a robyns nest

"One Gift, one cause"

Is this how you feel after a birthday party? Whether it's christmas, birthdays, or even easter, I'm always a bit disturbed by the sheer volume of STUFF that my children receive in the form of gifts. And although they can't put words to it yet, I know my kids experience a bit of overwhelmed-ness too. After the first few presents, they stop paying attention to what it is they're unwrapping...they quickly rip off the paper and move on to the next gift, rushing to get through it all so they can just PLAY with all the new booty. And speaking of wrapping paper.... there's also the MOUNTAIN of packaging and paper left over afterwards too. I can't get the image of it all sitting in a landfill somewhere out of my mind.

Despite feeling that it's all a bit gluttonous, I can't bring myself to deny friends and family the opportunity to give the kids something special on birthdays and holidays. I understand the joy that is felt when you give a gift to someone you love, after all, I love giving my kids gifts too! So when I read about a new company called ECHOage, I once again did my Happy Dance....here was the solution.

It seems that there are at least two other mothers out there who have felt like I do. And they have created a way for everyone to win when it comes to birthday parties. Loved ones still get to give gifts, children still get to receive a present on their special day, and better yet, complete strangers benefit from all the giving too.

Check out the website, linked above. Essentially what happens is this: Instead of friends and family buying gifts for the birthday boy or girl, they donate $$ on ECHOage's website. The parents of the birthday boy or girl then get half the donations via a cheque in the mail for their children to buy ONE gift. The other half of the money goes to charity. Parents can choose from a few different choices on the website. The charities are chosen because they are national (Canadian and US). Parents who decide to host an ECHOage birthday party choose one of a number of invitations from the website. All of the invites tell folks NOT to bring a gift to the party. Parents then enter the emails of the people they would like to invite. Parents still choose their own venue for the party. Donations and RSVP's are tracked online and parents receive an official tax reciept. Usually donations are $20, but parents can choose to go as low as $10 or as high as $30. After the party, children can send out an ECHOage thank-you email.

Now how smart is that? This might just be my new favorite thing. We're going to give it a try this May for Big Birds birthday. I'll let you know how it goes. Pass it on.......