2015 After Christmas Sales

Hello Packers!

     Well, I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas time with your families, churches, friends etc. The day of Christmas has come to an end but let us not forget the love and care that God sent to us that day and the love that is eternally with us.

     Although I'm not exactly big on the pushing and shoving of people to get the best 1/2 off deals at the store, I will admit that today was a good day when it comes to the left over scraps left by those who got to the stores before me. My family and I went to a few stores this year and all in all I got some good ones in my opinion but then again, I wish I could have gotten more. So here is the list of things I got on the After Christmas extravaganza that will look wonderful in my boxes for 2016.

WALMART

     So, something that I don't always do but decided to do anyway was head straight to Wal-Mart for their fifty percent off deals for their Christmas stuff. I don't like Wal-Mart all that much when it comes to their Christmas stuff because a lot of the stuff they had were No-No items for boxes. There were tons of lip glosses, nail polishes, lotions and perfumes but all I wanted were stuffed animals and maybe some pencils. Thankfully I got most of the better left overs. All of these items were $0.48 each and my father in law got me a $50 visa gift card so I didn't spend a speck of my own money!

     (Please ignore my dog's behind) Each of these sock monkeys was $3 so I got each for $1.50 and the cups there were all $1 so each was $0.50! Along with some camouflage wrapping paper and a sweater for myself, it came out to about $30 which isn't that bad at all.

TARGET

     Before you go into Target thinking that their Value Spot is going to be 50% off everything, be sure to look on the backs of the tags for a little diamond. This diamond makes it 50% off, if it doesn't then wait for another day because all of the figurines and the pencils were NOT 50% off. Thankfully my mother in law gave me a Target gift card and the lady was kind enough to take $10 off of my final purchase.

     The only things that were on sale here were the two taxi cabs. I'm just a little peeved at Target right now but thankful that they have some employees that understand our frustration.

I was able to get 9 Play Packs and these work great for the older kids that don't necessarily "need" a coloring book but it would still be cool to include one. These come with stickers, a coloring book, crayons and I think an activity pad.

These were the only things I could find back in their Christmas section that was even worth my time. They are the softest teddy bears ever and were $2.50 each after the 50% off. 

MICHAEL'S

       I didn't think about going into Michael's but my mom told me to go in anyway since she was heading into Steinmart. Thankfully I did at the right time because I found the last fuzzy color pages, last wooden shape puzzles and some of the last puffy stickers. All of Michael's is at 70% off right now and if you're really crafty, of which I am not, this is a great time to head in and get some great deals.

DOLLAR TREE

     I was a bit disappointed with the Dollar Tree to be honest because usually they have some great things for Stocking Stuffers and they have them on sale 50% off the next day. Well, everyone got to it before I did so I got some of the remnants but still, I got some good stuff. I got all of these for $0.50 each except for the water sippy cups which rang up at $0.25 per package. So I got four sippy cups for $0.50 and that is one of my better finds.

99 CENT STORE

     99 Cent Store was disappointing too, this year, as all of the paddle balls and the actual games were gone within seconds and I got the left overs. I will say that for coming in as late as I did, I'm impressed that I was able to get so many of the wind up toys they still had left over. These toys wind up and spin along the ground and I think that will be a great toy for kids of all ages. I ended up buying one of those sun dancer things but I think this might be the only one I ever get. Other than that, it was a 4 for 99 Cents deal and they were good for what they had.

Happy Packing and Happy New Year!

I'm Just Too Into OCC

Hello Packers!

     Well, I thought the other post was going to be my last post of the year but my family opened up our gifts on Christmas Eve this year and I just want to show you all that I'm just a bit   too into OCC. My mom filled up most of my gifts this year as well as my stocking and well, let's just say that my mom has filled my gifts with nothing but things to put in my Shoe Boxes. She couldn't think of anything to get me this year so BAM this is the year that she got me nothing but stuff for the boxes.

