Shopping.

We live in the country.  An hour to the closest large city.  So my shopping options are quite limited.  Saturday I had to bring my parents to the airport early in the morning.  My oldest son came along with me.  Usually he's in school while I shop.  So it was fun to shop with him and spend quality time with him.

First stop was Liquidation World.  I hadn't been there in years.
They have the cheapest prices on clips, pony tail holders etc I have found. .80 cents. for a package.  They also had 6 toothbrushes for $2.00
 When we were at the check out I found these Strawberry Shortcake sunglasses! To add to my Strawberry Shortcake box.  I also found  Carebear and Snoopy glasses for 2-4 boxes.  They were $1.00 each.  I don't buy items for $1.00 too often, but these were too cute to pass up.

Salvation Army  had 50% off the entire store.   I found a brand new Parchesi game, coloring book, pencil case,  Wendy's kids meal toy and a few other things.  A bagful for $2.00.  I saw the lady behind me, had a brand new Barbie still in the box. And I think the original price was $6.00 and so she would have paid $3.00 for it. Oh how I wished I had that in my cart.  How lucky some girl would have been.  But I was just thankful for the items I had found.

Michaels had all their Easter clearance at 90% off.  They didn't have a whole lot.  But they did have some Crosses, which I would have bought had the line not been so long and not moving anywhere:(

We stopped at Value Village.  I found 2 small chalkboards.  But found the prices were quite expensive. I know I am cheap:) I was quite disappointed.  And I was hoping to find just a bit more before coming home.  I was praying for one more place.

And there on the way out of the city was another Salvation Army store.  I had never seen it there before.  So we stopped and went in.  Again 50% off the entire store.  And here I scored big!  Books of stickers for boys and girls for .25 cents.Whistles for .25, maracas .69 cents, trumpets 3 for .69 cents.

 And then we found boys t-shirts.  They must have been from a youth group or some sort of project.  And they had a bible verse on the back!  How perfect!!  Regular $1.99 and because of the 1/2 price they were just $1.00.

So I bought all that they had.

I personally find it harder to shop for boys.

I have an abundance of girls items. 

 But not for boys. 

So the shirts and musical instruments and stickers, were exactly what I was after. 

  Here is a small sampling of what I picked up.

I bought lot of the whistles. 

They make a neat sound when you blow them. 

My boys thought they had to keep at least one, to try out. 

The first thing my son said to my husband, was we found such great deals!
Yes God provided an abundance of deals.
Thank you Jesus! 

Now to figure out where to store this last haul of supplies:)

Have you found any good deals lately?

Or something that was just perfect to add to your boxes?

A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words.

Do you ever see an image and it shakes you?

Makes you think?

You can't get it out of your head?

I saw this on pinterest today.



Pinterest via Bev Witting

My emotions ran high.

I didn't know whether to cry or think that is pretty smart.

But then again, it is garbage she is using as sandals.

Garbage, she has to use to protect her feet.

And me, well I complained about petty little things today.
But in reality. I have no idea how good I have it!

God easily could have placed me in those shoes.

But instead he put me here. 

I don't deserve to be here.

But here I am.

It makes me think.

Am I doing enough to help people?

In my community?

In my country?

Around the world?

This world is so unfair.

I am unfair.  I am selfish.

I am grateful for a God who forgives us. 

And gives us second chances.

So the next time I think of complaining,

and even if it's only in my head. 

 I want to remember this picture. 

 And to be thankful for everything God has given me.

And then to pray, demonstrate His love, and make a difference.

This reminds me why adding basic necessities

 to boxes HELPS children around the world. 

This is why I love packing boxes.  

This is why God has put me on this earth.

To be His hands and feet.

  So maybe, a sweet soul like this,

 can  wear a descent pair of shoes.

  And that this sweet soul will know

 that God loves and cares for her and her beautiful feet.

