There's a zen thing that settles on the house when the TV is off. I got up about 8:30, the TV went off (hey, I'll let them have it if it means more sleep for me in the morning), and it was off the rest of the day but for about 15 minutes when the boys snuck up to watch Phineas and Ferb. I'll admit I was tempted to leave it on, a new Phineas and Ferb is hard to resist. But off it went, without much grumbling.
So what did we do today?
A little bit of schoolwork. Jonathon finished off a science workbook and did some mathfactcafe.com pages; Nicholas had 4 pages of reading comprehension; Rebecca completed some multiplication and division practice; Katherine read up on Thomas Edison and dug up some of his inventions and their patent dates. Katherine commented on how much of the American History book she still didn't know, and I know that next summer we'll have to spend some serious time in the newly renovated American History Museum in DC, as well as take some trips for local history. I was thinking Philly and Charleston? NYC would be nice too.
We made lunch together. Pasta, that ended up as pasta with veggies, chicken and sauce for the kids and a chilled pasta salad for me. Nicholas made toasted bagels in our new toaster oven (which the kids think is pretty darn cool).
Katherine played the piano quite a bit. She's learning some Christmas carols, and can play Carol of the Bells, kind of. It's getting better. I got in a bit of playing today too, which is always relaxing.
I think at one point the younger three turned the walk-in closet into a club house of sorts. I'm not sure how that's possible as it's packed with rubbermaids and suitcases, but I know the light was on and there was a lot of talking going on.
I read a book. A whole book. It's a kids' book, Coraline, and I give it two thumbs up if you like a quick spooky story that's quite creative. There's a movie (by the creators of The Nightmare Before Christmas) coming out February 6th. I've told Rebecca she has to read the book before she can see the movie. Check out the movie website if your connection is fact enough, it's quite clever.
Out came the Art Attack books. Jonathon just wanted to paint, but Rebecca put together her own mini imaginary island. To be continued tomorrow as we had to go out for a bit and it was getting dark when we returned. The outdoor creative bug kept them busy for a good chunk of the afternoon.
At 3:30 Rebecca, Jonathon and I departed to the Consulate for a Town Hall meeting on our lowered differential (more on that in a different post). I'd slipped Katherine Rs100 to take Nicholas to Amma Naana. He'd been asking to go repeatedly, so I figured that would brighten up his day, and keep the two of them busy while we were gone. Ian came home early with us, loaded with packages. Yay to both. Because Ian was home, the driver was set to leave. But before the driver left for the day we had an interesting conversation, one where I learned that our gardener had hired a sweeper. Here's our gardener saga... our first gardener, Paneer, basically walked off the job, then insisted he didn't, but we'd already hired someone new once he left. Our second gardener, Venkatesh, was pretty good but he fell sick repeatedly and after missing about 3 months out of one 6 month period, we let him go so he could get better. The job just wasn't working for him. So we hired Ravi, who previously had been a dog-watcher for another Consulate family, but sold himself as a gardener. He wasn't good, and in fact the driver and our house-keeper didn't like him at all. They called him lazy and crass. He actually argued with Ian about his duties. Then one day, Venkatesh reappeared at the gate. I wasn't going to hire him back, but after learning his family had moved to Chennai (from somewhere in Andhra Pradesh), and the house-keeper and the neighbor's driver were talking highly of him (so said our driver) we called Venkatesh back. The staff has ways. We fired Ravi and Venkatesh has been working hard to trim, prune, weed, and basically get the yard back up to snuff. He'll be working split time with the neighbors' yard, just like Ravi did, and with that he'll make a very decent salary. Now, the neighbors have always had a sweeper lady come each morning to sweep the hard surfaces... the pathways, the driveway, etc. I don't really know why as that's part of a gardener's job and pretty much all Ravi did with his time. But Venkatesh has taken matters into his own hands. With two jobs each day he's decided he will save himself the sweeping time, and hire the sweeper lady himself to do our hard surfaces, so he can focus on the gardening. More than that, he's paying her out of his salary as he didn't ask us to hire her.
Our staff now has staff. It's a little boggling.