     SO, this was the "haul" my mother got me for my boxes. She first got me an organization container for my OCC items and that is really helpful considering I have NO space to put my shoe box filler items. She then got me three flashlights, a lantern, two Holiday hair ties, some Moon Sand stuff and a collapsing fishing pole! I was so blessed to get these great things for my shoe boxes and I'm super excited to put them in the boxes too!

     The last gift I opened was extremely heavy and surprisingly I got a large box of Operation Christmas Child Go Boxes! It is a pack of 100 and I'm so incredibly excited to actually use them this upcoming year. I'm so blessed that Operation Christmas Child has played a great part in my gifts this year and I'm so blessed that my family supports me in my Operation Christmas Child journey.

     Then my mom surprised me once again with a set of jewelry! It is an OCC necklace that she found on Etsy and I just about cried my eyes out by how much I love it. This year might not have been directed at me but the gifts I got will make the children of this world so happy and that is the greatest gift I could ever ask for. 

Merry Christmas Everyone and Happy Packing!

Where Some/Maybe All my 2015 boxes are headed

Hello Packers!

     I've been so blessed this Christmas eve to open up my e-mail and find a notice from Samaritan's Purse about one or maybe all of my boxes and where they are headed. One of the things that I noticed is that when the e-mails come in, they only say "your box" not "your boxes" so I have no idea if it is just one box or all my boxes but if I get another notice, you guys will be the first to know.

     Anyway, my box(es) are headed to the Philippines! This is such a great notice because my friends from school, my favorite guests and many of my co-workers are Filipino! I just think that is so awesome that my boxes can be headed over there where a great amount of people are raised and learning the way of Christ through Christianity or Catholicism. Either way, I am very fond of the people of the Philippines and am glad that I get to send them some love.

http://www.samaritanspurse.org/operation-christmas-child-countries/philippines/?utm_source=OCC-Follow-Your-Box-Eblast&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=m_YOCC-15EB&utm_content=country-link

     Above is some information about the Philippines and how Samaritan's Purse is helping these kids/adults along the way despite their situations. I love what they are doing over there and pray that my boxes find the children in good health and the contents bring them smiles as they help them along their journey in life.

Merry Christmas and Happy Packing!

Three (2-4 Boy) Box Day

Hello Packers!

     Well, we are just 5 days away from Christmas and I hope you are all enjoying the holiday festivities going around and spreading the holiday cheer as we are bringing the holidays to a close...until the second week of January when we get to see Valentine's Day merchandise invading the stores. He-He. Anyway, my holiday cheer has been on a low radar for the last few days and in an attempt to bring my spirits back up I decided to fill some boxes that I got on sale for $0.60 each at Target. Today's boxes were made for the boys of the 2-4 age range and I just know that these boys are going to love them.

     These are my three wonderful boxes. Each one is pretty much the same except for the big prizes up at the top and then the types of Beanie Babies that I put in there. So let me tell you all what is involved in these boxes. Each one includes:

• Recycled Paper Bible Coloring Book
• 8 crayon pack
• five pens
• five pencils
• five pencil toppers
• Eraser that doubles as a bouncy ball
• Pencil Sharpener
• Mild Soap
• Wash Cloth
• Chap Stick
• Small Halloween Notebook
• Compact Fork and Spoon
• Halloween Clapper
• 20 Building Blocks
• T-shirt
• Tote bag
• Tooth Brush w/Case
• Toothpaste
• Beanie Baby
• A handwritten Christmas Card
• Spiderman Stickers
• Superman Stickers
• Transformer Stickers

This one was one of the easier ones to pack because of the way that the box just snaps shut with those side handles. I don't like spending a lot of money on these types of boxes because they are costly but I got it on sale so woohoo. I included a set of cars in this box which makes it unique compared to the other ones. I placed the Shamrock Beanie Baby in there and I sure do hope that the boy who gets this box likes the color green because this guy matches the shirt inside the box too. :)

This box has a panda Beanie Baby in there and also has a green shirt in there. The wow item in there is the Little People drawing pad and I just love that. We are trying to keep art in schools and our world has so much art that describes who we are, our experiences and so forth. I think that this type of wow item could maybe shape this child's cognitive development and perhaps create a great hobby.

