OCC Challenge: Pack more Boys Boxes w/List of 10-14 Boy Box Ideas

Hello Awesome Packers!

     Do any of you give yourselves challenges when it comes to the boxes? We've all seen the $10 shoe box challenge and if not you can go to it here: http://www.clipwithpurpose.com/10-shoebox-challenge-for-10-14-year-old-boys/ . Then we see ourselves adding up more challenges, like the only Pink shoe box or Jungle theme challenge, then there is something that I have given myself for the boxes of 2016: MASS AMOUNTS OF 10-14 BOYS Boxes. That's right, I have given myself an incredibly difficult challenge of filling 36 (10-14) Boys boxes and 14 (10-14) girls boxes. Am I terrified? Not really for I know my purpose here, I know that God will give me the right tools to make this goal and possibly more Boys boxes than I could have ever imagined.
      With that being said, I want you guys to know why this is such a "challenge". According to the representatives at Operation Christmas Child, there is a significant lack of shoe boxes for boys. Especially the ages on the edges of the age groups, i.e. not ages 5-9. Something I read about from one of the blogs I follow was that there was such a lack of boys shoe boxes that the older boys get boxes from 5-9 age groups or even GIRLS! That truly broke my heart. I understand that it might not be the easiest age group/gender to fill boxes for, I'm finding it hard myself, but just imagine your brother or your own son not getting a  box, or instead of going without: they get a box filled with frilly pink bows, a pink Barbie shirt and a never ending amount of pink/purple and sparkles.

     Packers, I understand that Boys boxes can be troublesome for some of us who really have no idea what these boys would want but I have put together a list that I think would be great for the 10-14 Boys.

Hygiene:

• Toothbrush
• Tooth Paste
• Floss 
• Comb 
• Deodorant
• Bar Soap
• Wash Cloth
• Toothbrush Holder
• Soap Container
• Chap Stick
• Nail Clippers (Never thought of using those but they are recommended on other blogs)
• Kleenex (Update: thank you 99 Cent Store!)

Clothing:

• T-shirt
• Dress Shirt
• Tie
• Gloves
• Socks
• Gardening Gloves
• Work Gloves
• Underwear
• Scarf
• Beanie Hat
• Baseball Cap
• Flip Flops
• Tennis Shoes
• Jacket/Sweater
• Tote Bag/Backpack
• Bandanna
• Rain Poncho
• Folding Umbrella (not exactly clothing but oh well)

School Supplies:

• Notebook
• Personal Notebook (journal)
• Pencils
• Pens
• Eraser
• Pencil Erasers
• Pencil Sharpener
• Glue Stick
• Scissors
• Pencil Pouch
• Solar Calculator
• Ruler
• Markers
• High Lighters
• Crayons

Toys:

• Soccer Ball w/Pump
• Football 
• Volleyball
• Baseball
• Tennis Ball
• Baseball Glove
• Slinky
• Stuffed Animal (Yes, older boys like them too)
• Funny Sunglasses
• Deck of Cards
• Coloring Book (Even the older kids like them)
• Magnifying Glass
• Hot Wheels Cars
• Super Hero Action Figures 
• Puzzles
• Flash light (not exactly toy but still awesome)
• Mini Frisbee
• Marbles
• Jacks with Bouncy Ball
• Yo-Yo
• Small Lego Sets
• Watercolor Paint Set
• Stickers (ONLY IF YOU INCLUDE SOMETHING TO PUT THEM ON)
• Kazoo
• Harmonica
• Mini Drum Set
• Dominoes
• Checkers
• Jenga
• Foam Airplanes (I got 5 from the Prize Counter at Golfland Sunsplash)
• Jump Rope! (I packed 4 of them last year and they do not take up much room)
• Binoculars
• Foam Darts

Tools:

• Hammer
• Measuring Tape
• Screw Drivers
• Screws
• Nails
• Wrench
• Rope
• Para-cord
• Duct Tape
• Regular Tape
• Wrench
• Pliers
• Work Apron

First Aid Kit:

• A bag for the kit
• Band aids
• Gauze
• Medical Tape
• Small wet wipe towelettes (They don't have too much liquid in them so they won't leak and get on stuff so they are allowed)

Eating Utensils:

• Fork
• Spoon
• Bowl
• Plate
• Cup
• Water Bottle
• Tupperware Container

(If any of you have any other ideas for Boys Boxes that I didn't put on here, please put them in the comments so I can update the list so we can make a SUPER list of box item ideas for those who have never packed before. There are tons of new packers out there that need ideas, let's help each other out)

99 Cent Store Run & 1/2 Off Halloween Items! (10/27/15)

Hello Readers!

