Gifts That Give Back: Operation Christmas Child

Hey everyone!

So, this blog post is about something that is very close to my heart--giving back.  The holiday season is coming up (or, if you're me, in full swing!), and it's the perfect time to start giving back to those less fortunate.  I don't know how many of you have been with me since the beginning, but the first posts I ever did on this blog were Gifts That Give Back posts (which you can find here).  I love the feeling I get when I know I'm helping somebody else.  

This post is all about Operation Christmas Child, which is put on my the company Samaritan's Purse. This company does something amazing--they deliver Christmas presents to less fortunate children both in the United States and internationally.  All you have to do is shop for the gifts--which you can do very inexpensively, I went to the Dollar General and Target and only spent $35 on Christmas gifts for 5 kids.  Although I'm a "broke college student," this is the kind of thing I'm happy to spend money on.  You pack the boxes and take them to your closest drop off location (which you can find here), and they take care of the rest!  I wanted to get this post up, because the last day to drop the boxes off is November 19, 2012 this year! I know it's a little last minute, but it honestly took me 30 minutes to shop, pack and label the boxes!  

So, I'm going to give you all a little look at what I've packed in my boxes this year!

You can use either shoe boxes or small plastic bins to pack your boxes--I didn't have any shoe boxes so I bought these small bins from the Dollar General for $1 each!

Now, the fun part--PICKING OUT THE TOYS!

There are some restrictions on what you can and cannot put into a box--no weapons, chocolate, etc.  You can find a full list of ideas of what to and not to pack here.  

Here's what I bought for the kids--I bought some things for boys and girls, as well as some for younger kids and some for older!

For Boys:

For Girls:

I also threw in a coloring book for everybody!  Now, all you have to do is pack your boxes.  Wrapping isn't required, but I picked up some holiday themed tissue paper to put the gifts in inside the box, just to be a little more festive!

Now, download and print your shipping labels, cut them out, tape them to your box and mark the age/gender!

Now, they do ask that for each box, you make a $7 donation for shipping costs.  You can either do this by putting the money in an envelope and placing it in the top of the box, or you can make a donation online.  You can read more about this on their website (linked above!).

Now, you're done! And you've just given a child a wonderful Christmas!

I hope you all check out Operation Christmas Child!  Let me know in a comment if you have ever made a box for them, or if you plan to!

What's your favorite way to give back during the holidays?

Comment and let me know!

xo Sarah

Gifts That Give Back: Kony 2012

Hey everyone!

So usually, the things I blog about are super happy and girly, but this one is sort of a mixed post between happy and sad.  If you haven't already heard, Kony 2012 is a fast growing movement.  It's a movement to take down Joseph Kony, one of the greatest war criminals in the world.  To avoid going into gruesome details here, I'm going to embed the video about the movement below, please take the time to watch it. (I know 30 minutes seems like a long time in our crazy lives, but it was truly the most informative 30 minutes I've spent on youtube) There are so many children being hurt by Joseph Kony, and it's important to raise awareness for a problem that has spread so far.  So, now onto the "Gifts That Give Back" part of the post.

There is an entire online store filled with products that all the proceeds benefit Invisible Children in the effort to track and stop Joseph Kony.  Here are some of my favorites:

All T-Shirts are only $25.00

The awareness bracelets are $10.00

Finally, the Action Kit.  It costs $30.00, and includes everything you need to raise awareness about Joseph Kony, even posters to put up randomly.

I know this post wasn't as happy as mine usually are, but I really hope you all look at the online store for Invisible Children and support the Kony 2012 movement.  It's an amazing opportunity to help the 35,000+ children that have been abducted and forced to kill.  You can pledge to join the movement here, and you can also find ways to donate there.  

If you do want to watch the video to find out more about the movement, here it is! I'm going to warn you, some of the material is pretty graphic.  It's completely worth the time you spend watching it.  I truly think it is amazing to see how the internet has spread this movement so quickly, and how much we can all come together online when there is a greater cause.

<3

xo Sarah

Other Gifts That Give Back Posts:

Beads of Hope Africa

Made by Survivors

Gifts That Give Back: Made By Survivors

Hey everybody!

I'm back with another gift that gives back!  The website is called Made By Survivors, and they do AMAZING things.  All of the items on this website are produced by women that were either in the sexual slave trade or are at high risk of being put into sex trafficking.  The proceeds go towards their wellbeing and rehabilitation.  For Christmas, I both received a gift from this website and gave one.  I got my sister the Kofi Wallet in green, which looks like this:

It was only $17.00, without shipping.  It is made from recycled materials and is from Ghana.  The quality of the wallet was surprisingly good, and my sister loved it! 

Santa also brought me this Elephant Applique Handbag in red.  I'm OBSESSED with elephants and think it's beautiful! The amazing thing is this bag is 10" x 12" with a zipper pocket in the front and length adjustable strap, and it only costs $12.00.  It's really nice quality, too! This bag is made by high risk girls for sexual trafficking in Northern Thailand, which is one of the biggest contributors to the human slave trade.  

Made By Survivors has everything from clothing to home decor to jewelry and handbags.  The company says their goal is "to end slavery through economic empowerment and education" and to give the women in and at risk of being in the sex trade the "tools they need to build safe, independent, slavery-free lives."  The shipping is fast, it took about a week for standard shipping, and you get confirmation emails when it has been processed, shipped and when it should have arrived.  After everything these women have been through, it is an amazing way to help provide them with the lives they deserve.  

Please go check out this website and the amazing things they are doing!

Much love <3