This box has a black bear inside of it and the wow item of a train whistle. I like the train whistles a lot because they are musical items and trains are just everywhere. I kind of wish that Thomas the Train items went on sale more because what a great addition to a set of boxes than something that all of us at least recognize as something from our childhood? Anyway, this was another great box and the tops of the boxes were made with Bic Permanent markers and tape. The top one was used with duct tape and didn't turn out as cool as the one to the left. I used regular tape for that one.

     Any who, that is my awesome set of shoe boxes for the holidays and I guarantee you that there will be more to come in due time. :)

Happy Packing Everyone and Merry Christmas!

Box: 5,6,7 of 50

My FIRST 10-14 Boys Box!

Hello Packers!

     Oh my goodness, I'm so incredibly excited to show you all my first 10-14 boys box for the next year. I'm so happy because not only was I able to pack one for the boys but I was able to find things all BLUE! Oh my gosh, I can't even write a long intro for this, here are the pictures for my awesome first 10-14 boys box!

This is my Blue themed box! Blue socks, blue shirts blue Pencil Sharpener! I'm so incredibly blessed to have been able to find all of these blue themed items. Here is the list of things I included in the box.

• Blue tote bag
• Beanie Baby
• Jump Rope
• Beanie Hat
• wash cloth
• soap
• t-shirt
• socks
• facial tissue
• personal notebook
• notebook
• deodorant
• tooth paste
• tooth brush
• pens
• pencils
• cars
• comb
• chap stick
• eraser
• pencil pouch
• water bottle

Whenever you guys include a pencil pouch, like water bottles, try your best to stuff as much as you can in here. Someone told me that they are like a present inside of a present. Just as you think you opened up all of your box, you unzip the bag and find more things. I think that is a really cool way of looking at things.

In my water bottle there is the tissue, chap stick, jump rope, toothbrush, comb, wash cloth and the socks. This took up so much space as it's a larger water bottle but thankfully it could fit in a large amount of the stuff.

So this is the ending result of my shoe box packing. Again, another dang puffy box and I used a plastic one for this box. Unfortunately, although it does close, it is puffy and needed a TON of rubber bands. Oh well, I'm so glad I was able to finish one finally. One boys box down, many more to come. :)

Box 4 of 50. 

Happy Packing Everyone!

JC Penny Disney Deals!

Hello Packers!

     Well, for starters, I get a "bonus" from my work and get a $50 gift card to Safeway. I don't shop at Safeway and didn't really want anything from it so I decided to buy two other gift cards with my gift card. $25 went to JC Penny and $25 went to Target. Today I got a $10 off of $25 or more at JC Penny...well, I thought I could use it on my Disney finds but unfortunately Disney is excluded, even when it is on sale. Boo. But, let me show you what I got anyway with my free $25!

My mother sent me pictures of these dolls the other day and was going crazy on how these dolls, originally priced at $16 were in the Clearance section for $2.39! My goodness! So within seconds I headed to JC Penny today and picked up these dolls. I like these dolls for my boxes because they are both a stuffed animal and a doll at the same time. Also, many recommend a doll with a darker skin tone and I think this will be a good doll regardless. :)

So this is totally awesome as well because I found two sets of the Good Fairies of Sleeping Beauty! These dolls were all under three dollars and I'm stuck on if I should distribute them into six boxes or keep them in sets of three and put three in each box. I really don't know what I'm going to do but surely enough you guys will hear about it. 

Then of course I checked the Clearance section for the boys. I found three great ones however the one at the bottom cost more than I had preferred to spend and I was hoping to use that $10 off coupon but since I used Disney items, I ended up not being able to use it. But with that gift card of mine, I only spent $6 at the end of this entire purchase!

Happy Packing Everyone!

