All About Kimberly

Sailing Along the Life of Single Parenthood

Tag Archives: holidays

Holiday Mail for Heroes

As the holidays grow closer, I’m looking for more and more ways to make sure our soldier’s across the nation, know how much we appreciate them and feel some Christmas spirit.  So far I’ve told you about:

  • Soldier’s Angels (you’ll notice their bar about half way down between my posts) – THIS IS A SUPER ORGANIZATION and they have some special ways to support the troops all the time – but also some targeted Christmas ways so go check them out and consider Adopting a Soldier.
  • Shop at Sears - They go out of their way to support members of their staff that serve in the Reserves.
  • Purchase an Operation Santa Sign for your Yard and a portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Fisher House who support our troops and their families.  These are really cute signs and only cost $13.
  • Xerox has neat website at www.LetsSayThanks.com where you can pick out a thank you card and Xerox will print it and it will be sent to a soldier that is currently serving in Iraq.
Today I’ve found another great way to support the men and women who are spending the holidays away from family and friends and defending our freedom….Holiday Mail for Heroes.  If you’d like to send a Christmas card to a soldier from your family (or maybe your classroom, Sunday school classes, PTSO, play groups, ANYONE!), then the American Red Cross will assist you. They have partnered with Pitney Bowes and created an address where you can send your cards.  They will then screen them and then forward them on to our service members.
Card Guidelines:
  • All cards must be postmarked no later than Wednesday, December 10, 2008. Cards sent after this date will be returned to sender.
  • Participants are encouraged to limit the number of cards they submit to 25 from any one person or 50 from any one class or group. If you are mailing a larger quantity, please bundle the cards and place them in large mailing envelopes. Each card does not need its own envelope or postage. 
  • Please ensure that all cards are signed.
  • Please use generic salutations such as “Dear Service Member.” Cards addressed to specific individuals can not be delivered through this program.
  • Please send cards as opposed to long letters which delay a quick review process.
  • Please do not include email or home addresses on the cards, as the program is not meant to foster pen pal relationships.
  • Please do not include inserts of any kind, including photos, as these items will be removed during the reviewing process.
  • All cards received may be used in program publicity efforts, including appearing in broadcast, print or online mediums.
Address:
Holiday Mail for Heroes
PO Box 5456
Capitol Heights, MD 20791-5456

Momdot Party – Day 7

Today’s post for the MomDot Christmas party has been the most difficult. Why? Well let me start by telling you today’s topic:

Who’s on your naughty list?  Whose on your nice list?  Why?

I could go on and on with my nice list. I know a lot of nice and deserving people, but the trouble starts with the naughty list. How do you define “naughty?” And do I really want to publish the names of people that I think are naughty. The answer to that – heck no!!! So what do I do so I’m participating in the party?

Well, maybe I’ll start with telling you just a few of those Nice People….

There are my family members that are the most giving – the most “nice”

 

  • my brother, Tommie, who chooses to protect our freedom while serving in the US Army in Iraq 
  • My parents who are always there for all of us when we need a hand
  • My grandmother who is maybe one of my biggest heroes who at 73 years old is still running an elderly foster home – putting others in front of her.
And then there’s some of my favorite friends:
  • Mrs. Harrison
  • Emily
  • Misty
  • And my newest friend, Anna
And finally, a few of my blogging friends
And there’s so many other of you mom bloggers out there that I thinnk are the most wonderful people in the world.  I wish I could list all of you but then I’d feel so guilty if I tried to and left one of you out. So if you are a mom blogger and you are one of the MomDot Regulars or TheMomBlogs regulars, you are also on my Nice List.
And as for that Naughty list….I won’t say any names, but if you are a “drama causer,” If you are petty and looking to talk trash about people and start trouble, if you think your way is the only way and that you can control others, and if you don’t care enough about your child to put them first in yoru life, then YOU are on my Naughty list.

Do You Believe?

As I have been preparing for the MomDot Christmas Party, I have been doing a lot of thinking about the holidays and what they really mean.  And maybe more important than that – what have I taught my daughter about the spirit of the holidays?

As I’ve thought about this, I was so happy to see an email telling me how Macy’s is showing that they understand the true meaning of the holidays is not about them making record profits during the winter shopping season, but instead about recognizing the needs of others.

How are they doing this? With their “Million Reasons to Believe” promotion.  Macy’s across the country are setting up mailboxes where children can leave their stamped letters to Santa, and in exchange Macy’s will donate $1 per letter (up to a $1,000,000) to The Make A Wish Foundation and then deliver the letters to the Post Office to be forwarded on to Santa.

We all let our little ones write letters to Santa, and you probably stamp and mail those letters for your children.  I strongly encourage you to add that step this year of taking the letter to Macy’s so that you show your devotion to the holiday spirit of love and charity.

A Reader Request

With my brother serving in Iraq, many of you know that supporting our military is a matter that is close to my heart. I just found out that ChristmasCardsDirect is donating 180,000 cards to Soldiers’ Angels (notice the link that has been on my right bar for a while now…I love the Soldiers’ Angels) who will deliver them to deployed soldiers to send home to family and friends.  This is such an amazing action for ChristmasCardsDirect to do.  I am so proud of them.  While we try to remember to write my brother (note to self: it’s time to do that again), I can just imagine how happy everyone would be to get a Christmas card back from him.  And knowing that ChristmasCardsDirect has helped many soldiers’ families feel this privilege, has me looking to support ChristmasCardsDirect. They tend to focus more on Corporate Holiday Cards, but if you look close there are some opportunities for us to buy from them or to have our employers use them.  And I’d like to take this opportunity to encourage you to support both ChristmasCardsDirect and Soldier’s Angels.  Companies that don’t get involved in the politics of today and worry about whether or not the war is just or not and just make our soldiers their top priority get an A+ with me, and I really hope that you will do the same.