I did... My wonderful wife bought me a watch, I've been wearing a beat-up old Timex Ironman Triathlon for about 10 years now... Anyhow, the band had broken (the second or third replacement), and so she figured it was time for a new one. Well I'm just too darned attached to this old watch, it's got everything I need... So I returned the new watch to Sears over the weekend, got a new replacement watchband ($10) and wasn't sure what I wanted to do with the leftover money.

We already sponsor a child through Foster Parents plan, so from time to time we get mailings from the organization... We rec'd one recently called the Gifts of Hope 2006/2007 catalogue, it features a variety of 'gifts' that can be purchased that can really make a difference in the lives of people less fortunate than us...

So I decided that I really don't NEED anything, certainly not in the context that people living in third world countries NEED something... So tonight I hopped online and in about 5 minutes, using money left-over from my returned watch I bought a goat for a family in Zambia... Goats bring immediate health improvements to the entire family. The essential proteins severely lacking in the family's diet are abundant in the goat's milk. By selling surplus milk, the family gains additional income for school and healthcare. $40...

So if you received something for Christmas that you don't really want or need, why not return it and provide something that someone else in the world really does need instead?