2-4 Girl's Box w/WOW Item

Hello Packers!

     I have finished my finals and of course, my next course of action is to celebrate by packing a shoe box! I absolutely love this way of rewarding myself by treating others with great gifts. I have had a doll that is definitely one of those WOW items that we keep trying to include in boxes in a storage box of mine in my closet. I wanted to include it in my boxes for this year but I unfortunately didn't have the resources to fill up the rest of the box...until now!

This is the box I chose to fill. I decorated the outside with shimmery red duct tape.

In this box I included a Recycled Paper Coloring Book and I just love that because as I'm helping a child out there, I'm also being resourceful. Then along with it are: crayons, five pencil eraser toppers, a pencil sharpener, a ball eraser, five pens and five pencils.

I also found an awesome Minnie Mouse notebook and then of course included a good amount of stickers to include with it!

Then there are the basic hygiene items: a wash cloth, tooth brush, toothpaste, facial tissue, mild family soap and a chap stick.

This is a handmade fleece tote bag that I made with a pair of Lala Loopsy socks, a pair of Fairy Princess underwear and a very soft and fluffy bunny.

Then of course the fun FILLER ITEMS! That is my WOW item and I absolutely love it then of course I have one of my clappers from the Halloween sales, a Disney Princess cup and a Princess jewelry set with clip on earrings.

So how in the world am I going to stuff all of this stuff in this box? Well, it wasn't that easy. First, I had to place the flat items on the bottom. If you want to fit most of the items in there without destroying the shape, put the flat stuff at the bottom. 

Then comes more of my flat items like the Minnie Mouse notebook and the jewelry set.

So, when you guys include cups or water bottles, they are great to hold all of those awesome goodies for the kids and create more room for the box's goodies! This is holding the socks, the soap and the underwear.

So then I placed the hygiene items in the box and ooh, look there is still some room! It'll be a tight squeeze but I can make it work...maybe.

Then go in the finishing items!

This box is extremely "puffy" as some would say and I had to use five rubber bands but it still doesn't seem like I could add enough rubber bands to make it shut entirely. I've noticed that I make a lot of these puffy boxes but come on?! This box is going to make a little girl out there so incredibly happy! This is box 3 out of my 50 box goal and I just know that God will help me along the way to make the other 47 boxes happen. :)

Happy Packing Everyone! 

Beanie Baby Dream: Goodwill Finds!

Hello Packers!

     Well, guess what packers?! I decided to go to the Goodwill near my college in celebration of only one more day until my winter vacation and boy am I glad that I did.

     Beanie Babies are such a great item to add to your shoe boxes because they aren't too small but they aren't too small. Plus I just love the quality of the Beanie Babies compared to those at the Dollar Tree but again, totally my opinion. As I love Beanie Babies, I have been trying my hardest to find Beanie Babies at great deals and so far the only place I know about is the Comic Book Store on Watt that has them for $2 each but still, one can only get so much for $2 a Baby.

     So, I haven't had much luck lately but my grandmother was here recently for Thanksgiving and she mentioned that I should check out Goodwills for Beanie Babies because usually they will donate them brand new with plastic tags attached! Well, I'm near Goodwill so why not? I go in to the store and usually they'll have a white bin where they have McDonald's toys and sometimes Beanie Babies but they didn't have that...darn. Oh well, let's just look around at the new items in cardboard packaging, right?

     I have six large trucks in my arms, all of them were $2 each so why not? But something tells me as I look at the toys section of the Goodwill area that I should check there. I go in, not really expecting to find anything but a Ziplock bag changes my mind entirely. I grab the bag and there is a vintage Beanie Baby with curly fur inside. It had not only the tag attached but it had the plastic part that goes around the tag as well! I was so incredibly excited to find it and then I decided to look some more in the mass amounts of stuffed animals to find more and more of these Beanie Babies in ziplock bags!
     Of course, as a person from a family of deal finders and quality finders, I smelled every one of the Beanie Babies as well as ran my hands over all of them to make sure they didn't have any matted portions or stains or possibly any nasty smells on them so of course NONE OF THEM DID! I am so incredibly happy I found some great Beanie Babies of great quality for such a great price! Each of the Beanie Babies was $0.49! I grabbed all of the Beanie Babies I could find and this was my awesome haul!

