December Charity Challenge...Playing Santa!

I spent the earlier part of this week playing Santa.
As some of you know, in the past I've sold toys and collectibles on eBay.  I still have a METRIC TON of old, still in the package toys left to sell.

I've been a member on a Yahoo List called Christmas Wishes for the past 4 years.  It was set up by a local woman here.  The purpose of this list is to allow folks who want to help fulfill Christmas wishes to find folks who need help at the holidays.  It's open to any person who lives in PA.  I do believe the owner of the list has also opened up similar lists for every state since.

Anyway, people who are having difficulty providing Santa for their kids or grandkids at Christmas post to be adopted on this list.  Usually they are people who can't get on the Toys for Tots, Salvation Army or other local charity lists.  They either are among the working poor who make too much money to qualify for these programs or they have had a recent setback, like a loss of employment or other financial crisis or something like a house fire, left an abusive relationship, etc.  The reasons for needing the help run the gamut.

So most every year I gather up a bunch of the toys I have left to sell and offer them on that list.  The folks who respond arrange to meet me and I give the parents/grandparents the toys so their kids don't go without a gift at Christmas.  There were also quite a few requests for teenage girls who wanted girly stuff like toiletries and makeup this year, so I raided some of my toiletries/make-up stockpile as well.
Here are some of the goodies I delivered around Teeny Tiny Town this week.....

There were another 3 bags of toys that hubby delivered up by his job this week that I didn't get photos of first.

This is the only reason why I mentioned in the last post that I 'might' go out toy clearance shopping in the next week, even though none of my kids are of the age where they are into toys anymore.
I had used that Kmart Toy Clearance $5/$20 Q and used the BOGO Transformers Q this summer to get some toys very inexpensively.  Those toys were given out on the ChristmasWishes List as well.

Not sure on the value of all this as I haven't tried adding it up yet, but it has to be at least $300 of toys/toiletries.

So did you make an charitable donations this month?
Tell us all about it and be sure to link and check out the CHARITY CHALLENGE over on the CVS SAVER BLOG.  The Charity Challenge is located Here.

Merry Christmas!

I hope everyone had a peaceful, joyous Christmas!
I also hope "Santa" brought you something you really REALLY wanted!

Since all my kids are teens now, there was no pre-dawn staggering of mom and dad downstairs to the Christmas tree.  We all roused and got to the gift unwrapping by noon.lol
Everyone seemed happy with their haul, especially our youngest who got his heart's desire of a bass guitar.
Then the relatives showed up and I started the Holiday meal.
I didn't do a big Feast like in years past.  I baked a chicken with onions and carrots and roasted a small boneless leg of lamb with onions and rosemary potatoes.  Add in teriyaki green beans and sparkling grape juice and everyone ate well.
And the best part is the only leftover was some chicken. We all had plenty to eat and I didn't have to cram leftovers into the fridge!  That's my idea of a Christmas present....

My Sister-in-Law sent a big box of fancy pants Cookies that arrived Christmas Eve so we all set upon that box like a herd of hyenas for dessert.  It's a good thing too, because I didn't have the energy or time to get around to making any Holiday sweets yet.  Since hubby has off for the next week, I'll take my time and make a few sweet goodies in the coming days.

So are you off hunting the After Christmas Deals today?
I know this will shock you but, I won't be shopping today.
Nope.
I don't need any wrapping stuff.
And my kids are past the toy ages so I don't need to stock up on clearance toys for next year.....though I might go out later and get some to stash back to donate next Christmas.
I don't need toiletries and perfume sets, or holiday food sets or holiday themed paper goods or cake mixes/frostings/etc.  I have more than I can use in my stockpile already.
This is all not to say that the majority of my family is NOT at the mall or Target or some other shopping mecca as I type this out.  They all got gift cards &/or cash and it's burning a hole in their collective pockets!lol

I think I'll spend today downloading and going through the photos I shot yesterday.
Then I'll get my receipts up to date and prepare to do my end of month calculations on my spending.  Then pay a couple of year end bills. 
Then do a few rebates that need to go out before the end of December.
Then I 'might' wander up to Rite-Aid since I still have a $20 Fall GOS Certificate to use and there is some Northern TP on sale calling to me.lolol
Then lounge in bed and read a book.
There will be no cooking or cleaning today.
Just things I WANT to do!

Happy Day-After-Christmas everyone!!

Sluggy

I got my Christmas Present Already....

...and Here it is!

My baby came home on Saturday for Christmas.
He hasn't been home(except for 6 days in August) since June.
We sent our handsome, clean shaven, toned wrestler son away to college and we got back Grizzly Adams.

Welcome home son and Merry Christmas.
Now go do your laundry!

Sluggy

WITHOUT YOU I'd Be Nothing!

It is a Noteworthy Day!
Today my blog reached 50 Followers!!
I know 50 isn't much, but it's a landmark in my book.

I just want to let all of you know how appreciative I am that you each chose my Blog to stalk....er, I mean follow.
I raise my glass of iced tea to you all and say THANK YOU!
And I pray that you all stick around and continue to check in on me every now and again.

I've got some thinking to do about what direction I want to take this blog in, in the coming year.  If anyone has any ideas or suggestions, please feel free to leave a comment.

I've definitely got some things planned, including a couple of giveaways.  Who doesn't like winning free stuff, right?lol

I'm off now to go play "Santa" today.  More on that later....

Sluggy

Good Deal Alert at Rite-Aid this Week if You have the Wellness Card

For those of you in the test-market areas for the Rite-Aid Wellness Card Program, you may have noticed when you bought anything at Rite-Aid recently, and used your Wellness Card, that 2 coupons printed out on your CRT.
The 1st coupon is for $2 off any OTC cold or cough medicine priced $2 or higher.
Pair this coupon with any of the Theraflu Manufacturers coupons out there(insert or IP ones) for some really inexpensive medicine this week.

If you go to Coupons.com there is a $2/1 Theraflu Q currently.  Use that Q with the CRT $2/1 Q to get the Theraflu(on sale this week for $3.99)for FREE.  Most Rite-Aids have Theraflu blinkie machines dispensing $1.50/1 Qs right on the store shelves.  Pair the CRT Q with this $1.50 Q and get the Theraflu for $.49!

The other CRT Q printing out is for $1 off a seasonal item priced at $1 or more.  I am saving all of those Qs up for Dec. 26th when all the seasonal stuff goes on clearance.  This $1/1 CRT Q doesn't expire until Jan. 9th so plenty of time to get a few free or almost free seasonal items!

Sluggy