Hello Packers!
We all have an idea of what we should buy year round for Operation Christmas Child but although we all like to go our own route regarding year round packing...I know I'm guilty of that. So, I was perusing the Operation Christmas Child site and found that they have an all year round packing calendar! How cool is that? As our drop off week is coming soon to a close, it's only right that we look at what we should be stocking up for next...right?! Without Further ado, here is the calendar:
January: Hats, Gloves, Scarves
The winter season is coming to a close and that means all the beanies, gloves and scarves that on any other day be about $5 each can come to a possible $1 or $0.50. This is a GREAT time to stock up on all those winter clothes from that November/December overstock.
February: Dental Hygiene Items
I can't tell if they meant to stock up on these supplies because of the huge Valentine's Day candy rush or not but according to OCC this is the time to be stocking up on toothbrushes, toothpaste, floss and those super special toothbrush holders!
March: Quality Crafts
Crafts are a great thing to stock up on for not only yourself to make and then put in your boxes but in some cases for the recipients of your boxes! I've stocked up on bracelet sets for my girls' boxes and I just know they are going to be a great hit!
April: Stuffed Animals
April has one of our favorite holidays over here at Shoebox Loving and that is Easter! Easter not only helps us remember the reason why we love our dear Lord and Savior but also includes stuffed animals and other awesome crafts that we can put in our boxes! Wait for the day after Easter, I know that sounds very materialistic and consumer-like of me but I have stuffed animals that I was able to get for about $0.25 last year.
May: Hygiene Items
This means hair brushes, combs, wash cloths, tissues, band-aids and maybe some wet wipes. These are incredibly important to have in your boxes. I've seen some photos of WorldVision's children and their hair just makes you want to pack an entire thing of shampoo and conditioner in there but...for safety sake, let's stick to brushes and combs.
June: Toys
Of course our boxes need toys! Toys are such an important aspect to these boxes! Toys make being a kid so wonderful! I hope you all find some awesome toys to put in your shoe boxes and especially the ones that make the kid in YOU smile.
July: Clothing Items
It is slowly creeping into back to school deals and getting rid of the mass amounts of flip-flops, crocs and slip on sandals that the stores have been hoarding. I was able to get a large amount of back to school uniform shirts for about $2 each in 2014 at Target around this time. It truly is a good time to be stocking up on clothing items but don't let it limit you to just shirts, get some PJ pants if you can or maybe even sweat pants, get some girls some skirts and don't forget underwear and my favorite item: Socks!
August: School Supplies
I cannot stress this enough! School supplies are flying off the shelves during this month and my favorite school items, notebooks, go for as low as $0.05 in some stores.
September: Games
Again, I don't know why September is the month for games but according to OCC it is! Games, like card games, tic-tac-toe, fishing games and others.
October: Letter and Photo
If you saw my last post, then you would know how the manager of the drop off center got quite emotional when he saw my letters in my boxes. Packers, those letters and photos...they might not speak the same language but they mean the world to those kids. The manager told me that a girl who received her box in Bolivia was talking to him about how she still had the photo of the sweet family tucked away in her wallet at all times.
November: $7 Donation
Well, I broke this little suggestion this year by purchasing my track-my-box labels online around October. Oops. But this is the time to get those donations in either envelopes in your boxes or doing the donation online like I did.
December: Pray
Pray! Pray! Pray! Praying for your boxes is a great thing to do. I pray for my boxes after I pack them, on my way to the drop off center, and when I'm waiting for the carts to take my boxes into the drop off center. Pray over your boxes, Packers. That prayer can go an extremely long way.
Happy Packing!
(Today and Tomorrow then no more drop offs!)
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