For the past few years, my family has agreed not to exchange presents at Christmas (mostly for financial reasons, but partly because my dad doesn’t want to be bothered with it). I have respected this, and having no significant other to lavish with gifts, I usually try to do something charitable with the money I would have otherwise wasted on myself.
This is my third year doing the “Angel Tree” thing (different organizations have different names for them), and I have to say that it is tremendous fun. Because I still remain a child at heart (despite the universe’s incessant attempts to crush my spirit) I love shopping for toys. I grew out of my collector phase long ago, and I probably won’t have children of my own for at least a few years, so something like this is a great outlet.
This year I got to do one from the Salvation Army and two from a prison fellowship ministry (below). With the Salvation Army one, the kids let you know what they want; I am not sure about the background circumstances of their need. With the prison ones, the children are in social services, so, via this ministry, the incarcerated parents choose gifts that their children might like, yet that they are unable to provide for them.
I tried to pick wishes that I was uniquely qualified to fulfill. The fact that I actually know what Yu-Gi-Oh! is may not win me many points in the romance department, but I suppose it would help towards my being a great father (and I know it makes me a great gift giver). The educational toy was tough, because it is so difficult to find such toys in a sub-$30 price range that don’t suck; this marble toy looks like it would be fun. As for the 5-year-old girl, I do have to say that those Lil’ Bratz dolls are kind of cool (even for a heterosexual guy). I love the cartoonish, exaggerated manga-inspired features, and the fashions and accessories they bundle with the things seem to have a bit more character than a lot of other dolls. She’ll be getting this one and this one.
Many grocery stores have trees full of these tags in their entryways. Most of them probably require you to return the gifts by next weekend. I would strongly encourage you to pause for a moment in front of these trees and consider taking a tag—especially if you love to shop, but don’t have anyone to shop for (or if you need an excuse to do even more shopping). You will be really surprised by how much fun it is.
If would probably help if you added a link to angel tree so that others can help. I know a fast google would help, but their site is hard to navigate through
Good idea, Bob. I had only ever dealt with Angel Tree in the offline world. Here is a link to Angel Tree’s Volunteer and Donation pages.
Here is a page for the US Salvation Army’s Holiday Angel Tree Program. I agree that the Salvation Army site is hard to navigate.
Hard to believe that another Christmas is so close.