Planning our Christmas toy donations #GivingBack

My family is blessed with so much. We are able to enjoy love, friendship, amazing family, opportunities to see the world, and material things. We are happy in our lovely warm home and with the various "things" that we use in life. We are comfortable and I am quite thankful.

My children are inundated with Christmas gifts because we have a large family when you count both sides. Each and every year, I have found joy in watching Amelia's face as she unwraps her surprises but I also cringe a little at the sheer quantity of it all.

That's why I insist we give back - and her participation is required. If you have the means to do for others this season, I urge you to do so. The holidays aren't about getting and we should remind our kids of that as often as we can.

Before she is allowed to receive holiday gifts, we do a purge of the playroom. Toys that are in good shape that she no longer uses go Goodwill, to help other families who need holiday gifts but may not be able to afford brand-new. We make space for Amelia's incoming items and we hopefully give someone out there a little bit of a break on their gift list completion.

For the past seven years, I also allot a chunk of money to purchase new toys for donation. Some years it has been Toys For Tots, other years the children's hospital. I think we will do Children's Healthcare of Atlanta again this year. It is a good outing for Amelia because she can wheel the gifts into the building in one of their little red wagons and physically hand them over at the front desk (she has helped me to unload toys into the Toys For Tots bin in the past as well).

It is sometimes a challenge for a child to pick out toy after toy after toy at the store and to hear repeatedly, "now remember, none of this is for you." But it is a lesson that I feel is important. She needs to understand that we have a lot and we are not in need, but many children are much less fortunate. They may be hurting, sick, alone, or homeless. They may never see a Christmas present. Therefore, because we can, it is our responsibility to give back. It is our thankful family tradition.

We purchased our donation toys today, and I look forward to our entire family stopping by CHOA very soon. Hopefully this little bit can bring a lot of holiday cheer!

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Note: If you choose to donate to a children's hospital, be sure to check their rules for in-kind donations. There are likely restrictions on what may be donated.

I will listen

I didn't hashtag #Ferguson in my title because I'm not seeking to gain traffic from a terrible and divisive national event. I am not one to jump into the spotlight to yell for my cause and I always run away quickly if politics are involved. I don't change my Facebook profile photo to support a cause, I don't pour ice water over my head, I don't write about the "big stuff".

But if I don't speak up, I'm told I don't care.

And when I do speak up, I'm told I don't understand.

Guess what? I am not black. I do not know how it feels to be black. So if that is what I "can't understand"? I guess there is obvious truth there.  I am a white person from Tennessee. Am I a racist? Nope. I was brought up with faith and caring and lessons to be nice. To quote Dr. Seuss, "A person's a person, no matter how small" - or how dark, or light, or tall, or short, or rich, or poor, or smart, or not-so-smart, for that matter.

Do you want to know why I don't say much? I blame my way of thinking. I have a highly analytical mind and I can't commit myself 100% to one side of most any situation, ever. If I wasn't there, I don't know the real truth. I will never take what's on social media or the news as the full truth because news is for ratings/pageviews and social is often fueled by narcissism and a groupthink mentality.

So when I am conflicted and I know I can't stand by every piece of info on any one side, I stay quiet. NOT because I do not care, but because I am observing and listening. I am searching for the truth. Did a mother lose her son to a violent weapon way too soon? Yes. Is it a good idea to approach an officer when being told to stop and get on the ground? Nope. Is burglary a crime? Yes. Is it a crime worthy of being shot dead on the street? Of course not. Do racists exist? Unfortunately, yes, far too many. Will my white son have more privileges in life? Maybe. In this particular situation, poor choices were made - on all sides - and something extremely heartbreaking occurred. That's what I do know. A trial would have brought more facts to light and I, too, was shocked to hear that instead, it is just over. Everyone is supposed to walk away now...? I am so sad about the entire situation. I wish none of it had ever happened. I wonder about the other incidents that we don't hear about on the news. I hope that no one else gets hurt. I support mankind, and I want us to do better. Just... do better. 

Social media allows us to hide behind our screens and shout out extreme statements that we may not otherwise say to anyone's face. We hide behind things in cowardice so that we may shout and rage and be extreme. So perhaps we all need to step out with genuine hearts, in person, with understanding and listening in mind. Maybe, before we shout our opinions to the masses in an effort to change minds and chastise, we should listen first. The path to change is not paved with loud voices and domination. We need to start listening. Now.

For anyone who wants to talk, I will listen.

Baby gear ideas for Elf on The Shelf

Do you have a baby at home this holiday season? We do! And our Elf on The Shelf, Sparkles, is bound to get into some extra-silly mischief with the baby gear. We are eagerly anticipating his arrival to our home sometime after Thanksgiving. I wonder what he will get into?

Need a few new Elf on The Shelf ideas?
Check out these silly baby-related ideas for your Elf on The Shelf!

Elf on The Shelf: Midnight Snack

The baby bottles and Gerber Puffs were apparently irresistible last night.



Elf on The Shelf: Cuddly Night Sleep

This Elf cuddled up with a clip-on pacifier, blanket, and a fuzzy bear. 

Elf on The Shelf: Oops, Dirty Diaper

I think he's playing a joke with a diaper and some jumbo chocolate chips...

 

 

Enjoy your Christmas countdown with silliness! Items around the house, especially baby gear, can be quite tempting for our mischievous elves. 

Today, it rained. So, you know... #Christmas!

Today, it rained. Misting at times and absolutely pouring at other times. From morning to night, it was gray on the other side of the window panes. We dared not leave our warm and dry home for fear we would wash away. It seemed like the longest Sunday in the history of Sundays.

To my generally stir-crazy-when-trapped-indoors self, it was surprisingly nice. We had a lot of family togetherness and we dressed in sloppy, comfy clothing. My feet were content in their silky, fuzzy socks. My belly was warmed with soup and other no-fuss treats. We accomplished a few tasks, like finally installing a baby gate on the bottom of the steep stairs and knocking out several baskets of laundry. And we did something else...

We put up the indoor Christmas decorations. Including the tree!

This is the earliest we have ever hauled out those green plastic bins. I blame our weather which skipped over the Fall season after a mere week of that Autumn "feel" we love so much. I admit, we may be a bit nuts for replacing my cute turkeys and leaves with reindeer, ornaments, and greenery before we have stuffed our faces at Grandma's house, but there is a magic in the twinkle of Christmas decor. We pushed away the gray outdoors to make room for sparkling lights and shiny memories.

Didn't you know? Christmas lights make even the dullest of days more joyful. There is nothing wrong with grasping onto that a few days early.