We celebrate Christmas in our house, so as you can imagine, the lists of “must have” items started a few weeks ago. Every “new” toy, gadget or sports-something has made one of four lists in the McClelland household. I laughed the other night when one of my sons asked me, “Do you think I should ask for a GoPro?” I smiled at him and simply said, “No.”

Gifts have certainly changed throughout the years.

When I was a kid, I remember writing down 8-10 things and hoping that at least 2 or 3 of them would be under the tree for me on Christmas or beautifully wrapped for my birthday.  I never asked for anything too crazy or too expensive.  I knew my parents worked hard and I knew that I would receive something special. I knew never to go overboard with the ask.

Times have changed. With social media and technology being so up close and personal, our kids often think they can get things in the matter of seconds/minutes. They’re used to getting what they want in this world and many times children are missing the message of giving back, saving and doing something good with hard-earned money.  The gift of learning how to save. The gift of giving back. The power of having a goal and working to accomplish it… that’s important. These are gifts to give someone and something I’m very passionate teaching my children about.

I recently learned about Sow and I was instantly in awe of the concept, the mission, and the goal.

What is Sow?

Sow was founded by Tanya Van Court with inspiration from her daughter, who told her that she only wanted two things for her 9th Birthday: enough money to start an investment account and a bike. That birthday Gabrielle didn’t receive money to start an investment account or a bike, she received…  A Make Your Own Gum kit, two weaving looms, a butterfly conservatory and a rainbow loom. Seeing this, Tanya realized that the process of gift giving for young people is severely broken. An idea was born.  With the simple philosophy that money is meant to be saved for future goals, shared with those who are less fortunate, and spent on things that make our lives meaningful, Sow began to take root.

Amazing, right?

Sow is a wonderful place to plant seeds for the your future, your family, or a cause that you are passionate about supporting. I love that Tanya has created Sow for anyone… not just kids.

Moms and dads.

Students.

Grandparents.

Young children.

Teachers.

Volunteers.

If you have an idea of something you want to save for – either a personal goal or a cause, you can Sow it. I personally LOVE that, it is beneficial to anyone and teaches and shows financial commitment, dedication, drive and passion. Whether you’re saving, supporting a cause or just have a wonderful wish you need to save for – you can Sow it.

I created an account for my family and with the goal of bringing them to Europe. My parents were never able to afford to take my siblings and me on a European vacation and it was always something I wished we could have done. I love having my children experience new things in life and think a European vacation is something they will always remember. The problem is… with a family of 7, it’s tremendously expensive, so I created my own Sow account for it.  My sons are learning a lot about European countries right now, so I feel like it’s a wonderful time to expose them to the beauty and wonder and the world.

After you’ve decided what it is that you want to save for, you share it with the world on social! You literally get your goal out there. From there, you can get donations for your goal. Your friends, family, alumni, church members, and supporters near and far can all contribute if they would like to do so. And! It’s very important to remember that you should support other goals, too!

I just love the whole Sow concept of goal setting and saving and bringing in a wide audience to help and share in each others goals. It’s a wonderful way to show my children the beauty in life of helping others and setting goals that can eventually be accomplished. 

Bravo Sow!