This year is going to be an interesting year for me for the boxes for 2017 because I have put a limit on myself this year...let's see how well I stick to it. This year I am limiting my boxes and will only be doing 30 boxes. I will be focusing on the boys mostly this year with a whopping 14 (10-14) Boy boxes, 1 (5-9) boxes, 3 (2-4) boys. Then 9 (10-14) girls, 1 (5-9) girl, 2 (2-4) girls.
What I'm doing differently this year is making more items for my boxes by hand and hoping that I will be able to reach that goal by the end of the packing season. I have been making scarves for the boxes since December and I have a long while till I have 30 scarves prepared as well as 30 hats ready as well. I'm contemplating giving two hats per box but still, as I have no idea how the boxes will look this year, I will just prepare with that thought in mind.
So far, I must say that I have some changes that I'm making to my boxes this year as a result of the block on candy as well as toothpaste this year on. With the money I would have spent on candy or on toothpaste, I went a bit all out on the soaps this year and will be giving each child a 7 oz bar of soap that was made right here in the United States. Each soap smells absolutely heavenly and that is something that I remember reading on another blog. The children loved the smell of the soaps because what they are used to doesn't have a scent or smells more like animal fat. I think that with as much money that I spent on toothpaste and candy last year, I think that it is more than okay for me to splurge a little bit on these necessary items. Last year I sent every child a 3.2 oz or so bar of soap that smelled clean but never really had a fruity or interesting scent. This year, the scents I'm sending smell like almond and honey, cucumber melon, and a lemon-herb scent.
Another aspect to my boxes that I will be changing this year is the amount of school supplies I pack in the boxes. Last year toward the end of the season I started giving children 10 pencils and 6 pens, this year I will be giving each child 10 pencils and 10 pens as I know what it is like to not have that many pencils or run out of my favorite pen so in hopes of them being able to make them last, I'm giving 10 of each. I will also be including full size coloring books opposed to the thin free ones I got last year. Why? Well, to be honest, it's a combination of reasons. 1. I found them all on sale for $0.50 each this year and they are all the recycled paper kinds which is something I just love. 2. My grandmother has a woman and her two 10-16 year old children living at her house. On Christmas, they ran up to my grandmother's portion of the house and were overjoyed by what my grandmother gave them: dollar store trinkets and coloring books. These kids never really had a big Christmas before either and to know that they were overjoyed by something as simple as a coloring book, and this is coming from children in the United States, is just a reminder that kids in that age group will be pretty excited to find one too.
My boxes this year will be relatively gender neutral for the most part but there will be a few distinct differences that will make one box for a girl and the other for a boy. One aspect that I want to tell you all about now so that you can maybe think about it for your own boxes is the inclusion of a hair brush. I know that on certain blogs it says not to include hairbrushes and to just include combs but here is my reasoning. 1. Not all boxes are headed to African nations where girls shave their heads. My boxes went to the Philippines in 2015 and they are allowed to have long hair there. 2. Even if it does go to a girl whose head is shaved, brushes can be used for multiple things and can be used to brush the fur of her stuffed animal or her pet/farm animals if she needs to.
This year will definitely be different for my shoe boxes but the thoughts and prayers are still the same. I hope you are all enjoying your January and I'll be posting again in due time. God Bless!
Happy Packing!
Another aspect to my boxes that I will be changing this year is the amount of school supplies I pack in the boxes. Last year toward the end of the season I started giving children 10 pencils and 6 pens, this year I will be giving each child 10 pencils and 10 pens as I know what it is like to not have that many pencils or run out of my favorite pen so in hopes of them being able to make them last, I'm giving 10 of each. I will also be including full size coloring books opposed to the thin free ones I got last year. Why? Well, to be honest, it's a combination of reasons. 1. I found them all on sale for $0.50 each this year and they are all the recycled paper kinds which is something I just love. 2. My grandmother has a woman and her two 10-16 year old children living at her house. On Christmas, they ran up to my grandmother's portion of the house and were overjoyed by what my grandmother gave them: dollar store trinkets and coloring books. These kids never really had a big Christmas before either and to know that they were overjoyed by something as simple as a coloring book, and this is coming from children in the United States, is just a reminder that kids in that age group will be pretty excited to find one too.
My boxes this year will be relatively gender neutral for the most part but there will be a few distinct differences that will make one box for a girl and the other for a boy. One aspect that I want to tell you all about now so that you can maybe think about it for your own boxes is the inclusion of a hair brush. I know that on certain blogs it says not to include hairbrushes and to just include combs but here is my reasoning. 1. Not all boxes are headed to African nations where girls shave their heads. My boxes went to the Philippines in 2015 and they are allowed to have long hair there. 2. Even if it does go to a girl whose head is shaved, brushes can be used for multiple things and can be used to brush the fur of her stuffed animal or her pet/farm animals if she needs to.
This year will definitely be different for my shoe boxes but the thoughts and prayers are still the same. I hope you are all enjoying your January and I'll be posting again in due time. God Bless!
Happy Packing!
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