I love going to the 99 cent store and finding sweet deals for my boxes. Like in one of my earlier posts, I absolutely love to find the WOW items and placing those in my boxes and I think I found some at the store today. For those of you packers out here in California, these were found at the 99 Cent Store off Douglas next to the Goodwill and Staples. So, without further explanation; here are some of my awesome finds!

My goodness! I am so glad I went to the 99 Cent Store today to see that their Halloween products were Buy One Get One. When we look at the pictures of boys and girls opening up their gifts, I always see one child with a Princess crown on or some funny/animal head band on with a big smile on their faces. With that being said, finding sets on sale for pretty much $0.50 each, I just couldn't pass these wonderful things up. These were the only types they had that were acceptable as there were Devil and Witch sets there but those aren't exactly the most appropriate attires for shoe boxes. 

Along with the costume sets, they had Halloween socks on sale too. I mean EVERY one of their Halloween products was BOGO. So, of course, I bought some too! Thankfully I know how these socks feel as I bought three pairs of them for myself two years ago and still wear them to this day, even to work where I stand for 8 hours on end. They are great socks and if you guys get the chance, you should buy a few pairs. I bought the sizes 6-10 which are the sizes I bought myself, a size 6 shoe size, and they are great.

I found these Little People carry and go coloring pads for the young kiddies and I fell in love! They come with 6 coloring markers for the kiddies and then tons of white pages for them to color and enjoy! I love this concept and am a little upset I didn't buy more (I only bought 2) but how cool is that? I loved Little People when I was a kid so seeing them and being able to include them in my boxes for the kiddies is a great blessing.

Socks! Socks! Socks! I cannot express how important a good pair of socks is for a child. I, myself, hate going out on the hot California cement without some sort of protection. Imagine that but on rough terrain for miles. A story that made a great impact in my shoe box packing was a story about how there was one boy in an African village that got nothing but white socks in his shoe box. The distributors felt bad because he only got white socks but the boy was overjoyed. He told them that he had burnt his feet so badly that he could only walk so far and was praying that God would send him socks to protect his feet so they could heal. It really helps add to the importance of including nice socks in their boxes. The Kenneth Jones brand is a brand I own myself and wear to the gym, they are soft and thicker than the other options they have there and I've owned mine for about a year now and they have yet to fall apart. I don't know too much about Elite Collection, however I feel the difference between these socks and the other small brand socks they have there and these ones have the best brightness, thickness and quality out of all of them. Be careful when you are buying these though, because there were a few marks on a pair from the shipment. 

When it comes to pens, I consider myself to be a great critic because before Operation Christmas Child, I wrote constantly in my notebooks and so forth: buying pens and checking out which ones write well, which ones don't and which ones are just a complete waste of money. I tend to prefer Bic when it comes to buying bulk pens but Office Pro holds its own in the Pen world. I've owned a few of their products (calculators, staplers, erasers, paper clips, thumb tacks) and they are quite the pen for being at the 99 cent store. 

As for soap, I've also used Palmolive before. I'm not too fond of the scent because it reminds me just a bit too much of a nursing home, but that could just be me. Something I love about Palmolive is that they have their soaps in a three pack nicely set up in boxes for us to put in a plastic bag or container and bam, done with the soap. They have other soaps in three packs there but I read that when it comes to soaps, we should try to get the mild soaps because we don't know about the skin conditions that these kids might have and most likely they'll share it with their families so a good ol' mild family soap is a best bet for those soaps out there.

Now isn't that a familiar brand that all of us girls know all too well from our time of youth? Lip Smacker has existed in all of our Christmas stockings, goodie bags from Birthday parties and we'd all be super hyped up by the new Root beer flavored Chap Stick that we'd no doubt get our parents to buy us. Seeing this hit a burst of nostalgia and I knew that these flavors would be a nice get away for the girls out there. These are flavored as Cheese Cake and Birthday Cake. Chap Sticks are a great addition to your boxes, you can find some pictures out there that have girls and boys using their chap sticks with smiles on their faces. If you guys are going to include chap sticks, try to find those plastic bags, the small ones that we usually see holding earrings and such at craft shows so that if your box is sent to a warm climate, if the chap stick melts, it won't melt on to the rest of their gifts. 

