Operation Christmas Child

Samaritan's Purse has a wonderful outreach called Operation Christmas Child where people can fill shoeboxes with gifts for a child who might otherwise not receive anything.  Samaritan's Purse ensures that children all over the world receive shoeboxes regardless of race, religion and gender.

For homebodies, you can "fill" a shoebox online for approximately 25 - 37 dollars depending on your country of origin.

BUT, I highly recommend getting involved with the hands on process of filling a shoebox.  Children can draw or write out lists of essentials and can pick items out themselves at the store.  This is a great way to show your children that it is such a blessing to give to others.

Check out the website for details about what you can (and what you cannot) include in your box and about drop off locations:

Samaritan's Purse Canada           Samaritan's Purse USA 

Collection dates are November 16-22, 2015.

~❀~ Chelsey ~❀~

No Child Should Have to Endure This...

~❀~ Chelsey ~❀~

Pocket Disc Giveaway (Closed)

I'm so excited to tell you about the Phd Pocket Disc and to host my first giveaway!

 Here are my Three stars and a Wish about the Pocket Disc -- a remarkable, portable, cloth frisbee (and a perfect stocking stuffer!):

Origin -- The Pocket Disc was accidentally created by a grade 3 student! Savanna was crocheting a circular placemat for a school project.  She didn't add enough stitches as the placemat grew so it caused a lip to form. More than a year and a half later a family friend threw the misfit "placemat" across the room and this lead to the creation of the Pocket Disc!  What an amazing mistake!

Fair Trade -- The two families who founded the Phd Pocket Disc company decided to make a difference globally. Pocket Discs are now made by the Mayans of Guatemala who are known for creating bright textiles. “The money they make crocheting Pocket Discs and other handmade products enables over 200 Guatemalan weavers to support and send their children to school in a country where 75% of the people now live below the poverty line.”

I love that this company is making a difference in the world and in the lives of others. The fact that one small item could have such a profound impact on an impoverished country is incredible.

Lots of Fun! -- You have to check out the Pocket Disc video so you can see firsthand the fun that can be had both inside and outside! The website has a list of games that you can play such as bowling (super fun!), duck huntin' and juggle toss, but of course, the only limit is your imagination.

Desiree (7), Elijah (4) and I have had a blast playing with the Pocket Disc! You can see in the above picture (top right) that Desiree was shocked to find out that it didn't hurt when it hit her in the face. Not only that, but it's so much easier to catch than a frisbee or a ball -- you can even catch it in your arm pit!  We took turns throwing it as high as we could and still catching it (like the game "solitare", but we played it outside so we could throw it even higher and we called it "pizza toss").

Elijah and I also took the Pocket Discs to Awana and had eighteen 3 and 4 year olds playing with them!  The Pocket Discs were a hit and even held up to a few tug-a-wars when more than one kid felt they were entitled to the next throw.

The only wish I have for the Pocket Disc is that I wish these had been around when I was a kid! They are reminiscent of hacky sacks (those crocheted balls for kicking) in looks and portability, but with minimal skill required for fun.

As a parent, I love that the Pocket Disc is 100% cotton as well as lead-free and plastic-free. So many toys now-a-days are fun, but not as safe as I would like.  Pocket Discs are made of safe ingredients and are also safe to play with.  The Sport Disc is my preference because of the colour-fast aspect, but the Classic Disc may be better for younger kids because it is easier to catch.

From a teacher's point of view I can see the benefits in terms of physical education, but also within the classroom. Passing a Pocket Disc from student to student as they answer questions out loud would be a great way to keep learning fun. Who wouldn't want to learn their multiplication facts like that?

With my own children, Desiree and I challenged ourselves to see how many successful throws we could do in a row while Elijah counted for us. Elijah got some counting practice and Desiree and I managed to get a record of 33!

Buy It: Check out the online shop to order Pocket Discs (shipping is just $2.99 for Canada or the US for four or fewer Pocket Discs.).  If you live in the United States you may be able to find a Pocket Disc retailer near you.

Win It: One Sowing Dandelion Seeds reader will win a Pocket Disc of their choice ($9.99-14.99 ARV)

Leave a separate comment for each entry. Please leave your e-mail in this format: sowingdandelionseeds(at)yahoo(dot)ca  if it isn't public in your profile. All entries will be verified.

Mandatory entry: 
Visit Pocket Disc and tell me which one you would love to win!

Additional entries:
* follow my blog publicly
* post my button on your blog (leave the link)
* subscribe to Sowing Dandelion Seeds via e-mail
* leave a comment on 1 non-giveaway post (leave the post title below)
* blog about this giveaway (leave the link)

* like Pocket Disc on Facebook and comment on their wall that
     Sowing Dandelion Seeds sent you
* follow @PocketDisc on twitter
* follow @SowDandelions on twitter and tweet this
     (can be done daily -- leave the link each day)

#Win a Cloth "Frisbee" and a lot of Fun from @PocketDisc and @SowDandelions http://tinyurl.com/2dnmvpv (Dec18)

Open to Canada and the United States

Ends December 18

Disclosure: Phd Pocket Disc provided me with a Sport Pocket Disc and a Classic Pocket Disc to review in
     exchange for my honest opinion.     
For Complete Giveaway Rules and Disclosure Policy Click Here

~❀~ Chelsey ~❀~

Send a Child a Shoebox Full of Love

Samaritan's Purse has a wonderful outreach called Operation Christmas Child where people can fill shoeboxes with gifts for a child who might other wise not receive anything.  Samaritan's Purse ensures that children all over the world receive shoeboxes regardless of race, religion and gender.

Each fall my kids and I enjoy making lists and shopping for their "friends who live far away".  I love how this experience teaches them about giving to others and showing love to others.

This year I found some adorable stuffed dogs and bought them for the shoeboxes, but my kids fell in love with the dogs and didn't want to part with them.  I gave my kids the dogs with the agreement that they would use their own money to buy more dogs for the shoeboxes.  Desiree(6) is thrilled that her friend who lives far away will now have the exact same dog that she has!

If you like, you can visit the Canadian website to pack a shoebox online.  Online shoeboxes will be sent to Haiti and are a minimum of $37 Canadian (which includes shipping).  Anyone can donate via this website, but please keep in mind that if you want a valid tax receipt you must donate to the country you live in.

For Americans who would like to know where your shoebox ends up, you can donate the shipping fee for your box online at the American website and track your shoebox through a label that you attach to your shoebox.

You can fill a shoe box for a boy or girl in one of three age categories 2-4, 5-9 or 10-14.  You can include items such as stuffed animals, toothbrushes, calculators, t-shirts, sunglasses, school supplies, hard candy, soap (in a plastic bag), socks, stickers, cars, balls, and hair items.  You can even include a personal note and photos if you like.

Avoid  toothpaste, liquids, glass items, soft candy or chocolate, food, playing cards, war items and used items.

Check out this Shoe Box Video for more pointers.  Visit Samaritan's Purse Canada and Samaritan's Purse USA for more information (such as collection locations).  Samaritan's Purse is also located in the UK, Australia, Germany, Spain and Hong Kong.

The Power of a Simple Gift is a video that will show the journey of shoeboxes and the impact that they have on the children who receive them.

 ~❀~ Chelsey ~❀~