A bigger gift

Our two boys celebrate their birthdays just two weeks apart. This year we had two parties, one for family members and one for toddler friends. Since our house is so small and we're already overflowing with too much stuff, we decided to ask for a donation of Back-to-School items for a program at our church instead of toys.
I completely forgot to get the backpacks in the pic, but we also had four school size backpacks to go with it all.
Here's the rundown:
1-package peechees
1-index cards
1-Toy Story 11 pc. set
2-eraser packages
2-12 ct. color pencils
2-packages of scissors
2-packages of glue
2-of those four colored clicker pens
2-rulers
2-pencil boxes
2-packages of socks
3-calculators
2-pen/pencil holders
2-packages of paper
2-10 ct. markers
4-packages of pens
4-backpacks
6-binders
6-24 ct. crayons
8-elmers glue
9-10 ct. pencils
14-spiral notebooks

In the end, I'm SO GLAD we did the birthday's this way. Almost everyone who came brought stuff to donate. Many school kids received school supplies and WE didn't have to make room for new toys in our 800 sq.ft. house. A win/win for me!

Iraqi Bundles of Love

In my patience and boredom in waiting for baby #2 (who still has not arrived), I was surfing the net today and came across this really cool idea from a US soldier currently in Iraq. It's called Iraqi Bundles of Love and it's all about raiding YOUR stash of sewing fabrics and supplies and sending them to this soldier currently in Iraq to distribute to the Iraqi's. Bundle up a bunch of stuff in a larger piece of fabric with ribbon, place it in the large flat rate box from the USPS and mail it to his APO address, which you have to request from him through his blog. Being a military wife (who's husband has been over there once so far) and crafter myself, I REALLY support spreading the love of crafting, even to a country we have had "issues" with, and I REALLY like the idea of thinning out my stash. I know my husband would appreciate it as well since my hobbies take up a whole room upstairs. I encourage all you readers to check out this soldiers site and send your own box of craft goodies. Here's the link again...

IRAQI BUNDLES OF LOVE

or if that doesn't work...

http://ibol.wordpress.com/

He explains everything in case mine doesn't make sense.