Christmas In July

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     Some of you cringed when you read the title of this blog post. "Christmas? Now? It's five months away! You can't seriously be talking about this!!" Well, I am and I have a good reason. 


     First off, I love Christmas. Always have. It could have to do with the fact that my birthday is thirteen days before Christmas or that I grew up with a mom who was a Christmas freak. Whatever the actual reason, I love it. I start listening to Christmas music in October and sometimes even watch Christmas movies mid-summer (Judge all you want, I won't change!). One of my most favorite things about the holiday season is being able to bless other people. There were a few times growing up when we couldn't afford presents and there were whole church groups that came alongside us and gave us Christmas! Ever since then, I wanted to do what I could within my power to make sure nobody went without. 

     One of my favorite ways to do this is through Operation Christmas Child-a ministry of Samaritan's Purse. Basically you start with an empty shoebox and fill it with all sorts of items like toys, hygiene products, school supplies, etc. I believe it's in mid-November that you take your boxes to a local church participant and the boxes get taken to underprivileged kids all around the world. I've been participating in this since I was a little girl and it is an absolute blast! 

     It occurred to me this week, though, that I could start collecting things now. With school around the corner, school supplies are on mega sale pretty much everywhere, particularly Walmart. The Dollar Store is great for toothbrushes and bar soap, too. Every once in a while they will have cool name brand stuff also. 
     If you decide to do a box, there's a few things to know. First, pick a gender and age range. Boy or girl. The age ranges are 2-4, 5-9, 10-14. Boys 10-14 receive the least amount of boxes. To help you out, here is a list of dos and don'ts.

 No-no list:  

  • Candy
  • Toothpaste
  • Used items
  • War related items (such as knives, guns, military themes, etc.)
  • Food of any kind
  • Drink mixes
  • Liquid or lotion
  • Medication
  • Breakable items (like mirrors or snowglobes)
  • Aerosol cans 
Suggestions:
  • Toy cars, yo-yo, jump ropes, balls, dolls
  • Pens, pencils w/ sharpener, crayons, coloring books, picture books, solar calculators, notebooks
  • Toothbrush, bar soap, comb, wash cloth
  • T-shirt, socks, hat, sunglasses, hair clips, jewelry, watches, flashlight (extra batteries)
  • You can make your own crafts, too, like hair bows, finger puppets, and friendship bracelets
  • Include a note and a photo if you want. The child who receives it might write you back! 
  • There is also a shipping fee. Last year it was $7 per box, but the cool thing is that if you pay online you get a number to track your box and see what country it ended up in! 
     I challenge you to do at least 1 this year. I try to do two normally, but I'm aiming for 6 this year. It is such a huge blessing for them and you. You certainly won't be sorry you did it. 
  Blessings from the Lovely Little Introvert! 

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