure and share your gift ideas in my comments!