Being an Authentic Giver: An HP Printer Giveaway

A little over two weeks ago, I walked into Rite Aid on Halloween and the shelves that had since August been overflowing with masks and costumes were now cleared. Instead, in place of the ubiquitous "Scream" costumes I saw... Christmas decorations.

And the candy aisle? The Halloween candy had already been whisked away, replaced by chocolates wrapped in shiny red, green and silver tinfoil.

I'm not a grinch but I cringed, and not just because my candy corn hunt was a total bust. The thing is, as the days draw closer to Thanksgiving, so many people I know are more stressed than ever about the cascade of gifts and "Holiday Cheer" they're supposed to rain down on their loved ones.

Indeed, over the past few years going into serious debt and buying gifts for everybody you've ever crossed paths with (or looked at crooked) somehow became the "norm" for the Holiday season. But that was also before the major economic downturn rocked the nation. That was before thousands of layoffs went down every single month. That was before 401(k)s got wiped out and the value of furnished ATM machines, also known as homes, got annihilated. That was before grocery store food costs skyrocketed beyond control and buying a chai latte at Starbucks began to feel like a splurge.

Retailers are trying to lure us into stores with amazing sales, but the reality is that even if something's marked down 50% to $75, if I don't have $75, then I can't buy it. And so with this in mind, I had the good fortune to get invited to a get-together for bloggers sponsored by Hewlett Packard and Snapfish.

One of the themes of the evening was how we can each use the current economic climate as a springboard into creating more authentic, meaningful and inexpensive gifts for our friends and families. Photographer Tracey Clark of the fabulous photo blog Shutter Sisters gave a great presentation on taking unique pictures and designing your own personalized photo holiday cards. She has some great ideas and you're going to want to make cards that will be treasured for years rather than just buying a box of random holiday cards from the sale bin at your local Wal-Mart.

We also did some hands-on crafting and actually practiced how to decorate glass jars and paperweights using nothing but photos, printed paper ideas found in the Creative Studio on the HP site and ribbons and scissors. I'm not especially crafty but it was great fun to make this stuff and it didn't take much time.

The other great theme of the evening was that it opened a conversation about our concept of charitable giving. So often, the dynamic of giving to others is set up in such a manner that an inherent sense of superiority is subconsciously at play. We give money to those who need it and that somehow makes us socially, economically and culturally their betters. Another great blogger, artist and doula, Jen Lemen, came from the East Coast to talk about how everyone has a gift to give and how she discovered that through her friendship with a Rwandan mother and genocide survivor named Odette Umurerwa.

The story of how Jen befriended Odette and then went to Rwanda to see Odette's daughters because Odette could not, due to the politics of her refugee status, was absolutely inspiring. Jen shared how her blog readers donated money for the trip to Rwanda and more, and seeing her photos documenting her journey really touched my heart.

I needed a tissue as I saw the photos of Odette's two daughters that she's trying to get out of Rwanda. The spirit and energy visible in their faces reminded me that the understanding that we are all one human family connected by deeper bonds than our skin color, our nationalities or our stances on political issues, that is truly the gift that sustains us. Not the material things we each desire. Jen and Odette have collaborated on a book called "Let's Learn How to Help Ourselves and Others". The book is sold out right now but hopefully Jen and Odette will be able to get some more printed.

And, finally at the end of the night, I had the great fortune to win a little something to give away to you, my fellow bloggers and blog readers! It's an HP Photosmart C6380 all-in-one printer. It can print, scan, and copy! Sometimes an amazing and memorable photo is the best gift you can give someone. Just think, this is a chance for you to get some of those photos that have been languishing on your laptop actually printed and in somebody's hands!

Here's how to enter:
1) Leave a comment on this post by 11:59 pm on November 30, 2008, stating, in 100 words or less, how you plan to be a more authentic "giver" this Holiday Season.
2) If you link back to this contest on your own blog, and let me know you've done so in the comments, I'll give you a second entry as a freebie.
3) On December 1st, I'll read all the entries to my sons and they'll pick the one that sounds the most authentic and inspiring. I'll post the winner on December 2nd.
4) If you are related to me, you can't enter! But you can come to my house and hug me!
5) You have to live in the continental United States to win. I would love to ship this printer to one of you overseas readers, but the post office and my wallet are not friends.

So good luck to each of you and I look forward to reading about how you are going to be an authentic giver this year!