Buy Gifts AND Make a Difference

This Christmas, why not buy gifts AND make a difference? One great website to visit is Ten Thousand Villages, one of the world's largest fair trade organizations. Artisans in 38 different countries handcraft jewelry, furniture, clothing, and other items, in impoverished places where they wouldn't be employed otherwise. And each item tells the story of the person or group it came from. Here are some great and inexpensive gift ideas I found:

Multi Strand Cuff Bracelet from India

Cut Metal Tree of Life from Haiti

Back Scrubber Kit from Ecuador

Blue Art Deco Bracelet from Guatemala

Condiment Jars in Basket from Vietnam

Reversible Silk Scarf from India

Recycled Foil Mosaic Bag from Bangladesh

Leaf and Bamboo Journal from Indonesia

Hammock Chair from Nicaragua

Elephants Puzzle from Sri Lanka

Leather Stick Drum from Kenya

Geometric Rose Pendant from West Bank

Reverse Painted Jewelry Chest from Peru