After passing the gardener update to Ian, I wrapped some presents when we returned (presents not actually for my own family!), opened up our mail boxes, tucked gifts under the tree, and we all put together quesadillas for dinner. Again the toaster oven came into play and turned our quesadillas into crispy yet gooey cheesy goodness. Did I mention we like the toaster oven? While dinner was amakin', Katherine asked if the they, the kids, had been less annoying today. Blunt, so I was blunt right back. It had been a much better day, if solely for the fact that if everyone was bored at least I didn't hear about it every minute. In fact, aside from a few instances of telling Nicholas to quit walking in circles, I didn't hear "bored" at all. What did Katherine say? "Well, actually, I wasn't bored at all today."
Bedtime for the boys meant diving into book 3 of the Andrew Lost series. Andrew is now stuck, miniaturized, in a kitchen. The books are a mix of adventure and science. The first book explained how we all have little mites living in oil wells at the base of our eyelashes. Honestly, sometimes the stuff I read kind of makes me wish I didn't know. Like that book by Mary Roach, Stiff I recently finished, about the curious lives of human cadavers. Ever wanted to know just enough details about human decomposition to not get the image out of your head? That's the book for you. Now I'm reading Spook, where science tackles the afterlife. It starts in India with the idea of reincarnation. I've also picked up The Year of Living Biblically which is proving to be a fun and fabulous read about a guy who took a year to live the Bible as literally as possible without going to jail (after all, stoning adulterers just isn't acceptable anymore).
The girls stayed up for a bit to watch some Monk, then slouched off to their room to read. All in all, a much better day than yesterday. Now if we could just get all the cats to get along.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Monday, December 15, 2008
One Day Down... full throttle into the holiday break.
I wish I could say today was a great day. It wasn't. It was actually quite the mix of good and bad.
The bad... the kids. The kids were whiners and complainers and "I'm bored"ers and plain unpleasant. Mean mom for letting them watch Goblet of Fire this morning, turning the TV off at 10 and leaving it off the rest of the day. The entire rest of the day. No TV. The horror. They moaned, they groaned, they were rude and snotty. They ignored my suggestions and walked in circles and layed on the couch, and complained some more. *I sat Nicholas at the piano for a little practice. He refused, saying he was playing recorder now. We have an extra recorder at home. He said he didn't have music. I pulled out a recorder song book. I taught him 2 new notes, he played a couple times. I told him to go slower, he played faster. Said there was no rush and asked why he was racing. He said he wanted to get through it fast because he plain didn't. want. to. do. it. I sent him to his room. He fell asleep for 2 1/2 hours. *Katherine came up with an idea to dress everyone into a nativity scene, then decided she didn't want to be in it. A face-off ensued. That ended ugly. *Jonathon simply couldn't control his body and danced around, spun in circles, pushed, kicked, sang out loud, hit, bounced, stuck his feet into everything, play fought all day long, driving everyone absolutely nuts. He set us up for a game of Go, then insisted on a rule that was plain wrong. Insisted, to the point of yelling "YES! IT IS!" over and over again at me. That ended abruptly when I walked away. *Rebecca won Ms. Snotty for the day. She gave orders, she yelled at her siblings, she was short with me. Just had her very unpleasant moments.
The good... the kids. After the movie ended we packed up a picnic and went to the pool for a swim. The weather was gorgeous and food just tastes better when eaten outside. They swam and played fairly nicely for about an hour with no major mishaps. Jonathon was left out of the game, but sat with me for a while and was pleasantly chatty. I don't recall the topic, but I don't think it was video game related. We went home and the boredom set in, but all that moaning and groaning eventually faded. Rebecca cleaned up part of her room, Katherine made cookies, Nicholas took a nap, Katherine addressed her Christmas cards and pulled out a project to work on, Jonathon worked on some crocheting with me and made a Christmas gift, they all got some DS time, Rebecca worked on an old unfinished art project, Nicholas and I played a game of air hockey, Katherine practiced the "Carol of the Bells" on the piano, the boys helped make dinner and turned our honey-garlic biscuits blue with food coloring, and after dinner, rather than the tube turning on, we played Cranium while the kitten pounced around and Jonathon listened to his Sansa Shaker with earbuds. The night even ended on a positive note with Katherine, which is always a big deal.
