Character for Christmas?

If you haven't spent all your budget during the Thanksgiving weekend and you are still looking for Christmas presents that would make both you and the person you're giving it to happy... why not give Character this Christmas?

Character, sad to say, has taken a backseat to Consumerism over the last years.

There used to be a time when family games were the best sellers for presents because they get the family together playing, teasing each other, pitting their mental skills against each other and basically just have so much fun. Books, too, have been overshadowed by techie toys. Imagine how kids will handle it if there's a massive power outage and they wont be able to play with their tech toys for a looong time.

This year, I am happy to see even young people posting deep insights and sharing self-help and values-uplifting links in their social networks. I think this is one benefit of the global recession - people are starting to realize that material things are just temporal, it is character and substance that makes a person happy.

So if you are one of those who wish to give Character for presents, here are my suggestions:

www.walkthetalk.com

When I discovered this site, it was just like finding a mine of gold. The materials they offer are a million times worth what you pay for. And it covers both the work and the personal aspects of life. I like sharing their daily inspiration quotes because the appreciation I get from my friends who read them are like spring water from the spiritual well - it quenched not just my thirst but theirs too.

Organic food books and subscriptions (oh yes, healthy body=healthy character!)
(just browse "organic foods" and you'll find a lot of links to organic stores)

I think the big wave towards the organic trend is a sign that we're finally respecting our bodies and nature. The big dream is that giant pharma companies would start investing in probiotics research and finance environmental projects that would benefit them in the future by supplying the natural ingredients that they would use to prepare their organic medicines. In the same way, food manufacturing companies might want to invest in more organic farms so that time will come when organic food will flood the market, you'll get them at really inexpensive prices. If you feel like convincing someone to get off the junk diet, this is a good choice for a Christmas gift.

Interactive Educational Subscriptions (Knowledge=Power=Character)
-for Math I suggest http://www.ixl.com/. They charge a reasonable fee ($10/mo if you subscribe monthly, lower if for a longer period of time).

A few months ago, I was assigned to an out of town project and I was thinking of a way to follow through my son in his Math studies. I normally gave him short exercises to practice on to sharpen his math skills. I found the above Math exercise subscription that gave both him and me access. His access allowed him to work on the exercises and mine allowed me to check what he has done. It was quite neat and convenient for a working mom like me. So why not enroll a child to this very helpful subscription instead of buying them electronic toys which they will just rip apart in less than a week? There are loads of interactive educational websites that offer good practice materials.

So there! I hope after reading this you'll find presents of good value that would leave your legacy to the person you're giving them to.

Have a Meaningful Christmas!!!