Every year I dread Christmas. My in-laws are extremely difficult to shop for, and they always manage to regard their gifts with a certain level of distaste. It's delightful, really.

I would love to make donations in their name and just give them a little certificate or something, but that would lead to endless jokes about "The Human Fund," and I just can't deal with that.

But this year! I discovered two great sources of gifts that = charity + something to unwrap!

The first is http://www.terrapass.com/gifts/. I bought my in-laws a carbon offset for their home, and in addition they will receive a gift box with some environmentally friendly items such as compact fluorescent light bulb and a dispenser for recycled plastic bags.

Secondly, you can donate $25 (or more!) to the World Wildlife Fund at https://secure.worldwildlife.org/ogc/ and "adopt" an animal of your choice. I had a blast deciding which animals to adopt since a $50 donation gets you the adoption certificate and photograph, plus a cute plush of your chosen critter.

So if you are struggling for gifts - especially for older folks who really don't need anymore STUFF - check out the links. The earth will thank you.