An up day. A down day. A little too much on the extremes, IMO. Let's hope tomorrow goes better.
The bad... the kids. The kids were whiners and complainers and "I'm bored"ers and plain unpleasant. Mean mom for letting them watch Goblet of Fire this morning, turning the TV off at 10 and leaving it off the rest of the day. The entire rest of the day. No TV. The horror. They moaned, they groaned, they were rude and snotty. They ignored my suggestions and walked in circles and layed on the couch, and complained some more. *I sat Nicholas at the piano for a little practice. He refused, saying he was playing recorder now. We have an extra recorder at home. He said he didn't have music. I pulled out a recorder song book. I taught him 2 new notes, he played a couple times. I told him to go slower, he played faster. Said there was no rush and asked why he was racing. He said he wanted to get through it fast because he plain didn't. want. to. do. it. I sent him to his room. He fell asleep for 2 1/2 hours. *Katherine came up with an idea to dress everyone into a nativity scene, then decided she didn't want to be in it. A face-off ensued. That ended ugly. *Jonathon simply couldn't control his body and danced around, spun in circles, pushed, kicked, sang out loud, hit, bounced, stuck his feet into everything, play fought all day long, driving everyone absolutely nuts. He set us up for a game of Go, then insisted on a rule that was plain wrong. Insisted, to the point of yelling "YES! IT IS!" over and over again at me. That ended abruptly when I walked away. *Rebecca won Ms. Snotty for the day. She gave orders, she yelled at her siblings, she was short with me. Just had her very unpleasant moments.
The good... the kids. After the movie ended we packed up a picnic and went to the pool for a swim. The weather was gorgeous and food just tastes better when eaten outside. They swam and played fairly nicely for about an hour with no major mishaps. Jonathon was left out of the game, but sat with me for a while and was pleasantly chatty. I don't recall the topic, but I don't think it was video game related. We went home and the boredom set in, but all that moaning and groaning eventually faded. Rebecca cleaned up part of her room, Katherine made cookies, Nicholas took a nap, Katherine addressed her Christmas cards and pulled out a project to work on, Jonathon worked on some crocheting with me and made a Christmas gift, they all got some DS time, Rebecca worked on an old unfinished art project, Nicholas and I played a game of air hockey, Katherine practiced the "Carol of the Bells" on the piano, the boys helped make dinner and turned our honey-garlic biscuits blue with food coloring, and after dinner, rather than the tube turning on, we played Cranium while the kitten pounced around and Jonathon listened to his Sansa Shaker with earbuds. The night even ended on a positive note with Katherine, which is always a big deal.
An up day. A down day. A little too much on the extremes, IMO. Let's hope tomorrow goes better.
Sunday, December 14, 2008
We're on the hunt. For a house.
Since we're coming home this summer, and there will be no better time to buy a house, that's what we're planning. Back in our old haunting ground, we've been searching through realtor.com and zillow.com to see what's on the market now. Want to see the houses I really like?
MLS: PW6936923
MLS: PW6810929
Others we're keeping an eye on:
PW6898559 (12115 Tango Lane)
PW6930530 (14142 Rockinghorse Drive)
PW6898658 (13508 Photo Drive)
PW6926899 (13417 Princedale Drive)
PW6936272 (13819 Rosewood Drive)
PW6909787 (6188 Preston Court)
PW6799713 (14611 Brook Drive)
PW6933173 (13342 Pelican Road)
Ian says: DON'T BUY OUR HOUSES. Ok? ;)
MLS: PW6936923
MLS: PW6810929
Others we're keeping an eye on:
PW6898559 (12115 Tango Lane)
PW6930530 (14142 Rockinghorse Drive)
PW6898658 (13508 Photo Drive)
PW6926899 (13417 Princedale Drive)
PW6936272 (13819 Rosewood Drive)
PW6909787 (6188 Preston Court)
PW6799713 (14611 Brook Drive)
PW6933173 (13342 Pelican Road)
Ian says: DON'T BUY OUR HOUSES. Ok? ;)
Cell Phones aren't (just) for Calling anymore.
