Thoughts on Holiday Gifts, Giving Back and (of Course) Travel!

Turkey leftovers in the fridge, an onslaught of catalogues in the mail and miles of traffic around the malls... yes, it's officially the holiday shopping season!

Yesterday, of course, was Black Friday, and we're less than 48 hours away from the so-called Cyber Monday. According to early reports, Black Friday sales held their own... not exactly robust, but no decline, either. The same is expected for Cyber Monday. (A personal aside: I'm all about the cyber shopping thing... why fight the crowds and get the Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer tune firmly lodged in your brain if you can shop online?!)

Being, clearly, a fan of travel, I'm happy to find some fantastic gift ideas for the fellow travelers on my shopping lists. theplanetd just listed these fun ideas that every Tomgirl like me is surely coveting.

That said, these early retail sales reports underscore the financial struggle many are facing this year. Given the work I've been doing with non-profits in planning our gift certificate promotion that gives back to our partner charities, I've become hyper-aware of how the financial struggle is magnified for charitable organizations this year. So as I poke around online, I am thrilled to see other companies also offering gift ideas that "give back". Here are some fun, low-cost items to consider from Sensational Color.

The Chronicle of Philanthropy estimates that charitable giving will be down nearly 10% percent this year (more on that in a later post). So, as you shop for the holidays, please consider these wonderful opportunities to not only give, but also give back. And, if you are an adventure travel lover (or have one on your list), remember that every Tomgirl gift certificate purchase this season provides a significant contribution to your choice of our four partner charities (and that you need not battle the traffic at the mall to purchase one!)

Meanwhile, happy cyber shopping to all... (and, by the way, please let me know if you find any fabulous travel gadgets that I need to add to my wish-list!)