Filling a Shoebox in May

Summer is just around the corner, and it's time for planning vacations, trips to the lake and fun days in the sun. So it's only logical that we think about Christmas, too, right? :-) Of course, that's right. Being the frugal people that we are, we're always on the lookout for Christmas deals year 'round. If I see something that is an incredible bargain and I think someone on my list would love it, I grab it, whether it's May or December. So it hit me just a few minutes ago, why not start shopping for our shoeboxes that we fill for Operation Christmas Child? (http://www.samaritanspurse.org/) This is a ministry run by evangelist Billy Graham's son Franklin, and it's mission is to send shoeboxes filled with goodies to underdeveloped areas of the world and distribute those boxes to children with the intention that these children and their families see God's love in action.

In the past, we've gone to the Dollar Store in late November and picked up many items for these boxes. My daughter likes to choose the teen girl category and so picks out things she would like, hair accessories, lotion, self-contained craft kids, jewelry, hard candy, etc. We also add personal hygiene items, and we try to find something religious, like a cross necklace or nonbreakable figurine, too. Sometimes the pickings are slim, so why not start now? If we spend just $5 at the Dollar Store between now and the collection date at our church in November, we could probably fill several boxes and as a bonus, alleviate some of the usual stress from the Christmas budget. In addition, we will also get a variety of items to choose from, including summer toys and things children can use outside.

I think we'll be adding one more store to our rounds this weekend, and I'll bet we have a lot of fun!