Cat Puzzle Box

Girls -- especially those in the 'tween years and younger -- love puzzle boxes, diaries with locks, and other places to hide thoughts or treasures. For those who are also cat lovers, this puzzle box would be a lovely small gift (and can double as a stocking stuffer due to its 5 x 4 x 2 inch size). It's also nice knowing that the boxes are handmade by HSSS artisans in India. This is a nonprofit organization of underprivileged artisans with educational, training and/or health related issues. Last but not least, this is an eco-friendly gift; according to the Uncommon Goods website, the boxes are made "of sustainable Shisham wood, native to the Indian subcontinent, bought under supervision and quota from the government of India (which sells the wood of dead trees)."

What: Cat Puzzle Box
Where: Uncommon Goods website
How much (as of today's post): $20.00 (plus shipping)

Hand-Carved Cat Stretching

Not long ago I posted about a stocking stuffer from the Southwest Indian Foundation, and here is another one that caught my eye: a hand-carved figure of a cat stretching, made of ironwood in Mexico. I love the way the simple lines capture the natural grace of a cat. The figure measures about 5 1/2 inches long, and would make a lovely stocking stuffer for the cat lover.

What: Hand-Carved Cat Stretching
Where: Southwest Indian Foundation
How much (as of today's post): $35.00 (plus shipping)

Chilean Good Luck Pig

Especially in this economy, people could use a little good luck, don't you think? Here's a fun and unique way to try and send a little luck someone's way: a Chilean 3-legged good luck pig. I first saw these this past weekend in a Ten Thousand Villages shop in Austin, Texas, but now I see they're also available on the Ten Thousand Villages website. If you're not familiar with this organization, I wrote about them here, waaaaayyyy back in November 2008. It's a fair trade organization that supports and promotes the work of artisans from all over the world, helping to ensure they get a fair price for their work.

In any case, these little pigs are quite adorable. Because they're handmade, there is some variation, but they measure approximately 2 inches square by 1.5 inches tall. In case you're wondering why they're three-legged, well, apparently that's the part that's supposed to be lucky! You certainly can't beat these as stocking stuffers in terms of uniqueness, and in buying something that supports artisans around the world.

What: Chilean Good Luck Pig
Where: Ten Thousand Villages
How much (as of today's post): $4.95 (plus shipping)

Hummingbird Plant a Tree Pin

Down here in Houston we occasionally spot a hummingbird since we're on the edge of a migratory route. They're such fascinating little creatures! This pewter hummingbird pin from the National Wildlife Federation measures 2 inches wide by 1.5 inches high, and has the added benefit of being one of their "plant a tree" products -- you purchase the pin, and a portion of the proceeds will plant one tree.

If the hummingbird isn't for you, they have lots of other plant a tree jewelry. Perfect for springtime or Mother's Day!

What: Hummingbird Plant a Tree Pin
Where: National Wildlife Federation website
How much (as of today's post): $16.99 (plus shipping)

L'il William Shakespeare

I'm feeling literary today... I just submitted two book reviews in the past few days (I review for a couple of places) and have one more to send later today. Then I'll be caught up for now!

In any case, I think this L'il William Shakespeare is funny, especially because he comes with "a collectible, twelve page, mini color comic book chronicling William's crazy adventures!" Hmm, what kind of crazy adventures did William have? The plastic figure itself is 2.75 inches tall and can be posed -- you know, so you can recreate those crazy adventures! Wouldn't he make a cute gift for a book lover or an English teacher? I admit that it took me until adulthood to appreciate Shakespeare, but now that I do, I think he's the man!

As a bonus, the Library Foundation of Los Angeles is a non-profit, so your purchase supports lots of book lovers, plus others who benefit from the community services that libraries provide.

What: L'il William Shakespeare
Where: Library Foundation of Los Angeles
How much (as of today's post): $3.50 (plus shipping)

Grab Bag of Stocking Stuffers for Women's Shelters

Saturdays are my day for general posts, and today I wanted to talk about something I did last year, which was to donate a bunch of stocking stuffers to a local women's shelter in addition to some larger items.

The university library I worked at before my current job does a yearly gift drive for a local women's shelter. It's one of my favorite charitable drives because it's local and it feels tangible, if you know what I mean. The shelter asks for new rather than used donations, and is happy to receive items for both women and children. All year, I pick up occasional goodies at the dollar store or at a post-holiday sale, but I also put aside gifts I've received that I know I'll never use myself but would be appropriate -- a type of "regifting" I feel good about! I consider these items new because they're unused (I leave the tags on), and I store them in a box just for this purpose so they won't get dusty or covered with cat hair.

