LouFamFun $10 Challenge – November/Holiday Season

 photo IMG_4314_zpsecd5d2b1.jpg photo IMG_4313_zps7c83cbde.jpgDecember is known as “The Giving Month.” I hope what my children and I did with our $10 is a great holiday season idea for your family!

 photo IMG_4315_zpsa3b65532.jpgTo put it simply: we took our $10 and bought a couple of toys for a child in need. There are so many ways your family can contribute to these types of toy drives. I see them posted all over the place on Facebook. Of course there is the Angel Tree that is done through The Salvation Army. You can find more information about Angel Tree here. Mama to Mama (run through Mama’s Hip) is always looking for donations of gently used maternity clothes and diapers and other items for infants). There is also Toys for Tots as well as collections done through community area ministries, such as Jeffersontown Area Ministries.

 photo IMG_4312_zps09b01e3d.jpgMy children and I took the $10 and bought these toys and gave them to the toy drive run through the Home of the Innocents. I looked up on their Facebook page and found that they were conducting various toy drives throughout each weekend in December and they happened to have one near us this past Sunday, so we took the toys to that drop-off location which made it super easy on us as well. My 2-year-old really has no idea, but for my 10-year-old, it was a nice reminder of how much we already have and how easy it is for our loved ones to give us gifts, and what it means when we in turn give gifts to others. She reflected back over the day and really thought about all that she has and that many children throughout the world have virtually nothing. I think it was beneficial for her to see that this small token of love will help a child here in Louisville, and I love pairing things we do with a local twist. We’re also changing up the way we do our 24 day Advent calendar and are going to put a little tip in each box that will remind us to do something for someone else every day leading up to Christmas Day this season. We had $2.84 left over from our toy purchase so we will use that toward one of our RAK ideas, leaving some spare change on a vending machine as a surprise. We have 24 days of Random Acts of Kindness lined up!

 photo toydrive_zpse11f9f23.jpg photo IMG_4311_zps2cb09fe3.jpgDuring our Thanksgiving family gathering, my children and their cousins decided that in lieu of receiving gifts this year from their great-aunts and other cousins, we would all get together and buy gifts to give to needy children. We will be making a day to get together and go shopping for those children some time in December. I think it’s going to be a great opportunity to reduce our receiving and focus more on giving this holiday season!

By guest contributor: Erin

DCPD
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