Liv-ving in a material world

Between Jessica and I we have 11 nephews, nieces, and cousins under the age of 18. When it comes time for birthdays and the holidays, we often find ourselves wondering aloud about whether or not to send a gift -- does my niece need even more toys/books/clothes? How can we show her that we care without another material gift?

Now that Maya's first birthday and the holidays are approaching, we're faced with the same issues for our own daughter. Consider this: if everyone in our immediate family only buys one gift for Maya, she'll have 20+ birthday presents (and that's not even counting our close friends or her baby friends). Hanukkah and Christmas are only a month after her birthday -- another opportunity for her to be overwhelmed with gifts.

So, if you are reading this blog post, we hope that you'll consider celebrating Maya's birthday and the holidays in a different way. Here are two specific ideas:

1. Want to give something specifically to Maya? Consider a gift for her future education. We've recently set up a 529 Unique plan to save for Maya's education. Just email Matt or Jess and we'll send you all of the information you need. There's no greater gift than education (really).
2. Want to honor Maya without giving her a gift? Charitable organizations are really hurting in this economy. The Hopkinton Respite Center is where one of Maya's friends gets treatment, and Save a Dog is the charity that rescued Maya's puppy Roxxee. Or just make a gift to the charity of your choice in her honor. 

For those of you who have found that one perfect gift for Maya, that's wonderful. We know how joyful it is to give a gift to a young child -- and we know that Maya will be thrilled to open her present. At the same time, we hope that this post helps you consider other ways you can celebrate Maya on her birthday and on the holidays. Thanks for your consideration, and thanks for reading.