Smiles Sent Saturday ~ November 14, 2015 ~ Operation Christmas Child Shoeboxes

This week’s a little different.  Instead of something I mailed through the Postal Service.  This is about the shoeboxes I sent through Operation Christmas Child.  For two decades they've collected shoeboxes filled with school & hygiene supplies as well as toys and other items from individuals, families, and groups, then deliver them around the world to children in need or crisis.  My family's done it for most of those years.  Here's three of those boxes I packed this year for girls with different themes:

This was a "rabbit" box for a girl 2-4 years old.    Someone gave the us the rabbits-and they looked like a "mother & baby", so I didn't want to split them up-so I found other smaller items to fit in around it-I was quite pleased with how much I could get in!  I even found a small toy and thin composition book with writing paper in it to add later.

This was for a girl 10-14 years old.  I went with owl themed.  My mom sewed the owl bag, I found the owl report cover (which I used to make a Stationery Set), stamp, collapsible water bottle, and stamp were on clearance at CVS,  The crocheted bracelet with owl button was donated, and we already had the owl wrapping paper.  To be able to get more to fit I put the puzzle pieces in a zippered bag and tucked small items around it in the puzzle box.

This was a cat box.  The report cover had a a cat with a ball of yarn on it and was also a stationery set.  I was pleased with how many cat items I found I had as well as other items I was able to fit in.

Our family, including my aunt, packed 50 boxes this year.  You can see some others of those we packed for different ages and genders a Girl 2-4 years old, Boy 2-4 years old, Girl 10-14 years old, & Boy 10-14 years old) at my Simply Shoe Boxes.

The name “Smiles Sent Saturday” denotes my hope these things I mailed made the people who got them smile.