Doing our bit this Christmas

This time of year is crazy, people rushing about madly to try and get ready for the festive season. I hate people asking me 'Are you ready for Christmas?’ Am I ever ready? I won't even start about getting ‘ready’ until Christmas Eve. The truth is, Christmas for me is not about madly buying gifts for weeks before or stressing myself out over 'being ready', it is all about family. The highlight of my year is our family dinner on Christmas Eve, and that is Christmas pretty much wrapped up for me. Yes sure I enjoy seeing my child's face when he opens his presents, however I see that face all year round when he receives treats in the form of other things, not just gifts. I just don't enjoy the mad rush that comes with the lead up to Christmas. And don't even get me started on the shopping mall. Ugh.

That aside, every year at this time my boys and I like to contribute to a worthy cause. We like to teach our son to appreciate the amazing opportunities we have in life by giving to others. He, off his own back, donates half of his pocket money each month to Cate Bolt's orphanage in Bali. I didn't ask him to, he offered. In fact he wanted to donate ALL of this pocket money. We also sponsor a child and he takes great pride in the little letters and reports we receive from our child. School aside, I think the best teaching when it comes to compassion starts at home. My husband shares this philosophy and we actively seek out ways to help others when we can.

So this Christmas we decided to donate half of all my eBook sales to The Smith Family Christmas Appeal. I was driving to work one day and this little face on a billboard got my attention and it made my mind up - this would be our contribution this year. It will be a small contribution, my eBook only sells for $4.95 and I am no JK Rowlings, however it will be a contribution no less. The Smith Family is an organisation that helps Australia's disadvantaged kids get the most out of their education, so every small bit counts. So if were thinking of buying a copy of my eBook, now would be an opportune time. Or perhaps you might want to gift a hard working friend who could do with some messages of self-love for Christmas. Either way, you will be doing you or your friend, and The Smith Family a big favour. I did initially say I would donate half of the sales from a specific day last week, however I will donate half of the sales from the day it was released, 5 December, through Christmas Eve.

If you would rather make a contribution directly to The Smith Family Christmas Appeal please visit their website. What a perfect time of year to help those that need it most.

For the record, I buy all my gifts on Christmas Eve. You will find me begrudgingly racing through the mall (I hate being inside the mall on a perfectly nice summers day) come Saturday. I won't notice you, I will be too busy making the shopping trip as painless as I possibly can so I can get back outside in the sunshine. They need more windows in shopping malls.