(Birthday, Patriotic, Romantic and St. Patrick's Day)

(Alright, before I say anything more, I just want you all to know about the Praying Bear there. When I was in third grade, I was hit by a car. They didn't know how well I would be after the impact or if I'd be able to remember anything let alone survive but there was a prayer group that prayed for me all over the globe and my family prayed constantly for me as well. Among the stuffed animals I received for my well-being was a larger version of that praying bear. Being able to send one of these out is a great reminder that I'm doing God's work and maybe just maybe, He wanted me to survive so I can affect a child through my boxes. I know it seems a little silly but, I feel that God is telling me to fill these boxes because he knows the type of person I am and my experiences in life so far. Who knows? Anyway, there is a Beanie Boo, a Christmas themed one and a Panda)

(That vintage curly bear I was telling you about, an Italian Bear, a Valentine's Day bear, and I believe an Earth Day bear but I don't know for sure)

(Koala, Bear, Another Regular Bear, a 1999 Bear)

     Packers, I hope you all don't stump the Goodwill or Dollar Tree when you are packing your boxes because you never know when you will find the best things to put in your boxes. But also remember that when you are going to these stores, look for quality in your items: you never know how long these toys are going to last with these kids.

Happy Packing!

Free Books from Samaritan's Purse!

Hello Packers!

     Well, we all absolutely love Samaritan's Purse which is the organization behind Operation Christams Child and I hope that you all delve deeper into what Samaritan's Purse does and check out its other branches of volunteer work as well. Any who, I regularly go on to Clip With Purpose for some interesting deals, maybe some challenge of some sort or even some really good crafts for the boxes but when I was checking out the main page, I saw that she included a link to get free books from Samaritan's Purse!

http://www.samaritanspurse.org/our-ministry/books/

     If you go to that link above, it will direct you to the BOOKS page for Samaritan's Purse's great books. I myself have ordered three books as well as a DVD!

ALL FOR JESUS: I ordered this book and I got it because it is a devotional for when we are confronted with things in the way, when we are faced with anxiousness and confusion and for when we are at the cross roads of life. I hope that this book will be a great devotional that will leave me feeling refreshed and maybe even closer to God. :)

LIVING BEYOND THE LIMITS: A LIFE IN SYNC WITH GOD: So this book is supposed to help us feel at ease with the way we don't always feel peppy, upbeat or happy in any state. We are the children of God and we are confronted with feeling depressed, sad, angry and wonder if life is even worth it. This book relates to real-life examples of men and women who have given their situations to God and how it has changed them along the way. I want this because although I feel like I'm getting closer to God in my aspirations, I still think that relating to other people that have possibly faced the same feelings I've faced will help me in my journey.

A WING AND A PRAYER: This is a story written by Franklin Graham and it revolves around a boy whose family was murdered in a raid who learns through a gift from a boy he doesn't know, an adoptive family and the gift of Jesus Christ that he can have a better life. I wanted this because although I don't have any children of my own, I have seen this book on Amazon and I want more merchandise regarding Operation Christmas Child. I think it is a good way to get more information out there if anyone ever asks.

MY HOPE DVD: I'm so incredibly excited about this because my brother is a big fan of Billy Graham and I, too, love the Graham's and what they have done over the years for people all over the world. I want this so that I can watch it with my brother and then my boyfriend who is slowly creeping back into the world of faith.

     So, I hope you guys take advantage of the free books that are being offered by Samaritan's Purse as it is always great to obtain materials that can bring us closer to our faith and it is a perk that they are free materials. By the way, the books I mentioned here are just a few of the books they offer.

Happy Packing Everyone!

