It's the thought that counts

While perusing my local Home Depot, I discovered that we have officially entered the gift giving seasons. Why not sell Xmas trees before Halloween has passed? Corporate America has declared unabashedly that it's time to give. But how many times have you heard, "Oh... this is... well... look at what this... sure is different" after someone opened a gift. Just another gift that will never see the light of day.

Why not make a donation to a charitable organization on someone's behalf WHILE doing good AND reducing waste? For my friend Emily's birthday, I bought 1/5 of a llama for a family in South America. (I'm quite sure they wait until they have 5 donations, then they buy a full, alive llama.) She loved it. Granted, she won't have another snow-globe paper weight crapping up her apartment. But, I think most people will appreciate this type of gift. I used Heifer International, but you might also try World Gifts.

What about cards? Unless you decide to use old cards for your scrapbooking projects, they'll probably just end up in a dark drawer for all eternity. Many major web services offer ecards, but my favorite is SomeeCards.

Lastly, if you do give a gift, think about alternative wrapping paper or reusable gift bags. Newspaper, string, aluminum foil are some fun ideas. I'm going to stop here before I get all Martha Stewart on ya.

Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/15927112@N02/