Operation Christmas Child

My bestie, Bethany, did the world's cutest Operation Christmas Child box:

Here's her box. Isn't it adorable??

Naturally, this inspired me to do one, too! My mom and I decided to each do one--she did a little girl and I did a little boy. Here are our boxes:

I didn't take a pic of the inside of mine because it was literally SO PACKED that if I un-rubber banded it, I think it would've exploded all over the place. 

It's so easy (and fun) to do! All you need is a shoebox, either cardboard or tupperware (we bought tupperware ones because they're reusable), and then you select if you want to make a box for a boy or a girl. The ages are 2-4, 5-9, and 10-14. Mom and I did a boy and a girl both aged 5-9.

We each got kiddie toothbrushes and toothpaste (which were on some kind of BOGO deal at Wal-Mart), little stuffed animals, crayons and coloring books, silly putty and Play-Doh, hairbrushes and combs, and washcloths. We also put in a bar of our homemade soap and little hand-written Christmas cards (apparently, if you include your address, you might hear back from the kid who gets your box!). My mom gave the little girl a jump rope and doll, and I gave my boy some Hot Wheels and dinosaurs. 

Seriously, this is the most fun Christmas shopping I've had so far this season (and I'm almost done with everyone on my list!). I think it's fun because you know you're going to literally change someone's life with the things you pack, and because you have no idea who they are, which makes it kind of fun to guess.

We did the Operation Christmas Child boxes when I was in elementary/middle school, and then for whatever reason, I didn't hear much about them in high school and college. This is the first box I've done in a while, but GOSH, they've grown their business! You can track your box online now (which is AWESOME), you can leave an address for your child to write to you, and you can even build a box online for $30, which is a really great price (even though we stocked ours with stuff from the dollar sections of Target and Wal-Mart, that stuff adds up quickly. Money well spent, though!). You have to at least check out their website, and if you don't have the time or inclination or ability to go out and physically buy all the stuff to put into a box, then I absolutely encourage you to do one online. It's so easy! There's really no excuse not to. 

Collection dates run through the 25th of November, and you can search for drop off places on the website (I know a lot of YMCA's collect them, too). 

And it's a reputable company who actually DELIVERS the boxes to children in need, so you don't have to worry about getting scammed. 

And, if you're not convinced yet, here's Uncle Si from Duck Dynasty trying (and failing) to pack a box:

It's just a great thing to do, and I encourage everyone to do it. It's going to make such a difference to a child to whom, without your help, Christmas would just be another day of the year. Please take a minute, even if you do one online, and at least think about doing a box. Or, if you are so inclined, pray for the delivery and recipients of the boxes. Prayer is free, but doing a box is just a lot of fun. I feel like this is what Christmas is really about, and even in our rough economy, we're so blessed compared to the majority of the world. Sharing what you have is probably the best thing ever, and what better time to do it than Christmas?

Let me know if you have any questions! 

Here's the website: http://www.samaritanspurse.org/what-we-do/operation-christmas-child/

Pressies!

Bethany was over the other night (!!!) and she goes, "So did you do your famous wrapping this year?" 

A. I didn't realize my wrapping was "famous." 

B. She literally wanted to LOOK at my wrapped presents. 

I thought I'd upload pics for the rest of my adoring public. :)

I went with this hipster awesome mint green wrapping paper with deer print and GLITTER. Not as fawncy as some my past efforts, but given my time (and money) constraints, I'm pleased. 

I hope you all have a beautiful Christmas, readers. I hope you're surrounded by love and the permeating hope of the season. 

May your days be merry (Mary?) and bright!

Christmas Eve is my favorite part of Christmas because it's absolutely the most magical night of the year. Except perhaps Halloween. But that's a toss-up.

I took a few pics of what Christmas Eve looks like in the Daniels Home!



Stockings for my boys. ♥



Our Christmas tree and full Advent Calendar (which we've had since we were LITTLE and still use every year).




My Mom does this little gold tree in the foyer every year, and it's my favorite. I like how there are bird and pine cone ornaments. It just looks PRETTY when you walk in through the front door.


These are my favorite ornaments. My late Uncle Jim made the one on the right. Pretty awesome, huh??



You can't have Christmas without some cookies for the Big Guy.



My mom does the dining room in ice blue and white every year. I think it looks really nice.



I did my presents in pink, white and silver this year! Well, the presents for my female friends and family, at least.



I hope all your Christmas wishes come true, and that your eyes are widened with childlike wonder at the specialness of the season. Merry Christmas!

Christmas Presents.

From house to house, with a true sense of joy,
Jack happily issued each present and toy.
From rooftop to rooftop he jumped and he skipped,
Leaving presents that seemed to be straight from a crypt!
-Tim Burton


Wrapping Christmas presents is my favorite part of the Season. Don't ask me why; I'm not entirely sure. It's just the only part of the whole Christmas thing that doesn't stress me out. Au contraire: it's very relaxing. And I get to do it alone, with my iPod, but still contribute to holiday cheer and all that. So I quite enjoy it.