My Version of the OCC Simple Basic Shoe Box

Hello Packers!

     So, if you are new to Operation Christmas Child, WELCOME! We need as many generous packers like yourself in our organization and greatly appreciate all you have to offer. So, with that being said, I have set out a list of the Simple Basic Shoe Box items that you can use as a foundation for what goes in your shoe box. This is all based on my opinion and don't take it to heart if you haven't included these things or not, this is just what I think would be a good basis for your shoe box goodies.

Hygiene

     Items for hygiene are great in shoe boxes because we don't know if they are able to easily find toothpaste, tooth brushes or for a comb for that matter. Here is a list that I try to include in every box.

-Toothbrush (with a toothbrush case)
-Toothpaste
-Soap
-Wash Cloth
-Comb (Great for both genders)
-Deodorant (for 5-9 and 10-14 kids)
-Chap Stick

School Supplies

     I read somewhere that school supplies are the greatest items to include in a shoe box because these kids sometimes will skip school because they don't have supplies to go and help them learn. Some orphanages only give their kids two pencils to last the entire year. Education is incredibly important to those over here at Shoebox Loving and we love to include as much as we can.

-Notebook (Smaller ones for 2-4 year old children)
-Pens
-Pencils
-Pencil Sharpener
-Erasers
-Crayons

Clothing

     Clothing can make a world of difference to a child. I remember when I was a kid, even now, a new shirt or new pair of jeans made me feel confident and attractive. When a kid gets a new shirt, especially in those conditions, that is a shirt that can make them warm, give them confidence among their friends, maybe give them bravery to go to church and maybe be the one thing that answers their prayers.

-Shirt
-Socks

SOMETHING FUN!

     As we grow older we start to lose sight of all the fun things we enjoyed when we were younger like board games, playing with dolls and stuffed animals but we need to realize that those memories we have...these kids might not have had the opportunity to experience those types of memories yet. Imagine going back to your childhood of playing in dress up clothing and then it just disappearing, it sucks and that's why it is always important that while you include the basics, be sure to include something fun.

-Stuffed animal (for all ages)
-Coloring Book (for all ages)

     Now, like I said, this is the layout for a simple basic shoe box. The rest is up to you as some items are different regarding gender and age group and who knows what God is telling you to include in those boxes. These are just some ideas that I hope you take into consideration during your packing season.

Happy Packing!

2-4 Boys Box

Hello Packers!

     In celebration of finishing my applications to universities, I decided it would be a good idea to pack a box. I love packing boxes as a reward because I just love to do it. It is a "hobby" I just can't crack. Now, what I want you all to know as I pack up these boxes throughout the year is that when it comes to the inclusion of items in the boxes, I can take up to around 20 minutes on each of my boxes just by finding the right things to go in them. I know that there are speed packing games for OCC boxes and some people just throw stuff in them but these boxes, to me, should be put together with the child in mind. That's just a thought. Anyway, here is my 2-4 boy box!

     This is my box. I have used duct tape on the outside for decoration of course and if it looks small, it's because it is. This is a Shutterfly box that my family got my brother's graduation announcements in and the depth was enough so that I knew it could make a great box. So, this size of the box was a bit of a challenge regarding some of the toys I included but here is something great about the 2-4 year old boys, most of the things you put into their boxes are toys because they aren't in school yet. I don't know why this age/gender group is so under represented in the world of Operation Christmas Child because filling this box was a joy and with this age group, we don't need the solar calculator/deodorant/tools/notebooks(totally optional by the way) that we usually put in the older kids' boxes.

     These are the items I included in his box, it does look a lot less than my box for the 10-14 year old girl but these items take up a lot of space in that tiny box.

