Blogger Love and Operation Christmas Child Pt. II

Being that it's Friday I think we all can breathe a deep sigh of relief and relish in the fact that the weekend is officially here. Today is the day that I link up with Meagan of All the Joys and we share the posts that we loved throughout the week. Be sure to visit the link up and I guarantee you will find some posts you may have missed as well as some new blogs to follow.

Here are the posts that inspired me this week.

How to Make Money Blogging by Heavens to Betsy. So many people often ask how one can make money blogging. Betsy answers this in great detail. She is an all around great source of information and one of my daily reads.

Blogging Basics: Choosing Where I Sponsor by Flowers in My Hair. Nina gives some great pointers as to how she chooses who she will sponsor and where she will sponsor. I have to say that Nina is amazing to sponsor and to date, I believe she has the best way to introduce her sponsors to her readers. You can see my sponsor highlight here. Unique right? I loved it.

At Any Given Moment by Simply Complex Mom. Elizabeth has a way of writing that is truly genuine and open. I loved this post for the sheer fact that it made me stop and truly think about those that sacrifice their lives for us to enjoy our freedoms. Beautifully written.

How To: A Fashion Blog Post by Eat Drink and Be Mary. Mary gives some great advice for the wanna be fashion blogger out there. I love her humor and her tips. A fun read!

Finding Balance: Who Needs Break? by Bourbon, Lipstick, and Stilettos. Lindsay hit the nail on the head here. I am guilty of rushing through life, trying to fulfill all the roles and titles and I have and keep my head above water. It all comes down to one word, BALANCE. A great reminder any day!

And now I'd love to give you an update on a project that I am participating in.

You may remember last Wednesday I posted about Operation Christmas Child. OCC is a program sponsored by Samaritan's Purse each year. The idea is simple; choose to sponsor a child (choose your age group and gender) and fill a shoe box with gifts that they can open during the holidays. There are families out there struggling to make ends meet and to put food on the table. While you and I are may be fretting over whether or not we have started our Christmas shopping there are others that are just trying to get by. Operation Christmas Child steps in and provides some gifts for children for families in need.

My family and I chose to sponsor a little girl (2-4 yrs. old). Shopping for our child was fun and eye opening. We knew we wanted to have books for the child to read and to be read to. My daughters always loved coloring and crafts so crayons and a coloring book were a given.

We added pencils in festive colors for drawing and doodling as well. Warm socks and a toothbrush rounded out our box.

We will be adding a note from our family to this child too.

Next week I will be driving to a drop off center 10-15 minutes form my home. I'll be bringing along a donation of $7 so my shoe box can be mailed to a child.

This was such a positive experience and I love that it was the start of our holiday season. About this time every year I am in a panic as to what to get the people on my gift list; my children included. The sad part is that nobody on my list lacks for anything. The children that benefit from Operation Christmas Child have next to nothing and the items in a simple shoe box will bring them so much joy. It is a great reminder that we need very little and that the true spirit of the holiday comes in giving to others, especially those less fortunate.

Have you ever participated in Operation Christmas Child or a program like it?