Make Your Gifts Mean More This Year with World Vision

What are you buying those people who already have everything on your list? When you grow up, the holidays mean something different for you than when you were a kid. You probably realize that you don't "need" a lot of things. You start thinking about things a little more and want your gifts to mean something. Often, we make gifts for the adults on our lists now, and in our house Eric and I forgo traditional gifts in order to give ourselves experiences instead. Now, you can give something wonderful, but also give back when you shop World Vision.

We simply can't always travel during the holidays, though when we do, we make sure we do our part to put money into the economy where we're visiting, by shopping boutiques and small businesses. Even on our regular vacations throughout the year we try to do this and bring back locally-made gifts for our family. We try to donate where we can and volunteer when we have the time, but there's never a better time to do this than during the Christmas season. World Vision wants you to give you a gift when you give a gift. One of these is the beautiful bracelet you see me wearing in these pictures. Let me tell you how it works.

World Vision is a company that takes donations and turns them into fantastic gifts for those less fortunate around the world. You can choose the amount you can afford and then purchase life-altering gifts for children and families, including animals for their farm, career training and even lanterns for children to do their homework more easily. In the past, we have simply donated in the name of a family member and given them a card saying "For the holidays, we've gifted a family a goat in your name." along with info on the process and how the animal(s) will be used to make their life better. World Vision takes this a step further by giving you wider options for your gifting. I love that you can give a small business loan to a mom so they can feed and clothe their children, or gift a family clean water (because not all of us are fortunate to have running water), or seeds to help a community grown their own food. Whatever you can think of, you can probably gift it and make someone's life better.

Photo credit: Marc Wasserman

Now, when you make a gift, you can get one in return, so you don't just have that little card saying you made a donation. The bracelet I'm wearing is one you could receive if you make a donation of $45 or more, but there is something for everyone, including hand-carved serving spoons, coffee, coasters, scarves and more. All are handmade or harvested and give you a little taste of another culture while reminding you of the good you did. Keep the gift for yourself or give it with the card explaining the donation you made on the behalf of your recipient. 

 

photo credit: WorldVisionGifts.Org

Finally, you can give a gift that really matters to you and others. If you've ever traveled to a third world country, you can see the poverty with your own eyes and you've probably wondered what you can do to help. Well, World Vision gives you the answer and turns your money into something amazing for others who desperately need the help. Your gift doesn't just help those in other countries either. World Vision realizes that there is a huge poverty problem in the U.S. as well and don't leave them out. Clothing, food and more go to help those families in need, especially the children who need good nutrition to do well in school. 

photo credit: WorldVisionGifts.org

Now's the time to realize that we are fortunate enough to have enough to eat, have a safe place to live, have jobs and be able to provide for our children and even have money leftover to travel. Make your money and gifts mean more this year, so you can do good and feel good this holiday season with gifts that will be give back all year long. Plus, don't forget that all your gifts from World Vision Gifts are tax-deductible! 

How do you like to give back during the holidays?

Disclaimer: I was given the Mango Wood Beaded Bracelet for the purposes of this review; however, all opinions are my own and I highly recommend using WVG.

5 Destinations to Travel to in 2016

In the midst of all your holiday stress and travel plans, why not slow down a bit and take a look at some great destinations for your next real vacation? Now's the time to start making the decisions of where to go, so you can budget for it as soon as possible. This year we'll be headed back to Vegas for our annual trip in July, but we're also going to make our first trek to New Orleans. While those are popular choices for a lot of people, let's take a look at some other popular destinations and some lesser known cities for the next year to give you travel inspiration to ponder on when you just need to take a break from your family and all the end of year craziness.

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Sometimes you just want to go where everyone else is going to see what all the fuss is about. Or maybe you're like me and want to know where the crowds will be so you can go elsewhere. Whatever your motivation, here are some of the most popular cities to vacation in based on booking trends over previous years*.

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Gatlinburg, Tennessee

With one of the largest jumps in bookings from 2014 to 2015 (67%!), Gatlinburg is coming up as a new hip travel destination. While Memphis and Nashville get all the hype and glory, Gatlinburg is a fantastic place for those that love the outdoors. The Great Smokey Mountains National Park is an unspoiled landscape that offers things for visitors year-round; however those that prefer the city life shouldn't discount this trip. Gatlinburg has a wonderful downtown with delicious dining, an observation tower and an aerial cable car that can take you to Ober Gatlinburg, the city's amusement park. Add in the fact that the average hotel can be booked for $110 per night and you've got a fun budget getaway.

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Orange Beach, Alabama

You need to get to this lovely seaside town on the Gulf of Mexico before it gets anymore popular. With 91% more bookings in 2015 than 2014, this gem is becoming less hidden. If a beach vacation is on your list for 2016, skip those more popular and crowded destinations *ahem Cancun* and check out Orange Beach. The city has less than 6,000 residents, sandy white beaches and heaps of fresh seafood. What else could you ask for when looking to enjoy the sun, sand and surf. Oh right! An affordable hotel. Average off-season rates go for a little more than $100 per night.

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Anchorage, Alaska

You read that right. More and more people are finding the gorgeous landscape of Anchorage a place they want to spend their vacation time in. In fact, 34% more people booked last year to get in on both the winter activities as well as the summer ones. It may not seem like the most traditional place to get away from it all, but Anchorage is a destination full of history, culture, amazing food, microbreweries and even a beach. Yup, a hidden beach that you can only get to by hike that is beautiful and sandy. Hotels average around $120 per night, but you can certainly get an even better deal by booking an Airbnb or other vacation rental.

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Moscow, Russia

Not all the up-and-coming destinations are in the United States. Moscow is a bright and vibrant city that is often overlooked when it comes to travelers finding an interesting place to spend a week or two. The city is full of historic buildings that serve as a fantastic backdrop for your vacation photos. The Kremlin is just one such place. It's easy to get around on public transport, there's the beautiful Moskova River to walk along and over 90 parks, too. With the modern mashing with the historical, it's sure to be a unique trip, plus hotel rates can run as little as $50 per night. 

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Brighton, United Kingdom

London is by far one of the most popular places to vacation, but it's also very expensive. Brighton, is a sweet little seaside resort town just about an hour away. The British weather isn't always perfect, but a trip to the beach is always a welcome getaway. With a 60% increase in visitors from 2014 to 2015, the iffy weather doesn't seem to be a deterrent to travelers. Brighton has some rocky beaches, but has wonderful arcades and historical buildings along the waterfront. It hosts many festivals throughout the year, has a thriving arts scene, cuisine to rave about and is a popular place for nightlife. Unlike London, you can find a hotel here for less than $100 per night, so you can spend more money on souvenirs and fun.

Have you already planned your vacation for next year? If so, where will you go?

*stats provided by TripAdvisor

What Will You Be Eating For Christmas Morning?

Sometimes waking up to a nice hot breakfast is all you want. Generally, when we travel, we buy stuff to make our own quick breakfasts in the morning, so we don't have to rush out early and spend money on something I'm not that excited about. It saves us quite a bit, though we do make a point to take at least one morning meal out. You can learn a lot about people by the way they start the day, plus beverages are always slightly different. I found a love of watermelon juice in Ecuador and strong, flavorful coffee in France and slightly sweet tea in London. I like to research just what I'll be looking at when sitting down to a local breakfast before I go, because it can be weird to expect eggs and pancakes and be faced with a menu full of totally different stuff. Check out these 20 different breakfasts from around the world.

I'm all about the croissants in France, but I'm highly intrigued by the morning meal in the Phillipines. Which breakfast are you most interested in trying?