Our Advent Conspiracy Letter

Our Advent Conspiracy Letter
24 posted on November 24, 2008
POSTED IN: Blog Posts

We’ve made the decision this year to participate in the Advent Conpiracy. It has always bothered me that every year in November and December we’re bombarded with advertising messages about the “must-have” gift or gadget of the season. We’ve had it drilled into our heads that CHRISTMAS=PRESENTS (and lots of them).

This year our family decided that we would rather spend less on ourselves and others and give more to those in need. Lisa and I won’t be buying for each other this year because we really have everything we need. And a small gift here or there throughout the year means so much than the gift you have to buy. We also talked with the girls about cutting back in their gifts as well so we would have more to give. They were all for it.

We realized that not everyone in our family would understand (or even agree) with our decision so we wrote a letter explaining what we were doing and why. I thought I’d share it with you in case any of you were in the same position.

Happy Holidays from our family to yours! I hope everyone is happy, healthy and doing well.

We wanted to email you in advance of the Christmas season to let you know something we’ve been talking about. We’ve made a decision this year as a family to cut back on our Christmas spending. We’re doing this not only for our own immediate family but also extended family and friends as well.

As Lisa, Chloe, Emily and I talked about the holidays we realized that we’re already so blessed and really don’t need anything. We wanted to share some of those blessings with those in need around the world.

This year in place of the gifts we would normally get for your family we would like to give gifts in your honor to those in need around the world through Compassion and World Vision. We’re excited to be able to make a difference in the world in the true spirit of Christmas and look forward to sending you more information about the purchases we’ve made on your behalf.

We’re also letting family and friends know that it isn’t necessary to purchase gifts for us.

Because your family is dear to us, we want to send a small, home-made family gift to show our love for you during the holidays.

Love, hugs and kisses from our family to yours,

Brad, Lisa, Chloe & Emily Ruggles

We felt strongly enough about our decision to participate in Advent Conspiracy this year that we decided that we would dive in head first and tackle any offences and misunderstandings head-on. Not everyone will understand what we’re doing but hopefully this letter helps to explain it better.

Are you doing anything to scale back on your Christmas spending this year?

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This entry was posted on Monday, November 24th, 2008 at 6:34 am and is filed under Blog Posts. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

19 Comments

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  1. Visit My Website

    November 24, 2008

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    1 Juli Jarvis said:

    What a wonderful decision you’ve made! Thanks so much for sharing. It’s a great idea; I’m glad to know about the Advent Conspiracy!

    Juli Jarvis’s last blog post..No Arms or Legs — Part 2



  2. Visit My Website

    November 24, 2008

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    2 brandiandboys said:

    i actually truly love this. i’ve been feeling this way the last few years, but haven’t had the guts to do anything about it! thanks for your example and do you all mind sharing what homemade gifts you’re giving? we do have a tradition of giving an homemade gift along with a purchased gift!

    love your letter!

    new blog looks GREAT!

    brandiandboys’s last blog post..Girl’s Night, Vampire Movie, & Keith Urban



  3. Visit My Website

    November 24, 2008

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    3 Molly said:

    Two things.
    1-LOVE the new design, very pretty(but I think I will missed the stacked fruit)

    2-I have decided that I am changing my name to Bradlina Ruggles so it will be easier for me to just borrow all of your stuff and claim it as my own. ;)

    Wonderful letter.
    We are doing the same thing in our family-anyone not yet in college will be getting a gift, the rest of them, handmade something.

    I have wanted to do this for years, but have not gotten good feedback from the rest of my family-I think it is finally catching on-Thank God.



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    November 24, 2008

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    4 jonathan said:

    Has this been a progression over the past few Christmas’ or is this the first time for you guys? Would you be willing to share some reaction you’re getting from family?

    We’ve done Advent Conspiracy for two years now, and slowly are trying to get our families to understand that we’d like less CRAP; so that we could all do more.



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    November 24, 2008

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    5 In My Reader said:

    [...] separated at birth, but he is much younger and it appears (much to my chagrin) much more creative. Check out the letter his family is sending out this year. I LOVE It. I want to steal it, but I am resisting. I will come up with my own, much less cool [...]



  6. Visit My Website

    November 24, 2008

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    6 Jared Woodard said:

    Dude,first of all,im loving the new design! It looks killer

    Secondly,what a great idea. My wife and I were just talking about this the other day,and this seems like a great way to implament it.Great Post

    Jared Woodard’s last blog post..Holy Crap I’m Gonna Be A Dad!: PT 2



  7. Visit My Website

    November 24, 2008

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    7 Cherith said:

    ok, (lots of thoughts.. haha.. oh no) first of all, I am super impressed. Not that I am shocked, like “holy cow, the ruggles are giving?? NO WAY!”.. but I know you guys are so giving in so many ways. But impressed because it takes a LOT to not just do this with the girls but with your WHOLE family. Getting OTHERS to understand how you feel is challenging. Any more, people have become more about the gifts not the spirit.

