Sneak Peak - auction 5...Project BlackBerry

  I used my iphone to take a picture so I wouldn't have to make the scary trek to the office in the dark.  So, please excuse the horrible quality!

The big reveal will be Monday morning....or maybe Sunday night, as I like to keep y'all on your toes!  

Any ideas as to what it could be?  Feel free to post your guesses.  Maybe there will be a prize if someone guesses right.  Maybe.  =)

And here's some food for thought.  

As we start thinking about the holidays, I can't help but think about all the MONEY that people  will be spending.  All the thoughtless buying (okay some of it is thoughtfull, but lets face it, there is always an awful lot of "I don't know what to get Aunt Fanny, so I guess I can get her some more smelly bath salts...." type thinking, right?  Right?) The obligatory gift giving, and the crazy, insane SPENDING just doesn't sit well with me anymore.  Not when I think about all the people who are dying of hunger and curable diseases, being enslaved, and being abused.  Not when I think about how far our money can go to save a LIFE, can I mindless buy over-priced smelly bath salts.  

So here's a couple ideas floating around this empty head of mine.

*I'm going to do my very best to make home-made gifts, or buy only from companies who give their profits to causes I believe in.  You've seen the TinyRockStar.com label on the right of the blog.  You buy a shirt and feed an orphan for a month at the same time.  Well there are lot's of other companies doing this.  I'm going to be compiling a list and will start sharing them on here periodically.

**Our extended family does a gift exchange every year.  You know the drill - you place everyones name in a hat, draw a name and buy them something off...THE LIST THEY GIVE YOU.  Ha!  Think about how ridiculous that is.  Next people are going to start registering for  Christmas presents.

Well this year another family member and I are suggesting we each make a list of 3 charities/organizations/causes that we are passionate about.  Then the person who draws your name picks from the list to donate what they would have spent on the gift to that org.  Not ONLY will we be able to give some money to some great charities, we will all be able to learn about these charities, and what each person in our family is touched by.  

Please post a comment if you and or your family have any ideas on how to boycott the usual commercial holiday season, to make it a more meaningful time, and avoid frivilous spending.