I like my new cell phone. It's red, slidey thing, a Nokia something or other, and it has all sorts of gadgetry options (Bluetooth, Flickr, and other things I can't actually use in India) that make it way cool. Ian got an iTouch recently, and the only thing it doesn't do is make calls. That would require an iPhone, which he has his eye on for next summer, because you know, his Razr just isn't good enough anymore. The iPhone does everything... EVERYTHING... so I'm not sure why he bothered with the iTouch in the first place. But while I kind of understand why folks would feel the need to do things besides call or SMS on their cells, what I'll never get is the ability, and the desire, to manage just about everything in your life over the cell.
In India, or at the very least in Chennai, it takes an act of God to get a SIM card. Where as other places you can pop into the corner store (for prepaid) or walk up to a TMobile kiosk (for account driven) to purchase a SIM card, here they are only given out through approved centers that ask for photos, copies of passport pages, proof of address, and first-born children. The last one is only a small stretch from reality, but you get my point. For this reason, we go through the Consulate to get our SIM cards, and apparently my SIM was previously owned because I get regular SMS updates on deposits and withdrawals from an ICICI bank account. Not my ICICI account. I don't have an ICICI account.
People do banking over their cell phones. I understand it's possible, but I can't understand why people do it. It seems so insecure, seeing as how I get a regular play-by-play of someone else's monetary activities. It's enough exposure for me to never want to do more than use my phone for it's original purpose... to call someone (though I prefer SMS to actual talking). That's plenty good enough.
In India, or at the very least in Chennai, it takes an act of God to get a SIM card. Where as other places you can pop into the corner store (for prepaid) or walk up to a TMobile kiosk (for account driven) to purchase a SIM card, here they are only given out through approved centers that ask for photos, copies of passport pages, proof of address, and first-born children. The last one is only a small stretch from reality, but you get my point. For this reason, we go through the Consulate to get our SIM cards, and apparently my SIM was previously owned because I get regular SMS updates on deposits and withdrawals from an ICICI bank account. Not my ICICI account. I don't have an ICICI account.
People do banking over their cell phones. I understand it's possible, but I can't understand why people do it. It seems so insecure, seeing as how I get a regular play-by-play of someone else's monetary activities. It's enough exposure for me to never want to do more than use my phone for it's original purpose... to call someone (though I prefer SMS to actual talking). That's plenty good enough.
Monday, December 8, 2008
Bummer.
Heads up to those getting Christmas cards from us. Someone should have told me that green lettering on a brown background wouldn't work. Looked fine on the computer, not so fine in reality. Actually, barely readable. Sorry.
UPDATE: After some Christmas card surgery, the cards are relatively presentable and will be in the mail next week. They'll be late, no way to get around that, but at least I can feel good about sending them out.
UPDATE: After some Christmas card surgery, the cards are relatively presentable and will be in the mail next week. They'll be late, no way to get around that, but at least I can feel good about sending them out.
Saturday, December 6, 2008
What. A. Week.
It's crazy for me to recall this past week. Just so busy. A quick rundown would look like this:
2 Dec: Rebecca's birthday! Work in morning. Make cake. Bring cupcakes to school. Swimming after school. Bunco night out w/ Rebecca. Late night for girls.
3 Dec: Work in morning. Buy more ice cream for Becca's party. 2 p.m. ASA mtg at school. Make cookie dough. Ian came home. Kids stayed up late to see him.
4 Dec: Work 6 hours. Elementary school program 3:30-4:30. "Dinner" at school after program. Bake cookies for Tea.
5 Dec: Bake more cookies for Tea. Tea with GSO at our house 10-11 with about a dozen EFMs. Work. Rebecca has 5 friends come for a sleepover - cookie baking, dinner out at Benjarong, ice cream sunday bar & movie night. Nicholas goes to a birthday party 5-8. Jonathon and Katherine sleepover at friends' houses.
6 Dec: St. Nicholas Day stockings. Madras Kids 9-12. Lunch at Sparky's. NAP. We were supposed to go to a school dinner at the Park Sheraton tonight, but none of us were up to it. Jonathon is now sporting an illness of some sort. And I still can't find any duct tape for Nicholas's wart.
Oh no. We forgot to decorate the tree today. Guess there's always tomorrow.
