The MisAdventures Of The Holiday Spirit

Samaritan's Purse has been in action here in the Maine area for the last month, and Cary has been nothing but supportive to let me get into the spirit of giving, helping me with ideas to fill 2 boxes for some little boy and girl out there.  Well, today was the day to be able to finish it off and turn it in, just before the deadline. 

And just to prove to you how crazy this project has been today, I didn't even get any pictures!

Yesterday, Brylee and I went to the Family Dollar to finish up the boxes with soaps, toothbrushes, toothpastes, and hair things.  We had a great time letting her get involved in making tiny decisions, like the cute hair clips that went into a little girl's box.

Let me back up just slightly:

One box was filled with playing cards, play-doh, puzzles, pens and paper.  I personally think it was innovative, encouraging hours of playing fun with one or more people...and intentionally non-gender specific.  Except we have to place labels on the box that say Boy or Girl.  Nothing that says Either.

So the first box I decided would be for a boy, ages 5-7, because maybe it will inspire creativity and perhaps a little magician.

The second box happened unintentionally--by beginning with a purchase of a big stuffed teddy bear.  If you spent $50 at Toys R Us, the teddy bear was $5.  Easily done after buying all of Brylee's birthday gifts Saturday.  So we decided some little girl needed to cuddle with a teddy bear, that will most likely be bigger than her...

So...all of this sounds nice and good, right?  Here's where it got...'messy'...

The big, cuddly plush bear?  Wouldn't fit into the biggest shoe box we had in our closet.  It took a lot to close the top, and hopefully some weight will help flatten plushy until time to be opened.  Or maybe re-boxed.  I put a rubber band over it, but one broke, and the second seems stretched to it's limit.  Let's hope that it doesn't take an eye out...

The box for the boy is not in the best of shape.  It is falling apart at the seams, which I didn't really realize until I took them up to church today.  Which started a little tape-me-up fix...which resulted in the breaking of the plastic tape dispenser...So the next person that goes into church looking for tape will find one with a broken, taped up dispenser which may or may not allow them to actually tape.

So, now on to wrap Brylee's birthday gifts, feel guilty that a little boy and little girl are getting shoe boxes that are less-than-decorative, over-stuffed, and falling apart.  Perhaps I'll replace the tape dispenser afterwards. 

It IS the thought that counts...right?

Happy Holidays!