Alright packers, I know that this is a post about the 99 cent store but I got a deal that I couldn't not post about. I found Fruit of the Loom t-shirts for my boys boxes for $1 each at the Clearance section of Walmart and then these adorable Zebra purses for $1 each as well. Seriously packers, if you are out at Walmart, take some time to look at the Clearance sections. They have such great deals and although it does require some searching and diving, we can find some really awesome things. 

See Packers? We can find some wonderful things if we look. I hope your packing and shoe box shopping is going well! 3 weeks until National Collection Week!

How Important are Toothbrush Cases?

Hello Readers!

     Well, I have been stocking up on toothbrushes lately, it is something I try to do every two weeks depending on prices I find and something that I discovered when looking at other blogs as well as Facebook pages, was that we should try our absolute best to get Toothbrush containers and maybe soap containers for the products we send in our boxes. Why? Well, think about your toothbrush at home sitting nicely in its holder or decontamination chamber (which ever high-tech thing you have) and then imagine your toothbrush doesn't have the holder and is laying there on the ground, and not just any ground but possibly dirt, grass, mud etc. and then imagine bugs crawling over that toothbrush, possible animal fecal matter and so forth. ALL ON YOUR TOOTHBRUSH! You wouldn't want to put that in your mouth now would you? Sure, you could rinse it off but what if you have limited water supply and your family doesn't want to waste it on your toothbrush? Gross.

     Saying that, I have found three toothbrush holders in the aisles of the Dollar Tree and 99 Cent Stores over here in California and here they are:

Starting with the one on the left, that is a GB toothbrush holder that came with a three pack of toothbrushes with their own containers as well. After getting the one in the middle, I've come to the conclusion that although they might be a good deal at first, quality is what we want here and there is a lack of quality on the one on the left. My issues with this one are as follows: 

1. Flimsy plastic, it is bendable and can most likely crack in the box during shipment.

2. Does not stay together. Pulling the parts apart is incredibly easy and losing the top portion simply by taking it out of the box is quite possible.

3. They don't come in the same colors. They come in a pack of yellow, red and blue with partnering toothbrushes but something that I am not too fond of is the fact that my blue containers came in two shades of blue in the package so the container doesn't match and looks half-a**edly put together.

The one in the Middle is also a GB toothbrush holder, I got it in a two pack for a dollar. Comparing the first one to the one in the middle, you wouldn't think they were from the same company. The one in the middle is made of a stronger, more durable plastic that sticks together quite well. It does suck that I have to buy the containers separately so that I can obtain a better quality container but for ten bucks I can get twenty containers for my toothbrushes so all in all I guess it could be worse. However, I would have liked to have known about these containers before I bought the large mass of the ones I have on the left. I do have one issue regarding this container:

1. This container is thicker and takes up a bit more room than the other two shown. That is my only issue with this container because I could possibly fill more space with the inch or two that this container takes up.

The last one on the right is made by TEK and it is a basic brush protector for the toothbrush. I like this one and most of my boxes I'm sending out have this protector because it protects the bristles and in most cases, that's all we really care about for our toothbrushes. They don't take up much space and look nice. However like with most toothbrushes, I have a few issues with this one as well.

1. It doesn't cover the entire toothbrush and although that doesn't seem to be too big of an issue, it still makes me wonder how much dirt and so forth land on that toothbrush handle.

2. The cap covering is a bit advanced for the younger kiddies. I think that would be my biggest issue regarding this toothbrush cover because you have to press it at certain angles that we don't see as a big obstacle but for little kiddies who have never had this encounter before, it could be an issue for them and their families. 

     Anyway, so those are the toothbrush containers that I've found thus far and there is my take on them. Like most advice blogs for Operation Christmas Child, take my advice with a grain of salt. I don't want to dissuade you from placing any of these containers in your boxes simply because of what I said. Alright Packers, enjoy your packing! 3 Weeks until National Distribution Week!

10/25/15

OCC Trip to Target 10/22/15

Hello awesome Packers out there!

     Simply because I had a relatively good day at school today, I treated myself to some OCC Shoe Box shopping. (Yes, I now do that as a reward to myself :) ) Anyway, on the way out of school I contemplated where I should go and thought about Target which was on the way home. I am quite grateful that I stopped there because I found a few great items to put in my boxes!