    With that said, unfortunatly, I still can’t give up giving and getting gifts. It’s just something that I enjoy. Although I’m sure BJ would love me to stop spending our money on everyone and give to others who really need it. I’m sure we will.. hopefully sooner than later

    Love you guys!!

    Cherith’s last blog post..Coming to a blog near you



  8. Visit My Website

    November 24, 2008

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    8 ryan guard said:

    Brad your new site looks so good! I haven’t even poked around on it yet… this page earned the comment!

    ryan guard’s last blog post..meteor over Edmonton



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    November 24, 2008

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    9 Brad Ruggles said:

    Thanks for the comments on this. I’ll be posting more in the weeks ahead about what specifically we’re doing, gifts we’re making and our thoughts after the holidays.

    I just wanted to clarify a few things based on the comments:

    1) This is something that God is impressing us to do. In no way are we implying that everyone needs to follow suit.

    2) I’m also not saying that gift-giving is wrong. I think consumerism in our culture is wrong - the mentality that you HAVE to buy a gift for someone even if they don’t need it or you don’t have the money.

    3) The most important thing I want to emphasize about the Advent Conspiracy is not the lack of giving/receiving presents, it’s experiencing the “presence” of God’s spirit in the true spirit of the season.



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    November 24, 2008

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    10 tam said:

    beautiful!

    question? what if your friends or family members can, and really want to, give your girls a gift?

    you asked them not to, and i understand your reason (TOTALLY) but they may not and really want to give a gift to the girls.

    just me, thinking out loud.

    tam’s last blog post..and the winner is…



  11. Visit My Website

    November 24, 2008

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    11 Brad Ruggles said:

    @Tam - Good question. We struggled with how to word that last part of the letter. That’s why we said “it isn’t necessary to purchase gifts for us.” That was the best way we could think of to say we really don’t need anything but if you absolutely wanted to you could.

    As far as Chloe and Emily go, I don’t want anyone to think they’re going without. They have Grandparents on both sides that love to spoil them throughout the year. Plus, we’re really trying to teach them at a young age to be grateful for the blessings they already have and to find ways they can share those blessings with others.



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    November 24, 2008

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    12 Curtis Honeycutt said:

    This is fantastic. I love World Vision. Last year, we bought my friend a goat.

    Curtis Honeycutt’s last blog post..Staggering



  13. Visit My Website

    November 24, 2008

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    13 Lisa Ruggles said:

    @Tam There are lots of people still buying for the girls. I have had conversations with family members that still want to give the girls gifts. We are totally fine with that. Brad and I will also be giving the girls gifts. They just won’t be as big as the past.

    There is one thing they have wanted for years now and they will be getting it. Can’t tell you what it is since Chloe reads her Daddy’s blog sometimes. :)

    And I should also mention that we will also be buying for the other “little ones” in our extended family.

    Lisa Ruggles’s last blog post..New House Rules: Part 1



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    November 24, 2008

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    14 natedavidscott said:

    we’re doing exactly the same thing!

    natedavidscott’s last blog post..The Best. Period.



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    November 24, 2008

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    15 Sam Frederick said:

    I appreciate this post and letter. 5 years ago we decided along with my wife’s family to stop buying gifts for each other and give our money to a person or family in need. I have never enjoyed Christmas more than I have since we made that decision.

    Although I am sure Tickle-Me Elmo is still pretty ticked off by our decision.

    Sam Frederick’s last blog post..The Vatican Forgives



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    November 25, 2008

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    16 y0mbo said:

    I just posted my own thoughts on the Advent Conspiracy on Christ Centered Dad: http://christcentereddad.com/index.php/2008/11/17/a-xmas-manifesto/



  17. Visit My Website

    November 25, 2008

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    17 Rachel said:

    what a great idea. We have honestly been considering something very similar. Your idea of writing a letter to send to everyone is exactly what I’ve been missing in my thoughts on how to do it without offending, and help them understand that what we’re doing is legimate.

    Thanks! We may follow you guys’ lead and do something similar.

    Rachel’s last blog post..Little Things



  18. Visit My Website

    November 25, 2008

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    18 alex mclean said:

    First off, yer site looks amazing. Second, yer site looks amazing…

    And yes, we’re all about advent conspiracy, spending less, giving more, and returning to a truer sense of what Christmas is really all about.

    Awesome example!

    alex mclean’s last blog post..Miles is a Yellow Belt



  19. Visit My Website

    December 8, 2008

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    19 Advent Conspiracy Video « Just Wallpaper said:

    [...] Check out Brad Ruggles’ blog and how his family is doing the Advent Conspiracy thing this [...]



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