More Repurposed Shoeboxes!

Christmas is fast approaching and I am holding off on any Christmas decorating posts until after Thanksgiving but some of my preparations must be done early. One such activity is our family tradition of packing a shoebox with small gifts for Operation Christmas Child for Samaritan's Purse. We have participated in this project for years and it has almost become a personal challenge to see how much stuff we can get into one shoebox!

We always pack one for a girl and one for a boy.

We usually include a hat and gloves and  a couple of pairs of socks. For the girl we added a small notebook, pencils, pens, a coloring book, a box of Crayola crayons, a toothbrush and toothpaste, a couple of bars of soap and a couple of washcloths, a hairbrush and hairbands, a small teddy bear, a small mirror, a tiny purse and necklace, and fill any extra space with candy.

All of that stuff fits into one shoebox. Of course it helps that my assistant claims to be a professional shoebox packer with 20 years experience!

For the boy’s box we also included a hat, gloves, and socks, toothbrush and toothpaste, a couple of bars of soap and washcloths, a small teddy bear, a few toy cars, a small football, a toy baseball, a small notebook, pens, pencils, a box of Crayola crayons, a coloring book and candy.

It all fits perfectly!

It’s very important to label the boxes for boy or girl and the age category. If you haven’t already packed your shoebox you still have time but hurry because this week is national collection week! Click the Samaritan’s Purse link at the top of the page for more information.

As I scanned through my blogroll this morning I was saddened to read that Laura’s husband at Decor to Adore will be losing his job as his facility is closing. Laura has listed a few things in her Etsy Shop to help with Christmas expenses. I bought this

and this.

I want to encourage you to click over to her shop and help a sister out!

Today I am so thankful that I will just be cleaning up this mess.

Our yard is a mess and all of the leaves are now on the ground but that pales in comparison to the devastation of the storms in the midwest. My prayer is that those affected by yesterday’s storms will find strength to face the days ahead.

Lastly, there is still time to order Bethlehem Christmas dinnerware. Heads up, there may or may not be a Thanksgiving sale coming up!

I hope that you have a great week!

I’ll be linking to Inspire Me Tuesday at A Stroll through Life, to the Scoop at Stone Gable, and to Grace at Home at Imparting Grace.