#6: Top Ten Gifts That Give

Black Friday review time! (Don't they call it "Black" because it's when all companies finally go in the black in their accounting records?)

Number six on the list is likely going to be our favorite. Because it's one that is so close to our hearts. A new store over at Skreened called Fashionthropic has new Well Water Project T shirts. There are four designs to choose from. Our favorite is this long sleeve tee. Don't like the designs Fashionthropic has available? No problem! You can customize your own at Skreened.

Every single cent of proceeds from the sale of each shirt goes to fund the Well Water Project. A vision cast by folks from The Well in song with Horizon International to get clean water to AIDS orphans in Zimbabwe, Africa. Learn more about the project via this handy little digital brochure.

Another very cool plus with these shirts is that they're made sweatshop free on American Apparrel digs, inked with water-based inks AND Skreened as a company gives away 10% of it's monthly profits to local causes they believe in. Sweet! More on Skreened ethics here.

If ever there was a time for a gift like this, it's Black Friday. You don't even have to wait in any lines or fight traffic. Just click on over.

LA goes bongos

For the last year and a half or so, we've had an exercise bike in our back room. We recently gave the bike back to Crystal's parents re-exposing our window sill to LA. So...we heard drumming and came to the back room and found he had climbed up and was banging away...(pics and video below; a special thanks to Uncle Cecil for the drum donation many years back)...

#7: Top Ten Gifts That Give

Now, this is so simple, it's genious. The GiveNow Card. A gift card to give the gift of giving. Brilliant!

JustGive is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to increase charitable giving by connecting people with the charities and causes they care most about.

JustGive's database contains nearly 1.5 million charities. How does one sift through all of that content? The charities are grouped into 19 categories to make your search easier and faster.

Their core values...

• Passion. We have an unwavering commitment to charitable giving. As a charitable organization ourselves, we understand the nonprofit world and how charity can improve life both for you and for the charities you support.
• Integrity. We have one of the highest-pass through rates in the charitable giving arena and are dedicated to keeping the cost of every transaction as low as possible. Ninety-seven cents of every dollar you contribute goes straight to the charities you designate.
• Relationships. A continually growing group of partners and sponsors believe in and use JustGive to support their charitable giving programs and to receive their charitable donations. Creative and responsive to both donors and partners, JustGive has been named as one of the Best of the Web for online donations.

You can even determine the financial increment of your gift card. The do cards for as low as $10. JustGive only skims $5 per card to cover admin fees. The rest goes straight to your recipient's chosen cause.

keep it low

Because it's this cold around here, we've been laying low this weekend.



Grandma came over on Saturday night and brought a couple new books along for LA. The boy loves his books.



...and it looks like Boatboy is getting into them too.



Papa and Nana stopped over on Sunday. LA was in a football frame of mind.



The long ball



We've been working a lot on his receiving game. The throwing he's got down.





Boatboy loves snuggling with his Nana.



...and laughing at his Momma



...and laughing more at his Momma