HANDCRAFTED GIFTS THAT GIVE BACK

I'm excited to be partnering with World Vision this holiday season, the global organization working to empower people out of poverty and directing a variety of other social justice projects. Their child sponsorship program is well known, but they also have holidays gifts to specific relief efforts, as well as a tangible handcrafted gifts in their gifting catalogue, which I think is a wonderful way to give something wrappable that is ethically made and gives back. I'm sharing my top three picks from the handcrafted catalogue today.

1. The Kenyan Salad Scoops ($75) These are beautifully made out of olive wood by artisans in Kenya. I love the modern, short handles and how versatile they are. They look awesome with our classic, big, white, salad bowls.

2. The Upcycled Artisanal Bowl ($135) Made from reclaimed scraps of wire and metal by artisans in India, this bowl is the epitome of turning trash into treasure. It is substantial and beautiful and no two bowls are alike. I love it on top of a wood table filled with seasonal decor.

3. Wraparound Ring ($65). I really love this ring. Made by fair trade artisans in India, it features two stones and is adjustable, so no need to get exact sizing. I love the delicate gold band and the colors of the stones.

This is just one small way to give back this Christmas. I want to incorporate some kind of giving into our family holiday traditions each year, whether it's through conscious gift giving or other ways. One thing I'm thinking for slightly older kids is to give them $5 each Sunday in December to give away to someone throughout the week. I like that this encourages them to keep their eyes open to need, and teaches them of the reward in giving. Because it's true that the joy really is more in the giving than the getting.

THE ANTI-UPGRADE

Photo by Alexa Seidl.

Trey's outfit is Gray Label.

In the last three weeks I've made countless trips to the Apple store and have trialed three different phones including the iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone 8, and the iPhone 6, which all started because the battery on my iPhone 6 stopped working a few weeks ago.

Initially, I thought I wanted to upgrade, but after having the newer phones for a little bit I decided I didn't like either. The 8 Plus felt too big in my back pocket and wasn't easy to navigate with one hand, and the 8 felt too similar to my old 6 that it seemed silly to upgrade and pay that much money for something that could be working again with an easy fix.

Luckily, I hadn't erased or traded in my old broken phone yet, so I just went back in and explained I just wanted to fix the battery on my old phone instead. I'm so happy with the change to my old, trusty, (now working) phone.

Just because everyone else is upgrading doesn't mean you have to. There is no race. We don't need to keep up or keep score. Especially during a season of so much change for our family, I'm so glad to have gone back to something that feels so comfortable, like an old sweater or a favorite dinner. I was almost blindsided for a second there by the newer, shinier, things, and well-meaning salespeople. But then I realized that I was in charge of this decision, and I had the power to change the situation, even for something that felt backwards to many people. It goes back to my motherhood mantra: you do what's right for you and your family and you don't worry about what anyone else is doing. Stay in your lane. Keep your old phone. Or don't. That's just it - you can do whatever works for you.

CLOTHES THAT GIVE BACK

I'm always thrilled to find a children's company that gives back. I had heard of Tea Collection before (they're in some big retailers like Nordstrom) but I didn't know the extend of what they're doing for kids around the world. A portion of every sale gives back to The Global Fund for Children, helping with initiatives including child refugees, child trafficking, poverty, and other marginalized youth. Read more about what they're doing here. Some special edition items even give back 100%, shop those here. Take $10 off your order through Wednesday with the code SEIDEL10.

Some of my favorite picks are the rompers (and long sleeved ones for toddlers are hard to find!). Trey is in this one in the above photo - only $19.50 after the discount! So good for ethically made. I also love this one and this one (hello knee patches).

Our nephew turned 3 over the weekend and I put Trey in this polo romper. Durable enough for play but slightly nicer with the collar for a birthday party. The stomp rocket was a huge hit (if you're in the market fora3 yr old boy birthday present) and so was the bouncy house Daniel and I picked up at a garage sale a few weekends ago. Three year olds, man...everything is so awesome.

Trey and his Uncle Luke cracking each other up. Too good.

Happy back to school shopping! This is a good one.