As for stocking stuffers, well, last year it finally occurred to me to call the shelter and ask them if they could use unopened Happy Meal toys and small things like that. The answer was a very enthusiastic "Yes!" It turned out I had tons of little unused things I'd been hanging onto, not sure what to do with, because I just can't bear to throw things away.

So, if you participate in a gift drive for a women's and children's shelter, consider donating some great stocking stuffers as well as larger items. You can check whether they take new items, used, or both. Perhaps you have several kids' meal toy duplicates that you don't know what to do with. Maybe you've received a stocking stuffer yourself that you aren't likely to use. You can always pick up some trial sizes of the nicer women's toiletries at Target or elsewhere. If the shelter requires unwrapped items, as ours does, you can put all the small items in a bag labeled "stocking stuffers" and include it with your donation. Be aware that some shelters will not list their physical address on their website in order to protect their clients, so you may need to call and ask.

You might even be the one to organize a new gift drive for your local shelter!

Puddle Jumpers Vase or Pen Holder

The Seed Savers Exchange is a non-profit organization that saves and stores heirloom vegetable, fruit, and flower seeds. They've been around for 35 years, and operate from an 890-acre farm in Iowa. They also participate in larger global seed saving efforts, such as the Svalbard Global Seed Vault in Norway. I love this concept! You can find out more about this organization on their website.

In order to support their efforts, the Seed Savers Exchange has a shop selling seeds and related merchandise. It was really by chance that I came across these "puddle jumpers", or little plastic containers shaped like a pair of rainboots. As you can see from the photo, they can be used as a little vase or as a pencil holder, and they'll be sure to delight the gardener in your life. They come in green with yellow trim, or yellow with black trim.

What: Puddle Jumpers Vase or Pen Holder
Where: Seed Savers Exchange website
How much (as of today's post): $7.95 (plus shipping)

Stocking Stuffers from The Animal Rescue Site

It always makes me feel good when I know that a purchase I've made, or a gift I've given, has also benefited somebody else. In a previous post, I wrote about Ten Thousand Villages, which operates on a nonprofit basis to bring handcrafted items to the United States and Canada, and -- most importantly -- does everything it can to get the maximum proceeds back to the artists and artisans in less affluent countries.

Today, I want to write about The Animal Rescue Site. This is one of those "click once a day" sites where sponsors pay for food and care for animals for each click made (and yes, it checks out on Snopes). As you'll see from the tabs across the top of the page, there are also opportunities to click and help fight against Hunger and Breast Cancer, and to help fight for Child Health, Literacy, and Rainforest preservation.

How does this fit in with stocking stuffers and gift ideas? There's also a shop associated with each of these causes, with some really terrific merchandise. For instance, this is one of the cutest mouse pads I've ever seen, and if your cats are anything like mine, it's completely true to life! (I have been at my computer with as many as five cats simultaneously on my lap, wedged behind me on my chair, or on top of my computer desk.) I chose this item in particular because most mouse pads are flexible enough to be rolled up and tied with a ribbon -- instant stocking stuffer! There are many other animal-related products, plus the other causes each have their own shops with appropriate products as well. It's worth checking out, and if you spend a lot of time online, don't forget to go there and click to help out these causes.

Ten Thousand Villages

Just as I wrote about Etsy not too long ago, today I want to write about another organization I admire that specializes in handcrafted items: Ten Thousand Villages. According to their website, this fair trade organization has been in existence since 1946, supporting the work of artisans from all over the world, particular some of the lesser developed countries. In addition to selling artisan items online, they have over 160 retail outlets across North America, which is how I first came to know them, because we have one in Houston. And if I'm not mistaken, many of the salespeople in these stores are volunteers, which means more of the proceeds from the sales end up back with the artists themselves.

Because there is such a wide variety of merchandise, the prices vary greatly. Never fear, though -- there are some less expensive items to be found, many of which could serve as unique stocking stuffers, and others that would make wonderful larger gifts. I expect I'll be posting about various items from Ten Thousand Villages from time to time.





For now, though, I leave you with these images of three different Nativity-inspired items from Peru. (As an aside, although I celebrate Christmas as a cultural rather than a religious holiday, I adore the Nativity story and would love to collect Nativity scenes from around the world, if time, space, and money were no issue. I still love looking at them, in any case.) The first image is a set of 5" high ceramic pieces, priced at $38 for the set. The second image is a ceramic tea light holder, 6" high, priced at $28. And the third, my favorite of the group, is also ceramic, 6" wide by 4" high, and only $20. Hey, for something handmade all the way from Peru, that's not half bad.

One last thing I like is that Ten Thousand Villages features a lot of items made from recycled materials. Truly, this organization appeals to every one of my sensibilities.