2 Dec: Rebecca's birthday! Work in morning. Make cake. Bring cupcakes to school. Swimming after school. Bunco night out w/ Rebecca. Late night for girls.
3 Dec: Work in morning. Buy more ice cream for Becca's party. 2 p.m. ASA mtg at school. Make cookie dough. Ian came home. Kids stayed up late to see him.
4 Dec: Work 6 hours. Elementary school program 3:30-4:30. "Dinner" at school after program. Bake cookies for Tea.
5 Dec: Bake more cookies for Tea. Tea with GSO at our house 10-11 with about a dozen EFMs. Work. Rebecca has 5 friends come for a sleepover - cookie baking, dinner out at Benjarong, ice cream sunday bar & movie night. Nicholas goes to a birthday party 5-8. Jonathon and Katherine sleepover at friends' houses.
6 Dec: St. Nicholas Day stockings. Madras Kids 9-12. Lunch at Sparky's. NAP. We were supposed to go to a school dinner at the Park Sheraton tonight, but none of us were up to it. Jonathon is now sporting an illness of some sort. And I still can't find any duct tape for Nicholas's wart.
Oh no. We forgot to decorate the tree today. Guess there's always tomorrow.
Monday, December 1, 2008
Gifts That Give Back
I'm giving our stuff away. They are items we don't need and/or want anymore, or items that never found a place in our hearts, so off they go to make someone else happy. At work I'm giving away various things like unworn kids clothing and outgrown specialty toys (today was a stack of LeapFrog LeapPad books with their cartridges.. without the LeapPad). Some of the folks at the Consulate have lightning fast typing skills as the items I put up for grabs through e-mail were nabbed literally within seconds. I hope no fights break out. A stack of movies now donated to the CLO library. Big piles of outgrown clothing for an orphanage. Stacks of toys/games/puzzles for the school's toy drive. There was a brand new men's dress shirt, still in the box, that the housekeeper asked for. For her grown son. It has vibrant pink stripes with an almost solid pink tie. Why did we have this? I really don't want to answer that, suffice to say that our housekeeper is now, shall we say, tickled pink. Her son will apparently just love this shirt and wear it for Christmas. One man's trash...
You've heard me mention GoodGifts.org as a site for the average Joe to become a philanthropist any day of the year. It's UK based, don't let that scare you. There's also kiva.org and other microfinancing establishments if you'd like to go that way. But, there are plenty of other ways to give back too. Some are recipient-guided, some are giver-guided, most are worth your time and money.
From cnn.com/living...
One-stop shop
WorldofGood.com
More than 15,000 eco- and socially conscious goods are available (some from as low as $2.50) on WorldofGood.com. Shop by gift category, or, if you'd like, "purchase impact," be it eco- , animal-, or people-friendly. Each product is vetted and comes with a short description so you can see exactly where your money is going. Fair-trade lip balms, organic soaps and bath fizzers are all under $15 and make excellent stocking stuffers.
Not just a pretty package
PangeaOrganics.com
Pangea Organics' gift packages come stocked with bar soaps, shower gels, and lotions and arrive in a stylish (really, skip the wrapping paper!) recycled box inlaid with spruce seeds -- soak them, plant -- and in two weeks a baby Spruce tree will appear, along with, we assume, softer skin. Holiday gift sets start at $30 at PangeaOrganics.com. OK, I highlighted this one just because I think it's so cool. I've seen gift cards that are impregnated with flower seeds and the idea just rocks, but something as drastic as a spruce tree? Fabulous.
Buy a gift, fund a business
GlobalGoodsPartners.org, BuildaNest.com
At online boutique Nest, BuildaNest.com, the $30 you spend on patchwork Guatemalan tote will go toward ... creating more Guatemalan totes! The site sells original apparel, jewelry, home and paper goods made by more than 75 exclusive artists and designers and gives microcredit loans to women in developing countries, enabling them to start and maintain a business selling their own products -- which are then offered on the site itself.
Another likeminded organization, GlobalGoodsPartners.org, sells handwoven bracelets made by native tribes in Argentina and traditionally patterned silk scarves made by women in Cambodia. Global Goods Partners is dedicated to alleviating poverty and promoting social justice and funds women-led market initiatives in local communities in 18 countries.