• Youth Size Tank Top ($1 clearance at Wal-Mart)
• Pumpkin Clapper (Around $0.06 on sale)
• Spider Man Pencil Pouch ($0.30 at Target Sale)
• Dog Beanie Baby ($2 at comic book store)
• Wash Cloth ($0.25 at Target Black Friday Sale)
• Spider Man Stickers (About $0.10 on sale)
• Transformers Stickers (About $0.07)
• Youth Medium Socks ($0.30 from Wal-Mart Black Friday Sale)
• Pencils ($0.30 from Dollar Tree)
• Pens ($0.50 from Dollar Tree/99 Cent Store)
• Pumpkin Cup ($1 from Target)
• Eraser ($0.11 from 99 Cent Store)
• Toothbrush ($0.25 from Dollar Tree)
• Toothbrush Holder ($0.50 from Dollar Tree)
• Toothpaste ($0.74 from WinCo)
• Soap ($0.33 from Dollar Tree)
• Little People Drawing Pad ($1 from 99 Cent Store)
• Crayons ($0.50 from Back to School Wal-Mart Sale)
• Pencil Eraser Toppers ( $0.15 from Dollar Tree)
• Motorcycle ($1 from Dollar Tree)
• Train Set ($1 from Dollar Tree)
• How to Train Your Dragon Color Pack ($1 from Target)
• Facial Tissue ($0.13 from Dollar Tree)
• Chapstick ($0.30)

(So, altogether it came out to approximately $12.89 for this one box. Considering this price, I'm OK with it. The Baking Box definitely came out to more than what I have here.)

 

     It was definitely a challenge. As you can see from the back that the Train Set had to go through some modifications to fit inside the box but it fits and this cute little boy will get an awesome train set that comes with 8 pieces of train track and a wind-up train. Everything ended up fitting in the box and there was little effort in putting the top of the box down so all in all this turned out to be such a great box. But something that is a bit of an issue is that there are still some spots in the box that are open and have nothing in them. 

    

     Bingo! I forgot a tote bag! So this $0.25 tote bag pushes my box price to an ending $13.14! This tote bag will look great holding all of his goodies! 

     Well Packers, this is just another example of the type of boxes I fill up for these kiddies and I pray that whomever receives this box will be happy and in good health.

Happy Packing!

2015 Black Friday Deals for OCC

Hello Packers!

     Did any of you packers go out and brave among the crazies to get some good deals at the stores today? Well, I was one of them and my only mindset for my shopping extravaganza was to get some really good deals for my boxes next year. I was quite impressed with my shopping deals and I hope I can include them in all of my boxes next year. With that being said, here are some of those deals that should be going on until tomorrow the 28th.

     Firstly I went to CVS Pharmacy for their Black Friday Deals and to be honest, they didn't have much. But some nice fleece throw blankets on sale for $2 each caught my eye. The first four from left to right came from a CVS next to my work, I go there often and had no idea that they were even going to have some sort of deal going on so that worked out to my advantage. The last one I just got today early in the morning. It was a good thing I did because there were no more throw blankets available for me to purchase. But still, thankfully I have five blankets for five lucky kids out there. 

     These socks came from Rite Aid which I might go back to tomorrow for the last day of their sale because it is buy one, get 2 free over at Rite Aid and they have some really nice socks on sale for mainly girls and I just can't ignore that offer so I ended up getting two pairs of fuzzy socks for my friends' Christmas gifts and then four pairs for my boxes. Unfortunately I'm limited at Rite Aid and can only take 2 sets of deals. I only paid $2 for the whole lot.

     I didn't plan on going to Toys R Us mainly because they are so expensive and really just not my place to go as I don't have any children of my own nor nieces, nephews etc. However, in their ad they had these Barbie Princess Petite dolls as shown and they were $5 each. Now, I'm not usually one to spend $5 on a doll but all I could think of was how the little girls receiving these boxes are going to be so happy to see these dolls and to get to play with them and their animal friend. Then, next to the dolls is one of my favorite items and that is play-Doh for $1. I have heard many mixed comments on Play-Doh in boxes and none of them really help me out at all if they are good or bad in boxes so until I see a notice from the head honchos of Operation Christmas Child, Play-Doh will remain one of my shoe box gifts.

