Day 9: #12daysofGIVING - City Year + J Brand Jeans

Day 7: #12daysofGIVING - Same Sky

Day 6: #12daysofGIVING - Juicy Couture + St. Jude's

Imagine a child in dire need of medical care being turned away from a hospital because of his parents inability to pay. Such cruelty is unimaginable and it happens everyday, but not at St Jude's Children's Research Hospital. They specialize in pediatric catastrophic diseases research and treatment. By doing so they are changing lives and giving hope. They seek to cure and enhance their patients quality of life as well as share knowledge to advance treatment of ill children worldwide. St. Jude's mission is one we can all get behind.

Juicy Couture Key Fob, $was $38 Now $19.99

Join St. Jude's efforts by selecting this Juicy Couture Key Fob for your favorite cousin perhaps. The key fob customized for St. Jude's hospital features the organization's endearing logo, a rose and disc charms. Having a sick child is extremely stressful and costly for parents. Help alleviate that stress by purchasing this piece for someone you love. You can also secretly gift one to yourself! We know you want to and it will help put a smile on a child's face. Now what could be a better Christmas present than that?

For more information on St. Jude's and their work visit their website: St Jude's

Day 2: #12daysofGIVING

Feed Guatemala bag in Zebra Ikat, $45.

When we think about hunger countries like Somalia, India and Ethiopia come to mind. But hunger and malnutrition prey on everyone even Americans. FEED is a nonprofit organization that creates products that help feed the world. It was founded by Lauren Bush in 2006 and has provided over 66 million school meals to children all around the world, 46,000 nutrition supplements and has reached over 13,000 American children. And the numbers keep rising.

What FEED is doing is much more than feeding kids. They are allowing children to be children again. They are helping them focus in school, giving them the opportunity to work their way out of the poverty they were born in. They are restoring hope and investing in the betterment of the communities they serve.

WHY BUY PRODUCTS THAT FEED?

- Hunger is No. 1 on the list of the World's Top 10 health risks*

- 1 in 7 people go to bed hungry every night*

- Hunger and malnutrition kill more people than aids, malaria, and tuberculosis combined*

- 65% of the world's hungry live in only 7 countries around the world*

- Because you can!

Each FEED Guatemala Bag will provide 15 school meals through the UN World Food Programme (WFP). The FEED Guatemala Bag is handmade in Guatemala by Nest, a nonprofit organization that empowers artist and artisans around the world, using traditional Ikat fabrics. This could be the perfect gift for your socially and fashionably conscious best girlfriend. It is environmentally friendly and will make a great carryall bag for strolling around on the weekends.

MORE COLORWAYS

For more gift ideas visit their website: FEED

*World Food Programme's Facts Blast; Nov. 2010. Taken from Feed website.

Day 1: #12daysofGIVING

Our first recommendation for #giftsthatgiveback is ready. See Excess Chatter's review. We are sure you are going to love it!

Hint: dive in!

12 Days of Giving

Aside from birthdays, Christmas has to be the most selfish celebration of the year. However if one was to go back to the actual origin of the holiday, they would realize that it was meant to be the opposite. Think about it. Christmas came to be because God gave his only son to the world. Everyone who had come to see baby Jesus was so joyful that they gave him gifts to celebrate his arrival. The tradition of gift giving was meant to be enjoyable and focused on the recipient of the present. But today it's become more selfish and stressful.

"How did we get here?" one might ask. That's easy. We live in a consumer driven society where more is always more: more presents, more expensive, more technologically advanced, more, more, more for me! Children are trained from a very young age to want: everything. Even those who do not have children have had the opportunity to witness the "I want this toy now" temper tantrum. Children and adults alike manipulate their loved ones to get just the gifts they want. They are doing it as we speak!

So with only 12 days of shopping left before Christmas, we (Excess Chatter and F.W.A.C.) thought it would be fun to feature gifts that are as cute and desirable as they are good for the soul. These 12 #giftsthatgiveback are special because they take the focus off of ourselves and revert it onto people who are in need. They can change the face of the world we live in. A world where so many go without clean water, food and clothing. Let's make this Christmas truly meaningful by giving gifts that give life.

Join us on Twitter @FashionWACNY and Facebook to get some extras and make your suggestions! Use the hashtags #giftsthatgiveback #12daysofGIVING and #L2G

Let's Live 2 Give!