For pets
HoorayfortheUnderdog.com
Already have the perfect present for Fido? Attach a card from Hooray for the Underdog, a line by photographers Janet Healey and Joe Grisham -- a husband-and-wife team who sell stylish greeting cards featuring pictures of dogs and cats up for adoption in shelters. Ten percent of proceeds ($3 for cards) go to animal welfare groups and shelters.
For animal lovers
AnimalGift.org
The animal lovers in your life may have already overdosed on cute cards (and books and toys and screensavers), but they might not have saved their very own elephant. The International Fund for Animal Welfare's Gifts for Animals program helps protect pachyderms, as well as bear cubs and seals, and also provides funds for urgent pet care and animal rescue. Each gift comes with a full-color pamphlet telling your animal's story, and there's no leash required. Donations start at $25.
Guilt-free indulgence
Lush Cosmetics Charity Box, $20.45; Lush.com
Lush's hand and body lotion is made with fair-trade cocoa-butter, and proceeds -- 100 percent after taxes -- go to the organization featured on the lid of each pot. WaterCan, TreePeople, Amazon Conservation Team and International Fund for Animal Welfare are only a few.
Celebrate the season of light with Jimmy Belasco all-natural candles ($34). They're made of soybeans, vegetable oil and fragrance -- nothing else -- but the best part of this fragrant treat are the wrapping options. Choose from a wide selection of boxes decorated with cityscapes, calming landscapes, pop art patterns, and holiday themes. Five dollars from the sale of each candle goes to a good cause: You select one from a list of Jimmy's staffers' 10 favorites (with more options on the way).
Buying in bulk?
CharityNavigator.com
Good Cards (CharityNavigator.com) are the gift certificates of the philanthropy world. You set the price; recipients pick the charity. Perfect for those bosses, co-workers and clients you're stumped on.
Last minute
OxfamAmericaUnwrapped.com, UniversalGiving.org
Click, click, done. Two organizations simplify making a difference around the world. Oxfam's gift site, OxfamAmericaUnwrapped.com, offers to more than 57 charitable donations, including a pair of sheep ($90) that allow women to generate their own income by making textiles, a small business fund to help get entrepreneurs started ($100), and a veterinarian's field kit ($35). Products are organized by price, with 28 options under $50, and recipients receive a card explaining what the donation will provide. UniversalGiving.org coordinates donations to more than 200 aid organizations, including East Meets West, Helen Keller International, and more.
For those big-ticket items
BiddingforGood.com, eBayGivingWorks.com
You know those auctions your kids always have in elementary school or the ones your office frequently puts together, where you bid for signed memorabilia, electronic items and original prints? Think of BiddingforGood as one giant elementary school auction: Type in the item you're looking for (we got seven hits for the Nintendo Wii) and bid to win. Check the "Cool Picks" section for really original ideas: Tickets to two shows at New York City fashion week, a CSI set pass, and tickets to the 2009 U.S. Open golf championship. Each purchase benefits the auctioneer's charity of choice. Still haven't found what you're looking for? Try eBayGivingWorks.com to find auctions from high-profile groups.
You've heard me mention GoodGifts.org as a site for the average Joe to become a philanthropist any day of the year. It's UK based, don't let that scare you. There's also kiva.org and other microfinancing establishments if you'd like to go that way. But, there are plenty of other ways to give back too. Some are recipient-guided, some are giver-guided, most are worth your time and money.
From cnn.com/living...
One-stop shop
WorldofGood.com
More than 15,000 eco- and socially conscious goods are available (some from as low as $2.50) on WorldofGood.com. Shop by gift category, or, if you'd like, "purchase impact," be it eco- , animal-, or people-friendly. Each product is vetted and comes with a short description so you can see exactly where your money is going. Fair-trade lip balms, organic soaps and bath fizzers are all under $15 and make excellent stocking stuffers.