I usually theme my presents. Like, last year I decided to do black, white and green (finding green ribbons? Harder than you'd think. But they looked REALLY pretty!). Very Slytherinesque. ;) This year, I decided to opt for a more traditional red and gold, with a Victorian tilt.


I found these really neat gift tags at Michaels and they worked really well to finish off the "feel" of the presents.

I also picked up little sprigs of Christmas "foliage" (wtf do you even call these things??) to top the gifts off with. It was big in the Victorian, and looks pretty even today. I especially like ones with birds on them.


And finally, I picked up some gold doilies to use as a base for a bow or these neat Victorian Christmas die-cuts I found. All from Michaels.


:)

Also, this is Sherman's method of keeping warm. I want to adopt this position until like, the end of January.

Brown paper packages tied up with strings...

I decided to write something about gift-giving, because it's the most materialistic wonderful time of the year.

Unfortunately, I have no idea what to buy men. This is such a failing in my life, because I always feel like I have three things which I always buy the gentlemen in my life: books, t-shirts, and food of some sort. Omg, Guys, WHAT DO YOU WANT??

I was thinking about this this morning and thought, "I wish there was some awesome guy blog out there loaded with ideas FROM MEN about what they want."

Then I was like, "I'm a girl. With a girl blog. And lots of Gentleman readers. I WILL DO THE SAME THING."

So whether you're male, female, or somewhere in between, here's a little list of things you can get that special lady in your life, straight from a real live girl who might know a thing or two about ladies want.

(Granted, this is all very much full of crass generalizations. Besides, I'm not sure I'm the best representative of my sex. So basically, this is incredibly biased and probably totally inaccurate, but hey, it's the thought that counts and maybe you'll get an idea from it.)

So the first item on my list is ideal for that girl in your life that you sort of know and like but don't want to pull out all the stops for-- roomates, acquaintances, neighbors, an addition to a sister's gift. Something like that.

On-the-go Makeup Essentials by insidemypumpkin on Polyvore.com

It's a little bag full of essential makeup stuff for on-the-go girls! All products are from ELF, and the entire thing, bag included, cost $21 even (they often have free shipping...just use the Google button on the internet machine). It has cool things like a transluscent pressed powder (takes the guess-work out of guessing the right shade and works to touch up makeup), a minty lipgloss, a two-in-one eyeshadow and eyeliner stick and oil-blotting sheets to keep shine at bay. Like I said, it's a nice thing to get (and have!). It's not too terribly generic and doesn't break the bank (To see the detailed list of above items Click here.).

On that note. Women are extremely sensitive to generic presents. By which, I mean don't go into Bath and Body Works and grab a pre-packaged gift set and expect her to be bowled over. It's not gonna happen. This is the stuff that women buy for people they either don't know or don't care about. Unless there's a scent with some kind of deeper meaning (for example: BB&W has this one, "Twilight Woods," which I gave and got aplenty between friends who like Twilight. Appropriate.), avoid the bath stuff (addendum: a body spray, perfume or lotion makes a nice addition to a gift. Or, as mentioned, if it's something she really wants, by all means GO FOR IT. Just don't default to bath stuff). Also candles. Unless she wants a really specific scent or candle, they're an utterly lame gift.

On that note, if you have absolutely no idea what to get a woman, Victoria's Secret has a line of bath products called the Secret Garden Collection, and the massive bottles of body spray start at $9.00. Here's a little secret: every single woman, no matter how anti-big brand or tomboyish she might seem, loves Victoria's Secret. I don't know why. I don't know if it's the fact that it comes in a pink striped bag with all your stuff wrapped carefully in hot pink tissue paper. I don't know if it's because women on all ends of the financial spectrum wear VS stuff. Maybe because it's so celeb-endorsed. I have no idea. But you really can't go wrong with it. And if you're uncomfortable going in there, recruit a woman friend to go in and get it for you. And don't be surprised when she comes out with her own stuff.

VS Under $25 by insidemypumpkin featuring v neck tops

All of the above are under $25. Not too shabby, right?? Also. If you're looking for something saucy and more...lingerie-ish. All I have to say is: Pink by VS 5 for $25!

So another really good gift idea is a magazine subscription. Even in the age of iPads and e-readers, magazine sales are still just as high as ever. There's just something about glossy paper pages and being able to tear them out and fold them up that you can't replace. For your everyday girl, Glamour is a pretty solid choice. It couples fashion advice and trend watching with health news, real-world issues and relationship advice (that goes beyond Cosmo's "HOW TO BE AN AWESOME SLUT IN BED!"). It's a relatively good choice. If your girl's more artsy and into music and off-the-radar news, you absolutely cannot beat Nylon. Nylon offers offbeat fashion with stellar music/movie reviews, well-written articles and 80'stastic graphic design (**BONUS!** There's also Nylon for Guys. Nice!). It's just pretty to look at. If you know a brainy feminist creative type, BUST might be a good choice. I'd flip through an issue first (it tends to be unmerciful in its treatment of social/sexual issues. Not for the squeamish or blissfully ignorant!) to see if it's right for the lady in question, but it does have some unusual and insightful articles and ideas. Perfect for your riot-grrrl. If you know a hippie-chic girl who's into sustainability and living green, you could try Mother Earth News, which features developments in green technology, self-sufficiency, home farming, organics, and the like. Stargazer/techie/sci-fi fan? Try Popular Science or Astronomy! Both are really interesting (surprisingly), but I especially enjoy Astronomy because a) I like astronomy and enjoy hearing about new discoveries and stuff, and b) even I can understand it. I think you've done pretty well for yourself if you've made a science magazine relatable to someone who pretty strictly reads Victorian societal novels. And of course, for the fashionista in your life, you absolutely cannot go wrong with the fashion Bible, Vogue, which surprisingly, for being on the world's most shallow topic, has some pretty well-written and occasionally (dare I say it?) deep articles.