Raising Money for Boxes

I've had a few people ask about how to raise money to pack shoe boxes, or to pay for the shipping costs.  This can be tricky, but our Lord has it all figured out.  It's amazing when we put it in His hands, how he gives us ideas. 

 This Sunday at our church, we are having our Church Picnic, and our Sunday School superintendent came up with the idea to have a dunk tank, to raise money for OCC. Every ball that is thrown will cost a certain amount of money.  And all money raised will go towards OCC.

Have a fundraising garage sale.  Ask friends and family for items.  You'll be surprised how much money a garage sale can bring in. 

Have an facebook auction.  Ask businesses to donate items and put a minimum bid and invite friends to bid on the items. 

Have a bake sale.

God has given me the gift of creativity and I started Shine Design where I donate proceeds to OCC.

What gifting has God given you? Pray about ways He can use your gifting to help OCC.

I saw this posted on the OCC fb page.  Bowling for Shoe Boxes at Biltmore Baptist Church's mission fair in Asheville, NC.  What a neat idea!

I'd love to hear your ideas.

Pack a Theme Box.

Don't you love how God works?  I was going thru my boxes of shoe box items.  And found that I already had the making of a Strawberry Shortcake box!  I had bought all 3 items separately and had forgotten about them.  But put together they will make a great theme box!

Other ideas for theme boxes are...
Cars
Crafts
Barbie
Rainbow
Sports theme
Specific color.  We've done a few orange boxes in the past.

What themes have you done?

Friday Favorites-reusable bags

There are so many things that we take for granted.

Including bags.  We have all kinds of bags.

We recieve plastic bags at the grocery store. 

 If I remember to take along my cloth bags, I use those.

I have a few purses of different sizes, these are my favorite bags.

We have bags to pack clothes in.

So why add a reusable bag to your box.

It could help a child carry his or her books to school.

Carry items to or from market and many other possibilities.

There are lots of tutorials to make your own.



Photo Courtesy of daisyjanie.typepad

This one from Daisy Janie

photo courtesy of darlingadventures.com

And I just found this great site Darling Adventures,

which lists 25 shopping bag tutorials!

The bag made out of a pillowcase caught my eye.

And because it's earth day this weekend.

Superstore is handing out free reusable shopping bags with purchase.

You can also receive a free resuable bag from Giant Tiger

when you sign up for their email newsletter.

Sign up here.

Earth Day freebies.

Superstore is handing out free grocery bags today with purchase.
Free coffee on April 22 at Starbucks with a reusable mug.
30% off your entire purchase at Old Navy with a reusable bag.



Free Reebok Play-Dry Shirt.

Free Reebok shirt with 2 pins from specially marked boxes of Post cereal. (One pin per box)

Friday Favorites- Cars

Add a car to boys boxes, no matter what the age!  Every boy deserves a car or 2.

Impact Story- Viel Thom in Cambodia

Source OCC AU

“I’ve never gotten a gift like this before,” said six year old Pov. “I like the stuffed animal the most,” she added, pulling the stuffed gorilla tightly into a hug.
With an unstoppable grin on her face, Pov carefully looked through the contents of her shoe box stopping to inspect a pencil case filled with pencils and erasers and pens.
“I will use this for school,” she said.  “I like it so much.”
Pov’s parents, poor rice farmers, would never have dreamed of giving a gift like that to their daughter.  Yet on the day of the distribution, Pov could not contain her excitement.
The corrugated tin shacks that line the dusty dirt track cutting through the heart of Viel Thom expose the village’s poverty.  Of all the communities in the region, Viel Thom is the poorest.  While most of the men in the village are handicapped former soldiers, now retired because of their disabilities, the women of the village farm rice, or tie hay to make thatch to build homes.
Samaritan’s Purse has worked in Viel Thom providing the village with some of its most basic needs; water filters through local partners, a school for the children of the community, and support for the village’s men.

But it was Operation Christmas Child shoe box gifts packed with small gifts, school supplies and hygiene items that brought a twinkle to the eye and a bounce to the step of the children and parents of Viel Thom.