     Finally, I ended up going to Wal-Mart on Thursday and also Friday and I'm glad I went Friday because the Wal-Mart I went to today had more variety in socks than the basic colors. Each pair of the socks was $3 and then the wash cloths shown are a pack of 6 for $1.60. I will tell you this so you don't go out and buy deals that actually aren't that good. Wal-Mart sells an 18 pack of wash cloths for $3.47 which beats the deal they have for Black Friday because with that price, it would cost $4.80 to meet the 18 wash cloth requirement. Save yourselves on this deal and get the 18 pack, it is so much cheaper.

     Alright Packers, I just wanted you all to know about some of the beneficial Black Friday deals they have going on right now. I hope you all have safe trips if you are driving or flying around and as always, Happy Packing!

Baking Box...What Was I Thinking?!

Hello Packers!

     Well, I found a theme that I wanted to try...right after the drop off week. Yeah, I don't know what was going through my head when I decided to take on this endeavor but here we go.

     

     

     So this is the haul for my baking box. Baking Boxes are filled for teenage girls that are going out into the world to create some sort of trade or simply have to take care of their children or siblings. I put in a baking pan (one big enough to make a loaf of bead), a spatula, a wooden stirring spoon, measuring cups with measuring spoons, towels, pot holders, a strainer and then the rest of my simple box items that I will include as a foundation for regular boxes for you guys to go off of later. 

     Along with the baking items I included all of these awesome items as well:

• Water Bottle
• Socks
• Journal
• Personal Pen
• Pens
• Pencils
• Eraser
• Pencil Top Erasers
• Purple T-shirt
• Head band
• Hair Ties
• Soap
• Magnet Doll Set 
• Stuffed Kitty Cat (Webkinz brand)
• Toothbrush
• Tooth Paste
• Notebook
• Pencil Case
• Pencil Sharpener
• A bookmark (I got them for FREE)
• A chap stick
• A coloring Book
• Crayons
• Deodorant
• A homemade No Sew Fleece Tote bag
• Facial Tissue

     I know, I know, WHAT WAS I THINKING?! This box was incredibly hard to pack because of that dang baking pan and water bottle but again, I love including a water bottle in my boxes no matter what so I just HAD to include it. Here's something I will tell you, if you are going to include as much as I did, find a box that is both wide and deep because mine was wide but not deep enough. This was it.

     It was a pretty good box when I found it in our house and of course, decorating the heck out of it with duct tape really did make it look better than it was and hopefully the duct tape will keep it together when it ships...next year...literally a year from now...oh goodness I have an OCCD thing going on now don't I? Well, this box was close to falling apart in the beginning so I'm glad I was able to salvage the dying cardboard.

     Look at this overly packed and possibly going to break box I have here! It took me close to 20 minutes to figure out how to pack everything in the box. I even considered putting it into another box! So after constantly putting the items in the box this way and that, I finally got everything into the box. Woohoo!

     This is the ending result after putting my shoe box together after placing the card on the inside. This box wouldn't close for the life of me! I couldn't stand the fact that it would not close so I grabbed my large bag of rubber bands, a JOT Brand bag of over 100 rubber bands that I got at the Dollar Tree and went insane on this box so that it would close! Some of the rubber bands are extremely long and some are extremely small. My first rubber band broke because it wouldn't go all the way around so I searched for the long ones. Bam! This box got tightened up and I hope I don't have to ever open it again because that made it just incredibly stressful...but still a great feeling because I know that whomever opens this box will smile and the items will help them out in their journey in life.

     Boxes are such a great blessing to fill and to receive and even if the packing is stressful (Not everything fitting) but in the end, especially for me, staring at the box with the rubber bands around it ready to go off to a country where a girl will open it and smile with appreciation. That is what makes it all worth while, I guess, that these boxes will bring a smile to a kid out there and better their lives in some shape or form.

Happy Packing Everyone and Happy Thanksgiving!

PS: This box came out to be 5.4 lbs!