As much as you might cringe to do so, indulge her fandoms. Even if that means supporting her penchant for sparkly impossible vampires. Whatever she digs, you could trick her out in that thing. If you're a geek for something, you never fail to get hyped up about it. Maybe it's a movie, TV show, book series, band...whatever. Just google some merch and run wild (good sites: Far Out Shirts, Hot Topic, Merch.com, and Etsy.).

You really need to familiarize yourself with Google Shopping if you've not done so already. AMAZING.

Another nice, but cliched, gift is jewelry. It's always nice to get something sparkly, but to me at least, something with significance is more desirable than a costly stone (but those are nice, too!). Over the summer I bought a necklace from Best Name Necklace on Etsy. They were fantastic! You can pick what script and color you want the necklace, and they'll do any word or name you want. This would be especially cool if you had a certain significant word or nickname (that she wouldn't be mortified to wear in public!) that you could make up for her. Or, if she's a Sex and the City fan, since Carrie sort of infamously wore (and lost) hers.

If you like the above idea, but want a different/non-traditional take on it (or have a friend who's a history/Egyptology buff), you could get her the same thing but in hieroglyphics. HOW AWESOME IS THAT!?!

I would avoid buying her purses. I mean, as much as I LOVE purses, here's the deal with women and purses (or shoes, or clothes, or whatever she's obsessed with): we're so darn picky. Sometimes we don't even know what we want. Unless you are intimately acquainted with your friend and know exactly what she likes (or if she's not picky at all--you are blessed!), I'd skip this. If you want a classy gift though, wallets and watches are timeless. As long as they're decent. You can go to a place like TJ Maxx and find some pretty high-quality stuff for relatively cheap (last time I was in the Oviedo one, they had Fossil watches for like $25-$35. NOT BAD!). Anyway, these are more personal items that are best left up to her own discretion. The thought is incredibly sweet though! Same as before: if she's specifically pointed out one of the above items that she wants and it's well within your price range, please, for God's sake, just ignore me and get it for her!

All that being said, I am well aware that we're in a recession and stuff. Money is really tight for everyone and if the girl in question is worth her salt, she gets that, too. Don't feel like you need to sell your Gibson in order to get her a Christmas present. Girls are sensitive--we know it's the thought that really counts. If you're low on cash, here are just a few ideas:
♥ : framed picture of the two of you. Bonus points for customizing it.
♥ : a picnic! Especially when the weather's so fair! You could pack it in a cute basket, take her to a park, and set out a nice festive spread. She'll appreciate the time spent and the thought that went into it.
♥ : On that note, guys aren't the only ones who's stomachs lead right to their hearts. Baked cookies (decorated, perhaps, with inside jokes or a favorite thing of hers), brownies, dinner, etc. will never fail to impress us. It melts our hearts. Or, if you're absolutely hopeless in the kitchen like me, it raises you to a god-like status that you can maneuver your way around a kitchen successfully and I can't.
♥ : This is cheesy and probably really subjective, but flowers. If she's not your typical roses girl, the Season has a lot of cool plants. Poinsettias and Christmas cacti (they ONLY bloom in the weeks leading up to Christmas...how cool!) come to mind. This, coupled with a card or letter detailing why she means so much to you, is always a safe bet. And as aforementioned, if she doesn't appreciate the effort you went to, drop her like she's hot (which she probably isn't.).


Need more ideas? Check out the following:
♥ : Fred Flare: quirky, fun, unique gifts at every price range.
♥ : College Fashion's 45 Gifts Under $50 list.
♥ : Glamour's whole page on Gift Ideas.

Most websites have some kind of gift guide this time of year. And use your CREATIVITY!

"IMAGINAAAATION."

:)

Happy Shopping!

This might be indicative of a book addiction.

If I give you a book as a gift, chances are I read it prior to wrapping it up for you. I'm terribly sorry. It's technically not "used." I mean, I usually buy gift books new unless they're collectable or something. I just need to read them. I try to be careful not to muck up the pages or crease the spine, though. At least I'm cautious. And hey! This way if it sucks I won't give it to you. It's been screened already.

I'm terribly sorry, gift recipients. I hope you don't think less of my literary presents now.