So, my first amazing find was a set of back packs for $3 each! I have nothing but tote bags for my boxes so a back pack is definitely a fun step up. However, I was only able to get one because the rest had bad zippers. I tried every single one and am amazed that they are OK with trying to sell those things. So, word to the wise, if you are checking out the 1,2,3 section of Target and see back packs, check the zippers. This one is perfectly fine though. :)

So, these were a great find for me because I never have a great idea on what size water bottles and so forth I should get for the 2-4 year old kiddies. I always feel like I'm getting the right size, I typically go for the ones that can hold about a pint or so's worth of liquid but these were too cute to pass on. They will be going into my 2-4 year old boy boxes when I restart my box packing (Prepping for next year already so I can reach my goal of 50. Fingers crossed) Anyway, these are such good finds and I saw two other types there, one with a black tint with a kitty face on it and the other was clear with stripes and eye balls to be a mummy. (I didn't know if that one was appropriate or not).
($1 Each)

Last but not least, I found these sweet babies! ($3 each container) I saw these on a Facebook page I follow, Shoe Box Shoppers (Go there, she has great tips and has pictures from a distribution to Tanzania) and was so jealous that she found toys like that for the kiddies. But today  I found them! With luck and a bit of math I figured that I will be able to fill 8 boxes with 20 of these bricks each. I don't know if I'll be able to do that many young boxes (I already have a goal of 14 (10-14 Girl) boxes and 36 (10-14 Boys) boxes) but I hope I can so I can send these out and make some kiddie's day. :)

The Shoe Box that Didn't cost $60

Fellow Shoe Box packers,
     Don't we all want to pack those boxes full of gifts that come from Toys R Us, specialty soaps from Bath & Body Works, designer clothing from Macy's and so forth? Of course we do, we are a giving society and if we could give these kids homes with air conditioning and five course meals, we would. But alas, some things are easier said than done. A shirt from clearance might look easier than the shirt from Macy's for $12 and a three pack of name brand soap from the Dollar Tree looks better than soap that costs $5 per bar; that's why I'm writing this because I saw something on a blog, I can't remember the name of it, but it sort of bashed the "Dollar Store Shoe Box Shoppers".

     It had gone into the basics like a doll from the Dollar Tree looks a lot worse than those specialty $13 Barbies at Wal-Mart and a ball from the 99 cent store fails in comparison to the balls you can get at Big 5. Whatever the comparison, they constantly bashed the idea of using things from the Dollar Tree in your boxes.

    So, I stopped reading the blog for a moment and took some time to think about what they said. Yes, it would be nice if I could afford to put the best of quality things in my boxes but then I'd be limited to maybe two boxes if I was lucky. This year I am able to send twenty boxes with both Wal-Mart and Dollar Tree brand products, therefore reaching twenty children. So after thinking about this, I continue to read the blog and see what they had put in their boxes before they started putting glitzy products in the boxes. It was a box, of course, filled with what looked like something coming out of a Happy Meal explosion. The products were sub-par, like a "dollar tree" box would look. But here's the thing, readers, we can make a dollar tree box look like a Wal-Mart/Target box!

     The first thing you need to really look for when you are searching the Dollar Trees and Bargain Stores are the "Holy goodness! I can't believe they have this at the Dollar Tree!" items. When I have been scouring the store aisles, I look at everything (sometimes I go down the same aisle twice!) but every time I go, I am able to find great finds that make my parents wonder how in the world I was able to afford them...HeHe. I was able to go to a Bargain Store and get three boys polo shirts for $10 and I saw the same brand at Target while they were sold separately for I believe $5.

     Second, look at quality. There are many great objects at the Dollar Tree and Bargain Stores that you can find in actually stores for much more. I understand that you probably don't want to go up and down EVERY aisle at the Dollar Tree but you just might find something a child wanted but gave up on in the candles aisle. I found a giraffe Beanie Boo (the circle ones with big eyes) in the storage aisle where the plastic bins were. Packers, search high and low because you will find something worth your while if you look.

     Third, Dollar Price items aren't just at Dollar Trees anymore. Go to a Bargain Outlet, Walmart, Target and so forth and you will find many great shoe box items to put in your boxes of more likely than not, better quality. I recently bought two packs of building blocks at Target and they will fill up about 8 boxes with 20 blocks in each box. Packers, there are so many places to find dollar items of better quality and I'm not bashing the dollar tree, I go there a lot, but we can manipulate the way we shop, the way we look for items and so forth to make sure these boxes are filled with nothing but love and great items that will make those boys and girls smile without it looking like it was half-a**ed.

"These Kids Don't Really Want These Things, Do They?"

