Holiday shopping made better

A few years ago my family made an excellent choice to simplify spending over the holidays. At first we switched to Secret Santa style giving (like your office party, but without the weird passive aggressive politics), but we took an even awesomer leap this year and are making donations to charities. Go Team Impossible Last Name!

Mel and I made our gift to Growing Opportunities International, a Winnipeg-based fundraising charity that supports community-driven projects in

Their current big push is for Hero Home, a community sports centre in northern rural Tanzania being spearheaded by Tabitah Martin, a Tanzanian marathoner and national coach. It'll be a safe place for kids can go to play, learn and be nurtured.

Like a lot of clever charity projects, you can see exactly what your dollars are going toward. Want to buy nails? You can do that. Sand? Then let's call you the Sand Man. If you're into that.

PLUS, if you donate before the end of Monday, December 15, you're entered to a draw to win 5 hours of customized tattooing from Ivy Gowen at Metamorphosis Custom Tattoo, inking "Sand Man" on your bicep like a boss.

Get in on this. Or donate to whichever charity you support. It's shopping from your computer at home, so you skip the mall, plus you can skip the "will they like it?" anxiety. Everyone wins.

Happy holidays!

Would you spend $3K on a pet?

Would you spend three thousand dollars on a pet?

I will.

In January, I'll take Trish to Saskatoon for cataract surgery, a complication from the diabetes she developed shortly after we adopted her. The surgeon will, miraculously, replace the fluid in her eyes with a neutral solution and give her new lenses, restoring her vision.

$3400.

One of the reasons I quit theatre and moved to PR was to earn a more stable income. This surgery will hurt, but Mel and I can afford it and it's nice to be able to say that - it wasn't always the case. But as we head into donation season, I'm struck by what this money could do if spent elsewhere. A quick spin through Oxfam's Gifts Catalogue is revealing: $3400 buys the destitute 19 wells, 58 goats or 34 beehives.

Apparently I would rather give my dog sight than change a person's (village's?) life.

We all draw selfish lines in the sand, choosing to spend unnecessarily on ourselves rather than give to the urgent needs of others. But this is the most I've ever spent on the least justifiable thing. And it's not having much emotional impact. Truthfully, I do care more about Trish than the lives of thousands of people I've never met.

I think I need to get out in the world more...

Thoughts?

Tuesday's Mission: Save a Life

You can save a life this Tuesday.

Actually, you can save a life any day by donating blood. The bonus to doing it on Tuesday, November 20th is you'll be joining some of the most fun people this side of the Manitoba escarpment - the great team behind Red River Radio's Rally for Red.

All day long, Red River Radio will be bringing you up to speed on Canadian Blood Services in Winnipeg - who they are, what they do and how a little prick (giggle) can save a person's life.

Get on board folks - it's gonna be a par-tay.