Green Options

Amisha’s adorabe jewelery designs donate partial profits to one local and one global charity that you choose. Their mission is to inspire every patron’s consciousness about both local and global organizations participating in the sustainability movement.

This holiday season, you can save a cloud forest, adopt a tiger and remove 1 ton of CO2.  Although none of it will fit in a box or under the tree, Changing the Present makes all these things possible by giving consumers access to a variety of charitable initiatives so that they can give the gift of hope, health and happiness for a world in need.

Some perks include not having to go near a crowded mall, finding something for everyone on your list, and no lines, returns or exchanges.  Best of all, you’ll be making a tangible difference in the world with the cause of your choice, and it’s something that will last long after the latest retail trends fizzle out.

Changing the Present features more than 1,500 meaningful charitable gifts that users can browse by cause or nonprofit to find the perfect gift for friends or their own charitable giving.

Building on a commitment to changing the social norm when it comes to gift giving, and seeking to spark positive change in the world, Robert Tolmach, CEO of WellGood LLC, spearheaded the team that implemented this important effort, and was kind enough to share more details about the program with me in a one-on-one chat about the future of giving.

“If there is one thing I could give to the struggling people of the world it would be self-reliance. Everyone deserves the dignity of providing for themselves and their families. That’s why I support Heifer International.”
— Walter Cronkite,
journalist and Heifer supporter

Heifer.org is bringing an end to world hunger through unimaginable blessings. Do you love giving gifts? I do, especially when I know that they are going to help entire communities. Sometimes around the holidays or as a birthday gift to a loved one, I give a flock, a gift of honeybees, or one of the many special live gifts they offer that provide better livelihoods. Generosity will never go out of style and there is nothing more beautiful than giving the gift of good health to someone. Are miracles like that possible? Yes,

As the holiday season approached, my husband and I experienced more than the usual anxiety. It wasn’t a matter of what to buy, for us, it was important to consider what not to buy and the many reasons why:

We wanted to avoid the crush of gifts that create an association in a child’s mind that the holiday is all about her and what she gets. Our little family has some solid traditions in sharing meals and occasions with friends and family and we wanted that focus to continue since that is the most important part of celebrations for us.

Additionally, with 90 percent of toys coming to our country from China, and 82 percent of the toy recalls involving these imported items, every new bit of inexpensive plastic is as much of a concern as it is a gift.

Check out Green Couples, Green Weddings, Part 1 for the first part of our green weddings special.

Bridal registries were once a way for a couple to furnish and supply their new home together. Today, more and more couples are either already living together when they get married, or have already furnished a house on their own. Although there are greener choices in registries,

[...]

Dear Bill: