Today is Sarah‘s Virtual Packing Party on MomTV (1pmET)! I hope you can join us…well, I’ll be there as long as I get a shower in first. That’s the bad thing about vlogging…
Anywhoo–last week Lydia and I hit up Target (50% off the Dollar Spot!) and the Dollar Store for some awesome gifts to put in our shoeboxes. Basically, we just bought stuff that Lydia would want. And let me tell you, she was having a hard time understanding WHY she didn’t get a duplicate item of each gift!
I decided to do plastic containers instead of a regular shoebox because I figured a plastic container is a gift in itself, right? I know, I love a good plastic container! Of course, we picked a purple one for the girl and a green one for the boy. Lydia did NOT want the boy to have purple because “THAT is a GIRL color!”
I ended up unwrapping a few items so I could stuff more inside. I’m surprised at how much stuff fits in a shoebox! I think I’m going to try to get a shirt for the girls box (I found a super cute t-shirt at Target for the boy for like $2 but couldn’t find a girl’s to equate. How unusual!) and I might try to get something a little Christian-y to put in there, too (a Bible? stickers of Jesus? Ha!).
Right now, Lydia is coloring a letter to the recipient of her box. Operation Christmas Child has some great downloads like this fill-in-the-blank letter. She is very very focused on it and is doing a great job. She really grasped that another little girl was going to get this letter. I love seeing her world open up beyond her own self.
As we were packing everything up yesterday I saw Lydia excitedly putting gifts in her box. And I just got a flash of another little girl, just her age, excitedly opening up the exact same gift. How cool that we get to be a part of her life! Lydia and I stopped right then and prayed for that little girl (and the little boy who’s gift I was packing up). I believe this gift is just an example of what Jesus has done for us. We give and love because He gave and loved FIRST.
If you haven’t thought about partnering with Operation Christmas Child, I hope you do! It was completely fun and a tradition I want to continue every year! Oh, and I’m so excited because when you pay the shipping of your box online, you can print off a barcode and FOLLOW your shoebox around the world! How cool is that? I can’t wait to find out where they go!
Here’s some links for Operation Christmas Child that will help you pack a gift for a special kid somewhere in the world:
- Drop Off Locations {enter your zipcode and see who’s collecting boxes in your area}
- How To Pack A Box {a great list of gifts}
- Graphic Resources {click on CLIPART to download the fill-in-the-blank letter, certificates of completion and more!}
Operation Christmas Child’s National National Collection Week is November 16-23! Grab a box and start packing!
{ 16 comments… read them below or add one }
what a great gift, not only to the children getting it, but for your Lydia as well. We did this a couple of years ago, but haven’t in a while. I think this post is just the kick in the pants to get me doing it again.
Thank you!
.-= domestic extraordinaire´s last blog ..Wordless Wednesday-Happy Birthday to The Nephew Edition =-.
We’re doing this next week–our church turns it into a party for the children’s church and they get together to pack boxes. The kids love it, and it’s also a great opportunity for people who don’t necessarily have time to do an entire box themselves to donate items that can be used.
I have my box, now just need to go get goodies so that I can fill it up. That barcode tracking idea is awesome!! I hope it works for us Canadians
.-= Naomi´s last blog ..autumn goodies =-.
our church offers boxes for Operation Christmas Child. They were all out of the plastic boxes by the time we went to get ours, so Christmas cardboard it is!
I think we are going to do our shopping on Saturday and turn it in on Sunday. I let my kids pick stuff out too. My oldest daughter gets stuff for a girl her age and the same with my son (except he does boy stuff, you understand, right?) 
Our church showed a video of a lady in Bosnia telling her Christmas box story of salvation…..did you see it??? It was very touching and made people cry.
Oh my goodness! We are living parallel lives!
Twitter: givingupperfect
November 5, 2009 at 2:45 pm
I love the idea of the plastic container – and I’m totally copying you! And – haha – yes, Jesus stickers would be awesome.
.-= Mary @ Giving Up on Perfect´s last blog ..Sadly, my new modem is not on this list. =-.
Great post–love the photos!! Love your plastic boxes, too. I have been wrapping boxes all morning. Maybe next year I will buy the plastic ones–they are wonderful! Oh, and I LOVE Target Dollar Spot @ 50% off! SCORE!
.-= Karen´s last blog ..VeggieTales ‘Give This Christmas Away’ Music Video =-.
I didn’t realize that about paying the shipping online! What a great benefit! I will be taking the boys out tonight to get our stuff. Dollar Tree and Target, here we come!!!!!!
.-= Janna´s last blog ..Pumpkin Patch =-.
I love this idea! Maybe I’ll do that with the boys this year.
I told Evan what Lydia said about purple being a girl color…he disagrees.
So much fun! Both of our churches (yes, we have two)are putting boxes together. We gathered and divided our contribution on Monday. Can’t wait to pack ‘em up.
.-= Amy @ Finer Things´s last blog ..Pan Burritos =-.
My daughter’s school does this and she’s already talking about getting her box together. They have a special chapel and each child adds his or her gift box. Last year we did a plastic box(this year I think I’ll follow your lead and look for a colored box) and that made it so easy (I am not a great wrapper). I better hit TarJay and the dollar stores soon!
Thanks for publicizing this opportunity!
.-= Holly @ Marathon Bird´s last blog ..Sink Full of Thanks =-.
Girl, I didn’t know you could use plastic boxes!
Our Church (First Baptist Cumming) always does regular shoe boxes, or at least, that’s what I see people brining in.
Love the idea of using plastic! What Target had 50% on the Dollar Spot? I didn’t see that in the Cumming store this week or last.
Did you go to John’s Creek?
.-= Debbie Hudson´s last blog ..Kraft Goes Digital =-.
We just did ours this afternoon! One boy, one girl, tons of fun
.-= Amy from Resourceful Mommy´s last blog ..Holiday Recommendation: Harumika by Bandai =-.
Twitter: jubes
November 8, 2009 at 4:18 pm
What a great idea. My kids would have so much fun picking out toys/candy for a child their own age.
.-= jubilee´s last blog .. =-.
hello, i think that your ideas are pretty good (:
i wasn’t actually sure weather i was going to do box for someone this year, most of my friends aren’t but i wanted to (:
i have already covered my shoe box (which by the way is rather large, but i guess there is more stuff to put inside it that way), and wasn’t too sure about it, but now that i have seen what you have written on this site i have realized that i am actually going to go for it (: so thank you soo much (:
thankyouu xx
I appreciate this information. I looked for the downloadable letter on the Samaritan’s Purse website and could not find it. Please reply to kayesksbeers@gmail.com.
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