Not just a pretty package
PangeaOrganics.com
Pangea Organics' gift packages come stocked with bar soaps, shower gels, and lotions and arrive in a stylish (really, skip the wrapping paper!) recycled box inlaid with spruce seeds -- soak them, plant -- and in two weeks a baby Spruce tree will appear, along with, we assume, softer skin. Holiday gift sets start at $30 at PangeaOrganics.com. OK, I highlighted this one just because I think it's so cool. I've seen gift cards that are impregnated with flower seeds and the idea just rocks, but something as drastic as a spruce tree? Fabulous.
Buy a gift, fund a business
GlobalGoodsPartners.org, BuildaNest.com
At online boutique Nest, BuildaNest.com, the $30 you spend on patchwork Guatemalan tote will go toward ... creating more Guatemalan totes! The site sells original apparel, jewelry, home and paper goods made by more than 75 exclusive artists and designers and gives microcredit loans to women in developing countries, enabling them to start and maintain a business selling their own products -- which are then offered on the site itself.
Another likeminded organization, GlobalGoodsPartners.org, sells handwoven bracelets made by native tribes in Argentina and traditionally patterned silk scarves made by women in Cambodia. Global Goods Partners is dedicated to alleviating poverty and promoting social justice and funds women-led market initiatives in local communities in 18 countries.
For pets
HoorayfortheUnderdog.com
Already have the perfect present for Fido? Attach a card from Hooray for the Underdog, a line by photographers Janet Healey and Joe Grisham -- a husband-and-wife team who sell stylish greeting cards featuring pictures of dogs and cats up for adoption in shelters. Ten percent of proceeds ($3 for cards) go to animal welfare groups and shelters.
For animal lovers
AnimalGift.org
The animal lovers in your life may have already overdosed on cute cards (and books and toys and screensavers), but they might not have saved their very own elephant. The International Fund for Animal Welfare's Gifts for Animals program helps protect pachyderms, as well as bear cubs and seals, and also provides funds for urgent pet care and animal rescue. Each gift comes with a full-color pamphlet telling your animal's story, and there's no leash required. Donations start at $25.
Guilt-free indulgence
Lush Cosmetics Charity Box, $20.45; Lush.com
Lush's hand and body lotion is made with fair-trade cocoa-butter, and proceeds -- 100 percent after taxes -- go to the organization featured on the lid of each pot. WaterCan, TreePeople, Amazon Conservation Team and International Fund for Animal Welfare are only a few.
Celebrate the season of light with Jimmy Belasco all-natural candles ($34). They're made of soybeans, vegetable oil and fragrance -- nothing else -- but the best part of this fragrant treat are the wrapping options. Choose from a wide selection of boxes decorated with cityscapes, calming landscapes, pop art patterns, and holiday themes. Five dollars from the sale of each candle goes to a good cause: You select one from a list of Jimmy's staffers' 10 favorites (with more options on the way).
Buying in bulk?
CharityNavigator.com
Good Cards (CharityNavigator.com) are the gift certificates of the philanthropy world. You set the price; recipients pick the charity. Perfect for those bosses, co-workers and clients you're stumped on.
Last minute
OxfamAmericaUnwrapped.com, UniversalGiving.org
Click, click, done. Two organizations simplify making a difference around the world. Oxfam's gift site, OxfamAmericaUnwrapped.com, offers to more than 57 charitable donations, including a pair of sheep ($90) that allow women to generate their own income by making textiles, a small business fund to help get entrepreneurs started ($100), and a veterinarian's field kit ($35). Products are organized by price, with 28 options under $50, and recipients receive a card explaining what the donation will provide. UniversalGiving.org coordinates donations to more than 200 aid organizations, including East Meets West, Helen Keller International, and more.
For those big-ticket items
BiddingforGood.com, eBayGivingWorks.com
You know those auctions your kids always have in elementary school or the ones your office frequently puts together, where you bid for signed memorabilia, electronic items and original prints? Think of BiddingforGood as one giant elementary school auction: Type in the item you're looking for (we got seven hits for the Nintendo Wii) and bid to win. Check the "Cool Picks" section for really original ideas: Tickets to two shows at New York City fashion week, a CSI set pass, and tickets to the 2009 U.S. Open golf championship. Each purchase benefits the auctioneer's charity of choice. Still haven't found what you're looking for? Try eBayGivingWorks.com to find auctions from high-profile groups.
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