     How many of you filling shoe boxes take a stop and look at the pair of socks, the tape measure, the package of pencils with little monkeys on it and wonder, "Will these kids really want these things?", "My own kids/siblings would toss these in the goodwill bin within seconds"? Well, I had thoughts about that recently when I was packing up a shoe box for a two-four year old boy just a few weeks ago. I was putting a small basket ball in the box and gazed at the dinosaur coloring book. It was from the dollar tree, I had picked it out the moment I saw it because at the time I heard, "Yes! That is the one and you need to get that for them" but when I was packing the rest of the stuff I wondered, "Would he really want something like this? It's just a coloring book".
     I believe that we start to wonder if any one really WANTS the things that we give them anymore. We keep tossing around the saying, "It's the thought that counts" but do we really feel it when we are giving these things to people, let alone receiving them? We look at our own kids today and feel that other kids out there, or should I say 99% of the kids of today, are selfish and have grown out of the coloring book and stuffed animal stage by the time they are three. But then I saw something from a blog I follow, it was a picture of a boy no older than about eight and he was squeezing tight a calculator and a flash light: I believe he lives in Tanzania (don't quote me on that).
     It was nothing more than what looked like a dollar tree calculator and a hand crank flashlight but he had a smile I would give everything to see just once in my life time. That smile told me that he was happy at the fact someone out there thought of him and put thought into that calculator when they chose his box to put it in. That smile told me that although it isn't much to us here, it was everything to that boy who might not have had everything in the world but the small things made him happy. I think we as a society have lost sight of that as everything is so materialistic in this world. We are trying harder and harder to give our kids the best that we can but forget that sometimes, the best is to show them that they can't get everything they want and to teach them that they should be thankful for what they have.

     When packing the shoe boxes, let's not compare them to the kids of the US like shown above. There are kids out there that are grateful for a pair of shoes or a notebook to write down things they learned at school and we are hurting our boxes, hurting ourselves by believing that these kids feel the same way as US children do. Believe me, as a two year shoe box packer, I feel like some of these things are just ridiculous in comparison to things I'd buy my best friend or my cousins but I also need to remind myself that the kids receiving gifts aren't our siblings, kids or cousins but children fleeing ISIS on a daily basis, those fighting diseases without proper medical care, children who have makeshift huts for them to live in where their parents work for what seem like pennies and children who might be forced to be adults too early in life to take care of their siblings or own children. 

     My mother and I were talking about Operation Christmas Child on the way home from her first shoe box shopping trip and she sighed for she chose to fill a box for a 10-14 year old boy (because they are the least donated to and we need to get some out there!) and she was disappointed with her trip. "How do we know if they'll even want these things? I mean, what 14 year old wants some dumb pencils with monkeys on them?" She ranted and I smirked as I smiled at my 16 pencil pack that she bought for my boxes. "Mom," I said, "think about it this way. The kids here when they open up their stocking and see a pair of socks, they don't get excited. They'll probably go, 'wow, thanks mom, it's not like I don't have enough pairs already' and toss them aside. But some boy or girl out there, they'll open their box and scream with joy. 'Oh my goodness! God has answered my prayers! I have burnt my feet and so dearly needed socks! Oh my gosh!' and besides mom, you know those pencils of yours, just pray to God and know that God is going to put that box of yours with those pencils in the right hands of some boy whose favorite animal might be the monkey! You don't know but it is guaranteed that those gifts are appreciated."

     

     So, what I'm trying to say is that these boxes are little things to us but big things to them. We have no idea if they'll be the most WANTED things on the planet but we'll know that they are appreciated and loved for people like you thought of them while filling their box.

2015 Prayer for My Boxes

Dear Lord,

I pray that these boxes created with You and a Child in mind, will be taken to where they are meant to be. That the volunteers handle the boxes with caution and delicate hands as You have guided me to this organization and to fill each of these boxes with care to every detail. I pray that these boxes land where You want them to land and that the children are found to be in good health. I pray that they smile when they open the boxes and that the toys and gifts inside them help them in this glorious journey we call life. I pray these boxes make an impact. That at least one of my shoe box recipients will see the light of Your graces and follow in Your path for them. 

Lord, these boxes have brought me great joy. I know that whomever receives these boxes will be in need of them for You are watching each and every box head out to those children in need. Bless the children and I pray for them to discover exactly what they need in their situations. I pray that these children can experience joy and happiness from their day of distribution, and I pray that they can spread that happiness to their families as well. 

Amen.